课文THE-MILLION-POUND-BANK-NOTE

THEMILLIONPOUNDBANKNOTEActI,Scene3NARRATOR:Itisthesummerof1903.Twooldandwealthybrothers,RoderickandOliver,havemadeabet.OliverbelievesthatwithamillionpoundbanknoteamancouldsurviveamonthinLondon.HisbrotherRoderickdoubtsit.Atthismoment,theyseeapennilessyoungmanwanderingonthepavementoutsidetheirhouse.ItisHenryAdams,anAmericanbusinessman,whoislostinLondonanddoesnotknowwhatheshoulddo.RODERICK:Youngman,wouldyoustepinsideamoment,please?HENRY:Who?Me,sir?RODERICK:Yes,you.OLIVER:Throughthefrontdooronyourleft.HENRY:(Aservantopensadoor)Thanks.SERVANT:Goodmorning,sir.Wouldyoupleasecomein?Permitmetoleadtheway,sir.OLIVER:(Henryenters)Thankyou,James.Thatwillbeall.RODERICK:Howdoyoudo,Mr...er...?HENRY:Adams.HenryAdams.OLIVER:Comeandsitdown,Mr.Adams.HENRY:Thankyou.RODERICK:You'reanAmerican?HENRY:That'sright,fromSanFrancisco.RODERICK:HowwelldoyouknowLondon?HENRY:Notatall,it'smyfirsttriphere.RODERICK:Iwonder,Mr.Adams,ifyou'dmindusaskingafewquestions.HENRY:Notatall.Gorightahead.RODERICK:Mayweaskwhatyou'redoinginthiscountryandwhatyourplansare?HENRY:Well,Ican'tsaythatIhaveanyplans.I'mhopingtofindwork.Asamatteroffact,IlandedinBritainbyaccident.OLIVER:Howisthatpossible?HENRY:Well,yousee,backhomeIhadmyownboat.Aboutamonthago,Iwassailingoutofthebay...(hiseyesstareatwhatisleftofthebrother'sdinnerontable)OLIVER:Well,goon.HENRY:Oh,yes.Well,towardsnightfallIfoundmyselfcarriedouttoseabyastrongwind.Itwasallmyfault.Ididn'tknowwhetherIcouldsurviveuntilmorning.ThenextmorningI'djustaboutgivenmyselfupforlostwhenIwasspottedbyaship.OLIVER:AnditwastheshipthatbroughtyoutoEngland.HENRY:Yes.ThefactisthatIearnedmypassagebyworkingasanunpaidhand,whichaccountsformyappearance.IwenttotheAmericanembassytoseekhelp,but...(Thebrotherssmileateachother.)RODERICK:Well,youmustn'tworryaboutthat.It'sanadvantage.HENRY:I'mafraidIdon'tquitefollowyou,sir.RODERICK:Tellus,Mr.Adams,whatsortofworkdidyoudoinAmerica?HENRY:Iworkedforaminingcompany.Couldyouoffermesomekindofworkhere?RODERICK:Patience,Mr.Adams.Ifyoudon'tmind,mayIaskyouhowmuchmoneyyouhave?HENRY:Well,tobehonest,Ihavenone.OLIVER:(happily)Whatluck!Brother,whatluck!(clapshishandstogether)HENRY:Well,itmayseemluckytoyoubutnottome!Onthecontrary,infact.Ifthisisyourideaofsomekindofjoke,Idon'tthinkit'sveryfunny.(Henrystandsuptoleave)Nowifyou'llexcuseme,IthinkI'llbeonmyway.RODERICK:Pleasedon'tgo,Mr.Adams.Youmustn'tthinkwedon'tcareaboutyou.Oliver,givehimtheletter.OLIVER:Yes,theletter.(getsitfromadeskandgivesittoHenrylikeagift)Theletter.HENRY:(takingitcarefully)Forme?RODERICK:Foryou.(Henrystartstoopenit)Oh,no,youmustn'topenit.Notyet.Youcan'topenituntiltwoo'clock.HENRY:Oh,thisissilly.RODERICK:Notsilly.There'smoneyinit.(callstotheservant)James?HENRY:Oh,no.Idon'twantyourcharity.Ijustwantanhonestjob.RODERICK:Weknowyou'rehard-working.That'swhywe'vegivenyoutheletter.James,showMr.Adamsout.OLIVER:Goodluck,Mr.Adams.HENRY:Well,whydon'tyouexplainwhatthisisallabout?RODERICK:You'llsoonknow.(looksattheclock)Inexactlyanhourandahalf.SERVANT:Thisway,sir.RODERICK:Mr.Adams,notuntil2o'clock.Promise?HENRY:Promise.Goodbye.THEMILLIONPOUNDBANKNOTEActI,Scene4(OutsidearestaurantHenrylooksattheenvelopewithoutopeningitanddecidestogoin.Hesitsdownatatablenexttothefrontwindow.)OWNER:(seeingHenry'spoorappearance)Thatone'sreserved.Thisway,please.(tothewaiter)Takethisgentleman'sorder,Horace.HENRY:(aftersittingdownandputtingtheletteronthetable)I'dlikesomehamandeggsandanicebigsteak.Makeitextrathick.I'dalsolikeacupofcoffeeandapineappledessert.WAITER:Right,sir.I'mafraidit'llcostalargeamountofmoney.HENRY:Iunderstand.AndI'llhavealargeglassofbeer.WAITER:OK.(Thewaiterleavesandsoonreturnswithallthefood.)HOSTESS:Mygoodness!Why,lookathim.Heeatslikeawolf.OWNER:We'llseeifhe'scleverasawolf,eh?HENRY:(havingjustfinishedeverybitoffood)Ah,waiter.(waiterreturns)Samethingagain,please.Oh,andanotherbeer.WAITER:Again?Everything?HENRY:Yes,that'sright.(seesthelookonthewaiter'sface)Anythingwrong?WAITER:No,notatall.(totheowner)He'saskedformoreofthesame.OWNER:Well,itiswell-knownthatAmericansliketoeatalot.Well,we'llhavetotakeachance.Goaheadandlethimhaveit.WAITER:(readingthebillafterthemeal)Allright.That'stwoordersofhamandeggs,twoextrathicksteaks,twolargeglassesofbeer,twocupsofcoffeeandtwodesserts.HENRY:(lookingattheclockonthewall)Wouldyoumindwaitingjustafewminutes?WAITER:(inarudemanner)What'stheretowaitfor?OWNER:Allright,Horace.I'lltakecareofthis.HENRY:(toowner)Thatwasawonderfulmeal.It'samazinghowmuchpleasureyougetoutofthesimplethingsinlife,especiallyifyoucan'thavethemforawhile.OWNER:Yes,veryinteresting.Nowperhaps,sir,ifyoupayyourbillIcanhelptheothercustomers.HENRY:(lookingattheclockonthewallagain)Well,Iseeit'stwoo'clock.(heopenstheenvelopeandholdsamillionpoundbanknoteinhishands.Henryissurprisedbuttheownerandwaiterareshocked)I'mverysorry.But...I...Idon'thaveanythingsmaller.OWNER:(stillshockedandnervous)Well..er...justonemoment.Maggie,look!(thehostessscreams,theothercustomerslookatherandsheputsahandtohermouth)Doyouthinkit'sgenuine?HOSTESS:Oh,dear,Idon'tknow.Isimplydon'tknow.OWNER:Well,Ididhea