Complete Works of Wilkie Collins (1981 page)

           
Monk
. You have heard right. There is a clock in that room.

           
Obenreizer
. A room there?

           
Monk
. The strong-room of the convent. That door opens by clockwork. One of our brethren here conceived the idea, and wrought it out with his own hand. Nobody can open the door until the time comes when the clock inside, set beforehand, opens the lock of itself. The safest strong-room in the world is in this convent.

           
Obenreizer
. Where a strong-room is least wanted! If you were jewellers or bankers —
 
—

           
Monk
. Are we not the bankers of the poor? and has not that money to be safely secured? Besides, we keep things in our strong-room which can never be replaced.

           
Obenreizer
. Your relics of the saints, for instance?                                                       

           
Monk
. Hush! hush! my son! I speak seriously. When travellers perish on this mountain, the papers found on their bodies are kept there till their relations claim them.

           
Obenreizer
. What a collection of waste paper you must have!

           
Monk
. Sooner or later the papers are all reclaimed.

           
Obenreizer
. By foreigners as well as Swiss?

           
Monk
. Yes, we have nothing belonging to a foreigner there now, except the Vendale papers.

           
Obenreizer
. (
aside
). The Vendale papers!

           
Monk
. And there is no knowing how soon they may be claimed.

           
Obenreizer
. (
aside
). The forged receipt is there!

Enter the
L
AY
B
ROTHER
.

           
Brother
. Father, the young English lady desires to speak with you.

           
Monk
. Presently. I can only come to her after six o’clock.

(
Exit
L
AY
B
ROTHER
.)

           
Obenreizer
.
After
six. (
Looks at his watch
.) Why, it wants but one minute to the hour!

           
Monk
. In one minute you will see the door open. I am waiting to put by the register and the money. (
Points to the bag on the table
.) The clock is set at six. We rarely alter the hour at which the door opens. Our habits are regular. We have few extraordinary occasions for opening the door here.

           
Obenreizer
. (
watch in hand
). Six o’clock!

(
The bell of convent clock outside strikes six. At the last stroke
,
the
M
ONK
points to the strong door; it opens silently back of itself. To its inner side is attached a wooden case. In the centre of the case is a large white clock-dial. It has only one large hand
,
and is without the usual glass-case. The light from a lamp suspended from the ceiling of room falls on the dial
,
and shows the interior of the strong-room
,
containing many antique books
,
and here and there a few papers on the shelves
.)

           
Obenreizer
. Wonderful!

           
Monk
(
explaining the clock
). And so simple in its action! That hand travels round the dial. As we set it, so the clock opens the door, at any hour, or part of an hour, that may be desired. Once shut the door, and nobody can open it till the time comes, and it opens again of itself. Let us put these away.

(
As he goes to the table to take the money-bag
, O
BENREIZER
moves the hand of the clock five minutes; then hurries to the
M
ONK
,
and takes the bag from his hands
.)

           
Obenreizer
. Don’t exert yourself. I’ll put it away.

(
He puts the bag into the strong-room
.)

           
Monk
(
taking the book
). I’d better alter the hand on the dial. Something may be wanted to-morrow, before the departure of —
 
— (O
BENREIZER
closes the door suddenly
.) What have you done?

           
Obenreizer
. Pardon me! My clumsiness is inexcusable. I was leaning against the door, and —
 
—

           
Monk
. And my book is left out, and the hand had to be changed, and the door will not open till six to-morrow evening!

           
Obenreizer
. (
aside
). It will open in five minutes.

           
Monk
. It can’t be helped now. (
Touching
O
BENREIZER’S
forehead
.) Ah! you rattlepate! Now for the young lady. Take care of the book. The book will keep; but the papers — the papers!

(
Exit
.)

