The Mousetrap

HELENexits upCtoR, leaving the doors open.KARLlooks after her with some surprise. His hand goes to his cheek and he finds lipstick on it. He wipes his cheek with his handkerchief, smiles, then shakes his head a little doubtfully. He goes to the record player, puts on the record of the “Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto,” switches on, then goes to the desk and sits. He starts to do a little work, but pauses to listen to the music.LISAenters downR. She stands there a moment, listening and watchingKARL, but he is not aware that she is there. Her hands go up slowly to her face as she tries to retain composure, then suddenly she breaks down, rushes to the sofa and slumps on to the right end of it.

LISA. Don’t. Don’t. Take it off.

KARL, startled, swings round.

KARL. (puzzled) It’s the Rachmaninoff, Lisa. You and I have always loved it.

LISA. I know. That’s why I can’t bear it just now. Take it off.

KARLrises and stops the music.

KARL. (crossing toLof the sofa) You know, Lisa. You’ve always known.

LISA. Don’t. We’ve never said anything.

KARL. But we’ve known, haven’t we?

LISA. (in a different, matter-of-fact voice) Anya is asking for you.

KARL. (coming out of a kind of dream) Yes. Yes, of course. I’ll go to her.

KARLcrosses and exits downR. LISAstares after him in an attitude of despair.

LISA. Karl. (She beats her hands on the sofa) Karl. Oh, Karl.

LISAcollapses miserably, her head in her hands, over the right arm of the sofa as the lights BLACK OUT and

theCURTAINfalls.

Scene II

SCENE: The same. A fortnight later. Afternoon.

When the CURTAIN rises, the lights come up. The right half of the double doors is open.ANYAis in her wheelchairC, with her work-tableLof her. She is knitting.KARLis seated at the desk, making notes from various books.MRS. ROPERis dusting the shelves of the bookcaseR. Her vacuum cleaner is below the sofa.LISAenters from her bedroom, comes into the room and picks up her handbag from the armchair. She is dressed ready for going out.

ANYA. (vexedly; half crying) I’ve dropped another stitch. Two stitches. Oh, dear!

LISAreplaces her handbag on the armchair, leans over the work-table and takes the knitting.

LISA. I’ll pick them up for you.

ANYA. It’s no good my trying to knit. Look at my hands. They won’t keep still. It’s all hopeless.

MRS. ROPERmoves toRof the tableRCand dusts the books on it.

MRS. ROPER. Our life’s a vale of tears, they do say. Did you see that piece in the paper this morning? Two little girls drowned in a canal. Lovely children, they were. (She leaves the duster on the table RC, moves below the sofa, picks up the vacuum cleaner and moves towards the door down R) By the way, Miss Koletzky, we’re out of tea again.

MRS. ROPERexits downR. LISAhas sorted out the knitting and returns it toANYA.

LISA. There. That’s all right now.

ANYA. Shall I ever get well again?

MRS. ROPERre-enters downR, collects her duster on the tableRC.

(Wistfully and rather sweetly) I want so much to get well.