VANDERGELDER:

Stack! What’s the meaning of this? I told you I wanted a table alone. What’s that?

VANDERGELDER hits the screen twice with his stick. MRS. MOLLOY hits back twice with a spoon. The four young people sit: BARNABY facing audience; MRS. MOLLOY right, MINNIE left, and CORNELIUS back to audience.

MALACHI:

Mr. Vandergelder, I did what I could. Mr. Vandergelder, you wouldn’t believe what wild savages the people of New York are. There’s a woman over there, Mr. Vandergelder—civilization hasn’t touched her.

VANDERGELDER:

Everything’s wrong. You can’t even manage a thing like that. Help me off with my coat. Don’t kill me. Don’t kill me.

During the struggle with the overcoat MR. VANDERGELDER’S purse flies out of his pocket and falls by the screen.

VANDERGELDER goes to the coat tree and hangs his coat up.

MRS. MOLLOY:

Speak up! I can’t hear you.

CORNELIUS:

My voice again. Barnaby, how’s your throat? Can you speak?

BARNABY:

Can’t make a sound.

MRS. MOLLOY:

Oh, all right. Bring your heads together, and we’ll whisper.

VANDERGELDER:

Who are those people over there?

MALACHI:

Some city sparks and their girls, Mr. Vandergelder. What goes on in big cities, Mr. Vandergelder—best not think of it.

VANDERGELDER:

Has that couple come down from upstairs yet? I hope they haven’t gone off without your seeing them.

MALACHI:

No, sir. Myself and the cabman have kept our eyes on everything.

VANDERGELDER:

Sits at right of table right, profile to the audience.

I’ll sit here and wait for my guests. You go out to the cab.

MALACHI:

Yes, sir.

VANDERGELDER unfurls newspaper and starts to read.

MALACHI sees the purse on the floor and picks it up.

Eh? What’s that? A purse. Did you drop something. Mr. Vandergelder?

VANDERGELDER:

No. Don’t bother me any more. Do as I tell you.

MALACHI:

Stopping over. Coming center.

A purse. That fellow over there must have let it fall during the misunderstanding about the screen. No, I won’t look inside. Twenty-dollar bills, dozens of them. I’ll go over and give it to him.

Starts towards Cornelius, then turns and says to audience: