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

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СКАЧАТЬ SHUTS DOOR WITHOUT LOOKING OUT; mrs ommaney HAS STARTED TO HER FEET. ENTER jenny.)

      MRS OMMANEY. Oh, Jenny, who is in there?

      JENNY (GLEEFULLY). Oh, ma’am, it’s Miss Margaret — Mrs. Digby, I mean.

      MRS OMMANEY (FIERCELY). She — with my child! (STRIDES TOWARDS DOOR, STOPS — LAUGHS GRIMLY.) How did she know I was lodging here?

      JENNY. A woman told her.

      MRS OMMANEY. It is fate! Has she been talking of — (WITH QUIET SARCASM) — her dear husband?

      JENNY (SHARPLY). You dinna ken her. Mr. Digby doesna ken she has come to see you.

      MRS OMMANEY (GRIMLY). No, I’ll swear he doesn’t. (SUDDENLY) But I thought they had gone out together.

      JENNY. Who telled ye?

      MRS. OMMANEY. Never mind. (Laughs — kisses her hand to bedroom door.)

      JENNY. Did you see your friend, ma’am?

      MRS OMMANEY (LISTLESS). No, he was out.

      JENNY (INQUISITIVELY). I suppose you winna tell me what your business with him was?

      MRS OMMANEY. Yes, Jenny, I will tell you. He has broken his promise to me and my business is to expose him. Unless —

      JENNY. Unless what, ma’am?

      MRS OMMANEY. Unless he is willing to buy my silence.

      (jenny LOOKS PUZZLED.)

      Oh, he knows the value of it, Jenny. (DOGGEDLY) But it is not to be bought with money. He shan’t buy it with money.

      JENNY. With what, then?

      MRS OMMANEY. Jenny, do you think me pretty?

      JENNY. Oh, ma’am, what can that have to do with it?

      MRS OMMANEY (PASSIONATELY). It has everything to do with it. It is life or death to me now. Quick, I was pretty once.

      (JENNY makes no answer and MRS. OMMANEY sinks back in distress into chair.)

      All gone, all gone! (PITIFULLY) Never mind, pity may do as well.

      JENNY. I dinna understand, ma’am.

      MRS OMMANEY. You will understand soon — unless he agrees. Everyone will understand. It will be the talk of the place, I promise you. (POINTING TOWARDS BEDROOM) Get rid of her.

      JENNY. But she is waiting for Mr. Digby.

      MRS OMMANEY (STARTING UP). What! You said he did not know she was coming here. He can’t have known.

      JENNY. She didna ken hersel’. But she telled him to come for her to the door where her carriage was standing. She meant it would be Goody Lindsay’s door.

      MRS OMMANEY. He will come here — here! (QUICKLY) I want to see him alone. Get rid of her and —

      (MARGARET opens door and addresses JENNY. MRS.

      OMMANEY being up stage is invisible to MARGARET.)

      MARGARET. Jenny!

      (JENNY goes to door.)

      Don’t you see Mr. Digby coming yet?

      JENNY. No, ma’am, but —

      (MRS. OMMANEY signs to silence JENNY, MARGARET goes back to child, leaving door partly open.)

      MARGARET (in fun). Baby, I am a grass widow!

      (MRS. OMMANEY signs imperiously to JENNY to go. Exit JENNY.)

      Are you laughing, baby? When your mother’s tears fall on your face do you laugh on only? Oh, I see now why God gives the merriest babies to mothers who are the most sorrowful. It is because, when baby laughs, mother forgets to weep.

      (The hardness goes out of MRS. OMMANEY’S face — she is moved.)

      This is my wedding ring, baby, kiss it!

      (MRS. OMMANEY starts up, forming the word ‘ No’ with her Ups.)

      Did you ever kiss your mother’s wedding ring, baby?

      (MRS. OMMANEY looks bitterly at her left hand on which there is no ring.)

      If she doesn’t come soon, dear, I won’t be able to see her, for my Paul has taken a sudden dislike to this place, and we are going away tomorrow to a beautiful country called Switzerland.

      MRS. OMMANEY (excitedly). What!

      MARGARET. Jenny, you ‘re horrid. (RISES AND SHUTS DOOR.)

      MRS. ommaney (IN A WHITE HEAT, HER VOICE INTENT BUT LOW). Running away from me, are you, Paul Digby? No, no. And from your child that you don’t know of yet. You shall know of her now. (CALLING) Jenny!

      (ENTER jenny, mrs ommaney CONCEALS HER FURY.)

      Jenny, you thought I disliked your Miss Margaret. Listen to this. As soon as her husband comes in I mean to give them a marriage present.

      JENNY (delighted). Oh!

      MRS OMMANEY (WITH CRUEL GLEE AND SO INTENSE THAT HER VOICE DROPS ALMOST TO A WHISPER). Such an UNCOMMON marriage present, Jenny, and in a way it belongs to Mr. Digby already, as much as to me. But he has never seen it; he does not even know of its existence. Is not that a curious present?

      JENNY. Terrible curious. And you will give it TO THEM as soon as he comes in?

      MRS. OMMANEY. AS SOON AS he comes IN. See if he is coming.

      JENNY. Oh, what fun! (EXIT jenny.)

      MRS OMMANEY. What fun, what fun! Run away from me. No, no! (WAVES HAND AS IF BECKONING PAUL FORWARDS.)

      Looking for your wife, are you? Ha, ha! In here, Mr. Digby — (POINTING TO THE BEDROOM DOOR) — with your child. Where else should she be? Wife and child, wife and child. (HER VOICE IS LOW, SO THAT MARGARET SHAN’T HEAR HER, BUT VEHEMENT.)

      (jenny RUNS IN. mrs ommaney’s FACE IS FROM HER.)

      JENNY (EXCITEDLY). I see him coming.

      MRS OMMANEY. Ah!

      JENNY (opening bedroom door and entering). He’s coming, Miss Margaret.

      (She goes out of sight, MRS. OMMANEY stares at entrance, waving to him to come quickly. She is gloating. The door has been left open and MARGARET can be heard again.)

      MARGARET. He is coming, baby! Paul is coming; I am so happy, I could dance. Look, look!

      (She is heard and seen dancing and humming a nursery song. MRS. OMMANEY gloats over this, rubbing her hands together with glee, stopping now and again to wave to PAUL to come in, and then pointing at bedroom. Presently MARGARET ceases. СКАЧАТЬ