Complete Works of Wilkie Collins (1990 page)

SLOW CURTAIN

ACT III.

SCENE I. —
Interior in 3rd grooves. Gas down in house and on stage, except
U. E.
and
L. 1 R.,
off stage.

(
Voice of
PLATO R. U.
corner
). Dis am de winder ob Massa Brentwood’s room, sah.

(
Voice of
DAVID,
same
). Place the steps. Now, stand out of the way. (
hammers on shutters, opens them. Cobwebs fall and are torn apart. Gas gradually on, quarter turn.
DAVID
opens window sash Gas on, half-turn.
)

DAVID
enters by window and stands
R. C.,
a little up, looking round as if puzzled by the darkness after the sun light. Gas up full in house and on stage.

DAVID. If every house-breaker felt as I do at present, the ancient and honourable profession of house-breaking would be at a discount. The foul air is fighting bravely with the damp oppression of the death-room. Mr. Plato. (
at
C.)

PLATO (
shows his head at window, as if he were on ladder there
). Yis, Misser Michaelmas.

DAVID. You found the tools? Where is that measuring rule that we borrowed of the carpenter as we came along?

PLATO (
gives rule, putting his arm into room with great caution
). Here am de rule, sah.

DAVID. Thank you. Are you not coming in, Mr. Plato?

PLATO (
in fright
). N-n-no, tank you, sah!

DAVID. There’s nothing here but the things just as they were left when it was closed up. What are your objections to coming in?

PLATO. Coming into dat room, sah! I hab reasons ob my own. You see dis nose on my face? (
taps nose
)

DAVID. Well, it is rather flat, but still it
is
a nose. What then?

PLATO. What den, sah? A good deal, den, sah. Do you smell nuffin, Mr. Michaelmas?

DAVID. I can’t sniffle like that, but I can only notice the smell of a room that has not been aired for years.

PLATO. You call dat de ‘mell ob a room dat hab not been aired for yeah, sah?

DAVID. That’s all. What do you call it?

PLATO (
solemnly
). I call dat de ‘mell ob a ghose, sah!

DAVID. A ghost’s smell! ha, ha!

PLATO.
An’ my nose hab strong objections to dat ‘mell. I present my compliments to Massa Brentwood, and beg to leab him alone wid you, sah. Good-morning, Misser Michaelmas!

DAVID. Good-morning. (PLATO
disappears
) It seems the blacks have a host of virtues, amongst which is a delicate instinct for a ghost. Where is that paper? (
gets paper from pocket
) “My room in the old wing,” So far, so good. “Six along and three across.” A matter of measurement. Suppose (
hesitates
) I begin with the bed? (
goes to bed, measures its length with rule.
)

PLATO (
head appears at window
. Misser Michaelmas!

DAVID. Well, my friend with the delicate nose, (
continues his measuring
) what now?

PLATO. I present my compliments, and beg to add a lilly posescript.

DAVID. Well?

PLATO. S’pose you find any money in dat room?

DAVID. Money?

PLATO. I goes shares, sah, wid you, sah. Misser Michaelmas, I beg to wish you good-morning, (
disappears.
)

DAVID (
impatiently
). Oh, good-morning. (
music, mysterious
) Another talent of Mr. Plato’s — a keen eye for the main chance. (
shakes his head
) No, it is clear Mr. Brentwood has not confided his secret to his bed. Stop! I’ll try the floor. (
goes
R.) I have been measuring in feet — now I will measure in yards. (
measures stage across from
R.) Four — six — twelve — fourteen — confound it! (L. C.) it comes just in the middle of a board. Well, three across. (
measures down from flat
) Here is the point. The board is loose. (
lifts board a little, stamps on the floor
) Ugh! plenty of crawling creatures, at all events — spiders, centipedes, and such odd things — but not a line of written paper. I will try some other plan.

PLATO (
shows his head as before
). Misser Michaelmas!

DAVID. You, again? If you keep climbing up and down those steps much more, you’ll convert them into a treadmill. What business has prompted you now?

PLATO. I present my compliments, and beg to offer another lilly posescript.

DAVID. Your conversation is like young ladies’ letters, all postscripts.

PLATO. Why should two genblemen dispute about de money? I say, sah, you give me a dirty, lilly ten pounds down, and you hab all you git.

DAVID. I present, my compliments, and I beg to decline your offer. Good-morning, Mr. Plato.

PLATO (
disgusted
). De drefful greediness ob de white man am somefin’ awful to behold. Mr. Michaelmas! Mr. Michaelmas! you are not going to lose a fortune for de sake of a lilly trumpetry ten poun’ note? Don’t you do it, sah! you’ll git ‘nuff money to pay off all de debts on you’ estate.

DAVID. I shall have to be quick about it, as it is to be disposed of to-day for the benefit of the mortgagees.

PLATO. Did you speak, sah?

DAVID (
shortly
. No!

