Complete Works of Wilkie Collins (2040 page)

Horace.
A police officer in plain clothes.

Mercy
. Why is he here?

Horace.
To take that woman away.

(
He points to
GRACE,
lying back exhausted in her chair.
JULIAN
anxiously watches the slightest change in
MERCY’S
face.
LADY JANET
is seated at the back, looking in surprise at
HORACE
and
MERCY,
as they whisper together.
)

Mercy
(
continuing
). Where will he take her to?

Horace.
To the police-station.

Mercy
(
to
HORACE). Will she be put into prison?

Horace.
She will be put into an asylum.

Mercy
. What asylum do you mean?

Horace.
I mean — the workhouse first, perhaps, and then the madhouse. (MERCY
starts back.
LADY JANET
advances a step.
HORACE
continues.
) What is there to surprise you in that? You yourself told her to her face that she was mad.

Mercy
(
horror-struck
). Oh!

Lady J.
(
hearing
MERCY’S
cry.
) Horace! what is going on there between you two?

(HORACE
joins
LADY J.,
and speaks to her.
)

Mercy
(
to
JULIAN). Did you hear what Horace said to me? Why don’t you interfere?

Julian
(
calmly
). l am waiting for
you.

Mercy
. Waiting for
me?

Julian.
I believe you have a noble nature. I am waiting to see you show it nobly now. (MERCY
draws back a step, suddenly understanding him.
JULIAN
goes on, quoting his own words in low warning tones.
) “Own the truth, without the base fear of discovery to drive you to it!”

Mercy
(
her answers growing firmer and firmer as she proceeds
). I will!

Julian.
“Do justice to the woman whom you have wronged, while that woman is still powerless to expose you.”

Mercy
. I will!

Julian.
“Sacrifice everything you have gained by the fraud to the sacred duty of atonement. Reveal before them all the higher nature that is in you.” Speak!

Mercy
. I will!

Julian.
I believe you!

(
He gives his hand to
MERCY.
She takes it for a moment. Then turns towards
HORACE
and
LADY JANET,
who are still talking together earnestly.
)

Mercy
(
firmly
). Lady Janet —
 
— !

Lady J.
(
absorbed in what
HORACE
is saying to her
) You are quite right, Horace. The state of things in this room is too painful to be prolonged. (
She points to
GRACE.) I charge that woman with forcing her way into my house. Julian, order the police officer to do his duty!

Mercy
(
to
LADY JANET). Lady Janet —
 
— !

Lady J.
(
again interrupting
MERCY). Don’t be alarmed, my dear. This painful scene must, and shall, be ended. (
To
JULIAN.) Julian!

Julian
(
to the police officer
). Officer! Take her away!

(
The
POLICE OFFICER
advances.
GRACE
totters back half-fainting.
MERCY
springs forward before the man can touch
GRACE,
and, winding one arm round her, holds her up.
)

Mercy
(
between
GRACE
and the
POLICE OFFICER). Touch her if you dare! (
The man draws back in surprise.
MERCY,
fixing her eyes on him, points with her free hand to the door on the left.
) Leave the house!

(LADY JANET
and
HORACE
advance together, thunderstruck at what has happened, to question
MERCY. JULIAN
mutely expresses his own sense of relief, and his admiration for
MERCY.
The curtain falls.
)

THE END OF THE SECOND ACT.

ACT III.

Scene. —
The same as in the First and Second Acts. It is evening. The lamps are lit in the dining-room and the conservatory.

On the rise of the curtain
MERCY
is discovered. She is very plainly dressed.* But she still wears the brooch, bracelets, and rings which
LADY JANET
has given her.

*Mercy’s dress: In the First and Second Acts she is richly and tastefully attired in a dress which is supposed to have been a present from Lady Janet.

