Flower in the basket of flower girl Eliza Doolittle. Book Pygmalion read online

Bernard Show

Pygmalion

Novel in five acts

ACT ONE

Covent Garden. Summer evening. It's raining like buckets. From all sides the desperate roar of car sirens. Passers-by run to the market and to the Church of St. Paul, under whose portico several people had already taken refuge, including an elderly lady and her daughter, both in evening dresses. Everyone peers with annoyance at the streams of rain, and only one person, standing with his back to the others, seems to be completely absorbed in some kind of marks that he makes in notebook. The clock strikes a quarter past eleven.

Daughter (stands between the two middle columns of the portico, closer to the left). I can’t take it anymore, I’m completely chilled. Where did it go?

Freddie? Half an hour has passed, and he’s still not there.

Mother (to the right of the daughter). Well, not half an hour. But still, it’s time for him to get a taxi.

passerby (to the right of the elderly lady). Don’t get your hopes up, lady: now everyone is coming from the theaters; He won’t be able to get a taxi before half past twelve. Mother. But we need a taxi. We can't stand here until half past eleven. This is simply outrageous.

Passerby. What do I have to do with it?

Daughter. If Freddie had any sense, he would have taken a taxi from the theater.

Mother. What is his fault, poor boy?

Daughter. Others get it. Why can't he?

Freddie flies in from Southampton Street and stands between them, closing his umbrella, which is dripping with water. This is a young man of about twenty; he is in a tailcoat, his trousers are completely wet at the bottom.

Daughter. Still haven't gotten a taxi?

Freddie. Nowhere, even if you die.

Mother. Oh, Freddie, really, really not at all? You probably didn't search well.

Daughter. Ugliness. Won't you tell us to go get a taxi ourselves?

Freddie. I'm telling you, there isn't one anywhere. The rain came so unexpectedly, everyone was taken by surprise, and everyone rushed to the taxi. I walked all the way to Charing Cross, and then in the other direction, almost to Ledgate Circus, and did not meet a single one.

Mother. Have you been to Trafalgar Square?

Freddie. There isn't one in Trafalgar Square either.

Daughter. Were you there?

Freddie. I was at Charingcross Station. Why did you want me to march to Hammersmith in the rain?

Daughter. You haven't been anywhere!

Mother. It's true, Freddie, you're somehow very helpless. Go again and don't come back without a taxi.

Freddie. I'll just get soaked to the skin in vain.

Daughter. What should we do? Do you think we should stand here all night, in the wind, almost naked? This is disgusting, this is selfishness, this is...

Freddie. Well, okay, okay, I'm going. (He opens his umbrella and rushes towards the Strand, but on the way he runs into a street flower girl, hurrying to take cover from the rain, and knocks the basket of flowers out of her hands.)

At the same second, lightning flashes and a deafening clap of thunder would accompanies this incident.

Flower girl. Where are you going, Freddie? Take your eyes in your hands!

Freddie. Sorry. (Runs away.)

Flower girl (picks up flowers and puts them in a basket). And also educated! He trampled all the violets into the mud. (He sits down on the plinth of the column to the right of the elderly lady and begins to shake off and straighten the flowers.)

There's no way she can'tcall it attractive. She is eighteen years old – twenty, no more. She is wearing a black straw hat, badly damaged in its lifetime.from London dust and soot and hardly familiar with a brush. Her hair is some kind of mouse color, not found in nature: water and soap are clearly needed here. Russet black coat, narrow at the waist, barely reaching the knees; from under it a brown skirt and a canvas apron are visible. Shoes, apparently, also knew better days. Without a doubt, she is clean in her own way, but next to the ladies she definitely seems like a mess. Her facial features are not bad, but the condition of her skin leaves much to be desired; In addition, it is noticeable that she needs the services of a dentist.

Mother. Excuse me, how do you know that my son's name is Freddy?

