Second Man:
Because the earthquake’s over.
First Man:
It’s all the same to me.
Second Man:
To me, too.
[Short pause. The First Man scratches his left side, then the Second Man does the same.]
First Man:
There’s people here haven’t got a crust of bread to eat, but there’s enough money for celebrations.
Second Man:
These flags’d provide clothes for plenty of people.
First Man:
Nobody troubles about a poor man. Look at the boy.
[In the meanwhile the Stripling has climbed on to the rostrum.]
The Stripling (on the rostrum):
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen, listen to the latest song about the dreadful earthquake that happened last night:
From yesterday until to-day
What an awful night we’ve had!
The end of the world was not far off,
And the earth it shook like mad.
What ho, what ho, what ho!
