What for?
Yardsley. Oh, hang it!--raise the curtain, will you?
Perkins. With pleasure. As I understand this thing, one bell
signifies raise curtain when curtain's down; drop curtain when
curtain is up.
Yardsley. Exactly. You know your part, anyhow. If you remember not
to monkey with the curtain except when the bell rings, and then
change its condition, no matter what it may be, you can't go wrong.
Now begin. (Bell. Perkins raises curtain.) Now, of course, I'm not
supposed to be on the stage, but I'll stay here and prompt you.
Enter Lady Ellen. Come along, Mrs. Perkins. Please begin.
Mrs. Perkins. I thought we'd decided that I was to be sitting here
when the curtain went up?
Yardsley. So we did. I'd forgotten that.--We'll begin all over
again. Perkins, drop that curtain. Perkins!
Perkins. What?
Yardsley. Drop the curtain.
Perkins. Where's the bell? I didn't hear any bell ring.
Yardsley. Oh, never mind the bell! Let her down.
Perkins. I beg your pardon, but I positively refuse. I believe in
doing things right. I'm not going to monkey. Ring that bell, and
down she comes; otherwise--
Yardsley.
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