MENDEL
It is melting a little if you can smile. Do you know, David, I haven't seen you smile since that Purim afternoon?
DAVID
You haven't worn a false nose since, uncle.
[He laughs bitterly.] Ha! Ha! Ha! Fancy masquerading in America because twenty-five centuries ago the Jews escaped a pogrom in Persia. Two thousand five hundred years ago! Aren't we uncanny?
[He drops into the wiped chair.]
MENDEL [Angrily]
Better you should leave us altogether than mock at us. I thought it was your Jewish heart that drove you back home to us; but if you are still hankering after Miss Revendal--
DAVID [Pained]
Uncle!
MENDEL
I'd rather see you marry her than go about like this. You couldn't make the house any gloomier.
DAVID
Go back to the concert, please. They have quieted down.
MENDEL [Hesitating]
And you?
DAVID
Oh, I'm not playing in the popular after-pieces. Pappelmeister guessed I'd be broken up with the stress of my own symphony-he has violins enough.
MENDEL
Then you don't want to carry this about.
[Taking the violin from DAVID'S arms.]
DAVID [Clinging to it]
Don't rob me of my music-it's all I have.
MENDEL
You'll spoil it in the wet. I'll take it home.
DAVID
No--
[He suddenly catches sight of two figures entering from the
left-FRAU QUIXANO and KATHLEEN clad in their best, and wearing
tiny American flags in honour of Independence Day. KATHLEEN
escorts the old lady, with the air of a guardian angel, on her
slow, tottering course toward DAVID. FRAU QUIXANO is puffing and
panting after the many stairs. DAVID jumps up in surprise,
releases the violin-case to MENDEL.] They at my symphony!
MENDEL
Mother would come-even though, being Shabbos, she had to walk.
DAVID
But wasn't she shocked at my playing on the Sabbath?
MENDEL
No-that's the curious part of it. She said that even as a boy you played your fiddle on Shabbos, and that if the Lord has stood it all these years, He must consider you an exception.
DAVID
You see! She's more sensible than you thought. I daresay whatever I were to do she'd consider me an exception.
MENDEL [In sullen acquiescence]
I suppose geniuses are.
KATHLEEN [Reaching them; panting with admiration and breathlessness]
Oh, Mr. David! it was like midnight mass! But the misthress was ashleep.
DAVID
Asleep!
[Laughs half-merrily, half-sadly.] Ha! Ha! Ha!
FRAU QUIXANO [Panting and laughing in response]
He! He! He! Dovidel lacht widder. He! He! He!
[She touches his arm affectionately, but feeling his wet coat,
utters a cry of horror.] Du bist nass!
DAVID
Es ist gor nicht, Granny-my clothes are thick.
[She fusses over him, wiping him down with her gloved hand. ]
MENDEL
But what brought you up here, Kathleen?
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 butther 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.