Flower girl. Oh, so this is your son? There is nothing to say, you raised him well... Is this really the point? He scattered all the poor girl's flowers and ran away like a darling! Now pay, mom!

Daughter. Mom, I hope you won't do anything like that. Still missing!

Mother. Wait, Clara, don't interfere. Do you have change?

Daughter. No. I only have sixpence.

Flower girl (with hope). Don't worry, I have some change.

Mother (daughters). Give it to me.

The daughter reluctantly parts with the coin.

So. (To the girl.) Here are the flowers for you, my dear.

Flower girl. God bless you, lady.

Daughter. Take her change. These bouquets cost no more than a penny.

Mother. Clara, they don't ask you. (To the girl.) Keep the change.

Flower girl. God bless you.

Mother. Now tell me, how do you know this young man’s name?

Flower girl. I don't even know.

Mother. I heard you call him by name. Don't try to fool me.

Flower girl. I really need to deceive you. I just said so. Well, Freddie, Charlie - you have to call a person something if you want to be polite. (Sits down next to his basket.)

Daughter. Wasted sixpence! Really, Mom, you could have spared Freddie from this. (Disgustingly retreats behind the column.)

Elderly gentleman – nice old army guy – runs up the steps and closes the umbrella from which water is flowing. His pants, just like Freddie's, are completely wet at the bottom. He's wearing a tailcoat and a light suit summer coat. She takes the empty seat at the left column, from which her daughter has just left.

Gentleman. Oof!

Mother (to the gentleman). Please tell me, sir, is there still no light in sight?

Gentleman. Unfortunately no. The rain just started pouring down even harder. (He approaches the place where the flower girl is sitting, puts his foot on the plinth and, bending down, rolls up his wet trouser leg.)

Mother. Oh my god! (He sighs pitifully and goes to his daughter.)

Flower girl (hastens to take advantage of the elderly gentleman's proximity in order to establish friendly relations with him). Since it poured more heavily, it means it will pass soon. Don’t be upset, captain, better buy a flower from a poor girl.

Gentleman. I'm sorry, but I don't have any change.

Flower girl. And I'll change it for you, captain.

Gentleman. Sovereign? I don't have any others.

Flower girl. Wow! Buy a flower, captain, buy it. I can change half a crown. Here, take this one - two pence.

Gentleman. Well, girl, just don’t pester me, I don’t like it. (Reaches in his pockets.) Really, there’s no change... Wait, here’s a penny and a half, if that suits you... (Moves to another column.)

Flower girl (she is disappointed, but still decides that one and a half pence is better than nothing). Thank you sir.

passerby (to the flower girl). Look, you took the money, so give him a flower, because that guy over there is standing and recording your every word.

Everyone turns to the man with the notebook.

Flower girl (jumps up in fear). What did I do if I talked to a gentleman? Selling flowers is not prohibited. (Tearful.) I honest girl! You saw everything, I just asked him to buy a flower.

General noise; the majority of the public is sympathetic to the flower girl, but do not approve of her excessive impressionability. Elderly and respectable people pat her on the shoulder reassuringly, encouraging her with remarks like: – Well, well, don't cry! – Who needs you, no one will touch you. – There is no need to raise a scandal. – Calm down. – It will be, it will be! – etc. The less patient ones point at her and angrily ask what exactly she is yelling at? Those who stood at a distance and don’t know what’s going on squeeze closer and further increase the noise with questions and explanations: – What's happened? – What did she do? – Where is he? – Yes, I fell asleep.- How, That one? – Yes, yes, standing by the column. She stole money from him – etc. The flower girl, stunned and confused, makes her way through the crowd to the elderly gentleman and screams pitifully.

Flower girl. Sir, sir, tell him not to report me. You don't know what it smells like. For pestering

to the gentlemen they will take away my certificate and throw me out into the street. I…

A man with a notebook approaches her from the right, and everyone else crowds behind him.

