Complete Works of Wilkie Collins (1986 page)

PLATO. De Conserbative plan is not so bloodthirsty, dough it am much more slow. We found a club, sah! an’ little by little we git all de black men on de island to join it, an’ den, when all are in it, we demand de white fokes to quit.

DAVID. A charming prospect. As one of the white men, I shall be glad to leave at once. What is the name of the organisation?

PLATO. De club am to be formed to-morrow night, and we propose to call ‘um de Thickskull Club.

DAVID. The Thickskull Club? Why, even your most bitter enemies could not have hit upon a fitter name.

PLATO. Wait a lilly bit, sah! Dar’s a reason for dat name. Answer me dis hyar? What am de most honourable part of de man’s body? Why him head! Darfore de ticker him head, de more he hab ob de honourable part! See, sah? Dar you hab him!

DAVID. A very neat way of putting it, indeed. But a club to be constituted like this will be many months in progress.

PLATO. De longer time, sah, dat de officers ob de club will be enjoyin’ deir salaries, sah!

DAVID. Hum! I see!

PLATO. Mr. Secretary! Mr. Secretary! Mr. Michaelmas, I present my compliments, an’ would you please to kick de secretary?

DAVID (
touches
SECRETARY,
who sits up
). I present my compliments, Mr. Plato, and begs you not to mention it.

PLATO. Mr. Secretary, you have written down de performances for to-morrow night. In de fust place — de band ob music — dat is to say, two fifes an’ a drum.

SEC. (
refers to book
). Yes, massa.

PLATO. De banner wid de crest ob de club — a thick skull, wid de motto ob de club: “Dam all white men, an’ down with labour!”

SEC. (
rises
). Yes, massa.

PLATO. De refresherments for de six committee-men of the club — dat is to say, six bottles of rum punch, (
smacks his lips
) an’ six corkscrews, an’ six glasses, to be carried by de committee-men demselves, two by two, one abreast? An’ six chairs for the committee-men, to be carried by de grateful public. Hab you got dem all down?

SEC. Yes, massa. (
turns the book upside down, to write in it.
)

PLATO. Den, Missa Secrumtary, you can go to bed.

SEC. T’ank you, massa. (
to
DAVID) Your sarvint, sah!

[
Exit,
L.

PLATO. Mr. Michaelmas, I would like to ax you to witness de foundation of de club, but dough you are de model white man ob dis island, you
are
a white man, an’ dat am a fatal objection.

DAVID. Don’t mention it. Besides, there might be one of the Liberals in the meeting, and the sight of me might lead to an objection even more
fatal
than that you allude to.

(
Voice of
LEYRAC,
off
L.). David! Michaelmas!

DAVID. This way, sir! this way!

Enter,
LEYRAC, L.

LEY. Is she here?

DAVID. No, sir. She lives in a hut not far.

PLATO (
bowing, hat in hand
). On’y a lilly bit of way, sir.

LEY. Who is that man?

DAVID. I present to you the Conservative chief, Mr. Plato! (
aside to
LEYRAC) They have Mr. Milton and Shakspeare here, and all the great men.

LEY. Ha, ha!

DAVID. He has come to show you the way to the house.

PLATO. Do you present your compliments, sah, and request me to lead de way.

LEY (
lifting his hat
). With a thousand apologies for causing you the trouble.

PLATO. With two thousand thanks for have the honour of giving you so much trouble, (
aside, hat on
) No dam white man is gwine to be more polite dan me on dis island. (R.)

LEY. What’s her name?

DAVID. Ruth, the quadroon. (LEYRAC
shakes his head.
)

LEY. You have seen her — do you know her?

DAVID. A perfect stranger.

LEY. She must be mad, or it’s a mistake.

DAVID. No mistake, sir, I can assure you. She knew all about you, clearly enough.

LEY. I will see her.

DAVID. Shall I go with you?

LEY. You might see me to the place, and then go back to the hotel to wait for me.

[
Exit,
R.

DAVID (
to
PLATO). Come along, Mr. Plato!

[
Exeunt
PLATO
and
DAVID R.
Music, tremolo. Gas down a little more.

Enter,
L., WESTCRAFT,
crossing to
R.;
pauses
R.,
looking off
R.,
and then exits
R.,
at if following some one.

Scene changes to

SCENE III. —
Hut interior in 4th grooves. Light on table,
R.
Gas down three-quarters turn. Gas up in
L. U. E.,
and lime-light effect
L. U. E.
corner, in the flies.