Mercy
(
looking at her watch
). An hour already! An hour since I told the police-officer to leave the house! One more trial to go through — and I shall have restored to Grace Roseberry the position which I have usurped. At six o’clock I have pledged myself to Lady Janet and to Horace to produce Mercy Merrick in this room. There can be no plainer way of making the explanation which they have demanded from me. If I own my name to them, I own the truth in the fewest and the fittest words. Has the servant returned? I sent him to the Refuge some time since. (
She rings the bell at the fireplace. The
MAN-SERVANT
enters on the left.
) Have you taken my note to the Matron at the Refuge?

The Servant.
Yes, miss. I have just come back.

Mercy
. Did you wait for an answer?

(JULIAN GRAY
appears in the conservatory, and enters unobserved.
)

The Servant
(
to
MERCY). The Matron was engaged at the time, miss. I was told to say that the answer would be sent to you by telegram.

(
He bows, and goes out by the door on the left.
JULIAN
advances.
MERCY,
seeing him, starts.
)

Mercy
(
in alarm
). Has the time come? It is not six o’clock!

Julian.
Forgive my intrusion. I have a reason for wishing to speak to you before Lady Janet and Horace return to this room.

Mercy
(
giving him her hand
).
You
are always welcome.
You
are my best friend.

Julian.
Has anything happened in my absence? I heard the servant tell you to expect a telegram.

Mercy
(
simply
). I have written to the Matron, to ask her to take me back into the Refuge. And she has promised to answer me by telegram. That is all.

Julian
(
deeply affected
). You are going back to the Refuge? Back to the martyrdom of your old life?

Mercy
(
calmly
). What else have I deserved?

Julian
(
aside
). Of her own free will she has made the expiation complete! Noble creature! (
To
MERCY.) You cannot, you must not, return to the Refuge. Trust your future to me, as your brother and your friend.

Mercy
. I am too grateful to you, Mr. Gray, to allow you to sacrifice yourself to my miserable interests. For your own sake, when I leave this house we must part. (JULIAN
attempts to speak.
) Not a word more — as a favour to me. Where is Miss Roseberry?

Julian.
She is waiting to join Lady Janet and Horace in this room, when the clock strikes six.

Mercy
. Is Horace —
 
— ? No! I must not call him Horace now, is Mr. Holmcroft with Lady Janet?

Julian.
You saw them leave the room together after the police officer had quitted the house. They have been together ever since. I came here to say a word to you about Horace. There is no time to lose. May I speak now?

Mercy
. Certainly.

Julian.
You must have noticed Horace’s unworthy distrust of my interest in you. I am ashamed to allude to his jealousy of me at such a time as this — but, in your interests, I am obliged to mention it.

Mercy
(
in low tones
). Go on.

Julian.
I have had a warning from Lady Janet. She can control Horace no longer. He refuses to wait until you have made your confession; he is coming here, before it, to question you about Me. (MERCY
starts.
) Don’t he alarmed! You have only to go into the conservatory, and leave me to see Horace alone.

Mercy
(
firmly
). Don’t think me insensible to your kindness. I know his temper. I cannot allow you to see him alone.

Julian.
You have a terrible ordeal still to go through. He may agitate you at a time when you require all your composure. Let me meet him, and quiet him! Let me help you in this!

Mercy
. You have done enough for me already, Mr. Gray. If I leave you with Horace, I may expose you to insult. I refuse to do that. (
She looks towards the door on the left.
) Hush!

(HORACE
enters abruptly on the left. He stops just inside the door, and looks alternately at
JULIAN
and
MERCY.)

Horace
(
with bitter irony
). I knew it! If I could have persuaded Lady Janet to bet, I should have won a hundred pounds! (
Suddenly changing to anger, and advancing to
JULIAN.) Would you like to hear what the bet was?

Julian
(
quietly
). I should prefer seeing you able to control yourself in the presence of this lady.

Horace
(
going on
). I offered to lay Lady Janet two hundred pounds to one that I should find you here, making love to Miss Roseberry behind my back.