plays [29]
he not here!
DOCTOR. The bed has not been slept in. The counterpane is not
turned down.
MARY. It is not true; it cannot be true.
DOCTOR. My dear young lady, you must have misunderstood your
brother's language.
MARY. O no; that I did not. That I am sure I did not.
DOCTOR (LOOKING AT DOOR). The strange thing is . . . the bolt.
SERVANT. It's unco strange.
DOCTOR. Well, we have acted for the best.
SERVANT. Sir, I dinna think this should gang nae further.
DOCTOR. The secret is in our keeping. Affliction is enough
without scandal.
MARY. Kind heaven, what does it mean?
DOCTOR. I think there is no more to be done.
MARY. I am here alone, Doctor; you pass my uncle's door?
DOCTOR. The Procurator-Fiscal? I shall make it my devoir.
Expect him soon. (GOES OUT WITH MAID.)
MARY (HASTILY SEARCHES THE ROOM). No, he is not there. She was
right! O father, you can never know, praise God!
SCENE II
MARY, to whom JEAN and afterwards LESLIE
JEAN (AT DOOR). Mistress . . . .!
MARY. Ah! Who is there? Who are you?
JEAN. Is he no hame yet? I'm aye waitin' on him.
MARY. Waiting for him? Do you know the Deacon? You?
JEAN. I maun see him. Eh, lassie, it's life and death.
MARY. Death . . . O my heart!
JEAN. I maun see him, bonnie leddie. I'm a puir body, and no
fit to be seen speakin' wi' the likes o' you. But O lass, ye are
the Deacon's sister, and ye hae the Deacon's e'en, and for the
love of the dear kind Lord, let's in and hae a word wi' him ere
it be ower late. I'm bringin' siller.
MARY. Siller? You? For him? O father, father, if you could
hear! What are you? What are you . . . to him?
JEAN. I'll be the best frien' 'at ever he had; for, O dear
leddie, I wad gie my bluid to help him.
MARY. And the . . . . the child?
JEAN. The bairn?
MARY. Nothing! O nothing! I am in trouble, and I know not what
I say. And I cannot help you; I cannot help you if I would. He
is not here; and I believed he was; and ill . . . ill; and he is
not - he is . . . . O, I think I shall lose my mind!
JEAN. Ay, it's unco business.
MARY. His father is dead within there . . . dead, I tell you . .
. dead!
JEAN. It's mebbe just as weel.
MARY. Well? Well? Has it come to this? O Walter, Walter! come
back to me, or I shall die. (LESLIE ENTERS, C.)
LESLIE. Mary, Mary! I hoped to have spared you this. (TO
JEAN.) What - you? Is he not here?
JEAN. I'm aye waitin' on him.
LESLIE. What has become of him? Is he mad? Where is he?
JEAN. The Lord A'michty kens, Mr. Leslie. But I maun find him;
I maun find him.
SCENE III
MARY, LESLIE
MARY. O Walter, Walter! What does it mean?
LESLIE. You have been a brave girl all your life, Mary; you must
lean on me . . . you must trust in me . . . and be a brave girl
till the end.
MARY. Who is she? What does she want with HIM? And he . . .
where is he? Do you know that my father is dead, and the Deacon
not here? Where has he gone? He may be dead, too. Father,
brother . . . O God, it is more than I can bear!
LESLIE. Mary, my dear, dear girl . . . when will you be my wife?
MARY. O, do not speak . . . not speak . . . of it to-night. Not
to-night! O not to-night!
LESLIE. I know, I know dear heart! And do you think that I whom
you have chosen, I whose whole life is in your love - do you
think that I would press you now if there were not good cause?
MARY. Good cause! Something has happened. Something has
happened . . . . to him! Walter . . . ! Is he . . . . dead?
LESLIE. There are worse things in the world than death. There
is O . . . Mary, he is your brother!
MARY. What? Dishonour! . . . . The Deacon! . . . . My God!
LESLIE. My wife, my wife!
MARY. No, no! Keep away from me. Don't touch me. I'm not fit
. . . not fit to be near you. What has he done? I am his
sister. Tell me the worst. Tell me the worst at once.
LESLIE. That, if God wills, dear, that you shall never know.
