plays [32]
come to me!
BRODIE. Now you see that I must die; now you see that I stand
upon the grave's edge, all my lost life behind me, like a horror
to think upon, like a frenzy, like a dream that is past. And
you, you are alone. Father, brother, they are gone from you; one
to heaven, one . . . . !
MARY. Hush, dear, hush! Kneel, pray; it is not too late to
repent. Think of our father dear; repent. (SHE WEEPS, STRAINING
TO HIS BOSOM.) O Willie, my darling boy, repent and join us.
SCENE VI
To these, LAWSON, LESLIE, JEAN
LAWSON. She kens a', thank the guid Lord!
BRODIE (TO MARY). I know you forgive me now; I ask no more.
That is a good man. (TO LESLIE.) Will you take her from my
hands? (LESLIE TAKES MARY.) Jean, are ye here to see the end?
JEAN. Eh man, can ye no fly? Could ye no say that it was me?
BRODIE. No, Jean, this is where it ends. Uncle, this is where
it ends. And to think that not an hour ago I still had hopes!
Hopes! Ay, not an hour ago I thought of a new life. You were
not forgotten, Jean. Leslie, you must try to forgive me . . .
you, too!
LESLIE. You are her brother.
BRODIE (TO LAWSON). And you?
LAWSON. My name-child and my sister's bairn!
BRODIE. You won't forget Jean, will you? nor the child?
LAWSON. That I will not.
MARY. O Willie, nor I.
SCENE VII
To these, HUNT
HUNT. The game's up, Deacon. I'll trouble you to come along
with me.
BRODIE (BEHIND THE TABLE). One moment, officer: I have a word
to say before witnesses ere I go. In all this there is but one
man guilty; and that man is I. None else has sinned; none else
must suffer. This poor woman (POINTING TO JEAN) I have used; she
never understood. Mr. Procurator-Fiscal, that is my dying
confession. (HE SNATCHES HIS HANGER FROM THE TABLE, AND RUSHES
UPON HUNT, WHO PARRIES, AND RUNS HIM THROUGH. HE REELS ACROSS
THE STAGE AND FALLS.) The new life . . . the new life! (HE
DIES.)
CURTAIN.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Play: BEAU AUSTIN
DEDICATED WITH ADMIRATION AND RESPECT TO GEORGE MEREDITH
BOURNEMOUTH: 1ST OCTOBER 1884.
PERSONS REPRESENTED
GEORGE FREDERICK AUSTIN, called 'Beau Austin' AEtat. 50
JOHN FENWICK, of Allonby Shaw " " 26
ANTHONY MUSGRAVE, Cornet in the Prince's Own " " 21
MENTEITH, the Beau's Valet " " 55
A ROYAL DUKE (Dumb show.)
DOROTHY MUSGRAVE, Anthony's Sister " " 25
MISS EVELINA FOSTER, her Aunt " " 45
BARBARA RIDLEY, her Maid " " 20
VISITORS TO THE WELLS
The Time is 1820. The Scene is laid at Tunbridge Wells. The
Action occupies a space of ten hours.
HAYMARKET THEATRE MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3d, 1890
CAST
GEORGE FREDERICK AUSTIN MR. TREE
JOHN FENWICK MR. FRED TERRY
ANTHONY MUSGRAVE MR. EDMUND MAURICE
MENTEITH MR. BROOKFIELD
A ROYAL DUKE MR. ROBB HARWOOD
DOROTHY MUSGRAVE MRS. TREE
MISS EVELINA FOSTER MISS ROSE LECLERCQ
BARBARA RIDLEY MISS AYLWARD
VISITORS TO THE WELLS
PROLOGUE
SPOKEN BY MR. TREE IN THE CHARACTER OF BEAU AUSTIN
'To all and singular,' as Dryden says,
We bring a fancy of those Georgian days,
Whose style still breathed a faint and fine perfume
Of old-world courtliness and old-world bloom:
When speech was elegant and talk was fit
For slang had not been canonised as wit;
When manners reigned, when breeding had the wall,
And Women - yes! - were ladies first of all;
When Grace was conscious of its gracefulness,
And man - though Man! - was not ashamed to dress.
A brave formality, a measured ease,
Were his - and her's - whose effort was to please.
And to excel in pleasing was to reign
And, if you sighed, never to sigh in vain.
But then, as now - it may be, something more -
Woman and man were human to the core.
