MS-HRC-SB-4-2-5

[0260] Pause.
[0261] Here I end -
[0262] Krapp switches off, winds tape back, switches on again.
[0263] - upper lake, with the punt, bathed off the bank, then
pushed out into the stream and drifted.[0264] She lay stretched
out on the floorboards with her hands under her head and
her eyes closed.[0265] Sun blazing down, bit of a breeze, water
nice and lively.

[0266] I noticed a scratch on her thigh and asked
her how she came by it.[0267] Picking gooseberries, she said.[0268] I
said again I thought it was hopeless and no good going on,
and she agreed, without opening her eyes.[0269] (Pause.)[0270] I asked
her to look at me and after a few moments - (pause) - after
a few moments she did, but the eyes just slits, because of
the glare.[0271] I bent over ^her to get them in the shadow and they
opened.[0272] (Pause. [0273] Low.)[0274] Let me in.[0275] (Pause.)

[0276] We drifted in
among the flags and stuck.[0277] The way they went down, sighing,
before the stem![0278] (Pause.)[0279] I lay down across her with my
face in her breasts and my hand on her.[0280] We lay without
moving.[0281] But under us all moved, and moved us, gently, up
and down, and from side to side.
[0282] Pause.
[0283] Past midnight.[0284] Never knew -

[0285] Krapp switches off, broods. [0286] Fihⁿally he fumbles in his
pockets, encounters the banana, takes it out, peers at
it, throws it away, fumbles, brings out the envelope,
fumbles, puts back envelope, looks at his watch, gets up
and goes backstage into darkness. [0287] Ten seconds. [0288] Sound of
bottle against glass, then brief siphon. [0289] Ten seconds.
[0290] bottle against glass alone. [0291] Ten seconds.

[0292] He comes back a
little unsteadily into light, goes to front of table, takes
oy^ut keys, raises them to his eyes, chooses key, unlocks
first drawer, peers into it, feels about inside, takes out
reel, peers at it, locks drawer, puts keys back in his pocke
goes and sits down, takes reel off machine, lays it on
dictionary, loads virgin reel on machine, takes envelope
from his pocket, consults back of it, lays it on table,
switches on, clears his throat and begins to record.

[0293] Just been listening to that stupid bastard I took myself
for thirty years ago, hard to believe I was ever as bad
as that.[0294] Thank God that's all done with anyway.[0295] (Pause.)
[0296] The eyes she had![0297] (Broods, realises he is recording silence,
switches off, broods. [0298] Finally.)[0299] Everything there, every-
thing, all the -[0300] (Realises this is not being recorded,
switches on.)Everything there, everything on this old

[0301] Everything there, everything on this old