The Flutter of the Goldleaf | Page 8

like a
great iron door. Philo.... You won't forget again?

Philo
Never!
Reba
And I may come every day?
Philo
Every day!
Reba
I'll help you, Philo. I'll give you all my hair. (Lays her head on his
shoulder.) And I'll let you work and not think of me at all. You can live
with your stars----
Philo (kissing her)
There are no stars!
Reba (laughing)
I'll never be jealous again! (Gets up.) Come! Let's see what the dinky
thing is doing!
(Goes to table. PHILO watches her, slowly repeating her name.)
Reba
What a little thing it is! And--there is something fluttering!
(PHILO crosses, still seeing nothing but the girl.)
Reba
See--I'm trying to count--two--three----

(He looks down, and becomes transfixed.)
Philo
Oh, my God! They've changed the signal!... Look, Reba! Count the
beats! Count for me! Count!
Reba (confused)
Two--three--no, four----
Philo
Can't you count? Get away! (Pushes her aside.)
Two--three--four--three-- They have changed it! Oh, I must answer!
Reba
Philo----
Philo
Go down!
Reba (clinging to him)
I won't--I won't----
Philo (putting her in a chair)
Sit there, then. And for God's sake be still! (Returns to machine and
counts under his breath.) It is true--it is true--and I am not ready! I am
dumb, like all the world! I cannot let them know! (Walks the floor,
muttering) But I will--I must. (Crosses to window.) I must do it!--think
of nothing else--nothing! I shall not sleep till it is done!... But they will
call me mad--lock me up before I have finished, God, before I have
finished!
Reba

Philo, listen!
Philo
It's the world's way ... to beat the spirit down ... the eager spirit,
superbly sane, daring to pierce the barriers between heaven and earth!
Reba
I'll not sit here! (She sits nevertheless.)
Philo
Oh, Truth-driven martyrs, seers of visions, prophets of the old world
and the new, born out of your time to suffer by fire, by sword, and
prison bars!
Reba (cooingly)
Dear Philo!
Philo
I too shall join you! Forerunners of the waking spirit of the world!
(REBA gets before him as he walks. Completely absorbed, he puts her
aside, absently but gently, as if she were a kitten he did not wish to
hurt.)
Philo
I must finish it--I must--before they beat me down! (Pauses by
machine.) There is no one but me to do it. If I fail they may have to
wait another million years--out there--working, waiting. (Resumes
walk.) I shall not fail. I have gone too far. God will take my part now.
Be it His own eternal sign, I will answer it!
Reba

I'll make you see me!
(Runs to table, leaps upon it and begins a dance among the wires and
bottles. He is stunned for a moment, then rushes to her, seizes her waist
with both hands, lifts her up, and flings her to a chair.)
Philo
Sit there, you dragon-fly! Or I'll crush you! (Goes to window, as if for
breath and air. Recovers poise.) Let them think me mad. Up here I
shall work it out. And I shall not be alone. Earth will not hear me, but
the heavens will listen. (Holds his hands toward the stars.) My only
friends!
Reba
Crush me! (She steals up to the table, seizes a large book, and brings it
down with utter destruction upon his machine. PHILO turns and sees.
They face each other. She shrinks, terrified.) Don't, Philo! (Kneels,
throwing back her head, showing the long line of her throat.) Forgive
me! It was driving you mad! I wanted to save you! Don't look like that!
Forgive me, Philo!
Philo
Your throat--is--so white!
(Seizes and chokes her. As he seizes her she gives a cry of terror.
WARNER, MRS. W., SEYMOUR, and BELLOWS rush up the stairs
and enter. PHILO takes his hands from the girl's throat and stands
apart. She lies motionless.)
Warner (roaring)
You've managed, Mary Ann!
Bellows (excitedly)
Who's right, now, Seymour?

(SEYMOUR bends over REBA, listening for her heart-beat.)
Warner (choking)
A hanging in the family!
Mrs. W.
Is she--dead?
Seymour
No. It is chiefly fear. (Works over her body.)
Philo (to himself)
Poor little bird! Poor little bird!
Bellows (taking a pair of handcuffs from his pocket and offering them
to WARNER)
Better clap these on him. We're none of us safe.
Philo
Handcuffs, doctor? I'll make no trouble.
(Holds out his hands and BELLOWS fastens handcuffs.)
Bellows
It's for your own good, Philo.
Seymour
Our mistake--our mistake! Poor boy!
Bellows
Poor girl, I should say!

Seymour (lifting REBA)
I'll take her down-stairs. (Carries her to door.) I shall need you, Mrs.
Warner.
(MRS. W. follows, weeping and looking back at PHILO.)
Philo
I'm all right, mother.
Mrs. W.
All right. Oh, God help him! (Exit.)
Bellows
Clean mad!
Philo (crosses, and looks down on the