DR. BODIE. Yes. That is for convenience, for wheeling her about.
BODIE (_waving_). She sees me. And how is she, Nell?
DR. BODIE. She is always bright—perhaps too bright.
BODIE. Can’t be too bright.
DR. BODIE (_controlling her feelings_). A girl who is found frozen
in the street by a policeman and taken to a London Hospital, where
she has pneumonia—poor little waif! You know, she is very frail,
Dick.
BODIE. I know; but she will get better, won’t she?
(_He has said it confidently, but his sister looks at him
and turns away. He is startled._)
Come, Nellie, she is going to get better, isn’t she?
DR. BODIE (_shaking her head_). There isn’t much chance, Dick. Her
body and soul have had to do too long without the little things
they needed.
BODIE. She shall have them now, I promise. What are they?
DR. BODIE. First of all, just food. She has been half starved all
her life. And then human affection. She has been starved of that
also; she who has such a genius for it.
(_She goes to the window and calls._)
DR. BODIE. No. 7, bring Cinderella in here.
(CINDERELLA _in her bed is wheeled in through the window by
the soldier_, DANNY. _She is wearing a probationer’s cap
and dressing jacket. The bed is a simple iron one, small
and low, of the kind that was so common in war hospitals;
it is on tiny pneumatic wheels with ball bearings for easy
propulsion. Though frail_, CINDERELLA _is full of glee_.)
BODIE. Hurray, Cinderella!
CINDERELLA. Hurray! Isn’t it lovely. I’m glad you’ve seen me in my
carriage. When I saw there was visitor I thought at first it might
be David.
BODIE. David? I didn’t know you.... Is he a relative?
(CINDERELLA _finds this extremely funny—so does_ DANNY;
_even the_ DOCTOR _is discreetly amused_.)
CINDERELLA (_to Danny_). Tell the men that! He’s not exactly a
relative. (_She pulls Mr. Bodie down by the lapels of his coat._)
He’s just that great big ridiculous policeman!
BODIE. Oho! Our policeman again! Does he come all this way to see
you?
CINDERELLA (_her shoulders rising in pride_). Twice already; and
he’s coming again to-day! Mr. Bodie, get the Doctor to take you
over the Convalescent Home. There’s a field with cows in it, a
whole litter of them! And the larder? There’s barrel upon barrel
full of eggs and sawdust, and Danny says—this is Danny—
(DANNY, _who is slightly lame and is in hospital blue,
comes to attention_.)
Danny says the hens lay in the barrels so as to save time in
packing.
(DANNY _finds the severe eye of the Doctor upon him and is
abashed_.)
Mr. Bodie, look! (_displaying her cap_). The Doctor lets me wear
it; it makes me half a nurse, a kind of nurse’s help. I make
bandages, and they’re took away in glass bottles and sterilized.
Mr. Bodie, as sure as death I’m doing something for my country.
DR. BODIE. Cinderella, you’re talking too much.
CINDERELLA (_subsiding meekly_). Yes, Doctor.
DR. BODIE. Dick, I’m going over to the hospital presently. If you
like to come with me—_really_ want to see it—no affected interest—
BODIE. Thanks, I should like it—Dr. Bodie.
DR. BODIE (_to Danny_). You’re not required any more, No. 7.
(DANNY _is going thankfully, but she suddenly pulls him
forward to examine his face_.)
No. 7, you are wearing that brown eye again.
DANNY (_who has a glass eye_). Yes, Doctor—you see it’s like this.
First they sent me a brown eye. Then some meddlesome person finds
out my natural eye is blue. So then they sends me a blue eye.
DOCTOR. Yes, where is it?
DANNY. It was a beautiful eye, Doctor—but I had taken a fancy to
little browny. And I have a young lady; so I took the liberty of
having the blue eye made up into a brooch and I sent it to her.
DR. BODIE (_without moving a muscle_). I shall report you.
