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

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СКАЧАТЬ (to GAVIN). Why?

      HALLIWELL. I drew it out of him. I pretended that we had caught the gipsy, and he offered himself in her place. It was all done to save her.

      BABBIE. I see.

      LORD RINTOUL. In a way it was a chivalrous thing to do, Halliwell.

      HALLIWELL. Our duty is quite clear. (Folds arms, looks at gavin.) The warrant!

      LORD RINTOUL. If you insist. (He sits at table, but reluctantly.)

      BABBIE. NO!

      GAVIN. Don’t be so sorry for me — Lady Barbara. This seems a very little matter to me — now.

      HALLIWELL. Rintoul! (Indicating that he wants the warrant.)

      BABBIE. No, father, you shall not.

      LORD RINTOUL (growing stern). Why not?

      BABBIE. Because this is the man I love. —

      (This has its startling effect on all three.)

      And he loves me, and I will not give him up. At first it appalled me, it appals me still. I may be mad, I know I am mad, but Mr. Dishart is the one man on earth to me, father, and I will never marry any other.

      HALLIWELL (at last finding his tongue and crossing to rintoul). It was you who invited him about the place, Rintoul — it was you who flung them together!

      LORD RINTOUL. Is what Lady Barbara says true?

      (LORD RINTOUL’S good nature is all gone now.)

      GAVIN (to RINTOUL). She was all the world to me.

      BABBIE. Was?

      GAVIN. Is. I cannot wonder at your anger — it must seem monstrous to you that I should have raised my eyes to her.

      HALLIWELL. Oh no! a minister is always looking upwards, is he not?

      GAVIN. You speak scornfully, sir, but I believe you have found the reason why I love her.

      LORD RINTOUL. Damnation — the warrant! (Goes to writing-table.)

      BABBIE. If you sign that, father, won’t it mean getting into the song yourself?

      LORD RINTOUL (on consideration, throwing down pen and picking up warrant). I give you one last chance, sir. This shall not be issued if I have your word that you never approach my daughter again. (Turns and looks at babbie.)

      GAVIN. I make no bargains — I decline. But I am a man of honour, I hope, and I would marry no man’s daughter without his consent — you may be sure of that.

      (BABBIE’S head jerks up at this.)

      Nor would she, I am certain, marry anyone against your wish.

      (This is not precisely how BABBIE is looking.)

      LORD RINTOUL. SO she has repeatedly said. (Looking up at BABBIE.)

      (She hangs her head. He considers warrant.) I shall think it over. (Puts warrant in pocket.)

      HALLIWELL. Quite a family affair. And now, my reverend gentleman, as it seems no immediate action is to be taken, I think you expressed a desire to go. (Holds out gavin’s hat)

      Allow me.

      GAVIN (taking hat). As for you, sir, you are naturally perturbed; but your breeks fit you beautifully.

      (RINTOUL laughs, GAVIN looks at him, then goes to BABBIE, kisses her and exits after glancing at RINTOUL and HALLIWELL. HALLIWELL runs off after him.)

      LORD RINTOUL (to BABBIE). By all that’s infernal — he kissed you!

      BABBIE (large-eyed). I thought he did, father! (Runs to armchair by fire and sits.)

      LORD RINTOUL (following her down). You shall suffer for this!

      (Re-enter halliwell.)

      HALLIWELL. But the man — the man — is he to get off scot-free?

      LORD RINTOUL. I’ll see to him — I tell you I’ll make short shrift of him. (With idea) Halliwell, suppose — we do arrest him, then — but no, that would drag me into it. (He has produced warrant again — again pockets it.)

      HALLIWELL. Here’s an idea. If I — but they would get wind of that!

      (BABBIE gets up quickly and kneels in chair, looking at them.)

      LORD RINTOUL (producing warrant). I could compel him — but could I? (Pockets it.)

      HALLIWELL. The one course open —

      LORD RINTOUL. Yes?

      HALLIWELL. No, it isn’t open now! (To babbie, sarcastically) Lady Barbara, I congratulate you.

      (BABBIE SITS in chair and PUTS FINGERS in her ears, looking at fire, RINTOUL paces UP and down.)

      His first choice was a somewhat different woman. The gipsy he wanders woods with! The vagrant he passes off as his wife — a pretty trollop, they tell me. (She remains listless and unhappy.)

      LORD RINTOUL. That woman — I wish to God she was his wife.

      HALLIWELL. Yes, because then — (He is suddenly made speechless by a magnificent idea.) Ye powers! Why did I not think of it before? (Gloriously) Rintoul, what if she were his wife — and is!

      (BABBIE becomes suddenly alert.)

      LORD RINTOUL. Eh?

      HALLIWELL. Something better — a thousand times better — than the warrant! Don’t you see — he acknowledged this gipsy as his wife before witnesses — Sergeant Davidson and two of my men. Does not that constitute a marriage by the laws of Scotland?

      (BABBIE jumps out of chair.)

      BABBIE. What! (Sits.)

      LORD RINTOUL. Halliwell! There have been many such cases. If the witnesses will swear to it, those two are man and wife as much as though they had been married in St. Paul’s Cathedral by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

      BABBIE. Oh! (Scared.)

      HALLIWELL. And they will swear to it! We have him now!

      LORD RINTOUL. We have him now!

      BABBIE. Father! (Really meaning that this must be stopped.)

      LORD RINTOUL (sternly). Not a word.

      (babbie sits again.)

      HALLIWELL (gloating). They have been married, Lady Barbara, for — let me see — for eleven days!

      BABBIE (in a gasp that may be ecstasy or trepidation). Eleven days!

      LORD RINTOUL. After him, Halliwell — we mustn’t keep СКАЧАТЬ