UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES THE GREY STOCKING AND OTHER PLAYS BY THE SAME AUTHOR DEAD LETTERS. Crown &vo. 45. 6d. net. 'One of those rare and delightful books in which the reader is invited to smile, rather than to laugh, and to think even when he is most amused.' Globe. DIMINUTIVE DRAMAS. Crown 8vo. 4J. 6d. net. 'Well written and lively, with touches of a very nice humour.' Pall Mall Gazette. ' Mr. Baring is exceedingly clever, and he has a pleasantly fantastic humour. ' Evening Standard. CONSTABLE AND COMPANY LTD. THE GREY STOCKING And Other Plays BY MAURICE BARING LONDON CONSTABLE AND COMPANY LTD. 1912 Copyright by Maurice Baring, All Rights of Dramatic Performance reserved o CONTENTS PAGE THE GREY STOCKING 5 THE GREEN ELEPHANT J33 TIJE DOUBLE GAME 267 f THE GREY STOCKING A PLAY IN FOUR ACTS MAGDELEN PONSONBY PERSONS OF THE PLAY COUNT PETER VELICHKOVSKY, twenty-five years old. HENRY ALSTON, thirty-six years old. BASIL ALSTON (his brother, an Oxford Don), forty years old. WILFRID BEENHAM (in the Education Office), twenty- seven years old. ROBERT MACFARLANE (on the Staff of a Weekly Review), thirty years old. CHARLES MERIOT. TOMMY CONNYBEARE, twenty-five years old. JAMES SIMPSON (an architect), thirty years old. HUGO WILLBOROUGH, forty-five years old. LADY SYBIL ALSTON, twenty-seven years old. Miss FARRER (an authoress), thirty-six years old. MRS. JAMES, forty years old. ALICE WILLBOROUGH (Hugo's wife), thirty-five years old. Miss RENNETT, fifty years old. MRS. SIMPSON. FOOTMAN. The action takes place at Rock ley , Henry Alston's house in Surrey. Three weeks elapse between Acts I. and //., one week between Acts II. and III., and twelve days between Acts III. and IV. SCENES ACT I. The Garden at Rockley. ACT II. Morning Room at Rockley. ACT III. Drawing-Room at Rockley. ACT IV. The Garden at Rockley. CAST OF 'THE GREY STOCKING' as produced at Matinees on May 28, 1908, and June 26, 1908, at the Royalty Theatre, by Miss GERTRUDE KINGSTON COUNT PETER VELICHKOVSKY Mr. HARCOURT WILLIAMS HENRY ALSTON . . . Mr. C. V. FRANCE BASIL ALSTON (bis brother^ a Don] Mr. LEWIS WILLOUGHBY WILFRID BEENHAM (in the Education Office] . . Mr. ASHTON PEARSE ROBERT MACFARLANE . . Mr. ARTHUR ELDRED TOMMY CONNYBEARE . . Mr. WILFRID FORSTER HUGO WILLBOROUGH . . Mr. J. FISHER WHITE CHARLES MERIOT (on the Staff of a London Weekly] . . Mr. GEORGE INGLETON LADY SYBIL ALSTON . Miss LILIAN BRAITHWAITE MRS. SIMPSON . . . Miss PATTISSON Miss FARRER (an Authoress] . Miss MAY PARDOE MRS. JAMES .... Mrs. BEERBOHM TREE ALICE WILLBOROUGH . . Miss GERTRUDE KINGSTON Miss RENNETT . . . Miss ANNIE HILL JAMES (Footman] . . , Mr. E. H. BROOKE THE GREY STOCKING ACT I SCENE : The garden at Rockley, Henry Alston's house in Surrey. It is a very hot August afternoon. The garden is an old-fashioned one, with herbaceous borders, and a brown wall in the background against which hollyhocks and sunflowers grow. In the wall is a gate leading to the kitchen garden. R. of the stage is seen the sight of an old Tudor brick house covered with ivy, and a verandah opening on to the garden. In the centre of the stage is a large tulip-tree, under which there are several garden chairs and a tea-table. Round the table are seated LADY SYBIL ALSTON, MISS FARRER and MRS. JAMES. LADY SYBIL IS pretty, distinguished-looking, simply dressed in a white cotton gown, with a big straw hat. She is knitting a grey stocking. MISS FARRER has a keen, intelligent, and rather rugged face ; she is dressed in a cotton shirt and a golfing skirt, and wears a man's straw hat. There is something slightly masculine and tailor-made about her. MRS. JAMES has the remains of striking looks. She wears rather a heavy and slightly tousled fringe. There is something which suggests South Kensington and a faint echo of the 6 The Grey Stocking [i. pre-Raphaelite period in her clothes, which are long. She wears a necklace of green beads. She is a little bit decolletee. MISS FARRER (tO SYBIL) I didn't know you knitted, Sybil. SYBIL I never do as a rule. But I promised to do something for the bazaar, so I am knitting this grey stocking ; I don't expect it will be finished in time. MISS FARRER When is the bazaar ? SYBIL Not till October. MISS FARRER You ought to finish it by then. [Enter FOOTMAN from the house. FOOTMAN Mr. and Mrs. Simpson and Miss Rennett, my lady. MISS FARRER (to SYBIL) Who are they ? SYBIL Neighbours. Mr. Simpson is an architect a nice man. His wife is Scotch. Miss Rennett is a relation of theirs. She 's rather a bore, I think. MISS FARRER Say you are out. I Ve got a thousand things to say. i.] The Grey Stocking 7 SYBIL I told them I would be in to-day. I 'm so sorry, Mary, dear. But they 're very harmless, and they won't stay long. (To the FOOTMAN) Say that I 'm in the garden. FOOTMAN Very good, my lady. [He goes out. MRS. JAMES Is Mr. Simpson a relation of the artist who paints those spurious Whistlers ? Because I met him, the artist, at a private view this winter. He married a Miss Beauclerk, an extraordinarily ugly girl. SYBIL I don't think so. At least, he may be ; but he 's got no brothers. [Enter MR. and MRS. SIMPSON and MISS RENNETT, R. [MR. SIMPSON is a man of thirty, not par- ticularly good-looking ; he wears a pince- nez and afiannel shirt. MRS. SIMPSON is about thirty, nice-looking. MISS RENNETT, an old maid of fifty, greyish hair, rather over-dressed in a lilac-Jlowered cotton gown. [SYBIL gets iip and goes to meet them. They exchange how-de-do's. SYBIL Come and sit down here under the tree it 's the only cool place. Do you know Miss Farrer 8 The Grey Stocking [i. and Mrs. James ? (They shake hands.} Will you have some tea ? MR. AND MRS. SIMPSON No, thank you. SYBIL Won't you have some, Miss Rennett ? MISS RENNETT Please, I never can resist tea. No sugar, thank you. SYBIL Milk or cream ? MISS RENNETT Nothing, thank you. Some people give one lemon with afternoon tea now, but I can't say I like it. I believe in Russia everybody takes lemon with their tea. SYBIL We 've got a Russian coming here to-day. MRS. SIMPSON How thrilling ! Is he an anarchist ? SYBIL Oh, no. He 's a young man who 's coming here to do some work with Henry. His mother was Italian, and he was brought up all over the place. He speaks English like an Englishman. MR. SIMPSON The Russians are wonderful linguists. MISS RENNETT Their own language is so fearfully difficult, that i.] The Grey Stocking 9 English must be mere child's play to them. How deliciously cool it is here, and I must say a cup of tea is most refreshing in this heat. SYBIL Did you walk here ? MRS. SIMPSON Yes ; James didn't want to, but I insisted. I love the heat. That comes of having been brought up in India, I suppose. MR. SIMPSON And born in Glasgow. (MRS. SIMPSON laughs.} MRS. SIMPSON James always teases me for being Scotch, but I tell him I 'm very proud of it. SYBIL I 've never been to Scotland in my life. Do you know Scotland, Miss Rennett ? MISS RENNETT Oh, yes, but I 'm ashamed to say I was dreadfully disappointed with Edinburgh. MR. SIMPSON (jocosely) The Athens of Scotland. MISS FARRER I wonder who on earth invented that phrase. I think it shows the shoddiness of the English mind to be continually inventing catchwords and tags. io The Grey Stocking [i. SYBIL (to MISS REN NEXT, paying no attention to MISS FARRER) I admire you for having the energy to travel so much. MISS RENNETT I must say I do like to go abroad every year. Last year I only got to the Lakes. It was very pleasant in spite of the weather ; but I couldn't help thinking the whole time that it was not my beloved Switzerland. MISS FARRER Switzerland ought to be abolished. MISS RENNETT Of course Switzerland 's getting spoilt ; but I 'm very fond of it and mean to go to Zermatt this year if I can manage it. It all depends on my nephew, who 's at Marlborough. SYBIL I 'm told Marlborough 's such a good school. MISS RENNETT Harry 's very happy there, and getting on so well. He 's in the Second Eleven but they work the boys dreadfully hard nowadays. MISS FARRER I thought boys at public schools learnt nothing at all. MR. SIMPSON I 'm afraid I didn't learn much at Sherbourne. i.] The Grey Stocking 1 1 MRS. SIMPSON But then James was always lazy, and I 'm sure he was a terribly naughty boy. MRS. JAMES At Munich Professor Rothe told me that the English boys who came out to the University there have no general knowledge whatsoever, although their aptitude for archaeology is often most re- markable. MR. SIMPSON (laughing) I 'm afraid they generally have a still stronger aptitude for cricket and football. SYBIL Have you been playing in any matches lately, Mr. Simpson ? MR. SIMPSON I played last week for Windlesham against Rollitt's team. But I never get any practice. MRS. SIMPSON What a fib ! James is always playing. I say he ought to give it up. MR. SIMPSON I tell Mildred that I '11 give up cricket when she gives up golf. MISS RENNETT Mildred 's quite crazy about golf and bridge ; she 's trying to teach me, but I tell her I 'm too old. Do you play bridge, Miss Farrer ? They say it 's going out now. 12 The Grey Stocking [i. MISS FARRER I hate all card games. MRS. SIMPSON You must come to the match, Lady Sybil. SYBIL When is it ? MRS. SIMPSON Thursday week. MISS RENNETT I was so glad when croquet came in again. I can remember the old days when people played what I call real croquet with big hoops. I always say the modern game is more like billiards ; but now I can't get Harry to look at a mallet. Like every one else he 's mad about golf. Do you play golf, Lady Sybil ? SYBIL I 'm afraid I don't, but Miss Farrer plays some- times. MISS RENNETT (tO MISS FARRER) May I ask if you are any relation to the cele- brated novelist, the author of the Two Paths ? MISS FARRER I am sorry to say I wrote Two Paths, but it 's the worst thing I ever wrote. MISS RENNETT I thought it was fearfully interesting, but so sad. How could you have the courage to make it end so badly ? I cried over the end. i.] The Grey Stocking 13 MISS FARRER I should like to burn every copy that exists. MRS. SIMPSON Talking of novels, have you read Lady Florizel, by Hepburn ? MISS FARRER I never read novels. It 's quite bad enough to have to write them. MR. SIMPSON It 's a very powerful book. MISS RENNETT I couldn't help finishing it, but I can't say I approve of it. It 's beautifully written, but so unpleasant. I 'm afraid a good deal of it is founded on fact ; they say he took the character of Lady Florizel from the Duchess of Kenilworth. MRS. JAMES The Duchess always reminds me of a creature of the Renaissance. She is Venetian. She is like a Madonna of Bellini with a kind of fausse gaucherie about her a deliberate untidiness although she is, of course, very smart. In the novel, which is badly constructed, but has an element of slap-dash cleverness, a touch of the Sargent quality, she is made too modern and too jolly. The Duchess has something exotic and sixteenth century about her, and a Giorgione-like wistfulness and mellow- ness. MISS RENNETT I must say he 's made her fascinating ; but it 's 14 The Grey Stocking [i. all of course so exaggerated. Have you read it, Lady Sybil ? SYBIL No, I haven't had time to read a book for ages. MRS. SIMPSON (tO MISS RENNETT) I 'm afraid, dear, we must be off, because I 've promised I would be at home at six. (Getting up.} Good-bye, Lady Sybil. (MR. SIMPSON and MISS RENNETT ^ Up.} SYBIL Come and see us again soon. MR. SIMPSON Don't forget the cricket-match, Lady Sybil. Thursday week. Good-bye. [General shaking of hands and chorus of good- byes. MR. and MRS. SIMPSON and MISS RENNETT gO OUt R. MRS. JAMES It is curious to notice how unnecessarily badly dressed this kind of young Englishwomen are. MISS FARRER Don't bore me with talking about clothes, for Heaven's sake ! I can understand Sybil talking about clothes with her friends, because in spite of all this ideal scholar-gipsy life, I believe she hankers after ball-rooms and Ascot at times ; but I can't stand it from you, Cynthia. MRS. JAMES Sybil is always exquisitely dressed, and has the i.] The Grey Stocking 15 right to talk about dress, which is, I consider, one of the fine arts ; and Renan in his Marc Aurtle, you will remember, says the same thing. But here is Alice. I am going in, dear Sybil, to write a few letters before the post goes. [MRS. JAMES goes out R. She meets MRS. WILLBOROUGH coming out of the house ; they exchange a few words inaudible to the audience. MRS. WILLBOROUGH is a handsome woman, dressed simply but in rather an uncommon, slightly French manner. She walks up to the tree and sits down on one of the chairs. MRS. WILLBOROUGH I looked out of the window and saw a whole crowd of people, and I didn't dare come. SYBIL It was only the Simpsons and Miss Rennett. MISS FARRER I 'm very glad they came. Miss Rennett is just what I want for a minor character in a short story I 'm writing. My dear Sybil, this is an excellent home for copy for a novelist. Novelists feed on uncongenial surroundings. SYBIL I don't see what you mean. Everybody has neighbours, and you, Mary, just as much as any one else. Don't you know how nice it is to get back to one's occupation after one is interrupted ? 1 6 The Grey Stocking [i. MISS FARRER I 'm not talking about your neighbours. It 's quite true, everybody lias neighbours and they don't count. I 'm talking about your real sur- roundings. Your mother-in-law, your brother-in- law, your husband's friends ; Macfarlane, who has the snobbishness of a bad servant, and is stuffed with everything that is uninteresting in history and literature ; Meriot who is like a lead pencil cut so thin that it won't write unless you press it, and if you press it, it breaks. Lady Alston, who is simply brimful of that most fanatical intolerance which is called Christian charity Protestant sort ; and Basil, who thinks everything common and mean, and doesn't see that that 's the proof of his own commonness. I '11 tell you what these people are : one mass of narrowness, egotism, conceit, priggishness, hypocrisy and sham morality. They are all sham. And you are living with these people and deluding yourself into thinking you are living a simple, ideal life. It makes me quite sick. It 's not true. You know you would far rather be going to balls in London, to the opera, to Ascot, and talking with people about your friends and their clothes. SYBIL My dear Mary ! Two years ago you used to din into my ears day and night that I was selling my soul ; that I was living among people who were like bad literature, like rotten mayonnaise, like sham jewels, and I don't know what ! i.] The Grey Stocking 17 MISS FARRER I haven't changed my opinion since then ; I think the society you lived in then was sham in one way, and I think the society you live in now is sham in another way, and worse, because it pretends to be superior. SYBIL Well, whatever you think, I like them, and they are Henry's relations. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Two years ago, Mary, you used to rave about Lady Alston. You dragged me to her house. You insulted her husband. You kept her up till three in the morning discussing your new novel with her. You used to say that Basil was like the dying gladiator with the soul of a Persian saint if there is such a thing. MISS FARRER It 's quite true. I was taken in just like Sybil is taken in now. I will tell you a little story. I always thought Lady Alston one of the cleverest people I 've ever seen. I once asked her to do something for me. When I was young and struggling to find an opening, I asked her to get her husband to send an article of mine to the editor of The Coming Age, who was a great friend of his. She said her husband would certainly have done so if he had considered the article good enough to recommend, but that he was too busy during the next three months to read it. She was sure I would understand. I 1 8 The Grey Stocking [i. didn't. Since then I could never feel quite the same about Lady Alston. As for Henry, I think he 's a miracle the ugly duckling that turns out to be the swan. SYBIL (laughing) I 'm rather relieved you can bear Henry. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Henry admires your novels, Mary. MISS FARRER That 's just where you're wrong. I love people who tell me they hate my novels. I like Henry's praise because I like him. But nothing is more nauseating than praise from people one dislikes, and if you were an artist you would know that this is true. But you have always been a victim to your friends, Sybil. You don't know how to choose. When you came out you were taken in by society shams ; and then when you found them out, you plunged into the shams of culture and learning, which are just as bad. SYBIL I don't think Macfarlane and Basil are shams. You simply don't happen to get on with them. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Basil told me he thought Dust and Ashes ought never to have been written. And Meriot said you 'd made a bad historical blunder in your story about Caterina Sforza. i.] The Grey Stocking 19 MISS FARRER Thank God they hate my books ! But tell me, Sybil, do you really mean to pretend you are happy among all these people ? SYBIL Perfectly happy. MRS. WILLBOROUGH What I don't understand, Mary, is this. If you say all Sybil's former friends were shams, and, I suppose I am one of the shams, and all Henry's friends are shams too, where ought Sybil to live ? And if she 's not to see any of her former friends, or any of her husband's friends, whom is she to see ? MISS FARRER Anybody except people like Macfarlane and Meriot, who are not real people, but echoes feeble imitations of Henry and Henry's master, Lewis Ridgeway. You know what I mean. A school is always odious. The school imitates all the mannerisms and faults of the master and none of the qualities, till in the master you see the faults of the school and get to loathe him. SYBIL One thing I beg of you, Mary, and that 's to be civil to the Russian who 's coming here to-day, and don't tell him he 's a plaster cast or a rotten pencil the first day he 's here. 20 The Grey Stocking [i. MISS FARRER (laughing) I promise. But I suppose he '11 be one of the school too. How long is he going to stay ? SYBIL Two or three months. MISS FARRER I want a walk. I shall walk to the station to meet Henry and his precious school. [She goes off L. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Mary is rather violent. I think the truth is she thinks Macfarlane and Meriot don't take her seriously. SYBIL I thought they liked her books. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Yes, they do. But I don't think Mary cares so much about that. She knows she writes well. She knows her books are good, and she is getting bored with praise and success. But she likes to be taken seriously as a politician and a sociologist. And then I think she is jealous of your thrillingly interesting life. So am I. Year after year I say I will give up London for good, and year after year I come back to it and see the same people and do the same things and rather enjoy it and then I think of you and Henry in this divine country peace all the year round, perfectly happy and contented, seeing really interesting people and doing really interesting things. i.] The Grey Stocking 21 SYBIL Yes, I do like this place, and I I like Henry's friends. MRS. WILLBOROUGH I think Mr. Meriot is so pleasant. I think he sometimes says things to astonish one. SYBIL I must say Mary is right about their being over- subtle, every now and then. The other night Bobby Macfarlane gave me a headache. He talked about George Meredith's poems for two hours, and read me long bits from the most difficult ones. MRS. WILLBOROUGH I think I 'd rather be bored by hearing about Meredith than by long stories about other people's lovers, as one does in London. SYBIL Darling, one never quite escapes that even here. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Henry is so far above all that sort of thing. SYBIL Ye es of course MRS. WILLBOROUGH The everlasting repeatings of rows and stories about who 's in love with who, and who 's taken away so and so from so and so. The competition and the rottenness. Here one opens out one's lungs and breathes nice, clean, fresh air. By the way, tell me about the Russian. 22 The Grey Stocking [i. SYBIL His name is Peter Peter Velichkovsky ; his mother was a Tornabuoni, and he was brought up in Germany and France and everywhere. I 've never seen him, but I knew his mother well. She was quite charming, a piece of the Italian earth. They say he 's like her. The boy has had a long correspondence with Henry. He is thrilled about English things politics, trades unions, English books, Ruskin, Stevenson everything. MRS. WILLBOROUGH I wonder how he '11 get on with Mary. She is in a mood of contradicting everything and every- body. SYBIL Charlie Meriot gets on her nerves. She mustn't sit next to him to-night at dinner. Here they are. [Enter R.from the bouse, MERIOT, MACFARLANE, HENRY ALSTON, BASIL ALSTON and BEEN- HAM. [CHARLES MERIOT is a dark, thin youth, with rather sleek hair and a clever face ; he is dressed in London clothes ; a cut- away coat and badly tied black silk tie. ROBERT MACFARLANE is rather younger but looks older ; his face is heavy, he has a thick black moustache and wears a frock-coat. WILFRID BEEN HAM is tall, fair, and good-looking, with a frank, engaging expression. HENRY ALSTON is thirty-six, hair slightly grey, i.]. The Grey Stocking 23 well-cut features with dreamy eyes, and an expression of self-satisfaction and general benevolence. He is dressed in a grey frock-coat, very tidily. His brother, BASIL, is older, taller and bigger, with longish hair and very untidy clothes. They sit down on various chairs. SYBIL Did you meet Mary at the station ? HENRY Yes, but she went on ; she said she wanted a walk. She said you 'd had some visitors who 's called ? SYBIL The Simpsons and Miss Rennett. BASIL Those awful people ! SYBIL I rather like them. HENRY Miss Rennett 's trying. BASIL They 're so second-rate. SYBIL How did the meeting go off ? MACFARLANE The meeting was splendid ! MERIOT Henry made the most glorious speech. 24 The Grey Stocking [i. HENRY The meeting was most satisfactory, but SYBIL What ? HENRY Well, it 's a long story. I '11 tell you all about it after. SYBIL No, tell me now. Count Velichkovsky comes by the six o'clock train. HENRY Oh ! I forgot him. Well, Tommy Connybeare you know him who was one of our best men and Secretary of the * Society,' suddenly without any warning told us that he had resigned his under- librarianship in the House of Lords. SYBIL Why? HENRY He says we are Socialists which is just what we are not. Of course the whole point of the * Rational Religion and Social Reform Society ' is that we are not and never were Socialists. Connybeare, I think, has become a Socialist, and therefore it 's rather awkward for him. At any rate he maintains that it 's against his principles to continue being a member of our organisation, and at the same time to hold a place in the Government service. It 's of course quite ridiculous. i.] The Grey Stocking 25 SYBIL But has he become a Socialist ? HENRY Well, to tell you the truth, Lord Ranelagh, who has gone quite off his head about the Labour Party, Tolstoyism, and every kind of fad, has got hold of him, and dear Tommy Connybeare, with all his charm, is rather a snob, and I 'm afraid Ranelagh has completely got hold of him. MRS. WILLBOROUGH (impatiently) But Tommy has known Ranelagh ever since he was two years old. They were brought up together. Besides which, Tommy is the most unsnobbish person I know. HENRY (laughing) I know. Of course I didn't mean the ordinary snobbishness love of titles and a lord, and that sort of thing I mean he can't resist the fashion, and he thinks it 's the right thing to be a Socialist now, and he thinks we are not in the intellectual swim. BEENHAM I don't agree with you, Henry. I think Conny- beare felt that he was in a false position. I think the false position was the result only of his imagina- tion ; but I 've known him a long time, and I know he has often worried himself to death about every kind of question of conscience ever since he was a boy. I think he got into his head that we were Socialists, and that he simply wasn't playing 26 The Grey Stocking [i. the game, and so he thought he 'd better chuck the whole thing. MRS. WILLBOROUGH I entirely agree with Mr. Beenham. HENRY But why didn't this occur to him before ? MACFARLANE (sententiously) Connybeare wishes to be like the general at the battle of Elchingen who said : ' I belong rather to my foe than to my friends.' MERIOT I think Connybeare is a Philistine moth burning his wings at the candle of Socialism. BASIL Connybeare is most disappointing. He used to be simple-minded and ingenuous, and now he has developed a curious thirst for effect. It is most foolish and rash on his part to give up his place. I told him how foolish, how positively wicked I considered his conduct ; he has nothing else to live on. He will be causing his family great anxiety and distress. If he imagines he can make a living by literature and journalism he is mistaken. In fact, his act is a thoroughly selfish and thoughtless piece of petulance. It is the act of a spoilt child. BEENHAM Tommy says he 's got ^250 a year of his own, and he made another hundred last year by writing reviews. i.] The Grey Stocking 27 BASIL He has no notion of economy ; in fact he is for a man of his means wickedly extravagant. And it 's absurd for a man of his temperament to dabble with Socialism. BEENHAM But he 's chucked his place because he thinks we 're all dabbling in Socialism. BASIL I am afraid that Connybeare has been spoilt. He used to be ingenuousness and simplicity itself, and delightfully foolish at times. Now he has become worldly and serious at the same time. He has been spoilt by society, and likes to be made a fuss of and treated as a prophet by well-dressed, fashionable ladies. HENRY That 's just what I said. The smart ladies have turned his head. [MISS FARRER comes in C., and sits down on a vacant chair next to MRS. WILLBOROUGH. MISS FARRER Don't get up. SYBIL (to MISS FARRER) We 're talking about Connybeare, who 's given up his place in the House of Lords because he thinks the Society is too Socialistic. HENRY He certainly believes in all those people that whole set of worldly shams who play 28 The Grey Stocking [i. with politics as they play with Wagner's music and Ibsen's plays and Sargent's pictures, without understanding one single thing about them. BASIL I 'm afraid you 're right, Henry. He 's a snob at heart. MRS. WILLBOROUGH That 's not true, Mr. Alston. MISS FARRER (aside tO MRS. WILLBOROUGH) Set a snob to catch a snob. BEENHAM If Tommy says he thinks we 're Socialists, I 'm sure he does think so. He 's the most honest fellow I 've ever known. