The Mousetrap

(The DRAGOMAN crosses and exits to the marquee. HIGGS crosses to Right Centre.)

HIGGS. (Looking up atMRS. BOYNTON) And I see we’ve got our ’eathen idol with us still. Sitting oop there for all the world like summat out of Old Testament. Moloch, was it, as they used to sacrifice children to? How their parents fell for it beats me. Ee, they moost ’ave been daft.

LADYWESTHOLME. It was an age of crude superstition. Nowadays . . .

HIGGS. Nowadays there’s still sacrifices going on. I’ve kept my eyes open since I’ve been ’ere, and I tell you my ’eart bleeds for those kids of ’ers. That old image up there sees to it they’re sacrificed all right. She’s what them psycho-whatnots call a bluddy sadist.

LADYWESTHOLME. (Rising) Mr. Higgs—oh!

(LADY WESTHOLME, limping from a blistered foot, crosses and exits Right.)

HIGGS. (Sniffing) Ee, there’s a champion smell of animal sacrifice. Now let’s ’ope it won’t be a burnt offerin’.

(HIGGS exits Right. GINEVRA enters cautiously from the marquee, and moves up Centre. She has a long sharp knife in her hand. She is taken unawares by hearing GERARD’s voice off. She moves quickly to the table, conceals the knife under GERARD’s medical case, then picks up SARAH’s hypodermic case as though that had been her business at the table. GERARD enters from the marquee. GINEVRA moves quickly Centre.)

GERARD. (Noting her confusion) What have you got there? (He crosses to Left ofGINEVRA.)

GINEVRA. Nothing.

GERARD. Give that to me. (He takes the case from her and opens it.) What have you done with the hypodermic?

GINEVRA. I don’t know. I haven’t touched it.

(GERARD frowns, moves to the table, puts SARAH’s case on it, then moves his own case preparatory to opening it and discovers the knife.)

GERARD. (Picking up the knife) Aha! (He moves down Right of the table.)

(GINEVRA springs forward and tries to take the knife from him.)

What is this?

GINEVRA. Give it me. I must have it.

GERARD. Where did you get it from?

GINEVRA. (Pointing to the marquee) From in there. I want it—to defend myself—against them.

GERARD. (Listen, mon enfant, you must give up all this make-believe. (He puts the knife on the table.)

GINEVRA. You say that—but you know that it’s true. (She moves close to him.) You followed me here, didn’t you? From Jerusalem. You’re here to protect me. I know you are.

GERARD. (Taking her hands) Listen, Ginevra, I want to help you . . .

GINEVRA. I knew—I knew. (Sweetly) You’re in love with me, aren’t you?

GERARD. I’m nearly old enough to be your father.

GINEVRA. But I like you very much. (She smiles at him.) Doctor Gerard, I don’t want to die. (Angrily) You must believe me—you must. (Confidentially) Listen, yesterday, they put poison in my food.

GERARD. (Firmly) No, your food was quite all right.

GINEVRA. You—you do know that I don’t really belong to them? You know that that’s true. You can see, can’t you, that I’m different?

GERARD. We would all like to be different.

GINEVRA. I can’t tell you who I am. I promised. (Grandly) My lips are sealed.

GERARD. (Firmly) You are Ginevra Boynton.

GINEVRA. I hate you. I hate you. (She crosses to the chair Right of the table, sits and cries.)

GERARD. (Moving behind her) Don’t you understand, Ginevra, that what you are doing is dangerous? The way of escape you have found for yourself is no real escape. You must face reality, not lose yourself in a world of fantasy.

GINEVRA. I thought you would help me to escape.

GERARD. That is what I want to do. (He moves to Left of the table.)

GINEVRA. You will take me away with you—to France—to Paris?

GERARD. I would like to take you to France. (He sits Left of the table.)