The Ghost of Jerry Bundler | Page 6

might
have been fancy. I'm in the mood to see anything just now. (To HIRST.)
How are you feeling now, sir?
HIRST. Oh, I feel a bit better now. I daresay you think I'm easily
scared--but you didn't see it.
MALCOLM. Well, I'm not quite sure. (Goes to fire.)
LEEK. You've had a bit of a shock. Best thing you can do is to go to
bed.
HIRST (finishing his drink). Very well. Will you, (rises) share my
room with me, Somers?

(GEORGE lights two candles.)
SOMERS (crosses to L. C.). I will with pleasure. (Gets up to table C.
and gets a candle). Provided you don't mind sleeping with the gas full
on all night. (Goes to door L.)
LEEK (to HIRST). You'll be all right in the morning.
HIRST. Good night, all. (As he crosses to door.)
OMNES. Good night.
(ALL talking at fire, not looking to L. as HIRST and SOMERS exeunt.
HIRST chuckles and gives SOMERS a sly dig.)
SOMERS. Good night.
MALCOLM (at fireplace). Well, I suppose the bet's off, though as far
as I can see I won it. I never saw a man so scared in all my life. Sort of
poetic justice about it. (LEEK with revolver in his hand, is just putting
it into his pocket. Seeing him.) Why, what's that you've got there?
LEEK. A revolver. (At fire.) You see I do a lot of night driving, visiting
patients in outlying districts--they're a tough lot round here, and one
never knows what might happen, so I have been accustomed to carry it.
I just pulled it out so as to have it handy. I meant to have a pot at that
ghost if I had seen him. There's no law against it, is there? I never heard
of a close time for ghosts.
BELDON.--Oh, I say, never mind ghosts. Will you share my room? (To
MALCOLM.)
(GEORGE comes down a little, holding candle.)
MALCOLM. With pleasure. I'm not exactly frightened, but I'd sooner
have company, and I daresay George here would be glad to be allowed
to make up a bed on the floor.
BELDON. Certainly.

MALCOLM. Well, that's settled. A majority of three to one ought to
stop any ghost. Will that arrangement suit you, George?
GEORGE. Thank you, sir. And if you gentlemen would kindly come
down to the bar with me while I put out the gas. I could never be
sufficiently grateful, and when (at door) we come back we can let the
Doctor out at the front door. Will that do, sir?
LEEK. All right; I'll be getting my coat on. (GEORGE gets to door.
They exit at door L. LEEK picks up his coat off chair up L., puts it on
and then turns up trousers. Footsteps heard in flies, then goes to the
window R., pulls curtain aside and opens the shutters of the window
nearest the fire. A flood of moonlight streams in from R. Clock strikes
twelve.) By Jove, what a lovely night. That poor devil did get a fright,
and no mistake. (Crossing down to fireplace for his cap which is on the
mantelpiece. MALCOLM, BELDON and GEORGE return--the door
closes after them.) Well, no sign of it, eh?
MALCOLM. No, we've seen nothing this time. Here, give me the
candle, George, while you turn out the gas.
LEEK. All right, George, I'll put this one out. (Turns out gas below
fire.)
(MALCOLM and BELDON are up at sideboard, GEORGE having put
the other gas out, goes up to them and is just lighting the candles for
them. The DOCTOR is filling his pipe at mantel-shelf, and stooping to
get a light with a paper spill. LEEK whistles and lights spill. The
handle of the door is heard moving. OMNES stand
motionless--MALCOLM and BELDON very frightened. They all watch.
The room is lit only by the firelight which is very much fainter than it
was at the beginning of the play, by the candle which GEORGE holds,
and by the flood of moonlight from the window.)
(The door slowly opens, a hand is seen, then a figure appears in dark
breeches, white stockings, buckled shoes, white shirt, very neat in every
detail, with a long white or spotted handkerchief tied round the neck,
the long end hanging down in front. The face cadaverous, with sunken

eyes and a leering smile, and close cropped red hair. The figure blinks
at the candle, then slowly raises its hands and unties the handkerchief,
its head falls on to one shoulder, it holds handkerchief out at arm's
length and advances towards MALCOLM.)
Table GEORGE LEEK BELDON MALCOLM Chair
Fire HIRST
(Just as the figure reaches the place where the moonbeams touch the
floor, LEEK fires--he has very quietly and unobtrusively drawn his
revolver. GEORGE drops the candle