Man with a notebook. But but but! Who touched you, you stupid girl? Who do you take me for?

Passerby. Everything is fine. This is a gentleman - notice his shoes. (To a man with a notebook, explanatory.) She thought, sir, that you were a spy.

Man with a notebook (with interest). What is this - bacon?

This work tells how two linguistic specialists taught the correct English pronunciation a simple girl selling flowers on the streets of London. Eliza, as the girl was called, entered high society and became one of the most fashionable and interesting ladies, whom many young rich women began to imitate. A girl falls in love with one of her teachers, and the reader is led to believe that they are destined to be together.

The main idea of ​​the play is that those who were lucky enough to be born noble and rich are not always better and smarter than those who do not belong to high society.

Read the summary of Bernard Shaw Pygmalion

In London, several people took shelter from the rain at the entrance to a theater. This is a family named Hill, from high society, who want to leave the theater by taxi. Mother and daughter are afraid that the rain will ruin their dresses and wait until their son and brother named Freddy find a taxi. Poor Freddy can't find a car for them.

There, two famous people are waiting out the rain scientific works linguists, one of whom is called Professor Higgins, and the other Mr. Pickering. They know about each other's work, and they get to lucky chanceпознакомиться. Near the theater, next to them stands a simple, unkempt girl named Eliza, selling flowers.

While all these people are trying to find a taxi and leave, one of the men accidentally pushes the girl and she drops her flowers. The girl swears, and linguists talk about her pronunciation. One inadvertently thrown phrase from Professor Higgins makes the girl seriously think about her life. The professor said that a short time could teach a girl such a pronunciation that she would be hired to work in the most fashionable flower shop in London.

The next morning Eliza managed to find Mr. Higgins. She wants to learn how to do it right English language to work in good location. The professor does not need her money, but the idea seems interesting to him, in addition, Mr. Pickering wants to conduct an experiment and wants to make a bet with him.

Professor Higgins leaves Eliza in his house and entrusts her to his housekeeper. His bet with Mr. Pickering is to teach the girl to talk like a duchess.

Eliza's father appears, a garbage man who came to Mr. Higgins to get her. An interesting dialogue ensues between them, in which the garbage man amazes Mr. Higgins with the originality of his thoughts and judgments.

A month later, Professor Higgins, wanting to conduct an experiment, introduces Eliza to his mother in order to understand from her reaction whether the girl will be accepted in the world. There she is accidentally introduced to the Hill family. This is the same family that stood at the entrance to the theater on a rainy day.

Of course, they don't recognize the beautiful fashionable girl that same dirty little girl and have a conversation with her. At first Eliza talks like a real lady, and then, carried away, she begins to use familiar expressions and talks about her life. Everyone thought it was fashionable social slang. Mrs. Hill's daughter even tries to imitate Eliza's mannerisms, and her son, Freddie, falls in love with her.

After some time, friends introduce Eliza to high society, where she receives attention. Professor Higgins realizes that he has the upper hand in his bet.

When Eliza realized that she was taught, dressed up and taken out only for the sake of experience, she throws his own shoes at Higgins. He turned her life around, and didn’t even notice how she fell in love with him!

Eliza leaves the house, and Higgins feels completely lost without her.

Eliza's father, Mr. Dolittle, deserves special mention. He's just a scavenger, but he has very original ideas about morality. Just for fun, Higgins casually mentioned in a conversation with one of his millionaire friends that Mr. Dolittle was one of the most entertaining and original moralists in England.

The millionaire included Dolittle in his will with the condition that he would give lectures on morality and ethics. And now Dolittle has become rich, but has lost his freedom. He is forced to wear fashionable clothes, give lectures on morality and, most importantly, live by the onerous rules of a decent society. As the former garbage man lectures on morality and ethics, he himself will now have to tie the knot family life with the woman with whom he lived earlier just like that.

In the end, Eliza returns to Higgins, and the reader believes that the two will be happy.

Picture or drawing Bernard Shaw - Pygmalion

"Pygmalion"- one of Bernard Shaw's most famous plays, written in 1912

"Pygmalion" summary by chapters

First act

Summer showers gathered under the portico of Covent Garden's St. Pavel a motley company, including a poor street flower girl, an army colonel and a man with a notebook. The latter entertains himself and those around him by accurately guessing where someone is from and where else they have been. The colonel, becoming interested, finds out that in front of him is the famous phoneticist, Professor Henry Higgins - by the peculiarities of pronunciation, he is able to determine the origin of any Englishman.

It turns out that the colonel is himself a famous amateur linguist named Pickering, the author of the book “Spoken Sanskrit,” and he came to London specifically to meet the professor. Higgins has a very high opinion of Pickering's book, and the new friends are about to go to dinner at the Colonel's hotel when the flower girl asks to buy something from her. Satisfied Higgins, without looking, throws a handful of coins into her basket and leaves with the colonel. The girl is shocked - according to her ideas, she has never had such huge money.

Second act

Higgins's flat in Wimpole Street, the next morning. Higgins demonstrates his recording equipment (phonograph) to Colonel Pickering. Mrs. Pierce, Higgins's housekeeper, reports that a girl came to see the professor. Yesterday's flower girl appears, introduces herself as Eliza Dolittle and asks to teach her the correct accent in order to get a job in a flower shop.

Higgins treats the situation as an absurd, albeit funny incident, but Pickering is sincerely touched and offers Higgins a bet. Let Higgins prove that he really is the greatest specialist (as he boasted before) and in six months he can turn a street flower girl into a lady, and at a reception at the embassy he will successfully pass her off as a duchess. Pickering is also ready, if Higgins wins the bet, to pay the cost of Eliza's education. Higgins is unable to resist the challenge and agrees. Eliza, accompanied by Mrs. Pierce, goes into the bathroom.

After some time, Eliza's father, a garbage man, a drinker and a completely immoral type, comes to Higgins. He demands five pounds for non-interference, but otherwise he does not care about Eliza’s fate. Dolittle amazes the professor with his innate eloquence and convincing justification for his dishonesty, for which he receives his compensation. When clean Eliza appears in a Japanese robe, no one recognizes her.

Third act

Several months have passed. Eliza turned out to be a diligent and capable student, her pronunciation became almost perfect. Higgins wants to find out whether it is already possible to introduce a girl into secular society. As a first test, he brought Eliza to his mother's house on her baby shower. She is strictly instructed to touch only two topics: weather and health.

At the same time, the family of Mrs. Higgins' friend appears there - Mrs. Eynsford Hill with her daughter and son Freddie. At first, Eliza behaves impeccably and speaks in memorized phrases, but then she becomes inspired and switches to stories from her life experience, using vulgar and common expressions. Higgins, saving the day, reports that this is a new secular slang.

After Eliza and the other guests leave, Higgins and Pickering enthusiastically tell Mrs. Higgins about how they work with Eliza, take her to the opera, to exhibitions, and what funny remarks she makes after visiting exhibitions. Eliza, it turns out, has a phenomenal ear for music. Mrs. Higgins indignantly remarks that they are treating the girl like a living doll.

As a result of Eliza’s first appearance “into society,” Mrs. Higgins informs the professor: “She is a masterpiece of your art and the art of her dressmaker. But if you really don’t notice that she’s giving herself away with every phrase, then you’re just crazy.” The linguist friends leave home somewhat disappointed. Eliza's training continues, taking into account the mistakes made. Freddie, in love, bombards Eliza with ten-page letters.

Act Four

Several more months passed, and the moment of the decisive experiment arrived. Eliza, in a luxurious dress and - this time - with impeccable manners, appears at a reception at the embassy, ​​where she is a dizzying success. All the aristocrats present, without a shadow of a doubt, accept her as a duchess. Higgins won the bet.

