Complete Works of Wilkie Collins (1976 page)

           
Marguerite
. (
passing back
). I can submit to the parting, if you will only go
alone!
(
Passes on to
O
BENREIZER
,
and comes back rapidly to
V
ENDALE
,
before
O
BENREIZER
can close his portmanteau
.) It will be too late in a minute more! Change your mind, George! change your mind!

           
Obenreizer
. (
coming down to the front
). Ten thousand thanks, Marguerite, for your help! Vendale! Time gallops with us travellers — in five minutes more, we must be off! (V
ENDALE
rises
,
and tries to quiet
M
ARGUERITE
,
while
O
BENREIZER
is looking for his courier’s bag
.) My travelling-bag? — Ah! here it is! (
He takes the bag from a chair
,
opens it
,
and addresses
V
ENDALE
.) Can I take anything for you? You have no travelling-bag. Here is the compartment for papers, open at your service!

           
Vendale
. Many thanks. I have only one paper of importance about me, and that paper I am bound to take charge of myself. I won’t part with it till we get to Neuchâtel.

           
Obenreizer
. (
aside — with a smile
). Won’t you!

           
Marguerite
. (
to
V
ENDALE
). Look at him now!

           
Obenreizer
. (
turning away at the same moment
). Madame Dor! my gloves! (M
ADAME
D
OR
hands them to him over her shoulder
.) Guardian angel of my baggage — beautifully cleaned!

           
Vendale
. (
quieting
M
ARGUERITE
). You hear him? He is in the best possible spirits! You are frightened, darling, at your own fancy.

Enter
J
OEY
L
ADLE
.

           
Joey
. Master George!

           
Vendale
. (
impatiently
). The luggage is all right, Joey! You needn’t wait.

           
Joey
(
producing a letter
). I’ve brought you another letter, sir, from foreign parts. It’s been sent on, by private express, from Dover to our office. (V
ENDALE
opens the letter
.)

           
Marguerite
. (
to
V
ENDALE
). Is your journey put off?

           
Obenreizer
. (
to
V
ENDALE
). News from the Swiss Firm?

           
Vendale
. Let me read the letter! (M
ARGUERITE
, O
BENREIZER
,
and
J
OEY
all draw aside
,
and all eagerly watch
V
ENDALE
. V
ENDALE
reads the letter
.) “Sir, — Not half an hour after our second partner, Monsieur Rolland, had written to you, a deplorable calamity happened in his family. A fatal accident has deprived him of his son and only child. Monsieur Rolland, overwhelmed by this misfortune, is unable to attend to any business, and has been ordered away by his medical man. Our other partner — Monsieur Defresnier — is, as you know, detained at Milan by business. In this condition of things, I am obliged to request you to send the forged receipt on to M. Defresnier who is alone competent to deal with the question, in the present affliction of the other principal of our Firm. I have sent the necessary office-papers to Milan. And I entreat you, in your own interests, as well as in ours, to lose no time. Your obedient servant, H
ARTMANN
(chief clerk in the house of Defresnier and Company).”

           
Marguerite
. (
coming forward
). Well?

           
Obenreizer
. (
coming forward
). Well?

           
Vendale
. (
to
M
ARGUERITE
). I am afraid you will be disappointed. The journey is lengthened — we must go to Milan.

           
Marguerite
. (
aside
). My last hope gone!

           
Obenreizer
. (
aside
). I breathe again!

           
Vendale
. (
to
O
BENREIZER
). There is no objection to your seeing
this
letter. There is even a reason for your seeing it. You have engaged to accompany me as far as Switzerland. In this winter weather, I can scarcely expect you to go on with me, and cross the Alps.

(
Hands the letter to
O
BENREIZER
).

           
Obenreizer
. My friend! I do nothing by halves. If you cross the Alps — winter or summer, I cross them with you!

           
Vendale
. Bravely said, brother-traveller! Joey! take a pen, and alter the address on my portmanteau from Neuchâtel to Milan. Do you know how to spell it? M I L A N. (
He speaks aside with
M
ARGUERITE
,
trying to compose her
. O
BENREIZER
silently reads the letter
.)

           
Joey
(
to himself
,
while altering the address
). I can spell out more than that, Master George! I can spell out that Miss Margaret don’t like this journey of yours no better than I do. I’d give something to hear what
she
has to say about it.

           
Obenreizer
. (
to himself
,
folding up the letter
). Witnesses may intrude themselves on the railways. Servants may be in the way at the inns. On the mountain, there are neither witnesses nor servants! On the mountain, I have got him! (
Returning the letter to
V
ENDALE
.) En route, my friend! We have not another minute to spare.

           
Joey
. I’ll take your luggage, Master George. The cab’s at the door. (
Takes out
V
ENDALE’S
luggage
. M
ADAME
D
OR
follows in triumph with
O
BENREIZER’S
portmanteau
.)

           
Obenreizer
. (
to
M
ARGUERITE
). Adieu, my charming ward! Remember me in my absence, Marguerite, as kindly as you can. I know how precious he is to you. Trust to me — I’ll take care of him!

(
Exit
.)

           
Marguerite
. (
clinging to
V
ENDALE
). Oh, George! don’t, don’t, don’t go!

           
Obenreizer
. (
outside
). Vendale!

           
Vendale
. Compose yourself, my angel! In less than a month, I shall be back again!

           
Obenreizer
. (
as before
). Vendale!

           
Vendale
.
One last kiss!

J
OEY
re-enters
.

           
Joey
. He’s a-waiting for you, Master George.

(V
ENDALE
hurries out
.)

           
Marguerite
. Gone! Gone in spite of all I could say to him! What’s to be done?

           
Joey
. Give me your hand, Miss — and I’ll tell you!

           
Marguerite
. Both! both!

           
Joey
. Look at me!

           
Marguerite
. I do! I do!

           
Joey
. Have you got courage enough to do a desperate thing?

           
Marguerite
. Try me! I’m no fine lady. I’m one of the people, Joey, like
you!

           
Joey
. It’s borne in on your mind that he’s in danger; and it’s borne in on mine.

           
Marguerite
. Yes!

           
Joey
. He has gone, past all calling back.

           
Marguerite
. Yes! yes!

           
Joey
. Follow him, Miss. And I’ll go with you!

(M
ARGUERITE
clasps her hands with a cry of delight. The curtain falls
.)

THE END OF THE THIRD ACT
.

ACT IV.

(
In Three Scenes
.)

F
IRST
S
CENE
. —
A bedroom in a Swiss inn. Time
,
night. The bed is at the back of the stage. At the side
,
a door. A small table near the door. A heavy latch on the inner side of the door. At the opposite side
,
a fireplace. The candles on the table are burning low in their sockets. The red light of the fire is the principal light in the room
. V
ENDALE
is discovered
,
lying on a sofa
. O
BENREIZER
is with him
,
walking backwards and forwards in the room
.

           
Vendale
. How still the night is! I hear a rushing sound somewhere in the distance. Is it a waterfall?

           
Obenreizer
. Yes. A waterfall on the lower slopes of the mountain.