KATHLEEN Sure, not the elevator. The misthress said "twould be breaking the _Shabbos_ to ride up in it.
DAVID [_Uneasily_]
But did---did Miss Revendal send you up?
KATHLEEN And who else should be axin" the misthress if she wasn"t proud of Mr.
David? Faith, she"s a sweet lady.
MENDEL [_Impatiently_]
Don"t chatter, Kathleen.
KATHLEEN But, Mr. Quixano----!
DAVID [_Sweetly_]
Please take your mistress down again--don"t let her walk.
KATHLEEN But _Shabbos_ isn"t out yet!
MENDEL Chattering again!
DAVID [_Gently_]
There"s no harm, Kathleen, in going _down_ in the elevator.
KATHLEEN Troth, I"ll egshplain to her that droppin" down isn"t ridin".
DAVID [_Smiling_]
Yes, tell her dropping down is natural--not _work_, like flying up.
[_Kathleen begins to move toward the stairs, explaining to FRAU QUIXANO._]
And, Kathleen! You"ll get her some refreshments.
KATHLEEN [_Turns, glaring_]
Refrishments, is it? Give her refrishments where they mix the mate with the b.u.t.ther plates! Oh, Mr. David!
[_She moves off toward the stairs in reproachful sorrow._]
MENDEL [_Smiling_]
I"ll get her some coffee.
DAVID [_Smiling_]
Yes, that"ll keep her awake. Besides, Pappelmeister was so sure the people wouldn"t understand me, he"s relaxing them on Gounod and Rossini.
MENDEL Pappelmeister"s idea of relaxation! _I_ should have given them comic opera.
[_With sudden call to KATHLEEN, who with her mistress is at the wrong exit._]
Kathleen! The elevator"s _this_ side!
KATHLEEN [_Turning_]
What way can that be, when I came up _this_ side?
MENDEL You chatter too much.
[_FRAU QUIXANO, not understanding, exit._]
Come this way. Can"t you see the elevator?
KATHLEEN [_Perceives FRAU QUIXANO has gone, calls after her in Irish-sounding Yiddish_]
_Wu geht Ihr_, bedad?...
[_Impatiently_]
Houly Moses, _komm" zurick_!
[_Exit anxiously, re-enter with FRAU QUIXANO._]
Begorra, we Jews never know our way.
[_MENDEL, carrying the violin, escorts his mother and KATHLEEN to the elevator. When they are near it, it stops with a thud, and PAPPELMEISTER springs out, his umbrella up, meeting them face to face. He looks happy and beaming over DAVID"S triumph._]
PAPPELMEISTER [_In loud, joyous voice_]
_Nun, Frau Quixano, was sagen Sie?_ Vat you tink of your David?
FRAU QUIXANO _Dovid? Er ist meshuggah._ [_She taps her forehead._]
PAPPELMEISTER [_Puzzled, to MENDEL_]
_Meshuggah!_ Vat means _meshuggah_? Crazy?
MENDEL [_Half-smiling_]
You"ve struck it. She says David doesn"t know enough to go in out of the rain.
[_General laughter._]
DAVID [_Rising_]
But it"s stopped raining, Herr Pappelmeister. You don"t want your umbrella.
[_General laughter._]
PAPPELMEISTER _So._ [_Shuts it down._]
MENDEL _Herein, Mutter._ [_He pushes FRAU QUIXANO"S somewhat shrinking form into the elevator. KATHLEEN follows, then MENDEL._]
Herr Pappelmeister, we are all your grateful servants.
[_PAPPELMEISTER bows; the gates close, the elevator descends._]
DAVID And you won"t think _me_ ungrateful for running away--you know my thanks are too deep to be spoken.
PAPPELMEISTER And zo are my congratulations!
DAVID Then, don"t speak them, please.
PAPPELMEISTER But you _must_ come and speak to all de people in America who undershtand music.
DAVID [_Half-smiling_]
To your four connoisseurs?
[_Seriously_]
Oh, please! I really could not meet strangers, especially musical vampires.
PAPPELMEISTER [_Half-startled, half-angry_]
Vampires? Oh, come!
DAVID Voluptuaries, then--rich, idle aesthetes to whom art and life have no connection, parasites who suck our music----
PAPPELMEISTER [_Laughs good-naturedly_]