PLATO. You say you will gib me de ten poun’ down?

DAVID. Go to the devil! (R.)

PLATO (
solemnly
). I renounce de debble, sah! I forgib you, Misser Michaelmas! When all de money comes tumbling out ob de wall ‘bout your ears, you’ll be sorry for dis!

DAVID (
laughs
). Comes tumbling out of the wall! ha, ha! does he think — eh? Why not, after all?

PLATO. Misser Michaelmas, you hab transgressed ag’nist de laws ob politeness. As a polite man myself, I beg to mention anoder lilly posescript!

DAVID. Oh, bother!

PLATO. No boder, sah — it’s a pleasure. I want to make a poppersition. I present my compliments and beg to offer you my hat, sah! all de money dat you fine, you put in him hat, an’ all de money what tumbles froo dat hat comes to me, and all de money what stops in de hat, goes to you. (
throws hat in.
)

DAVID (
examines hat and puts his arm through it
). All the money that does not tumble through the hat comes to me? Thank you for nothing. (
tosses hat to
PLATO) Have I been measuring all this time instead of counting? Where will I commence!? Oh, the pattern on the wall.

PLATO. Misser Michaelmas, won’t you hab de hat, wid Misser Plato’s compliments.

DAVID. Pshaw! (
looks up at flat,
R.) The window is in the way. I will try the top row of roses on the other side. (
to
L ) “Six along” — down from that — one — two — three — that’s the rose. But how to reach it. (
stands upon bed.
)

PLATO. I don’t know whether I am most frightened ob losing de money or ob seein’ de ghost! (
sits up on window-sill, about to enter
) Does yer see de money, sah?

DAVID (
with joy
). Oh!

PLATO (
in terror
). Ky! (
tumbles out of window.
)

DAVID (
eagerly, hand at trap in flat
Here is a piece of the matting loose and a bit of string hanging from it — a letter at the end of the string! Hurrah! (
gets off of bed and runs to window with letter in his hand. Knocks the dust off it
) I can hardly read it for joy! “Duplicate of the letter to the Provost-Marshal.” Oh, my master! I must go back to town without delay.

PLATO (
shows his head
). Misser Michaelmas!

DAVID. Out of the way!

PLATO. Hab you foun’ de money!

DAVID. Out of the way! I am going to jump for it! Out of the way! (PLATO
disappears,
DAVID
leaps out of window, waving letter.
)

PLATO (
as if he had been jumped upon, screams
). A-a-ah!

Scene closes in.

SCENE II. —
Prison interior in 1st grooves.

Enter,
R., JAILOR.
Enter,
R., MISS MILBURN.

MISS M. I want to speak to the Count de Leyrac. Here is the magistrate’s order, (
gives paper.
JAILER
looks at paper, bows, crosses to
L.,
unlocks
L. D.,
and then goes off
L.,
pros.
E.)

Enter,
L. D.,
slowly,
LEYRAC,
but seeing
MISS MILBURN,
approaches her eagerly.

LEY. Good-morning, my darling. You are most welcome!

MISS M. I bring you good news, Maurice.

LEY. You were sure to be the first to bring that. (
takes her hand.
)

MISS M. The sympathies of everybody on the island are with you. The magistrates themselves are all in your favor. There is proof that you insulted Mr. Westcraft in the market-place, but none that you are a slave. You are only known as the Count de Leyrac. Oh! what a charming thing Justice is — when it is on your own side! You will pass a formal examination, and leave the court as free as other men. But how you look at me. Do you so admire me?

LEY. I admire you, and I love you with all my heart and soul!

MISS M. You must have patience, my love. Come, come, my hand has nothing to do with it.

LEY. Is the day so far off when the hand will be mine?

MISS M. Ah! that may be nearer than you have expected. Mr. Westcraft insisted on my giving a definite answer to his pretensions. I shall find much pleasure in so doing.

LEY. I who am to stand as one of them amongst the slaves! can I concern myself with marriage?

MISS M. Now, I dislike you. Ah, hear me! I almost rejoice that your misfortunes have come. I can prove my esteem of you by saying: Slave or free, I love you! Maurice, will you take my hand?

LEY. As the hand of my wife?

MISS M. (
smiling
). If you have no objections, sir!

LEY. And when will we be married? To-day?

MISS M. You are in a great hurry, sir! Ah! it is not easy to say so, but I know you will not think the worse of me for it, but — but I have hastened the time of our marriage.

LEY. You! Ah, I understand, (
gloomily
) Your friends —
 
—

MISS M. No! You don’t understand. My friends may suppose what they like, and say what they will. Marriage, in my eyes, is too sacred to be made a refuge from the opinion of the world. I have no parents — you are an orphan. To me you are the world. Slave or free, what is that to me? To-morrow there is a ship sails for France — will you go with it, and take me with you, as your wife?

LEY. Emily! (
embraces her
) Does there a man live who is worthy of you?

MISS M. I think there does.