Act One

In a squalid room, Toby, a deaf mute, fashions a costume for himself. Monica, daughter of Baba (known as Madame Flora), cautions him that her mother will beat him if she finds him going through her possessions. The door at the bottom of the stairs closes noisily, and before the children can replace the items, Baba angrily upbraids them for not having readied her apartment for the séance due to begin momentarily. When Monica asks her where she has been all night, Baba tells her she has been on the doorstep of a client all night, frightening the woman into paying what she owed. Monica and Toby prepare their devices for the séance. When the doorbell rings, Toby takes up his position behind the puppet theater, Monica leaves, and Baba sits down to a game of solitaire.

Two old clients, Mr. and Mrs. Gobineau, enter with a Mrs. Nolan, who has come with them to establish contact with her departed daughter, Doodly. Baba announces that the time to begin has arrived, Mr. Gobineau locks the doors and the three visitors sit down with her at the table. The lights are off and only a candle illuminates Baba as she begins to moan, indicating that she is entering a trance. Monica appears as Doodly and Mrs. Nolan speaks to her. Monica advises her to give away all of her daughter's possessions save for a little gold locket. As Mrs. Nolan replies that there was no such locket, Monica disappears. The Gobineaus then ask to speak to their son, who always laughs for them, and Monica responds with giggles. Suddenly, with a gasp, Baba looks about the room in terror, demanding, "Who is there?" She rises quickly, turning on the lights and asking who touched her. While the others ask why she should be afraid of "our dead," she orders everyone out of her room.

Monica enters to discover what happened. Madame Flora tells her that there will be no further séances, for in the midst of her trance she felt "a cold, cold hand" clutching her throat. She frantically grabs the curtain of the puppet theater, thinking it was Toby, but finding him huddled inside, she pulls him out and accuses him of having touched her. Monica protests and draws Baba away. She sits down and Baba rests at her feet, head in Monica's lap as Monica soothes her with her song of the Black Swan. Suddenly, the voice of Doodly and the laughter of the baby boy assault Baba. She forces Toby to search the room, then to join her on her knees as she prays, clutching her rosary.



Act Two

Days later, Toby has been performing a puppet show for Monica. As he tries to express his love, Monica helps him, telling him that his is the most beautiful voice in the world. Baba comes up the stairs and Monica darts to her room. Baba attempts to get Toby to confess that he touched her throat, promising Monica's hand if he will only admit that he did it. Furious at having no response, she seizes her whip and begins to beat him until she is interrupted by the doorbell. Monica enters to comfort Toby as Baba receives the Gobineaus and Mrs. Nolan. Baba admits she is a fraud and returns their money, informing them that there will be no more séances. Despite being shown all the tricks, her visitors object, all claiming that Monica's voice was not what they heard. Baba orders them to leave, shouting after them, "Fools!"

Baba decides that Toby must go, but when Monica tells her that she, too, will leave, Baba locks her in her room. Assailed by voices again, she begins to drink, begging God's forgiveness and falling into a stupor. Toby returns to the room, but cannot make his presence known to Monica. He opens the lid of the trunk, but it falls noisily, awakening Baba. Toby hides in the puppet theater as Baba demands to know who is there. She draws a gun from a desk drawer, and when the theater's curtain moves, she fires. A rivulet of blood runs down the curtain as Toby's lifeless body topples into the room. Monica pounds on her door. Baba unlocks it and when Monica sees Toby lying dead, she runs down the stairs, crying "help." Baba bends over Toby, whispering hoarsely, "Was it you?"

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