Complete Works of Wilkie Collins (2003 page)

Mrs. W.
(
distressed
). What do you mean? You’re not going to die before I am?

Mag.
I’m talking nonsense! All girls talk nonsense, don’t they? And I am no better than the rest of them. (WRAGGE
approaches.
MAGDALEN
turns towards him.
) I have been down to the beach to say good-bye to the sea. Where is Mr. Vanstone?

Wragge.
In there. (
Aside, as he goes to open the door on the left.
) How resigned she is to going away with him now! (
He opens the door.
NOEL
appears.
)

Noel.
Is it all right?

Wragge.
Quite right!

Mag.
(
quietly, without looking at
NOEL). I am ready for the journey, Mr. Vanstone.

Noel
(
uneasily
). Delighted to hear it. (
To
WRAGGE.) I feel faint again. Could you put me some brandy into the carriage?

Wragge
(
to
MRS. WRAGGE). Run over to our house, and fetch the flask out of my room.

Mrs. W.
Yes, captain. (
She goes out on the right.
)

Mag.
We might call at your house as we go by. It would save Mrs. Wragge the trouble of coming back. (
Aside to
WRAGGE,
very earnestly.
) Try not to be hard on your wife! If you have any friendly remembrance of me, be kind to poor Mrs. Wragge for my sake. (
She turns to
NOEL.) Shall we go down-stairs?

(NOEL
offers her his arm, and accompanies her to the door on the right.
)

Wragge
(
aside
). If I let her go, I let her destroy herself! (
Calling her back from the door.
) Stop a minute!

Noel
(
in alarm.
) What’s the matter?

Wragge.
Nothing. Don’t hurry! (
Aside.
) I don’t know what to say, for the first time in my life!

Mag.
(
leaving
NOEL
to look at
WRAGGE). You seem to be vexed about something.

Wragge.
No! no!

Noel
(
calling to
WRAGGE) Don’t keep us here! I want to get away!

(MAGDALEN
joins
NOEL
again at the door.
)

Wragge.
Stop! (MAGDALEN
looks round at him in surprise.
) I have something to say to you. (
Aside.
) What am I to say?

Noel
(
impatiently
). Let us go! let us go!

Wragge
(
to
MAGDALEN). You — you said something, just now — about my wife —
 
—

Mag.
Hush! Surely I heard your wife’s voice?

Mrs. W.
(
calling outside
). Mr. Noel! Mr. Noel!

Noel.
I’m caught! (
He makes for the door on the left.
)

Wragge
(
stopping him
). Pooh! The train doesn’t reach Aldborough till half-past one.

Enter on the right
MRS. WRAGGE.

Mrs. W.
(
announcing, in total ignorance of the catastrophe which is going to happen
). Mrs. Lecount!

(NOEL
utters a cry of terror, and catches
WRAGGE
helplessly by the arm.
MAGDALEN
remains perfectly composed.
WRAGGE
recovers his spirits, in the presence of an emergency which he knows how to deal with.
)

Wragge
(
to
NOEL). Be a man on your wedding-day! Who cares for Lecount? (
He addresses
MRS. WRAGGE.) Tell the carriage to go on, and wait at my house. (
To
MAGDALEN.) If this ends in a scandal, we may just as well draw the idlers outside away from the door.

(MRS. LECOUNT
enters on the right, followed by
GEORGE BARTRAM. MRS. WRAGGE,
who has made way for her at the door, goes out when the entrance is clear.
MRS. LECOUNT
advances deliberately to
NOEL,
carrying a little leather travelling-bag in her hand.
GEORGE
looks at
MAGDALEN
in silent sorrow.
MAGDALEN’S
head sinks on her bosom.
)

Mrs. L.
(
composed and resolute
). The carriage at the door, Mr. Noel, and the wedding favours, tell me what has happened. If I am not in time to prevent your marriage, I am in time, thank God, to preserve your life. (
She turns to
GEORGE,
and points to
MAGDALEN.) Mr. Bartram, who is that woman?

Geo.
(
sorrowfully to
MAGDALEN.). You have only to say the word — I will leave you without opening my lips.

Mag.
(
quietly and firmly
). I will spare you the cruel necessity of exposing me. (
She turns with dignity to
MRS. LECOUNT.) I am Magdalen Vanstone.