The hearts
BRODIE. Now you see that I must die; now you see that I stand
upon the grave's edge, all my lost life behind me, like a horror
to think upon, like a frenzy, like a dream that is past. And
you, you are alone. Father, brother, they are gone from you; one
to heaven, one . . . . !
MARY. Hush, dear, hush! Kneel, pray; it is not too late to
repent. Think of our father dear; repent. (SHE WEEPS, STRAINING
TO HIS BOSOM.) O Willie, my darling boy, repent and join us.
SCENE VI
To these, LAWSON, LESLIE, JEAN
LAWSON. She kens a', thank the guid Lord!
BRODIE (TO MARY). I know you forgive me now; I ask no more.
That is a good man. (TO LESLIE.) Will you take her from my
hands? (LESLIE TAKES MARY.) Jean, are ye here to see the end?
JEAN. Eh man, can ye no fly? Could ye no say that it was me?
BRODIE. No, Jean, this is where it ends. Uncle, this is where
it ends. And to think that not an hour ago I still had hopes!
Hopes! Ay, not an hour ago I thought of a new life. You were
not forgotten, Jean. Leslie, you must try to forgive me . . .
you, too!
LESLIE. You are her brother.
BRODIE (TO LAWSON). And you?
LAWSON. My name-child and my sister's bairn!
BRODIE. You won't forget Jean, will you? nor the child?
LAWSON. That I will not.
MARY. O Willie, nor I.
SCENE VII
To these, HUNT
HUNT. The game's up, Deacon. I'll trouble you to come along
with me.
BRODIE (BEHIND THE TABLE). One moment, officer: I have a word
to say before witnesses ere I go. In all this there is but one
man guilty; and that man is I. None else has sinned; none else
must suffer. This poor woman (POINTING TO JEAN) I have used; she
never understood. Mr. Procurator-Fiscal, that is my dying
confession. (HE SNATCHES HIS HANGER FROM THE TABLE, AND RUSHES
UPON HUNT, WHO PARRIES, AND RUNS HIM THROUGH. HE REELS ACROSS
THE STAGE AND FALLS.) The new life . . . the new life! (HE
DIES.)
CURTAIN.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Play: BEAU AUSTIN
DEDICATED WITH ADMIRATION AND RESPECT TO GEORGE MEREDITH
BOURNEMOUTH: 1ST OCTOBER 1884.
PERSONS REPRESENTED
GEORGE FREDERICK AUSTIN, called 'Beau Austin' AEtat. 50
JOHN FENWICK, of Allonby Shaw " " 26
ANTHONY MUSGRAVE, Cornet in the Prince's Own " " 21
MENTEITH, the Beau's Valet " " 55
A ROYAL DUKE (Dumb show.)
DOROTHY MUSGRAVE, Anthony's Sister " " 25
MISS EVELINA FOSTER, her Aunt " " 45
BARBARA RIDLEY, her Maid " " 20
VISITORS TO THE WELLS
The Time is 1820. The Scene is laid at Tunbridge Wells. The
Action occupies a space of ten hours.
HAYMARKET THEATRE MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3d, 1890
CAST
GEORGE FREDERICK AUSTIN MR. TREE
JOHN FENWICK MR. FRED TERRY
ANTHONY MUSGRAVE MR. EDMUND MAURICE
MENTEITH MR. BROOKFIELD
A ROYAL DUKE MR. ROBB HARWOOD
DOROTHY MUSGRAVE MRS. TREE
MISS EVELINA FOSTER MISS ROSE LECLERCQ
BARBARA RIDLEY MISS AYLWARD
VISITORS TO THE WELLS
PROLOGUE
SPOKEN BY MR. TREE IN THE CHARACTER OF BEAU AUSTIN
'To all and singular,' as Dryden says,
We bring a fancy of those Georgian days,
Whose style still breathed a faint and fine perfume
Of old-world courtliness and old-world bloom:
When speech was elegant and talk was fit
For slang had not been canonised as wit;
When manners reigned, when breeding had the wall,
And Women - yes! - were ladies first of all;
When Grace was conscious of its gracefulness,
And man - though Man! - was not ashamed to dress.
A brave formality, a measured ease,
Were his - and her's - whose effort was to please.
And to excel in pleasing was to reign
And, if you sighed, never to sigh in vain.
But then, as now - it may be, something more -
Woman and man were human to the core.
The hearts