ADOLF—Can I close up now?
JUHASZ—Certainly. [_ADOLF exits. A brief pause._] What are you waiting
for? Why don’t you pull it down?
ADOLF—[_Sticks his head in the doorway._] I was just looking to see
if his excellency was coming. [_He vanishes. The sound of the grating
descending is heard._]
JUHASZ—Now then ... I’ll see you home myself, Paula.
PAULA—Don’t bother, Mr. Juhasz. I live quite near, you know.
JUHASZ—No matter. And I’m not in a hurry to-night anyway.
ADOLF—[_Finished with the door._] If you please, Mr. Juhasz, your maid
telephoned a while ago to ask why you were so late. Your supper is
getting spoiled.
PAULA—There, you see.... Please don’t bother about me.
JUHASZ—Not at all.... [_To ADOLF._] Phone and tell her that I shan’t be
home for supper to-night. I’ll go to a restaurant. [_ADOLF exits through
the archway._]
PAULA—You are quite right.... The empty house and the vacant place at
table....
JUHASZ—Not that, but ... you see ... my wife is very fond of asparagus
... and it’s out of season and hard to get.... This afternoon I got some
... the first asparagus to arrive in the city.... And I sent it home ...
for supper ... a surprise, you know.... Well ... now ... if I go home ...
what can I say to the maid?... Shall I stand there and be ashamed ... of
the asparagus? [_A brief pause._] Or shall I eat it myself?
ADOLF—[_In the archway._] I am putting out the lights, Mr. Juhasz.
JUHASZ—[_To PAULA, who is about to go._] One moment. [_To ADOLF._] Wait,
my son, there is something I promised you. [_He takes the toy steamship
from under the counter, at right. He stands behind the counter. ADOLF
comes down in front of it._] Now, look here, my son. See this little lid?
You lift it up like that. See?
ADOLF—Yes, sir.
JUHASZ—[_Begins in a matter-of-fact way, but gradually his voice grows
more sorrowful until, in the end, it is trembling with suppressed sobs._]
In here are two keys. This one winds up the wheels when you want the ship
to run along the floor. This one winds up the propeller. See ... that
is the propeller. It makes the ship move through the water ... if there
is any water. The thing to remember is that you mustn’t turn the key
backwards, for then the spring unwinds. And when you wind it, you must
wind it very slowly, just as you wind a watch, very slowly.... [_He turns
the key three times while ADOLF watches absorbedly. Nothing is heard
but the click of the turning cog-wheels as the curtain slowly, almost
imperceptibly, falls._]