JOSEF HULTZ moves onto the front verandah, carrying his briefcase. He approaches the street door and knocks.

BUBBA leaves her books and rushes to open the door.

JOSEF: Good evening.

BUBBA: [breathlessly] Evening. You want Mrs Leech?

JOSEF: I do, yes.

BUBBA: Right. She’s had to go out. But she left me here in case you came.

She draws the slightly puzzled JOSEF into the house and shuts the street door.

Said you were to wait for her. And if you want somethin’ to do, I’m to show you the places.

JOSEF: [removing his hat] Please?

BUBBA: Where she’d like to have it. [Indicating the living room] Not in here, coz everyone can get at it. Best of all would be the kitchen. But if that can’t be arranged—

JOSEF: Is some mistake, I think.

BUBBA: —she says she wouldn’t mind the passage. Long as it’s not by the stairs.

JOSEF: [stemming the tide] Mrs Leech is not expecting me.

BUBBA: She’s not?

JOSEF shakes his head.

You’re not the PMG, then?

He stares at her.

The telephone?

JOSEF: No. I am not the telephone.

BUBBA: [a shade accusingly] They promised Mrs Leech that somebody would come. She’s been waiting for ’em every day now for a week.

JOSEF: I’m sorry. [Uncomfortably] Perhaps, as I am not the one, you would prefer I wait outside?

BUBBA: No-o, doesn’t matter, I s’pose. Shouldn’t be too long. Gone to talk some business. [A sidelong glance] You’re nothin’ to do with Mister Bromige?

JOSEF: No.

BUBBA: No. Well—if you’d like to sit down—

She drops into the chair before her books.

I’m supposed to be doin’ me homework.

JOSEF puts his hat and briefcase aside, but does not sit.

Geography.

JOSEF: [taking out a cigar case] It is permitted to smoke?

BUBBA: ’Course.

JOSEF: Some landladies do not like the smell of a cigar.

BUBBA: Don’t think Mrs Leech would mind. She’s had all sorts of— [Delightedly solving the mystery] Hey—hey now, I know who you are. You’re the friend of Nancy’s—one who’s lookin’ for a boardin’ house?

JOSEF nods.

Ol was telling me—the City Club. You used to lend Nance books?

JOSEF: We would lend books to one another.

BUBBA: Funny, y’know—I can remember that. [Animatedly, all thoughts of homework forgotten] ’Least, I remember bein’ here one time when Nance was sick—early on it was—and Olive brought books home for her, with some flowers ’n’ a note. ’S not the books and flowers stuck in my mind, it was the note—had some words spelt wrong in it. ‘Usual’ was one of them—it had two esses.

JOSEF: [lighting his cigar] My English then was not so good.