Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: ACT TWO Scene. The road to Liege. At the right of the stage is an old inn, with a bench beneath the tree in front of it. At the rise of the curtain, the Innkeeper is found asleep on the bench, snoring loudly. He is stout and has a fat red face. He wears a huge white apron around his wide girth. In his right hand he has a huge platter, in his left a towel. On the bench beside him is a pile of dishes. At one side is a tub of water on a stool. From time to time he brushes away flies that disturb his slumber, first with the towel and then with the platter. Finally the situation becomes unbearable. He throws the platter down, smashing it into pieces, and slaps sharply at his face. The attempt is successful. Slowly withdrawing his hand from his face, he raises his slain tormentor aloft with a smile of satisfaction. Suddenly his eye falls upon the broken platter. He leaps to his feet with a cry of dismay. Innkeeper St. Francis protect me! What have I done? Oh, what will Gertrude say! What will wife Gertrude say! I shall pay a sorry price for that broken dish. [From within the house.] Peter! Innkeeper [He gives a gasp of despair, and hastily gathers the pieces of broken plate and puts them in the pocket of his apron. He picks up his towel and commences to wash the dishes feverishly.] Coming, coming! Wife Peter! [The Innkeeper continues wiping the dishes.] Peter! You have been these two hours washing the dishes. Bring them to me. The noonday meal is ready for serving. Hurry, dotard! [The Innkeeper gathers up the dishes, trips, but recovers himself, and then pauses and looks down the road.] Innkeeper By the strings of my apron! There is someone upon the road. 'Tis the first for many a day. [He goes and looks down the road.] Wife Peter! Innkeeper But... --This text refers to the Paperback edition.