DORA: No good arguin' with her--don't I know it!

MRS. TERENCE: You 'ave a nice long walk while you get the chance; you wait on 'er too much.... (_Closing the plush curtains so that they are all out of sight_) Ooh, ain't it dark.... Got the torch, Dora?

DORA: O.K., honey.

MRS. TERENCE: Laws, I'd be frightened goin' off by meself.... Well, we'd best 'urry, Dora.... Good night, Dan. Pity you aren't comin' our way---DAN'S VOICE: See you in the morning! Good night!

DORA'S VOICE: O.K.!... Toodle-oo!

_The door bangs. A pause._

DAN'S VOICE (_outside the left window_): Good night!

MRS. TERENCE'S VOICE (_outside the right window_): Good night!

DORA (_same_): Good night!

_Silence._

MRS. TERENCE (_farther away_): Good night!

DORA (_same_): Good night!

MRS. BRAMSON _comes trundling back from the bedroom in her chair._

MRS. BRAMSON: Good night here, good night there; anybody'd think it was the night before Judgment Day. What's the matter with ... (_Seeing the room is empty_) Talking to myself. Wish people wouldn't walk out of rooms and leave me high and dry. Don't like it. (_She wheels herself round to the table. A pause. She looks round impatiently._) Where's my chocolates?...

_She looks round again, gets up out of her chair for the first time in the play, walks quite normally across the room to the mantelpiece, sees her chocolates are not there, walks up to the occasional table, and takes up the box._

That girl's been at them again....

_She walks back to her chair, carrying the chocolates, and sits in it again. She begins to munch. She suddenly stops, as if she has heard something._

What's that?...

_She listens again. A cry is heard far away._

Oh, G.o.d ... Danny!

_The cry is repeated._

Danny!

_The cry is heard a third time._

It's an owl ... Oh, Lord!

_She falls back in relief, and eats another chocolate. The clock strikes the half-hour. Silence. The silence gets on her nerves.

(After a pause, calling softly_) Danny!... (_As there is no answer_) What's the boy doing in that kitchen?

_She takes up the newspaper, sees a headline, and puts it down hastily. She sees the Bible on the table, opens it, and turns over pages.

(After a pause, suddenly_) I've got the jitters. I've got the jitters. I've got the jitters.... (_Calling loudly_) Danny!

_She waits; there is complete silence. She rises, walks over to the kitchen door, and flings it wide open.

(Shouting_) Danny! (_No reply._) He's gone ... They've all gone ... They've left me ... (_Losing control, beating her hands wildly on her Bible_) Oh, Lord, help a poor old woman ... They've left me!

(_Tottering to the sun-room_) Danny ... where are you?... Danny ... I'm going to be murdered ... I'm going to be murdered!... Danny ...

(_Her voice rising, until she is shrieking hysterically_) Danny!

Danny! Danny!

_She stops suddenly. Footsteps on the gravel outside the front door.

(In a strangled whisper_) There's something outside ... something outside ... Oh, heavens ...

(_Staggering across to the sofa_) Danny, where are you? Where are you? There's something outs--

_The front door bangs. She collapses on the sofa, terrified, her enormous Bible clasped to her breast._

Oh, Lord, help me ... help me ... Oh, Lord, help me ... (_Muttering, her eyes closed_) ... Forgive us our trespa.s.ses ...

_The curtains are suddenly parted. It is_ DAN, _a cigarette between his lips. He stands motionless, his feet planted apart, holding the curtains. There is murder in his face. She is afraid to look, but is forced to at last._

Danny ... Oh ... Oh ...

DAN (_smiling, suddenly normal and rea.s.suring_): That's all right ... It's only Danny ...

MRS. BRAMSON: Thank G.o.d ... (_Going off into laughing hysterics_) Ah ... ah ... ah ...

DAN _throws his cigarette away, lays his hat on the occasional table, throws his mackintosh on the left window-seat, and sits beside her, patting her, looking round to see no one has heard her cries._

I'll never forgive you, never. Oh, my heart ... Oh--oh--oh---

_He runs across to the medicine cupboard and brings back a brandy bottle and two gla.s.ses._

DAN: Now have a drop of this ... (_As she winces at the taste_) Go on, do you good ... (_As she drinks_) I am sorry, I am really ...

You see, they wanted me to see them to the main path, past the rubbish- heap, see, in case they was frightened. ... Now that's better, isn't it?

_They are seated side by side on the sofa._

MRS. BRAMSON: I don't know yet ... Give me some more....

_He pours one out for her, and for himself. They drink._

All alone, I was ... (_Her face puckering with self pity_) Just an old woman calling for help ... (_her voice breaking_) ... and no answer....

DAN (_putting the bottle on the floor beside him_): Poor old mum, runnin' about lookin' for Danny----