Looks toward the ceiling.

MALACHI:

Don’t mention it.

CORNELIUS:

Barnaby, come here a minute. I want you to shake hands with Mr. Stack.

BARNABY, napkin tucked into his collar, joins them.

Mr. Stack’s just found the purse I lost, Barnaby. You know—the purse full of money.

BARNABY:

Shaking his hand vigorously.

You’re a wonderful man, Mr. Stack.

MALACHI:

Oh, it’s nothing—nothing.

CORNELIUS:

I’m certainly glad I went to church all these years. You’re a good person to know, Mr. Stack. In a way. Mr. Stack, where do you work?

MALACHI:

Well, I’ve just begun. I work for a Mr. Vandergelder in Yonkers.

CORNELIUS is thunderstruck. He glances at Barnaby and turns to Malachi with awe. All three are swaying slightly, back and forth.

CORNELIUS:

You do? It’s a miracle.

He points to the ceiling.

Mr. Stack, I know you don’t need it—but can I give you something for . . . for the good work?

MALACHI:

Putting out his hand.

Don’t mention it. It’s nothing.

Starts to go left.

CORNELIUS:

Take that.

Hands him a note.

MALACHI:

Taking note.

Don’t mention it.

CORNELIUS:

And that.

Another note.

MALACHI:

Takes it and moves away.

I’d better be going.

CORNELIUS:

Oh, here. And that.

MALACHI:

Hands third note back.

No . . . I might get to like them.

Exit left.

CORNELIUS bounds exultantly back to table.

CORNELIUS:

Irene, I feel a lot better about everything. Irene, I feel so well that I’m going to tell the truth.

MRS. MOLLOY:

I’d forgotten that, Minnie. Men get drunk so differently from women. All right, what is the truth?

CORNELIUS:

If I tell the truth, will you let me . . . will you let me put my arm around your waist?

MINNIE screams and flings her napkin over her face.

MRS. MOLLOY:

Hold your tongue, Minnie. All right, you can put your arm around my waist just to show it can be done in a gentlemanly way; but I might as well warn you: a corset is a corset.

CORNELIUS:

His arm around her; softly.

You’re a wonderful person, Mrs. Molloy.

MRS. MOLLOY:

Thank you.

She removes his hand from around her waist.

All right, now that’s enough. What is the truth?

CORNELIUS:

Irene, I’m not rich as Mrs. Levi said I was.

MRS. MOLLOY:

Not rich!

CORNELIUS:

I almost never came to New York. And I’m not like she said I was,—bad. And I think you ought to know that at this very minute Mr. Vandergelder’s sitting on the other side of that screen.

MRS. MOLLOY:

What!! Well, he’s not going to spoil any party of mine. So that’s why we’ve been whispering? Let’s forget all about Mr. Vandergelder and have some more wine.

They start to sing softly: “The Sidewalks of New York.”

Enter MRS. LEVI, from the street, in an elaborate dress. VANDERGELDER rises.

MRS. LEVI:

Good evening, Mr. Vandergelder.

VANDERGELDER:

Where’s—where’s Miss Simple?

MRS. LEVI:

Mr. Vandergelder, I’ll never trust a woman again as long as I live.

VANDERGELDER: