NCERT Class 9 English If I Were You

If I Were You

SCENE: A small cottage interior. There is an entrance back right (which may be curtained). Another door to the left must be a practical door. The furniture is simple, consisting of a small table towards the left, a chair or two, and a divan rather upstage on the right. On the table is a telephone. (When the curtain rises Gerrard is standing by the table making a phone call. He is of medium height, and wearing horn-rimmed glasses . . . He is dressed in a lounge suit and a great coat. His voice is cultured.)

GERRARD : ... Well, tell him to phone up directly. I must know .. . Yes, I expect I’ll still be here, but you mustn’t count on that ... In about ten minutes’ time. Right-ho. Goodbye. (He puts down the phone and goes to the divan on the left, where there is a travelling bag, and starts packing. Whilst he is thus engaged, another man, similar in build to Gerrard enters from the right silently — revolver in hand. He is flashily dressed in an overcoat and a soft hat. He bumps accidentally against the table, and at the sound Gerrard turns quickly.)

GERRARD : (pleasantly) Why, this is a surprise, Mr— er—

INTRUDER : I’m glad you’re pleased to see me. I don’t think you’ll be pleased for long. Put those paws up!

GERRARD : This is all very melodramatic, not very original, perhaps, but…

INTRUDER : Trying to be calm and — er—

GERRARD : ‘Nonchalant’ is your word, I think.

INTRUDER : Thanks a lot. You’ll soon stop being smart. I’ll make you crawl. I want to know a few things, see.

GERRARD : Anything you like. I know all the answers. But before we begin I should like to change my position; you may be comfortable, but I am not.

INTRUDER : Sit down there, and no funny business. (Motions to a chair, and seats himself on the divan by the bag.) Now then, we’ll have a nice little talk about yourself!

GERRARD : At last a sympathetic audience! I’ll tell you the story of my life. How as a child I was stolen by the gypsies, and why at the age of thirty-two, I find myself in my lonely Essex cottage, how ...

INTRUDER : Keep it to yourself, and just answer my questions. You live here alone? Well, do you?

GERRARD : I’m sorry. I thought you were telling me, not asking me. A question of inflection; your voice is unfamiliar.

INTRUDER : (with emphasis) Do you live here alone?

GERRARD : And if I don’t answer?

INTRUDER : You’ve got enough sense not to want to get hurt.

GERRARD : I think good sense is shown more in the ability to avoid pain than in the mere desire to do so. What do you think, Mr— er—

INTRUDER : Never mind my name. I like yours better, Mr Gerrard. What are your Christian names?

GERRARD : Vincent Charles.

INTRUDER : Do you run a car?

GERRARD : No.

INTRUDER : That’s a lie. You’re not dealing with a fool. I’m as smart as you and smarter, and I know you run a car. Better be careful, wise guy!

GERRARD : Are you American, or is that merely a clever imitation?

INTRUDER : Listen, this gun’s no toy. I can hurt you without killing you, and still get my answers.

GERRARD : Of course, if you put it like that, I’ll be glad to assist you. I do possess a car, and it’s in the garage round the corner.

INTRUDER : That’s better. Do people often come out here?

GERRARD : Very rarely. Surprisingly few people take the trouble to visit me. There’s the baker and the greengrocer, of course; and then there’s the milkman — quite charming, but no one so interesting as yourself.

INTRUDER : I happen to know that you never see tradespeople. Thinking about the Text

I. Answer these questions.

1. “At last a sympathetic audience.”

(i) Who says this?

(ii) Why does he say it?

(iii) Is he sarcastic or serious?

2. Why does the intruder choose Gerrard as the man whose identity he wants to take on?

3. “I said it with bullets.”

(i) Who says this?

(ii) What does it mean?

(iii) Is it the truth? What is the speaker’s reason for saying this?

4. What is Gerrard’s profession? Quote the parts of the play that support your answer.

5. “You’ll soon stop being smart.”

(i) Who says this?

(ii) Why does the speaker say it?

(iii) What according to the speaker will stop Gerrard from being smart?

6. “They can’t hang me twice.”

(i) Who says this?

(ii) Why does the speaker say it?

7. “A mystery I propose to explain.” What is the mystery the speaker proposes to explain?

8. “This is your big surprise.”

(i) Where has this been said in the play?

(ii) What is the surprise?

Thinking about Language

I. Consult your dictionary and choose the correct word from the pairs given in brackets.

1. The (site, cite) of the accident was (ghastly/ghostly).

2. Our college (principle/principal) is very strict.

3. I studied (continuously/continually) for eight hours.

4. The fog had an adverse (affect/effect) on the traffic.

5. Cezanne, the famous French painter, was a brilliant (artist/artiste).

6. The book that you gave me yesterday is an extraordinary (collage/college) of science fiction and mystery.

7. Our school will (host/hoist) an exhibition on cruelty to animals and wildlife conservation.

8. Screw the lid tightly onto the top of the bottle and (shake/shape) well before using the contents.

Please refer to attached file for NCERT Class 9 English If I Were You