MINNIE:

Oh, but Mrs. Molloy . . . my work!. . .

MRS. MOLLOY:

Running to workroom.

Hurry up, be quick now, Minnie!

They go out to workroom.

BARNABY and CORNELIUS run in from street, leaving front door open. They are dressed in the stiff discomfort of their Sunday clothes. CORNELIUS wears a bowler hat, BARNABY a straw hat too large for him.

BARNABY:

No one’s here.

CORNELIUS:

Some women were here a minute ago. I saw them.

They jump back to the street door and peer down the street.

That’s Wolf-trap all right!

Coming back.

Well, we’ve got to hide here until he passes by.

BARNABY:

He’s sitting down on that bench. It may be quite a while.

CORNELIUS:

When these women come in, we’ll have to make conversation until he’s gone away. We’ll pretend we’re buying a hat. How much money have you got now?

BARNABY:

Counting his money.

Forty cents for the train—seventy cents for dinner—twenty cents to see the whale—and a dollar I lost—I have seventy cents.

CORNELIUS:

And I have a dollar seventy-five. I wish I knew how much hats cost!

BARNABY:

Is this an adventure, Cornelius?

CORNELIUS:

No, but it may be.

BARNABY:

I think it is. There we wander around New York all day and nothing happens; and then we come to the quietest street in the whole city and suddenly Mr. Vandergelder turns the corner.

Going to door.

I think that’s an adventure. I think . . . Cornelius! That Mrs. Levi is there now. She’s sitting down on the bench with him.

CORNELIUS:

What do you know about that! We know only one person in all New York City, and there she is!

BARNABY:

Even if our adventure came along now I’d be too tired to enjoy it. Cornelius, why isn’t this an adventure?

CORNELIUS:

Don’t be asking that. When you’re in an adventure, you’ll know it all right.

BARNABY:

Maybe I wouldn’t. Cornelius, let’s arrange a signal for you to give me when an adventure’s really going on. For instance, Cornelius, you say . . . uh . . . uh . . . pudding; you say pudding to me if it’s an adventure we’re in.

CORNELIUS:

I wonder where the lady who runs this store is? What’s her name again?

BARNABY:

“Mrs. Molloy, hats for ladies.”

CORNELIUS:

Oh yes. I must think over what I’m going to say when she comes in.

To counter.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Molloy, wonderful weather we’re having. We’ve been looking everywhere for some beautiful hats.”

BARNABY:

That’s fine, Cornelius!

CORNELIUS:

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Molloy; wonderful weather . . .” We’ll make her think we’re very rich.

One hand in trouser pocket, the other on back of chair.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Molloy . . .” You keep one eye on the door the whole time. “We’ve been looking everywhere for . . .”

Enter MRS. MOLLOY from the workroom.

MRS. MOLLOY:

Behind the counter.

Oh, I’m sorry. Have I kept you waiting? Good afternoon, gentlemen.