Complete Works of Wilkie Collins (2059 page)

Do you hear me?

DR. D. (
aside to
MISS G.)

Say what I say. (
He prompts her.
) You have no right to claim any control over me.

MISS G. (
mechanically repeating the words, in a sinking voice
).

You have no right to claim any control over me.

MID. (
returning a few steps from the door
).

No right? Are you, or are you not, my wife?

DR. D. (
aside to
MISS G.).

One more effort!

MID. (
repeating the question
).

Are you, or are you not, my wife? Yes or No?

MISS G. (
her voice sinking to a whisper
).

No!

(MIDWINTER
advances on her furiously, with a cry of indignation. She shows no fear of him.
DOCTOR DOWNWARD
springs forward to place himself between them.
MIDWINTER
instantly checks himself, and turns sternly to the
DOCTOR.)

MID.

She stands in no need of your protection, sir. I tell you again, she is safe in my loathing and contempt. Let her live in her infamy! I leave her for ever.

(
He leaves the room.
DOCTOR DOWNWARD
looks at
MISS GWILT.
She has neither moved nor spoken since she has disowned her husband. The
DOCTOR
cautiously touches her arm, and speaks in an under tone.
)

DR. D.

Remember Armadale!

(
She rouses herself with a heavy sigh, and slowly looks round at him. He gently puts her arm in his, and speaks again in the same under tone.
)

DR. D.

Come to the Sanatorium.

THE END OF THE FOURTH ACT.

ACT V.

SCENE. —
The Sanatorium. The stage represents a drawing-room, with a door and a window at the back, and a bedroom on the right hand. The bedroom is furnished with a bed (without curtains), a table, and a chair. A candle (made to burn gas) is placed on the table. The bedroom is divided from the drawing-room by a vertical partition, with a door in it marked in large characters, on the drawing-room side, No. 1. On the left hand is a similar door, opposite, supposed to lead into another bedroom which is not seen, and marked No. 2. On the drawing-room side of the door of No. 1, and placed close against the partition wall, is a pedestal in imitation marble, with a vase of flowers placed on it. The pedestal is hollow; it opens at the top on the vase being removed, and is supposed to contain the
DOCTOR’S
vaporising apparatus.

At the rise of the curtain
DR. DOWNWARD
and
ALLAN
are discovered in the drawing-room drinking tea. A moderator lamp on the table, also writing materials. Time — night.

ALLAN.

Tell me, Doctor, are you quite sure I can’t see Miss Milroy?

DR. D.

Miss Milroy has retired for the night.

ALLAN.

Why, it’s barely eleven o’clock!

DR. D.

My good sir, eleven is late in this house. Ten is our hour. After ten I prescribe silence and sleep in the largest doses. By day or night quiet is my grand remedy. All noises die on the threshold of my Sanatorium. Find a door banging in this house if you can! Discover barking dogs, crowing cocks, hammering workmen, screeching children, here, and I close this establishment to-morrow!

ALLAN.

Can I see Miss Milroy in the morning, early?

DR. D.

The earlier the better. We are the children of Nature here. When Nature gets up,
we
get up. We rise with the sun, we sing with the birds, we grow with the grass; and then we go in to breakfast. A pastoral breakfast, Mr. Armadale: milk and honey — milk and honey!

ALLAN.

A drop of brandy wouldn’t hurt that pastoral breakfast of yours, Doctor.

DR. D.

Brandy? My young friend, alcohol is poison. I belong to the Temperance League — I believe in nothing but water! (ALLAN
rises, and takes his hat.
) You are not going?

ALLAN.

“Early to bed, and early to rise,” Doctor! The instant Miss Milroy goes out to-morrow morning I mean to be in your garden to meet her. I must get a bed somewhere. Is there an hotel at this place?

DR. D.

There is nothing but a public-house.

ALLAN.

Can I get a cab to take me back to London?

DR. D.

There isn’t such a thing as a cab in the whole village.

ALLAN.

A pleasant prospect before me! I say, Doctor, I wish you would let me stop here to-night.

DR. D. (
aside
).