BODIE (_when the martinet and Danny have gone_). Are you afraid of
her, Cinderella? I am.
CINDERELLA. No! She sometimes dashes me, but she is a fearful
kind lady. (_She pulls him down again for further important
revelations._) She’s very particular about her feet.
BODIE (_staggered_). Is she! In a feminine way?
CINDERELLA. Yes.
BODIE. Hurray! Then I have her. The Achilles Heel! (_He is once
more jerked down._)
CINDERELLA. I have a spring bed.
BODIE. Ah!
CINDERELLA (_in some awe_). The first time I woke in hospital, an
angel with streamers was standing there holding a tray in her hand,
and on the tray was a boiled egg. Then I thought it was the egg you
get the day before you die.
BODIE. What egg is that?
CINDERELLA (_who in the course of a troubled life has acquired much
miscellaneous information_). In the Workhouse you always get an egg
to your tea the day before you die. (_She whispers._) I know now
I’m not the real Cinderella.
BODIE (_taking her hand_). How did you find out?
CINDERELLA (_gravely_). It’s come to me. The more I eat the
clearer I see things. I think it was just an idea of mine; being
lonely-like I needed to have something to hang on to.
BODIE. That was it. Are you sorry you’re not the other one?
CINDERELLA. I’m glad to be just myself. It’s a pity though about
the glass slippers. That’s a lovely idea.
BODIE. Yes.
CINDERELLA. Tell me about _Them_.
BODIE. The children? They’re still with me, of course. I’m keeping
my promise, and they will be with me till you are able to take
care of them again. I have them a great deal in the studio in the
day-time.
CINDERELLA (_cogitating_). I wonder if that’s wise.
BODIE. Oh, they don’t disturb me much.
CINDERELLA. I was meaning perhaps the smell of the paint would be
bad for them.
BODIE. I see! Of course I could give up painting!
CINDERELLA (_innocently_). I think that would be safest.
(MR. BODIE _kicks_.)
Are you kind to Gretchen?
BODIE. I hope so. I feel it’s my duty.
CINDERELLA (_with a sinking_). It’ll not be no use for Gretchen if
that’s how you do it. I’m sure I should get up. (_She attempts to
rise._)
BODIE. Now, now!
CINDERELLA. Are you fond of her, especially when she’s bad?
BODIE (_hurriedly_). Yes, I am, I am! But she’s never bad! they are
all good, they are like angels.
CINDERELLA (_despairing_). Then they’re cheating you. Where’s my
boots?
BODIE. Quiet! That’s all right.
(_A pretty and not very competent_ PROBATIONER _comes in at
the window, carrying fishing rods, followed by_ DANNY _with
croquet mallets and balls_.)
PROBATIONER (_laden_). I want to shake hands with you, Mr. Bodie,
but you see how I am placed.
CINDERELLA. Do your pretty bow at any rate.
(_The attractive girl does her pretty bow to_ MR. BODIE.
_It is one of the few things she does well, and will
probably by and by bring her into some safe matrimonial
harbour; but in her country’s great hour she is of less
value to it than a ball of twine. She is of a nice nature
and would like to be of use, but things slip through her
hands as through her mind; she cannot even carry a few
lengths of fishing rods without an appeal to heaven. She is
counting the pieces now with puckered brow._)
DANNY (_one of the few men in the world who can carry four croquet
balls in two hands_). You see, sir, there is a pond in the garden,
and we have a fishing competition; and as there are not enough
rods the men hides them so as to be sure of having a rod next day.
PROBATIONER. It is very unfair to the others, Danny.
DANNY (_warmly_). That’s what I say, Nurse.
CINDERELLA. The Matron found a rod the other morning hidden beneath
one of the men’s mattresses.
PROBATIONER. The odd thing is how he could have got it to the
house without being seen. (_Her counting of the pieces ends in her
discomfiture._)
BODIE. Anything wrong?
PROBATIONER. There are only nine pieces. A whole rod is missing!