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Too honest if anything. HENRY Of course we all know he 's honest, my dear boy ; the point is that he is so ludicrously wrong. He is simply bitten by the Socialist craze, without having an inkling of what Socialism means. Tommy is a child. It 's absurd to take him seriously. MISS FARRER I think one has to have a very fine pair of spec- tacles to distinguish the difference between you and Socialists. Of course I quite understand your not calling yourselves Socialists. HENRY Don't you think, Miss Farrer, we had better i.] The Grey Stocking 29 agree to differ about the aims and ideals of the Society ? It is impossible that we should agree. MISS FARRER By all means. MACFARLANE Miss Farrer thinks we are all Robespierres in disguise. MISS FARRER I think you have all of you the narrowness of Robespierre, if you mean that. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Oh ! don't let 's discuss the French Revolution ! I 've known Tommy Connybeare all my life, and I think you 're all wrong about him. HENRY Ah ! you 're one of the fair ladies who have turned his head. MACFARLANE As the gentleman says in the Nieblungenlied, * Das hat ein Weib gethan.' BEENHAM Macfarlane and I must be off ; we told Lady Alston we would be back for dinner. [BEENHAM and MACFARLANE get up. BASIL I think my mother knows I am staying for dinner here. I shall bicycle home afterwards. BEENHAM Good-bye, Lady Sybil, I wish you could have heard Henry's speech. 30 The Grey Stocking [i. MACFARLANE Good-bye, Lady Sybil. I hope that Pontic games of recreation and hours of study of our only Meredith will not prevent you from coming over to Lady Alston's again before I leave. SYBIL I shall come over to-morrow or the day after. Good-bye. [MACFARLANE and BEEN HAM say good-bye to MISS FARRER and go, R., through the house. MISS FARRER What did he mean by Pontic games of re- creation ? MERIOT Bridge, of course from the Latin pons ; when Macfarlane wishes to be jocular he always indulges in Anglo-Latin. Macfarlane is essentially frivolous. MISS FARRER Oh bother your paradoxes ! MERIOT Scusi, dear lady. MISS FARRER Here 's Cynthia. [MRS. JAMES comes in, R., carrying a book in her hand. MRS. JAMES I finished my letters and chanced to pick up this book in the drawing-room a book of plays by a French officer, le Comte de Marny. He is another who strikes me as having an exquisite gift of un- i.] The Grey Stocking 31 expressed pathos, and of making one feel, as it were, a kind of disinterested interest with what underlies the characters. MERIOT It 's all been done before. Maeterlinck, d'An- nunzio, Musset and water ; that 's de Marny he 's MISS FARRER Do you mind not talking about books for a little while ? I 'm sick of hearing books discussed. [Enter FOOTMAN R. FOOTMAN Count Jerrykusky has arrived, my lady. SYBIL Show him the way to the garden. (She gets up.} It 's the Russian. (To MISS FARRER) You must be nice to him, Mary. MISS FARRER Of course I shall be nice to him. [Enter COUNT VELICHKOVSKY, R., with the FOOTMAN. HENRY and SYBIL go to meet him. He is a man of twenty-five, dark, rather tall, with a black moustache and big eyes. He is dressed in a blue serge suit and grey-coloured shirt and a straw hat, exactly like an Englishman. He looks as if he might be an Italian brought up in England, or an Englishman who travelled a good deal abroad. He speaks English with hardly any accent. 32 The Grey Stocking [i. HENRY I 'm so glad you 've come. You found the carriage all right at the station ? I ought to have met you, but I had to go to town to-day for a meeting, and I wasn't sure if I would be back in time. SYBIL I 'm afraid you 've had a very hot and dusty journey. Come and have some tea. (To FOOTMAN) Bring some fresh tea, William. I must introduce you. Mrs. Willborough, my cousin, who is staying with me for a short time ; Mrs. James, whose husband wrote the History of Byzantine Art ; Miss Farrer, whose books I 'm sure you know ; and Mr. Meriot, Count Velichkovsky. (He bows to the people.} You 've never been to England before ? PETER No, but England was just what I expected. I have read so many English novels that I feel as if I had seen it all before. SYBIL Do sit down here. (He sits down between SYBIL and MRS. WILLBOROUGH.) MRS. WILLBOROUGH How beautifully you speak English. PETER I had an English nurse when I was a child. HENRY Do you like England so far ? i.] The Grey Stocking 33 PETER Very much. All the things one is told about England beforehand are wrong. One is told the railway porters don't speak to you ; and they are very polite. One is told that the shopmen are rude ; and I find they pull the shop to pieces for you. One is told that it always rains in London ; and I have been in London a week and I have never known such heat. SYBIL Have you got any English friends ? PETER In Italy I used to know a great many English people ; in fact everywhere I 've met English people ; but the only English I ever really made friends with I met at Bayreuth two years ago. MISS FARRER Talking of Bayreuth, that reminds me, Cynthia, have you yet made up your mind or not whether you are going there next year with me ? MRS. JAMES It depends upon Theodore, and whether he will care to spend a week of his holiday in listening to Wagner or not. He despises Wagner, although he admits his genius. HENRY The last time I went to Bayreuth there was a whole lot of smart people there ; each lady had her attendant slave ; one of them had three, like an oriental queen her cabinet minister, her c 34 The Grey Stocking [i. lover, and what shall I say a ' smiling cupid ' to fan her. (MISS FARRER laughs loudly.} I confess it made me sick. But what is worse is the intellectual snobbishness of these people who go to Bayreuth because it 's * the thing,' although they know and care nothing about music, and they criticise, and lay down the law, and find fault with the singers and the tempi and the conductor. It is sickening and so insufferably arrogant. [The FOOTMAN brings in fresh tea and goes out again. SYBIL pours it out and gives PETER a cup. PETER (laughing) I suppose that all you have said applies to me. (To SYBIL) Yes, sugar ; no milk, thank you. I went to Bayreuth only out of curiosity because every one went. I find that is snobbishness. I enjoyed it. I thought it most amusing. I am a snob, and I enjoyed the music. HENRY Of course, if people are musical. PETER I don't like much music ; but I like Wagner. It 's so interesting, and the tunes come so often and are so pretty. SYBIL Who were the English people you made friends with ? PETER There was a lady I forget her name whom i.] The Grey Stocking 35 I have met once before near San Remo by the San Paolos ; she lived near a village where Apollo is still worshipped, and I thought she looked like a goddess in exile. MISS FARRER And was she like one ? PETER (laughing) No, not a bit. She was a business woman. She was always playing with stocks and shares. She made societies for preventing the poor. It was a disappointment. (To SYBIL) Do you like being disappointed in people first, or do you like loving them directly ? SYBIL I like thinking nothing at all at first, and then gradually realising that some one is delightful. PETER I do not like thinking I 've found something real, and finding out very soon that it 's a sham. SYBIL Does that often happen to you ? PETER Not often, but it has happened to me. It 's a frightful moment when one realises that one has made a mistake about a person. MRS. WILLBOROUGH (quickly) I think women make mistakes more easily than men. Women very seldom know when men are dreadful or not. 36 The Grey Stocking [i. PETER With men it matters so much more. If a man 's vulgar and common, or rotten, it really does matter ; when women are like that they are so comfortable to talk to. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Do you like vulgar women ? PETER Yes, very much ; but I shouldn't like to marry a vulgar woman. SYBIL A vulgar husband would be terrible. PETER I think the worst thing which could happen to a woman would be to marry a man she thought was all right to the core, and then to find out gradually that he was rotten inside. [SYBIL looks round and realises the other people are not joining in the conversation, and becomes uncomfortable. HENRY My dear Sybil, I don't want to interrupt your conversation, but it 's time to dress for dinner. CURTAIN END OF ACT I ACT II SCENE : The morning room at Rockley. A large, dark, oak-panelled room looking out on the garden. C., a large window going down to the ground opening out on to a verandah. On the verandah a breakfast- table, with the remains of breakfast on it. Windows also R. and L. Against the walls between the windows are book-cases full of well-bound books. There are a few good engravings on the walls. On the R. fireplace with tiles, and a door between the Jireplace and the window. Door L. also. A few large armchairs with chintz covers. A large table also L. with books on it. Bowls of flowers everywhere. The room is comfortable and beautifully furnished and arranged. It is a hot Sunday morning, three weeks later than Act I. MRS. WILLBOROUGH is sitting at the breakfast- table on the verandah. HENRY ALSTON is smoking a cigar and reading The Spectator. SYBIL and PETER get up from the breakfast-table and walk in through the verandah. SYBIL This is the only cool room in the house to-day. I have got a lot of things to do. I feel so lazy. Tommy Connybeare 's here, you know he arrived last night. 37 38 The Grey Stocking [n. PETER The Socialist ? SYBIL Yes I am rather worried you know he worships Alice. PETER She has told me very much about him she seems to be devoted to him. SYBIL She is but it 's getting so complicated. Because Socialism has got mixed up with it. He wants her to [MRS. WILLBOROUGH comes in C. MRS. WILLBOROUGH It 's too hot even on the verandah. SYBIL I must go and write my letters. [She goes out L. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Isn't this room charming in the morning ? PETER I find the whole house perfect. And the books ! One can take a book from any of the shelves in the dark and be quite certain that it will be interesting. [They sit down R. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Ah ! that 's Sybil. PETER Yes, about Lady Sybil. What I want to know is ii.] The Grey Stocking 39 MRS. WILLBOROUGH Why she married Henry. PETER (laughing) Yes, that 's what I really want to know. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Well, we came out together, and Sybil being extremely pretty and fascinating had everybody at her feet, especially her second year out. There were two or three people who wanted to marry her, and I think she was rather in love with a nice but utterly uninteresting man in the 4th Hussars. He went to India, and it all ended in nothing. The third year we were out Sybil was tired of it all. Sybil never was in the least energetic, and things tired her, and I think the episode left something behind a kind of toothache. Anyhow she suddenly said she wouldn't go out any more. She used to see her friends all the same, and there were three men who wanted to marry her. Mr. Locke, who is now in the Cabinet, used to go and see her every day. They all used to do that. That summer she went to stay for a fortnight with some relations of hers who lived near Cambridge, and there she met Henry Alston, who was a Fellow then and lived in the most charming house old- fashioned, romantic. Sybil settled then and there that the world was a hollow sham, and that she had found her ideal. Three weeks afterwards she was engaged to Henry ; and they lived happily ever afterwards. 40 The Grey Stocking [n. PETER It is a very interesting story. They certainly seem very happy ; but does she not ever find his friends a bore ? MRS. WILLBOROUGH Sybil is extraordinarily catholic and tolerant about people. PETER I find they are all quite insupportable, except Beenham. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Yes, it was Sybil who discovered him. PETER They are so narrow-minded, in spite of their so laughing at prejudices. MRS. WILLBOROUGH And over-cultivated. PETER Yes, they admire nothing. Nothing is good enough for them. Meriot said last night that he would be ashamed to have written the Fifth Symphony, because it was schoolboyish. MRS. WILLBOROUGH It 's worse when they talk about what they call Sybil's l smart friends.' PETER Yes. I find it is all just a little bit not quite right a little bit second-hand. ii.] The Grey Stocking 41 MRS. WILLBOROUGH Do those sort of people exist in Russia ? PETER No, not just these sort of people. In Russia the intelligenzia people, like writers and professors, are quite apart. They never strive or pretend anything except what they are. They live very simply in uncomfortable surroundings ; but here I find this beautiful place, the Tudor house, the lovely garden, the books, make it all so much worse or more tiresome. If it wasn't for certain things I couldn't stay here long. MRS. WILLBOROUGH What things ? PETER I am very lazy, once I get to a place, and I find it very difficult to go, and then Mr. Alston and Lady Sybil are so kind, and he is helping me and teaching me much. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Do you like Henry ? Some people adore him. PETER He is a very cultivated man and he writes beau- tifully. He is a very kind man, too. MRS. WILLBOROUGH He used to be so good-looking. PETER He is now, isn't he ? 42 The Grey Stocking [n. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Yes ; but he 's rather fatter than he used to be. PETER I find he is rather too suave, and he gives in- formation to one like medicine in jam. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Yes ; I couldn't marry a man who made one feel he ought to have been a tutor to a (She stops.} PETER What ? MRS. WILLBOROUGH Nothing. I was going to say I couldn't marry a man who knew as much as that. PETER You did not mean you were going to say that. I know what you were going to say. MRS. WILLBOROUGH I don't think you do. PETER You were going to say you couldn't marry a man who made one feel he ought to have been a tutor to a prince. MRS. WILLBOROUGH (laughing) Yes, that 's what I was going to say. You 're terrible you guess everything. (They both laugh.) PETER But you like him, don't you ? ii.] The Grey Stocking 43 MRS. WILLBOROUGH Oh yes, I think he 's full of excellent qualities. PETER What a cruel sentence ! (They both laugh.) MRS. WILLBOROUGH I can't say I think he 's good enough for Sybil. PETER Oh no ! But, then, who would be ? MRS. WILLBOROUGH She might have married some one who would have been worse ; and, after all, she 's happy, and that 's the chief thing. PETER Yes, of course. I find she is very happy. So is he. MRS. WILLBOROUGH He worships her. PETER Did Lady Sybil know his books first ? MRS. WILLBOROUGH It all came together ; but oddly, Sybil, who thinks so much of all his work, very seldom reads anything. I don't think she 's even read his books. PETER Doesn't he read them out to her ? 44 The Grey Stocking [n. MRS. WILLBOROUGH You 're wicked ; but he does, very often. (They both laugh.) [HENRY comes in through the window C. HENRY Are you going to church, Alice ? MRS. WILLBOROUGH I dressed for church, but I shan't go ; it 's too hot. HENRY Then nobody 's going. I don't suppose Tommy Connybeare will go. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Has he arrived ? HENRY He arrived after midnight in a motor, and I suppose he 's still asleep. Sybil is in the garden with Mary Farrer, and now I must go and do some work. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Must you work even on Sunday, Henry ? HENRY (laughing) In this house we make a point of spending Sunday rationally. Good-bye for the present. [He goes out R. MRS. WILLBOROUGH If Tommy hadn't been coming I should have gone to church. I hate rational Sundays, don't you ? ii.] The Grey Stocking 45 PETER Yes. But I don't always go to church, I 'm afraid, although I like it. MRS. WILLBOROUGH You 're Greek Church, of course ? PETER No, I 'm MRS. WILLBOROUGH Not a Tolstoyist, I 'm sure. PETER I 'm a Catholic a bad Catholic, I 'm afraid. Why did you think I 'm not a Tolstoyist ? MRS. WILLBOROUGH I don't know, but I was certain you were not. Do you like Mary Farrer ? PETER Very much. I find her so unprofessional, and I like her novels. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Yes, it 's extraordinary how unlike her they are. PETER That 's what I like about her she is as nice as her books in quite a different manner. [TOMMY CONNYBEARE comes in L. He is twenty-Jive years old ; an intelligent face, curly hair, dressed in flannels. His clothes are well made, but he is untidy, and rather restless in his manner. 46 The Grey Stocking [n. TOMMY (As he comes in, calling out} Alice ! (He sees PETER and stops.} MRS. WILLBOROUGH Do you know Count Velichkovsky, Mr. Conny- beare ? (TOMMY shakes hands with PETER.) Have you had breakfast ? TOMMY I don't want breakfast. I 've had tea already. I want to talk. (PETER goes out into the garden.} Alice ! MRS. WILLBOROUGH Well? TOMMY I 've got such heaps of things to tell you. Are you glad to see me ? That 's the Russian, I suppose. What 's he like ? MRS. WILLBOROUGH We like him very much. He adores Sybil. TOMMY Well, tell me everything. I haven't seen you for years. MRS. WILLBOROUGH No, not for three weeks. I thought you 'd got lots of things to tell me ? TOMMY So I have ; but tell me your things first. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Let me think. (Pause.} ii.]. The Grey Stocking 47 TOMMY Well ? MRS. WILLBOROUGH You begin. TOMMY Before we begin, tell me who 's here. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Mr. Meriot TOMMY Damn ! MRS. WILLBOROUGH Mary Farrer TOMMY I 'm glad she 's here. Who else ? MRS. WILLBOROUGH Mrs. James but she 's laid up with a headache. TOMMY Now, tell me everything. MRS. WILLBOROUGH We 've got heaps to say, haven't we ? (A long pause.} Did your motor break down yesterday ? TOMMY Oh, bother my motor ! Is that all you 've got to say ? MRS. WILLBOROUGH You begin, Tommy ; tell me your things. TOMMY Alice, what 's happened to you ? You 're quite different. 48 The Grey Stocking [n. MRS. WILLBOROUGH What nonsense ! I 'm not a bit different, only TOMMY Only what ? MRS. WILLBOROUGH I 've been thinking things over. TOMMY Well ? MRS. WILLBOROUGH I can't explain it all now. TOMMY Why not ? There 's heaps of time. We 're alone and we 've got the whole morning. MRS. WILLBOROUGH You must explain to me what you 've done first. TOMMY I don't believe you 're in the least bit glad to see me. MRS. WILLBOROUGH What nonsense ! TOMMY You 're changed. MRS. WILLBOROUGH I don't think you 've slept enough after your motoring ; you 're talking nonsense. Tommy, please tell me the whole story about your throwing up your appointment. We 've all heard Henry's version of it a dozen times. ii.] The Grey Stocking 49 TOMMY I suppose so. Well, it 's like this. . . . But, Alice, are you glad to see me ? MRS. WILLBOROUGH Yes, of course I am, dear Tommy. TOMMY Well, the truth is, that I couldn't stand their half-means any longer. Henry and his whole blessed Society. I admire Lewis Ridgeway more than words can say, but he is far above it, and they simply trade on his name. The fact is I got sick of the whole thing. I got to hate the whole lot of them ; because, after all, what is the Society ? The Society as they always call it. If it isn't Socialism, what on earth is it ? 4 Social reform ' but not Socialism. It 's absurd. At any rate, I settled that I couldn't stand either it or them, and I settled to go the whole hog and at least be honest about it ; and I chucked the House of Lords not only because I 'm a Socialist, but because I want to be quite independent. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Then you leave the Society too ? TOMMY Yes, I 've got a reason. MRS. WILLBOROUGH What ? TOMMY The reason is that I hate them all, and especially Henry. 50 The Grey Stocking [n. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Tommy ! He 's devoted to you. TOMMY I hate, hate, hate him. I should like to grind his head between. two stones. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Tommy ! TOMMY I hate all the others, too, but I hate Henry worst. Now tell me all your side. In the first place have you written to Hugo ? Are you coming away with me ? What have you done ? It 's no good pretending, Alice, you 've changed, and MRS. WILLBOROUGH (with intense relief} Here 's Sybil. (SYBIL comes in L.} I '11 tell you later all about it. (PETER comes in from the garden.} SYBIL Isn't it boiling hot ? TOMMY Yes, I love it. SYBIL It 's too hot to go in the garden. TOMMY Let 's play bridge. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Bridge ! Now ! You ! You said you 'd never learn. ii.] The Grey Stocking 51 TOMMY But I have learnt, and I think it 's so amusing. MRS. WILLBOROUGH I really can't Tommy really TOMMY Let 's play. Do you play, Count ? (Laughing.} I can't say your name. PETER Yes, a little. SYBIL Let him if he wants to, Alice, only I play very badly. TOMMY I 've only played once, but I think I 've got a genius for bridge at least I won when I played. We '11 play on this table. (He pulls out a table from the side.} Have you got any cards ? SYBIL There are some Patience cards in that case on the table. [TOMMY fetches the cards ; they all sit down to the table. TOMMY Don't let 's cut for deal. It wastes time. You must score, Sybil, because I haven't learnt the score. I '11 deal because I 'm a beginner and want practice. \He begins dealing. SYBIL Henry wants to speak to you Tommy, afterwards. 52 The Grey Stocking [n. TOMMY All right, afterwards, when we 've finished the rubber. It 's a misdeal. I must deal again. It 's your fault, Sybil, for interrupting. SYBIL When it 's a misdeal doesn't the next person deal ? TOMMY I don't know, but I must have practice. I read such an interesting story in bed this morning. MRS. WILLBOROUGH What was it ? TOMMY The DoWs House, by Henrik Ibsen. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Hadn't you ever read it before, or seen it acted ? TOMMY No, never. I 've heard it talked of so often that I thought I needn't bother to read it, and I have often discussed it with people. It 's a misdeal again. I think you had better deal, Alice. You 've more experience than I have. You know, it 's about a husband. MRS. WILLBOROUGH You needn't tell us the story. We all know it. TOMMY The husband is so disgusting. As long as he thought that he 'd got nothing to fear from public opinion, he didn't care a rap about his wife having ii.] The Grey Stocking 53 forged; but when he thought it might come out, he said she was a terrible criminal. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Yes, he is disgusting. TOMMY But I suppose all husbands are like that. SYBIL No, not all. TOMMY I make no trumps. SYBIL It 's not your make. TOMMY I know it isn't. I said that to show you I 'd no trumps. MRS. WILLBOROUGH I leave it. SYBIL Hearts. PETER May I play ? ALICE I double hearts. [HENRY comes in R. HENRY What are you doing ? Hullo, Tommy, how are you ? SYBIL Henry, Tommy has insisted on our playing bridge. 54 The Grey Stocking [n. HENRY Well, my dear, I 'd rather you didn't. SYBIL Why ? Do you want to go on the river ? HENRY You forget that it 's Sunday. MRS. WILLBOROUGH (Laughing) I thought you spent a ' rational Sunday.' HENRY (laughing) Of course, I 've got nothing against it on prin- ciple. On the contrary. But it looks so bad for the servants, and then it 's just possible that some of the neighbours might look in after church, and I think they would be shocked. TOMMY What 's the good of having principles if one doesn't apply them ? HENRY (laughing cheerfully) My dear Tommy, I don't think a Sunday morn- ing in August is the ideal time for playing bridge. I cannot think that that is a rational way of spend- ing Sunday. Besides, I have got a great deal of things to say to you, Tommy. Will you come into my study ? [HENRY picks up the cards and puts them back into the box. PETER and SYBIL look at each other. ii.] The Grey Stocking 55 TOMMY All right. I '11 be back in a moment, Alice, and we '11 go out in the motor. HENRY Sybil, will you come too ? I want you to hear what I 've got to say. SYBIL Very well. [SYBIL, HENRY, and TOMMY go out R. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Henry has got terribly on Tommy Connybeare's nerves. PETER I think he thinks that Mr. Alston is a false pro- phet who has no right to treat him like a lost soul. MRS. WILLBOROUGH I can't get over the way in which you understand all these English people. You 've only been in England a short time, and it 's as if you had known these people all your life, and I feel as if I had known you all my life. PETER I also feel as if we had always known each other. MRS. WILLBOROUGH We 've known each other three weeks. PETER I wonder if we shall know each other six weeks. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Why not ? 56 The Grey Stocking [n. PETER I shall not stay here very long. I should have gone away already if MRS. WILLBOROUGH But will you leave England ? MRS. WILLBOROUGH (with suppressed pleased excitement) No. PETER I thought you must have guessed. I thought everybody must have noticed. I thought I should have to go. I want to go away . . . but I can't go away at once. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Perhaps we shall meet in other places besides this. PETER I don't think so. Because this place which I want to leave so much is the only place where I want to be. When I leave this place I shall leave England for ever. [MRS. WILLBOROUGH'S face changes, but she controls herself. Yes, I ought to have gone directly directly I knew what it was that made me want to stay in spite of everything. But I couldn't. You understand, don't you ? ii.] The Grey Stocking 57 MRS. WILLBOROUGH Yes, of course I understand. PETER And you think nobody has noticed ? MRS. WILLBOROUGH I don't think any one has noticed ; because, you see, I didn't notice, and I generally notice those things. PETER I don't think he has noticed. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Henry would never notice. PETER I feel I ought to go now, but I can't. [MISS FARRER is seen on the verandah. MISS FARRER Count Velichkovsky, do come here one minute, and tell me if it is Basil Alston in the distance. I 'm so short-sighted. If it is, I '11 come in. I can't talk to him this morning. [PETER goes out C. MRS. WILLBOROUGH sits down in a chair and buries her head in her hands and cries. She wipes her eyes with her handkerchief and tries to control herself. SYBIL enters R. She notices MRS. WILLBOROUGH'S action and understands she is crying. SYBIL (not looking at MRS. WILLBOROUGH) I 've made it all right between Tommy and 58 The Grey Stocking [H. Henry, and now I must stop Mary Farrer making it all wrong again. [SYBIL runs out C. MRS. WILLBOROUGH dries her eyes and pulls herself together. MISS FARRER and PETER come in C. MISS FARRER I can't stand the heat, and now we know Basil Alston has come the garden is impossible. [BEENHAM, MERIOT, and BASIL come in L. They all shake hands with everybody. BEENHAM Where is Lady Sybil ? MISS FARRER She was in the garden one second ago. [She flings herself down in a chair and begins reading a newspaper. BEENHAM sits down next to her. PETER, MERIOT, and BASIL sit down L. BASIL I am glad Connybeare has arrived. I mean to tell him quite frankly what I think of his conduct. I regard it as a duty to tell him the truth. MISS FARRER I shouldn't, if I were you. Nobody ever listens to advice. BASIL It is not advice I intend to administer, but positive censure. ii.] The Grey Stocking 59 MISS FARRER Surely Mr. Connybeare is old enough to be able to settle on the line of conduct he chooses without incurring the censure of people who have absolutely no right to meddle with his affairs. BASIL You forget, Miss Farrer, that Connybeare was a member of the ' Society.' MERIOT Tommy Connybeare ought to have been a stock- broker. He has just the right amount of intuition and the requisite lack of what Rosetti calls ' funda- mental brainwork.' MISS FARRER Do you know that you all drive me quite wild with your paradoxes ? You are talking utter nonsense, and it 's too hot to listen to you. [She walks out into the garden. BASIL Miss Farrer is curiously incapable of carrying on a rational argument. BEENHAM It 's rather hot for arguing, isn't it ? [HENRY and TOMMY come in R. TOMMY We 've finished, Alice, and you 're coming out with me now in my motor come on. We '11 be back for luncheon. 60 The Grey Stocking [n. MRS. WILLBOROUGH It 's too hot, Tommy. TOMMY Oh rot ! You promised. You must. [MRS. WILLBOROUGH hesitates a moment, looks round. MRS. WILLBOROUGH I will come with you. [TOMMY and, MRS. WILLBOROUGH go out L. HENRY I 've got something most important to talk over with you, Basil. Will you come for a stroll in the garden with me ? BASIL Certainly. HENRY I wish you would come too, Meriot. (Solemnly) It concerns the Society. [BASIL, HENRY, and MERIOT go out C. into the garden. BEENHAM Where is Lady Sybil ? PETER I don't know. BEENHAM Jolly house, this, isn't it ? PETER Yes, it 's beautiful. Do you live near here ? ii.] The Grey Stocking 61 BEENHAM I 'm staying with Basil Alston till to-morrow. I generally come here for Sundays. I 'm busy all the week. PETER Are you a member of Parliament ? BEENHAM No, I 'm in the Education Office. PETER You are a member of Mr. Alston's society ? BEENHAM Yes, in a sort of way. At least, I go to their meetings. I never speak. PETER I suppose you have known Mr. Alston a long time ? BEENHAM I knew Lady Sybil first. She lived near us in the country. I have known her for years. PETER She is very beautiful. BEENHAM Yes, and she 's the best woman in the world. There is no one like her ; no one who can touch her. PETER Then you knew her before she married ? 62 The Grey Stocking [n. BEENHAM Yes, years before. [SYBIL comes in R. SYBIL (to BEENHAM) How are you, Wilfrid ? BEENHAM I walked over with Basil. The others are coming to luncheon. [MERIOT comes in C. MERIOT (to BEENHAM) Henry wants you to join us in the garden, if you don't mind. He wants you to join in the discussion. BEENHAM I '11 come. [He follows MERIOT into the garden. SYBIL Sit down. (They sit down.} I don't know what to do with Tommy ; and Alice, I 'm afraid, is upset about it all. It 's so difficult. Alice's husband is a great friend of mine, and I 'm very fond of him. I 'm sure you would like him. For the last two years Alice has become more and more taken up with Socialism, and Tommy wants her to run away with him. PETER He is in love with her, and does she love him ? SYBIL That 's just what I 'm not sure about. She loves being with him, and they 've always been the greatest friends, but I 'm not sure she is in love with him at any rate not enough to run away. ii.] The Grey Stocking 63 It would be a great mistake. They would both end by being miserable. PETER Is Connybeare a real Socialist ? SYBIL I don't think he cares a bit about politics really, only he hates being interfered with ; his relations have always interfered with him, and he wants to make himself quite independent once for all, and he feels he has done it now. PETER I understand that. That is what I felt when I went to the war. SYBIL Did you go to the war ? Why did you never say a word about it ? PETER It 's such a bore having to talk about it, and I can't bear talking about it, except to you. I don't mind telling you. It 's like a nightmare to me. We are supposed to be so indifferent to that sort of thing. Some of us are, and some of us pretend to be ; but I can't even pretend. I went out to Manchuria as a volunteer. I was at the battle of Kinchau, and I was taken prisoner. The rest of the time I spent in Japan. You can't think what it was like. I came back to Russia last November. I felt like a man who wakes up after a bad dream. There was revolution and strikes everywhere, and we thought something new had come, but it had 64 The Grey Stocking [n. not really come. It was perhaps the dawn at least I think so and then came a terrible flatness and all the bad-dream feeling came back. Then I came here. I have never spoken about this to any one except to you. SYBIL Why don't you try and be a member of the Duma ? PETER I could not be. You see, in Russia I am almost like a foreigner, and yet I do not belong to any other country. I 've got no roots anywhere. I 've scarcely got a language of my own. I speak Russian with an English accent, and English like a St. Petersburg merchant. Besides this, I do not believe in any of the parties except in the extreme Revolutionaries ; I mean the people who throw bombs, and I can't belong to them. I 'm not that kind, but I admire them. SYBIL But you ought to join the Liberals. PETER I should be of no use to them. I have not got enough character. Have you ever watched a small string band and noticed the second violins, who sometimes join in with a few notes, and do nothing else but make an unimportant little noise every now and then? I am like a second violin. I mean the man who does that all his life. ii.] The Grey Stocking 65 SYBIL But you needn't be a second violin and the orchestra couldn't do without them. PETER If there was a great conductor and the music was splendid it would be worth while. But the con- ductors are all quarrelling, and each player is playing a different tune. I don't want to add to the discord. If there was some one in the audience who was looking at me and saying by looks that it was all right, then I think I might want to go on. SYBIL You 're wrong. PETER Perhaps it 's not my fault. For years in Russia anybody with brains has been obliged to look on and do nothing but talk, knowing that the talking will lead nowhere ; and the people are so used to knowing this that they still go on talking now, and doing nothing but talk, when their talk might lead somewhere. My father, who was clever and wonderfully cultivated, spent his whole life knock- ing off small twigs from trees with a garden knife. I feel that 's all I shall do. I 'm what you call a * rotter.' But don't let 's talk about me any longer. SYBIL I think you are wrong. I think you ought to try and join in even if it 's only to be a second violin. Besides, I think you would be more than that. 66 The Grey Stocking [n. PETER How could any one believe in me if I do not believe in myself ? SYBIL If some one believed in you, you would soon learn to believe in yourself. PETER But there is no one in the world who believes in me. SYBIL I believe in you. (A short pause.} I think you might be a first violin if you chose. But if you don't, I shall always like you just as much. (Smiling.) Besides, I think we are all second violins, only if we stopped playing the concert couldn't go on, could it ? I feel like the most unimportant of second-class instruments ; but if I do my little strumming cheerfully, it helps Henry to do his first-violin work. It was Voltaire, wasn't it, who said that nobody was indispensable ? It 's true. But I think there 's no such thing as a superfluous man. PETER Are you ambitious for Mr. Alston ? SYBIL Yes, I expect a great deal of him, and, of course, he is constantly living up to my expectations. There are his beautiful books, and his work in London ; his organisations, and all he does for the working-classes ; but I want him to be something still more. I should like him to be in Parliament, ii.] The Grey Stocking 67 only Henry has always been so wonderfully un- ambitious and unworldly. PETER But he does already some of the practical work ; and if he went into Parliament would you not have to give up this country life which you are so fond of? SYBIL I am very fond of it. I hate London, I hate Society ; but do you know, Count Peter, I think one can never quite get away from Society, and there are nearly always people here. PETER Mr. Alston's friends. SYBIL Yes, and my friends. PETER Used you to hate going dans le monde in London ? SYBIL I liked it at first, and then I got sick of it, and I got to think the people were like dolls, and not real people ; that there was so much push, and competi- tion, and jealousy but I was young then now I am older I am more tolerant more cynical, perhaps, you will think ; but I don't think people who live intellectual lives no, I don't mean that I mean I don't think that people who do nothing but amuse themselves in London are worse than any one else ; but some of them at least have one great 68 The Grey Stocking [n. quality they are themselves, and don't care what other people think of them. PETER I know, they are quite different. SYBIL I wish the intellectual people would let them alone. That 's what makes me impatient some- times. They talk of nothing else. Not Henry, of course he's different but it does makes me feel rather snappish sometimes, and, do you know, some- times I long to see some people who are quite stupid and simple, and will just talk the ordinary frivolous things. PETER It is a relief ; but, I suppose, you 'd get tired of them, too. SYBIL Yes. It 's silly really ; if I lived in London I should be tired to death of it in three weeks, and often I see charming people here. But I know you understand. PETER Yes, I understand. [HENRY comes in R. HENRY My mother is coming to luncheon. Before she comes I want to speak to you a minute. (PETER gets up.} PETER I am going into the garden. ii.] The Grey Stocking 69 HENRY No, please don't go, Velichkovsky. I want you to hear what I have to say. I have just told all the others. (To SYBIL) I 've had a letter from the Duke about the professorship. Your uncle says he can manage to get me the appointment without any difficulty, only he makes one condition. SYBIL What? HENRY He says he does not want to interfere in any way with my work or with my writing, but he does want me to cease having any public connection with Lewis Ridgeway and the Society. SYBIL And have you answered ? HENRY (sententiously) There was, of course, only one answer. SYBIL Of course, you refused. HENRY (laughing) No, my dear, I 'm not so unreasonable as you suppose. You see, I am, after air, as far as the actual Society is concerned, a kind of friendly assistant. My own work is in another sphere, although, of course, I shall always continue to sympathise with them and to speak of them fear- lessly in my writings. But there are certain duties which, however disagreeable, must be faced and 70 The Grey Stocking [n. accomplished, whatever one's inclinations are. My inclinations would be, of course, to remain exactly as I am in this harbour of peace. In fact, were I to follow my wishes absolutely and solely, I would like to live with you on some remote Sicilian peak and meditate, and write down my philosophic meditations, as Leonardo da Vinci painted only when the rare impulse stirred in me. But I have thought over the matter carefully and discussed it with Basil and the others, and they all agree that I cannot refuse such an offer, and they all understand my position with regard to the Society, and it will make no difference to them whatsoever. I put the whole matter frankly before them and they all agree with me. You see Tommy Connybeare's mad excursion into Socialism has come at a most unfortunate moment. We under- stand, of course, but the world is apt to put a wrong construction on such things. SYBIL But I thought Tommy had left the Society. HENRY Yes, he has ; only he has left it on the grounds that we are Socialists, but that we do not teach the kind of Socialism which he patronises. [Enter FOOTMAN L. FOOTMAN Miss Rennett has called, my lady. SYBIL Show her in here. ii,] The Grey Stocking 71 FOOTMAN Very good, my lady. [Goes out L. SYBIL So you '11 accept. HENRY Yes, I intend to accept. I 'm going to fly I can't face Miss Rennett. [He goes out R. [SYBIL and PETER look at each other and say nothing. There is an awkward pause. They then walk on to the verandah and stand looking out at the garden. CONNY- BEARE and MRS. WILLBOROUGH come in L, CONNYBEARE (in a loud voice} Let 's come in here, there 's no one here. Isn't it extraordinarily funny ? Henry 's chucking the Society because the Duke of Lincolnshire dis- approves of it. (He laughs loudly.) [PETER and SYBIL walk in C. Enter FOOTMAN L. FOOTMAN Miss Rennett. [TOMMY and MRS. WILLBOROUGH look at each other as though asking each other whether SYBIL heard or not. CURTAIN END OF ACT II ACT III SCENE : Drawing-room at the Alstons. The room is papered with Morris paper with a white frieze. Chairs with blue chintz. Bookcases and old English furniture. Prints on the wall. A grand piano. L. glass door, R. C. leading into the garden. Door C. leading into dining-room. DoorL. Fireplace R., and nearer the stage a bow window curtained. It is half- past ten p.m. L. a large sofa by which are two arm- chairs near a round table, L., on which there is a lamp and books and reviews. MRS. JAMES and SYBIL are sitting in the armchairs. They are dressed in evening gowns. SYBIL I 'm beginning to get anxious. MRS. JAMES I confess that were I to be in a motor driven by Mr. Connybeare I should feel as if I were being driven by Pierrot. SYBIL They 've got a chauffeur. I shouldn't have let Alice go alone with Tommy without a chauffeur. MRS. JAMES I suppose the inevitable breakdown has occurred. 72 HI.] The Grey Stocking 73 SYBIL It 's probably that. Tommy's motor always breaks down. MRS. JAMES It is altogether in the fitness of things that the motor of a Socialist should break down. SYBIL 'What a long time they're being over their cigars'. MRS. JAMES It 's half-past ten. SYBIL We didn't begin dinner until nearly half-past nine. (BEENHAM comes in from the dining-room.} Have they finished their cigars ? BEENHAM Nearly. They are still discussing what is the best thing to be done. I 've got a message for you. Willborough wants to see you : and I must say good-bye. Lady Alston will be anxious if I don't get back before eleven, and I don't want to keep them up. MRS. JAMES (getting up) If you will excuse me, dear Sybil, I will say good-night. I have got a wretched headache. SYBIL (getting up) Good-night, Cynthia. (They kiss each other.} I hope you will be better to-morrow. 74 The Grey Stocking [m. MRS. JAMES I shall not go to bed immediately. I shall lie down on my sofa ; so please call me if I can be of any use. [She goes out R. SYBIL (to BEENHAM) Ask him to come here directly, will you ? What can have happened to them ? BEENHAM I think the motor broke down. SYBIL Is Hugo anxious ? BEENHAM I think he is rather. SYBIL I haven't been able to speak to him yet alone. BEENHAM I will tell him at once. SYBIL Thank you so much ; and Wilfrid, don't go just yet. They are sure to guess you 've stopped to dinner. Basil will let you in. BEENHAM All right, I '11 tell him. Are you anxious ? SYBIL I am rather ; I am afraid they may have done in.] The Grey Stocking 75 something foolish ; I don't think it 's likely, but it 's possible. [BEENHAM goes out C. SYBIL walks up and down the room. WILLBOROUGH comes in from the dining-room. He is a man of forty , nice-looking, with a moustache ', dressed, in a tweed suit. He is obviously making an effort to talk cheerfully, but does not succeed in hiding his anxiety. WILLBOROUGH We think they may be coming back by train, and we 're going to walk to the station. There 's one train gets in at 10.50 and another at twelve. SYBIL I expect the motor broke down. WILLBOROUGH Yes, I 'm sure the motor broke down. (Pause.} SYBIL They came back once by train before. WILLBOROUGH Oh, did they ! (Pause.} SYBIL It 's not very late after all. WILLBOROUGH No. I expect they burst a tyre. SYBIL They hadn't got a spare tyre. (Pause.} 76 The Grey Stocking [m. WILLBOROUGH They Ve got a chauffeur, haven't they ? SYBIL Oh yes, and he 's excellent. Williams, you know. (Pause.} WILLBOROUGH Do you happen to know if Alice got my letter this morning ? SYBIL Yes, she told me she got a letter from you. She said she was so glad you were coming ; and that as they would be back in time and you would be late because that 7.30 train always is so late we could send the motor for you. WILLBOROUGH Did Alice seem er all right ? SYBIL Oh, perfectly. She said she wanted to have a talk with Tommy before he went, because of his going away to-morrow. WILLBOROUGH To London ? SYBIL He's going abroad, to Venice, to stay with Julia. WILLBOROUGH Abroad ! SYBIL It was settled a long time ago. I had a letter yesterday from Julia saying she expected him. in.] The Grey Stocking 77 WILLBOROUGH (relieved) Oh ! Well, I think the best thing we can do is to go to the station. SYBIL Yes, I 'm sure that 's best. WILLBOROUGH (going to dining-room door and opening it) Henry ! We ought to go. [HENRY, BEENHAM, and PETER come out of the dining-room. HENRY and PETER are in evening clothes. HENRY (to PETER) Will you and Beenham stay with Sybil while we go to the station ? PETER Of course. HENRY I think we ought to go at once. WILLBOROUGH Yes. (To SYBIL) Good-bye for the present. HENRY (to SYBIL) It is exceedingly thoughtless of Tommy not to have sent a telegram. It 's another case of that eternal SYBIL (irritated) But if they 've had a breakdown ! Do go, Henry. WILLBOROUGH Come on. [They go out R. 78 The Grey Stocking [m SYBIL (tO PETER and BEENHAM) I '11 be back in one minute. I want to tell them to leave some cold meat in the dining-room for Alice and Tommy. [She goes out R. BEENHAM I 'm afraid Lady Sybil 's really anxious, and Henry goes on explaining how he foresaw the whole thing as though he were an Olympian Jove. Do you ever feel as if you would like to kick some one ? PETER Yes, often. BEENHAM I wonder whether women who ought to have the best fellows in the world grovelling at their feet always fall a prey to some jackass who isn't worthy to black their boots, and who patronises them as inferior beings ? PETER It is most annoying. BEENHAM It 's damnable ! (Walking up and down.) Some- times I feel as if I could kill that man. PETER Do you think he ever annoys Lady Sybil ? BEENHAM She 's so wonderful that she would never show it, whatever she felt. [SYBIL comes in R. HI.] The Grey Stocking 79 SYBIL Sit down. You can smoke cigarettes here, Count Peter, as much as you like. [She lies down on a sofa R. PETER lights a cigarette. They sit down. BEENHAM I 'm sure they burst a tyre. PETER Yes, probably. (Pause.} SYBIL Will you give me a cigarette, Count Peter ? PETER (offering her a cigarette) I thought you hated smoking. SYBIL I don't much like the taste, only I think it 's rather soothing, and I think waiting (he gives her a light) for people who don't come makes one rather jumpy. Don't you think so ? PETER Yes, of course. SYBIL Won't you play that little Russian song you hummed the other night ? It made me cry, it was so sad. If one 's in a jumpy, nervous mood, sad things do one good, I think. Do play it, you play it so well. PETER Yes, if you like. [He goes to the piano. 8o The Grey Stocking [in. BEENHAM Do you know, Lady Sybil, I 'm afraid I must be off now. By the time I get home it '11 be late, and I don't want to keep Basil up. [PETER looks intensely relieved ; he stands by the piano, not wishing to interrupt. SYBIL No, Wilfrid, don't go yet, please ; it 's not a bit late. BEENHAM I haven't even got a byke. I 'm afraid I must. SYBIL No, don't. I don't care how late Basil stays up, it 's good for him. BEENHAM Oh ! Very well, I '11 stay. I 'm going to London to-morrow, and I shan't see you for a very long time. SYBIL Why not ? You can come down here any Sunday you like. BEENHAM Yes ; but I have to be in London every Sunday for the next two months, because my sister is going to be there. SYBIL Count Peter, give me another cigarette. This one has half gone out. Look at it, how miserable it looks. in.] The Grey Stocking 81 PETER That 's just what I feel one's life is like a cigar- ette that 's half alight. SYBIL Please don't say such gloomy things to me now. PETER I am sorry. SYBIL I 'm nervous and worried. I 'm going to tell you both why. Come and sit down here near the sofa. (They sit down near the sofa.} Alice wrote rather odd letters to Hugo Willborough. She got a letter from him this morning. I 'm terribly afraid they may have done something foolish on the spur of the moment. It 's possible I don't believe it has happened but it 's possible they may have simply run away. BEENHAM I don't believe Mrs. Willborough would do any- thing foolish. SYBIL No, but Tommy you see Tommy thinks Alice belongs to him. He simply doesn't recognise Hugo's existence. But all this last week I thought it was all right. Alice and Tommy scarcely spoke to each other. BEENHAM I'm sure there's nothing to be anxious about; it 's simply an ordinary case of a tyre that 's burst. 82 The Grey Stocking [m. SYBIL I generally feel a presentiment when something awful 's happening, and I 've got no presentiment to-night. I 'm only rather nervous. Play the tune, Count Peter. [PETER goes to the piano and plays a sad Russian tune. PETER Is that the one you mean ? SYBIL Yes, I love it. (A short pause. Outside the noise of a motor-car is heard. SYBIL jumps up from the sofa.} Here they are ! (She runs out R.) BEENHAM Thank goodness. I 'm sure poor Lady Sybil was as anxious as ever she could be. PETER (absent-mindedly) Yes. BEENHAM It 's nearly eleven. I must go now. Good-night. Will you say good-night to Lady Sybil for me ? I don't want to bother her now they 've come, and I '11 go out by the back way. PETER (shaking hands) Good-night. [BEENHAM goes out C. PETER lights a cigarette and sits down staring absently in front of him. After a short pause SYBIL comes in R, in.] The Grey Stocking 83 SYBIL They haven't come, after all. They sent the motor back from Torrington that 's a big town twenty miles off and said they would come back later by train. PETER Then the others will meet them at the station. SYBIL I suppose it 's all right. Where 's Mr. Beenham ? PETER He 's gone. He thought they had arrived. He said he did not want to annoy you, and he went out through the back way. SYBIL How tiresome of him ! I wanted to see him. (She lies down on the sofa.} I hate waiting. What were we talking about ? PETER Mrs. Willborough. No, Beenham, music I forget. SYBIL Your cigarette has gone out. PETER Has it ? SYBIL How absent-minded you are to-night. PETER I have been thinking. 