ACT THREE

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ACT THREE

[Scene 14]

Exactly as at the end of Act Two. ERIC is standing just inside the room and the others are staring at him.

ERICYou know, don't you?

INSPECTOR(as before) Yes, we know.

ERIC shuts the door and comes farther in.

MRS B.(distressed) Eric, I can't believe it. There must be some mistake.

SHEILAMother's been busy blaming everything on the young man who got this girl into trouble.

BIRLINGThat's enough, Sheila.

MRS B. But I didn't know it was you — Besides, you… you don't get drunk —

SHEILAOf course he does.

INSPECTORI must hear what your son has to tell me.

(Turning to ERIC.) Now then.

ERIC(miserably) Could I have a drink first?

BIRLING(explosively) No.

INSPECTOR(firmly) Yes. (As BIRLING looks like interrupting explosively.) I know — he's your son and this is your house — but look at him. He needs a drink now just to see him through.

BIRLING(to ERIC) All right. Go on.

ERIC goes for a whisky. His whole manner of handling the decanter and then the drink shows his familiarity with quick heavy drinking. The others watch him narrowly.

INSPECTORWhen did you first meet this girl?

ERICOne night last November.

INSPECTORWhere did you meet her?

ERICIn the Palace bar.

INSPECTORWhat happened then?

ERICI began talking to her, and stood her a few drinks.

INSPECTORYou went with her to her lodgings that night?

ERICYes, I insisted — it seems. I'm not very clear about it, but afterwards she told me she didn't want me to go in but that — well, I was in that state when a chap easily turns nasty — and I threatened to make a row.

INSPECTORSo she let you in?

ERICYes. And that's when it happened. And I didn't even remember — that's the hellish thing. Oh — my God! How stupid it all is!

MRS B. (with a cry) Oh — Eric — how could you?

BIRLING(sharply) Sheila, take your mother along to the drawing-room (Gentler) Go on, Sybil.

He goes to open the door while SHEILA takes her mother out. Then he closes it and comes in.

EVA Эрик был пьян и настойчив, грозился устроить скандал, если я не впущу его к себе. Мы встретились в том же баре через две недели, он едва меня помнил. Мне было жаль его, он казался маленьким ребёнком, которого не воспринимали всерьёз.

[Scene 15]

INSPECTORWhen did you meet her again?

ERICAbout a fortnight afterwards.

INSPECTORBy appointment?

ERICNo. I happened to see her again in the Palace bar.

INSPECTORMore drinks?

ERICYes, though that time I wasn't so bad.

INSPECTORBut you took her home again?

ERICYes. And this time we talked a bit. She told me something about herself and I told her my name and what I did.

INSPECTORAnd you made love again?

ERICYes. I wasn't in love with her or anything — but I liked her — she was pretty —

BIRLING(harshly) So you had to go to bed with her?

ERICWell, I'm old enough to be married, aren't I, and I'm not married, and I hate these fat old tarts round the town — the ones I see some of your respectable friends with —

BIRLING(angrily) I don't want any of that talk from you —

INSPECTOR(very sharply) I don't want any of it from either of you. (To ERIC.) Did you arrange to see each other after that?

ERICYes. And the next time she told me she was going to have a baby.

INSPECTORAnd of course she was very worried about it?

ERICYes, and so was I.

INSPECTORDid she suggest that you ought to marry her?

ERICNo. She didn't want me to marry her. Said I didn't love her — and all that. In a way, she treated me — as if I were a kid.

INSPECTORSo what did you propose to do?

ERICWell, I insisted on giving her enough money to keep her going — until she refused to take any more —

INSPECTORHow much did you give her altogether?

ERICI suppose — about fifty pounds all told.

BIRLINGWhere did you get fifty pounds from?

As ERIC does not reply.

INSPECTORThat's my question too.

ERIC(miserably) I got it — from the office —

BIRLINGMy office?

ERICYes.

EVA Да, ребёнок был от Эрика. Свадьбы мы не хотели, любви между нами не было. Он предложил помогать деньгами, когда узнал о ребенке. Я не знала, что он крал их у своего отца. Когда это открылось , я не хотела больше его видеть.

[Scene 16]

MRS BIRLING and SHEILA come back.

