THE MILLION POUND BANK NOTE

Act II, Scene 4

NARRATOR: At the end of the month, Henry was very rich and didn’t fear jail. Dressed in the finest clothes, he drove by the brothers’ house in Portland Place and, seeing they were back, went to get Portia at her friend’s home.

HENRY:  My dear, the way you look today, it would be a crime not to ask for a good salary for the job they’ll give to me.

PORTIA: Oh, please remember that if we ask for too much we may get no salary at all; and then what’ll happen to us, with no way in the world to earn a living?

(At the brothers’ home, the servant lets them in. The two brothers are seated, waiting.)

HENRY:  Good morning, gentlemen. ( Roderick seems very surprised to see Portia ) Portia, these are the men who helped me.

PORTIA: So very nice to meet you, kind sirs. (She gives Oliver a wink with one eye.)

HENRY: Gentlemen, I’m ready to report.

RODERICK: Er ... Portia, I ...

OLIVER: We’re both glad to hear it, for now we can decide the bet which Roderick and I made. If you’ve won for me, you shall have any job as my gift. Have you got the million pound bank note?

HENRY:  Here it is, sir.

OLIVER:  I’ve won! Now what do you say, Roderick?

RODERICK: I say that I’ve lost twenty thousand pounds. I never would have believed it. Why, that is amazing, man!

HENRY:  Come, let’s be going now, Portia.

OLIVER:  But wait, wait! The job, you know. I must give you a job, as I promised.

HENRY:  Well, thank you very much, but I really don’t want one now.

PORTIA:  Henry, I’m disappointed (失望的) in you. You didn’t thank the gentlemen properly. May I do it for you?

HENRY: Let me see you try.

(Portia walks over to Roderick and gives him a hug. Then she sits in Oliver’s lap, puts her arms around his neck and kisses him on the cheek. Oliver begins laughing.)

PORTIA:  Papa, he says he doesn’t want anything else from you.

HENRY:  (shocked) My dear, is that your papa?!

PORTIA: He’s my stepfather, and the dearest one that ever was.

HENRY:  Oh, my dearest dear sir, I regret what I said.You have got a job open that I want.

OLIVER: Name it.

HENRY:  Son-in-law.

OLIVER: Well, well, well! But you’ve never had such a job before. How can I be sure you can do it successfully?

HENRY:    Try me ... oh, do, I beg of you! Give me 30 or 40 years, and ...

OLIVER: Oh, well, all right.

NARRATOR: Are Portia and Henry happy? There are not enough words in the biggest dictionary  to describe it. Did the people of London have a good time with this bit of news? Yes. Portia’s stepfather took that bank note back to the Bank of England and cashed it.  The bank note was then useless for money but was his wedding gift to the young  couple. Yes, the bank note was worth millions of dollars, but not worth one tenth as much as how Henry felt about Portia.