CINDERELLA (_trembling for her_). Nurse, I’m so sorry!
BODIE. After all, it’s a trivial matter, isn’t it?
PROBATIONER (_her beautiful empty eyes filling_). Trivial! I’m
responsible. Just think what Doctor Bodie will say to me!
BODIE. Are you afraid of her too?
PROBATIONER. Afraid! I should think I am.
DANNY. And so am I.
(_Before_ MR. BODIE _has time to kick, the terrible one
reappears_.)
DR. BODIE. I’m going over to the Home now, Dick. You must come at
once, if you are coming.
BODIE (_cowed and getting his coat_). Yes, all right.
DR. BODIE. A great coat on a day like this! Absurd!
BODIE (_remembering what_ CINDERELLA _has told him and pointing
sternly_). French shoes on roads like these, ridiculous!
(DR. BODIE _kicks this time—it is evidently a family trait.
Delight of_ DANNY.)
DR. BODIE. No. 7, you needn’t grin unless there is a reason! Is
there a reason?
DANNY. No, no, Doctor.
DR. BODIE. Fishing rods all right this time, Nurse?
PROBATIONER (_faltering_). I’m so ashamed, Doctor Bodie—there is
one missing.
DR. BODIE. Again! I must ask you, Nurse, to report yourself to the
Matron.
PROBATIONER (_crushed_). Yes, Doctor Bodie.
DR. BODIE (_observing that_ DANNY _is stealing away unobtrusively_).
No. 7!
DANNY (_still backing_). Yes, Doctor.
DR. BODIE. Come here. What is the matter with your right leg? It
seems stiff.
DANNY (_with the noble resignation of Tommies, of which he has read
in the papers_). It’s a twinge of the old stiffness come back,
Doctor. I think there’s a touch of east in the wind. The least
touch of east seems to find the hole that bullet made. But I’m not
complaining.
DR. BODIE (_brutally_). No, it is I who am complaining.
(_She feels his leg professionally._)
Give me that fishing rod.
(_The long-suffering man unbuttons, and to his evident
astonishment produces the missing rod._)
DANNY (_without hope but in character_). Well, I am surprised!
DR. BODIE. You will be more surprised presently. Come along, Dick.
(_She takes her brother away._)
DANNY (_the magnanimous_). She’s great! Words couldn’t express my
admiration for that woman—lady—man—doctor.
PROBATIONER. How mean of you, Danny—to get me into trouble.
DANNY (_in the public school manner_). Sorry. But I’ll have to pay
for this. (_Seeing visions._) She has a way of locking one up in
the bathroom.
PROBATIONER (_with spirit_). Let us three conspirators combine to
defy her. Carried. Proposed, that No. 7, being a male, conveys our
challenge to her. Carried.
CINDERELLA (_gleefully_). Go on, Danny.
DANNY (_of the bull-dog breed_). I never could refuse the
ladies. (_He uses the stethescope as a telephone._) Give me the
Convalescent Home, please. Is that you, Doctor? How are you? We’ve
just rung up to defy you. Now, now, not another word, or I’ll have
you locked up in the bathroom. Wait a mo; there’s a nurse here
wants to give you a piece of her mind.
PROBATIONER (_with the stethescope_). Is that you, Miss Bodie?
What? No, I have decided not to call you Dr. Bodie any more.
(_Alas_, DR. BODIE _returns unseen by the window and hears
her_.)
Please to report yourself as in disgrace at once to the Matron.
That will do. Good-bye. Run along. Heavens, if she had caught us!
DANNY. It would have meant permanent residence in bathroom for me.
(_It is then that they see her._)
DR. BODIE (_after an awful pause_). I have come back for my
stethescope, Nurse.
(_The_ PROBATIONER _can think of no suitable reply_.)
DANNY (_searching his person_). I don’t think I have it, Doctor.
DR. BODIE. Don’t be a fool, No. 7.