JUHASZ—Didn’t you answer them last week?
PAULA—Mrs. Juhasz thought we might wait awhile.
ADELE—How dare you say such a thing?
JUHASZ—But, my dear....
PAULA—[_Coldly._] Mrs. Juhasz instructed me not to answer it.
JUHASZ—If Miss Paula says you....
ADELE—I suppose she _can’t_ be mistaken.
PAULA—I usually am not.
ADELE—What do I care about your old motor robes? [_Throws the letter
away._] I have nothing to do with it. [_Walks away from them._]
JUHASZ—[_Picks up the letter._] My wife’s a bit nervous to-night. Write
Semlinger and Weiss, Miss Paula, that we’ll take the whole two dozen.
[_Gives her the letter; looks at his watch._] But do it in the morning.
Go home now. To-morrow is another day.
PAULA—Thanks, Mr. Juhasz, but I don’t like to go home while there is work
unfinished.
JUHASZ—Miss Paula, I’ve warned you before ... you’ll ruin your eyes if
you are not careful.
PAULA—No fear, Mr. Juhasz.... There was something about waterproof coats,
too, in their first letter. I must look it up. [_She exits through the
archway._]
JUHASZ—How thorough she is, how orderly!
ADELE—That’s what she’s paid for. You only see the good side of people.
JUHASZ—I think that must be the only side they show me. [_ADOLF enters
through the archway, carrying a long pole with a hook on the end of it._]
Close up, Adolf; close up. It’s half past seven. [_ADOLF goes to the
door._] Sit down a moment, Adele. [_To ADOLF._] Pull it down. We’ll go
out the back way. [_To ADELE._] You are a bit agitated. [_ADOLF has gone
outside. First he closes the bronze shutter at the window, then he begins
to pull down the iron grating at the door. When it is half way down he is
interrupted._]
COUNT—[_Outside._] Ho, there! Wait a minute! [_He dodges under the half
closed grating and enters._]
JUHASZ—[_Joyfully._] The count! Good evening, }
excellency. }
}
COUNT—Good evening! Good evening! } [_Simultaneously._]
}
ADELE—[_Bowing low._] Good evening, your }
excellency. }
COUNT—Tell me, do you lock all your customers out like this?
JUHASZ—If we had known, your excellency. [_To ADOLF._] Raise it up.
[_ADOLF raises the grating and exits through the archway._]
COUNT—I’ve come to see about those jockey costumes, Juhasz.
JUHASZ—But they were to be sent by post to-morrow.
COUNT—I know, Juhasz, but I’m driving down to the farm to-night ... and I
want to take one costume with me ... to show to my brother-in-law before
the Vienna races.
JUHASZ—The suits are finished, but I’ll have to telephone the cap-maker
about the caps. Just a moment. [_He hurries off through the archway._]
ADELE—Won’t you sit down, your excellency?
COUNT—Thanks. I’m going in a moment. What’s new?
ADELE—Nothing ... much, your excellency.
COUNT—How’s business?
ADELE—Well....
COUNT—What? Not good?
ADELE—Not as good as it might be.... Your excellency has been so generous
to us.... I feel I ought to tell you frankly ... it’s quite bad.
COUNT—Why?
ADELE—There is no accounting for it. For two years business was splendid,
and now, in the third year, it suddenly stopped. It just won’t go.
COUNT—But my whole family deals here ... and all my friends ... and all
my acquaintances.
ADELE—Oh, yes, your excellency. We have you to thank for everything.
Not only for setting us up in business, but for getting us most of our
customers.
COUNT—I trust that Juhasz isn’t going into debt. [_She nods in the
affirmative._] I daresay he gives his neckties away for nothing. That’s
why you are losing money.
ADELE—He’d give the whole shop away, if it were left to him.
COUNT—He had the same weakness when he worked for me. Anybody could get
anything out of him.
ADELE—It’s largely his fault.
COUNT—And what about that young man you praised to me so highly? He
was supposed to be a genius. A commercial genius. This ... what’s his
name?... Oscar ... wasn’t it?