Complete Works of Wilkie Collins (1994 page)

Mr. P.
(
rising
). The steward is waiting with his accounts. The claims of the servants must be investigated, and settled. A long morning’s work is before me. I must leave you for the present.

Geo.
(
to
Mr. PENDRIL) You have a great deal to do. Can I help you?

Mr. P.
Certainly, if you don’t mind the trouble.

(
He leads the way out on the right.
)

Geo.
(
aside, stopping and looking back at
MAGDALEN). I must speak privately to her, before the day is out.

(
He follows
MR. PENDRIL.)

Miss G.
Magdalen! What are you thinking of? (MAGDALEN
neither answers nor moves. There is a pause, broken softly by the notes of a harp sounding from the inner room, and playing the air of “Home, Sweet Home.” The playing continues under the voices (softened by the intervening curtains) during the dialogue which follows.
MISS GARTH
looks towards the curtained entrance.
) Norah’s harp! The air that was always her poor father’s favourite. It brings the tears into my eyes to hear it now. (
She suddenly lifts
MAGDALEN’S
head and looks at her.
) And
her
eyes are dry! Magdalen! Magdalen! What are you thinking of?

Mag.
(
absently
). Norah plays charmingly, Miss Garth. And what a pretty air! I quite agree with my poor father — one never tires of “Home, Sweet Home.”

Miss G.
You are not answering my question. For the third time, what are you thinking of?

Mag.
(
suddenly
). Of what Norah and I owe to Michael Vanstone.

Miss G.
Why think of that? What good can it do now?

Mag.
(
pursuing her own thoughts
). This is the house in which we were born. We leave it to-morrow — through
him!
Norah’s hard lot has one more misery added to it. She must suffer poverty as well as pain now — through
him!
I was to have married Frank, and to have brought him a fortune. I am as poor as he is. We must part and pine, for years and years to come — through
him!
through
him!

Miss G.
Magdalen! You are thinking as you should
not
think; you are looking as you should
not
look —
 
—

Mag.
Am I? Don’t notice me. I’ll submit! I’ll submit!

Miss G.
I want to speak to you about Francis Clare.

Mag.
Yes? Ah, poor Frank!

Miss G.
You know that his uncle has made him an offer of employment in China. A great mercantile house. A prospect of a partnership. A certainty of his making money, if he is industrious and patient.

Mag.
If I had my fortune to give him, he would not want the money. Never mind. Go on.

Miss G.
My opinion of Francis Clare differs widely from yours. But you will agree with me in this. He is as likely as not to let the opportunity slip, unless you exert your influence over him. Will you exert it? For his sake — as things are now — will you send him to China?

Mag.
Don’t ask me!

Miss G.
I must ask you. Are you fond enough of Francis Clare not to stand in his light?

Mag.
Fond? I would die for him!

Miss G.
Will you send him to China?

Mag.
Have a little pity on me, Miss Garth. I have lost my father. I have lost my mother. I have lost my fortune. And now I am to lose Frank. Hard — -even a sensible woman like you must admit that it’s hard!

Miss G.
I do admit it. Still the fortune you were to have brought him (it cannot be denied, my love) has changed owners —
 
—

Mag.
(
to herself
). It may change owners again.

Miss G.
What do you mean?

Mag.
One of my fancies — not worth pursuing.

Miss G.
I have only one word more to say. If Francis Clare stays at home, he will be the ruin of both of you. He will persuade you to marry him, poor as he is; and the time will come (I know the man!) when he will turn round and reproach you with being a burden on him.

Mag. (
starting to her feet
). The time will never come! Frank shall take no burden when he takes me. I’ll be the good angel of his life. I’ll not go a penniless girl to him and drag him down. Send him here! If my heart breaks in doing it, I’ll tell him we must say good-bye.

Miss G.
(
rising
). Well done, Magdalen! (
She embraces
MAGDALEN.) My child, I am fonder of you and prouder of you than ever! Frank is at the cottage. I’ll go myself and bring him to you. Wait here.

