Complete Works of Robert Louis Stevenson (Illustrated) (522 page)

Lawson. And how? That’s what I’m wonderin’ to mysel’.

Brodie. Ay, God knows that.

Mary. Come, Will.

SCENE II

Leslie, Lawson (
wrapping up
)

Leslie. I wonder what ails Brodie?

Lawson. How should I ken? What should I ken that ails him?

Leslie. He seemed angry even with you.

Lawson (
impatient
). Hoot awa’!

Leslie. Of course, I know. But you see, on the very day when our engagement is announced, even the best of men may be susceptible. You yourself seem not quite pleased.

Lawson (
with great irritation
). I’m perfectly pleased. I’m perfectly delighted. If I werena an auld man, I’d be just beside mysel’ wi’ happiness.

Leslie. Well, I only fancied ...

Lawson. Ye had nae possible excuse to fancy. Fancy? Perfect trash and nonsense. Look at yersel’. Ye look like a ghaist, ye’re white-like, ye’re black aboot the een; and do you find me deavin’ ye wi’ fancies? Or William Brodie either? I’ll say that for him.

Leslie. ‘Tis not sorrow that alters my complexion; I’ve something else on hand. Come, I’ll tell you, under seal. I’ve not been in bed till daylight for a week.

Lawson. Weel, there’s nae sense in the like o’ that.

Leslie. Gad, but there is, though. Why, Procurator, this is town’s business; this is a municipal affair; I’m a public character. Why? Ah, here’s a nut for  the Crown Prosecutor! I’m a bit of a party to a robbery.

Lawson. Guid guide us, man, what d’ye mean?

Leslie. You shall hear. A week ago to-night I was passing through this very room without a candle on my way to bed, when ... what should I see but a masked man fumbling at that window! How he did the Lord knows. I suspect, Procurator, it was not the first he’d tried ... for he opened it as handily as his own front door.

Lawson. Preserve me! Another of thae robberies!

Leslie. That’s it. And, of course, I tried to seize him. But the rascal was too quick. He was down and away in an instant. You never saw a thing so daring and adroit.

Lawson. Is that a’? Ye’re a bauld lad, I’ll say that for ye. I’m glad it wasna waur.

Leslie. Yes, that’s all plain sailing. But here’s the hitch. Why didn’t I tell the Procurator-Fiscal? You never thought of that.

Lawson. No, man. Why?

Leslie. Aha! There’s the riddle. Will you guess? No?... I thought I knew the man.

Lawson. What d’ye say?

Leslie. I thought I knew him.

Lawson. Wha was’t?

Leslie. Ah, there you go beyond me. That I cannot tell.

Lawson. As God sees ye, laddie, are ye speaking truth?

Leslie. Well ... of course!

Lawson. The haill truth?

Leslie. All of it. Why not?

Lawson. Man, I’d a kind o’ gliff.

Leslie. Why, what were you afraid of? Had you a suspicion?

Lawson. Me? Me a suspicion? Ye’re daft, sir; and me the Crown offeecial!... Eh, man, I’m a’ shakin’ ... And sae ye thocht ye kennt him?

Leslie. I did that. And what’s more, I’ve sat every night in case of his return. I promise you, Procurator, he shall not slip me twice. Meanwhile, I’m worried and put out. You understand how such a fancy will upset a man. I’m uneasy with my friends and on bad terms with my own conscience. I keep watching, spying, comparing, putting two and two together, and hunting for resemblances until my head goes round. It’s like a puzzle in a dream. Only yesterday I thought I had him. And who d’you think it was?

Lawson. Wha? Wha was’t? Speak, Mr. Leslie, speak. I’m an auld man: dinna forget that.

Leslie. I name no names. It would be unjust to him; and, upon my word, it was so silly it would be unfair to me. However, here I sit, night after night. I mean him to come back; come back he shall; and I’ll tell you who he was next morning.

Lawson. Let sleeping dogs lie, Mr. Leslie; ye dinna ken what ye micht see. And then, leave him alane, he’ll come nae mair. And sitting up a’ nicht ... it’s a
factum imprestabile
, as we say: a thing impossible to man. Gang ye to your bed, like a guid laddie, and sleep lang and soundly, and bonnie, bonnie dreams to ye! (
Without.
) Let sleeping dogs lie, and gang ye to your bed.

