Three years elapse.
Scene: The street outside the Acacias.
Time: Evening.
[Ali leans on a pillar-box watching. John shuffles on L. He is miserably dressed, an Englishman down on his luck. A nightingale sings far off.]
JOHN
A nightingale here. Well, I never.
Al Shaldomir, Al Shaldomir, The nightingales that guard thy ways Cease not to give thee, after God And after Paradise, all praise...
The infernal place! I wish I had never seen it! Wonder what set me thinking of that?
[The nightingale sings another bar. JOHN turns to his left and walks down the little path that leads to the door of the Acacias.]
I mustn’t come here. Mustn’t come to a fine house like this. Mustn’t. Mustn’t.
[He draws near it reluctantly. He puts his hand to the bell and withdraws it. Then he rings and snatches his hand away. He prepares to run away. Finally he rings it repeatedly, feverishly, violently.
Enter LIZA, opening the door.]
LIZA
Ullo, ‘Oo’s this!
JOHN
I oughtn’t to have rung, miss, I know. I oughtn’t to have rung your bell; but I’ve seen better days, and wondered if — I wondered...
LIZA
I oughtn’t to ‘ave opened the door, that’s wot I oughtn’t. Now I look at you, I oughtn’t to ‘ave opened it. Wot does you want?
JOHN
O, don’t turn me away now, miss. I must come here. I must.
LIZA
Must? Why?
JOHN
I don’t know.
LIZA
Wot do you want?
JOHN
Who lives here?
LIZA
Mr. and Mrs. Cater; firm of Briggs, Cater, and Johnstone. What do you want?
JOHN
Could I see Mr. Cater?
LIZA
He’s out. Dining at the Mansion House.
JOHN
Oh.
LIZA
He is.
JOHN
Could I see Mrs. Cater?
LIZA
See Mrs. Cater? No, of course you couldn’t.
[She prepares to shut the door.]
JOHN
Miss! Miss! Don’t go, miss. Don’t shut me out. If you knew what I’d suffered, if you knew what I’d suffered. Don’t!
LIZA [coming forward again]
Suffered? Why? Ain’t you got enough to eat?
JOHN
No, I’ve had nothing all day.
LIZA
‘Aven’t you really now?
JOHN
No. And I get little enough at any time.
LIZA [kindly]
You ought to work.
JOHN
I... I can’t. I can’t bring myself... I’ve seen better times.
LIZA
Still, you could work.
JOHN
I — I can’t grub for halfpennies when I’ve — when I’ve...
LIZA
When you’ve what?
JOHN
Lost millions.
LIZA
Millions?
JOHN
I’ve lost everything.
LIZA
‘Ow did you lose it?
JOHN
Through being blind. But never mind, never mind. It’s all gone now, and I’m hungry.
LIZA
‘Ow long ‘ave you been down on your luck?
JOHN
It’s three years now.
LIZA
Couldn’t get a regular job, like?
JOHN
Well, I suppose I might have. I suppose it’s my fault, miss. But the heart was out of me.
LIZA
Dear me, now.
JOHN
Miss.
LIZA
Yes?
JOHN
You’ve a kind face...
LIZA
‘Ave I?
JOHN
Yes. Would you do me a kind turn?
LIZA
Well, I dunno. I might, as yer so down on yer luck — I don’t like to see a man like you are, I must say.
JOHN
Would you let me come into the big house and speak to the missus a moment?
LIZA
She’d row me awful if I did. This house is very respectable.
JOHN
I feel, if you would, I feel, I feel my luck might change.
LIZA
But I don’t know what she’d say if I did.
JOHN
Miss, I must.
LIZA
I don’t know wot she’d say.
JOHN
I must come in, miss, I must.
LIZA
I don’t know what she’ll say.
JOHN
I must. I can’t help myself.
LIZA
I don’t know what she’ll...
[JOHN is in, door shuts.]
[ALI throws his head up and laughs, but quite silently.]
Curtain