Discover
RUTH
on couch up
R. C.,
and
GIRL R.
by table.

RUTH. Time passes, and still he does not come. (
weak voice
) Look for him again, my dear. (GIRL
goes to
D.
in
F.) Look for him again. (GIRL
opens
D. F.)

Appear,
U. E.,
outside
D. F., DAVID, LEYRAC
and
PLATO.

PLATO. Dis am de place, sah. Dis am Ruth’s hut. (
bows and exits,
L. U. E.)

RUTH. Is he there?

LEY. (
on the threshold
). Are you speaking to me?

RUTH. (
eagerly
). Yes, yes, come in! (
sits up.
)

DAVID. Shall I wait for you here, sir?

LEY. No. Go back to the hotel and wait for me there. (DAVID
bows and exits,
L. U. E. GIRL
goes out
D. F.,
shutting it behind her after showing in
LEYRAC. ) Look at me. Am I really the person you want to see? (
removes his hat.
)

RUTH. Yes. (LEYRAC
puts hat on table.
)

LEY. You know my name?

RUTH. Your name is Maurice de Leyrac. Will you move the light a little closer? (LEYRAC
moves table nearer head of bed
) Thanks. (
leaning on one elbow, hoarsely, eagerly
) What has brought you to Trinidad?

LEY. What interest can you have in my movements? Oh, this is absurd. (
kindly
) I don’t wish to speak harshly to you, my good woman, but you cannot expect me to stop here by your bed to hear your sick delusions.

RUTH. What evil wind brought you again to this accursed island?

LEY. The poor woman is wandering. (
gets his hat.
)

RUTH. Do you come to Trinidad of your own free will?

LEY. Of my own free will. Come, you are too ill — you are under some error. I — my time is precious. But — but, there — (
puts down his hat
) — is there anything I can do for you before I go?

RUTH. I want you to look back in your mind. What is the first thing that you remember, the first, first thing in your mind?

LEY. (
interested, but still a little careless of tone
). The first thing I remember? (
thinking.
)

RUTH. Do I live in your mind? Look at me! yes, look at me! pray, oh, pray, look at me! (
leans forward.
)

LEY. (
shakes his head
) The first thing that I remember? is — is being on board a ship with my father and mother.

RUTH (
sighs disappointedly
). Ah! (
sadly
)
My
memory goes back to a time farther than yours — when the Count and Countess de Leyrac adopted you for their own son.

LEY.
Adopted
me?

RUTH. Adopted.

LEY. (
incredulously
). I am
not
the son of the Count and Countess?

RUTH. You are not their son.

LEY. (
staggered
). Ah! (
quickly
) Oh! she is mad.

RUTH. I am not mad. Is this the truth or is it not? The Count and Countess had no other children, and brought you up in France.

LEY. Oh! you speak the truth so far.

RUTH. When you spoke to them of your infancy, were you not surprised that they should always change the conversation to another subject?

LEY. (
quickly
). Over and over again!

RUTH. Ah! and when they died and left you in charge of a guardian, did he not carefully keep from you the family papers?

LEY. Great heavens! yes!

RUTH. Am I mad now?

LEY. You say I was adopted. Then my parents, my real parents — do they still live?

RUTH. One is dead.

LEY. My mother?

BOTH. No! your father.

LEY. Then my mother lives!

RUTH. Yes. His name was Brentwood. His widow —
 
—

LEY. My mother!

RUTH (
hanging her head
). Not your mother! his
wife!

LEY. Then who was my mother?

RUTH. A slave-girl on your father’s plantation.

LEY. A slave! Ah! (
bitterly
) It has been the one dream of my life to live worthy of my birth! And I was never so proud and glad of it as this day. And now! — (
sadly
) Is my mother living, say you?

RUTH (
timidly
). Do you blame her?

LEY. (
forcibly
). God forbid!

RUTH. You are not ashamed?

LEY. It is not my fault. I am sure, not hers. You would not keep me in suspense unless you feared for her. Where is she?

RUTH. Oh! don’t look at me! (
hides face with hands
) Don’t look at me!

LEY. Why not? You asked me to look at you an hour since, and now — Ah! (
forcibly
) you are — my mother! oh! mother! (
falls on knees by bedside
) kiss me. (
they embrace.
)

WESTCRAFT
appears on roof outside window in
F.,
moonlight upon him.

WEST. (
aside
). The lamp is moved, I cannot see, but I can hear! I can hear!