(NOEL
utters a faint exclamation of horror, and falls swooning.
WRAGGE
catches him, and, assisted by
MRS. LECOUNT,
places him on the sofa. This done,
MRS. LECOUNT
signs angrily to
WRAGGE
to leave her to recover her master alone.
WRAGGE
bows with ironical politeness, and then turns to observe
MAGDALEN,
who has again addressed herself to
GEORGE.)

Mag.
One word before we part for ever. Don’t think me worse than I am. It is true that I have married Noel Vanstone this morning. You can guess what the object was. It ends here. He will never take me home with him as his wife. Placed between death and degradation, I have chosen death. Blame nobody. And remember this: If I have done wrong, I have atoned for it with my life.

(
She hands the bottle which she has bought at the chemist’s, empty, to
GEORGE.)

Geo.
(
looking at the inscription
). “Poison!”

Mag.
Forgive me, and forget me.

(
She goes into the room on the left. As
GEORGE
springs forward to follow her,
WRAGGE
stops him and whispers in his ear; then points to the door by which
MAGDALEN
has disappeared, and speaks his next words aloud.
)

Wragge.
The verandah, outside that room, leads by steps into the garden. Take Magdalen to my house; and — (
he hesitates
) — somebody must tell her what I have just told you?

Geo.
(
gravely
). You can trust her old friend.
I
will tell her. (
He goes out on the left.
)

Wragge
(
to himself, with an air of relief
). That’s settled! Now for Mrs. Lecount! (
He turns and sees
NOEL VANSTONE
recovering.
) You’ve brought him to, ma’am?

Mrs. L.
(
indignantly
). What are you doing here, sir?

Wragge
(
coolly
). I am here as the representative of Mrs. Noel Vanstone When Mr. Noel Vanstone is better — say in half an hour — he will find me ready to discuss terms. In the mean time, I mark the trick. Good morning! (
He goes out on the right.
)

Mrs. L.
(
to
NOEL). I am grieved to agitate you, sir, after what you have gone through. But, as things are now, the woman who has married you has a direct interest in your death. If you die without leaving a will, the law gives your widow one-third of the money you leave behind you.

Noel
(
rousing himself
). Fetch a lawyer! I’ll make my will directly!

Mrs. L.
There is no need, sir, to call in a stranger. My lawyer in London has provided me with the necessary form. I have passed a sleepless night in serving your interests, Mr. Noel. That is the return I make to you for deceiving me.

Noel
(
gratefully
). You good Lecount! you excellent Lecount! (
He rises and walks feebly to the writing-table.
) Where’s the will?

Mrs. L.
Take a glass of wine first, sir. (
She gives him a glass of wine, and continues aside.
) The blue paleness is still in his face. The blue paleness is a bad sign. (
To
NOEL.) Do you feel stronger, sir?

Noel.
Yes. Read me the will.

Mrs. L.
(
taking a paper from her travelling-bag
). Here it is, sir. (
She reads.
) “This is the last Will and Testament of me, Noel Vanstone, now living at Aldborough, Suffolk. I hereby appoint Rear-Admiral Arthur Bartram, of St. Crux-in-the-Marsh, Yorkshire, sole executor of this my will. I give and bequeath to Madame Virginie Lecompte (widow of Professor Lecompte, late of Zurich) —
 
— ” At that place there is a blank left, sir. It is for
you
to say by what legacy you reward my faithful services to your father and to yourself.

Noel
(
uneasily
). What should you say to — a thousand pounds?

Mrs. L.
(
rising
). So! You insult me, Mr. Noel, after what I have done for you to-day?

Noel.
Two thousand!

Mrs. L.
(
gathering up her papers
). I will not intrude myself any longer, sir, in Mrs. Noel Vanstone’s place.

Noel
(
clasping his hands in entreaty
). Four thousand!

Mrs. L.
I wish you good morning, Mr. Noel.

(
She goes to the door on the right.
)

Noel
(
in an agony of despair
). Five thousand!!!

Mrs. L.
(
turning round at the door
). Free of legacy duty?

Noel.
No!

Mrs. L.
Good morning, sir.

Noel.
Yes!