The Complete Plays of J. M. Barrie - 30 Titles in One Edition. Джеймс Барри

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ six knives and forks, also a spade, also three sackfuls o’ potatoes.

      PETE. Onything else?

      HENDERS. Ay, that new china spittoon o’ yours takes my fancy. Now, as a single man, you have no need for a spittoon, so I’ll take it.

      PETE. I’ll rather marry her mysel’.

      HENDERS. Very well, good night to you, Pete. (Murmurs)

      Pete Maclean, the married man.

      PETE. Henders!

      HENDERS. What!

      PETE. I — I — oh, Henders man, you can have them.

      HENDERS. That’s richt. It’s a bargain, then?

      PETE. It’s a bargain.

      (They snuff, HENDERS giving his snuffbox this time.)

      HENDERS. Good nicht to ye, Pete.

      PETE. Good nicht to you, Henders.

      (Exit henders pete looks after him, then calls to effie, who comes out.)

      PETE. Effie!

      EFFIE. Quick, Pete, tell me, am I yours or his?

      PETE. His.

      (effie’s face? beams, HENDERS is heard whistling.)

      Listen to the boldness of him!

      (EFFIE is going.)

      Whaur are you going, Effie?

      EFFIE. I have just time to give Henders something before the nine o’clock bell rings; (Meaning the kiss) something that he would rather have than all the eight-day clocks in the county.

      PETE. What can that be?

      EFFIE. You’ll never know — you poor, spiritless critter.

      (She goes.)

      PETE (bewildered and rather fond of her). Have I made an awful mistake? Effie, Effie woman!

      (The nine o’clock bell begins to strike in distance. He goes heavily. When the bell has ceased, MISS GOODWILLIE and lucy enter.)

      LUCY (looking at cottage). I never expected to see it again. Miss Goodwillie, if you had not told me I could not have believed that he would forgive me for deceiving him so shamelessly in the field.

      MISS GOODWILLIE. Lucy, I have a confession to make to you. He does not know of that.

      LUCY. Oh! You said you had told him!

      MISS GOODWILLIE. It was my only way to get you back.

      LUCY. You have deceived me!

      MISS GOODWILLIE. He is so unhappy, Lucy, and my letter is a voice from the dead, telling me not to part true lovers. Lucy dear, it rests with you to say that Bob’s last letter to me was not written in vain. Go inside to him.

      LUCY. If I do, I must tell him all.

      MISS GOODWILLIE. It’s not necessary.

      LUCY. It is necessary for me. I could never look him in the face again, if I didn’t first tell him all.

      MISS GOODWILLIE. Then tell him ‘all,’ and be thankful it is so little you have to tell him.

      LUCY. Little!

      MISS GOODWILLIE. You have only brought him to his senses by a naughty trick. The Humane Society should give you a medal.

      LUCY. ‘I would never overlook guile in a woman,’ those were his words.

      MISS GOODWILLIE. It is your part to make him eat them.

      LUCY. You said yourself, he would never forgive me.

      MISS GOODWILLIE. Pooh! I was just taking advantage of your being an emotional goose. You are a sensible woman in other matters, but a goose is what you have been about this. You wouldn’t be halfway to London before you saw that all you have done is the merest trifle.

      LUCY. He will be so — amazed.

      MISS GOODWILLIE. He will, indeed! And then how he will chuckle! If he is the good fellow I think him.

      LUCY. No, no!

      MISS GOODWILLIE. And then he will shout for me to come and hear what a clever Miss Lucy it is! Go!

      LUCY. I’m so frightened. You don’t think it would be better if I just went and drowned myself!

      MISS GOODWILLIE. Here is something for luck. (Kisses her.)

      He thinks Lucy White is the loveliest name in the world. Tell him you are getting tired of it.

      (Enter lucy into house, miss goodwillie produces her torn letter to read. She hears voices, glances at window, full of curiosity. Enter sir george, lady gilding, and dowager.)

      DOWAGER. Miss Goodwillie, let us congratulate you.

      LADY GILDING. On your merciful escape from the woman White.

      MISS GOODWILLIE. Thank you. Won’t you sit down? It is so pleasant out of doors.

      (They sit. She stands, with glances at window.)

      SIR GEORGE. We met the man, Henders, a quarter of an hour ago wheeling her luggage to the station.

      LADY GILDING. And we climbed the little hill and watched her train go off.

      MISS GOODWILLIE. Oh, indeed!

      SIR GEORGE. Is the Professor at home? Miss goodwillie (who is taking eager peeps at window). Yes. But he is — very busy just now.

      LADY GILDING. He has reached an important point in his labours, has he not?

      MISS GOODWILLIE. A very important point.

      DOWAGER. And how is he getting on?

      MISS GOODWILLIE. I’m not sure; I wish I knew.

      (COSENS comes to gate.)

      COSENS. Good evening, all.

      SIR GEORGE. Perhaps the Doctor can tell us.

      LADY GILDING. We are asking, Doctor, how the Professor is getting on?

      COSENS. He sent me out this moment to tell Miss Goodwillie that he is getting on famously.

      MISS GOODWILLIE. You really mean that, Doctor?

      COSENS. I mean it.

      MISS GOODWILLIE. Then it is all right.

      DOWAGER. I am so glad.

      SIR GEORGE. СКАЧАТЬ