The Mousetrap

NADINE. (Moving down Left) He is not very happy.

MRS. BOYNTON. He ought to be—married to a charming and good-looking girl like you. I’m afraid sometimes he doesn’t appreciate you as much as he ought to do.

NADINE. You think Jefferson Cope appreciates me better?

MRS. BOYNTON. I think he’s very much in love with you.

NADINE. And you want me to go away with him and leave Lennox—why?

MRS. BOYNTON. (Smoothly; with faint malicious amusement) Really, Nadine, what words you put into my mouth—I’ve said nothing of the kind.

NADINE. It’s what you mean, though. (Slowly) It was one of your reasons for coming here.

MRS. BOYNTON. You are talking very extravagantly, Nadine dear. Naturally I want you to be happy—but of course I am not urging you to leave your husband. That would be a very wrong thing to do.

(NADINE stares at MRS. BOYNTON in silence for a moment or two.)

NADINE. (Moving up Left of the table) Why do you hate us all so much?

MRS. BOYNTON. (Amused) Really, my dear child!

NADINE. (Still staring at her) You like hurting people—don’t you? You like the sense of power. I’ve thought sometimes that it came from your having been a wardress—but I think I see further than that—it was what made you become a wardress.

(MRS. BOYNTON smiles gently.)

There are a lot of people who can’t stand that job—but you—(She slows down, dropping truth after truth as she stares at MRS. BOYNTON) liked it. When you married, you missed it—but you found consolation in the children—three helpless children. You started on them.

MRS. BOYNTON. Dear me, what an imagination you have got, Nadine dear.

NADINE. You’ve never been physically cruel. It’s been a mental sport. You’ve thwarted and tortured Jinny until she’s gone nearly over the edge. You know only too well what you’ve done to Lennox—I can’t reach him any more. He doesn’t give you much sport nowadays, does he? But Raymond does. Raymond’s still able to rebel. You can have some fun with Raymond, can’t you?

MRS. BOYNTON. Such curious ideas you have, Nadine, haven’t you?

NADINE. That’s why you came abroad. You were bored, weren’t you? You’d tamed your wild beasts. You’d got them jumping through hoops just as you told them to. It was dull for you. So you brought them abroad—hoping they would rebel—hoping they’d suffer and that you’d have some fresh fun hurting them, seeing them writhe and squirm. (Sharply) Haven’t you any pity?

MRS. BOYNTON. (Turning an impassive face to her) I don’t know what you mean.

NADINE. (Crossing above the table to Right Centre) Why do you like hurting people? It seems so senseless.

MRS. BOYNTON. (In a thick voice) Does it?

NADINE. So it’s true—you are like that.

MRS. BOYNTON. (With infinite scorn) You little fool.

NADINE. (Turning on her) It’s you who are the fool. Hasn’t it ever occurred to you that what you’re doing is dangerous?

MRS. BOYNTON. Dangerous?

NADINE. Yes, dangerous. You can drive people too far.

MRS. BOYNTON. I’m not afraid.

NADINE. You might—die.

MRS. BOYNTON. I’m not going to die for a long time to come, Nadine dear. I may not have good health, but I’ve great powers of enjoyment—(She chuckles grimly) great powers of enjoyment.

NADINE. I think you’re mad.

MRS. BOYNTON. Not in the legal sense, my dear.

(GINEVRA enters Right and stands listening.)

You won’t be able to get me certified. (She looks at NADINE and laughs.) There’s someone else who’s likely to be certified before me.

NADINE. (Catching her breath) You mean—Jinny?

MRS. BOYNTON. (Smoothly) Poor child.

(GINEVRA runs off Right.)

NADINE. Doctor Gerard is very interested in Jinny’s case.

MRS. BOYNTON. (Almost with a snarl) It’s nothing to do with him.

NADINE. He assures me that with treatment Jinny would become perfectly normal. I think we ought to get his advice.

MRS. BOYNTON. Jinny is under age—and what you think or don’t think, Nadine, doesn’t matter. I’m the one who decides.

NADINE. Yes—we’re all in your power—but if Jinny gets worse . . .

MRS. BOYNTON. If Jinny gets violent—(Smoothly) she will have, of course, to be restrained.

NADINE. Certified. Shut up. (She shivers) That’s what you want to happen. I’m beginning to understand you—at last.