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Page 18
DOCTOR. He's very harmless.
STRANGER. How did he lose his wits?
DOCTOR. Who can tell. It's a disease of the mind, not the body.
STRANGER. Tell me--is he here--now?
DOCTOR. Yes. He's free to wander in the garden and arrange
creation. But if his presence disquiets you, we can shut him up.
STRANGER. Why aren't such poor devils put out of--their misery?
DOCTOR. It's hard to know whether they're ripe. ...
STRANGER. What for?
DOCTOR. For what's to come.
STRANGER. There _is_ nothing. (Pause.)
DOCTOR. Who knows!
STRANGER. I feel strangely uneasy. Have you medical material ...
specimens ... dead bodies?
DOCTOR. Oh yes. In the ice-box--for the authorities, you know. (He
pulls out an arm and leg.) Look here.
STRANGER. No. Too much like Bluebeard!
DOCTOR (sharply). What do you mean by that? (Looking at the LADY.)
Do you think I kill my wives?
STRANGER. Oh no. It's clear you don't. Is this house haunted, too?
DOCTOR. Oh yes. Ask my wife.(He disappears behind the wood pile
where neither the STRANGER nor the LADY can see him.)
LADY. You needn't whisper, my husband's deaf. Though he can lip
read.
STRANGER. Then let me say that I've never known a more painful
half-hour. We exchange the merest commonplaces, because none of us
has the courage to say what he thinks. I suffered so that the idea
came to me of opening my veins to get relief. But now I'd like to
tell him the truth and have done with it. Shall we say to his face
that we mean to go away, and that you've had enough of his
foolishness?
LADY. If you talk like that I'll begin to hate you. You must behave
under any circumstances.
STRANGER. How well brought up you are! (The DOCTOR now becomes
visible to the STRANGER and the LADY, who continue their
conversation.) Come away with me, before the sun goes down.
(Pause.) Tell me, why did you kiss me yesterday?
LADY. But. ...
STRANGER. Supposing he could hear what we say! I don't trust him.
DOCTOR. What shall we do to amuse our guest?
LADY. He doesn't care much for amusement. His life's not been
happy.
(The DOCTOR blows a whistle. The MADMAN comes into the garden. He
wears a laurel wreath and his clothes are curious.)
DOCTOR. Come here, Caesar.
STRANGER (displeased). What? Is he called Caesar?
DOCTOR. No. It's a nickname I gave him, to remind me of a boy I was
at school with.
STRANGER (disturbed). Oh?
DOCTOR. He was involved in a strange incident, and I got all the
blame.
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