DOCTOR. The bed has not been slept in. The counterpane is not
turned down.
MARY. It is not true; it cannot be true.
DOCTOR. My dear young lady, you must have misunderstood your
brother's language.
MARY. O no; that I did not. That I am sure I did not.
DOCTOR (LOOKING AT DOOR). The strange thing is . . . the bolt.
SERVANT. It's unco strange.
DOCTOR. Well, we have acted for the best.
SERVANT. Sir, I dinna think this should gang nae further.
DOCTOR. The secret is in our keeping. Affliction is enough
without scandal.
MARY. Kind heaven, what does it mean?
DOCTOR. I think there is no more to be done.
MARY. I am here alone, Doctor; you pass my uncle's door?
DOCTOR. The Procurator-Fiscal? I shall make it my devoir.
Expect him soon. (GOES OUT WITH MAID.)
MARY (HASTILY SEARCHES THE ROOM). No, he is not there. She was
right! O father, you can never know, praise God!
SCENE II
MARY, to whom JEAN and afterwards LESLIE
JEAN (AT DOOR). Mistress . . . .!
MARY. Ah! Who is there? Who are you?
JEAN. Is he no hame yet? I'm aye waitin' on him.
MARY. Waiting for him? Do you know the Deacon? You?
JEAN. I maun see him. Eh, lassie, it's life and death.
MARY. Death . . . O my heart!
JEAN. I maun see him, bonnie leddie. I'm a puir body, and no
fit to be seen speakin' wi' the likes o' you. But O lass, ye are
the Deacon's sister, and ye hae the Deacon's e'en, and for the
love of the dear kind Lord, let's in and hae a word wi' him ere
it be ower late. I'm bringin' siller.
MARY. Siller? You? For him? O father, father, if you could
hear! What are you? What are you . . . to him?
JEAN. I'll be the best frien' 'at ever he had; for, O dear
leddie, I wad gie my bluid to help him.
MARY. And the . . . . the child?
JEAN. The bairn?
MARY. Nothing! O nothing! I am in trouble, and I know not what
I say. And I cannot help you; I cannot help you if I would. He
is not here; and I believed he was; and ill . . . ill; and he is
not - he is . . . . O, I think I shall lose my mind!
JEAN. Ay, it's unco business.
MARY. His father is dead within there . . . dead, I tell you . .
. dead!
JEAN. It's mebbe just as weel.
MARY. Well? Well? Has it come to this? O Walter, Walter! come
back to me, or I shall die. (LESLIE ENTERS, C.)
LESLIE. Mary, Mary! I hoped to have spared you this. (TO
JEAN.) What - you? Is he not here?
JEAN. I'm aye waitin' on him.
LESLIE. What has become of him? Is he mad? Where is he?
JEAN. The Lord A'michty kens, Mr. Leslie. But I maun find him;
I maun find him.
SCENE III
MARY, LESLIE
MARY. O Walter, Walter! What does it mean?
LESLIE. You have been a brave girl all your life, Mary; you must
lean on me . . . you must trust in me . . . and be a brave girl
till the end.
MARY. Who is she? What does she want with HIM? And he . . .
where is he? Do you know that my father is dead, and the Deacon
not here? Where has he gone? He may be dead, too. Father,
brother . . . O God, it is more than I can bear!
LESLIE. Mary, my dear, dear girl . . . when will you be my wife?
MARY. O, do not speak . . . not speak . . . of it to-night. Not
to-night! O not to-night!
LESLIE. I know, I know dear heart! And do you think that I whom
you have chosen, I whose whole life is in your love - do you
think that I would press you now if there were not good cause?
MARY. Good cause! Something has happened. Something has
happened . . . . to him! Walter . . . ! Is he . . . . dead?
LESLIE. There are worse things in the world than death. There
is O . . . Mary, he is your brother!
MARY. What? Dishonour! . . . . The Deacon! . . . . My God!
LESLIE. My wife, my wife!
MARY. No, no! Keep away from me. Don't touch me. I'm not fit
. . . not fit to be near you. What has he done? I am his
sister. Tell me the worst. Tell me the worst at once.
LESLIE. That, if God wills, dear, that you shall never know.