Property Man. At once, sir. [Exit. ]

The Manager. Ready, everyone! First scene – the Young Lady. [The LEADING LADY comes forward. ] No, no, you must wait. I meant her [Indicating the STEP-DAUGHTER.] You just watch -

The Step-Daughter [adding at once ]. How I shall play it, how I shall live it! . . .

Leading Lady[offended ]. I shall live it also, you may be sure, as soon as I begin!

The Manager [with his hands to his head ]. Ladies and gentlemen, if you please! No more useless discussions! Scene I: the young lady with Madame Pace: Oh! [Looks around as if lost. ] And this Madame Pace, where is she?

The Father. She isn't with us, sir.

The Manager. Then what the devil's to be done?

The Father. But she is alive too.

The Manager. Yes, but where is she?

The Father. One minute. Let me speak! [Turning to the ACTRESSES.] If these ladies would be so good as to give me their hats for a moment . . .

The Actresses [half surprised, half laughing, in chorus ]. What?

Why?

Our hats?

What does he say?

The Manager. What are you going to do with the ladies' hats? [The ACTORS laugh. ]

The Father. Oh nothing. I just want to put them on these pegs for a moment. And one of the ladies will be so kind as to take off her mantle . . .

The Actors. Oh, what d'you think of that?

Only the mantle?

He must be mad.

Some Actresses. But why?

Mantles as well?

The Father. To hang them up here for a moment. Please be so kind, will you?

The Actresses [taking off their hats, one or two also their cloaks, and going to hang them on the racks ]. After all, why not?

There you are!

This is really funny.

We've got to put them on show.

The Father. Exactly; just like that, on show.

The Manager. May we know why?

The Father. I'll tell you. Who knows if, by arranging the stage for her, she does not come here herself, attracted by the very articles of her trade? [Inviting the ACTORS to look towards the exit at back of stage. ] Look! Look!

[The door at the back of stage opens and MADAME PACE enters and takes a few steps forward. She is a fat, oldish woman with puffy oxygenated hair. She is rouged and powdered, dressed with a comical elegance in black silk. Round her waist is a long silver chain from which hangs a pair of scissors. The STEP-DAUGHTER runs over to her at once amid the stupor of the actors. ]

The Step-Daughter [turning towards her ]. There she is! There she is!

The Father [radiant ]. It's she! I said so, didn't I? There she is!

The Manager [conquering his surprise, and then becoming indignant ]. What sort of a trick is this?

Leading Man [almost at the same time ]. What's going to happen next?

Juvenile Lead. Where does she come from?

L'Ingénue. They've been holding her in reserve, I guess.

Leading Lady. A vulgar trick!

The Father [dominating the protests ]. Excuse me, all of you! Why are you so anxious to destroy in the name of a vulgar, commonplace sense of truth, this reality which comes to birth attracted and formed by the magic of the stage itself, which has indeed more right to live here than you, since it is much truer than you – if you don't mind my saying so? Which is the actress among you who is to play Madame Pace? Well, here is Madame Pace herself. And you will allow, I fancy, that the actress who acts her will be less true than this woman here, who is herself in person. You see my daughter recognized her and went over to her at once. Now you're going to witness the scene!

[But the scene between the STEP-DAUGHTER and MADAME PACE has already begun despite the protest of the actors and the reply of The FATHER. It has begun quietly, naturally, in a manner impossible for the stage. So when the actors, called to attention by The FATHER, turn round and see MADAME PACE, who has placed one hand under the STEP-DAUGHTER'S chin to raise her head, they observe her at first with great attention, but hearing her speak in an unintelligible manner their interest begins to wane. ]

The Manager. Well? Well?

Leading Man. What does she say?

Leading Lady. One can't hear a word.

Juvenile Lead. Louder! Louder please!

The Step-Daughter [leaving MADAME PACE, who smiles a Sphinx-like smile, and advancing towards the actors ]. Louder? Louder? What are you talking about? These aren't matters which can be shouted at the top of one's voice. If I have spoken them out loud, it was to shame him and have my revenge. [Indicates FATHER.] But for Madame it's quite a different matter.

The Manager. Indeed? Indeed? But here, you know, people have got to make themselves heard, my dear. Even we who are on the stage can't hear you. What will it be when the public's in the theatre? And anyway, you can very well speak up now among yourselves, since we shan't be present to listen to you as we are now. You've got to pretend to be alone in a room at the back of a shop where no one can hear you.

[The STEP-DAUGHTER coquettishly and with a touch of malice makes a sign of disagreement two or three times with her finger. ]

The Manager. What do you mean by no?

The Step-Daughter [sotto voce, mysteriously ]. There's someone who will hear us if she [Indicating MADAME PACE.] speaks out loud.

The Manager [in consternation ]. What? Have you got someone else to spring on us now? [The ACTORS burst out laughing. ]

The Father. No, no sir. She is alluding to me. I've got to be here – there behind that door, in waiting; and Madame Pace knows it. In fact, if you will allow me, I'll go there at once, so I can be quite ready. [Moves away. ]

The Manager [stopping him ]. No! Wait! Wait! We must observe the conventions of the theatre. Before you are ready . . .

The Step-Daughter [interrupting him ]. No, get on with it at once! I'm just dying, I tell you, to act this scene. If he's ready, I'm more than ready.

The Manager [shouting ]. But, my dear young lady, first of all, we must have the scene between you and this lady . . . [Indicates MADAME PACE.] Do you understand? . . .

The Step-Daughter. Good heavens! She's been telling me what you know already: that mamma's work is badly done again, that the material's ruined; and that if I want her to continue to help us in our misery I must be patient . . .

Madame Pace [coming forward with an air of great importance ]. Yes indeed, sir, I no wanta take advantage of her, I no wanta be hard . . .

[Note. MADAME PACE is supposed to talk in a jargon half Italian, half English. ]

The Manager [alarmed ]. What? What? She talks like that? [The ACTORS burst out laughing again. ]

The Step-Daughter [also laughing ]. Yes yes, that's the way she talks, half English, half Italian! Most comical it is!

Madame Pace. Itta seem not verra polite gentlemen laugha atta me eef I trya best speaka English.

The Manager. Diamine! Of course! Of course! Let her talk like that! Just what we want. Talk just like that, Madame, if you please! The effect will be certain. Exactly what was wanted to put a little comic relief into the crudity of the situation. Of course she talks like that! Magnificent!

The Step-Daughter. Magnificent? Certainly! When certain suggestions are made to one in language of that kind, the effect is certain, since it seems almost a joke. One feels inclined to laugh when one hears her talk about an "old signore" "who wanta talka nicely with you." Nice old signore, eh, Madame?