Complete Works of Wilkie Collins (2062 page)

FRANCIS.

The day attendant calls you, Sir. I write his orders overnight on the slate.

ALLAN (
pointing to No. 1
).

This is my room. Write that I am to be called at six to-morrow morning.

FRANCIS (
writing
).

“Mr. Armadale — room No. 1 — to be called at six.” (
He turns to
MIDWINTER.) Any orders, sir?

MID.

No orders.

(FRANCIS
enters the room numbered “2.”
DR. D.
returns to
ALLAN
and
MIDWINTER.)

DR. D.

Good night, gentlemen.

ALLAN.

Good night, Doctor!

(
He goes into room No. 1.
MID.
follows him in, and, after first closing the door of communication, carefully examines the room, and notices that the key is on the inner side of the door.
ALLAN
observes him with astonishment. As the door closes on them
FRANCIS
comes out of No. 2. The
DOCTOR
speaks to him.
)

DR. D.

Wait a little, Francis, before you turn out the lamp in the drawing-room. (FRANCIS
waits at the back.
DR. D.
takes the key out of the lock of No. 2, and continues, speaking to himself.
) If you
will
sleep opposite your friend, Mr. Midwinter, we must keep you within the limits of your own room. (
He looks towards the door of No. 1.
) When is he coming out?

ALLAN (
watching
MIDWINTER’S
examination of his room
).

My dear fellow, what
does
this mean?

MID.

Wait till the morning, and I’ll tell you. In the meantime, lock your door.

(
He returns to the drawing-room, closing
ALLAN’S
door.
ALLAN
seats himself on the side of the bed, and falls into thought.
MID.
meets the
DOCTOR
face to face, looks at him steadily, and speaks quietly, as if thinking aloud.
)

MID.

You were in league with my wife this afternoon, and you have entrapped my friend into your house to-night. Is there any connection between the outrage you have offered to
me
and the snare you have set for
him?

DR. D.

Do you expect me to answer that question?

MID.

I expect the night to answer it.

(
He goes into his room and closes the door.
)

DR. D. (
alone
).

I’ll keep you waiting for the answer! (
He approaches the door with the key in his hand, and checks himself.
) No! Let me give him time to fall asleep first. (
He speaks to
FRANCIS.) Turn down the lamp, Francis; but be careful not to turn it quite out to-night. I may want to come back.

(
He goes out.
FRANCIS
turns down the lamp. The drawing-room is obscured; but the bedroom No. 1 is still lit by the candle.
ALLAN
remains seated on the side of the bed.
FRANCIS,
leaving the lamp, advances softly to the front, takes a slip of paper out of his waistcoat pocket, and looks hesitatingly at the door of No. 2.
)

FRANCIS.

How had I better give this to Mr. Midwinter? I’ll slip it under his door.

(
He pushes the paper under
MIDWINTER’S
door, and softly leaves the drawing-room. After a short pause
MIDWINTER
opens the door with the paper in his hand, and looks about the empty drawing-room.
)

MID.

Nobody in the room! Who
can
have slipped this under my door? Is it really meant for me? (
He turns the lamp up a little higher, and reads by the light of it.
) “Sir, — This comes to you from an unknown friend. I have been instructed to watch the Doctor’s house, and I heard what you said to Mr. Armadale at the gate. Others are interested in him besides you. Major and Miss Milroy are in London, and the young lady has persuaded her father to consult his lawyer —
 
— ” (
He pauses, and speaks.
) Proof, if proof was needed, that Miss Milroy is
not
in the house! (
He goes on reading.
) “The upshot of it is that we are going to take the Doctor for debt, on the chance of fixing him afterwards with a serious offence against the law. We have squared Francis, who will let us into the house. I have sent a messenger to Major Milroy, to tell him you and Mr. Armadale are here. Keep an eye on your friend, and wait till we come.” It may be hours before they come! and what may not happen in that time? Has Allan taken the common precaution of locking his door? (
He puts the slip of paper into his breast pocket, advances to the door of No. 1, and checks himself.
) Stop! Let me look at my own door first. (
He opens his door, and notices the absence of the key.
) No key! It’s plain I am to be locked in. (
He pauses to reflect.
) Let me think! The Doctor waited, and saw Allan into
his
room; waited again, and saw
me
into
mine.
If I can do nothing else, I can baffle the villain’s calculations, and I will! (
He crosses, and knocks at
ALLAN’S
door.
) Are you in bed? (ALLAN
rises and opens the door.
) What, not undressed yet?

