LUIGI PIRANDELLO
315
MAN WITH THE FLOWER: Ah—that's a good one! . . . And so—
THE CUSTOMER: I left that pile of bundles in the parcel room at the station. Then I went to dinner in a restaurant. Then, to get my temper back, to the theatre. . . . Hot? . . . Hot was no name for it! On coming out, I say to myself: What next? . . . Midnight. . . . And the next train leaves at 4 a. m.—three hours left for a bit of a nap. . . . Not worth the money. . . . So here I am! . . . This place doesn't shut up, I hope—
MAN WITH THE FLOWER: Never shuts up, this place. (A pause.) So you left your bundles in the parcel room—eh?
THE CUSTOMER: Why not? Safe, aren't they? All pretty well tied up!
MAN WITH THE FLOWER: No—no—I didn't mean that. . . . (A pause.) Well tied up, eh? Oh, I imagine so. Boys in the shops these days can wrap a bundle up quick as scat. (A pause.) What hands they have! . . . Here's a long strip of doubled paper—pink—with wavy lines—Ah! a sight for sore eyes! . . . How smooth it is! You'd almost like to put your face on it to feel the cool! And they roll it out, there on the counter, as nice as you please! And they put your cloth in the middle of it, all neatly folded up. First, they take the back of the hand, and they raise one edge of the paper. Then they bring the other hand down from above, and—how clever and graceful they are! They fold down one strip—a strip they don’t really need—just for the art of the thing! Then, first on one side, then on the other, they fold the corners down, to make two triangles. Then they turn the points under. . . . Then they reach for the twine with one hand. . . . They pull out just what they need—to an inch—and they have it tied up for you before you've really had time to admire their skill! . . . And there you have your bundle, with a ring to put your finger through!
THE CUSTOMER: Aha! . . . You seem to have watched clerks in the stores pretty closely!
MAN WITH THE FLOWER: I? . . . Huh! . . . I've watched them whole days at a time. Why, I can spend an hour in front of a store, looking through the show window! Helps me to for-
