The Complete Plays of J. M. Barrie - 30 Titles in One Edition. Джеймс Барри
(babbie bows.)
My service to you, ma’am.
GAVIN (COMING TO HIMSELF). Sergeant, I must inform you —
BABBIE. Yes, yes, love, about the woman in a gipsy dress.
DAVIDSON. You saw her? Which way?
BABBIE. She came stealing out here, and then ran back that way. (POINTING) A wild, dishevelled creature.
DAVIDSON. That’s her! (TO SOLDIERS) She has doubled! After her!
(Exeunt Soldiers.) I must follow them. You and your good lady will excuse me, sir.
GAVIN. Sergeant, I must —
BABBIE. Darling, let us go home.
GAVIN (STUNG). Darling!
BABBIE (as if he were addressing her). Yes, love?
GAVIN. Sergeant —
DAVIDSON (TURNING). Had you anything to say, sir?
BABBIE (CHALLENGING). Have you?
GAVIN (AFTER CRITICAL PAUSE). No.
DAVIDSON. Then good night, Mrs. Dishart — your servant, sir.
(Exit DAVIDSON.)
(OFF) No, no. Back this way! Down that bank, as hard as you can! Follow me!
(babbie looks quaintly at gavin and curtseys. Noise of the Soldiers dies away.)
GAVIN (in horror — like one waking from a dream). You said you were my wife!
BABBIE. You didn’t contradict me!
GAVIN. No, I didn’t! Why?
BABBIE. HOW can I tell? (JUMPS ON TREE STUMP.) I wish now I had said I was your mother. (JUMPS OFF STUMP. WITH FEELING) Ah, forgive me. You have saved me after the way I — (Goes up on rocks and climbs tree. Impulsively) I think you really are a very nice man.
GAVIN. No, no, I had nothing to do with it! Yes, I had — and I am a minister!
BABBIE. You can’t help that.
GAVIN (ALMOST FIERCELY). How did you know that the bayonets would not be used? Ah, I see! That sweetheart you spoke of, I thought he was a gipsy. He is a soldier! It was he who told you!
BABBIE. Yes, he is a soldier, and it was he who told me! Boo! (GETS DOWN FROM TREE.)
GAVIN. But THIS DRESS — THE way you talk —
(babbie jumps down, steps off rocks one by one.)
Just now you spoke as broadly as any woman in my congregation, and now a bonnet and a cloak suddenly convert you into a fine lady. Who are you?
BABBIE. Perhaps it is the cloak that has bewitched me.
(SLIPS OUT OF IT AND SPEAKS SCOTCH.) Ay, ay, ou losh, it was just the cloak that did it. My certie, what a differ a bonny cloak makes to a woman! (PUTS CLOAK ON AGAIN.)
GAVIN. Where did you get those things?
BABBIE. In a cottage at the edge of the wood.
GAVIN. Nanny Webster’s cottage! You stole them?
BABBIE. She lent them to me in her absence. I shall take them back to her — (SITS ON STUMP.)
GAVIN (moving to her — eagerly). When?
BABBIE. Some DAY next WEEK.
GAVIN. Some day next week. (COMING TO HIMSELF.) How can you presume to tell ME that!
BABBIE (INDIGNANTLY). You asked!
(Bugle sounds ‘Retire.’ gavin looks off, then returns to her.)
GAVIN (NONPLUSSED). Have you no respect for law and order?
BABBIE. I am afraid I haven’t. Poor illused minister, don’t be afraid of yourself. If your awful conduct this night is discovered, I promise to give myself up, and then no blame can attach to you.
GAVIN (ANXIOUSLY). No, no, it would mean prison for you. You must promise me not to do that.
BABBIE. And let you bear the brunt! Never!
GAVIN. Do as you are ordered, woman!
(She backs away from him, pretends fear of him, but really admires this. She curtseys and sits on stump.)
This must end. There are no soldiers now in this part of the wood. So your way is open. Go!
BABBIE (putting her face close to his). Won’t you say goodbye? (Looking over his shoulder.)
GAVIN. Go. I hope never to see your face again.
BABBIE. I can’t help your not liking my face. (Moving A FEW STEPS FROM HIM, THEN RETURNS AGAIN.) Don’t you like me?
GAVIN (in hollow tones and speaking to himself rather than to her). Can a man like a woman against his will?
BABBIE. Of course he can. That is the very nicest way of being liked.
(Enter whamond and dow up at back.)
GAVIN (suddenly). That soldier — your sweetheart — I don’t like him! (Kicks leaves about, hands in pockets.)
BABBIE (LIKE A CHILD). Does 00 not? Poo, poo soldier!
GAVIN. Go! (ANXIOUSLY) Are you to be married to that man?
BABBIE. Unless I find someone I like better!
(He starts, she hesitates, then looks at him. He turns his back on her. She then takes flower from her waist, puts it into his hand, and runs off. He looks at it lovingly, then holds the flower at arm’s length as if afraid of it.
whamond and dow are concealed by the trees, dow tries to hold whamond in check, but whamond now breaks forward, seizes the flower and dashes it to the ground.)
WHAMOND (STERNLY). Lift it if you dare!
(After a slight pause gavin lifts flower, and with a fine gesture puts it in his buttonhole. He goes off at back, almost strutting, leaving whamond looking fierce and dow anxious.)
Act II
SCENE I
NANNY’S COTTAGE. An old-fashioned Scotch kitchen, bedroom and workshop combined. It should be a very small room, so full that there is little space to move about in.
(Curtain rises on nanny sitting at work at a handloom which clacks busily. Enter babbie at back looking about her curiously. She shuts door and comes forward. She is in gipsy dress, and carries cloak and bonnet. She enters softly, looking about curiously and laughing to herself as if it were a joke. She peeps at nanny, who continues working, not seeing her, owing to web being a screen.)
NANNY. Was that onybody?
BABBIE. Only me.
NANNY (COMING FROM LOOM). Wha are you?
BABBIE. Nanny, I am your cloak and bonnet come back.
NANNY (COMING TO HER — FERVENTLY). The Lord be thankit!
BABBIE (GIVING CLOAK TO NANNY). You thought I meant to keep them?
NANNY. I had my doubts o’ you. It was a terrible temptation to an Egyptian lassie.
(IN AGONY BECAUSE BABBIE IS TAKING OFF BONNET CARELESSLY.)
Be kindlier to the strings! (TAKES BO?MET REVERENTLY.) I’m thinking you dinna wear a bonnet like that every day!
BABBIE. Nanny, it was splendid to feel that I was in the fashion for once in my life.
NANNY (PUTTING ON BONNET). I believe you! (LOOKING