Hobsons Choice | Page 8

WILLIE. I'm the lodger at her mother's.

MAGGIE. The scheming hussy. It's not that sandy gill who brings your
dinner? (Moves C.)
WILLIE. She's golden-haired is Ada. Aye, she'll be here soon.
MAGGIE. And so shall I. I'll talk to Ada. I've seen her and I know the
breed. Ada's the helpless sort. (Turns L.)
WILLIE. She needs protecting.
MAGGIE. That's how she got you, was it? (Turns C.) Yes, I can see her
clinging round your neck until you fancied you were strong. But I'll tell
you this, my lad, it's a desperate poor kind of a woman that'll look for
protection to the likes of you.
WILLIE. Ada does.
MAGGIE. And that gives me the weight of her. She's born to meekness,
Ada is. You wed her, and you'll be an eighteen shilling a week
bootmaker all the days of your life. You'll be a slave, and a contented
slave.
WILLIE. I'm not ambitious that I know of.
MAGGIE. No. But you're going to be. I'll see to that. I've got my work
cut out, but there's the makings of a man about you.
WILLIE. I wish you'd leave me alone. (Sits R.)
MAGGIE. So does the fly when the spider catches him. You're my man,
Willie Mossop. (Moves to desk.)
WILLIE. Aye, so you say. Ada would tell another story, though.
(ADA FIGGINS enters from street. She is not ridiculous, but a weak,
poor-blooded, poor-spirited girl of twenty, in clogs and shawl, with
WILLIE'S dinner in a basin carried in a blue handkerchief. She crosses
to him and gives him the basin.)

ADA (C.). There's your dinner, Will.
WILLIE. Thank you, Ada. (Rises.)
(She turns to go, and finds MAGGIE in her way.)
MAGGIE. I want a word with you. You're treading on my foot, young
woman.
ADA. Me, Miss Hobson? (She looks stupidly at MAGGIE'S feet.)
MAGGIE. What's this with you and him?
ADA (gushing). Oh, Miss 'Obson, it is good of you to take notice like
that.
WILLIE. Ada, she--
MAGGIE. You hold your hush. This is for me and her to settle. Take a
fair look at him, Ada.
ADA. At Will?
MAGGIE (nodding). Not much for two women to fall out over, is
there?
ADA. Maybe he's not so much to look at, but you should hear him
play.
MAGGIE. Play? Are you a musician, Will?
WILLIE. I play the Jew's harp.
MAGGIE. That's what you see in him, is it? A gawky fellow that plays
the Jew's harp?
ADA. I see the lad I love, Miss 'Obson.
MAGGIE. It's a funny thing, but I can say the same.

ADA. You!
WILLIE. That's what I've been trying to tell you, Ada, and--and, by
gum, she'll have me from you if you don't be careful.
MAGGIE. So we're quits so far, Ada.
ADA. You'll pardon me. You've spoke too late. Will and me's tokened.
(She takes his arm.)
MAGGIE. That's the past. It's the future that I'm looking to. What's
your idea for that?
ADA. You mind your own business, Miss 'Obson. Will Mossop's no
concern of thine.
WILLIE. That's what I try to tell her myself, only she will have it it's no
use.
MAGGIE. Not an atom. I've asked for your idea of Willie's future. If
it's a likelier one than mine, I'll give you best and you can have the lad.
ADA. I'm trusting him to make the future right.
MAGGIE. It's as bad as I thought it was. Willie, you wed me.
ADA (weakly). It's daylight robbery. (Moves slightly L.)
WILLIE. Aren't you going to put up a better fight for me than that, Ada?
You're fair giving me to her.
MAGGIE. Will Mossop, you take your orders from me in this shop.
I've told you you'll wed me.
WILLIE. Seems like there's no escape. (Sits in arm-chair.)
ADA (angry). Wait while I get you to home, my lad. I'll set my mother
on to you.

MAGGIE. Oh, so it's her mother made this match!
WILLIE. She had above a bit to do with it.
MAGGIE. I've got no mother, Will.
WILLIE. You need none, neither.
MAGGIE. Well, can I sell you a pair of clogs, Miss Figgins?
ADA. No. Nor anything else.
MAGGIE. Then you've no business here, have you? (Moves up to
doors and opens them.)
ADA (going to him). Will, are you going to see me ordered out?
WILLIE. It's her shop, Ada.
ADA. You mean I'm to go like this?
WILLIE. She means it.
ADA. It's cruel hard. (Moves towards doors.)
MAGGIE. When it comes to a parting, it's best to part sudden and no
whimpering about it.
ADA. I'm not whimpering, and I'm not parting, neither. But he'll
whimper to-night when my mother sets about him. (Slight movement
back to him.)
MAGGIE. That'll do.
ADA (in almost a scream).