Complete Works of Wilkie Collins (2034 page)

Lady J.
These questions are an insult to
me.

Horace.
And worse than an insult to Grace.

Grace
(
eagerly
). Grace! what Grace? That’s my name! You
have
got the letter! Lady Janet, the woman is here!

Lady J.
Julian, you force me, for the first time in your life, to remind you of the respect that is due to me in my own house. Send that woman away. (
She takes
HORACE’S
arm.
) Come, Horace!

Grace
(
indignantly
). Confront me with her — and then send me away if you like!

(LADY JANET
and
HORACE
approach the door of the conservatory to go out.
JULIAN
signs to
GRACE
to compose herself. She breaks away from him, and places herself between
LADY J.
and the door.
)

Grace
(
more and more angrily
). Justice, madam — justice! I claim my right to meet that woman face to face. Confront me with her! confront me with her!

Mercy
(
entering on the left, dressed for the drive
). I hope I have not kept you waiting, Lady Janet?

Grace
(
recognising her, with a loud cry of triumph
). Ah! there she is!

(
At the sound of her voice,
MERCY
starts, recognises
GRACE
on her side, and drops insensible on the floor.
LADY JANET
and
HORACE
hasten to assist her.
JULIAN,
by a gesture, imposes silence on
GRACE,
and prevents her from advancing nearer to the fainting woman.
)

The Curtain falls.

THE END OF THE FIRST ACT.

ACT II.

Scene. —
The same as in the First Act. An interval of one week has elapsed between the two Acts.

On the rise of the curtain,
LADY JANET
is discovered seated, with a slip of paper in her hand. (The man servant stands near her, waiting).

Lady J.
Tell the housekeeper I approve of the dinner. The hour is to be half-past seven. (
She gives the paper to the
SERVANT,
who goes out on the left
). I wish I had no harder task on my hands than approving of the dinner! (
A knock is heard at the door on the right.
) Come in! (JULIAN
opens the door.
) Julian!

Julian.
* I beg to report myself, Lady Janet. I returned from the Continent last night. How, do you do? How is Miss Roseberry?

* Note. — Throughout the earlier part of the scene he speaks with an effort to be cheerful, plainly shewing that he is anxious and ill at ease.

Lady J.
(
pointing to herself
). Here is the old lady — well. (
Pointing to the room above
). There is the young lady — ill.

Julian.
Still suffering from the shock?

Lady J.
What else should she suffer from? How long is it since that crazy impostor upset my house?

Julian.
A week to-day.

Lady J.
A week to-day. I will never forgive you, Julian, for bringing that woman here.

Julian.
My dear aunt! how was I to know that Miss Roseberry had met with her in France, and had seen her mortally wounded by a German bullet?

Lady J.
Put it more strongly, Julian! Four months since, Miss Roseberry leaves the woman lying dead in a French cottage. A week since, Miss Roseberry opens that door (
she points to the door on the left
) and, without a word of warning, suddenly confronts her a living woman! It’s no wonder my poor darling fainted. The only marvel is that she survived the shock.

Julian.
Have you had medical advice?

Lady J.
I have taken her to Brighton by medical advice.

Julian.
Did she benefit by the change?

Lady J.
Not in the least. It’s her mind that is suffering. All the sea air in creation won’t set
that
right.

Julian.
Can the doctor do nothing?

Lady J.
(
contemptuously
). The doctor! I brought her back yesterday to consult the doctor. He knows no more about it than I do. He has just gone away with two guineas in his pocket. One guinea for advising me to keep her quiet. Another guinea for telling me to trust to time. The medical profession thrives, I find, on two incurable diseases, in these modern days — a He-disease and a She-disease. She-disease — nervous depression. He-disease — suppressed gout. Remedies — one guinea, if
you
go to the doctor; two guineas, if the doctor comes to
you.
I might have bought a new bonnet with the money I have given to that man! Let us change the subject. I want to know something. Why did you go abroad?

Julian
(
surprised
). I wrote to explain. Have you not received my letter?

Lady J.
Your letter doesn’t satisfy me. Your letter only says that you thought it your duty to this crazy woman to make inquiries about her on the Continent. Why did you trouble yourself to inquire in person? You were engaged to stay here as my guest. Could you find nobody to send in your place?

