Complete Works of Wilkie Collins (2046 page)

ALLAN (
a little exhilarated by wine.
)

Midwinter, why don’t you come in and taste the Major’s champagne?

(
He approaches
MIDWINTER,
and puts his hand on his friend’s shoulder.
)

MID. (
shrinking from him
).

Don’t touch me!

ALLAN (
in astonishment
).

Have I offended you?

MID. (
sorrowfully
).

Offended me! Oh, my poor boy, are you to blame for being kind to me? And am I to blame for feeling your kindness thankfully?

ALLAN (
becoming serious on his side
).

What does he mean? Midwinter, you talk strangely — you look dreadfully pale. Are you ill? Come into the cottage. A glass of wine will put you right again.

MID.

Not now! not now! I shall soon be better. I have been considering, Allan, about the employment that you offered me. Let me go. I am not the man for the steward’s place.

ALLAN.

Don’t excite yourself! You shall have the place,
because
you are not the man for it. There are one or two other places in England filled on that principle. Drop this, Midwinter, or you will really distress me. Ask the Major what he thinks. The Major has been talking to me about you. He told me that a wealthy position was a dangerous position for a man of my age. “You may want a friend’s advice,” he said; “you may need a friend’s help sooner than you think.” If the Major is right, it is your advice I shall want, and your help I may need. (
He turns to enter the cottage.
) Come along!

MID. (
aside
).

My own thought reflected in
his
mind! recalled to me by
his
lips! Is it a warning to me to stay?

ALLAN (
at the cottage gate
).

Come! come! The Major is waiting to see you.

(MIDWINTER
declines by a gesture, and walks aside among the trees at the back. At the same moment
MAJOR MILROY
and
MISS MILROY
appear at the gate.
)

MAJOR M.

Anything wrong, Mr. Armadale?

ALLAN.

My friend is not very well, Major. He leaves me to make his apologies to you and Miss Milroy.

(
While
ALLAN
is speaking,
DR. DOWNWARD
appears at the back of the stage, on the left, with
MISS GWILT
on his arm.
MISS MILROY
sees them over her father’s shoulder.
)

MISS M.

Papa, the new governess!

(
The
MAJOR
advances, and is presented by the
DOCTOR
to
MISS GWILT. MISS MILROY
hangs back near
ALLAN.)

ALLAN (
looking at
MISS GWILT).

By Jove! what a handsome woman!

MISS M. (
overhearing him
).

I can’t congratulate you on your taste, Mr. Armadale.

MAJOR M. (
beckoning to his daughter
).

My dear, come and be introduced to Miss Gwilt.

(MISS MILROY
advances unwillingly, remaining on
MISS GWILT’S
right.
DR. DOWNWARD
occupies
MAJOR MILROY’S
place, on
MISS GWILT’S
left, which the
MAJOR
leaves vacant after introducing his daughter.
MISS GWILT
takes
MISS MILROY
kindly by the hand.
)

MISS GWILT.

The first minute or two with strangers is always a little trying, Miss Milroy; is it not? I hope I don’t look very formidable? I am almost as nervous on occasions like these as you are; but I try to hide it.

MISS M. (
satirically
).

And I think you succeed, Miss Gwilt.

MISS G. (
assuming the same tone on her side
).

Do you, really? What a nice, frank, open nature you have, my dear! (
She notices
ALLAN,
and addresses the
MAJOR.) Another member of your family, Major Milroy?

MAJOR M. (
crossing to the right to present
ALLAN).

No, no, Miss Gwilt. The enviable possessor of this beautiful place — Mr. Allan Armadale.

(MISS G.
looks at
ALLAN
and bows formally, as if her first impression of him was not favourable.
)

ALLAN.

I hope I shall have the pleasure of showing you the place, Miss Gwilt (
aside
), as soon as I know anything about it myself. (
He calls.
) Midwinter!

(MIDWINTER
descends the stage.
MISS GWILT
speaks aside with
MISS MILROY.)

DR. D. (
to himself
).

Midwinter? The man with the assumed name — the man the executor mentioned to me in London!

ALLAN (
to
MIDWINTER).

My dear fellow! which is the way to my house?

(MIDWINTER
smiles, and speaks with
ALLAN,
pointing to the trees at the back.
MAJOR MILROY
addresses his daughter.
)

MAJOR M.

Your governess may wish to see her room, my dear. You will find my little cottage furnished very simply, Miss Gwilt. This way!

