FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68  
69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   >>  
s into the shelter. Jenny takes her tambourine from the drum head]. MRS BAINES. Mr Undershaft: have you ever seen a thousand people fall on their knees with one impulse and pray? Come with us to the meeting. Barbara shall tell them that the Army is saved, and saved through you. CUSINS [returning impetuously from the shelter with a flag and a trombone, and coming between Mrs Baines and Undershaft] You shall carry the flag down the first street, Mrs Baines [he gives her the flag]. Mr Undershaft is a gifted trombonist: he shall intone an Olympian diapason to the West Ham Salvation March. [Aside to Undershaft, as he forces the trombone on him] Blow, Machiavelli, blow. UNDERSHAFT [aside to him, as he takes the trombone] The trumpet in Zion! [Cusins rushes to the drum, which he takes up and puts on. Undershaft continues, aloud] I will do my best. I could vamp a bass if I knew the tune. CUSINS. It is a wedding chorus from one of Donizetti's operas; but we have converted it. We convert everything to good here, including Bodger. You remember the chorus. "For thee immense rejoicing--immenso giubilo--immenso giubilo." [With drum obbligato] Rum tum ti tum tum, tum tum ti ta-- BARBARA. Dolly: you are breaking my heart. CUSINS. What is a broken heart more or less here? Dionysos Undershaft has descended. I am possessed. MRS BAINES. Come, Barbara: I must have my dear Major to carry the flag with me. JENNY. Yes, yes, Major darling. CUSINS [snatches the tambourine out of Jenny's hand and mutely offers it to Barbara]. BARBARA [coming forward a little as she puts the offer behind her with a shudder, whilst Cusins recklessly tosses the tambourine back to Jenny and goes to the gate] I can't come. JENNY. Not come! MRS BAINES [with tears in her eyes] Barbara: do you think I am wrong to take the money? BARBARA [impulsively going to her and kissing her] No, no: God help you, dear, you must: you are saving the Army. Go; and may you have a great meeting! JENNY. But arn't you coming? BARBARA. No. [She begins taking off the silver brooch from her collar]. MRS BAINES. Barbara: what are you doing? JENNY. Why are you taking your badge off? You can't be going to leave us, Major. BARBARA [quietly] Father: come here. UNDERSHAFT [coming to her] My dear! [Seeing that she is going to pin the badge on his collar, he retreats to the penthouse in some alarm]. BARBARA [following him] Don't be frightened. [She p
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68  
69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   >>  



Top keywords:

Undershaft

 

BARBARA

 

Barbara

 

coming

 

CUSINS

 

BAINES

 

trombone

 

tambourine

 

taking

 

UNDERSHAFT


meeting
 

Cusins

 

shelter

 
chorus
 

collar

 

Baines

 

immenso

 

giubilo

 
recklessly
 

whilst


shudder

 

tosses

 
Dionysos
 

snatches

 

darling

 
mutely
 

offers

 

descended

 

forward

 

possessed


quietly
 

Father

 
Seeing
 
frightened
 

retreats

 

penthouse

 

brooch

 

silver

 

impulsively

 

kissing


begins
 

saving

 

converted

 

Olympian

 
diapason
 

intone

 

gifted

 

trombonist

 

Salvation

 
trumpet