plays [26]
I'm ower glad to find ye in guid
hands. Ay, ye dinna ken how glad.
BRODIE (ASIDE TO LESLIE). Get me out of this. There's a man
there will stick at nothing.
LESLIE. Mr. Lawson, Brodie has done his shift. Why should we
keep him? (JEAN APPEARS AT THE DOOR, AND SIGNS TO BRODIE.)
LAWSON. Hoots! this is my trade. That's a bit o' 'Wanderin'
Willie.' I've had it before me in precognitions; that same stave
has been used for a signal by some o' the very warst o' them.
BRODIE (ASIDE TO LESLIE). Get me out of this. I'll never forget
to-night. (JEAN AT DOOR AGAIN.)
LESLIE. Well, good-night, Brodie. When shall we meet again?
LAWSON. Not one foot o' him. (JEAN AT DOOR.) I tell you, Mr.
Leslie -
SCENE VI
To these, JEAN
JEAN (FROM SHE DOOR). Wullie, Wullie!
LAWSON. Guid guide us, Mrs. Watt! A dacent wumman like
yoursel'! Whatten a time o' nicht is this to come to folks'
doors?
JEAN (TO BRODIE). Hawks, Wullie, hawks!
BRODIE. I suppose you know what you've done, Jean?
JEAN. I HAD to come, Wullie, he wadna wait another minit. He
wad have come himsel'.
BRODIE. This is my mistress.
LAWSON. William, dinna tell me nae mair.
BRODIE. I have told you so much. You may as well know all.
That good man knows it already. Have you issued a warrant for me
. . . . yet?
LAWSON. No, no, man: not another word.
BRODIE, (POINTING TO THE WINDOW). That is my work. I am the
man. Have you drawn the warrant?
LAWSON (BREAKING DOWN). Your father's son!
LESLIE (TO LAWSON). My good friend! Brodie, you might have
spared the old man this.
BRODIE. I might have spared him years ago; and you and my
sister, and myself. I might . . . would God I had! (WEEPING
HIMSELF.) Don't weep, my good old friend; I was lost long since;
don't think of me; don't pity me; don't shame me with your pity!
I began this when I was a boy. I bound the millstone round my
neck; [it is irrevocable now,] and you must all suffer . . . all
suffer for me! . . . [for this suffering remnant of what was once
a man]. O God, that I can have fallen to stand here as I do now.
My friend lying to save me from the gallows; my second father
weeping tears of blood for my disgrace! And all for what? By
what? Because I had an open hand, because I was a selfish dog,
because I loved this woman.
JEAN. O Wullie, and she lo'ed ye weel! But come near me nae
mair, come near me nae mair, my man; keep wi' your ain folks . .
. your ain dacent folks.
LAWSON. Mistress Watt, ye shall sit rent free as lang's there's
breath in William Lawson's body.
LESLIE. You can do one thing still . . . for Mary's sake. You
can save yourself; you must fly.
BRODIE. It is my purpose; the day after to-morrow. It cannot be
before. Then I will fly; and O, as God sees me, I will strive to
make a new and a better life, and to be worthy of your
friendship, and of your tears . . . your tears. And to be worthy
of you too, Jean; for I see now that the bandage has fallen from
my eyes; I see myself, O how unworthy even of you.
LESLIE. Why not to-night?
BRODIE. It cannot be before. There are many considerations. I
must find money.
JEAN. Leave me, and the wean. Dinna fash yoursel' for us.
LESLIE (OPENING THE STRONG-BOX, AND POURING GOLD UPON THE TABLE).
Take this and go at once.
BRODIE. Not that . . . not the money that I came to steal!
LAWSON. Tak' it, William; I'll pay him.
BRODIE. It is in vain. I cannot leave till I have said. There
is a man; I must obey him. If I slip my chain till he has done
with me, the hue and cry will blaze about the country; every
outport will be shut; I shall return to the gallows. He is a man
that will stick at nothing.
SCENE VII
To these, MOORE
MOORE. Are you coming?
BRODIE. I am coming.
MOORE (APPEARING IN THE DOOR). Do you want us all to get
thundering well scragged?
BRODIE (GOING). There is my master.
ACT-DROP
ACT IV.
