plays [7]
. . My father and Mary -
Well! the day for them, the night for me; the grimy cynical night
that makes all cats grey, and all honesties of one complexion.
Shall a man not have HALF a life of his own? - not eight hours
out of twenty-four? [Eight shall he have should he dare the pit
of Tophet.] (TAKES OUT MONEY.) Where's the blunt? I must be
cool to-night, or . . . steady, Deacon, you must win; damn you,
you must! You must win back the dowry that you've stolen, and
marry your sister, and pay your debts, and gull the world a
little longer! (AS HE BLOWS OUT THE LIGHTS.) The Deacon's going
to bed - the poor sick Deacon! ALLONS! (THROWS UP THE WINDOW,
AND LOOKS OUT.) Only the stars to see me! (ADDRESSING THE BED.)
Lie there, Deacon! sleep and be well to-morrow. As for me, I'm a
man once more till morning. (GETS OUT OF THE WINDOW.)
TABLEAU II. HUNT THE RUNNER
THE SCENE REPRESENTS THE PROCURATOR'S OFFICE.
SCENE I
LAWSON, HUNT
[LAWSON (ENTERING). Step your ways in, Officer. (AT WING.) Mr.
Carfrae, give a chair to yon decent wife that cam' in wi' me.
Nae news?
A VOICE WITHOUT. Naething, sir.
LAWSON (SITTING). Weel, Officer, and what can I do for you?]
HUNT. Well, sir, as I was saying, I've an English warrant for
the apprehension of one Jemmy Rivers, ALIAS Captain Starlight,
now at large within your jurisdiction.
LAWSON. That'll be the highwayman?
HUNT. That same, Mr. Procurator-Fiscal. The Captain's given me
a hard hunt of it this time. I dropped on his marks first at
Huntingdon, but he was away North, and I had to up and after him.
I heard of him all along the York road, for he's a light hand on
the pad, has Jemmy, and leaves his mark. [I missed him at York
by four-and-twenty hours, and lost him for as much more. Then I
picked him up again at Carlisle, and we made a race of it for the
Border; but he'd a better nag, and was best up in the road; so I
had to wait till I ran him to earth in Edinburgh here and could
get a new warrant.] So here I am, sir. They told me you were an
active sort of gentleman, and I'm an active man myself. And Sir
John Fielding, Mr. Procurator-Fiscal, he's an active gentleman,
likewise, though he's blind as a himage, and he desired his
compliments to you, [sir, and said that between us he thought
we'd do the trick].
LAWSON. Ay, he'll be a fine man, Sir John. Hand me owre your
papers, Hunt, and you'll have your new warrant QUAM PRIMUM. And
see here, Hunt, ye'll aiblins have a while to yoursel', and an
active man, as ye say ye are, should aye be grinding grist.
We're sair forfeuchen wi' our burglaries. NON CONSTAT DE
PERSONA. We canna get a grip o' the delinquents. Here is the
HUE AND CRY. Ye see there is a guid two hundred pounds for ye.
HUNT. Well, Mr. Procurator-Fiscal [I ain't a rich man, and two
hundred's two hundred. Thereby, sir], I don't mind telling you
I've had a bit of a worry at it already. You see, Mr.
Procurator-Fiscal, I had to look into a ken to-night about the
Captain, and an old cock always likes to be sure of his walk; so
I got one of your Scotch officers - him as was so polite as to
show me round to Mr. Brodie's - to give me full particulars about
the 'ouse, and the flash companions that use it. In his list I
drop on the names of two old lambs of my own; and I put it to
you, Mr. Procurator-Fiscal, as a genleman as knows the world, if
what's a black sheep in London is likely or not to be keeping
school in Edinburgh?
LAWSON. COELUM NON ANIMUM. A just observe.
HUNT. I'll give it a thought, sir, and see if I can't kill two
birds with one stone. Talking of which, Mr. Procurator-Fiscal,
I'd like to have a bit of a confab with that nice young woman as
came to pay her rent.
LAWSON. Hunt, that's a very decent woman.
HUNT. And a very decent woman may have mighty queer pals, Mr.
Procurator-Fiscal. Lord love you, sir, I don't know what the
profession would do without 'em!
LAWSON. Ye're vera richt, Hunt. An active and a watchful
officer.