Arriving home, Pickering congratulates Higgins on his success; none of them thinks to thank Eliza, who put in so much effort on her part. Eliza is irritated and worried. old life She can no longer lead and doesn’t want to, and she doesn’t have the means for a new one. The contrast between the enchanting success at the reception and the neglect at home is too great.

When Higgins leaves and soon returns in search of slippers, Eliza explodes and throws her slippers at Higgins. She tries to explain the tragedy of her situation: “What am I good for? What have you prepared me for? Where will I go? What will happen next? What will happen to me? But Higgins is unable to understand someone else's soul. At night Eliza leaves Higgins' house

Fifth act

Mrs Higgins' house. Higgins and Pickering arrive and complain about Eliza's disappearance. Higgins admits that he feels like he has no hands without Eliza. He doesn’t know where his things are, or what he has scheduled for that day.

The servant reports the arrival of Eliza's father. Dolittle has changed a lot, now he looks like a wealthy bourgeois. He indignantly attacks Higgins for the fact that, through his fault, he had to change his usual way of life and, because of this, became much less free than before. It turns out that several months ago Higgins wrote to America to a millionaire philanthropist, the founder of the Moral Reform League, that the most original moralist in all of England was Alfred Dolittle, a simple scavenger. The millionaire had recently died, and in his will he left Dolittle three thousand pounds of annual income on the condition that Dolittle lecture at his League. Now he is a wealthy bourgeois and is forced, contrary to his convictions, to observe the canons of traditional morality. Today, for example, he officially marries his long-term partner.

Mrs. Higgins expresses relief that the father can now take care of his daughter and that Eliza's future is not in danger. She admits that Eliza is here in the upper room. Higgins, however, does not want to hear about “returning” Eliza to Dolittle.

Eliza appears. Everyone leaves her alone with Higgins, and a decisive explanation takes place between them. Higgins does not repent of anything, demands that Eliza return, and defends his right to unceremonious behavior. Eliza is not happy with this: “I want a kind word, attention. I know, I am a simple, dark girl, and you are a gentleman and a scientist; but still, I’m a person, and not an empty place.” Eliza reports that she has found a way to gain independence from Higgins: she will go to Professor Nepean, Higgins’ colleague, become his assistant and reveal to him the teaching method developed by Higgins.

Mrs. Higgins and the guests return. Higgins ostentatiously cheerfully instructs Eliza to buy cheese, gloves and a tie on the way home. Eliza contemptuously replies, “Buy it yourself,” and goes to her father’s wedding. The play ends with an open ending

It's a rainy evening in London. A group of people gathered under the portico of the church. They were all waiting for the rain to stop. Only one man did not pay attention to the weather. He calmly wrote something down in his notebook. Later, a young man named Freddie joined the assembled group. He tried to find a taxi for his mother and sister, but he was unsuccessful.

His mother sent him again to look for transport. While running away, Freddie accidentally knocked a basket of flowers out of the hands of the girl who was selling them. While collecting flowers, she was indignant for a long time and loudly. The man looked at her and continued to write quickly. It was professor of phonetics Henry Higgins. By pronunciation he could determine in what place in England a person was born and lived. Higgins got into a conversation with a middle-aged man, Colonel Pickering.

In the morning, yesterday's flower girl appeared at Henry Higgins's house. Eliza Doolittle, that was the girl’s name, came to the professor and offered to teach her to speak correctly for money. The owner of the flower shop promised to hire her if she got rid of her street vocabulary. The colonel and the professor decided to make a deal: if Higgins manages to make a lady out of a street rag, then Pickering will pay for the girl’s education. Eliza stayed at Higgins' house. The next day the professor was visited by a new guest. It was Alfred Dolittle, Eliza's father. He came to demand compensation from Higgins for his daughter. To get rid of him, the professor paid the money he asked for.

