Delphi Complete Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Illustrated) (1037 page)

BOTH.
 
Up with caps and freedom hail!

Here’s the new election cry;

Man’s a man if born a male,

Tooral, looral, looral-ly!

DANCE.

Boots are placed outside the doors at this point. The BULLDOGS

look scared, and exeunt downstairs.

Enter CADDIE. He collects boots in a laundress’s basket.
 
The

boots he loves are not among them. He is distressed. JANE ANNIE’s

door opens and she puts out her boots. He is elated and goes for

them. While he is getting them BAB’s arm appears outside her

door, groping for her boots. As she doesn’t find then she comes

out and looks for them. She sees basket, glides to it unseen by

CADDIE, picks out her boots and exit with them. CADDIE returns

with JANE ANNIE’s boots, fondling them. He sits down on basket

and kisses them. Then he rises and tries to drop them among the

others. This strikes him as sacrilege. He shakes his head, then

ties the laces of JANE ANNIE’s boots together, slings them over

his head, and exit, carrying basket.

PROCTOR.
 
What is he up to? If I had only being going, I should

be at the half-hour by this time, and then I could see

with the left eye. Ten past nine! I little thought that

the time would come when the grand ambition of my life

would be to be nine-thirty. What is he doing upstairs?

Hallo! a girl, and after some mischief. I wonder if I

dare ask her to put me on twenty minutes. I feel very

queer, as if I was turning into a real clock. I hope I

sha’n’t strike.

ROSE and MILLY come softly out of their rooms.

MILLY. I have been thinking so much of what Bab told us that I

can’t go to bed.

ROSE.
 
Nor I — Oh, Milly!

MILLY. What time is it, Rose?

ROSE (holding candle to clock). Half-past nine.

PROCTOR (aside). I wish it was!

ROSE (to MILLY). What?

MILLY. I didn’t speak.

Flute heard outside.

ROSE.
 
Listen!

MILLY. Oh, Rose! I am all of a tremble; turn up the gas.

BAB enters. Flute playing continues.

ROSE.
 
It is he — Jack!

BAB
 
(trembling). No, that is Tom!

MILLY. The other one!

BAB. Milly, he must have heard that I am to elope with Jack

and doubtless he has come here to shoot me.

MILLY. How romantic!

ROSE.
 
How delightful!

PROCTOR.
 
How out of tune!

MILLY. Perhaps he has only come to ask you to give him back

his presents.

ROSE.
 
How horrid of him to bother you when you don’t care for

him.

BAB. I never said I didn’t care for him.

MILLY. Oh!

ROSE.
 
I hear him climbing up the ivy.

MILLY. He is coming to the window.

BAB. If he and Jack meet they will fight. (To GIRLS.) Leave

us.

ROSE and MILLY exeunt. BAB hides. TOM enters from the window. He

is very sad.

BALLAD. — TOM.

It was the time of thistledown,

The corn we wandered through;

She plucked the lover’s thistledown,

As maids are wont to do.

She blew upon the thistledown,

“He loves, he loves me not!”

And from the loyal thistledown,

“He loves” the answer got.

She did not ask the thistledown

If her own love were true;

No need to ask the thistledown,

She thought — as maidens do.

But had she asked the thistledown,

This answer she’d have got,

“Your false breath stains the thistledown,

He loves, but you love not.”

BAB
 
(coming down). Tom! (They embrace.)

TOM. Then you do love me?

BAB
 
(kissing him). Oh no, this is only saying good-bye.

TOM. You fling me over?

BAB. Jack insists on it.

TOM. Have you forgotten that day on the river, when —

BAB. When you kissed my hand? Oh, Tom, but I have been on

the river since then with Jack, and he —

TOM. Kissed your hand also?

BAB. No, he did not kiss my — hand. (TOM takes something

wrapped in paper from his pocket.) What is that?

TOM. The glove you gave me. (Gives it to her.) Give it to

Jack. (Hands her something else.)

BAB. And what is this?

TOM. A hairpin. Give it to Jack. Good-bye!

BAB. Ah, Tom, you will soon forget me.

TOM. I am a man who loves but once, and then for aye.

BAB. You will be heart-broken about me all your life?

TOM. Till the grave close on me.

BAB. Dear Tom, you make me so happy. Now, kiss me

passionately for the last time. You must see that it is

not my fault. (He is about to kiss her, then sadly lets

her go.)

DUET. — TOM and BAB.

TOM.
  
O eyes that spoke to me of truth,

Farewell, deceptive mirror!

BAB.
  
Thus you describe them, yet forsooth,

You look into the mirror!

TOM.
  
Sweet mouth that pouted for my kiss,

Farewell, sweet lying mouth!

BAB.
  
The words you’re using are amiss,

Yet sweet you call my mouth!

TOM.
  
O heart that throbbed a tale untrue,

Farewell, you falsely beat!

BAB.
  
Although it may not beat for you,

The words you say are sweet.

TOM.
  
False one, farewell, I harm you not;

To him depart, and scathless;

Be mine to bear my dreary lot,

Struck down by woman faithless.

For you, a jilt, my heart has bled,

My cup with grief you fill.

Ah, tell me, empty little head,

Why ‘tis I love you still?

BAB.
  
He loves me still, he loves me true,

He worships at my feet.

My heart may never beat for you,

And yet your words are sweet.

ENSEMBLE.

TOM.
  
BAB.

‘Tis so; yet joy be thine,
 
Ah, how can joy be mine,

Though hopeless future mine, If hopeless fate is thine?

Farewell!
  
Farewell!

BAB
 
(aside). Ah! am I sure that it is Jack whom I love

best? And yet, my promise!

JANE ANNIE steals downstairs.

BAB. Fly, Tom! It is Jane Annie, the sneak!

TOM hurries to window where JANE ANNIE meets him. The PROCTOR

comes stealthily out of clock.

PROCTOR.
 
Name and college!

TOM jumps through the window , PROCTOR seizes JANE ANNIE. BAB

listens unseen.

JANE A. Unhand me! I am Jane Annie, the model girl od the

school.

PROCTOR.
 
You are Bab, the flirting-girl!

JANE A. You are mistaken, I —

PROCTOR.
 
Mistaken! — I! Have I not told you that I am a

Proctor?

JANE A. It was Bab who was flirting, and I came to warn you.

PROCTOR.
 
Yes, it was Bab, and you are Bab. (Seeing BAB.) Girl,

what is the name of this chit?

BAB. That is Bab, sir, and my name is Jane Annie.

JANE A. Oh!

PROCTOR.
 
Exactly! She has assumed your name.