BIRLING(savagely) Well, I can tell you what's happening. He's admitted he was responsible for the girl's condition, and now he's telling us he supplied her with money he stole from the office.

MRS B.(shocked) Eric! You stole money?

ERICNo, not really. I intended to pay it back.

BIRLINGYou damned fool — why didn't you come to me when you found yourself in this mess?

ERICBecause you're not the kind of father a chap could go to when he's in trouble!

BIRLING(angrily) Don't talk to me like that. Your trouble is — you've been spoilt —

INSPECTOR(cutting in) And my trouble is — that I haven't much time. (To ERIC.) Just one last question, that's all. The girl discovered that this money you were giving her was stolen, didn't she?

ERIC(miserably) Yes. (Sudden startled tone.) Here, but how did you know that? Did she tell you?

SHEILAShe told mother.

MRS B.(alarmed) Sheila!

SHEILAWell, he has to know.

ERIC(to MRS BIRLING) She told you? Did she come here — but didn't even know I lived here. What happened?

MRS BIRLING distressed, shakes her head but does not reply.

ERIC Tell me — tell me — what happened?

INSPECTOR(with calm authority) She went to your mother's committee for help. Your mother refused that help.

ERIC(nearly at breaking point) Then — you killed her. She came to you to protect me — and you turned her away — yes, and you killed her — and the child she'd have had too — my child — your own grandchild — you killed them both — damn you, damn you —

MRS B. (very distressed now) No — Eric — please — I didn't know — I didn't understand —

ERIC(almost threatening her) You don't understand anything. You never did. You never even tried — you —

SHEILA(frightened) Eric, don't — don't —

BIRLING(furious, intervening) Why, you hysterical young fool — get-back — or I'll —

INSPECTOR(taking charge masterfully) Stop!

They are suddenly quiet, staring at him.

And be quiet for a moment and listen to me. This girl killed herself — and died a horrible death. But each of you helped to kill her. Remember that. Never forget it. (He looks from one to the other of them carefully.)

ERIC(unhappily) My God — I’m not likely to forget.

INSPECTORJust used her for the end of a stupid drunken evening, as if she was an animal, a thing, not a person. No, you won't forget. (He looks at SHEILA.)

SHEILA(bitterly) I know. I had her turned out of a job. I started it.

INSPECTORYou helped — but didn't start it. (Rather savagely, to BIRLING.) You started it. She wanted twenty-five shillings a week instead of twenty-two and sixpence.

BIRLING(unhappily) Look, Inspector — I'd give thousands — yes, thousands —

INSPECTORYou're offering the money at the wrong time, Mr Birling. (He makes a move as if

concluding the session, possibly shutting up notebook, etc. Then surveys them sardonically.) Just remember this. One Eva Smith has gone — but there are millions and millions and millions of Eva Smiths and John Smiths still left with us, all intertwined with our lives, and what we think and say and do. We don't live alone. Good night.

He walks straight out, leaving them staring, subdued and wondering.

[Scene 17]

SHEILA is still quietly crying. MRS BIRLING has collapsed into a chair. ERIC is brooding desperately. BIRLING, the only active one, hears the front door slam, moves hesitatingly towards the door, stops, looks gloomily at the other three, then pours himself out a drink, which he hastily swallows.

BIRLING(angrily) There'll be a public scandal.

ERICWell, I don't care now.

BIRLINGYou! You don't seem to care about anything. But I care. I was almost certain for a knighthood in the next Honours List —

ERIC laughs rather hysterically, pointing at him.

ERIC(laughing) Oh — for God's sake! What does it matter now? Well, I don't blame you. But don't forget I’m ashamed of you as well.

BIRLING(angrily) Drop that. There's every excuse for what both your mother and I did — it turned out unfortunately, that's all —

SHEILA(scornfully) That's all.

BIRLINGWell, what have you to say?

SHEILAI behaved badly too. But now you're beginning all over again to pretend that nothing much has happened — The point is you don't seem to have learnt anything. (After a pause. (slowly) It's queer — very queer — (she looks at them reflectively.)

It doesn't much matter now, of course — but was he really a police inspector?

MRS B.Well, I must say his manner was quite extraordinary; so — so rude — and assertive —

BIRLINGThat fellow obviously didn't like us. He was prejudiced from the start.