84 The Grey Stocking [in. SYBIL What about ? PETER A great many things, but all to do with you. SYBIL (startled) With me ! PETER Yes. I think you are very unhappy. SYBIL (feebly) I 'm not ! PETER I think you hate these people all Mr. Alston's friends, I mean, and these surroundings. I think you have found it all out, and that the whole of this life is a hell to you. I think you are playing a comedy in pretending to like it. SYBIL Don't ! PETER I think you have found them all out, and Mr. Alston too, most of all, perhaps. All your illusions are gone. Leave it. It 's horrible. Why should you live in a purgatory ? You have got nothing to keep you back, no child only a tie which is false, because you no longer love Alston. Beenham says that they are not fit to black your boots, and it 's true. Don't you see that it 's a waste ? You are being sacrificed to a conceited man's selfishness. Run away. I don't ask you to run away with me, that would be a mad dream, and what a happy dream ! What could I give you ? Only love. in.] The Grey Stocking 85 I am worthless, a ' rotter ' ; the only good thing in me is my love for you, and that 's useless because you could never love me. [They look at each other. SYBIL smiles and looks radiantly happy. MRS. JAMES comes in R., in a loose, black tea-gown. MRS. JAMES Pray excuse me if I am obtruding on you, dear Sybil, but I find I cannot sleep, and I heard the noise of a motor, so I thought I would put on a tea- gown and come and see. SYBIL They haven't arrived. They sent back the motor from Torrington. MRS. JAMES And where are they ? SYBIL They 're coming by train. They ought to be here very soon. MRS. JAMES What have you and Count Velichkovsky been discussing ? SYBIL I don't know. PETER (interrupting) We 've been talking about the motor-car mostly. MRS. JAMES I thought at least you were engaged in a brilliant discussion about anarchy and law, or something of that kind. 86 The Grey Stocking [m. SYBIL No, we were just talking. MRS. JAMES The only pleasant conversations are those about which one remembers nothing. That is, at least, my experience. I suppose, dear Sybil, that when you go to Cambridge you will not altogether give up this ideal house ? SYBIL I think we shall let it. MRS. JAMES Are you looking forward to Cambridge ? SYBIL I think Henry will like it. MRS. JAMES I have a peculiar affection for Cambridge. It is so far more beautiful than Oxford. And although Gray calls it a silly, dirty place, there are many delightful people who live there. SYBIL I suppose you 've got lots of old friends there. (To PETER) Cynthia used to lecture at Cambridge. MRS. JAMES I 'm afraid my studies at Cambridge were sadly interrupted by frivolities. There were so many charming undergraduates in pink and white ties who used to come to tea and talk delightfully silly nonsense. in.] The Grey Stocking 87 SYBIL (matter-of-Jactly) Yes, I suppose the undergraduates are very nice. MRS. JAMES I used to like best the young men who went to Newmarket and belonged to the Athenaeum. They were so fresh and early English. SYBIL But I suppose there are some interesting people too. MRS. JAMES Ah yes, some ; some of the Dons are Sclaire. There are Waltham and Langley, but most of them are terribly behind the times. PETER I once knew a Cambridge professor who came to Florence Mr. Shirley. He wrote articles on Italian literature. SYBIL Would you ring the bell, Count Peter ? [PETER gets up and rings a bell near the chimney- piece L. MRS. JAMES Poor Shirley. He is very witty, but he has no knowledge, and his scholarship is a sham. He has borrowed everything from other people. His meta- physics are a pretence. \A FOOTMAN comes in R. FOOTMAN Did you ring, my lady ? 88 The Grey Stocking [m. SYBIL Oh, James, please bring me the Bradshaw from the hall. FOOTMAN Very good, my lady. [He goes out R. SYBIL I want to look out the trains from Torrington. You see we never thought they would come from Torrington. We thought they would come from Ashford, which is only ten miles off. I want to see when the last train from Torrington gets here. (The FOOTMAN comes in, R., and brings LADY SYBIL the Bradshaw.} Thank you, James. Tell the others not to sit up. FOOTMAN Very good, my lady. [He goes out R. SYBIL begins to look out the train in the Bradshaw. MRS. JAMES Shall I look it out for you ? SYBIL No, I 'm rather good at Bradshaw, but . . . (slowly) I can't quite make out . . . PETER Let me find it for you. SYBIL No one can ever bear to see a Bradshaw in any one else's hands. I 've found it. The last train from Torrington reaches our station at 8.30. How in.] The Grey Stocking 89 extraordinary ! They ought to have been here ages ago. I don't understand. I can't think what they can have done. MRS. JAMES Are you sure, dear Sybil, that you looked out the right train ? SYBIL Quite certain. MRS. JAMES Perhaps they missed the train. SYBIL Then I don't know what they can do. I hope Henry and Hugo won't wait at the station for the second train. PETER Shall I go and fetch them ? SYBIL That would be angelic of you. But why should you go ? I can send James. PETER No, I will go. I would like to. It is such a short distance. SYBIL Good-bye. I 'm not going to bed. (PETER goes out R.~) (To CYNTHIA) How is your headache ? MRS. JAMES It is about the same, but I feel quite incapable of sleep. 90 The Grey Stocking [in. SYBIL So do I ; I couldn't possibly sleep. MRS. JAMES You look flushed, dear Sybil. SYBIL (getting up) I am rather worried, Cynthia, I own. I know it J s foolish. I can't bear waiting. MRS. JAMES Where is Mr. Beenham ? SYBIL He went home. I 'm not anxious about them. It 's not that, only I feel like a child that 's been overtired and gets excited for no reason. (A bell is heard ringing.} There 's a bell. Could it be them ? I heard no carriage wheels, did you ? MRS. JAMES No, not a sound. [PETER, HENRY, and WILLBOROUGH come in R. PETER I met them just as I was starting. HENRY We didn't reach the station. We met a man who told us the motor had arrived, empty. What does it mean ? SYBIL They 're at Torrington, and they sent the motor back saying they would come by train, and the last in.] The Grey Stocking 91 train arrived at 8.30, so I suppose they missed the train. WILLBOROUGH I think we had better motor to Torrington and find out at the station what 's happened to them. HENRY It 's very late. I expect the chauffeur has gone to bed. SYBIL No ; I told him he might very likely be wanted again, and to be ready. WILLBOROUGH I would rather go, if you don't mind, but don't come with me unless you like. HENRY Of course, my dear fellow, I '11 come with you. We '11 start at once. (He rings the bell.} I agree with you it is the wisest thing to do. MRS. JAMES I will now say good-night, dear Sybil ; my head- ache has suddenly become so acute that I think I had better lie down. SYBIL Of course, dear. MRS. JAMES (To all of them} Good-night. [HENRY opens the door for her ; she goes out R., and the FOOTMAN comes in. 92 The Grey Stocking [m. HENRY (to the FOOTMAN) Tell the motor to come round directly. FOOTMAN Very good, sir. [He goes out R. HENRY (to WILLBOROUGH) Will you go and get ready ? I will join you in a minute. PETER I will come and see you off. WILLBOROUGH Good-night, Sybil. SYBIL I shall be up when you come back. HENRY Nonsense, my dear, we shall be very late. I must insist on your going to bed. SYBIL Good-bye for the present, at any rate. [WILLBOROUGH and PETER go out R. HENRY My dear, I can't disguise from you that I feel most alarmed. SYBIL Why, what do you think 's happened ? HENRY I am afraid that Tommy may have persuaded Alice to embark on some wild expedition. in.] The Grey Stocking 93 SYBIL Don't tell Hugo you think that. I think they 've simply missed the train. HENRY I 'm afraid not. Connybeare is unfortunately not entirely to be trusted. SYBIL (impatiently} He 's perfectly to be trusted to do nothing mean or cowardly. HENRY You misunderstand me. SYBIL I think I understand you very well ; but you don't understand Tommy. [She lies down on the sofa. HENRY My dear, you are over-tired. We won't discuss the matter any more. Let us be thankful our life is never marred by such irrational episodes. My dearest (he bends over her), give me a kiss. SYBIL Oh don't, Henry, I 'm so tired. HENRY I said before, my dear, that you are over-tired. I must insist on your going to bed directly. SYBIL I shan't dream of going to bed. 94 The Grey Stocking [m. HENRY (soothingly) I think your nerves are a little upset. You '11 be all right to-morrow. SYBIL Oh, Henry, please don't go on talking to me like that, I can't bear it. HENRY (more and more soothingly) It 's all right it 's all right. SYBIL (violently) For Heaven's sake, go ! You are driving me mad. [FOOTMAN comes in R. FOOTMAN The motor is at the door, sir ; Mr. Willborough is waiting. HENRY All right, I 'm coming. (The FOOTMAN goes out.) Good-night, my darling. SYBIL Good-night, Henry. HENRY And if you are wise, Sybil, you will go to bed directly. [He goes out R. SYBIL (with a sigh of relief) Ah! [She gets up and goes to window opening on the garden, draws the curtains, opens the door and looks out. She shuts the door. The noise of a motor is heard going. SYBIL rings the bell. MRS. JAMES comes in R. in.] The Grey Stocking 95 MRS. JAMES I left my book here. SYBIL (absently} Where is it ? MRS. JAMES That 's just what I don't know. It is a book of Banes', full of most exquisite SYBIL (picking up a book from the table) Here it is. (FOOTMAN comes in R) You can go to bed, James. FOOTMAN Very good, my lady. [He goes out. SYBIL (excitedly) It 's the most wonderful night. I feel quite mad, Cynthia, as if I could dance or sing. I ought to be anxious, but I 'm not, now I know they 're at Torrington. The only thing I was afraid of was a motor accident. Now I know that hasn't hap- pened I feel quite calm and happy. MRS. JAMES Would you like me to sit up with you ? SYBIL Certainly not, with your headache. MRS. JAMES I may just as well lie down here and read. I can't sleep. 96 The Grey Stocking [m. SYBIL All right, dear, just as you like. Would you like some phenacetin ? MRS. JAMES I 've just taken some. [She lies down on the sofa and begins to read. SYBIL sits down on the armchair and takes up first one book and then another, and throws them down again. She sits pensively with an open book in her hand, looking straight in front of her for a moment. Then she goes to the garden door Z-., opens it and looks out into the night. It is a beautiful moonlit night. SYBIL What a glorious night ! MRS. JAMES Do leave the door open a little. It 's so hot. I 'm beginning to feel sleepy. Phenacetin is a soporific. SYBIL (sitting down in the armchair) I wish I felt sleepy ; I 'm so tired. [Outside PETER is heard whistling the Russian tune. SYBIL starts up and sits down again. MRS. JAMES has dropped off into a doze. SYBIL turns the lamp down a little. MRS. JAMES (half-waking} Sybil ! HI.] The Grey Stocking 97 SYBIL Yes. MRS. JAMES (sleepily) It 's a glorious night. [SYBIL gets up and walks to the garden door and hums PETER'S tune very softly. Then she walks quickly back to the chair and sits down. MRS. JAMES is fast asleep. A pause. PETER appears at the garden door. PETER (whispering) Sybil ! SYBIL (walking to the door in a whisper} Go away. [PETER takes hold of both her hands. He kisses her. They go out of the garden door. A pause. The noise of wheels is heard outside. The front bell rings. A pause. The bell rings again. Again there is a pause. The bell is rung a third time with violence. MRS. JAMES does not wake up. Steps are heard in the passage and the noise of the front door being opened. CONNYBEARE and MRS. WILLBOROUGH come in R. MRS. WILLBOROUGH They Ve gone to bed. CONNYBEARE No, the lamp 's burning. (He turns up the lamp.} It 's Mrs. James. She 's asleep. (He walks to 98 The Grey Stocking [m. the dining-room door and opens it.) Nobody there. What shall we do ? MRS. WILLBOROUGH I think we 'd better wake her. Cynthia ! MRS. JAMES (waking up) Sybil ! (She looks up and sees MRS. WILLBOROUGH.) Alice ! (She gets up.} Is it really you ! Where have you come from ? We 've all been through the most excrutiating anxiety. MRS. WILLBOROUGH We missed the train at Torrington and so we went by the other line to Sandbridge, and there we took a fly. We couldn't telegraph because of it 's being Sunday. CONNYBEARE Where are the others ? MRS. JAMES (tO MRS. WILLBOROUGH) Your husband arrived for dinner, and he 's gone in the motor with Henry to Torrington to find out what has happened to you. He was most anxious. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Why ? And where 's Sybil ? MRS. JAMES She was here. Oh, I think she 's gone into the garden ; she will be back in a minute. CONNYBEARE And the Count ? in.] The Grey Stocking 99 MRS. JAMES He either went with them or he 's gone to bed. CONNYBEARE (going to the garden door and opening it} Sybil ! Sybil ! I don't see her anywhere. Per- haps she 's gone to the kitchen garden. MRS. JAMES Talking of the kitchen, are you not fearfully hungry ? There is some cold meat ready for you in the dining-room. What a relief ! What a blessed relief it is to see you. CONNYBEARE Let 's have some food. MRS. WILLBOROUGH We ought to find Sybil. MRS. JAMES As soon as the motor arrived Sybil entirely ceased to be anxious. If you will excuse me, I will go to bed. I have a headache, and I intended to go to bed half an hour ago, but I fell asleep on the sofa. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Of course. Good-night. I hope your headache will get better. MRS. JAMES I have taken the inevitable phenacetin. Good- night, dear Alice. Good-night, Mr. Connybeare. CONNYBEARE Good-night. ioo The Grey Stocking [HI. MRS. WILLBOROUGH Good-night, Cynthia. (MRS. JAMES goes out R.} Let 's go and look for Sybil. TOMMY No, I want to speak to you. I want to speak to you before Sybil comes in. I 'm glad she 's out, as I want to speak to you now and alone. MRS. WILLBOROUGH You 've been speaking to me all day ; besides the whole week we 've been here. TOMMY That 's just it. Let 's sit down here. (MRS. WILLBOROUGH sits down on the sofa and TOMMY sits down in an armchair.') The whole week, ever since I 've arrived, ever since our first conversation, I have wanted to say something to you, and you have never let me say it. And all day to-day while we were in the motor I wanted to say it, and you prevented me. MRS. WILLBOROUGH But, my dear Tommy, I thought we threshed out our past and our future as thoroughly as it could be done. TOMMY Yes, you made everything very plain. You told me in the most excruciatingly clear and indirect way that you had entirely changed your mind and that you had given me up, and Socialism too, and all your old ideals ; that you burned what you adored, and that you adored what you had burnt. But in.] The Grey Stocking 101 this is what I wanted to tell you, what I have longed to tell you ever since that Sunday morning. It 's this, that all your sensible reasons and all the wise sermons you preached to me all day long to-day are simply rot ! I never believed in them for a moment. I saw the minute I arrived on Sunday morning that you had changed, and a little later I saw why Alice, you are in love with Velichkovsky. I don't bear you any malice ; I 'm not even jealous. I 'm only very, very miserable. That 's all I want to say, but how could you possibly think that, knowing you as I know you, you could hide it or that I wouldn't guess ! Oh, how stupid women are sometimes ! They say men are stupid, and they are, but when women are in love and think other people don't notice it, they are worse than ostriches ! All I want to say is that I saw, I see, I understand everything, and I 'm sorry for you, dearest, because he doesn't love you he loves Sybil ; and I 'm a little hurt that you spent a whole week in putting me off by avoiding me, and then by taking me out a whole day in a motor to stuff me with invented sensible reasons. O Alice, how unfair it all is ! He doesn't love you and I do, and you know it. How unfair it is ! MRS. WILLBOROUGH (quietly) Tommy, my dearest Tommy, it 's true but how could I love you like that ? You are half of myself. TOMMY That 's the trouble ; we are made of the same stuff, and w r e don't match. The Grey Stocking [m. MRS. WILLBOROUGH We 're like two right-hand gloves. [A bell is heard ringing. TOMMY There 's somebody ringing. I suppose it 's Henry and Hugo. CURTAIN END OF ACT III ACT IV SCENE : The same as in Act I. It is a fine hot autumn afternoon. The garden is strewn with fallen leaves. MRS. WILLBOROUGH, SYBIL, PETER, HENRY, and MISS FARRER are sitting under the tulip-tree. SYBIL is knitting a grey stocking. MRS. WILLBOROUGH (to PETER) Shall you go straight through to St. Petersburg, or will you stop in Paris ? PETER I shall go straight through. MISS FARRER How long does it take ? PETER Fifty hours by the Nord Express. HENRY You start in the morning ? PETER Yes. HENRY And cross by Calais ? PETER No, by Ostend. 103 104 The Grey Stocking [iv. HENRY And what time do you reach St. Petersburg ? PETER I forget. I think in the afternoon, about two. HENRY (cheerfully) You must come back soon. PETER I hope to come to England next year in the spring. HENRY Then you must come here at once, or to Cam- bridge if we are there. PETER It 's very kind of you to ask me. HENRY We shall miss him dreadfully, shan't we, Sybil ? SYBIL Yes, dreadfully. MISS FARRER I mean to go to Russia soon. Will you come with me, Sybil ? SYBIL I should like to very much, only HENRY We might go out next summer. (To PETER) Shall you be there next summer ? PETER Probably ; but who knows ? It depends. iv.] The Grey Stocking 105 HENRY I suppose you '11 go straight to the country when you get back. PETER Yes, straight. HENRY I expect he '11 forget all about us directly, don't you, Sybil ? SYBIL Yes. HENRY The time has passed extraordinarily quickly. Let me see ; you arrived on the tenth of August, and to-day is the MRS. WILLBOROUGH The 30th of September. PETER It 's gone very quickly. MRS. WILLBOROUGH I had a letter from Tommy this morning from Venice. HENRY Enjoying himself, I suppose. MRS. WILLBOROUGH It was rather a depressed letter. HENRY Tommy 's just like a butterfly. His depression won't last long. He '11 soon find some beautiful lady to console him. 106 The Grey Stocking [iv. MRS. WILLBOROUGH I utterly disagree with you, Henry. HENRY I like Tommy very much ; but I think you idealise him. MRS. WILLBOROUGH I don't think you do like Tommy, and I don't think you understand him, so don't let 's discuss him. HENRY (tO MRS. WILLBOROUGH) Are you going by the same train as Count Peter ? MRS. WILLBOROUGH He 's going by the five- thirty, isn't he ? I 'm afraid I must go by the five, as I must be home by six. Don't order anything for me, I '11 walk to the station. HENRY Nonsense, you shall have the carriage. I 'm afraid we shan't see you here for some time. MRS. WILLBOROUGH You '11 be at Cambridge all the Autumn. HENRY (hesitating) Ye es ; you must come and stay with us here, and you too, Mary. MISS FARRER I loathe universities. At least, the people the Dons ; and I suppose you 're going to become a Don/ iv-.] The Grey Stocking 107 HENRY (laughing) A kind of Don. Dons have their good points, Mary. SYBIL (tO COUNT PETER) Wilfrid Beenham said he was coming over to say good-bye to you this afternoon. MRS. WILLBOROUGH I must go in and collect my books for my little bag. MISS FARRER I '11 come with you if you don't mind, Alice, as I must do the same. HENRY You 're not going this afternoon ? MISS FARRER I 'm sorry to say I am ; by the same train as Count Velichkovsky. [MRS. WILLBOROUGH and MISS FARRER go out R.j into the house. PETER I must go and see about my things, too. SYBIL There will be tea presently. PETER I shall be back directly. [He goes into the house. HENRY I 'm glad they 've gone. I want to tell you something, Sybil. (He looks at her.} Sybil, what 's io8 The Grey Stocking [iv. the matter ? You 're not looking well. Aren't you feeling well ? I Ve noticed for some days you 've been looking pale and pulled down. SYBIL I 'm quite well. What is it ? HENRY You 're not looking well, darling. SYBIL I 'm perfectly well, Henry. What is it ? HENRY This is what I want to tell you. Now that the time for our move is getting so near, I 've been thinking over it a great deal, and I have been wondering whether it is not after all a mistake. SYBIL How a mistake ? HENRY Well, I 've been thinking that in accepting this place I have perhaps given way to commonplace and ambition to the detriment of my better self. I have been wondering whether my motives were entirely disinterested or not, and whether I was right in accepting this place at the cost of severing my public connection with ' The Society.' I 'm not sure I was right. I imagined that I was giving up a pleasant duty for a duty less pleasant but more imperative ; but now on thinking it over, I am not sure that this was so. I am not sure that uncon- sciously I was not simply letting my ambition over- iv J The Grey Stocking 109 ride my duty ; and if this is so, and if you agree in thinking this is so, I am quite ready now at the eleventh hour to give up Cambridge. It entirely depends on what you think, dearest. I don't care a pin for what the world thinks, but only for what you think. I was afraid that I, perhaps, hadn't been quite worthy of you, and that you might be disappointed. SYBIL I think it 's too late to give it up now. HENRY Then you do agree with me ? You were dis- appointed at my accepting ? SYBIL No. I was a tiny bit surprised at first ; but on thinking it over I came to the conclusion that you couldn't have done anything else, and that it was quite right. HENRY Then you think it 's too late to throw it up now ? SYBIL Yes, much too late. HENRY You think I must go through with it ? SYBIL Yes. HENRY (relieved) Well, if you think so, dearest, that 's all I care about, and perhaps you are right. And, after all, no The Grey Stocking [iv. it is not as if it were a sordid, worldly ambition. If it is ambition it 's the right kind of ambition, the ambition to be of the greatest use one can to one's fellow-creatures. And what you think is the only thing that matters. SYBIL I think it is too late to give up Cambridge. HENRY Well, that settles it. Why don't they bring us tea ? SYBIL I can't think. HENRY I will go and hurry them up, and I must write a letter for the post. [He goes out R. PETER comes out R. SYBIL Are all your things ready ? PETER Yes, quite ready. (Pause.} SYBIL You will write. PETER Yes, of course. SYBIL Do you remember what Gretchen said to Faust ? I feel like her when she says : ' Think of me only for a little minute. I shall have so much time to think of you.' iv.] The Grey Stocking 1 1 1 PETER (nervously and excitedly) Don't say those things, Sybil. Why do you want to hurt me ? You know it 's so much worse for me. I would give the whole world to stay here for ever, and you know I can't. You see I can't bear it. You know it 's impossible. SYBIL I know. Perhaps we may meet in a year's time, and everything will be different. PETER Sybil, you know I shall never, never change. SYBIL In a year's time your life will be quite different. You are so young. But mine will be just the same here or at Cambridge. Nothing can alter it unless something extraordinary happens, and extra- ordinary things don't happen, do they ? At least, not to people like you and me. PETER (gloomily) No, I suppose not. SYBIL You are right to go. You are right I am sure you are right. PETER You know how difficult it is for me, and you are making it worse. Please don't make it worse ! SYBIL Peter ! You know if I had to live it over again, 1 1 2 The Grey Stocking [iv. I should choose that it should be just as it was. Only when I think, I 'm afraid. But one gets used to everything, doesn't one ? PETER Yes, one gets used to everything. I saw how true that was when I was at the war. Things make so little difference, and life ends by being the same everywhere. SYBIL But people make a difference. PETER Oh yes, people some people SYBIL In books and plays people are torn apart by tremendous things, by plots or by accidents. But I 've always thought the grimmest form of fate is what one does deliberately after carefully think- ing it over ; when we, of our own accord, make up our mind to do something which affects our whole life. You might have been sent to the other end of the world against your will, or Henry might have become jealous and turned you out of the house, or else perhaps you might have run away with me to Florence or Venice . . . ! But that 's the sort of thing which only happens in books, isn't it ? And you said once it was a mad dream. PETER Yes, it 's a mad dream, only sometimes it does happen in life too ; and perhaps it will come true for us some day. I am sure to come back, and iv.] The Grey Stocking 1 1 3 perhaps some day will make the mad dream true. It 's only now that it can't be. Don't let 's make it worse than it is. SYBIL You 're going away of your own accord, and I am persuading you to go. That 's our fate. We have made it we, ourselves. My fate is just like a stocking I have carefully knitted myself, and which I shall have to wear for the rest of my life. It 's a grey worsted stocking, just like this one (holding up the stocking) I 've been knitting for the bazaar ever since you 've been here. I began it on the day you arrived. PETER Even now, at the last moment, I feel [He pauses. SYBIL (looking up at him with an expression of expectation) What? PETER As if it was a dream, and as if I was not really going, as if I had just arrived. SYBIL We have got much to be thankful for very much : we have never quarrelled. PETER Never had any disillusions. SYBIL They will be coming back in a minute ; I can see Alice at the verandah door. So I want to ii4 The Grey Stocking [iv. say good-bye. Perhaps I shall see you next year, or in two years' time ; but it will be different. But remember, Peter, I shall be just the same whatever happens. (JVhispers) God bless you, my dearest ; good-bye. PETER (whispers, taking her band) Good-bye. SYBIL (drawing away her hand) Good-bye they are coming. [HENRY, MRS. WILLBOROUGH, and MISS FARRER come out. HENRY But you are not going to walk ! The carriage will take you and come back for Count Peter and Miss Farrer. MRS. WILLBOROUGH It 's time for me to go. SYBIL Already ? Won't you wait for tea ? MRS. WILLBOROUGH I shan't have time. It 's a quarter to five. I must go. SYBIL (getting up} Good-bye, dearest. (She kisses MRS. WILL- BOROUGH.) And you must come and stay with us at Cambridge. HENRY Yes, you must be our first visitor. iv.] The Grey Stocking 115 MRS. WILLBOROUGH Good-bye, Count Peter. I don't suppose we shall ever meet again. But the world is so ridi- culously small that one never knows. PETER Good-bye. MRS. WILLBOROUGH (tO MISS FARRER) Good-bye, Mary. MISS FARRER I daresay we shall all meet at Sybil's soon. HENRY I will come and see you off. [MRS. WILLBOROUGH and HENRY go out R. MISS FARRER That 's what I call a really nice woman. She seems entirely to have got over her passion for Mr. Connybeare. I wonder if he has got over it. SYBIL Julia says he is quite miserable. MISS FARRER The whole thing to me was a puzzle. I shall never understand what it was why, if it really existed, it came to such an abrupt end. Do you think she was ever in love with Mr Connybeare ? [The noise of carriage-wheels is heard. SYBIL No, I don't think she was, really. n6 The Grey Stocking [iv. MISS FARRER Then it is quite simple he was in love with her, and she was not in love with him. That accounts for the abrupt end. In fact, it accounts for all abrupt ends. When both the people are in love it simply doesn't end, does it ? SYBIL I don't know ; people are so different. MISS FARRER But why should it end ? SYBIL There are so many reasons