Julian.
I might have found somebody, I daresay. But I had a reason for going myself.

Lady J.
Yes?

Julian
(
continuing
). Which I would rather not mention.

Lady J.
A mystery — eh? And another woman at the bottom of it, no doubt! Thank you — I am sufficiently answered. No wonder — as a clergyman — that you look a little confused. Let us change the subject again. You stay here, of course, now you have come back?

Julian.
Not this time. I beg your ladyship will accept my excuses.

Lady J.
You are evidently determined not to stay in my house. Is there anybody you dislike here? Is it Me?

Julian.
How can you ask the question?

Lady J.
Is it Grace Roseberry who keeps you away?

Julian
(
rousing himself
). You insist on knowing? It
is
Grace Roseberry.

Lady J.
(
with angry surprise
). You don’t like her?

Julian
(
breaking out
). Lady Janet! if I see any more of her, I shall be the unhappiest man living. If I see any more of her, I shall be false to my old friend who is to marry her. Keep us apart! If you have any regard for my peace of mind, keep us apart!

Lady J.
(
amazed
). You don’t mean to tell me you are in love with Grace?

Julian.
I don’t know what to tell you. No other woman has ever roused the feeling in me which
this
woman seems to have called to life in an instant. In the hope of forgetting her, I seized the opportunity of making those inquiries abroad. Quite useless! I think of her morning, noon, and night. My power of will seems to be gone. I said to myself this morning — ”I will write to Lady Janet, I won’t go back to Mablethorpe House.” Here I am in Mablethorpe House. And what do you think I was hoping every step of the way here? I was hoping that Miss Roseberry would come into the room. And she is engaged to Horace Holmcroft — to my oldest friend! Keep my secret, aunt. I am heartily ashamed of myself; I used to think I was made of better stuff than this. Let me go!

(
He rises and crosses to the left.
)

Lady J.
(
rising and stopping him
). Sit down again. (
Speaking aside, and smiling in spite of herself.
) She is certainly a charming creature! and my nephew is a man of taste! (
To
JULIAN,
severely.
) You have behaved infamously. You ought to have remembered Horace. You ought to have controlled yourself.

Julian
(
bitterly
). Send upstairs for my self-control. It’s in her possession — not in mine. Good morning, aunt.

Lady J.
I insist on your staying here. I have something to say to you.

Julian.
Does it refer to Miss Roseberry?

Lady J.
It refers to the hateful woman who frightened Miss Roseberry. I can tell you this, Julian. She not only frightens Grace — she almost frightens Me!

Julian.
Frightens You? She is quite harmless, poor thing.

Lady J.
(
surprised
). “Poor thing?” Is it possible that you pity her?

Julian.
From the bottom of my heart.

Lady J.
(
indignantly
). I hate a man who can’t hate anybody! If you had been an ancient Roman, Julian, I believe you would have pitied Nero himself.

Julian
(
quietly
). I believe I should. All sinners, my dear aunt, are more or less miserable sinners. Nero must have been one of the wretchedest of mankind.

Lady J.
Wretched! Nero wretched! A man who committed robbery, arson, and murder to his own violin accompaniment,
only
wretched! We shall hear next that Bloody Queen Mary was as playful as a kitten — and if poor dear Henry the Eighth carried anything to an extreme, it was the practice of the domestic virtues! Ah! how I hate cant! You wander from the subject, Julian. Have you nothing to say for yourself? Have
you,
of all people in the world, lost the use of your tongue?

Julian.
(
gaily
). Heaven forbid! what would a clergyman be without the use of his tongue? I have plenty to tell your ladyship.

Lady J.
Begin directly. (
They seat themselves.
) You took this pitiable lady of yours away from my house a week since. How did you get rid of her?

Julian.
I made no attempt to get rid of her. She was friendless, and she was placed under my charge. With my lawyer’s assistance, I contrived to have the state of her mind examined by a doctor.

Lady J.
Pass over the doctor. You paid him two guineas, and you found that he knew nothing about it. What did you do when you crossed the Channel? Did you discover Mercy Merrick?