ALLAN (
smiling
).

I didn’t think of it. I can think of nothing but Miss Milroy.

MID.

Will you humour me for the last time? Let us change rooms.

ALLAN.

Why?

MID.

I have taken a liking to your room.

ALLAN.

Nonsense! One room is as good as the other.

MID.

Very likely. But there is a difference in the beds.

ALLAN.

What difference?

MID.

My bed has got curtains, and your bed has none. I can’t sleep comfortably with curtains round me.

ALLAN (
yielding
).

All right! Take my bed, you old fidget, and I will take yours! Will
that
quiet you?

MID.

That will quiet me, Allan. Good night.

(
They shake hands.
ALLAN
enters No. 2, and closes the door.
MID.
waits to see him safe into the room, and then locks himself into No. 1.
)

MID. (
in No. 1
).

Can I do more than I have done? (
He listens.
) Not a sound stirring, indoors or out! (
He seats himself by a little table in the room.
) Has the day of atonement dawned for me at last? Is Allan’s life to be saved to-night, and saved by
me?
If I could only know how soon the men will be here! Is there no hint to guide me in the warning I read just now? (
He takes out the paper, and with it another letter in the same pocket. He looks through the paper and puts it back with a gesture in the negative; then takes up and opens the letter.
) Oh, me! a note from my wife, in the first days of our marriage — in the golden time of our love! Who would believe that the woman who wrote these charming lines and the woman who has deceived and disgraced me are one? (
His left hand closes mechanically on the letter. His right hand supports his head as he sits thinking by the table. The door of the drawing-room opens, and
FRANCIS
appears with a candle, followed by
MISS GWILT.
The ensuing scene, and
MISS G.’S
scene which follows, must be played in undertones until the moment when
MISS G.
discovers
MIDWINTER.)

FRANCIS.

The housemaid will have your room ready for you, ma’am, in a quarter of an hour. No. 7, at the end of the corridor.

MISS G.

Why can’t I have one of these rooms?

FRANCIS (
turning up the lamp a little higher
).

They are occupied by the two gentlemen who came here this evening. (
Pointing to No. 1
) Mr. Armadale is in that room.

MISS G. (
as if doubting
FRANCIS).

Mr. Armadale? I thought he was on the floor above us.

FRANCIS.

I have got it down on the slate, ma’am, by the gentleman’s own orders. (
He shows the slate.
) “Mr. Armadale, room No. 1, to be called at six.”

MISS G. (
aside
).

Armadale is there!

FRANCIS (
pointing to No. 2
).

The other gentleman on this side is Mr. Midwinter. (MISS G.
starts.
) If you don’t object to waiting here, ma’am, the housemaid will come to show you the way to your room.

MISS G. (
with her eyes fixed on the door of No. 2
).

Tell the housemaid I shall not want her. I know the way.

FRANCIS.

I wish you good night, ma’am.

MISS G. (
as before
).

Good night. (FRANCIS
goes out, taking his candle with him.
MISS G.
approaches nearer to the door of No. 2, and speaks in low, suppressed tones.
) He is there! — there, within a few yards of me — the husband whose right I have denied, whose love I have lost for ever! (
She produces the bottle which the
DOCTOR
gave her.
) Should I rouse some nobler feeling in him than contempt if he saw me now, with his friend’s life in my hands?

(
The
DOCTOR
enters softly with the key of No. 2. The dialogue between them is carried on in whispers.
)

DR. D. (
after listening at the door of No. 1
).

All quiet! Not a sound stirring in the room. (
He softly approaches the door of No. 2.
)

MISS G. (
stopping him
).

What are you about?

DR. D.

I’m going to lock him in.

MISS G.

No!

DR. D.

Why not?

MISS G.

It’s an insult to lock him in! He shall suffer insult no more from you or me. Go! (
She points to the drawing-room door, then turns aside and removes the vase of flowers from the pedestal. While she does this the
DOCTOR
listens at the keyhole of No. 2.
)

DR. D. (
aside
).

No need of the key — he is asleep. (
Rises, and speaks to
MISS G.,
who returns to him.
) No noise! Whatever you do, my dear, no noise!