circumstances. MISS FARRER I have never known circumstances interfere with lovers who were really in love. In fact, the more circumstances interfere, the more people love each other. No, believe me, abrupt ends only come about when one of the two people concerned begins to be indifferent. SYBIL I suppose when two people are in love, there is always one who gives more than the other. MISS FARRER Yes, but that doesn't make any difference if both are ready to give all they have to give. These abrupt endings happen only when one of the two people is not ready to give all he or she can give. iv.] The Grey Stocking 117 SYBIL I don't think Alice was prepared to give anything. MISS FARRER I often think it 's a mercy, Sybil, that you have never fallen in love with any one except Henry, I mean. You would be certain to love some one who was incapable of giving and only capable of receiving. That 's because you 're too unselfish. Mercifully you are not capable of a great passion. I rather wish you were. You are too good for this world, Sybil. SYBIL Oh, please don't let 's discuss my imaginary virtues, Mary. MISS FARRER (tO PETER) Isn't it true, Count Peter, that she 's much too good for this world ? PETER Quite true. [HENRY comes in, R., with BEENHAM, BASIL, and MACFARLANE. HENRY (to PETER) Basil has brought Beenham and Macfarlane to say good-bye to you. [PETER gets up. BASIL How d' you do, Sybil ? BEENHAM How d' you do, Lady Sybil ? n8 The Grey Stocking [iv. MACFARLANE How d' you do ? [They shake hands with SYBIL and MISS FARRER ; they sit down. BEEN HAM (tO PETER) You 're starting from London to-morrow, aren't you ? PETER Yes, to-morrow morning. MACFARLANE You must let us have a paper on Russian politics for * The Society.' PETER I 'm afraid I 'm altogether incapable of writing anything about Russian politics. MACFARLANE Let us have a paper on anything you like : Tol- stoy's religion, or Tourgenev's views on Hamlet. A literary paper would be jolly ; something on Russian literature by some one who really knows. BASIL Or you might write a paper on your impressions of England. PETER I 'm afraid I 'm quite incapable of writing any- thing. I have never written anything in my life. MISS FARRER What a comfort it is to find some one who doesn't write, and doesn't want to ! iv.] The Grey Stocking 119 MACFARLANE Fortunately for the world, Miss Farrer, that is not your ambition. MISS FARRER I write to earn my bread and support myself and my relations. If this were not so I should never write a line. BASIL Oh come, Miss Farrer MISS FARRER Believe me or not, as you like. It 's the truth ; and as for literary people, I J ve always loathed them all my life, and have had as little to do with them as possible. MACFARLANE That 's rather hard on us who write, as Goethe said, as the birds sing, because they couldn't help it. MISS FARRER When one hears some birds sing, Mr. Macfarlane, one wishes they could help singing. MACFARLANE * A hit, a palpable hit.' HENRY Are you going to stay for dinner, Basil ? BASIL I 'm afraid we can't. I promised mother we *d be back for dinner. (To PETER) I suppose the next we shall hear of Count Velichkovsky is that he 's 120 The Grey Stocking [iv. become a prominent ' Octobrist ' or a ' Kadet,' whatever that may be. MACFARLANE Yes. Or the member of a Committee of Public Safety. But it seems to me that the situation of the Revolutionary Party in Russia at the present moment is like that of Marlborough after Mal- plaquet in that the battle was neither lost nor won. [The FOOTMAN comes in R. FOOTMAN The carriage is at the door, my lady. SYBIL All right, there 's plenty of time. Don't hurry, Mary. [The FOOTMAN goes out. MISS FARRER I hate waiting hours at the station. HENRY You have got twenty minutes. Have you got cigarettes for the train, Count Peter ? PETER Yes, thank you, plenty. HENRY You might really just as well have gone up after dinner. PETER I promised to meet a Russian friend in London. HENRY Please let us hear from you when you arrive in iv.] The Grey Stocking 121 Russia, and remember that your room will be always ready for you either here or at Cambridge. PETER Thank you very much. I suppose I ought to start. (He gets up.} Good-bye, Lady Sybil. I cannot possibly thank you and Mr. Alston enough for all your great kindness. (SYBIL gets up. PETER shakes hands with her.} Good-bye. SYBIL Good-bye. Don't forget to write to us. [PETER shakes hands with BASIL, BEEN#AM, and MACFARLANE. HENRY We '11 come and see you off. MISS FARRER (getting up) Well, I suppose I ought to be getting ready to go too. [FOOTMAN comes in R. FOOTMAN The coachman says it 's time to start, my lady. MISS FARRER We're coming. Good-bye, Sybil. (Kisses her.) Good-bye, Henry. Good-bye, everybody. Don't come to the door. I hate being seen off. [FOOTMAN goes out. SYBIL Good-bye. [HENRY, PETER, and MISS FARRER go towards the house. 122 The Grey Stocking [iv. BASIL I 'm sorry the Count is going so soon. It was rather unexpected, wasn't it ? SYBIL Yes, he is obliged to go back and look after some property. [The noise of carriage-wheels is heard. BASIL Agrarian troubles, I suppose. SYBIL He says he has a great many things to settle and to do. ' MACFARLANE I 'm sorry he 's gone. I never succeeded in having a real good talk about Russian politics with him. But Russians seem to me so curious. He never seemed to me to take much interest in his country. SYBIL He 's lived abroad a great deal. BASIL His English is certainly most remarkable. [HENRY comes in R. HENRY They 're gone off safely. I think Mary ought to be pleased as they won't have any time to spare. I am exceedingly sorry Count Peter is gone. He is a most cultivated, pleasant young man, full of promise, unless he runs to seed. We shall miss him very much. We had quite got to treat him as one of the family, hadn't we, Sybil ? iv.] The Grey Stocking 123 SYBIL Yes, quite. BASIL Russians are certainly wonderfully adaptable and assimilative. HENRY It 's getting a little chilly. Don't you feel cold, Sybil ? SYBIL No, not a bit. BASIL It 's wonderful weather certainly. I think the Count will have a beautiful crossing to-morrow. HENRY By the way, Basil, I want to show you some proofs. Could you come into the study a moment ? BASIL Certainly. HENRY (to SYBIL) Are you coming in, dear ? SYBIL Not just yet. [HENRY, MACFARLANE, and BASIL go into the house. SYBIL gives a sigh of relief. BEEN HAM, who was going with them, turns back. BEENHAM I know you want to be alone, but I want to say one word I want to say good-bye. 124 The Grey Stocking [iv. SYBIL Are you going away too ? BEENHAM Yes, I 'm going abroad. SYBIL When, and where to ? BEENHAM I haven't had any leave this year, and I am going to take it now. I am going to Italy, to Venice, Florence and Perugia. SYBIL You '11 find Tommy Connybeare at Venice. BEENHAM I 'm so glad. SYBIL I don't any longer believe in your long good- byes. When you were here last time you said you weren't coming back for months. BEENHAM I meant not to come, but I couldn't help it. SYBIL Why? BEENHAM Have you never guessed ? SYBIL (honestly astonished) No. What ? BEENHAM Why I stayed so often with the Alstons. Did iv.] The Grey Stocking 125 you think it was for Basil or for Lady Alston ? Can't you guess why I wanted to stay away, and how I tried to stay away and came back all the same ? Don't think I am going to bore you with declara- tions and a broken heart, and all that sort of thing. It is true I love you, Sybil, and I have always loved you, and I shall always love you ; but that 's not what I want to say. I thought you must have guessed that ages ago. When one loves somebody one understands a lot, and jolly quickly, and I only want to tell you . . . SYBIL What? BEENHAM Oh nothing, but . . . Life 's an odd game, isn't it ? People seem to be given their parts by such a cracked stage-manager. I would have played his part differently, Sybil. I would never have gone away. I would have taken you right away by force to the end of the world. I beg your pardon for talking like that. But I 'm going away, and this time I shall try and stay away ; and as you never guessed, I 'm glad I told you. You 're not angry with me, are you ? SYBIL No, of course not. How could I be ? You 're an angel, Wilfrid. You 're the only friend I 've got. [She buries her face in her hands and cries. BEENHAM Life 's a difficult business, isn't it ? i26 The Grey Stocking [iv. SYBIL (drying her eyes) Very, very difficult. BEENHAM But we '11 jog on somehow, I suppose. SYBIL Yes, I suppose so. [HENRY, BASIL, and MACFARLANE come from the house. BASIL (to BEENHAM) We must be starting home. BEENHAM I 'm quite ready. BASIL Good-bye, Sybil. When do you go to Cam- bridge ? SYBIL Next week. You must come and see us there. BASIL I hope to have that pleasure. We shall miss you here dreadfully. MACFARLANE Good-bye, Lady Sybil. I shan't see you again before you go to Cambridge. I wish all success to the transference of your household deities. SYBIL Good-bye. Give my love to Lady Alston. [BEENHAM, MACFARLANE, and BASIL go out, C., through the garden. iv.] The Grey Stocking 127 HENRY Now they 're all gone. This is the first time we 've been alone quite alone in the house for five weeks. I am sorry our guests have gone ; at the same time it 's rather jolly being quite alone to ourselves again, isn't it ? We will have one week of perfect bliss before we move, and we shall enjoy every minute of it, shan't we, Sybil dear ? SYBIL (absently} Yes. HENRY You don't seem very enthusiastic. The fact is, Sybil, I 've noticed for some time that you Ve not been quite the thing, and I 've been rather worried about you. You look pale, dearest. The fact is, you want a change. A change of air and surround- ings will be the very thing for you. Perhaps you 'd better see a doctor. SYBIL (showing her irritation) Please don't talk about my health, Henry, I can't bear it. I 've never felt better in my life. HENRY No, I 've noticed it for some time. You want a change. SYBIL I daresay you 're right, Henry ; I want a change. HENRY Let 's go for a little stroll. 128 The Grey Stocking [iv. SYBIL I Ve got a headache and I 'm going to lie down. [She walks towards the bouse. HENRY You 've left your work behind. (He picks up the stocking from a chair. Laughing) Is this grey stocking for me ? SYBIL No, I made it for the bazaar but I 'm going to wear it myself. CURTAIN END OF ACT IV THE GREEN ELEPHANT A PLAY IN FOUR ACTS TO GERTRUDE KINGSTON PERSONS OF THE PLAY SIR HARRY WARBURTON, K.C.M.G., an Ex-Governor of a Colonial Province. ANTHONY POLLITT. RUPERT HARVARD, Lady Warburton's first cousin, a barrister. PROFESSOR NORMAN NUTT. JOHN BETIS, Professor Nutt's Private Secretary. FOOTMAN. LADY WARBURTON. MRS. MOTTERWAY. Miss LETTY HART. HARPER, Lady Warburton's maid. TIME The Present. The action takes place at Warburton Hall. SCENES ACT I. Lady Warburton's Sitting-room. Sunday night. ACT II. Breakfast-room at Warburton. Monday morning. ACT III. Hall at Warburton. Tuesday afternoon. ACT IV. Lady Warburton's Sitting-room. Tuesday evening, after dinner. Twelve hours elapse between Acts I. and //., one day elapses between Acts II. and ///., and a few hours between Acts III. and IV. CAST OF 'THE GREEN ELEPHANT' as produced at the Comedy Theatre by Miss GERTRUDE KINGSTON on June 3 , 1911 SIR HARRY WARBURTON . Mr. HUBERT HARBEN ANTHONY POLLITT . . Mr. CHARLES QUATERMAINE RUPERT HARVARD . . Mr. WILFRID FORSTER PROFESSOR NORMAN NUTT Mr. H. DE LANGE JOHN BETIS . . . Mr. AUGUSTIN DUNCAN FOOTMAN .... Mr. D. DARRELL LADY WARBURTON . . Miss GERTRUDE KINGSTON MRS. MOTTERWAY . . Miss DARRAGH Miss LETTY HART . . Miss MARGERY PATTERSON HARPER . . . Miss RITA EVERARD THE GREEN ELEPHANT ACT I SCENE : LADY WARBURTON'S sitting-room at War- burton Hall. A well-furnished room. Door L. C. leading into Lady Warburton's bedroom ; door C. leading into dressing-room. Sofa L. ; round table next to it with a lamp on it ; armchair R. of table ; writing-table R., and several other chairs. Door R. DISCOVERED : LADY WARBURTON in a loose tea- gown. She is a pretty young woman, beautifully dressed, restless in her manner. She has evidently got something on her mind. She is sitting at her writing-table R. [Enter LADY WARBURTON'S MAID L. MAID Did your ladyship ring ? LADY WARBURTON Yes, Harper, I did. I 've lost something. It was in my little gold chain purse, and I can't find that. Have you seen it anywhere ? MAID No, my lady, I can't say I have. Your ladyship had it yesterday morning. 134 The Green Elephant [i. LADY WARBURTON I suppose it isn't in the pocket of the jacket I had on this afternoon ? MAID No, my lady. LADY WARBURTON Are you quite sure ? MAID Quite sure, my lady. LADY WARBURTON I shall go mad ! You haven't thrown any papers away, have you, Harper ? Or a card ? I 've lost a card. MAID No, my lady, I haven't touched a thing I haven't seen a card anywhere, LADY WARBURTON (suddenly getting an idea) Oh ! It 's just possible. Please bring me my small red bag from the bedroom. MAID Yes, my lady. [Exit MAID L. C. LADY WARBURTON (continuing to hunt feverishly among a lot of letters on the writing-table and opening and shutting drawers] Where can it be ? Where in the world ? I had it yesterday after luncheon. {Enter MAID L. C. with a small red travelling bag which she gives to LADY WARBURTON. i.] The Green Elephant 135 Thank you, Harper, that will do. [Exit MAID L. C. LADY WARBURTON opens the bag and takes out a cigarette-case and some letters. She shakes it when it is empty, and makes a gesture of despair. The telephone bell on her writing-table rings. She goes to the table and takes off the receiver. Hallo. (Peevishly] Hallo. Is that Mary ? . . . Yes, I 'm Delia . . . Where ? Oh, from Harley. Who have you got ? . . . Those awful Americans ? Harry wanted to ask them here. Isn't he awful ? . . . Nice party spoilt by bores. . . . Angela is here Angela Motterway . . . Yes, of course, Anthony Pollitt ... Sir Walter Wilson and his wife, but they 're going away to-morrow morning . . . An Anglo-Indian interested in Oriental things ... I 'm in my room . . . No, in my sitting-room. I 'm pretending to be ill. Just before dinner Harry told me he had asked Major HighclifTe and Mrs. Highcliffe from Endlesham to dine here . . . Yes, I 'm alone, lying down . . . Because I hate Ethel . . . Who else ? Letty Hart and Rupert . . . Anthony ? No, I don't think he is as much in love with her as he was. No, I 'm sure he won't. He 's been losing money . . . Yes, a lot ... No, he won't give him a penny ; they 've quarrelled. Yes, he owes thousands ... I can't think . . . Yes, she worries him. He seems rather attracted by Letty . . . No, I 'm quite well really, but worried . . . Oh, nothing . . . Yes, bills as usual . . You don't know him he won't. Good- 136 The Green Elephant [i. night, darling, ring me up again to-morrow . . . Oh, Mary Bother ! they 've cut us off just when I wanted to say something really important. [Enter MISS HART R. A girl aged, about twenty-three, dressed simply in white. MISS HART Mr. Harvard wants to know whether he may come upstairs and see you, if you are well enough. LADY WARBURTON (laughing) I was never so well in my life. What are they all doing ? MISS HART They made me do some crystal-gazing, and now I think they 're going to play poker. Mr. Harvard isn't playing. I '11 go and tell him he may come. LADY WARBURTON Wait a minute. Did you have a nice dinner ? MISS HART Very. I sat next to Mr. Pollitt. LADY WARBURTON Did you like him ? MISS HART I thought him interesting ; but he seems worried. He didn't say much. LADY WARBURTON He 's in debt. And besides MISS HART What? i.] The Green Elephant 137 LADY WARBURTON Angela worries him ; she bullies him. It 's very silly of her. The worst of Angela is she 's so jealous. MISS HART You Ve known him for years ? LADY WARBURTON Yes, I know him very well, although I don't often see him. He is so much away. MISS HART He 's only just come back from Japan. LADY WARBURTON He 's always in those outlandish countries. He ought to marry. I believe he wants to marry, only Angela won't let him. She 's ruining his life. Of course, his wife ought to be rich. MISS HART Yes, of course. LADY WARBURTON He hasn't a penny, and he's frightfully extra- vagant almost as bad as I am. O Letty, I can't sleep at night for thinking of the workhouse ! MISS HART When did Mrs. Motterway's husband die ? LADY WARBURTON Four years ago no, it was five. MISS HART What sort of man was he ? 138 The Green Elephant [i. LADY WARBURTON He was a soldier, very good-looking, and sup- posed to be clever, but I thought most uninteresting. He played the banjo and the piano and the penny whistle, and drew pigs with his eyes shut. MISS HART Was he well off ? LADY WARBURTON No. We were all so surprised when she married him, because, of course, you know she was engaged to be married to Anthony. MISS HART No, I didn't know that. Did she break it off ? LADY WARBURTON Yes, she broke it off. Nobody knew why. They just quarrelled, I think. He went away. Angela married Jim. They went to India and he died of fever and Angela's temper. She never let him forget that she only married him out of spite. MISS HART Then she came back, I suppose ? LADY WARBURTON Yes, and a year after Anthony came back. And nothing happened, and it 's been like that ever since. MISS HART I see. LADY WARBURTON Angela will never marry Anthony. In the first i.] The Green Elephant 139 place, they're far too poor unless his uncle gives in ; and in the second place, Anthony MISS HART What? [Enter FOOTMAN R., bringing in a note on a tray. LADY WARBURTON reads the note, then gets up and goes to the writing-table. LADY WARBURTON I needn't bother to write. (To MISS HART) It 's Rupert. (To FOOTMAN) Ask Mr. Harvard to come up here directly. FOOTMAN Very good, my lady. [Exit FOOTMAN R. MISS HART Well, I will leave you. Good-bye for the present. [Exit MISS HART R. LADY WARBURTON arranges herself on the sofa. [Enter HARVARD R., a quiet man with a deliberate voice and rather a precise manner. Twenty-eight years old. HARVARD Are you better ? LADY WARBURTON (laughing) I never felt quite so well in my life. But I 'm worried. HARVARD Is that all ? I thought you were seriously in- disposed. 140 The Green Elephant [i. LADY WARBURTON No ; there never was anything the matter with me. But you see, Harry is so extraordinary. Gener- ally I can manage him quite well ; but just when I think what a wonderfully well-trained husband he is, he breaks out and does something maddening, and I have to begin his training all over again. And although Harry is easy to manage, every now and then about certain things, he becomes obstinate, so that I can't even argue. He puts on a particular face just like he does when he talks about going to church, or death, or the family jewels ; and then there's nothing to be done except to give in. Now yesterday it was just like that. He asked the people I dislike most in the world to this party without telling me a word. HARVARD Who? LADY WARBURTON The Wilsons, of course. I can't bear people who tell me stories about tiffin, rickshaws and gymkhanas. HARVARD I confess I find Sir Walter Wilson tedious. He is a great traveller, and travellers are always tire- some. They go everywhere, and they only tell one what one knows already. LADY WARBURTON And he always wants to be shown all the anti- quities in the house. Harry's Japanese embroideries i.] The Green Elephant 141 which came from Harrod's Stores, and my emeralds which came from Paris. HARVARD They talked about your jewels at dinner, especi- ally about an Oriental jewel you apparently possess, called the Green Elephant, which I have never heard of. LADY WARBURTON (anxiously) What did they say ? HARVARD Sir Walter Wilson discussed it for at least twenty minutes. He said it was a unique curiosity. He is most anxious to see it. Harry promised to show it to him after dinner. LADY WARBURTON (starting) Good gracious ! HARVARD What is the matter ? LADY WARBURTON Nothing only I cannot possibly have him brought up here. HARVARD I expect that catastrophe can be avoided ; but what is your worry ? LADY WARBURTON Well, the last straw was that before dinner. Harry and I had a frightful row. I beat his face with a hair brush and twisted his little finger back, 142 The Green Elephant [i. and I 'm thankful to say I really hurt him. Then Harry became cross, peevish, and rude ; in fact, quite odious. The end of it was I refused to come downstairs to dinner and pretended I had a bad headache. Harry came to me afterwards ; he was rather ashamed of having lost his temper and having behaved in such a rude, brutal way, and was very meek and penitent. He always begs my pardon when he forgets himself. So I forgave him and we made it up. He 's rather afraid of me, and doesn't know that I am sometimes afraid of him. HARVARD But you said you were worried. LADY WARBURTON I meant about all this. I 've told you every- thing now. HARVARD Mrs. Motterway and Pollitt are anxious to pay you a visit. LADY WARBURTON They can. But I won't see any of the others except Letty. Tell me what 's been happening downstairs. HARVARD At dinner most of the talk was about Oriental jewels, as I told you especially about your green elephant, which appears to be worth a king's ransom. LADY WARBURTON It isn't. It 's simply a hideous old curiosity ! i.] The Green Elephant 143 HARVARD The experts talked of this. We listened. Mrs. Motterway watched Pollitt with some care. He was sitting next to Miss Hart. He was silent. I believe that he 's in difficulties again. LADY WARBURTON I know, but I thought his uncle HARVARD His uncle refuses to do anything for him now. I believe he wants money at once. I think it 's very wrong on his uncle's part ; he 's colossally rich. LADY WARBURTON It is a terrible shame ! And what did you do after dinner ? HARVARD Mrs. Motterway showed us some experiments in willing with Miss Hart. She made her guess cards out of the pack, and take books out of the shelves. LADY WARBURTON Is that all ? Sometimes she does extraordinary things. I don't think it 's good for her. She walks in her sleep. It 's curious that it 's only since she came back from America that she began to see things in crystals. She is very nervous sometimes. HARVARD She did some crystal-gazing, too. LADY WARBURTON What? 144 The Green Elephant [i. HARVARD She looked into a crystal, and said she saw the hall here. We were all having tea and a man came ; suddenly she started and turned quite pale and refused to go on any more. LADY WARBURTON Was that all she did ? HARVARD Yes ; it started them on theosophy, and Harry, finding the topic tedious, proposed bridge. Some of them were taken off to play, and the others settled down to poker, which I confess bores me. So I thought I would come and see how you were. [Enter R. SIR HARRY WARBURTON. He is a middle- aged, man ; his hair is slightly grey ; very neat and dapper in his appearance, and slightly fussy in his manner. SIR HARRY Well, how are you getting on, my dear ? I trust you are feeling better now that you 've had some food and some coffee. I always feel better after I 've had my coffee. LADY WARBURTON (languidly} Yes, thank you, Harry, I am feeling better. SIR HARRY In that case don't you think it would be more civil if I were to bring Mrs. Highcliffe upstairs to say good-night to you, and Sir Walter Wilson, too ? He was most interesting at dinner on the subject i.] The Green Elephant 145 of the green elephant : he told us some curious things. He is particularly anxious to see it. He says it is a unique gem. May I bring him up to see it ? LADY WARBURTON No, Harry, it 's quite impossible. I 'm going to bed in a minute. Besides, although I 'm feeling better than I was, I 'm still very far from well. I have still got a racking headache and pains in my back, and a buzzing in my ears from all that quinine I took. I think I 'm going to have influenza. SIR HARRY Very well, my dear, just as you wish. I '11 say that you are not in a fit state to see any one. But there is no reason why Sir Walter shouldn't see the green elephant, is there ? LADY WARBURTON No, of course not. SIR HARRY I must say, my dear, I think it is rather a pity that you never wear the green elephant. I reminded you yesterday about it. I knew Sir Walter Wilson would wish to see it. It is such an interesting gem. (Solemnly] My grandmother always wore it either in the daytime or in the evening ; and on Sundays she wore it in the daytime and in the evening. LADY WARBURTON I '11 wear it to-morrow if you like. I nearly wore it this morning. [Enter MISS HART R. 146 The Green Elephant [i. MISS HART (tO SIR HARRY) Sir Harry, they want you to go on with the bridge now. SIR HARRY Ah, yes, of course. I '11 come immediately. (To LADY WARBURTON) I will come up again the next time I am dummy and get the green elephant to show Wilson. You would rather I didn't bring him up here ? LADY WARBURTON Certainly not. I 'm going to bed directly. (Exit SIR HARRY R. MISS HART goes to the door.} Don't go, Letty ; stay with us. MISS HART I must ; they 're waiting for me. I 'm playing poker. Good-bye. [Exit MISS HART R. [HARVARD sits down in the armchair next to the sofa. LADY WARBURTON gets up from the sofa and walks round the room in an agitated manner. LADY WARBURTON I am so worried, and so unhappy. HARVARD What about ? LADY WARBURTON Nothing in particular, only I hate having people to stay here except you, of course. I adore Angela, only she gets on my nerves ; and Letty Hart looks so tragic and is always seeing visions. i.] The Green Elephant 147 HARVARD Don't you think it would be wiser to tell me the cause of your worry? LADY WARBURTON Money, money, money ! I 'm in debt. I 'm ruined some thousands I 've borrowed from a money-lender. HARVARD (rather pompously) I cannot understand how you can have financial worries. Surely Harry gives you an ample allow- ance ? LADY WARBURTON Now, Rupert, if you 're going to talk to me like a husband you 'd better go away at once. I 've got bills hundreds and thousands of bills. HARVARD It is plainly Harry's duty to pay your bills. LADY WARBURTON He does. He does nothing else. He scarcely has time to do anything else, there are so many. The other day when he was in a good temper, he said that if I told him all the bills I 'd got he would pay them all. I added them up. They came to _2OOO. I gave them nearly all, except one tiny bill for hats for 400, so that it made 1600. That sounds so much less. I thought I would pay the other bill myself. And to do this I got that man who 's a friend of Mary's to make some money for me on the Stock Exchange. He said he could make me ^400 quite easily, and he did, only it cost for the commission or something. 