Jean Codeau
THE HUMAN VOICE: A ONE-ACT PLAY
Hello, hello, hello .... No, Madame,
this
is
a party line;
ring off .... Hello .... I'm a subscriber, I'm on the line .... Oh!
.... hello! .... No, ring off yourself, Madame .... Hello, operator,
hello ... Let us .... No, this isn't Dr. Schmit's .... 0-8, not 0-7
.... hello! .... this is absurd .... They keep ringing me; oh,
well.
(She hangs up, her hand on the receiver. Telephone rings.)
.... Hello! .... But, Madame, what do you expect me to do? ... .
You're very unplea.<iant .... What do you mean, my fault? ... .
Not at all . . . . Not at all . . . . Hello! . . . . Hello, operator . . . .
They keep ringing me, and I can't get a word in. There're so many
people on the line. Tell that lady to ring off.
(She hangs up. Tele-
ph
.
)
H
ll
I . '
?
. .
?
y
I
one nngs.
e o. 1t s you..... 1s 1t you. . . . . es . . . . can
hardly hear you .... you sound far away, far far away .... Hello!
.... this
is
awful! .... there are so many people on the line .... Call
me back. Hello!
Call me back!
. . . .
I said: Call me back . . . .
Madame, plea.'le ring off. I keep telling you, I'm not Dr. Schmit ....
Hello! ....
(She hangs up. Telephone rings.)
Ah! At last! .... it's you .... yes .... quite clearly . . . .
hello! .... yes .... It was dreadful, trying to hear you, with all
those people .... yes .... yes .... no .... just luck .... I just
got back ten minutes ago .... You hadn't called, had you? ... .
oh! .... no, no .... I was out for dinner .... at Martha's ... .
It must be quarter past eleven .... Are you at your house? ... .
Well, look at the electric clock .... I thought so .... Yes, darling,
yes . . . . Last night? Why, last night I went right to bed, and I
couldn't sleep, and so I took a pill . . . . no . . . . only one . . . .
at nine o'clock .... I had a sort of headache, but I got rid of it.
Martha came. We had breakfast together. I did some errands. I
came back here. I've put
all
the letters in the yellow bag. I've ....
764
