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

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СКАЧАТЬ Who is it, then?

      MICAH. It’s Mr. Dishart.

      (babbie gets a shock. Throughout remainder of scene she is quite unemotional, merely quiet, like one a little dazed who needs time to think it all out.)

      BABBIE (after pause). Why should that send your father to the drink?

      MICAH. Because my father’s terrible fond o’ him, and when the congregation ken about the woman they’ll turn agin the Minister, and they’ll stone him out o’ Thrums.

      BABBIE. Stone him — oh, but this is nonsense.

      MICAH. It’s truth.

      (micah goes to babbie, touches her, and retreats from her in fear.)

      BABBIE. Why do you stare at me?

      (Lights in church windows appear.)

      MICAH. You ‘re — you ‘re the woman!

      BABBIE. What makes you think that?

      MICAH. You’re so bonny. (Going to her.) Are you the woman?

      BABBIE. I suppose I am the woman.

      MICAH. Oh, woman, will you no gang awa’! When my father’s wild wi’ the drink I have to sleep in the field, and it’s terrible cauld. (Appealingly.)

      BABBIE. I expect it is.

      MICAH (pleadingly). I’ll gie you my rabbit if you’ll gang awa’.

      (She turns from him. He thinks she is refusing.)

      I’ll gie you them both.

      BABBIE. Keep your rabbits, boy, and dry your eyes — I am going away. (She is thinking of gavin rather than of micah.)

      It’s really true — that they could be such savages to him?

      MICAH. I swear til’t. You’ll leave the Minister alone now for ever and ever?

      BABBIE (still subdued). High time! Yes, for ever and ever.

      (The church bell begins to ring.)

      MICAH. That’s the prayer-meeting bell. He’ll be coming out.

      BABBIE (eagerly). Will he?

      (She runs off quickly, MICAH follows and gets between her and the Manse door.)

      MICAH. YOU said YOU WOULD GANG AWA’!

      BABBIE. Yes, MUCH better. I am GOING. (She looks up at window, turns away from it. She has suddenly a fit of shivering — every bit of her shivers.)

      MICAH (after some time). What makes you shiver so terrible?

      BABBIE. Was I shivering?

      MICAH (touched). Maybe you ‘re fond o’ him?

      BABBIE. Maybe. I wonder. I hadn’t thought of it. That’s the worst of me, little boy. (She stops and addresses gavin’s window in a mixture of comedy, recklessness and feeling.) Goodbye! Did you call me? No? Doesn’t matter. It was just a bubble that floated this way to ask you kindly to blow her out. Best for you. Blow, little — master! Thank you. (She curtseys as if gavin had obeyed, then she addresses micah) I ‘m blown out, boy! The Egyptian is done for. Hurray!

      (She exits, half laughing, dancing and singing, much as she first appeared in Act I. The only words being heard—’ Hurray! Hurray!’ — are obviously done to defy her emotions. A devil-may-care exit. After pause MICAH follows her off. There is a pause in which men and women, all in Sunday clothes, pass behind wall. They move along in old-fashioned Scotch manner and only upper part of them is visible. The bell continues ringing slowly. Enter SNECKY HOBART. As he is passing behind wall BABBIE screams in distance. He stops and listens, then comes through gate, BABBIE screams again, JEAN, in Sunday clothes, comes out at Manse door going to church.) ‘ JEAN. It’S you, Snecky.

      SNECKY. Jean, did you hear onything? It sounded like a woman screaming.

      JEAN (leftily). I can neither hear nor see. I’m wearing my black alpaca.

      (JEAN passes out at gate and exits. When JEAN is at gate more churchgoers come on. SNECKY sits on seat and dusts his boots with his handkerchief. ANDREW, passing, comes to rest at gate.)

      Andrew (over wall). A grand night for the meeting, Snecky.

      SNECKY. It is, Andrew. Ah, oh! man, it is. Andrew, did you hear a woman scream? Andrew. No — I was thinking o’ higher things.

      (He passes on.)

      SNECKY. It’S QUEER.

      (He goes through gate and exits. More churchgoers come on. Lights in Manse go out. GAVIN comes out at Manse door, shutting it, and meets NANNY.)

      NANNY (in agitation). Mr. Dishart —

      GAVIN. Good evening, Mrs. Webster.

      NANNY. Mr. Dishart — the Egyptian!

      GAVIN (startled). Has anything happened?

      NANNY. Yes. In the wood. Rob Dow has got grip o’her. He’s struck her.

      GAVIN. Struck her?

      NANNY. He’s taking her to Rintoul.

      GAVIN. To Rintoul! Nanny, they will fling her into jail!

      NANNY. That’s what he wants — so as to keep her frae coming near you.

      GAVIN. In the wood, you say! (Is rushing off.)

      NANNY. Come BACK! Your PRAYER MEETING!

      (BABBIE screams again. GAVIN hesitates, then rushes off. The bell rings violently as if to recall him to his duties, NANNY is in despair.)

      What will they say to this?

      (Is going towards gate, turns and hastily exits. The bell rings a little longer, then stops, WHAMOND and SNECKY enter at gate.)

      WHAMOND (looking at window). His light’s OUT. He canna be in THE Manse. (Crosses to Manse door and rings bell furiously.)

      SNECKY. It’s extraordinary — ay, it’s strange.

      (Enter ANDREW and SILVA through gate.)

      Andrew. What can have become o’ the Minister?

      WHAMOND. He’s no in the Manse.

      SILVA. I never kent the like occur afore.

      WHAMOND (savagely). And you’ll never ken it occur again!

      (Exit into Manse.)

      ANDREW. Tammas is looking awful black and dour.

      SNECKY. СКАЧАТЬ