SUBKA I don't see any soot upon your face. [_She goes nearer._] Nor on your clothes. That's red paint, isn't it? ARRAM Can't help it. Santa Claus--that is my name. What's yours? SUBKA Mine? Subka! ARRAM I've a little girl At home called Subka! Just about your age. SUBKA You didn't come down the chimney. [_To_ MICHAEL.] He didn't, did he? [_She runs to the stocking and examines it._] There's nothing in the stocking. ARRAM Ah, Subka, That remains to be seen; that remains to be seen. SUBKA [_Pointing to_ MICHAEL.] Well, who is that? ARRAM The man that carries my bag. SUBKA [_With a sudden note of fear in her voice._] Mother, where's Father? RADA [_Putting her arm round her._] He will soon be here. It's all right, darling. SUBKA Has the gramophone come? RADA Yes, darling, long ago. SUBKA You never told me. NANKO That was a secret, Subka, a great secret. SUBKA I thought, perhaps, you were getting the Christmas tree ready. Can't we? Father won't mind. NANKO [_Putting the Christmas tree out from the corner._] Ah, here it is. Now that's a good idea. It's Christmas Eve. We'll get it ready. ARRAM Here, put it on the table. NANKO What shall we hang on it? MICHAEL What do you think Of that, now? [_He hangs a revolver on the tree._] SUBKA [_Clapping her hands._] O! O! What a great big pistol! That'll be Father's present! And now what else? What else? ARRAM Well, Subka, what do you say to a ring? How prettily it hangs upon the bough! See, Subka! SUBKA Why, it's just like Father's ring! ARRAM [_Striking a light._] And now we'll light the candles. NANKO [_Clapping his hands and dancing._] Yes that's right! Light all the little candles on the tree! O, doesn't the pistol shine, doesn't the ring Glitter! SUBKA But O, it _is_ like Father's ring. He had a little piece of Mother's hair Plaited inside it, just like that. It _is_ My father's ring! RADA No. There are many others Just like it, Subka,--hundreds, hundreds of others. MICHAEL And now, what's in that package over there? SUBKA The gramophone! O, that's the gramophone! That's Father's Christmas present to us all. NANKO O, what a wonderful man the doctor was. Nobody else, in these parts, would have thought Of buying a gramophone. Let's open it! SUBKA Yes! Yes! And we'll give Father a surprise. It shall be playing a tune when he comes in. [ARRAM _opens the package_. NANKO _capers round, rubbing his hands._]