FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   3415   3416   3417   3418   3419   3420   3421   3422   3423   3424   3425   3426   3427   3428   3429   3430   3431   3432   3433   3434   3435   3436   3437   3438   3439  
3440   3441   3442   3443   3444   3445   3446   3447   3448   3449   3450   3451   3452   3453   3454   3455   3456   3457   3458   3459   3460   3461   3462   3463   3464   >>   >|  
s and a piece of orange-peel strike MORE across the face. He takes no notice. ROUGH VOICE. That's it! Give 'im some encouragement. The jeering laughter is changed to anger by the contemptuous smile on MORE'S face. A TALL YOUTH. Traitor! A VOICE. Don't stand there like a stuck pig. A ROUGH. Let's 'ave 'im dahn off that! Under cover of the applause that greets this, he strikes MORE across the legs with a belt. STEEL starts forward. MORE, flinging out his arm, turns him back, and resumes his tranquil staring at the crowd, in whom the sense of being foiled by this silence is fast turning to rage. THE CROWD. Speak up, or get down! Get off! Get away, there--or we'll make you! Go on! [MORE remains immovable.] A YOUTH. [In a lull of disconcertion] I'll make 'im speak! See! He darts forward and spits, defiling MORES hand. MORE jerks it up as if it had been stung, then stands as still as ever. A spurt of laughter dies into a shiver of repugnance at the action. The shame is fanned again to fury by the sight of MORES scornful face. TALL YOUTH. [Out of murmuring] Shift! or you'll get it! A VOICE. Enough of your ugly mug! A ROUGH. Give 'im one! Two flung stones strike MORE. He staggers and nearly falls, then rights himself. A GIRL'S VOICE. Shame! FRIENDLY VOICE. Bravo, More! Stick to it! A ROUGH. Give 'im another! A VOICE. No! A GIRL'S VOICE. Let 'im alone! Come on, Billy, this ain't no fun! Still looking up at MORE, the whole crowd falls into an uneasy silence, broken only by the shuffling of feet. Then the BIG NAVVY in the front rank turns and elbows his way out to the edge of the crowd. THE NAVVY. Let 'im be! With half-sullen and half-shamefaced acquiescence the crowd breaks up and drifts back whence it came, till the alley is nearly empty. MORE. [As if coming to, out of a trance-wiping his hand and dusting his coat] Well, Steel! And followed by STEEL, he descends the steps and moves away. Two policemen pass glancing up at the broken glass. One of them stops and makes a note. THE CURTAIN FALLS. SCENE II The window-end of KATHERINE'S bedroom, panelled in cream-coloured wood. The light from four candles is falling on KATHERINE, who is sitting before the silver mirror of an o
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   3415   3416   3417   3418   3419   3420   3421   3422   3423   3424   3425   3426   3427   3428   3429   3430   3431   3432   3433   3434   3435   3436   3437   3438   3439  
3440   3441   3442   3443   3444   3445   3446   3447   3448   3449   3450   3451   3452   3453   3454   3455   3456   3457   3458   3459   3460   3461   3462   3463   3464   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

silence

 
broken
 

strike

 
forward
 

KATHERINE

 

laughter

 

breaks

 
acquiescence
 

drifts

 

sullen


shamefaced

 

FRIENDLY

 
shuffling
 

uneasy

 

elbows

 

descends

 

bedroom

 

panelled

 

coloured

 

window


CURTAIN
 

silver

 

mirror

 

sitting

 

candles

 
falling
 

wiping

 
dusting
 

trance

 

coming


glancing
 

policemen

 

starts

 
flinging
 

applause

 

greets

 

strikes

 

resumes

 

foiled

 

turning


tranquil

 
staring
 
encouragement
 

jeering

 

notice

 

orange

 

changed

 

contemptuous

 

Traitor

 

scornful