# THE WINE OF VIOLENCE

## SCENARIO OF ACT ONE.

(The lounge of Madam Kees' Hotel des Colonies on a treaty port over a hundred miles up the River from Shanghai.)

Five fly-dusty windows at the back are hung with matting awnings. These are sometimes open and show a glimpse of the Bund.

Bunchy chairs are grouped about tables bearing ashtrays, syphons, etc.

Door at the right to the Office and Hall.

At the rise of the curtain the room is full of a noisy crowd. All nations. "Boys"rushing about with trays.

Madam Kees appears for a moment at the door and there are loud cries of: "Has the boat come? --Any telegrams yet Madam Kees? --

FOUR MINUTES OF BUSINESS - LOCAL COLOR - ETC.

-- Gradually the attention of the audience is centered upon the Baroness von Ulmius who is sitting at the left talking to the Chinese Scholar. She is a handsome woman of thirty-five; elegantly dressed for travelling; she speaks in a throaty German accent, but with great authority.

-- The Scholar wears a beautiful brocade robe edged with fur. He speaks English with exaggerated precision.

**The Baroness** Let me tell you, Your Excellency, this is going to be the real war! Ah, you don't believe me; well, you will see. You will see!

**The Scholar** I do not think, Madam, that your wonderful civilization in Europe will fall into war these days. There are so many other things you have to think about.

**The Baroness** Where did you live in Europe, 'Excellency

THE SCHOLAR

I was in Oxford two years and in Edinburgh...

THE BARONESS Mmmmm! I am told it is quite possible to live in those places and not see signs of War anywhere. I thank God, Your Excellency, every day that my dear Fatherland was not taken unprepared.

MADAM KEES (to two French officers): Messieurs, have you still that copy of last Friday's newspaper ?

A FRENCH OFFICER We gave it to this lady when we had finished it.

(He indicates Madam Bukoff, a tall thin old Russian lady.)

MADAM KEES Madam Bukoff, can you give me the copy of last Friday's.....

MADAM BUKOFF No, no, I passed it on. After my turn, it was the turn of....let me see!....I promised to let the Baronin see it.

MADAM KEES Frau Baronin, the sisters at the hospital have sent over and asked if they could please see the newspaper about the declaration of war. Have you it, there?

THE BARONESS I don't know where it is, I'm sure. I had the slightest idea you wanted it back. The sisters in the hospital should have something better to do than read a lot of lies in a filthy British newspaper. I hope the paper is lost.

MADAM BUKOFF But, Dorothea, try and think where you put the paper. It's very important to all of us. You had no right to lose it.... Besides it was His Excellency's turn to read it next.

THE BARONESS I'm very sorry, Your Excellency, but there was nothing in it that you would have wanted to see. Everybody who knows anything about Europe knows that my dear country has been persecuted and insulted by Britain for years. At last England has gone too far; my dear Fatherland can endure this no longer, and this minute all Europe is at war. That is all. Boy, bring me a sarsparilla. This beer is horrible. It is nothing but charcoal.

MADAM KEES (weakly): Dorothea, it was very wrong of you to destroy our paper.

(AND SO ON. THEN LATER:)

MADAM BUKOFF Madam Kees, will you tell me immediately when my reservations on the Siberian Railway come, will you not?

THE BARONESS (harshly): It is impossible, Liza, to get reservations on the Siberian Railway. In times of peace one must speak weeks ahead; in time of war -- years.

MADAM BUKOFF (emotionally): I must return to Moscow. It is
absolutely necessary.

BARONESS Nonsense. You will not get any further than Dal-
ney, I tell you that.

MADAM BUKOFF (with dignity): My name if enough, Dorothea,
to take me wherever the Russian language is spoken. The people
will welcome me.

BARONESS Well, since your health is good, they might let
you ride on the platforms of the trains, Liza. You have had
much greater adventures than that, nah?

MADAM KEES (appearing at the door): There is a bundle of
telegrams come in at the Bank now, ladies and gentleman.

(Hubbub.)

MADAM BUKOFF Call me a 'rickshaw, Madam Kees.

(She gropes her way out.)

(At last no one is left, but the Baroness and the
Chinese Scholar. Madam Kees is wiping up a table).

BARONESS Well, Madam Kees, I am stopping for an hour or
two at your quite impossible hotel, because my houseboat is
leaking.

MADAM KEES (with contempt and dignity): You are never wel-
come here, Frau Baronin; but what you pay for you can have.

BARONESS (with genial hatefulness): You know, Madam Kees,
I am now perfektly sure that this is the worst hotel on the
River. I thought for a while that the Victoria Crown at Whu
Wuhu was the wursser, but I now have seen them both, and I can
say from the deeps of my heart that your is the far more terrible.
To be sure, I have never sleeped a night in any of them, Gott
sei dank! but anyway I _know_.

MADAM KEES You can say what you please about my hotel.
No one believes you. You are all lies.

BARONESS Are they all lies -- those stories I hear and
repeat about your so respektable hotel. Really, I can scarcely
believe them myself, they are so impossible. -- Now you _gax_
are going to say, too, excellent Madam Kees, that you hear
stories....of my beautiful villa up the river, my Villa
Carlotta, hien?

MADAM KEES I am not even interested in what I hear.
All I know is enough for me; that your life is a hell of lone-
liness, poor Baronin von Ulmius, so used to the great balls
Berlin and Vienna. Don't pretend to me that you _hxxx_ are gay
and wicked at the Villa Carlotta. You don't have to pose
for Madame Kees. I understand you.

BARONESS (taken aback); Oh, do you? Do you? ---I
should not have spoken to you in the first place. Here in China
one speaks to everyone. It is disgusting.

MADAM KEES You are dying to know if there are any
Germans in the hotel this week, and I will tell you. So! There
are none. Your question is answered.

BARONESS But there are some English?

MADAM KEES There is a missionary lady with her two
children on the way to Sze-chuen; a miner or engineer or some-
thing; and a young man named....Faring.. (She searches for the
other name.) ......?

BARONESS Captain Faring!

MADAM KEES No, Faring is his first name.

BARONESS Is he from India?

MADAM KEES His clothes are from London, but his hat is
from Calcutta.

BARONESS (thumping the table): Captain Faring! Captain
Faring!

MADAM KEES No, Mr. Faring ---Ward!

BARONESS Ach, --someone else! What does he do all
day?

MADAM KEES Nothing. Drinks. Sometimes he is a sales-
man for zinc and aluminum ware.

BARONESS Phui! -- Who else is there?

MADAM KEES Some Portuguese and two priests.

BARONESS Eah! Your hotel is both dirty and dull.

MADAM KEES Yes, Frau Baronin, every place is dull for
you except Berlin -- especially now that there is a war. How you
would love to go back! They will never recall you. Poor Baronn!

BARONESS Do not talk to me!

MADAM KEES Then you stop talking about my hotel.
Do not pretend to be superior here, you poor exile.

(She goes out.)

(Captain Faring -- Mr Faring Ward -- enters, brood-
ing and smoking. He is wearing a greyish pongee
suit. He is young, but his face is bound up in
a knot of ill-temper and suppressed ferocity.)

(He walks to a further table with a side-to-side
swinging walk, calling back over his shoulder: