The Mousetrap

SARAH. Yes, that she-devil, Mrs. Boynton.

MISSPRYCE. (Shocked) Oh, really, Miss King, I don’t think . . . After all, we must remember she is dead.

SARAH. De mortias.

MISSPRYCE. Quite—quite.

SARAH. Death doesn’t make people good who have been wicked.

MISSPRYCE. Wicked is rather a strong word, dear. I always feel people who take drugs are to be pitied rather than blamed.

SARAH. I know what I’m talking about and . . . (She stops) What did you say? Mrs. Boynton didn’t take drugs.

MISSPRYCE. (Confused) Oh, really, I never meant—I mean, I thought you, being a doctor, had probably noticed the signs. I’m sure I don’t want to say anything against the poor old woman.

SARAH. Mrs. Boynton didn’t take drugs. Why do you think she did?

MISSPRYCE. Oh, but I’m afraid she was a drug addict, my dear. Lady Westholme goes about saying she drank, which of course wasn’t so at all, but I haven’t liked to contradict her because saying that anyone is a dope fiend is worse.

SARAH. (Slowly but excited) Why do you think Mrs. Boynton was a dope fiend?

MISSPRYCE. I should not dream of saying.

(The DRAGOMAN enters down the slope Left.)

There is such a thing as Christian charity.

DRAGOMAN. Abraham good Christian dragoman. All my ladies and gentleman say Abraham first-class Christian dragoman. You come now, ladies, horses all ready.

(SARAH seizes MISS PRYCE by the arm and sits her in the chair Right of the table.)

SARAH. You don’t leave here until you tell me why you think Mrs. Boynton took drugs. You can’t just hint things like that out of your imagination.

MISSPRYCE. (Indignantly) Not at all. It was not imagination. I saw her . . . (She stops.)

SARAH. You saw what?

DRAGOMAN. You come now.

SARAH. (Sharply) Shut up, Abraham.

(The DRAGOMAN exits to the marquee.)

MISSPRYCE. (Upset and rather on her dignity) Really, I did not want to mention the occurrence, it seems so unkind. But since you have accused me of imagining—well, it was yesterday afternoon.

SARAH. Yes?

MISSPRYCE. I came out of my tent—at least, not right out—I just pushed back the flap and tried to remember where I had left my book. Was it in the marquee, I said to myself, or was it in the deckchair.

SARAH. Yes—yes.

MISSPRYCE. And then I noticed Mrs. Boynton. She was sitting up there quite alone and she rolled up her sleeve and injected the dope into her arm, looking about her first, you know, in a most guilty manner.

(GERARD rises and exchanges glances with SARAH.)

SARAH. You’re quite sure? What happened then?

MISSPRYCE. My dear, it was quite like a novel. She unscrewed the knob of her stick and put the hypodermic needle inside. So of course, I knew then that it was drugs—not drink, as Lady Westholme said.

(CARBERY and LADY WESTHOLME enter Right. CARBERY beckons to the BOYNTONS. NADINE and GINEVRA rise and group with RAYMOND and LENNOX at the foot of the rock up Right.)

CARBERY. (Moving Right Centre) Miss King—Pryce. We’re starting.

SARAH. (Crossing to Left ofCARBERY) Colonel Carbery, Miss Pryce has something to tell you.

(MISS PRYCE rises.)

When she was alone in camp yesterday, she saw Mrs. Boynton inject something into her own arm.

CARBERY. What’s that?

(NADINE and LENNOX move down Right.)

SARAH. (ToMISSPRYCE) That’s quite true, isn’t it?

MISSPRYCE. Yes, indeed.

SARAH. After that Mrs. Boynton concealed the hypodermic needle in her stick, the head of which unscrews.

CARBERY. (Calling sharply) Aissa.

(The DRAGOMAN enters from the marquee.)

(To the DRAGOMAN) Tal a hinna. Fee bataga.

(The DRAGOMAN exits to the marquee.)

SARAH. (ToRAYMOND) Oh, Ray!

(RAYMOND moves to Left of SARAH.)

We’ve found out the truth.

(The DRAGOMAN enters from the marquee with MRS. BOYNTON’s stick. He crosses to CARBERY, who takes the stick, unscrews the knob and produces the hypodermic needle, handling it carefully with his handkerchief.)