The Complete Plays of J. M. Barrie - 30 Titles in One Edition. Джеймс Барри
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Название: The Complete Plays of J. M. Barrie - 30 Titles in One Edition
Автор: Джеймс Барри
Издательство: Bookwire
Жанр: Языкознание
isbn: 9788027224012
isbn:
(Enter professor and lucy.)
PROFESSOR (in garden). Doctor, this is my wife.
(LUCY whispers to him.)
Ah — ah — not yet.
COSENS. I congratulate you both heartily.
LUCY. But how about his illness, Doctor? Hadn’t you better prescribe something for him? Quinine, for instance?
MISS GOODWILLIE. She had you there.
COSENS. She always has me.
(PROFESSOR and LUCY come out of gate.)
Where are you going, Tom?
PROFESSOR. We think — I thought — I thought — that is —
LUCY. He means — I mean — we — we mean —
Miss goodwillie. They are going out for a walk.
COSENS (slyly). Good — I’ll come with you.
PROFESSOR. But — but — we — ah —
LUCY. I — he — we thought —
COSENS. Oh, I am not tired.
PROFESSOR. Dick, I won’t let you come.
MISS GOODWILLIE. Off you go.
COSENS. You must put on your frock-coat, Tom.
LUCY. I like him best in the old coat.
COSENS. Put up her parasol to keep the sun off her, Tom.
(professor is doing so when he remembers there is no sun.)
MISS GOODWILLÏE. Take him away, Lucy.
COSENS. Hie! Hadn’t you better both come back and have an hour at the book?
PROFESSOR. What book?
COSENS. Your great book.
(PROFESSOR snaps his fingers, cosens laughs, lucy and professor go off effie and henders pass in solemn ecstasy, he with his arm round her waist. They don’t see cosens and miss goodwillie who have gone in at gate, cosens looks up to trees and whistles like a bird to its mate. An unseen bird replies, cosens and miss goodwillie smile to each other, but the bird goes on.)
The Little Minister: A Play
Act I
Scene: Caddam Wood on a moonlight evening in May. Time: about 1830. A wood fire is burning on the ground. At the fire sits Tammas Whamond and Snecky Hobart asleep. Bob Dow patrols, carrying a pike, on rocks. They wear corduroy and weavers’ nightcaps, etc. At back is seen the further part of the town of Thrums. The wood rises at back to suggest that the nearer part of the town lies in hollow below. All the lights of the town are out except in five windows. As Dow patrols he shivers with cold. Joe Cruickshanks, another weaver, descends tree. When near the ground he jumps. Dow, startled, runs at him with raised pike.
DOW. Wha is that?
CRUICKSHANKS (drawing back). Lay down your pike. It’s only me.
DOW. As sure as death, Joe Cruickshanks, I thought it was the red-coats. (Grounds pike.) Is all quiet?
CRUICKSHANKS (going to fire). The whole countryside lies as still as salt. And not a red-coat to be seen for miles around. Rob, if I had been a red-coat, what would you have done?
DOW (fiercely). Brained you!
CRUICKSHANKS. My certie, Rob Dow, for a religious man, you’re a fierce character.
DOW (threateningly). Do you say I’m no a RELIGIOUS MAN?
(CRUICKSHANKS draws back in fear, then moves a step. DOW’S expression changes.)
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth —
CRUICKSHANKS (following him, puzzled). What’s that?
DOW (turning slowly to cruickshanks). I promised him if I was in a fury to repeat these names and then he said my passion would have passed away. (Humbly) Joe, I’m ashamed o’ mysel’.
(Gazes at town.)
CRUICKSHANKS (looking after him, amazed at his sincerity). This beats cockfighting.
(The unseen town clock begins to strike ten.)
(At third strike) Ten o’clock, my watching is ended. (Heaps sticks on fire.)
(While the clock strikes, sergeant DAVIDson and another Soldier enter stealthily on rocks. At sight of watchers, DAVIDson signs to Soldier to retire. Soldier and DAVIDson retire. Clock stops.)
CRUICKSHANKS. Wake up, Snecky — Tammas, wake up!
(Shaking them.)
WHAMOND (a very stern tall man). Is all quiet?
CRUICKSHANKS. All’s quiet. We need have no fear o’ the red-coats coming this night.
WHAMOND. Whaur is Rob Dow?
CRUICKSHANKS. There he stands, watching the lights o’ the town go out. Rob Dow, the bonny swearer that was, and now not so much as one lonely damn on him!
WHAMOND (sternly). Joe Cruickshanks, swear not at all.
DOW (who had taken his cap off while clock was striking and has it now in his hand). I wasna watching the lights o’ the toon go out; I was watching one light that winna go out for hours.
WHAMOND (seated at fire and not looking round). Ay, the red light — that’s Mr. Dishart’s window. There he sits studying far into the night — a beacon, yes, a shining light СКАЧАТЬ