TABLEAU VII. THE ROBBERY
The Stage represents the outside of
hands. Ay, ye dinna ken how glad.
BRODIE (ASIDE TO LESLIE). Get me out of this. There's a man
there will stick at nothing.
LESLIE. Mr. Lawson, Brodie has done his shift. Why should we
keep him? (JEAN APPEARS AT THE DOOR, AND SIGNS TO BRODIE.)
LAWSON. Hoots! this is my trade. That's a bit o' 'Wanderin'
Willie.' I've had it before me in precognitions; that same stave
has been used for a signal by some o' the very warst o' them.
BRODIE (ASIDE TO LESLIE). Get me out of this. I'll never forget
to-night. (JEAN AT DOOR AGAIN.)
LESLIE. Well, good-night, Brodie. When shall we meet again?
LAWSON. Not one foot o' him. (JEAN AT DOOR.) I tell you, Mr.
Leslie -
SCENE VI
To these, JEAN
JEAN (FROM SHE DOOR). Wullie, Wullie!
LAWSON. Guid guide us, Mrs. Watt! A dacent wumman like
yoursel'! Whatten a time o' nicht is this to come to folks'
doors?
JEAN (TO BRODIE). Hawks, Wullie, hawks!
BRODIE. I suppose you know what you've done, Jean?
JEAN. I HAD to come, Wullie, he wadna wait another minit. He
wad have come himsel'.
BRODIE. This is my mistress.
LAWSON. William, dinna tell me nae mair.
BRODIE. I have told you so much. You may as well know all.
That good man knows it already. Have you issued a warrant for me
. . . . yet?
LAWSON. No, no, man: not another word.
BRODIE, (POINTING TO THE WINDOW). That is my work. I am the
man. Have you drawn the warrant?
LAWSON (BREAKING DOWN). Your father's son!
LESLIE (TO LAWSON). My good friend! Brodie, you might have
spared the old man this.
BRODIE. I might have spared him years ago; and you and my
sister, and myself. I might . . . would God I had! (WEEPING
HIMSELF.) Don't weep, my good old friend; I was lost long since;
don't think of me; don't pity me; don't shame me with your pity!
I began this when I was a boy. I bound the millstone round my
neck; [it is irrevocable now,] and you must all suffer . . . all
suffer for me! . . . [for this suffering remnant of what was once
a man]. O God, that I can have fallen to stand here as I do now.
My friend lying to save me from the gallows; my second father
weeping tears of blood for my disgrace! And all for what? By
what? Because I had an open hand, because I was a selfish dog,
because I loved this woman.
JEAN. O Wullie, and she lo'ed ye weel! But come near me nae
mair, come near me nae mair, my man; keep wi' your ain folks . .
. your ain dacent folks.
LAWSON. Mistress Watt, ye shall sit rent free as lang's there's
breath in William Lawson's body.
LESLIE. You can do one thing still . . . for Mary's sake. You
can save yourself; you must fly.
BRODIE. It is my purpose; the day after to-morrow. It cannot be
before. Then I will fly; and O, as God sees me, I will strive to
make a new and a better life, and to be worthy of your
friendship, and of your tears . . . your tears. And to be worthy
of you too, Jean; for I see now that the bandage has fallen from
my eyes; I see myself, O how unworthy even of you.
LESLIE. Why not to-night?
BRODIE. It cannot be before. There are many considerations. I
must find money.
JEAN. Leave me, and the wean. Dinna fash yoursel' for us.
LESLIE (OPENING THE STRONG-BOX, AND POURING GOLD UPON THE TABLE).
Take this and go at once.
BRODIE. Not that . . . not the money that I came to steal!
LAWSON. Tak' it, William; I'll pay him.
BRODIE. It is in vain. I cannot leave till I have said. There
is a man; I must obey him. If I slip my chain till he has done
with me, the hue and cry will blaze about the country; every
outport will be shut; I shall return to the gallows. He is a man
that will stick at nothing.
SCENE VII
To these, MOORE
MOORE. Are you coming?
BRODIE. I am coming.
MOORE (APPEARING IN THE DOOR). Do you want us all to get
thundering well scragged?
BRODIE (GOING). There is my master.
ACT-DROP
ACT IV.
TABLEAU VII. THE ROBBERY
The Stage represents the outside of