Complete Works of Wilkie Collins (1987 page)

LEY. (
rises
) Hark! There is something moving outside (
stands trembling with agitation, trying to recover his composure, dashes away a tear, etc.
)

RUTH. Nay. ‘tis only the night wind coming down from the mountains, and rustling the dry leaves of the thatch.

LEY. Let me look and make sure. (
opens
D.
in
F.,
and looks out. Moonlight on him, picture. Music, piano, tremolo
).

Enter,
R. D.,
remaining there,
MISS MILBURN.

MISS M. (
aside
). What has brought him to Ruth’s cottage? (
keeps herself hid, though seen from the front.
)

LEY. No, there is no one. (
closes
D ,
retiring to bedside
). I see no living creature, I heard nothing but the wind.

RUTH. Come here to me, I have not said what I wanted to say.

LEY. (
tenderly
). You are too weak, mother. Not now; when you are stronger.

RUTH. My time is too short for me to linger. Listen. When your father was on his death bed, he thought of me, he wrote to me, but his jealous wife destroyed his letters. He wanted to see me, but his jealous wife stopped the messengers. He had something to send to me, but thanks to his wife, I never received anything.

LEY. Go on, mother. (
holding her hand in his.
)

RUTH. His will left all his property, the plantations, houses, slaves and growing things to his widow. She hated me.

LEY. Ha!

RUTH. I don’t complain. I deserved it. She was in her right. But she hated you, and you had never harmed her. She delayed in her vengeance until you were born, and then — then she sold us to the highest bidder in the market place!

LEY. Ah!

RUTH Wait. She repented of this when her time came for her to die. She had destroyed nearly all things which your father had left to be given to me. But she had not destroyed everything! A pocket-book left among papers, as of no importance, had escaped her jealous eyes, and later, it fell into my hands.

LEY. Where is that pocket-book?

RUTH. Still in my possession. Search under my pillow, my son.

LEY. (
gets book from under pillow eagerly
). Empty!

RUTH. No, a little scrap of writing — it is your father’s hand.

LEY. My father’s hand?

RUTH. Read it.

LEY. “The duplicate letter to the Provost-Marshal is hidden — my room — the old wing —
 
— ” Mother, I cannot make out what follows? Can you?

RUTH (
shaking her head
). No more than you can. All clue to the hiding place died with Mr. Brentwood’s death. Keep that pocket-book. It proves that your father thought of me at the last. You were but a child when there came to the island a wealthy French noble, the Count, with the Countess de Leyrac. They took a fancy to you, and wished to adopt you. They promised to treat you like their own son.

LEY. Thank heaven! They did, mother, they did!

RUTH. (
tearfully
). I had to choose between parting with you and having you grow up on the plantation amongst the slaves.

LEY. Yes, mother!

RUTH. I tried hard to bear it. But it broke my heart! (
wandering, hand to forehead, to collect her thoughts
) I had something more to tell you. Did I say that we were sold in the market-place?

LEY. Yes.

RUTH And the Count and Countess took you away — to — to England.

LEY. (
rises
). To England, say you? God bless them! when my feet touched the soil of England, I became a free man! mother, a free man!

RUTH. But when you touched the soil of this island again, the laws of free England lost their hold, and you have become again what you were. Your old master that bought you can claim you for his own. You must leave me!

LEY. Leave you, mother! Never!

RUTH. Oh, why did you come back again? Go, go! While you remain here, you are under the shadow of the lash, you are a slave!

LEY. A slave! (
hides his face,
RUTH
falls back and dies
) Mother! (
bends over her
) She has fainted. Oh, God! her breath has ceased to come and go! her heart is still! Ah! dead! she is dead! (
falls upon
RUTH,
embracing her, kissing her hand.
)

MISS M. (
in disgust and pain, aside
). A slave! (
sobs and faints, supporting herself by the door post.
)

WEST. (
triumphantly, aside
). A slave! (
smiles, music, solemn.
)

QUICK CURTAIN.

ACT II.

SCENE I. —
Interior, same as Scene I., Act I.

Enter,
R. U. E.
to
C.,
and on by
D. F., LEYRAC,
with hat on and with cane.
Enter,
R. D., GIRL.

LEY. Your mistress is up? She was to see me this morning. (GIRL
curtseys and exits
R. D. LEYRAC
looks round
) The sun shines brightly, and the fruit and flowers gleam, but I freeze in the ghastly moonlight of last night — the night my mother died! All seems dead to me now, and yet I breathe, I think, I move and live! (
music
) Ah! you whom I love! Emily! come to me with your light footfall and your gentle smile! come and give me the courage to tell you what I learnt last night! (
music for
MISS MILBURN’S
entrance.
)

MISS MILBURN
enters,
R. D.,
her air is constrained, full of forced repugnance towards
LEYRAC.