148 The Green Elephant [i. HARVARD But if you made ^400. LADY WARBURTON He made ^400, but he lost it again, and that 's what cost ^170. HARVARD I understand you owe this man ^170. LADY WARBURTON Please forget you 're a lawyer for one moment, Rupert. Yes, I owe him 170, and I must pay him and I can't pay him. HARVARD I don't suppose he 's in a hurry ; but if he is, why don't you ask Harry to give you the money ? LADY WARBURTON I must have it at once. I have already kept him waiting. I can't possibly ask Harry he would never forgive me. HARVARD Surely you can tell Harry that you owe 170. .170 is nothing. LADY WARBURTON What can I say it 's for ? HARVARD In your position I should honestly say you had lent the money to some one. LADY WARBURTON Then he 'd ask me the name and say he 'd send i.] The Green Elephant 149 it himself. He never trusts me with money. You don't know what he 's like about money. HARVARD I seriously entreat you to tell me the truth, Delia. Is this scoundrel blackmailing you ? LADY WARBURTON Now you 're really becoming just like Harry. Whenever money 's mentioned, he always puts on a face and says, ' Please tell me the truth.' The man 's not a scoundrel, and he 's not blackmailing me, only I must have the money. HARVARD I don't believe for a moment that you are telling me the truth ; at least, not the whole truth. When do you want the money by ? LADY WARBURTON I must have it to-morrow. HARVARD To-morrow ! LADY WARBURTON And I 'm not even sure that it isn't too late. HARVARD What do you mean ? LADY WARBURTON (confused) I mean, I 'm afraid of his I 'm afraid of Harry hearing. HARVARD I would lend it you directly, only I haven't got it. 150 The Green Elephant [i. LADY WARBURTON (laughing) Just think what Harry would say if he knew I had borrowed money from you ! I shall be able to raise it all right somehow. Don't look so shocked. HARVARD I confess that recklessness in money matters does shock me. Now if you would only tell me the whole truth, I 'm sure we could find a way out of the difficulty. LADY WARBURTON (beginning to cry) Don't, Rupert, I 'm ill. I 've got a headache and pains in my back, and Harry 's been worrying me, and now you 're just the same . . . you don't understand I have told you the truth. . . . What is the use of telling you anything ? . . . I 'm sorry I said a word about it. [She cries. HARVARD Please don't cry. Let 's think. Surely your banker would lend you ^170. LADY WARBURTON (still crying) The last time I overdrew so much he wrote to Harry, who gave him strict orders never to let me do it again. You don't know what Harry 's like about money, especially since the Budget. He thinks he 's a pauper and that it 's my fault. (She stops crying.) If only I was a poor person. HARVARD How would that help matters ? i.] The Green Elephant 151 LADY WARBURTON (laughing) Because then all I would have to do would be to pawn some of my clothes. Do you think I could pawn my furs ? They were very expensive, and they 're not paid for yet. HARVARD (seriously) My dear Delia, how can you say such things ? LADY WARBURTON I don't see the harm. Of course, I should never dream of doing it ; but men are extraordinary about money. They all put on the same face. HARVARD Well, about pawning things, I hope they do. LADY WARBURTON I know what I can do. I can go to London and borrow the money from Mary. (MRS. MOTTERWAY opens the door R.) HARVARD I shall go downstairs and try and think of a solution. [Enter MRS. MOTTERWAY, a handsome woman of thirty -five, and POLLITT, a man between thirty-five and forty, good-looking, a rugged, weather-beaten face, his hair slightly grey. Exit HARVARD. MRS. MOTTERWAY How are you ? Letty Hart told us we might come. 152 The Green Elephant [i. LADY WARBURTON (languidly) I 'm much worse. I 've got a fearful headache. What are they doing downstairs ? MRS. MOTTERWAY The Highcliffes haven't gone yet. It 's nearly twelve, but they are still playing bridge. LADY WARBURTON (yawning) I had no idea it was so late. MRS. MOTTERWAY Letty Hart saw visions of things in a crystal ; and the old men became so talkative that Sir Harry came to the rescue and carried them off to bridge, and the rest of us played poker. POLLITT And I won. Isn't that the irony of fate, always to win when I play for pennies and nobody pays ? I won the whole time. If it had only been like that at the Club yesterday ! LADY WARBURTON Did you lose ? POLLITT Yes, I lost heavily ; I always lose when it matters. LADY WARBURTON (absent-mindedly) And Letty did marvellous things POLLITT Yes, thought-reading and crystal-gazing. LADY WARBURTON (absent-mindedly) She is marvellous, isn't she ? i.] The Green Elephant 153 MRS. MOTTERWAY I don't call it so very wonderful. Sir Walter Wilson had to think of a thing and she guessed it was the green elephant, your Indian jewel ; and as he 'd been talking of nothing else during the whole of dinner POLLITT I 've never seen the green elephant. Is it a kind of moonstone ? LADY WARBURTON Oh no ! It 's a hideous, disgusting, Indian elephant. It 's made of jade. Harry likes it because it belonged to his great-grandmother. I believe it 's valuable, and it 's got a chain of uncut emeralds which is rather nice ; but I never wear it because I think it 's ugly and unlucky. POLLITT I 'd like to see it some time. LADY WARBURTON I shall wear it to-morrow. (Quickly to POLLITT) So you weren't impressed by Letty's willing ? POLLITT I admire her physically more than supernaturally. I think she 's beautiful. MRS. MOTTERWAY Yes, isn't she beautiful ? I like her straggly straw hair and her white pinched face without any expression, and those delicious little pig's eyes, and those large capable hands, so full of character, like a man's. 154 The Green Elephant [i. LADY WARBURTON She 's looking rather tired to-night. MRS. MOTTERWAY I think she looks far better by candle-light than in the daytime. It suits her lovely yellow ivory skin. POLLITT I don't agree ; I think she 's like a sapphire, and shows at her best in the day. MRS. MOTTERWAY I think perhaps in a way you 're right. Simple day clothes suit her square figure and those nice, large, sensible feet. POLLITT How long are the magnate and his wife going to stay here ? LADY WARBURTON Aren't they awful ? They 're going away to- morrow, thank heavens ! Harry asked them, I didn't. It 's the kind of thing men do when they 're left to themselves. Harry's chief occupation is to scour England for the people I most dislike, and when he 's found some one I hate and who bores every one else, he asks them to come and live here as long as they like. I was just in time yesterday to prevent him asking a worse bore. POLLITT Who was that ? LADY WARBURTON Oh, an American professor called Norman Nutt, i.] The Green Elephant 155 who is a friend of Harry's. He 's staying at Harley, which is only two miles off, and Harry wanted him to come here to-morrow morning on his way to London. [Enter SIR HARRY R. SIR HARRY Delia, my dear, if you '11 give me the key of your safe, I can take the green elephant down to show Wilson. He particularly wishes to see it. [LADY WARBURTON takes off her bracelet to which the key of the safe is attached ; she puts it down on the table, then ner- vously plays with it. SIR HARRY Sir Walter Wilson is most interesting on the subject of gems most interesting. LADY WARBURTON Yes, I '11 give it you directly. [She begins to get up from the sofa. SIR HARRY No, no, no ; don't get up, dear. Give me the key of the safe. I suppose the jewel is in the safe ? LADY WARBURTON (getting up slowly) No, I '11 fetch it. You '11 never find it. I can't have any one deranging my things. (She goes into dressing-room^ C., and opens the door and turns on the light. A large safe is visible opposite the door. She opens the safe. Enter HARVARD R. To HARVARD) Get Harry away. 156 The Green Elephant [i. HARVARD The rubber is over and the Major's motor is here ; they want to say good-night to you. SIR HARRY Yes, yes ; I will come immediately. (To LADY WARBURTON) Have you got it ? LADY WARBURTON One moment. SIR HARRY I trust it has not been mislaid. I don't think you have worn it since LADY WARBURTON Of course it isn't. I took it out of the case only this morning to look at it. HARVARD The Highcliffes are in the hall, Harry, waiting to go. LADY WARBURTON (shuts safe and comes into the sitting-room) You 'd better go down, Harry. We '11 show Sir Walter the green elephant to-morrow morning. Tell him I '11 bring it down to breakfast. [She puts the bracelet on the table. SIR HARRY Very well, my dear ; perhaps that will be best. (To HARVARD) We had better go down. You 'd better go to bed, Delia. [Exit SIR HARRY. HARVARD gOCS Out R. i.] The Green Elephant 157 LADY WARBURTON I 'm so frightfully tired that I shall go to bed. Sit here as long as you like. There 's some cigar- ettes in that box if you want to smoke. If Harry comes up again say I 'm in bed and asleep. Good- night, darling, I do love having you here so. MRS. MOTTERWAY Good-night, darling. [They kiss each other. LADY WARBURTON Good-night, Anthony. POLLITT Good-night. I hope you will be quite well to- morrow morning. MRS. MOTTERWAY I shan't come and talk to-night, because I think you ought to go to sleep at once ; you must be so tired. LADY WARBURTON Yes, I am very, very tired. Good-night. [Exit LADY WARBURTON into her bedroom L. C. MRS. MOTTERWAY SttS down OH Sofa, POLLITT sits in armchair. MRS. MOTTERWAY Have you written to your uncle ? POLLITT Yes ; he refuses to do anything. MRS. MOTTERWAY What shall you do ? 158 The Green Elephant [i. POLLITT Heaven only knows ! The best thing I could do would be to blow out my brains. I 've got two bills to meet : one is due next Wednesday, and one is due the week after next. I can't meet either of them. I must have the money by Wednesday. Nobody will lend it me. MRS. MOTTERWAY Why not ask Harry Warburton ? POLLITT (nervously) You know I can't. MRS. MOTTERWAY Your uncle must give you the money. The only thing for you to do is to write to him every day until he gives it you. He 's sure to end by doing it. POLLITT (sullenly] I know he won't. MRS. MOTTERWAY I don't believe you 're thinking of your money affairs at all ; I believe you 're thinking of some- thing else. POLLITT (taking up LADY WARBURTON'S bracelet from the table and swinging it round in his hand ; he continues to play with the bracelet nervously throughout the scene) What on earth do you mean ? You are MRS. MOTTERWAY quite different from what you used to i.] The Green Elephant 159 be. You used to tell me everything, and now you tell me nothing. POLLITT I Ve told you every word there is to tell. MRS. MOTTERWAY I believe you 're in love with Letty Hart. POLLITT (ironically) Really ? MRS. MOTTERWAY There you see you can't deny it. POLLITT All right. I 'm in love with Miss Hart. I 'm in love with Lady Warburton. I 'm in love with twenty people. MRS. MOTTERWAY I suppose you think that 's funny. POLLITT (savagely) I suppose you think it 's funny to worry a man who 's on the verge of suicide with your ridiculous jealousy. MRS. MOTTERWAY You used to be jealous once. POLLITT For Heaven's sake, leave me alone. MRS. MOTTERWAY I see that it 's quite true that you are changed. You are in love with Letty Hart. I suppose I ought to have seen this months ago. I beg your pardon for being so slow. 160 The Green Elephant [i. POLLITT (ironically] Haven't I made it clear that I 'm in love with everybody in the house ? MRS. MOTTERWAY Anthony, don't be so brutal ! [Bursts into tears. POLLITT You bully one till one almost goes out of one's mind, and then if one says a word back, you begin to cry. I will not be bullied. I 'm sick of it. MRS. MOTTERWAY All that 's only a way of saying that you want to get rid of me. You are tired of me ! POLLITT Yes, I am : tired to death of being bullied. MRS. MOTTERWAY (sobbing) Anthony ! POLLITT 1 can't talk to anybody for five minutes without your saying I 'm in love with her. MRS. MOTTERWAY I never bully ! You never spoke to me the whole evening. And you never took your eyes off her. Of course, I know she 's much younger than I am. O Anthony, can't you see how you are hurting me ? POLLITT You know perfectly well that I 've never given two thoughts to Miss Hart. But I will not be bullied ! i.] The Green Elephant 161 MRS. MOTTERWAY Two years ago you couldn't possibly have spoken to me like that. POLLITT Two years ago you used to behave like a reason- able being. MRS. MOTTERWAY Why can't you admit at once that you are tired of me and that you want to get rid of me, and that I 'm just hanging on to you ? [POLLITT laughs in an exasperated fashion. POLLITT Good Heavens ! All right, if you like, I am tired of you. MRS. MOTTERWAY Very well, I 'm glad you 've said it. I shall never be any bother to you again. [MRS. MOTTERWAY goes Out R. POLLITT goes out after her in a temper. He takes the bracelet with him. Enter HARPER from the bedroom L. C. She turns out the lights. LADY WARBURTON (off}. Harper, just see if I left my bracelet on the table. [HARPER begins to search on the table. Enter LADY WARBURTON. LADY WARBURTON How idiotic you are, Harper ! Do turn the lights up ! How can you expect to find anything in the L 1 62 The Green Elephant [i. dark ? (HARPER turns up the lights. They both look for the bracelet. What can have happened to it ? Oh, I know ; Sir Harry took it. It 's all right, Harper, you can go to bed. MAID Does your ladyship want anything more ? LADY WARBURTON No, nothing more. You can turn the lights out. Good-night, Harper. [LADY WARBURTON exits L. C. The MAID turns out the lights and exits L. C. The stage is dark. Enter POLLITT R., a bed- room candle in one hand, the bracelet in the other. He goes to dressing-room door R. C. and knocks at it. Then he opens it a little. POLLITT Lady Warburton, I 've brought your bracelet back. I took it away by mistake. (He waits, listening for an answer.} Lady Warburton ! . . . It 's the wrong room ! [He turns on the light and opens the door wide. Enter MRS. MOTTERWAY R., with a bedroom candle ; she turns on the electric light, then stares at POLLITT. POLLITT turns out the light in the dressing-room. MRS. MOTTERWAY Anthony ! i,] The Green Elephant 163 POLLITT I wanted to speak to Lady Warburton, but she 's gone. [He puts the bracelet down on the table, and goes out R. Enter LADY WARBURTON L. C. LADY WARBURTON Who is it ? MRS. MOTTERWAY Delia, I don't know what 's the matter with me, but I feel so ill. I don't know what to do. LADY WARBURTON What is it ? What do you feel ? MRS. MOTTERWAY I 'm afraid it 's influenza or a chill. I feel pains all over me, and shivering. Can't you give me some cinnamon or some antipyrin ? LADY WARBURTON There 's some up in the nursery. I '11 fetch it for you. MRS. MOTTERWAY Oh, don't bother to fetch it. Let me ; I can fetch it if you tell me where it is. LADY WARBURTON No, you 'd never be able to find it. It won't take me one second to fetch it. Give me your candle. [She takes MRS. MOTTERWAY'S candle and exits R. MRS. MOTTERWAY goes into the 164 The Green Elephant [i. dressing-room R. C., opens the door, turns on the light, takes the key off the bracelet and opens the safe, takes out a small green jewel-case and opens it ; shows that it is empty ; shuts it again, and the safe and the door. MRS. MOTTERWAY Good Heavens ! Anthony has stolen the green elephant ! CURTAIN END OF ACT I ACT II SCENE : The dining-room at Warburton, the follow- ing morning. The room is divided into two portions. The front part of the room is used as a morning-room. In the back part of the room is the breakfast-table. A part of the back portion of the room is visible through a large door with open folding- doors dividing the two portions in the centre of the stage. Only the end of the breakfast-table is visible. There is a door L. from the back part of the room leading into the garden ; and a door R. leading into the dining-room from a passage. Neither of these doors is visible. Two doors R. opening from the morning-room. One door L. opening into the garden. Writing-table L. C. in the front of the stage with a telephone on it, Brad- shaw and Court Guide. [Enter LADY WARBURTON feverishly from the garden. She looks into the back part of the room. She goes up to the writing- table and looks out a number in the telephone book. She then takes off the receiver of the telephone. LADY WARBURTON Are you the exchange ? I want 10356 Central, please ... Is that Cormack's ? Can I speak to Mr. Cormack ? . . . This is the fifth time I 've 166 1 66 The Green Elephant [n. rung him up this morning. I 've been ringing ever since eight o'clock. I must speak to him. No, to Mr. Cormack himself. I 'm Miss Harper, Miss William Harper . . . Yes, most important. Very well. Is that you, Mr. Cormack ? I 'm Miss Harper, Miss William Harper. I called on you after Christmas, and asked you to take care of a green jewel for me ... I want it back, now, at once. Yes, but I 've lost the ticket . . . Sup- posing I sent you the money to-day . . . Sup- posing I brought you a brooch, or a valuable pen- dant with some large diamonds in it ... But I 'm sure to find the ticket, I 've only mislaid it for the time being . . . You see, I particularly want it back to-day. Is it really impossible ? Surely, if I bring the money, or something worth more than the thing itself ? But I must have it ... Heavens, I 'm in a dreadful position . . . He 's cut me off. Heartless beast ! [She sits down at the writing-table and hunts in all the drawers. Enter SIR HARRY C. There is obviously something on his mind. SIR HARRY Good-morning, my dear. I 'm glad to see you up, and well. Let us go and have breakfast. I was afraid you were going to be ill. LADY WARBURTON No, I ? m quite well again to-day. I 've had breakfast hours ago, and I 've been for a long walk. When are they going ? ii.] The Green Elephant 167 SIR HARRY Who? LADY WARBURTON The bores. SIR HARRY If you are alluding to our guests, Pollitt and Harvard leave us this morning. Wilson and Lady Wilson leave by the 10.15. LADY WARBURTON Thank Heavens ! What a relief ! SIR HARRY (looking round) Hush, hush ! They 're just coming into the dining-room. (SIR WALTER WILSON and LADY WILSON are seen walking across the dining-room C. They sit down at the dining-room table out of sight.} My dear, I 've got something to tell you. LADY WARBURTON What do you mean, Harry ? SIR HARRY (confused) Something which may possibly annoy you. I have not been able to help it. I have been con- strained by circumstances. LADY WARBURTON What do you mean ? Please tell me quick. SIR HARRY (uneasily) It is quite a surprise for you. I 'm afraid you '11 j LADY WARBURTON (with a desperate expression) You 've asked some one else. 1 68 The Green Elephant [n. SIR HARRY Well, as a matter of fact, my dear, in fact the truth is, I 'm afraid you '11 be annoyed but I had no choice in the matter. LADY WARBURTON Not the Americans ? SIR HARRY I was positively obliged LADY WARBURTON Harry, this really is too much ! (Abruptly.} However, I 'm going to London this morning. SIR HARRY But, Delia, that 's impossible. They 're coming now. I telephoned to them, and LADY WARBURTON What ? SIR HARRY 1 've asked them to come to breakfast. They were leaving Harley in any case, and as it 's so close, and as they may be pressed for time, I thought LADY WARBURTON Harry, you must be mad ! I 've never heard of such a thing ! Well, it 's quite simple. I shall go up by the 10.15. I must go to London in any case to-day. I promised to go and see Mary. SIR HARRY (seriously} My dear, I am afraid I must positively insist on your remaining here. They may arrive any minute ii.] The Green Elephant 169 now, and your presence is absolutely essential. I know this at first sight seems strange. But I am constrained by circumstances. Matters have oc- curred which necessitate LADY WARBURTON What ? What ? What matters ? For pity's sake don't be so mysterious. SIR HARRY I cannot explain everything to you at this moment, but you will know shortly, and you will be the first to understand and to realise . . . LADY WARBURTON (almost crying) I won't stay I will go. It 's too much. SIR HARRY I cannot discuss the matter further at present, but [Enter FOOTMAN R. FOOTMAN Professor Norman Nutt and Mr. Betis have arrived. SIR HARRY Show them into the drawing-room. LADY WARBURTON They 'd better come here. They probably haven't had breakfast. (Enter MRS. MOTTERWAY. Exit FOOTMAN.) Good-morning, Angela. Will you go and see that they all have what they want ? I 've had breakfast, and I 've got to stay here and receive some horrible people Harry 's asked, although I 'm very ill and I 've got a headache. 170 The Green Elephant [n. MRS. MOTTERWAY Of course. [She goes into the dining-room C. Enter FOOTMAN R. FOOTMAN (announcing) Professor Norman Nutt, Mr. Betis. [Enter the PROFESSOR, a grey-haired, elderly man ; and BETIS, a good-looking young man, aged about thirty. POLLITT follows them. PROFESSOR (shaking hands with LADY WARBURTON, who goes forward to meet them) This is a very early visit, Lady Warburton ; the fact is that, as we 're leaving Harley this morning, and as Sir Harry was kind enough to telephone us to come over here as soon as we could, we were delighted to take advantage of his invitation and not to have to go to London and back, so we came right on, after stopping at Eversworth Abbey on the way, where we spent six minutes inspecting the tomb of the famous cavalier poet, Sir Charles Shirley Trent, with whose elegant lyrics you are no doubt well acquainted. He wrote the charming song beginning : { When Delia, like a syren, shakes Her hair abroad in golden flakes, My thirsty spirit burns to sip The nectar of her coral lip ' LADY WARBURTON Won't your thirsty spirit burn to sip ? ii.] The Green Elephant 171 PROFESSOR A most interesting writer, and a most elegant tomb. He died at the battle of Marston Moor. But I 'm digressing. Permit me to present you. My private secretary, Mr. John Betis Lady Warburton, Sir Harry Warburton. BETIS (shaking hands) Lady Warburton, Sir Harry Warburton. LADY WARBURTON (introducing) Do you know Professor Nutt, Mr. Pollitt ? Mr. Betis. PROFESSOR (shaking hands) Proud to meet you, Mr. Pollitt. [BETIS bows. SIR HARRY Have you had breakfast, Professor ? PROFESSOR Thank you, we have. I always get up at five and breakfast at six, after having had an hour's walk before breakfast. At my time of life one has no time to waste. [Enter MISS HART R. She sees BETIS and starts, but manages to suppress an ex- clamation. LADY WARBURTON Good morning, Letty. What 's the matter ? Don't you feel well ? MISS HART Nothing I 'm quite well, only I 've had a very bad night. 