Part 32 (1/2)

HE

Until you get it?

BARON

Until I get it. And you?

HE

I too.

[_Both look at each other, silently, their heads close together.

From the ring one hears the strains of the Tango._]

CURTAIN

ACT IV

_Music in the ring. More disorder in the room than usual. All kinds of actors' costumes hanging on pegs and lying in the corners. On the table a bouquet of fiery-red roses, put there by some careless hand. At the entrance, near the arch, three bareback riders are smoking and chattering; they are all minor actors. All part their hair the same way; two wear small moustaches; the third one is clean-shaven with a face like a bull-dog._

THE CLEAN-SHAVEN ONE

Go on, Henry! Ten thousand francs! It's too much even for the Baron.

THE SECOND

How much are roses now?

THE SHAVEN

I don't know. In winter they are certainly more expensive, but still Henry talks nonsense. Ten thousand!

THE SECOND

The Baron has his own hothouse. They don't cost him anything.

HENRY

[_Throwing away hit cigar, which has burned the tips of his fingers_]: No, Grab, you're silly. There's a whole car-load full! One can smell the roses a mile away. They're to cover the entire arena.

THE SHAVEN

Only the ring.

HENRY

It's all the same. In order to cover the ring, you must have thousands and thousands of roses. You'll see what it looks like, when they've covered everything like a carpet. He ordered them to make it like a carpet! Do you see, Grab?