MISS M. I am told you wish to see me. (
affects not to see that
LEYRAC
expected to shake hands with her, remaining
R.)

LEY. You did me the honour to permit me to call on you this morning.

MISS M. (
absently
). Yes, I remember.

LEY. I beg your pardon. You are not looking like your usual self this morning.

MISS M. Indeed, I am not well.

LEY. Will you let me offer you a chair?

MISS M. Thank you, no. (
sits on sofa,
R. C. LEYRAC
is surprised
) I have one. (
aside
) I wonder if I ought to offer him a chair? There is grief in his eyes. Why does he come here? I fear I know what he is going to tell me. (
aloud
) Won’t you take a chair?

LEY. No, thank you. I am a changed man to what I was last night. I have many things to speak to you about. So do not notice if I am strange in my manner. (
aside
) Oh, how shall I tell her? (
aloud
) But, I see, I fatigue you.

MISS M. No. Pray, what do you think of our island by daylight?

LEY. All that is lovely is here. I think the view splendid. But, pardon me — I — I — Miss Milburn, you were good enough last evening to let my servant see me here. He brought a message from a stranger. That stranger — Oh! Emily! (
she rises, startled
) Have I offended you?

MISS M. (
resumes seat, hesitatingly
). N — no! (
aside
) Oh, my heart! (
aloud, coldly
) I have no objections to hear you.

LEY. Emily, will you hear me as no other woman would? Will you feel for me as no other woman can feel for me? (
takes her hand.
)

MISS M. (
rises
). Let go my hand!

LEY. (
kneels to her
). Oh! let it rest here one moment, one little moment in mine own. Suppose — try to suppose I have been moved from my high place — thrust down into a lower sphere, unworthy of the dust from off thy feet! Would there remain one hope for me — could I look up from my misery and see your love as a star above me? May I hope you would be the same to me?

MISS M. Pity, oh, pity! (
takes away her hand.
)

LEY. (
rises
). Pity? (
scornfully
) Pity! No creature living wants pity as I need it! My misery robs me of my courage — it makes me sin against my honour! The words I have to utter die upon my lips, while those I would have sealed up rush out, despite me. (
draws
MISS M.
to
C.,
on his left
) Emily, come to my heart! I love you! (
she resigns herself to his embrace at if unable to struggle against her pride
) Look at me! Look up. Let me read your love in your eyes! Let me find it on your lips! (
kisses her.
)

MISS M. (
starts angrily to
L. C.). Oh, the shame of it! the shame of it! (
sobbing.
)

LEY. (
surprised
). The
shame
of it! What do you mean?

MISS M. Don’t come near me! Advance one step, and I will call my servants (
hand extended towards bell on table
) and have you thrust from the house. Have you no thought of my weakness? Is nothing sacred to you? (
indignantly
) How he looks at me! one would think I had insulted
him!
Ah, I deserve it! I deserve this — all! Bitter as is the lesson, I deserve it. (
sobs.

LEY. (C.). What do you mean? What shame? What bitterness?

MISS M. You ask me to say?

LEY. I demand —
 
—

MISS M. Don’t you know that a lady is degraded on this island if a slave’s hand has touched her? A slave’s
lips
have touched mine!

LEY. (
starts
). Ah! (
quickly and sternly
) You were in the hut last night! You heard —
 
—

MISS M. (
crosses to
R. C.). I heard all!

LEY. (C.) Ah! (
music, plaintive, change of tone and manner to calm ones
) Miss Milburn! you have brought me to my senses. I ask your pardon. (
voice falters for an instant, and then is strengthened by an effort
) Humbly — on my knees — (
droops on one knee
) as a
slave
should! There is but one atonement (
rises
) that I can make. You will see me no more! (
going up.
)

MISS M. (
starts to her feet to rush after him
). Maurice! (
remembers herself, stops short, trembling
) Not in that tone! No! don’t leave me! Not with that look! Oh! I have wrecked his proud spirit! I have broken his heart! I’ll not leave you till you say you forgive me!

LEY. (
sadly
). Forgive
you!
Willingly! fully! with my heart of hearts!

MISS M. I did not mean it! I am but a woman! I did not know what I said. Oh! that look — that look of despair! that dreadful look of despair! Maurice, my heart bleeds for you! Say something angry to me — help me against myself! Maurice! (
approaches him
) Maurice! You know (
falls on
LEYRAC’S
breast
) I love you!

LEY. Oh! (
in gratitude
) I — I will remember this moment when the ocean rolls between us. For your dear sake I must quit this place at once.

MISS M. Oh, give me time to think. Don’t be as cruel to me as I have been to you. I implore you, Maurice, wait here until I come back! I will come back! Wait for me. (
goes
R.) I’ll not be long, Maurice!