As be hesitates there is a ring at the front door. They look at each other in alarm.

Now who's this? Had I better go?

[Scene 18]

EDNA appears.

EDNAIt's Mr Croft.

GERALD appears, and EDNA withdraws.

GERALDI hope you don't mind my coming back?

MRS B.No, of course not, Gerald.

GERALDI had a special reason for coming. When did that Inspector go?

SHEILAOnly a few minutes ago.

GERALDHm — hm!

They all look inquiringly at GERALD.

BIRLING(excitedly) You know something. What is it?

GERALD(slowly) That man wasn't a police officer. I'm almost certain. I met a police sergeant I know down the road. I asked him about this Inspector Goole. He swore there wasn't any Inspector Goole on the force here.

BIRLING(excitedly) By Jingo! A fake!(beginning to move) I'm going to ring up the Chief Constable — Colonel Roberts.

(At telephone, dials the number.) Mr Arthur Birling here — Oh, Roberts — Birling here. Sorry to ring you up so late, but can you tell me if an Inspector Goole has joined your staff lately — Goole. G-О-О-L-E — a new man — tall, clean shaven. I see, yes — well, that settles it— Good night. (He puts down the telephone and looks at the others.) There's no Inspector Goole on the police.

MRS B.I felt it all the time. He never talked like one. He never even looked like one.

BIRLINGThis makes a difference, y'know.

SHEILA(bitterly) I suppose we're all nice people now.

GERALDWhat do you make of this business now? Was it a hoax?

BIRLINGOf course.

ERIC(bursting out) You're beginning to pretend now that nothing's really happened at all. But this girl's still dead, isn't she?

SHEILA(eagerly) That's just what I feel, Eric. And it's what they don't seem to understand. You're just beginning to pretend all over again.

GERALD Look at it. A man comes here pretending to be a police officer. Now what does he do? Very artfully he bluffs us into confessing that we've all been mixed up in this girl's life in one way or another.

ERICAnd so we have.

GERALDBut how do you know it’s the same girl? We've no proof it was the same photograph and therefore no proof it was the same girl.

BIRLING(looking at them all, triumphantly) There you are, you see. No police inquiry. No one girl that all this happened to. No scandal —

SHEILAAnd no suicide?

GERALD(decisively) We can settle that at once by ringing up the Infirmary. Either there's a dead girl there or there isn't.

(He goes to telephone and looks up number. The others watch tensely.)

(Dials the number.) Is that the Infirmary? This is Mr Gerald Croft — of Crofts Limited — Yes — Have you had a girl brought in this afternoon who committed suicide? Yes, I'll wait.

As he waits, the others show their nervous tension. BIRLING wipes his brow, SHEILA shivers, ERIC clasps and unclasps his hand, etc.

Yes? — You're certain of that — I see. Well, thank you very much — Good night. (He puts down telephone and looks at them.) No girl has died in there today.

BIRLING(triumphantly) There you are! Proof positive. The whole story's just a lot of moonshine. (he smiles at them all.) Gerald, have a drink. Come on, Sheila, don't look like that. All over now.

SHEILAThe worse part is. But you're forgetting one thing I still can't forget. Everything we said had happened, really had happened. If it didn't end tragically, then that's lucky for us. But it might have done.

BlRLING(jovially) But the whole thing's different now. Come, come, you can see that, can't you?

SHEILA(passionately) You're pretending everything's just as it was before.

ERICI'm not!

SHEILANo, but these others are.

BIRLINGWell, isn't it?

SHEILASo nothing really happened. So there's nothing to be sorry for, nothing to learn.

BIRLING(pointing to ERIC and SHEILA) Now look at the pair of them — the famous younger generation who know it all. And they can't even take a joke.

Telephone rings sharply. There is a moment's complete silence, Birling goes to answer it.

Yes? Mr Birling speaking — What? Here —

But obviously the other person has rung off. He puts the telephone down slowly and looks in a panicstricken fashion at the others.

That was the police. A girl has just died — on her way to the Infirmary — after swallowing some disinfectant. And a police inspector is on his way here — to ask some — questions.

As they stare guiltily and dumbfounded, the curtain falls. End of Play

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