Several months have passed. The girl turned out to be a diligent student and achieved great success. The first test of Eliza's knowledge was a social reception with the professor's mother. As long as the conversation concerned the weather and health, everything went well. But when those present changed the topic of conversation, all the rules and manners were forgotten by the girl.

Only Professor Higgins managed to correct the situation by intervening in the conversation. Higgins' mother did not like her son's experiments. She stated that human life not a toy, it should be treated with care, but the son laughed it off. Freddie was also present at the reception. He was delighted with the girl and could not even imagine that she was a street flower girl.

Six months have passed. Higgins and the colonel received an invitation to a ball at the embassy. Eliza went with them. At the ball the girl was introduced as a duchess. Her attire and manners were impeccable, and no one doubted her social status.

The professor was pleased with the bet he won and did not pay attention to the mood of his student. Over these months, Higgins had become accustomed to Eliza becoming an unobtrusive assistant in all his affairs. But on this day, when strangers appreciated her manners and wit, the girl wanted Higgins to notice these changes in her.

In the morning, the professor discovered that the girl was missing. Everyone was alarmed by her disappearance. Eliza's father showed up later. B neatly dressed man it was difficult to recognize the former garbage man. Alfred Doolittle reported that he had become a rich man. The American founder of the League of Moral Reforms helped him in this. Alfred did not know who told the American about the poor garbage man. But he tried to live honestly, he even decided to legalize his relationship with the woman with whom he had lived for a long time.

At lunchtime Eliza appeared with the professor's mother. The woman was pleased that the girl’s father had the opportunity to take care of her. Higgins was against her leaving. He invited Eliza to become his assistant. The girl remained silent and left with her father. But Higgins was confident that she would return.

One of Bernard Shaw's most famous plays. The work reflects deep and poignant social problems, which ensured his great popularity both during the author’s lifetime and today. The plot centers on a London professor of phonetics who makes a bet with his friend that in six months he can teach a simple flower girl the pronunciation and manners accepted in high society, and at a social reception passes her off as a noble lady.

Bernard Show
Pygmalion
Novel in five acts

Characters

Clara Eynsford Hill, daughter.

Mrs Eynsford Hill her mother.

Passerby.

Eliza Doolittle, flower girl.

Alfred Doolittle Eliza's father.

Freddie, son of Mrs. Eynsford Hill.

Gentleman.

Man with a notebook.

Sarcastic passerby.

Henry Higgins, professor of phonetics.

Pickering, Colonel.

Mrs Higgins, Professor Higgins' mother.

Mrs Pierce, Higgins's housekeeper.

Several people in the crowd.

Housemaid.

Act one

Covent Garden. Summer evening. It's raining like buckets. From all sides the desperate roar of car sirens. Passers-by run to the market and to the Church of St. Paul, under whose portico several people had already taken refuge, including elderly lady with her daughter, both in evening dresses. Everyone peers with annoyance into the streams of rain, and only one Human, standing with his back to the others, apparently completely absorbed in some notes he is making in a notebook. The clock strikes a quarter past eleven.

Daughter(stands between the two middle columns of the portico, closer to the left). I can’t take it anymore, I’m completely chilled. Where did Freddy go? Half an hour has passed, and he’s still not there.

Mother(to the right of the daughter). Well, not half an hour. But still, it’s time for him to get a taxi.

passerby(to the right of the elderly lady). Don’t get your hopes up, lady: now everyone is coming from the theaters; He won’t be able to get a taxi before half past twelve.

Passerby. What do I have to do with it?

Daughter. If Freddie had any sense, he would have taken a taxi from the theater.

Mother. What is his fault, poor boy?

Daughter. Others get it. Why can't he?

Coming from Southampton Street Freddie and stands between them, closing the umbrella from which water flows. This is a young man of about twenty; he is in a tailcoat, his trousers are completely wet at the bottom.

Daughter. Still haven't gotten a taxi?

Freddie. Nowhere, even if you die.