172 The Green Elephant [n. LADY WARBURTON Professor Nutt, Mr. Betis Miss Hart. I don't suppose you have ever met. PROFESSOR I have not had that pleasure. SIR HARRY (tO LADY WARBURTON nCTVOUsly) Perhaps you had better go and entertain our guests, Delia. You will find us here or in the garden. LADY WARBURTON Good-bye for the present, Professor. (To MISS HART) Come. [They go into the dining-room followed by POLLITT. SIR HARRY It 's a merciful providence that you were able to come here so early, Professor. As Mr. Betis, with whom I communicated by telephone, has no doubt already told you, I want your help and advice about an important and delicate matter. PROFESSOR Charmed to do anything I can. SIR HARRY Pray sit down. (SIR HARRY, BETIS, and the PRO- FESSOR sit down R.) I remembered that when we met in America you used sometimes to vary your more serious studies with some amateur criminal investigation, and you were successful in solving problems which had been too much for the official police. Mr. Betis told me this morning that you still er pursued this recreation. ii.] The Green Elephant 173 PROFESSOR The Life and Times of Goethe in six volumes, Sir Harry, on which I am at present engaged, do not leave me much time for that kind of sport. But the subject interests me just as much as ever, and whenever I get a little leisure nothing affords me such complete recreation as to puzzle out some intricate case of theft or murder. The last time I did anything of the kind was two years ago, wasn't it, Betis ? BETIS The Ralston robbery was in August 1909. SIR HARRY That was the Peter Little affair. PROFESSOR Yes, yes. SIR HARRY But you didn't catch Peter Little. PROFESSOR Whenever the police bungle a matter they always put it down to Peter Little. Believe me, Sir Harry, Peter Little is a myth. Betis told me that a jewel of Lady Warburton's had been robbed, but I should be glad to hear the facts from you. SIR HARRY Well, the facts are these : My wife possesses a most valuable one might even say an historical jade jewel, which we call the green elephant. It is, in point of fact, a carved elephant. It was in her safe last night. This morning I was anxious to show it to one of our guests, Sir Walter Wilson, 174 The Green Elephant [n. an orientalist. I went to fetch it, and found the case PROFESSOR Had you the key of the safe ? SIR HARRY The key of the safe was on my wife's bracelet. She wears it night and day. We will discuss the matter in detail presently. We may be interrupted now at any minute. But as to immediate steps to be taken, do you advise me to send for the police ? PROFESSOR Before you take any steps whatsoever, I should like to be in full possession of the facts. SIR HARRY Quite so. If you will come into the garden, we can talk the matter over there quietly. I must go back again presently to say good-bye to my guests who are going, but there are certain things which I think, Professor, we should settle without further delay. PROFESSOR By all means, Sir Harry. [Exit SIR HARRY and the PROFESSOR into the garden L. Enter MISS HART C. MISS HART Is it really you, Mr. Carter ? BETIS That 's so, only I have changed my name my name 's Betis now. John Betis. John C. Betis. ii J The Green Elephant 175 MISS HART Are all your difficulties over ? BETIS Yes, I 'm out of the wood getting on fine. [A slight pause. MISS HART I 'm so glad. BETIS (rather awkwardly} You always said at least you told me on the steamer the day we arrived at New York that my luck would turn. I thought it wouldn't. I thought I was finished. [Another pause. MISS HART What has happened to you in these three years ? BETIS When I got to New York that time, I was up against the kind of proposition that makes people go and blow out their brains right away. But I don't do that kind of thing. Just then I had ruin staring me in the face. Then a piece of luck turned up. I came across Norman Nutt, the Professor. He was looking out for a bright secretary. He 's an old fool ; he knows a heap about Goethe and all the poets of the universe before the flood, but that 's not what he 's proud of. He fancies himself as an amateur sleuth-hound Sherlock Holmes and Lecoq rolled into one. He don't know a darned thing about it really. I got him there. Having during my varied career once been attached to the police in an unofficial manner, I flattered him and 176 The Green Elephant [n. told him he was the greatest criminal investigator of the age. He engaged me right away, and I got a chance of starting afresh. MISS HART Why did you change your name ? BETIS The secretary Nutt had before me was called Betis. He asked me to change my name because it saved him a heap of trouble. He 's got no head for names. MISS HART Then everything has come all right, as I said it would. BETIS Yes, everything has come all right. [A pause. MISS HART I 'm very, very glad. BETIS It 's strange that we should meet after all these years, isn't it ? MISS HART Yes, very. I thought we should never meet again. But I hadn't forgotten you. I often used to think of you. BETIS And I hadn't forgotten you I [Enter LADY WARBURTON, MRS. MOTTERWAY, POLLITT, C. ii.] The Green Elephant 177 LADY WARBURTON Where is Harry ? I must find him. BETIS Sir Harry is in the garden with the Professor. LADY WARBURTON (to MISS HART) Do come and help me to find him. He must say good-bye to the Wilsons. (To POLLITT) You 're going by that train too ? POLLITT I 'm motoring. I 've got my cousin's motor, but I shall have to start early. LADY WARBURTON You 're coming back for dinner, aren't you ? POLLITT Yes, if I may. LADY WARBURTON I must find Harry. MISS HART I will come with you. LADY WARBURTON Come on, Rupert. [Exit BETIS, MISS HART, and LADY WARBURTON, L., into the garden. MRS. MOTTERWAY At last ! POLLITT (impatiently} What is it ? M 178 The Green Elephant [n. MRS. MOTTERWAY Wait a minute. (She goes into the dining-room, then returns.) It 's all right. They 've gone. POLLITT What 's the matter ? MRS. MOTTERWAY I believe everything has been discovered. POLLITT (abruptly) What ? I don't understand. MRS. MOTTERWAY The green elephant. POLLITT Well, what about it ? [In the meantime BETIS has entered the dining- room from the garden. He walks up to the folding-doors. MRS. MOTTERWAY I believe Harry has found out that it 's been stolen. (BETIS goes back and stands behind the folding-doors.) Early this morning I went into Delia's sitting-room thinking she would have break- fast there. Harry was in the bedroom talking to the maid. The door was half open. I heard him ask her if Delia had put on the green elephant. She said not. He then said something about the key of the safe, and then I heard him go into the dressing-room. He was evidently going to open the safe. I was only in a dressing-gown and I went to dress. ii.] The Green Elephant 179 POLLITT All this is very interesting, but how does it con- cern me ? MRS. MOTTERWAY Anthony ! POLLITT I haven't the faintest idea what you 're driving at. MRS. MOTTERWAY You can trust me. You must trust me. I 'm sorry for what I said last night. I was out of my mind, but now you must forget all that. You must trust me. POLLITT What is it ? What 's the matter ? MRS. MOTTERWAY What are you going to do ? POLLITT It 's really no good talking to me in riddles. MRS. MOTTERWAY Anthony, are you mad ? POLLITT I forgot. I must see Miss Hart before I go. I promised to take something up to London for her. I won't be a minute. [He goes to door R. MRS. MOTTERWAY Then you mean me to understand once and for all that I am nothing, and that you are in love with Letty Hart ? i8o The Green Elephant [n. POLLITT You 're not going to begin all that over again, are you ? MRS. MOTTERWAY If she knows what I know, I wonder what she will think of you. POLLITT More riddles please explain. MRS. MOTTERWAY You forget that I saw you last night coming out of Delia's dressing-room. POLLITT Well what ? Oh ! Do you mean to say that you think / stole the green elephant ? MRS. MOTTERWAY I know you stole it. Delia heard you and came into the room, and you only got away just in time. [Enter the PROFESSOR, L.^ followed by SIR HARRY. BETIS goes out into the garden. SIR HARRY (tO POLLITT) It 's time you started if you 're going by this train. POLLITT I 'm going to motor up presently. My motor won't be round for another half-hour. [LADY WARBURTON and MISS HART enter R. LADY WARBURTON Oh, here you are, Harry. I 've been looking all ii.] The Green Elephant 181 over the garden and the house for you. The Wilsons are in the hall. SIR HARRY Professor Norman Nutt has very kindly consented to stay here the night, so we shall be able to show him everything thoroughly. LADY WARBURTON (iClly) That will be perfectly delightful. (To POLLITT) We must go and see the Wilsons off. SIR HARRY Yes. Will you excuse me a moment, Professor ? PROFESSOR Certainly, Sir Harry. [Exit LADY WARBURTON, R.,followed ^POLLITT, MRS. MOTTERWAY, and SIR HARRY. EntCT BETIS C. BETIS (to the PROFESSOR) Our chief witness is by way of starting in half an hour for London. PROFESSOR Who? BETIS Pollitt. PROFESSOR How is he our chief witness ? BETIS I happened by accident to have overheard a short conversation between Mrs. Motterway and Pollitt. She told him the theft had been discovered. He 1 82 The Green Elephant [n. pretended not to catch on. She said he must trust her. She accused him of being in love with Miss Hart. You see, they are on terms of peculiar in- timacy. Mrs. Motterway saw him coming out of what she called ' Delia's dressing-room ' last night. Finally she told him straight out that she knows he stole the elephant. [The PROFESSOR whistles. PROFESSOR A clue, indeed. And who is this Pollitt ? BETIS I heard them talk of him at Harley. He 's a traveller and a gambler, desperately hard up and heavily in debt. An unscrupulous man. [The PROFESSOR whistles again. PROFESSOR We must try and prevent his leaving at all costs. BETIS Or shall I go to London and follow him ? PROFESSOR No, I think not. It is essential that you should be here to-day to help me to examine the witnesses and to take notes. To-morrow morning I shall want you to go to London in any case. We may have a private communication to make with Scot- land Yard, and you shall return to-morrow evening. BETIS Right. [Enter SIR HARRY R. PROFESSOR Before we do anything else, Sir Harry, I must examine some of the witnesses of last night's events. IL] The Green Elephant 183 It is essential that, among others, I should have a talk with Mr. Pollitt. Do you think you could induce him to put off his departure ? SIR HARRY Dear me ! Why, to be sure ! I think that Pollitt said to me he had no pressing business in London until Wednesday. I will ask him at once. It would, of course, be more satisfactory to BETIS to have a man's version of last night's events : men are more accurate than women. SIR HARRY I will ask him at once. I will tell him I need his help. PROFESSOR And then, Sir Harry, I should like to put a few questions to Lady Warburton. Am I right in believing that she ignores the disappearance of the jewel so far ? SIR HARRY Yes, I thought I would not tell her until we could discuss the matter quietly. My wife is very er impulsive, and does not always quite under- stand that sometimes apparently trivial matters may have an importance which PROFESSOR I quite understand. Now where can I speak to Lady Warburton ? The sooner the interview takes place the better. 184 The Green Elephant [n. SIR HARRY I think it had better be here. Nobody will disturb us. There may be people in the drawing- room. I will fetch my wife. [He shuts the folding-doors C. PROFESSOR Pray do nothing until I am in complete pos- session of the facts. The police frequently bungle things. (SIR HARRY goes out R.) Well, well, this is a very neat little proposition. Of course we cannot form any opinion until we have a more de- tailed knowledge of the facts. But, as far as I can judge from what Sir Harry and you have told me, the jewel must have been stolen last night, and the appearances are very strongly against this Pollitt. BETIS I also heard at Harley that he is or was very sweet on this Mrs. Motterway, and that he wanted to marry her, but that she refused him. Also he has a rich uncle who won't give him a cent ; also he has been losing money at cards lately. I 've heard about him too in Chicago as a player. PROFESSOR Indeed, indeed most interesting. What was his reputation there ? BETIS Oh, they liked him : a dare-devil, as bright and slim as you make them. ii.] The Green Elephant 185 PROFESSOR If he 's guilty do you think he '11 stay ? BETIS He daren't not stay if Sir Harry asks him. [Enter SIR HARRY and LADY WARBURTON. SIR HARRY (nervously) Here we are. Mr. Pollitt has settled not to go away until to-morrow, or possibly not until Wed- nesday. [LADY WARBURTON looks bewildered. PROFESSOR I 'm delighted. Has Lady Warburton now been told ? SIR HARRY I am about to explain. Please sit down. (They all sit down. BETIS sits opposite LADY WARBURTON.) My dear, we have a very serious and painful matter to discuss, which affects you as well as myself. And it so happens that Professor Nutt can be of peculiar assistance to us. He has been kind enough to say that he will help us. LADY WARBURTON (most bewildered) What ? SIR HARRY The green elephant. LADY WARBURTON (feigning absolute indifference) Well? SIR HARRY I am dreadfully afraid that it has been stolen. 1 86 The Green Elephant [n. It has disappeared, in any case. (LADY WARBURTON bursts into a Jit of laughter ; her laughter is forced.} My dear Delia ! This is really not a laughing matter. I cannot see what there is to laugh at. LADY WARBURTON I 'm very sorry, Harry. I couldn't help laughing at your face. It can't have been stolen. SIR HARRY It has disappeared. I promised Wilson last night to show it to him this morning before he left. I went into your bedroom very early this morning to get the key. You had already gone down and gone out ; but you had left and I regret that you should have been so careless your bracelet with the key of the safe on your dressing-table. I took the key and opened the safe. The case was empty and none of the other jewels had been touched. Both your necklaces were there and some small trinkets. Professor Nutt has had a wide experience in in- vestigating cases of this kind, and he has invariably been successful. Therefore, I wish you to furnish him with any information which he may require. PROFESSOR You may speak in perfect confidence before my secretary, Mr. Betis, who is of great assistance to me. Betis, please take notes. (BETIS takes out a pocket-book.} First of all, Lady Warburton, I wish to know the facts. Once we have got the facts by the method of inverse ratiocination and extra- polation, which I have made my own, we cannot fail to solve the most difficult problem ! Now, what ii.] The Green Elephant 187 I wish to know is whether you left your bracelet lying on the table all night ? LADY WARBURTON No, of course not. I always wear that bracelet. You see, Harry gave me that bracelet when we were married. Do you remember, Harry, when you thought I 'd lost it in the Wagon-lit, and I accused an Italian nobleman of having stolen it ? That was fourteen years ago. We were going to Venice. PROFESSOR You must excuse me, Lady Warburton, but I must beg you to keep to the point. I want to know why the bracelet was on your dressing-table. LADY WARBURTON I took it off this morning while I was dressing because I meant to open the safe, and I meant to bring down the green elephant to show Sir Walter Wilson, you see. But as I was in a terrible hurry, and my maid would muddle me she always muddles and fusses when I 'm in a hurry she gave me my brown frock when I asked for the blue one and as she was such a long time doing my hair I came down without it. Without the bracelet, I mean, not without the frock. [She laughs again. SIR HARRY It is really most callous of you to laugh. You hurt and shock me more than I can say. LADY WARBURTON (begins to cry hysterically) Of course ! I suppose it 's all my fault. Every- thing is. 1 88 The Green Elephant [n. SIR HARRY My dearest Delia, please don't cry. Please be calm. I beg of you to be calm. LADY WARBURTON It 's always like that, Professor. I 'm always to blame. PROFESSOR Well, well, husbands are terrible beings, are they not ? Now, do you remember, Lady Warburton, when you last saw the green elephant ? LADY WARBURTON Yes, I remember perfectly well. It was Easter Sunday. We had got some people staying here, some relations of Harry's his two aunts who disapprove of modern clothes and motors and I thought it would perhaps be a good opportunity to wear the green elephant. I opened the case, and I was just going to put it on when I saw that it wouldn't go at all well with my new frock, so I put it back in the case. SIR HARRY But last night when you opened the safe you said you had looked at the jewel on Saturday morning. LADY WARBURTON When I said that I meant I hadn't worn it for months. PROFESSOR Then you opened the case on Saturday morning ? ii.] The Green Elephant 189 LADY WARBURTON Yes ; I was looking for something else and the case caught my eye, and I opened it, and I remember saying to myself, ' Shall I wear the green elephant to-day to please Harry ? ' But since he had been cross, and in fact rather brutal, the night before, I thought I would punish him, so I didn't. BETIS I should like to ask Sir Harry if he remembers when Lady Warburton last wore the green elephant ? SIR HARRY I really do not recollect having seen it for many years. LADY WARBURTON I wore it once or twice this year, but men never notice what one wears. PROFESSOR And last night after you had opened the safe, what did you do with the key ? LADY WARBURTON The key is always on my bracelet. You can't take it off. Of course, I put my bracelet on again and went to bed. I wasn't at all well ; in fact, I had the symptoms of typhoid. BETIS (to the PROFESSOR) May I suggest your asking Lady Warburton who was in the sitting-room when she opened the safe ? 190 The Green Elephant [n. LADY WARBURTON Let me think. Harry was there, Angela Motter- way and Anthony Pollitt, I think, and I am not sure whether Rupert Harvard was there or not. And Letty Hart was in and out of my room, but I don't remember if she was there then. PROFESSOR And when you went to bed you left them there ? LADY WARBURTON I think so. I remember saying good-night. But I don't remember what they did. PROFESSOR I understand that both your sitting-room and your dressing-room containing the safe open into the bedroom. After you had gone to your bedroom, did you hear Mrs. Motterway and Mr. Pollitt leave ? LADY WARBURTON They either went away directly I went, or im- mediately after I 'd gone to bed. I can't remember which. BETIS And you went to bed immediately ? LADY WARBURTON No, I went into my sitting-room to fetch some- thing. PROFESSOR May I ask what ? LADY WARBURTON My bracelet. ii.] The Green Elephant 191 BETIS But you gave us to understand you were wearing your bracelet. LADY WARBURTON Yes, so I was. What am I saying ? I meant my purse. I went to have one more look for a purse I have lost, and which has got a paper in it I want. I lost it on Saturday. SIR HARRY Ah ! That reminds me, my dear ; I don't wish to be always scolding, but you really are too careless. Yesterday morning coming back from church I passed by the summer-house and, happening to go in, I found your purse on the table there. I brought it home. LADY WARBURTON (quickly) And where is it ? SIR HARRY In a safe place. LADY WARBURTON But I must have it. I want it directly. It 's got a letter in it I must answer, and I 've for- gotten SIR HARRY I will fetch it for you. LADY WARBURTON No, I '11 fetch it myself now. Where is it ? SIR HARRY My dear, there can be no immediate hurry. We must finish this business. 192 The Green Elephant [n. LADY WARBURTON Very well. But I won't answer a single question until you tell me. I 've hunted everywhere. It 's too tiresome of you not to tell me. SIR HARRY It 's in the big writing drawer of my sitting- room. LADY WARBURTON (getting Up) I '11 fetch it at once. BETIS One moment, if Lady Warburton will excuse me. It is most important that the Professor's chain of reasoning should not be interrupted. [He writes something on a leaf of bis note- book. SIR HARRY Of course, my dear Delia ; please do not be so restless. BETIS (giving the sheet of paper to the PROFESSOR) This would be the disposition of the rooms in question, Professor ? PROFESSOR (puts on his glasses and reads] Yes, that is it that is it. Now, what I want to arrive at is this : Lady Warburton, I want a succinct statement of how you spent the evening of Sunday. While Lady Warburton tells me this, you, Betis, if Sir Harry will allow it, can fetch the purse which Lady Warburton is so anxious to regain. ii.] The Green Elephant 193 SIR HARRY Certainly. My sitting-room is the first door on the left in the passage beyond the hall. You will find it in the top left-hand writing-table drawer. It isn't locked. LADY WARBURTON It doesn't matter, Mr. Betis. Please don't trouble. I 'm really in no hurry for it. [Exit BETIS R. LADY WARBURTON But I 've told you everything I know. I had dinner upstairs because I wasn't at all well, and Harry treated me most brutally before dinner. The result was I got much worse ; and after dinner they came to talk to me. PROFESSOR Who? LADY WARBURTON All of them. No ; Harry came while they were away, and asked me to get the green elephant, but as it was late, we both agreed we would leave it till the next day. So I went to bed, and then they all went to bed too. PROFESSOR You shut the safe and locked it ? LADY WARBURTON (indignantly) Yes, of course I shut it. I should never dream of leaving a safe open. 194 The Green Elephant [n. PROFESSOR And you replaced the bracelet on your arm ? LADY WARBURTON Of course I did. I remember I was standing by the writing-table as I put it on. PROFESSOR You heard Mrs. Motterway and Mr. Pollitt leave the room, and after they left you returned ? LADY WARBURTON I don't quite remember what they did ; I re- member saying good-night, and I remember coming back to have one more look for my purse. [Enter BETIS R. with the purse. He hands it tO LADY WARBURTON. LADY WARBURTON Thank you, Mr. Betis. PROFESSOR Not finding your purse, you went to bed im- mediately ? After that you saw no one, and you heard nothing in the night ? LADY WARBURTON My maid came to undress me. No, I heard nothing in the night. I slept very soundly, because as I wasn't well and had a fearful headache, I took a sleeping mixture to make me sleep, and Bromo- Valerian agrees with me. The doctors say it isn't at all dangerous ii.] The Green Elephant 195 PROFESSOR Excellent. I think we need not trouble you any further for the present, Lady Warburton. I should like, if it is possible, to have a few words with Mrs. Motterway. LADY WARBURTON I '11 fetch her. SIR HARRY I will come with you, my dear. It is essential I should explain to her how the matter stands. [LADY WARBURTON and SIR HARRY go out R. PROFESSOR I have no doubt, Betis, that the man Pollitt is the criminal. We must be very careful not to let him think that he is in any way suspected. BETIS Yes, I guess he may be the man we want, but I 'm not quite sure. I think I 'd better cross-examine the maid immediately. It looks to me as if Lady Warburton had left her bracelet in the sitting- room. PROFESSOR Certainly. I didn't quite understand your meaning just now. Why did you write me to send you for Lady Warburton's purse ? BETIS Mrs. Motterway and Lady Warburton are friends. Mrs. Motterway believes Pollitt to be guilty. Lady Warburton was anxious to fetch the purse. 196 The Green Elephant [n. I thought it might contain a clue a second safe key, for instance. PROFESSOR And did it ? BETIS No nothing. [Enter LADY WARBURTON, MRS. MOTTERWAY, and SIR HARRY. MRS. MOTTERWAY Sir Harry has told me this very alarming news, Professor. I am entirely at your service. PROFESSOR I will not detain you a minute, Mrs. Motterway. When Lady Warburton went to bed last night she left you and Mr. Pollitt in her sitting-room. I want to know what occurred after that. MRS. MOTTERWAY We talked for a few moments. We were rather anxious about Lady Warburton's health. Then I went to my bedroom, and I think Mr. Pollitt went to his. PROFESSOR After that you neither heard nor saw any one ? MRS. MOTTERWAY No, I heard nothing. BETIS And when you returned to Lady Warburton's sitting-room, was Lady Warburton in her bedroom ? ii.] The Green Elephant 197 MRS. MOTTERWAY (laughing) I was quite forgetting I had come back. I came back a few moments after I had left the room to ask Lady Warburton for some medicine, some cinnamon for my cold. PROFESSOR And she gave you the medicine ? MRS. MOTTERWAY She had to fetch it from the nursery. PROFESSOR And while she fetched it ? MRS. MOTTERWAY I stayed in her bedroom all the time. PROFESSOR And during that time you heard nobody enter the sitting-room ? MRS. MOTTERWAY No. PROFESSOR How long was she absent ? MRS. MOTTERWAY About two or three minutes. It might have been longer. I forget. PROFESSOR And then ? MRS. MOTTERWAY I vvent straight to my room and straight to bed. I did not hear a sound, although I couldn't go to 198 The Green Elephant [n. sleep for some time. I read a novel in bed for nearly an hour. PROFESSOR Thank you, Mrs. Motterway. That is all I want to know. And now, Sir Harry, I should like Mr. Betis to have a talk with Lady Warburton's maid, and I would like to have a talk with you. SIR HARRY Certainly. LADY WARBURTON If you want me, Angela, you will find me in my sitting-room. I must get my maid. MRS. MOTTERWAY I will wait for you there. [MRS. MOTTERWAY, SIR HARRY, and the PRO- FESSOR go out R. LADY WARBURTON Mr. Betis, I want to ask you if there wasn't a letter or something in my purse when you found it ? BETIS No, Lady Warburton, not a thing not even a pawn-ticket. CURTAIN END OF ACT II ACT III SCENE : The hall at Warburton Elizabethan in style. Staircase L. leads up to a half -landing, and then divides into two parts and leads R. and L. up to the first-floor landing. On the landing R. C. the door of Lady Warburton's sitting-room. In the hall in front of the half -landing of the staircase there is a carved seat. Fireplace R., and door. Door L. lead- ing into front hall. Two large armchairs opposite the fireplace. A round table between the fireplace and the staircase. Chairs on either side of the table, and also in front of fireplace. A writing-table L. C. underneath the staircase, with a lamp on it. DISCOVERED : HARVARD in the hall. He is reac a book in one of the armchairs R. [Enter LADY WARBURTON from the front hall L. in a jacket and a hat. LADY WARBURTON Rupert ! I had no idea you were coming so early. [She rings the bell. HARVARD I came in a taximeter I wanted fresh air. LADY WARBURTON How extravagant ! You 've no right to lecture 198 200 The Green Elephant [in. me any more now. (Enter FOOTMAN L. To FOOT- MAN) Has Mr. Betis come back from London ? FOOTMAN The motor 's gone for him, my lady. He ought to be here by now. LADY WARBURTON I think Mr. Pollitt is going by the 4.30. He 's got his own motor, hasn't he ? FOOTMAN Yes, my lady. LADY WARBURTON Let me know directly Mr. Betis comes. That 's all. (Exit FOOTMAN L. To HARVARD) If you want to say anything to me you must say it quickly. Because as soon as Mr. Betis comes you must go. I want to speak to him. HARVARD Yes. Has the green elephant been found ? LADY WARBURTON No, not yet. HARVARD Do they suspect any one ? LADY WARBURTON Heaven knows. No, I don't think they do. HARVARD And has anything of interest occurred since yes- terday ? in.] The Green Elephant 201 LADY WARBURTON We had a whole day of fuss and worry, and they all nearly drove me mad. HARVARD What about ? LADY WARBURTON Oh, about the green elephant, of course ex- aminations and cross-examinations. The maids examined, and my bedroom turned inside out by the Professor. Anthony and Angela had a fear- ful row, and he went out for a long walk after luncheon with Miss Hart. This was stupid of him because Angela can't bear him talking to a woman younger than herself. So when they came back she said she 'd got a headache, and went up to her bedroom. She didn't appear again, and she had her dinner upstairs. Then they made it up. HARVARD When ? LADY WARBURTON I don't know, but they made it up by the time they came down to breakfast. The Professor sent Mr. Betis to London. Angela and Anthony went out for a walk. He 's had better news. And so on the whole I had a quiet day. HARVARD But the green elephant has not yet been dis- covered ? Who do you think can be the thief r LADY WARBURTON Oh, don't ask me, Rupert : you, I expect. I 'm 202 The Green Elephant [m. not a detective. I don't know and I don't care. In fact, I '11 be rather glad it 's lost. . . . Now don't put on that lawyer's face if it wasn't for all this fuss Anthony goes to London this afternoon. [Enter FOOTMAN L. FOOTMAN Mr. Betis is just driving up. LADY WARBURTON Ask him to come here at once. FOOTMAN Very good, my lady. [Exit FOOTMAN. LADY WARBURTON Now, Rupert, you can go to the smoking-room. And don't come back till tea-time. HARVARD Very well. [Exit HARVARD R. LADY WARBURTON takes off her jacket. Enter BETIS L. LADY WARBURTON O Mr. Betis, I 'm so glad you 've come back. BETIS So am I, Lady Warburton. LADY WARBURTON Can you speak to me for a few minutes ? I have been longing to speak to you alone ever since yesterday morning, and I 've never had an oppor- tunity. in.] The Green Elephant 203 BETIS I 'm always at your service, Lady Warburton. LADY WARBURTON Let 's sit down here. (They sit down near the round table.