The Mousetrap and Other Plays by Agatha Christie Page B

finish searching—( Exits Left 1. )
    ( EMILY enters Left 1. VERA moves up to window. )
    EMILY . Unpleasant young man! I can’t find it anywhere. ( Sees VERA ’s face ) Is anything the matter? ( To above Left sofa. )
    VERA . ( Low ) I’m worried about the General. He really is ill, I think.
    EMILY . ( Looks from VERA to MACKENZIE , then goes out on balcony and stands behind him. In loud, cheerful voice, as though talking to an idiot child ) Looking out for the boat, General? ( VERA to down Left. MACKENZIE does not answer. EMILY waits a minute, then comes slowly in. Unctuously ) His sin has found him out.
    VERA . ( Angrily ) Oh, don’t.
    EMILY . One must face facts.
    VERA . Can any of us afford to throw stones?
    EMILY . ( Comes down Centre; sits Right sofa. ) Even if his wife was no better than she should be—and she must have been a depraved woman—he had no right to take judgement into his own hands.
    VERA . ( Coldly angry ) What about—Beatrice Taylor?
    EMILY . Who?
    VERA . That was the name, wasn’t it? ( Looks at her challengingly. )
    EMILY . You are referring to that absurd accusation about myself?
    VERA . Yes.
    EMILY . Now that we are alone, I have no objection to telling you the facts of the case—Indeed, I should like you to hear them. ( VERA sits Left sofa ) It was not a fit subject to discuss before gentlemen—so naturally I refused to say anything last night. That girl, Beatrice Taylor, was in my service. I was very much deceived in her. She had nice manners and was clean and willing. I was very pleased with her. Of course, all that was sheerest hypocrisy. She was a loose girl with no morals. Disgusting! It was some time before I found out that she was what they call “in trouble.” ( Pause ) It was a great shock to me. Her parents were decent folks, too, who had brought her up strictly. I’m glad to say they didn’t condone her behaviour.
    VERA . What happened?
    EMILY . ( Self-righteously ) Naturally, I refused to keep her an hour under my roof. No one shall ever say I condoned immorality.
    VERA . Did she drown herself?
    EMILY . Yes.
    VERA . ( Rises to Left. ) How old was she?
    EMILY . Seventeen.
    VERA . Only seventeen.
    EMILY . ( With horrible fanaticism ) Quite old enough to know how to behave. I told her what a low depraved thing she was. I told her that she was beyond the pale and that no decent person would take her into their house. I told her that her child would be the child of sin and would be branded all its life—and that the man would naturally not dream of marrying her. I told her that I felt soiled by ever having had her under my roof—
    VERA . ( Shuddering ) You told a girl of seventeen all that?
    EMILY . Yes, I’m glad to say I broke her down utterly.
    VERA . Poor little devil.
    EMILY . I’ve no patience with this indulgence towards sin.
    VERA . ( Moves up Left to above sofa. ) And then, I suppose, you turned her out of the house?
    EMILY . Of course.
    VERA . And she didn’t dare go home—( Comes down Right to Centre ) What did you feel like when you found she’d drowned herself?
    EMILY . ( Puzzled ) Feel like?
    VERA . Yes. Didn’t you blame yourself?
    EMILY . Certainly not. I had nothing with which to reproach myself.
    VERA . I believe—I believe you really feel like that. That makes it even more horrible. ( Turns away to Right, then goes up to Centre windows. )
    EMILY . That girl’s unbalanced. ( Opens bag and takes out a small Bible. Begins to read it in a low mutter ) “The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made—( Stops and nods her head ) In the net which they hid is their own foot taken.” ( ROGERS enters Left 2. EMILY stops and smiles approvingly. ) “The Lord is known by the judgement He executeth, the wicked is snared in the work of his own hand.”
    ROGERS . ( Looks doubtfully at EMILY ) Breakfast is ready.
    EMILY . “The wicked shall be turned into hell.”