           
Obenreizer
. The papers! Ay! Not a doubt of what they are. (
Looking at his watch
.) Only a minute to spare! The forged receipt and the correspondence with Defresnier are there. (
Looks towards the strong-room.
) Now! now! (
The door opens again. He enters again, and comes out with the papers.
) I have got them! What’s this? That’s not it! (
Looking again.
) “The Vendale papers” — No letters from the Swiss firm! I know the paper well. None of the wretched correspondence — no trace of the receipt! (
Looks through the other papers
.) “Ten years ago — three years ago” — nothing later than that. (
He is about to throw the papers aside in a fury of disappointment
,
when one of them catches his eye.
) An endorsement of a date — Eighteen hundred and —
 
— What! — five-and-twenty-years ago? What on earth is this? “Husband and wife! Certificate of death!” I’ve got him! (
Looks closer; examines the other papers. Voices are heard outside. He hides the papers in his pocket
,
and instantly closes the door
.) Vendale! I am prepared to meet you now!

Enter
V
ENDALE
and
B
INTREY
,
left
. M
ARGUERITE
enters

by the door in the flat
.

           
Vendale
. Marguerite!

           
Marguerite
. George! Safe at last. (
Rushes to his arms
.)

           
Obenreizer
. Marguerite! have you no word for me?

           
Vendale
. (
stepping between
O
BENREIZER
and
M
ARGUERITE
,
who makes a movement towards
O
BENREIZER
). One moment, Marguerite! Mr. Obenreizer, I understand you have asked repeatedly to see me. With to-morrow morning our stay in this hospitable place ends. I have come to you, and I have requested your ward to meet us here, because I have a certain object in view.

           
Obenreizer
. May I ask what it is?

           
Vendale
. The question of my marriage with Mademoiselle Marguerite has been already discussed between us in London. In now returning to the subject, I must request you to take your mind back to what has passed since. My object here is to bring all further negotiation between us to an end. Mr. Bintrey represents me, and will tell you what I propose.

           
Obenreizer
. Marguerite, I am not quite sure, from Mr. Vendale’s tone, whether I am meeting an enemy or a friend. May I ask whether your former feeling of regard for me has undergone any change?

           
Marguerite
. My former feeling of regard —
 
—

           
Vendale
. (
stopping her
). Wait, Marguerite.

           
Obenreizer
. Sir!

           
Bintrey
. Mr. Obenreizer, when you are ready, I am.

           
Obenreizer
. (
observing
V
ENDALE
and
M
ARGUERITE
). No. He has not seen her. He has had no time to tell her yet.

           
Bintrey
. (
produces a sheet of paper
,
and places it before
O
BENREIZER
). All we ask of you is your signature to that document. You will find, if you read it, that it relates to your authority over your niece, and that it explains itself.

           
Obenreizer
. (
handing the paper back unread
). Mr. Bintrey, your professional enthusiasm is misleading you. No document of any sort is required in this matter. Mr. Vendale and I understand each other. On that former occasion to which Mr. Vendale has referred (
to
V
ENDALE
), it was agreed between us that he was to marry my ward when he had doubled his income. Has he doubled it?

           
Vendale
. No.

           
Obenreizer
. Then there can be no question of this marriage between us. Mr. Bintrey, you may put your sheet of paper in your pocket again.

           
Bintrey
. (
aside
). My sheet of paper will get the better of you yet!

           
Vendale
. Mr. Obenreizer, I am here, if you force me, to insist on the marriage.

           
Obenreizer
. “Insist” is an ugly word, Mr. Vendale; I advise you to withdraw it. (
To
M
ARGUERITE
.) I leave this place to-morrow, and you, Marguerite, leave it under my care.

           
Vendale
. No!

           
Obenreizer
. No? (
Controlling himself
.) Marguerite! you have not forgotten what I said to you the last time we spoke of your marriage?

           
Marguerite
. I have not forgotten it.

           
Obenreizer
. “If I tell you to wait, whatever Mr. Vendale may say, you will wait my time.”

           
Marguerite
. He had not been in peril of his life then, and I had not shared that peril with him. Now —
 
—