Excerpt
ACT I SCENE 1
A small railway station near London. Time: Ten years ago.
BERT'Ow goes it, Bill?
BILLGoes it? 'Ow d'yer think it goes?
BERTI don't know, Bill. 'Ow is it?
BILLBloody.
BERTWhy? What's wrong?
BILLWrong? Nothing ain't wrong.
BERTWhat's up then?
BILLNothing ain't right.
BERTWhy, wot's the worry?
BILLWot's the worry? They don't give you better wages nor a dog, and then they thinks they can talk at yer and talk at yer, and say wot they likes, like.
BERTWhy? You been on the carpet, Bill?
BILLAin't I! Proper.
BERTWhy, wot about, Bill?
BILLWot about? I'll tell yer. Just coz I let a lidy get into a train. That's wot about. Said I ought to 'av stopped 'er. Thought the train was moving. Thought it was dangerous. Thought I tried to murder 'er, I suppose.
BERTWot? The other day?
BILLYes.
BERTTuesday?
BILLYes.
BERTWhy. The one that dropped her bag?
BILLYes. Drops 'er bag. Writes to the company. They writes back she shouldn't 'av got in. She writes back she should. Then they gets on to me. Any more of it and I'll...
BERTI wouldn't, Bill; don't you.
BILLI will.
BERTDon't you, Bill. You've got your family to consider.
BILLWell, anyway, I won't let any more of them passengers go jumping into trains any more, not when they're moving, I won't. When the train gets in, doors shut. That's the rule. And they'll 'ave to abide by it.
BERTWell, I wouldn't stop one, not if...
BILLI don't care. They ain't going to 'ave me on the mat again and talk all that stuff to me. No, if someone 'as to suffer... 'Ere she is.
[Noise of approaching train heard.]
BERTAy, that's her.
BILLAnd shut goes the door.
[Enter JOHN BEAL.]
BERTWait a moment, Bill.
BILLNot if he's... Not if he was ever so.
JOHN [preparing to pass]
Good morning....
BILLCan't come through. Too late.
JOHNToo late? Why, the train's only just in.
BILLDon't care. It's the rule.
JOHNO, nonsense. [He carries on.]
BILLIt's too late. I tell you you can't come.
JOHNBut that's absurd. I want to catch my train.
BILLIt's too late.
BERTLet him go, Bill.
BILLI'm blowed if I let him go.
JOHNI want to catch my train.
[JOHN is stopped by BILL and pushed back by the face. JOHN advances towards BILL looking like fighting. The train has gone.]
BILLOnly doing my duty.
[JOHN stops and reflects at this, deciding it isn't good enough. He shrugs his shoulders, turns round and goes away.]
JOHNI shouldn't be surprised if I didn't get even with you one of these days, you..... and some way you won't expect.
Curtain
SCENE 2Yesterday evening.
[Curtain rises on JOHN and MARY in their suburban home.]
JOHNI say, dear. Don't you think we ought to plant an acacia?
MARYAn acacia, what's that, John?
JOHNO, it's one of those trees that they have.
MARYBut why, John?
JOHNWell, you see the house is called The Acacias, and it seems rather silly not to have at least one.
MARYO, I don't think that matters. Lots of places are called lots of things....