Mother. Oh, Freddie, really, really not at all? You probably didn't search well.

Daughter. Ugliness. Won't you tell us to go get a taxi ourselves?

Freddie. I'm telling you, there isn't one anywhere. The rain came so unexpectedly, everyone was taken by surprise, and everyone rushed to the taxi. I walked all the way to Charing Cross, and then in the other direction, almost to Ledgate Circus, and did not meet a single one.

Mother. Have you been to Trafalgar Square?

Freddie. There isn't one in Trafalgar Square either.

Daughter. Were you there?

Freddie. I was at Charing Cross Station. Why did you want me to march to Hammersmith in the rain?

Daughter. You haven't been anywhere!

Mother. It's true, Freddie, you're somehow very helpless. Go again and don't come back without a taxi.

Freddie. I'll just get soaked to the skin in vain.

Freddie. Okay, okay, I'm going. (Opens an umbrella and rushes towards the Strand, but on the way runs into a street flower girl, hurrying to take cover from the rain, and knocks a basket of flowers out of her hands.)

At the same second, lightning flashes, and a deafening clap of thunder seems to accompany this incident.

Flower girl. Where are you going, Freddie? Take your eyes in your hands!

Freddie. Sorry. (Runs away.)

Flower girl(picks up flowers and puts them in a basket). And also educated! He trampled all the violets into the mud. (He sits down on the plinth of the column to the right of the elderly lady and begins to shake off and straighten the flowers.)

She can't be called attractive in any way. She is eighteen to twenty years old, no more. She is wearing a black straw hat, badly damaged in its lifetime from London dust and soot and hardly familiar with a brush. Her hair is some kind of mouse color, not found in nature: water and soap are clearly needed here. A tan black coat, narrow at the waist, barely reaching the knees; from under it a brown skirt and a canvas apron are visible. The boots have apparently also seen better days. Without a doubt, she is clean in her own way, but next to the ladies she definitely seems like a mess. Her facial features are not bad, but the condition of her skin leaves much to be desired; In addition, it is noticeable that she needs the services of a dentist.

Mother. Excuse me, how do you know that my son's name is Freddy?

Flower girl. Oh, so this is your son? There is nothing to say, you raised him well... Is this really the point? He scattered all the poor girl's flowers and ran away like a darling! Now pay, mom!

Daughter. Mom, I hope you won't do anything like that. Still missing!

Mother. Wait, Clara, don't interfere. Do you have change?

Daughter. No. I only have sixpence.

Flower girl(with hope). Don't worry, I have some change.

Mother(daughters). Give it to me.

The daughter reluctantly parts with the coin.

So. (To the girl.) Here are the flowers for you, my dear.

Flower girl. God bless you, lady.

Daughter. Take her change. These bouquets cost no more than a penny.

Mother. Clara, they don't ask you. (To the girl.) Keep the change.

Flower girl. God bless you.

Mother. Now tell me, how do you know this young man’s name?

Flower girl. I don't even know.

Mother. I heard you call him by name. Don't try to fool me.

Flower girl. I really need to deceive you. I just said so. Well, Freddie, Charlie - you have to call a person something if you want to be polite. (Sits down next to his basket.)

Daughter. Wasted sixpence! Really, Mom, you could have spared Freddie from this. (Disgustingly retreats behind the column.)

Elderly gentleman - a pleasant type of old army man - runs up the steps and closes the umbrella from which water is flowing. His pants, just like Freddie's, are completely wet at the bottom. He is wearing a tailcoat and a light summer coat. She takes the empty seat at the left column, from which her daughter has just left.

Gentleman. Oof!

Mother(to the gentleman). Please tell me, sir, is there still no light in sight?

Gentleman. Unfortunately no. The rain just started pouring down even harder. (He approaches the place where the flower girl is sitting, puts his foot on the plinth and, bending down, rolls up his wet trouser leg.)