Well! the day for them, the night for me; the grimy cynical night
that makes all cats grey, and all honesties of one complexion.
Shall a man not have HALF a life of his own? - not eight hours
out of twenty-four? [Eight shall he have should he dare the pit
of Tophet.] (TAKES OUT MONEY.) Where's the blunt? I must be
cool to-night, or . . . steady, Deacon, you must win; damn you,
you must! You must win back the dowry that you've stolen, and
marry your sister, and pay your debts, and gull the world a
little longer! (AS HE BLOWS OUT THE LIGHTS.) The Deacon's going
to bed - the poor sick Deacon! ALLONS! (THROWS UP THE WINDOW,
AND LOOKS OUT.) Only the stars to see me! (ADDRESSING THE BED.)
Lie there, Deacon! sleep and be well to-morrow. As for me, I'm a
man once more till morning. (GETS OUT OF THE WINDOW.)
TABLEAU II. HUNT THE RUNNER
THE SCENE REPRESENTS THE PROCURATOR'S OFFICE.
SCENE I
LAWSON, HUNT
[LAWSON (ENTERING). Step your ways in, Officer. (AT WING.) Mr.
Carfrae, give a chair to yon decent wife that cam' in wi' me.
Nae news?
A VOICE WITHOUT. Naething, sir.
LAWSON (SITTING). Weel, Officer, and what can I do for you?]
HUNT. Well, sir, as I was saying, I've an English warrant for
the apprehension of one Jemmy Rivers, ALIAS Captain Starlight,
now at large within your jurisdiction.
LAWSON. That'll be the highwayman?
HUNT. That same, Mr. Procurator-Fiscal. The Captain's given me
a hard hunt of it this time. I dropped on his marks first at
Huntingdon, but he was away North, and I had to up and after him.
I heard of him all along the York road, for he's a light hand on
the pad, has Jemmy, and leaves his mark. [I missed him at York
by four-and-twenty hours, and lost him for as much more. Then I
picked him up again at Carlisle, and we made a race of it for the
Border; but he'd a better nag, and was best up in the road; so I
had to wait till I ran him to earth in Edinburgh here and could
get a new warrant.] So here I am, sir. They told me you were an
active sort of gentleman, and I'm an active man myself. And Sir
John Fielding, Mr. Procurator-Fiscal, he's an active gentleman,
likewise, though he's blind as a himage, and he desired his
compliments to you, [sir, and said that between us he thought
we'd do the trick].
LAWSON. Ay, he'll be a fine man, Sir John. Hand me owre your
papers, Hunt, and you'll have your new warrant QUAM PRIMUM. And
see here, Hunt, ye'll aiblins have a while to yoursel', and an
active man, as ye say ye are, should aye be grinding grist.
We're sair forfeuchen wi' our burglaries. NON CONSTAT DE
PERSONA. We canna get a grip o' the delinquents. Here is the
HUE AND CRY. Ye see there is a guid two hundred pounds for ye.
HUNT. Well, Mr. Procurator-Fiscal [I ain't a rich man, and two
hundred's two hundred. Thereby, sir], I don't mind telling you
I've had a bit of a worry at it already. You see, Mr.
Procurator-Fiscal, I had to look into a ken to-night about the
Captain, and an old cock always likes to be sure of his walk; so
I got one of your Scotch officers - him as was so polite as to
show me round to Mr. Brodie's - to give me full particulars about
the 'ouse, and the flash companions that use it. In his list I
drop on the names of two old lambs of my own; and I put it to
you, Mr. Procurator-Fiscal, as a genleman as knows the world, if
what's a black sheep in London is likely or not to be keeping
school in Edinburgh?
LAWSON. COELUM NON ANIMUM. A just observe.
HUNT. I'll give it a thought, sir, and see if I can't kill two
birds with one stone. Talking of which, Mr. Procurator-Fiscal,
I'd like to have a bit of a confab with that nice young woman as
came to pay her rent.
LAWSON. Hunt, that's a very decent woman.
HUNT. And a very decent woman may have mighty queer pals, Mr.
Procurator-Fiscal. Lord love you, sir, I don't know what the
profession would do without 'em!
LAWSON. Ye're vera richt, Hunt. An active and a watchful
officer.