He has come to it at last! (
To
ALLAN.) Contrary to the rules, Mr. Armadale.

ALLAN.

Relax the rules for once.

DR. D. (
smiling
).

Mr. Armadale, you possess the gift of persuasion. And you take advantage of it!

ALLAN.

I won’t give any trouble. Leave me here for the night, in this comfortable armchair.

DR. D.

My dear Sir, I can’t leave you to pass the night in a chair! The hospitality of the Sanatorium is not quite as meagre as that. (
Pointing to the bedroom doors on each side.
) There are two empty bedrooms at your disposal. Which will you have?

ALLAN.

Which is the nearest to Miss Milroy?

DR. D.

Aha, you rogue! Well, well — I should have been like you at your age. (
Pointing to No. 1
) That is the nearest of the two rooms.

ALLAN.

Then that is the room for me. (
Looking at this watch.
) Not twelve yet! I wish I could annihilate the next five hours. Do you allow smoking, Doctor?

DR. D.

Smoking? Tobacco is poison! I belong to the Anti-Tobacco League.

ALLAN.

More Leagues? What
is
a League, Doctor?

DR. D.

A League is an Association for forcing
my
ideas down
your
throat. It is the natural offspring of a free country.

ALLAN.

Do you think the League would discover me if I went out and smoked in the garden?

DR. D.

See what it is to be the slave of a bad habit! Go into the garden, my young friend. You will be physically the worse for the tobacco, but you will be morally better after contemplating the stars!

ALLAN.

Six of one and half-a-dozen of the other — eh? (
He takes out his cigar case.
) I should be perfectly happy now if it wasn’t for one thing.

DR. D.

Any anxiety that I can remove?

ALLAN.

I can’t help thinking of poor Midwinter.

DR. D.

Do you suppose your absence will alarm him?

ALLAN.

No fear of that. He knows where I am.

DR. D. (
aside
).

The devil he does!

ALLAN (
choosing a cigar
).

I stopped at the hotel and left a note a note for him as I went by. It’s an old engagement of mine with Midwinter never to leave him without telling him where to find me. He’s under a delusion, poor fellow, that I shall do something rash one of these days, and that he is to be the means of saving me. (
Pulling on his hat.
) How shall I find my way to the garden?

DR. D.

The servant will show you. No noise, mind!

ALLAN.

Oh, no noise! I’ll be as silent as the grave. (
Exit.
)

DR. D. (
alone
).

“As silent as the grave”? You may find, Mr. Armadale, that we interpret your metaphor literally in this house! (
He takes a turn backwards and forwards thoughtfully.
) He’s young, he’s strong: there isn’t a lurking morsel of disease about him to account for his death. And, to make matters worse, Midwinter knows he is here. (MISS GWILT
enters by the drawing-room door. The
DOCTOR
observes her.
) My dear child, how rash! Armadale has just left me; he might have seen you on the stairs.

MISS G. (
calmly
).

He has not seen me. Have you let him go?

DR. D.

Have I taken leave of my senses? He has gone to smoke in the garden. At his own request he stays here for the night. (
Pointing to it.
) He sleeps in that room.

MISS G. (
noticing the tea things
).

Has he been drinking tea with you?

DR. D.

Yes.

MISS G. (
taking up
ALLAN’S
empty cup
).

Have you poisoned him?

DR. D.

Poisoned him? Poison leaves traces, my dear, and coroners’ inquests sit on people who die mysteriously. Any more questions?

MISS G. (
maintaining the tone of impenetrable composure in which she has spoken thus far
).

One more. You have written a letter to Armadale’s executors, falsely declaring me to be Armadale’s widow, and falsely claiming the widow’s income. Can the law reach you for doing that?

DR. D.

Yes, if Armadale says the word.

MISS G. (
suddenly advancing on
DR. D.).

Armadale dies to-night, or
I
say the word!

DR. D.

You!

MISS G. (
beginning to lose her self-control
).

Take your choice! You smooth-tongued villain, take your choice!

DR. D. (
drawing back
).

She has lost her senses!

MISS G.