(
She goes out on the right.
)

Mag.
(
bursting out
). Oh, that wrong! that wrong! that insufferable wrong! I won’t submit! If I die under it, I won’t submit! (
Her attention is attracted by the notes of the harp, which have been heard faintly thus far all through.
) The music! the music maddens me, it’s so tame, so quiet, so subdued. (
She goes to the curtains, opens them, and speaks through.
) Norah, darling! I’m writing. Would you mind waiting a little till I have done? (
The music ceases. She closes the curtains again and comes back.
) Now I can think! What am I? A nameless, homeless wretch. The law that takes care of other girls casts
me
like carrion to the winds. Need I mind what I do? Have
I
a place in the world to lose? I have nothing to lose! Oh, my father! my father! the wrong your brother has done us haunts me like a possession of the devil. The resolution to right it burns in me like fire. (
Pacing the stage impatiently as she says those words, she accidentally catches sight of herself in the glass and stops.
) Yes! there I am — the fine girl they all admire; the beautiful creature who draws all eyes after her wherever she goes! Old or young, where is the man who can resist me, as long as I keep my looks? Michael Vanstone! Michael Vanstone! I might open that closed hand of yours — - (
She shrinks back, shuddering, from the sight of herself.
) Horrible! What thoughts come to me! What wickedness whispers in me and tempts me! Why doesn’t Miss Garth come back? Those old people are so slow. Frank! Where is Frank? (GEORGE
enters on the right.
) Who’s that? George!

Geo.
Give me a minute, Magdalen. I have something to say to you.

Mag.
About myself?

Geo.
Yes.

Mag.
The subject is hateful to me. I can’t listen to it.

Geo.
If I speak of myself instead of you, will you listen then?

Mag.
Willingly.

Geo.
You know, Magdalen, that I love you dearly.

Mag.
Why speak of it, George? Why distress yourself and me? I have given you a sister’s affection. I can give no more.

Geo.
(
pursuing his thought
). I have but one object to live for — your happiness. I can sacrifice everything that makes existence dear to me for your sake. It is my love for you which makes me strong enough to do that. I know it is a hopeless love, Magdalen. You shall not be reminded of it again.

Mag.
You had something to say to me. What is it?

Geo.
You shall hear. You know that I made some friends at college, who have remained my friends in after-life. One of them is now a man in a high position. He is a Cabinet Minister. He has over and over again said to me: “You are my best and dearest friend, George. Have you no ambition? Is there nothing you can ask me for while I am a Minister, with good things in my gift?” I have never yet attempted to profit by his kindness. I believe he would refuse me nothing. My interest with him, Magdalen, is at your service.

Mag.
At my service? I don’t understand.

Geo.
You have forbidden me to speak on the subject of yourself. I will only say that I am distressed about you. You meet the new trial that has fallen on you in a manner which startles and perplexes me. I see but one saving influence for you in the future which I can trust — the influence of the man whom you love. Now that you are both poor, there is no present prospect of your marrying. For your sake, Magdalen, I will make the sacrifice — the terrible sacrifice to
me
— of helping your marriage. Say the word, and I will go to my friend the Minister, and use my interest with him — not for myself, but for Francis Clare.

Mag.
(
deeply affected
). You are the most generous of living men. (
She seizes his hand and kisses it.
) Oh, I am unworthy of you, George! I am unworthy of you!

(
She turns aside from him and bursts into tears.
)

Geo.
For Heaven’s sake, compose yourself. I can’t bear to distress you.

Mag.
You do me good. Days and days have passed, and the tears have been dried up in me. You — you have set them free. Leave me for a little. Dear, good George, leave me for a little!

Geo.
Will you speak to me again later in the day?

Mag.
Yes, yes! (GEORGE
goes out.
) What is there in me that feels when that man touches it, and never feels at other times? I admire him, I am grateful to him, why don’t I love him? He deserves it. Perhaps he deserves it better than Frank. And yet there is some perversity in me that loves Frank best. (
She takes a turn on the stage, stops by the table, and, resting her hand on it, accidentally touches
MICHAEL VANSTONE’S
letter, which
MR. PENDRIL
has left with the other papers.
) Can I accept George’s offer? It opens a glimpse of happiness for
me;
it spares Frank the hard trial of exile from home; and yet I shrink — (
She is conscious of touching the letter, and takes it up.
) What’s this? Michael Vanstone’s letter! Can I marry, and forget these words? Can I enter on a new life, with the bitter memory of
this
to poison it at its source? Oh, those thoughts! those thoughts! Are they still so near my heart that a morsel of paper can bring them back to me? (
She flings the letter on the table.
) Frank! I am afraid of myself! Come and help me! (MISS GARTH
enters alone.
) Where is Frank? (MISS GARTH
is silent.
MAGDALEN
seizes her by both shoulders, and looks her eagerly in the face.
) There’s something wrong. Tell me what it is. At once! at once!