Plays of Henley and R.L. Stevenson | Page 9

are precious, Mary. I have to work for all of us, and
the clock is always busy. They are waiting for me even now. Help me
with the dad's chair. And then to bed, and dream happy things. And
to-morrow morning I will hear your news - your good news; it must be
good, you look so proud and glad. But to-night it cannot be.
MARY. I hate your business - I hate all business. To think of chairs,
and tables, and foot-rules, all dead and wooden - and cold pieces of
money with the King's ugly head on them; and here is your sister, your
pretty sister, if you please, with something to tell, which she would not
tell you for the world, and would give the world to have you guess, and
you won't? - Not you! For business! Fie, Deacon Brodie! But I'm too
happy to find fault with you.
BRODIE. 'And me a Deacon,' as the Procurator would say.
MARY. No such thing, sir! I am not a bit afraid of you - nor a bit angry
neither. Give me a kiss, and promise me hours and hours to-morrow
morning.
BRODIE. All day long to-morrow, if you like.
MARY. Business or none?
BRODIE. Business or none, little sister! I'll make time, I promise you;
and there's another kiss for surety. Come along. (THEY PROCEED TO
PUSH OUT THE CHAIR, L.C.) The wine and wisdom of this evening
have given me one of my headaches, and I'm in haste for bed. You'll be
good, won't you, and see they make no noise, and let me sleep my fill
to-morrow morning till I wake?
MARY. Poor Will! How selfish I must have seemed! You should have
told me sooner, and I wouldn't have worried you. Come along.

(SHE GOES OUT, PUSHING CHAIR.)
SCENE IX
BRODIE
(HE CLOSES, LOCKS, AND DOUBLE-BOLTS BOTH DOORS)
BRODIE. Now for one of the Deacon's headaches! Rogues all, rogues
all! (GOES TO CLOTHES-PRESS, AND PROCEEDS TO CHANGE
HIS COAT.) On with the new coat and into the new life! Down with
the Deacon and up with the robber! (CHANGING NECK-BAND AND
RUFFLES.) Eh God! how still the house is! There's something in
hypocrisy after all. If we were as good as we seem, what would the
world be? [The city has its vizard on, and we - at night we are our
naked selves. Trysts are keeping, bottles cracking, knives are stripping;
and here is Deacon Brodie flaming forth the man of men he is!] - How
still it is! . . . My father and Mary - Well! the day for them, the night for
me; the grimy cynical night that makes all cats grey, and all honesties
of one complexion. Shall a man not have HALF a life of his own? - not
eight hours out of twenty-four? [Eight shall he have should he dare the
pit of Tophet.] (TAKES OUT MONEY.) Where's the blunt? I must be
cool to-night, or . . . steady, Deacon, you must win; damn you, you
must! You must win back the dowry that you've stolen, and marry your
sister, and pay your debts, and gull the world a little longer! (AS HE
BLOWS OUT THE LIGHTS.) The Deacon's going to bed - the poor
sick Deacon! ALLONS! (THROWS UP THE WINDOW, AND
LOOKS OUT.) Only the stars to see me! (ADDRESSING THE BED.)
Lie there, Deacon! sleep and be well to-morrow. As for me, I'm a man
once more till morning. (GETS OUT OF THE WINDOW.)
TABLEAU II. HUNT THE RUNNER
THE SCENE REPRESENTS THE PROCURATOR'S OFFICE.
SCENE I
LAWSON, HUNT
[LAWSON (ENTERING). Step your ways in, Officer. (AT WING.) Mr.
Carfrae, give a chair to yon decent wife that cam' in wi' me. Nae news?
A VOICE WITHOUT. Naething, sir.
LAWSON (SITTING). Weel, Officer, and what can I do for you?]
HUNT. Well, sir, as I was saying, I've an English warrant for the
apprehension of one Jemmy Rivers, ALIAS Captain Starlight, now at
large within your jurisdiction.

LAWSON. That'll be the highwayman?
HUNT. That same, Mr. Procurator-Fiscal. The Captain's given me a
hard hunt of it this time. I dropped on his marks first at Huntingdon, but
he was away North, and I had to up and after him. I heard of him all
along the York road, for he's a light hand on the pad, has Jemmy, and
leaves his mark. [I missed him at York by four-and-twenty hours, and
lost him for as much more. Then I picked him up again at Carlisle, and
we made a race of it for the Border; but he'd a better nag, and was best
up in the road; so I had to wait till I ran him to earth in Edinburgh here
and could get a