SCENE III

Leslie (
calling
). In good time, never fear! (
He carefully bolts and chains the door.
) The old gentleman seems upset. What for, I wonder? Has he had a masked visitor? Why not? It’s the fashion. Out with the lights. (
Blows out the candles. The stage is only lighted by the moon through the window.
) He is sure to come one night or other. He must come.  Right or wrong, I feel it in the air. Man, but I know you, I know you somewhere. That trick of the shoulders, the hang of the clothes — whose are they? Where have I seen them? And then, that single look of the eye, that one glance about the room as the window opened ... it is almost friendly; I have caught it over the glass’s rim! If it should be ... his? No, his it is not.

Watchman (
without
). Past ten o’clock, and a fine moonlight night.

Another (
further away
). Past ten o’clock, and all’s well.

Leslie. Past ten? Ah, there’s a long night before you and me, watchmen. Heavens, what a trade! But it will be something to laugh over with Mary and ... with him! Damn it, the delusion is too strong for me. It’s a thing to be ashamed of. “We Brodies”: how she says it! “We Brodies and our Deacon”: what a pride she takes in it, and how good it sounds to me! “Deacon of his craft, sir, Deacon of the ...” (
Brodie, masked, appears without at the window, which he proceeds to force.
) Ha! I knew he’d come. I was sure of it. (
He crouches near and nearer to the window, keeping in the shade.
) And I know you too. I swear I know you.

SCENE IV

Brodie, Leslie

Brodie enters by the window with assurance and ease, closes it silently and proceeds to traverse the room. As he moves, Leslie leaps upon and grapples him.

Leslie. Take off that mask!

Brodie. Hands off!

Leslie. Take off that mask!

Brodie. Leave go, by God, leave go!

Leslie. Take it off!

Brodie (
overpowered
). Leslie....

Leslie. Ah! you know me! (
Succeeds in tearing off the mask.
) Brodie!

Brodie (
in the moonlight
). Brodie.

Leslie. You ... you, Brodie, you!

Brodie. Brodie, sir, Brodie, as you see.

Leslie. What does it mean? What does it mean? My God! Were you here before? Is this the second time? Are you a thief, man? are you a thief? Speak, speak, or I’ll kill you.

Brodie. I am a thief.

Leslie. And my friend, my own friend, and ... Mary, Mary!... Deacon, Deacon, for God’s sake, no!

Brodie. God help me!

Leslie. “We Brodies! We Brodies!”

Brodie. Leslie —  —

Leslie. Stand off! Don’t touch me! You’re a thief!

Brodie. Leslie, Leslie —  —

Leslie. A thief’s sister! Why are you here? why are you here? Tell me! Why do you not speak? Man, I know you of old. Are you Brodie, and have nothing to say?

Brodie. To say? Not much — God help me! — and commonplace, commonplace like sin. I was honest once; I made a false step; I couldn’t retrace it; and ... that is all.

Leslie. You have forgot the bad companions!

Brodie. I did forget them. They were there.

Leslie. Commonplace! Commonplace! Do you speak to me, do you reason with me, do you make excuses? You — a man found out, shamed, a liar, a thief — a man that’s killed me, killed this heart in my body; and you speak! What am I to do? I hold your life in my hand; have you thought of that? What am I to do?

Brodie. Do what you please; you have me trapped. (
Jean Watt is heard singing without two bars of “Wanderin’ Willie,” by way of signal.
)

Leslie. What is that?

Brodie. A signal.

Leslie. What does it mean?

Brodie. Danger to me: there is some one coming.

Leslie. Danger to you?

Brodie. Some one is coming. What are you going to do with me? (
A knock at the door.
)

Leslie (
after a pause
). Sit down. (
Knocking.
)

Brodie. What are you going to do with me?

Leslie. Sit down. (
Brodie sits in darkest part of stage. Leslie opens door and admits Lawson. Door open till end of Act.
)

SCENE V

Brodie, Lawson, Leslie

Lawson. This is an unco’ time to come to your door; but eh, laddie, I couldna bear to think o’ ye sittin’ yer lane in the dark.

Leslie. It was very good of you.

Lawson. I’m no’ very fond of playing hidee in the dark mysel’: and noo that I’m here —  —

Leslie. I will give you a light. (
He lights the candles. Lights up.
)

Lawson. God A’michty! William Brodie!

Leslie. Yes, Brodie was good enough to watch with me.

Lawson. But he gaed awa’ ... I dinna see ... an’ Lord be guid to us, the window’s open!

Leslie. A trap we laid for them: a device of Brodie’s.

Brodie (
to Lawson
). Set a thief to catch a thief. (
Passing to Leslie, aside.
) Walter Leslie, God will reward. (
Jean signals again.
)

Lawson. I dinna like that singin’ at siccan a time o’ the nicht.

Brodie. I must go.

Lawson. Not one foot o’ ye. 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 the 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? Ay 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.