Bessie. I hardly speak to a soul from year"s end to year"s end. Father"s blind. He don"t like strangers, and he can"t bear to think of me out of his call. n.o.body comes near us much.
Harry (_Absent-minded_). Blind--ah! of course.
Bessie. For years and years . . .
Harry (_Commiserating_). For years and years. In one of them hutches.
You are a good daughter. (_Brightening up_.) A fine girl altogether. You seem the sort that makes a good chum to a man in a fix. And there"s not a man in this whole town who found you out? I can hardly credit it, Miss Bessie. (_B. shakes her head_.) Man I said! (_Contemptuous_.) A lot of tame rabbits in hutches I call them.... (_Breaks off_.) I say, when"s the last train up to London? Can you tell me?
Bessie (_Gazes at him steadily_). What for? You"ve no money.
Harry. That"s just it. (_Leans back against post again_.) Hard luck.
(_Insinuating_.) But there was never a time in all my travels that a woman of the right sort did not turn up to help me out of a fix. I don"t know why. It"s perhaps because they know without telling that I love them all. (_Playful_.) I"ve almost fallen in love with you, Miss Bessie.
Bessie (_Unsteady laugh_). Why! How you talk! You haven"t even seen my face properly. (_One step towards H., as if compelled._)
Harry (_Bending forward gallantly_). A little pale. It suits some.
(_Puts out his hand, catches hold of B."s arm. Draws her to him_.) Let"s see.... Yes, it suits you. (_It"s a moment before B. puts up her hands, palms out, and turns away her head_.)
Bessie (_Whispering_). Don"t. (_Struggles a little. Released, stands averted_.)
Harry. No offence. (_Stands, back to audience, looking at H."s cottage_.)
Bessie (_Alone in front; faces audience; whispers_). My voice--my figure--my heart--my face....
(_A silence. B. "s face gradually lights up. Directly H. speaks, expression of hopeful attention_.)
Harry (_From railings_). The old man seems to have gone to sleep waiting for that to-morrow of his.
Bessie. Come away. He sleeps very little.
Harry (_Strolls down_). He has taken an everlasting jamming hitch round the whole business. (_Vexed_.) Cast it loose who may. (_Contemptuous exclamation_.) To-morrow. Pooh! It"ll be just another mad today.
Bessie. It"s the brooding over his hope that"s done it. People teased him so. It"s his fondness for you that"s troubled his mind.
Harry. Aye. A confounded shovel on the head. The old man had always a queer way of showing his fondness for me.
Bessie. A hopeful, troubled, expecting old man--left alone--all alone.
Harry (_Lower tone_). Did he ever tell you what mother died of?
Bessie. Yes. (_A little bitter_.) From impatience.
Harry (_Makes a gesture with his arm; speaks vaguely but with feeling_).
I believe you have been very good to my old man....
Bessie (_Tentative_). Wouldn"t you try to be a son to him?
Harry (_Angrily_). No contradicting; is that it? You seem to know my dad pretty well. And so do I. He"s dead nuts on having his own way--and I"ve been used to have my own too long. It"s the deuce of a fix.
Bessie. How could it hurt you not to contradict him for a while--and perhaps in time you would get used. ..
Harry (_Interrupts sulkily_). I ain"t accustomed to knuckle under.
There"s a pair of us. Hagberd"s both. I ought to be thinking of my train.
Bessie (_Earnestly_). Why? There"s no need. Let us get away up the road a little.
Harry (_Through his teeth_). And no money for the fare. (_Looks up_.) Sky"s come overcast. Black, too. It"ll be a wild, windy night... to walk the high road on. But I and wild nights are old friends wherever the free wind blows.
Bessie (_Entreating_). No need. No need. (_Looks apprehensively at Hagberd"s cottage. Takes a couple of steps up as if to draw Harry further off. Harry follows. Both stop_.)
Harry (_After waiting_). What about this tomorrow whim?
Bessie. Leave that to me. Of course all his fancies are not mad. They aren"t. (_Pause_.) Most people in this town would think what he had set his mind on quite sensible. If he ever talks to you of it, don"t contradict him. It would--it would be dangerous.
Harry (_Surprised_). What would he do?
Bessie. He would--I don"t know--something rash.
Harry (_Startled_). To himself?
Bessie. No. It"d be against you--I fear.
Harry (_Sullen_). Let him.
Bessie. Never. Don"t quarrel. But perhaps he won"t even try to talk to you of it. (_Thinking aloud_.) Who knows what I can do with him in a week! I can, I can, I can--I must.
Harry. Come--what"s this sensible notion of his that I mustn"t quarrel about?
Bessie (_Turns to Harry, calm, forcible_). If I make him once see that you"ve come back, he will be as sane as you or I. All his mad notions will be gone. But that other is quite sensible. And you mustn"t quarrel over it.
(_Moves up to back of stage. Harry follows a little behind, away from audience_.)
Harry"s Voice (_Calm_). Let"s hear what it is.
(_Voices cease. Action visible as before. Harry steps back and walks hastily down. Bessie at his elbow, follows with her hands clasped?_)
(_Loud burst of voice._)
Harry (_Raving to and fro_). No! Expects me--a home. Who wants his home?... What I want is hard work, or an all-fired racket, or more room than there is in the whole of England. Expects me! A man like me--for his rotten money--there ain"t enough money in the world to turn me into a blamed tame rabbit in a hutch. (_He stops suddenly before Bessie, arms crossed on breast. Violently_.) Don"t you see it?
Bessie (_Terrified, stammering faintly_). Yes. Yes. Don"t look at me like this. (_Sudden scream_.) Don"t quarrel with him. He"s mad!
Harry (_Headlong utterance_). Mad! Not he. He likes his own way. Tie me up by the neck here. Here! Ha! Ha! Ha! (_Louder_.) And the whole world is not a bit too big for me to spread my elbows in, I can tell you--what"s your name--Bessie. (_Rising scorn_). Marry! Wants me to marry and settle.... (_Scathingly_.) And as likely as not he has looked out the girl too--dash my soul. Talked to you about it--did he? And do you happen to know the Judy--may I ask?
(_Window in Hagberd"s cottage runs up. They start and stand still_.)
Capt. H. (_Above, begins slowly_). A grinning information fellow from a crazy town. (_Voice changes_.) Bessie, I see you. . . .
Bessie (_Shrill_). Captain Hagberd! Say nothing. You don"t understand.