(
He holds open the gate for
MISS GWILT
to pass through. She looks towards
ALLAN,
who is still speaking with
MIDWINTER,
as she passes the gate.
MIDWINTER
sees her for the first time, recognises her, and starts violently. The
DOCTOR
watches him attentively.
)

MID.

SHE here ! ! !

ALLAN (
noticing the change in him
).

What’s the matter? You’ve brightened up! Your colour has come back; you look like yourself again! (
He follows the direction of
MIDWINTER’S
eyes;
MISS GWILT
at the same moment passing through the gate, and lingering in view, while she speaks to
MISS M.,
and admires the flowers.
ALLAN
continues aside to
MIDWINTER.) Ah, she’s a fine woman, isn’t she? I say! do you still think of leaving me, old fellow? Which is it now? Do you go or stay?

MID. (
with his eyes fixed spellbound on
MISS GWILT).

I stay!

THE END OF THE FIRST ACT

Act II. — THE DOCTOR.

SCENE. —
The interior of the fishing-house at Thorpe-Ambrose, divided by a vertical partition — with a door in it — into two rooms of unequal size. The larger of the two opens on a terrace and verandah at the back of the stage, commanding a view of a sheet of water. This room is fitted up as a museum, and is decorated with Indian and Chinese curiosities, fishing implements, ancient and modern weapons, models of ships and boats, and in a prominent place a model of a schooner-yacht.

The smaller room (fitted up as a reading-room) is entered by a door in the partition. The upper part of the door is of glass, covered by a curtain on the side of the reading-room. Newspapers, periodicals, and writing materials are on the table. A window large enough for a man to climb through is in the wall of the room, at the back.

At the rise of the curtain
MAJOR MILROY, MISS MILROY,
and
MISS GWILT
are discovered in the museum.
MISS GWILT
is seated at one end of the room making a water-colour drawing of a Chinese figure. The
MAJOR
stands looking over her.
MISS MILROY
is alone at the opposite end of the room, examining a book of engravings.

MAJOR M.

Miss Gwilt, you are the most universally-gifted person I have ever met with. If my reckoning is right, you have been a resident in our family for something like three weeks. I declare hardly a day has passed without our finding some fresh accomplishment of yours to admire! Neelie! why don’t you come and look at Miss Gwilt’s drawing?

MISS M.

I am looking at the works of Raphael, papa. Perhaps I may be excused if I have no admiration to spare, even for Miss Gwilt.

MISS G.

I am charmed to find, my dear, that you are making some progress in your knowledge of art. It is something to have discovered that Raphael was a better painter than I am!

MAJOR M. (
looking about him
).

What do you think of our young squire’s fishing-house, Miss Gwilt? I confess I don’t appreciate some of Mr. Armadale’s curiosities. What can he want with these models of ships, for instance?

MISS M.

Mr. Armadale has the true English love of the sea, papa. He is going for a cruise in the Mediterranean this autumn. That (
pointing to it
) is the model of the yacht which is to be built for him under his own directions.

MAJOR M.

Every one to his taste. The Indian things are the prettiest things here, to my thinking. (
He looks over
MISS GWILT’S
shoulder.
) How well you are getting on with your drawing, Miss Gwilt! How well you do everything! Were you educated in England?

MISS G.

Partly in England and partly in France. My poor mother’s small resources were heavily taxed, Major, for my sake.

MAJOR M.

The sacrifice has not been without its reward, Miss Gwilt. It has made you the accomplished woman you are now.

MISS G. (
smiling sadly
).

It has done more than that. It has made me feel keenly my dependent position in the world. I have had the training of a lady — for the life of a servant! My mind has been cultivated, my tastes have been refined — and all for what? To see people without mind and without taste prosperous and happy — to find my poverty degrading all that is highest and best in me to the level of something to sell, something which the insolence of wealth can purchase on its own terms. Don’t think me ungrateful! I am speaking of the time before you knew me. Will the day ever come when I shall deserve your kindness? Shall I stay with you long enough to win a sister’s place in my pupil’s heart?

MISS M.

You are very good, Miss Gwilt. If you stayed here a hundred years I should never forget you were my governess!

MAJOR M.

Neelie, that is a very improper answer to make to Miss Gwilt.

MISS G. (
to the
MAJOR).

Pray don’t notice it!
You
understand me, don’t you?

MAJOR M.

I understand, and thank you. It is really a question, Miss Gwilt — at your age and with your attractions — whether I have any right to keep you buried in this obscure place. A brilliant future may be awaiting you.