TOWNSMAN. As long as you have your tongue, my dear, you are not defenseless.
TOWNSWOMAN. It is your business to talk to him. [_Kisses the Child._]
My poor little Phillip! Your father is no man.
TOWNSMAN. I was before I got married. [_Crosses to the American._] Sir, my name is Aristide Beaurepard.
AMERICAN. Is that my fault?
TOWNSMAN. I am the father of a family.
AMERICAN. I am very sorry for you, indeed.
TOWNSMAN. I have a wife and children--
AMERICAN. You have only yourself to blame.
TOWNSMAN. Your dog--
AMERICAN. I have no desire to discuss dogs with you. I don"t believe you know anything about thoroughbred dogs. Waiter, sit this man down in his place.
TOWNSMAN. This is I must say, this is--
WAITER. Monsieur, you must not make a racket around you. This is a first cla.s.s establishment. A real prince once dined here, I would have you understand. Come on now, if you please. [_Leads Townsman back to his seat._]
TOWNSMAN [_sits unwillingly_]. Not a centime tip will that fellow get from me. Not a centime.
AMERICAN. Waiter, Waiter, bring my dog a portion of liver, and not too fat. And a roast potato.
BEGGAR. [_Coming down C._] [_Jumps up, cries out wildly._] I can"t stand any more. For eight days I have not had a warm morsel of food in my stomach. I am not a human being any more. I"ll kill myself. [_Runs to the edge of the dock and jumps overboard._] [_The splash of the water is heard. The Townswoman and the Waiter call "help, help!" Whereupon, from every side a crowd collects so that the entire background is filled with people staring into the water._]
TOWNSWOMAN. For G.o.d"s sake he has thrown himself into the Seine. Oh, G.o.d! Oh, G.o.d!
OMNES. He"s in the river!
AMERICAN. [_At table Right._] What a noisy place this is.
[_Townsman at center throws off his coat and is unb.u.t.toning his vest when his wife seizes him._]
TOWNSWOMAN. [_Center._] [_Whimpering._] Aristide, remember you have a wife and children.
TOWNSMAN. That is why I want to do it.
TOWNSWOMAN. Aristide, I"ll jump in after you--as true as I live I"ll jump in after you.
TOWNSMAN. [_Slowly puts his coat on again._] Then I won"t do it. [_Goes with her into the crowd._]
A VOICE. Get the life buoy. [_Willing hands try to unloosen the life buoy, but it sticks._]
ANOTHER VOICE. Let that life buoy alone. Don"t you see the sign "Do not touch"?
A MAN. The buoy is no good. It will not work.
ANOTHER MAN. Of course not. It"s city property.
COCOTTE [_shuddering_]. I can"t look at it. [_Comes back to her table._]
A WOMAN. Look! He"s come up! Over there!
CHILD. I can"t see.
TOWNSWOMAN. My little heart of gold [_to her husband_]. Why don"t you lift him up? Don"t you hear that the child can"t see? [_Townsman takes the child on his shoulder._]
YOUNG MAN [_coming back to table_]. These people are utterly heartless.
It is revolting.
AMERICAN [_loudly_]. I"ll bet twenty dollars he drowns. Who"ll take the bet? Twenty dollars.
YOUNG MAN. Are you a man or a beast?
AMERICAN. Young man, better shut your mouth. [_Fills his gla.s.s._]
YOUNG MAN. Does no one hear know the meaning of Altruism?
ARTIST. Altruism! Ha, ha! [_Laughs scornfully._] Love of one"s neighbor.
G.o.d preserve mankind from Altruism!
COCOTTE. What do you mean? You are not in earnest?
ARTIST. In dead earnest. [_Some one in the crowd brings a boat hook and reaches down into the river._]
AMERICAN. I"ll bet twenty-five dollars that he doesn"t drown--thirty dollars! [_Disgustedly, seeing that no one takes him up._] Tightwads!
ARTIST. Life is like that. One man"s success is another man"s failure.
He who sacrifices himself for an idea is a hero. He who sacrifices himself for a fellow man is a fool.
YOUNG MAN [_theatrically_]. No, it is the highest, the n.o.blest of instincts. That is why my heart bleeds when I see all these people stand indifferently by while a fellow man is drowning. No one jumps in after him--
AMERICAN. Jump in yourself, young man, jump in yourself.
YOUNG MAN [_center_]. It is different with me, I am with a lady--it wouldn"t be right.
AMERICAN. n.o.body will bet. This is a h.e.l.l of a bunch. They ought to see one of our n.i.g.g.e.r lynchings. [_Strokes the dog._] Poor Molly! She is so nervous. Things like this get her all excited.
[_Two Policemen enter._]
FIRST POLICEMAN. Look at the mob. Something is liable to happen there.
SECOND POLICEMAN. Isn"t it forbidden for such a mob to gather on the dock?