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

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      GAVIN. I forbid you.

      WHAMOND. Follow me.

      (Some sound is heard. They all look off.)

      ANDREW. Wha are they? Tak’ tent o’ yoursel’s, lads!

      MICAH. The red-coats! The red-coats!

      WHAMOND. Coming here!

      GAVIN. So soon!

      (They fall back in consternation as SERGEANT DAVIDSON and two Soldiers enter.)

      Don’t be alarmed! These men have not come for you.

      DAVIDSON. I don’t know what we have come for, Mr. Dishart. A servant from Rintoul came galloping into the barracks with orders from the Captain to meet him here. I know no more.

      SNECKY. He’s no here.

      DAVIDSON. He will be here directly. His dogcart is on the brae.

      GAVIN (to dow). They have come for me.

      (DOW turns up and threatens Soldiers.)

      No violence, Rob.

      DAVIDSON. I hope I see you well, sir. My compliments to Mrs. Dishart.

      WHAMOND. To wha? (Looks amazed at gavin, who turns away.) Wha did he say?

      MICAH. I see the carriage!

      DOW (on wall). They ‘re getting out o’t. That’s Halliwell!

      SNECKY. And that’s Rintoul himself!

      DOW. There’s a woman wi’ them.

      GAVIN. A woman?

      DOW. — )

      WHAMOND.) Ay, it is — it’s a woman. Wha can she be?

      SILVA.)

      ANDREW. She’s a younger kimmer.

      DAVIDSON. I see her face, Mr. Dishart; it’s your good lady.

      (gavin has no answer.)

      DOW. Behears! This beats all! It’s the Egyptian!

      SNECKY. Oh! keep’s a’ tod! Dod! Ay, faags, is that her? But she’s unca grand dressed for an Egyptian!

      ANDREW. Here they come!

      WHAMOND. She’s dressed up to the nines — but it’s her!

      OMNES. Ay, ay, they’ve catched her.

      WHAMOND. Ay, they’ve got her.

      (Enter lord rintoul with babbie, followed by captain halliwell, swaggering, babbie is very demure and trembling.)

      HALLIWELL. You are here, Davidson — that is well!

      (GLOATING) Good evening, Mr. Dishart — you scarcely thought you would see us so soon again — eh?

      GAVIN. You have lost no time, sir; but I know what you have come for, and I am ready.

      HALLIWELL. He knows what we have come for, Rintoul!

      LORD RINTOUL (grimly). I think not, Mr. Dishart!

      GAVIN. You are here to arrest me.

      WHAMOND. Arrest him?

      HALLIWELL. Not at all.

      (gavin is surprised.)

      BABBIE (faltering). It is something much worse than that!

      WHAMOND. Worse, eh! (Defending gavin) Let’s see you lay hand on our minister!

      DOW. It’ll be a bloody hand. Micah, bring my pike with the thick handle.

      (MICAH runs off. LORD RINTOUL stops him with a gesture.)

      LORD RINTOUL. Stop! You men — my dispute with you is ended, let that be understood — but allow me to put a question to you. If a man and woman resident in Scotland — declare themselves married before witnesses, does that constitute a marriage?

      WHAMOND. What are you after? You ken it does — everybody kens that!

      SNECKY. We had a case o’ the kind here — ay, and the man tried to get out o’t. He said it was just done for fun. But he couldna — she had him! They were tied for life.

      LORD RINTOUL (to gavin). You hear, Mr. Dishart.

      WHAMOND (suddenly guessing). You dinna mean that he —

      SNECKY. Him I andrew. Mr. Dishart!

      HALLIWELL (who, with LORD RINTOUL, has been enjoying GAVIN’S surprise and horror of Elders). Davidson, come forward!

      GAVIN (excitedly). Stop! Lord Rintoul! (To halliwell) I see what you are here for now — but I warn you — desist! You don’t know what you are doing.

      HALLIWELL. You will permit us to be the best judges of that. Davidson, what are your grounds for thinking that Mr. Dishart is a married man?

      GAVIN. Stop! (To BABBIE) do you not see what the object of all this is?

      BABBIE (faltering). People must take the consequences of their rash acts!

      HALLIWELL. Does that satisfy you, sir? Answer me, Davidson.

      (gavin continues to stare at babbie, who sometimes peeps at him half-frightened.)

      DAVIDSON. On the night we came after the rioters, I met Mr. Dishart in the wood. The woman was wi’ him. They passed themselves off to me as man and wife. I’m sorry, Mr. Dishart, but I have two witnesses. (Signing to Soldiers.)

      HALLIWELL. You corroborate the sergeant’s evidence?

      SOLDIERS. Yes, Captain.

      LORD RINTOUL (to whamond). Is that sufficient, sir?

      WHAMOND. It was the Egyptian?

      HALLIWELL. Yes, he admitted it to me this evening.

      LORD RINTOUL (stepping forward and producing a document). This is a paper in which his confession, as made to both of us, is set forth and signed by myself and Captain Halliwell. We wrote it out in the dogcart; shall I read it to you all?

      WHAMOND (sorrowfully, after looking at GAVIN). It’s no necessary.

      DOW. All IS OVER.

      LORD RINTOUL. It is far from my intention, Mr. Dishart, to crow over you — though you have tried me sore.

      HALLIWELL. We feel deeply for you. (Chuckling.)

      LORD RINTOUL. But I am a magistrate, and there is no getting past this document — it СКАЧАТЬ