Pygmalion George Bernard Shaw (the mitten read aloud .txt) đ
- Author: George Bernard Shaw
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Next day at 11 a.m. Higginsâs laboratory in Wimpole Street. It is a room on the first floor, looking on the street, and was meant for the drawing-room. The double doors are in the middle of the back hall; and persons entering find in the corner to their right two tall file cabinets at right angles to one another against the walls. In this corner stands a flat writing-table, on which are a phonograph, a laryngoscope, a row of tiny organ pipes with a bellows, a set of lamp chimneys for singing flames with burners attached to a gas plug in the wall by an india rubber tube, several tuning-forks of different sizes, a life-size image of half a human head, showing in section the vocal organs, and a box containing a supply of wax cylinders for the phonograph.
Further down the room, on the same side, is a fireplace, with a comfortable leather-covered easy-chair at the side of the hearth nearest the door, and a coal-scuttle. There is a clock on the mantelpiece. Between the fireplace and the phonograph table is a stand for newspapers.
On the other side of the central door, to the left of the visitor, is a cabinet of shallow drawers. On it is a telephone and the telephone directory. The corner beyond, and most of the side wall, is occupied by a grand piano, with the keyboard at the end furthest from the door, and a bench for the player extending the full length of the keyboard. On the piano is a dessert dish heaped with fruit and sweets, mostly chocolates.
The middle of the room is clear. Besides the easy chair, the piano bench, and two chairs at the phonograph table, there is one stray chair. It stands near the fireplace. On the walls, engravings; mostly Piranesis and mezzotint portraits. No paintings.
Pickering is seated at the table, putting down some cards and a tuning-fork which he has been using. Higgins is standing up near him, closing two or three file drawers which are hanging out. He appears in the morning light as a robust, vital, appetizing sort of man of forty or thereabouts, dressed in a professional-looking black frock-coat with a white linen collar and black silk tie. He is of the energetic, scientific type, heartily, even violently interested in everything that can be studied as a scientific subject, and careless about himself and other people, including their feelings. He is, in fact, but for his years and size, rather like a very impetuous baby âtaking noticeâ eagerly and loudly, and requiring almost as much watching to keep him out of unintended mischief. His manner varies from genial bullying when he is in a good humor to stormy petulance when anything goes wrong; but he is so entirely frank and void of malice that he remains likeable even in his least reasonable moments. Higgins As he shuts the last drawer. Well, I think thatâs the whole show. Pickering Itâs really amazing. I havenât taken half of it in, you know. Higgins Would you like to go over any of it again? Pickering Rising and coming to the fireplace, where he plants himself with his back to the fire. No, thank you; not now. Iâm quite done up for this morning. Higgins Following him, and standing beside him on his left. Tired of listening to sounds? Pickering Yes. Itâs a fearful strain. I rather fancied myself because I can pronounce twenty-four distinct vowel sounds; but your hundred and thirty beat me. I canât hear a bit of difference between most of them. Higgins Chuckling, and going over to the piano to eat sweets. Oh, that comes with practice. You hear no difference at first; but you keep on listening, and presently you find theyâre all as different as A from B. Mrs. Pearce looks in: she is Higginsâs housekeeper. Whatâs the matter? Mrs. Pearce Hesitating, evidently perplexed. A young woman wants to see you, sir. Higgins A young woman! What does she want? Mrs. Pearce Well, sir, she says youâll be glad to see her when you know what sheâs come about. Sheâs quite a common girl, sir. Very common indeed. I should have sent her away, only I thought perhaps you wanted her to talk into your machines. I hope Iâve not done wrong; but really you see such queer people sometimesâ âyouâll excuse me, Iâm sure, sirâ â Higgins Oh, thatâs all right, Mrs. Pearce. Has she an interesting accent? Mrs. Pearce Oh, something dreadful, sir, really. I donât know how you can take an interest in it. Higgins To Pickering. Letâs have her up. Show her up, Mrs. Pearce.
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