} In the first place, now that Harry 's not here, I want to ask you whether anything has been discovered. BETIS Why, yes, a heap of things. Hasn't he told you ? LADY WARBURTON Not a word. Harry shuts up whenever I get near the subject. BETIS Well, in the first place I discovered at least your maid was good enough to inform me that your bracelet with the key of the safe on it was not where you thought it was on Sunday night. It was left by mistake on the table of your sitting-room. The housemaid found it there when she did the rooms in the early morning, and she brought it to your maid. LADY WARBURTON Beast ! Spy ! Traitor ! I '11 send her away at once. BETIS Lady Warburton, I guess you 're too rough on the maid. She lied like a Trojan at first, and it was only after many elegantly put questions after, in fact, half an hour of, in a very mild form, what we call * sweating ' that the truth was extracted. She 's a bully maid. 204 The Green Elephant [m. LADY WARBURTON Who cross-examined her ? The Professor ? BETIS No, he left it to me. LADY WARBURTON Do you know, Mr. Betis, I don't think the Pro- fessor would be a very good detective without you ? BETIS We work together. The Professor does the theory, what he calls the extrapolation, and gets there first. I work out the practical details after- wards. LADY WARBURTON And does Harry know about the bracelet ? BETIS The news has not yet been broken to Sir Harry. LADY WARBURTON And you 're not going to tell him. You couldn't be so mean, could you ? BETIS We won't tell him till we 've found the green elephant. LADY WARBURTON But, Mr. Betis, you don't know what Harry 's like about that sort of thing. He 's an angelic husband ; but about money and jewels and bankers' accounts, he 's quite, quite impossible. And besides in.] The Green Elephant 205 BETIS What? LADY WARBURTON Well, another terrible thing has happened. A real tragedy. BETIS What is that, Lady Warburton ? LADY WARBURTON I 've lost my bracelet again. BETIS It 's up to you to find it. LADY WARBURTON That 's just where I want you to help me. It must be found before Harry knows. BETIS When did you last have it, and when did you miss it ? LADY WARBURTON I had it last night after dinner, because I 'm almost sure I took it off to play the piano. BETIS What did you do with it then ? LADY WARBURTON I thought I No, I 'm quite certain I put it down on the piano, inside the piano at the end of the keys. BETIS And when you had done playing did you put it on again ? 206 The Green Elephant [in. LADY WARBURTON I was called away from the piano suddenly. Do you remember ? You were in the room. And a note came from Mrs. Motterway in her bedroom asking me to go up. And I 'm almost certain I put on the bracelet first. Then I forgot all about it when I was talking to Angela upstairs. When I came down I remembered. But I was quite sure that if I hadn't put it on I had left it in the piano. I ran to the piano and it was gone. BETIS You may have taken it in your hand and dropped it, when you went up to Mrs. Motterway's room. Did you stop anywhere on the way ? LADY WARBURTON Yes, I went into my sitting-room and into my bedroom. BETIS And have you looked in your sitting-room for it ? LADY WARBURTON Yes, I 've looked everywhere. BETIS We '11 find the bracelet. The truth is that ladies don't know how to look for things. LADY WARBURTON But, Mr. Betis, I 've spoilt nearly all the furniture by looking. BETIS That 's just it ; the Professor 's right. The in.] The Green Elephant 207 only way to find things is by thinking. I '11 find you your bracelet, only I must think first. LADY WARBURTON But, I 'm in a hurry. I must find it before I dress for dinner, or else my maid is certain to betray me. BETIS It shall be found before dinner before you 've done tea. LADY WARBURTON Don't forget to look in my sitting-room. And will you find the green elephant too ? BETIS I guess so. LADY WARBURTON You think it 's been stolen ? BETIS I guess so. LADY WARBURTON Then who stole it ? BETIS Somebody who was in need of dollars. LADY WARBURTON But it 's not so very valuable. BETIS They say it 's jade, and it 's got a corking big chain of large uncut emeralds. ao8 The Green Elephant [m. LADY WARBURTON Yes, but I meant to sell. How much do you think one could get by selling it ? BETIS That depends. According to what Sir Harry- tells me, I reckon it 's worth with the chain about ten thousand dollars. Any man could sell it for a couple of thousand dollars. LADY WARBURTON Then you think it 's been sold. BETIS Maybe it was pawned. LADY WARBURTON Surely a thief wouldn't pawn it. BETIS No, I guess not. LADY WARBURTON But you said it was stolen. BETIS It was. LADY WARBURTON I don't understand. BETIS I '11 explain. Early on Monday morning at Harley I did a heap of phoning. Sir Harry phoned us from here to come right away if we could. I talked to him on the phone, and heard about the theft. After that I tried to get on to London. I in.] The Green Elephant 209 got on, but they switched me on to a cross line, and I heard a conversation going on between a Miss Harper and a Mr. Cormack. She wanted to talk to Mr. Cormack about something valuable he was taking care of for her. Mr. Cormack wasn't there. She talked to some one else, and said she wanted her property back. Then he switched off. I looked up Cormack in the book and dis- covered he was a second-hand jeweller. Now when I got here and heard further details, I thought you might have pawned your own jewel why, I can't say. But women do strange things. You were anxious to get that purse. I thought I would examine it first. I did. It had nothing in it that I was looking for. I used the expression pawn- ticket to see your face. You didn't move a muscle. Then I saw your maid. Her voice was the voice I had heard at the phone her name was Harper. I then saw right away that you hadn't pawned the thing. LADY WARBURTON But that my maid had ? BETIS No. How do you know that what Miss Harper pawned was the green elephant ? LADY WARBURTON Then who ? [Enter FOOTMAN L. FOOTMAN Mr. Pollitt's motor is at the door, my lady. 210 The Green Elephant [m. LADY WARBURTON I don't know where he is. You 'd better look for him. BETIS He 's in the garden. (Exit FOOTMAN L.) When does he go ? LADY WARBURTON By the 4.30. Then who stole it, Mr. Betis ? BETIS A professional secret, Lady Warburton. LADY WARBURTON You 're so tiresome and my bracelet ? BETIS I '11 find it presently. LADY WARBURTON Where do you think it is ? BETIS I must think first. Maybe in your sitting-room. Professor's system extrapolation. Bully thing, extrapolation. LADY WARBURTON What does that mean ? BETIS Ask the Professor. When you 've a spare twenty- four hours LADY WARBURTON (laughing) I must go and change my frock for tea. If Mr. Pollitt comes will you ask him to look into my room and say good-bye ? in.] The Green Elephant 211 BETIS That 's so. [LADY WARBURTON goes upstairs into her sitting-room. Enter the BUTLER L. BUTLER Do you know where Mr. Pollitt is, sir ? BETIS He 's in the garden. BUTLER We can't find him there, sir. BETIS Then I can't say where he may be. BUTLER Thank you, sir. [Exit BUTLER L. POLLITT enter s on landing R. and comes downstairs. He carries a small bag. POLLITT I owe Warburton 2 for last night's bridge. (He sits down at writing-table C. and takes a cheque- book out of his bag and writes a cheque. He leaves the bag on the table, and after putting the cheque- book into the bag, looks into it, shuts it.} Will you give him this from me ? BETIS Certainly. [Enter FOOTMAN L. FOOTMAN I beg your pardon, sir. Your chauffeur says it 212 The Green Elephant [m. will be too late now to catch the 4.30. It 's past twenty-five past now. POLLITT Then I '11 go by the next train. When does it go ? FOOTMAN The next train goes at six, sir. POLLITT Oh, very well, then I '11 go by that. Has my luggage gone to the station ? FOOTMAN Yes, sir. POLLITT Then tell the chauffeur to come round again at half-past five. FOOTMAN Very good, sir. [Exit FOOTMAN L. POLLITT I can give Warburton the cheque myself. [MISS HART comes out of LADY WARBURTON'S sitting-room and walks downstairs. She carries in her hand a small cardboard box, round which is an elastic band. MISS HART (to POLLITT) Lady Warburton says you 're not to forget to say good-bye to her. She can't come down because she 's dressing. Will you come up to her room ? [MRS. MOTTERWAY enters on the landing R. She looks over the bannisters and listens. in.] The Green Elephant 213 POLLITT Of course, but I 'm not going before six now. MISS HART Ah, and here is the parcel with the crystal. You know what it is. I 've kept one, and I 'm sending the other back. It would be very kind of you if you would leave it where I told you. If it isn't too much trouble. [She gives him the box. POLLITT It 's no trouble. [He takes the box and puts it in his bag. MRS. MOTTERWAY goes OUt R. POLLITT follows MISS HART Up to LADY WARBURTON's sitting-room. POLLITT and MISS HART go into LADY WARBURTON'S sitting-room. BETIS looks stealthily round. He takes out of his pocket a small cardboard box, and from this produces the green elephant and a chain of emeralds. He opens POLLITT'S bag, takes from it MISS HART'S box and opens it. There is a crystal in it, wrapped in tissue paper. He substi- tutes for the crystal the green elephant. He puts the crystal in his pocket, and puts the box with the green elephant in it into the bag, after having replaced the elastic band round the box. He lights a cigarette, and stands in front of the fireplace R. MRS. MOTTERWAY enters on the landing R., and looks over the bannisters. 214 The Green Elephant [m. MRS. MOTORWAY (from above) Have you seen Miss Hart anywhere, Mr. Betis ? BETIS She is in Lady Warburton's sitting-room. [MRS. MOTTERWAY walks downstairs. MRS. MOTTERWAY I wonder if you would do me a great favour, Mr. Betis ? BETIS Anything that mortal man can do, Mrs. Motter- way. MRS. MOTTERWAY This morning I lent Professor Nutt a novel. Well, in it I believe I left a letter, which I must answer to-day. The direction is in the letter. I can't find the novel anywhere, so I think the Pro- fessor must have taken it to his room. It would be too good of you if you could ask him for it, and see if the letter is^there. BETIS Certainly, I '11 fetch it right away. [He goes upstairs and exits R. MRS. MOTTER- WAY opens POLLITT'S bag and takes out the small box. She opens it, takes away the tissue paper and reveals the green elephant. She starts, and then carefully wraps the parcel up again and puts the box back into the bag and shuts the bag. LADY WARBURTON'S sitting-room door is opened. in.] The Green Elephant 215 LADY WARBURTON (off) I will be down presently. Harry wants to see you before you go. [POLLITT walks downstairs. He is confronted by MRS. MOTTERWAY. MRS. MOTTERWAY I know everything. POLLITT I don't know what you mean. MRS. MOTTERWAY Don't you think it is time this ridiculous comedy ceased ? I now know that every word you told me this morning was a lie. All that long story about your uncle and the money, and about your having to go to London to-night, is a long tissue of lies. POLLITT But I swear to you. MRS. MOTTERWAY Oh, for Heaven's sake don't swear ! You have told enough lies already. You have been playing a double game the whole time with me and Letty Hart. POLLITT I give you my most sacred word of honour I don't know what you are talking about. MRS. MOTTERWAY Your word of honour ! The word of honour of a thief ! 216 The Green Elephant [in. POLLITT (very angry) You must be mad, otherwise you couldn't say- such, things. For the last time, and once and for all, I swear that I don't understand what you mean. MRS. MOTTERWAY How can you have the face to tell such lies and such silly stones. [BETIS enters on the landing. MRS. MOTTERWAY hears him and stops. He comes down- stairs. BETIS Here is the novel, Mrs. Motterway, but I 'm sorry to say there 's no letter in it. MRS. MOTTERWAY Thank you so much. It 's too tiresome. I must have lost it. [POLLITT walks towards the hall. MRS. MOTTERWAY Are you going away, Mr. Pollitt ? POLLITT (abruptly, without looking round} I 'm going for a walk. [Exit L. MRS. MOTTERWAY walks upstair s and exits R. MISS HART comes out of the sitting-room and walks downstairs. MISS HART I want to speak to you, Mr. Betis. BETIS I 'm at your service. in.] The Green Elephant 217 MISS HART What does it all mean ? BETIS What? MISS HART This morning after you'd gone I heard the Pro- fessor say something about the green elephant to Sir Harry, and he mentioned Mr. Pollitt. BETIS Well ? MISS HART Do they suspect him of having stolen the green elephant ? BETIS You know Sir Harry asked the Professor to help him find the gem. MISS HART Yes, I know, but he surely doesn't suspect Mr. Pollitt, and you are not encouraging the Professor to think Mr. Pollitt a thief ? Good Heavens ! do you really suspect him ? BETIS It 's not up to me at present to give any opinion on the matter. MISS HART This frightens me. Do you know who stole the green elephant ? BETIS Why, yes. 2i 8 The Green Elephant [m. MISS HART Can you tell me ? BETIS Why, no. MISS HART But you don't really think Mr. Pollitt stole it ? BETIS I don't think anything. MISS HART But it 's impossible ! I know it 's impossible I know it as a fact, and you 've no right to suggest such things to the Professor. He 's capable of believing it. You say yourself that he 's vain and obstinate. It would be awful if BETIS I didn't suggest anything to the Professor. MISS HART But he suspects him. BETIS I am under the Professor's orders. It 's not my stunt. MISS HART Yes, it is you. The Professor hasn't got an idea of his own in his head. And then you know Mr. Pollitt's uncle has paid the money he owed or some of it, at least. Besides, it 's unthinkable that he should have stolen BETIS ' There are more things in Heaven and earth ' in.] The Green Elephant 219 MISS HART But do you believe it ? BETIS It 's not up to me to say a word. MISS HART It 's all horrible. I feel, I know that something dreadful is going to happen. Oh, do give up this thing altogether, please, please ! I feel so frightened so nervous ! BETIS It 's nothing to do with me. You 'd better tackle the Professor. [Enter LADY WARBURTON on the landing and walks downstairs in a tea-gown. MISS HART Please, Mr. Carter, for old acquaintance sake, please tell me what you know. Please tell me the truth. LADY WARBURTON (to MISS HART, who looks embarrassed as LADY WARBURTON comes up to them) It 's time for tea. MISS HART Yes, I 'm so hungry. Mr. Carter I mean Mr. Betis was asking me when the house was built. I don't know. LADY WARBURTON I don't know either. Harry knows all about it. You must ask him. [MRS. MOTTERW^Y enters R. on the landing in 220 The Green Elephant [in. a tea- gown and comes downstairs. SIR HARRY and the PROFESSOR and HARVARD enter R. FOOTMAN brings kettle R. They all sit round the tea-table. LADY WARBURTON pours out the tea. SIR HARRY Is Pollitt gone ? LADY WARBURTON He 's not going till the 6.15. PROFESSOR I am delighted to hear it. He is a man of culture and understanding, and the only man I have ever met who, when I quoted to him the lines * Life is a car and man the passenger Bound for the depot of eternity,' knew by whom they had been written. He knew at once. HARVARD And who was the author ? PROFESSOR The lines occurred in the first canto of my ' Epic of Civilisation,' which I wrote some years ago, and which I hope I may one day have the honour of presenting to Lady Warburton. I should like, if Lady Warburton would allow me, to read you the whole passage. The poem is upstairs in my box. I '11 fetch it. BETIS I will fetch it, Professor. I 've got to go up- stairs to my room anyhow before the post goes. in.] The Green Elephant 221 LADY WARBURTON As you are going upstairs, Mr. Betis, it would be angelic of you if you could look in my sitting-room on my round table, and see if I 've left my work there. It 's a waistcoat I 'm making for Harry. I left it somewhere last night, and can't find it. BETIS I '11 find the work, Lady Warburton. [BETIS walks up to the landing and goes out R. on the landing. PROFESSOR Yes, I wrote those lines when I was only twenty- five. MRS. MOTTERWAY Do you still write poetry ? PROFESSOR Not now. I have said all I have to say in verse. Verse is for the young. Now I daresay our charm- ing hostess is a poetess. LADY WARBURTON No, I don't write poetry, but Harry does. PROFESSOR Really, I 'd no idea [BETIS comes on to the landing R., and walks into LADY WARBURTON'S sitting-room with the Professor's box. LADY WARBURTON He 's writing a tragedy in ten acts, called The Stingy Husband. It 's very beautiful. 222 The Green Elephant [m. SIR HARRY My dear, really LADY WARBURTON The stingy husband dies of remorse in the tenth act, and the Devil comes to fetch him and to take him to a place where he will always be obliged to spend money, and be generous, and never to be cross over his wife's bills, and always take her to Paris twice a year, and see her spend far more money than she 's got, and wait and wait and wait while she tries on hundreds of hats. It 's a very beautiful tragedy. There 's a chorus of extravagant women, a chorus of expensive dressmakers, and a chorus of wailing husbands. We are going to have it acted here at Christmas in the village. PROFESSOR The character of the play suggests rather you as the author, Lady Warburton, than Sir Harry. LADY WARBURTON I helped him, of course, but he did the poetry. Haven't you ever read Harry's Sonnets ? They are beautiful. They 're called ' The Love Sonnets of a Guinea-pig.' Harry 's on a lot of Boards, you know. They 're all about Consols and Chili fours. I wish I had some Chili fours. All my money is tied up. SIR HARRY My dear, how can you go on talking such non- sense ? [Enter POLLITT L. in.] The Green Elephant 223 SIR HARRY Ah, here you are ! PROFESSOR I was afraid I had missed you. POLLITT I missed the fast train. At least, I didn't start. Has the green elephant been found ? PROFESSOR Not yet, but we think we are on the right track. POLLITT Really ! LADY WARBURTON I shan't be able to sleep a wink to-night. HARVARD I don't imagine it can have been stolen, as it would be hardly worth a thief's while to steal it. I daresay Delia left it in the garden, or put it into the bag in church on Sunday by mistake. LADY WARBURTON How odious you are, Rupert ! How can you put such ideas into Harry's head ? HARVARD Then you think it was stolen ? LADY WARBURTON For Heaven's sake don't you begin to cross- examine me. 224 The Green Elephant [m. [Enter BETIS with the PROFESSOR'S box and LADY WARBURTON'S work R. The PRO- FESSOR'S box is a large box of tin, with N. N. painted on it in white letters. BETIS Here is your work, Lady Warburton. It wasn't in the sitting-room. I found it in the drawing- room. LADY WARBURTON Thank you so much. How clever of you to find it. BETIS And here is the box, Professor. PROFESSOR It 's locked ! (Taking out a chain.} How ex- tremely forgetful of me ! I have not got the key on me. I felt certain it was on this chain. I had it only this morning. I suppose I must have left it upstairs. BETIS Shall I fetch it ? PROFESSOR No matter now, Betis. Don't trouble. I '11 read Lady Warburton the verses another time. After dinner, shall we say and perhaps (Laughing) Lady Warburton will read us Sir Harry's tragedy. Mrs. Motterway, you promised me last night to play to me. Will you fulfil your promise ? (Get- ting up.} Let me conduct you to the piano, Mrs. Motterway. in.] The Green Elephant 225 MRS. MOTTERWAY Certainly. But I really play very badly. [She gets up. LADY WARBURTON Let 's all go into the drawing-room and listen to the music. [The PROFESSOR and MRS. MOTTERWAY go out R., followed by MISS HART, POLLITT, and HARVARD. SIR HARRY (tO BETIS) Did you bring the evening papers with you, Mr. Betis ? BETIS Yes, Sir Harry. Here they are. [He gives them to SIR HARRY. SIR HARRY goes out with the papers. LADY WARBURTON And what about my bracelet ? Have you found it? BETIS Yes, it 's where I thought it was. LADY WARBURTON Where ? BETIS Why, where you left it. [Enter MISS HART R. MISS HART What is the matter with Mr. Pollitt ? He won't speak to Mrs. Motterway. [Enter SIR HARRY. 226 The Green Elephant [m. SIR HARRY My dear LADY WARBURTON (impatiently) Well ? What is it ? SIR HARRY (hesitating) I want to speak to you. LADY WARBURTON Do you want to speak to me alone ? [BETIS and MISS HART move to the door R. SIR HARRY No, no, pray don't go, Miss Hart ; pray don't go, Mr. Betis. BETIS I 've got a letter to write for the mail. [Exit R. LADY WARBURTON What is it ? Don't go, Letty. SIR HARRY Do you happen to remember when you last played the piano ? LADY WARBURTON Yes, I played this afternoon just now, just before tea. SIR HARRY The Professor found this (he takes from his pocket a bracelet with a key on it) lying inside the piano just now. He brought it me, in.] The Green Elephant 227 LADY WARBURTON Oh yes, I took it off just now when I was playing. SIR HARRY But the Professor says that the last time you played was last night. I haven't heard any one play this afternoon. LADY WARBURTON I did play last night. How can he know I didn't play since ? I was practising this afternoon. SIR HARRY I 've been in my sitting-room nearly the whole afternoon, and I did not hear a sound. And if you remember, you said the other day on Monday morning, to be accurate that the bracelet never left your arm. LADY WARBURTON No more it does. I happened to take it off this morning. SIR HARRY My dear, are you quite sure it was not lying there all night ? LADY WARBURTON Perfectly certain. SIR HARRY I only trust you are right. But I am afraid it was. LADY WARBURTON Of course, if you don't believe a word I say it 's not much use my saying anything. 228 The Green Elephant [m. SIR HARRY My dear, please don't get so excited. I only said I trust you were right in supposing. LADY WARBURTON I suppose you will say that all my jewels have been stolen now. SIR HARRY Let us hope that nothing of the kind has occurred. But you will admit that it was imprudent so soon after the the er disappearance LADY WARBURTON (angrily} Well, in future you must look after my jewels, Harry ; you can keep them in your safe. I won't be cross-examined and spied upon. I won't be re- sponsible for anything. SIR HARRY You really are most unreasonable, Delia. You make it most difficult for us. LADY WARBURTON And how can you and Professor Nutt expect me to help you to find the green elephant ? You hide things from me, you don't tell me the truth, and you don't believe a word I say, and then you expect me to be of use to you. SIR HARRY (warmly) Well, you must really admit that it does not assist us to be furnished with such very inaccurate statements with regard to such important facts. in.] The Green Elephant 229 LADY WARBURTON Please don't make a scene, Harry. SIR HARRY (heatedly) I must say I think you are being most unjust. It is you who are exciting yourself. I was never so calm in my life. LADY WARBURTON I don't see that my having left the bracelet a few moments on the piano matters one scrap. SIR HARRY How can you expect us to find the jewels if you take that line ? LADY WARBURTON You say the jewels as if they 'd all been stolen. SIR HARRY You seem to think the loss of one jewel is of no importance. A valuable indeed, a historical jewel, which belonged to LADY WARBURTON All right, as I said before, I won't have anything more to do with the jewels. It 's not worth while having jewels at all if one is to be worried like this. I '11 fetch them this moment. Give me the key. (She takes the key from SIR HARRY.) And please don't let me hear a word about them again. \She walks upstairs. SIR HARRY Really, Delia, please be more reasonable. 230 The Green Elephant [m. LADY WARBURTON I certainly won't keep the jewels one minute longer. [She goes into her sitting-room. SIR HARRY Delia is so impulsive. Oh dear, what one goes through ! She is so excitable, I don't dare say a word to her. It really is most unpleasant to have this kind of thing happening in one's house. MISS HART I think Delia is worried about it too. SIR HARRY But she is so extraordinarily thoughtless. It was really a piece of most amazing carelessness to leave her bracelet on the piano in that way a whole night MISS HART I think she really only left it there this afternoon. [Enter LADY WARBURTON, very excited, on the landing. LADY WARBURTON Harry ! SIR HARRY Yes, my dear. LADY WARBURTON (coming downstairs) Harry, an awful thing 's happened. SIR HARRY What, what ? LADY WARBURTON The jewels ! My necklaces ! in.] The Green Elephant 231 SIR HARRY (anxiously) Well ? LADY WARBURTON They 're not there. SIR HARRY I don't understand. LADY WARBURTON They 've gone disappeared both of them. SIR HARRY My dear, I think this is too serious a matter to joke about. LADY WARBURTON I swear it 's true. They 've been stolen. Both my necklaces the pearl necklace and the diamond necklace. In fact, everything I had here. It 's a mercy my tiara and ornaments were in London. (MISS HART faints.} Harry, Harry, Miss Hart is fainting. [SIR HARRY runs to MISS HART and catches her as she falls. SIR HARRY Quick, quick, somebody. [LADY WARBURTON runs out R. MISS HART (coming to) It 's all right. It 's nothing the heat it often happens. I 'm really all right, really. [Enter LADY WARBURTON R., followed by POLLITT, the PROFESSOR and MRS. MOTTER- WAY and BETIS. 232 The Green Elephant [in. LADY WARBURTON Shall I fetch some brandy ? MISS HART No really, I 'm quite well now, quite well. I don't want anything. PROFESSOR Dear me, what has happened ? LADY WARBURTON Letty isn't well she fainted, she often faints and my jewels have been stolen. PROFESSOR Impossible ! and with me in the house, too ! LADY WARBURTON Yes, Professor, both my necklaces with you in the house. [Enter FOOTMAN L. FOOTMAN (to POLLITT) Your motor is at the door, sir. POLLITT I suppose I ought to go. [Exit FOOTMAN L. PROFESSOR Sir Harry, it is imperative I should have a few words with you. And in the meantime I must ask you to request Mr. Pollitt to put off his going, if not until to-morrow, at any rate until a later train. in.] The Green Elephant 233 POLLITT And I am equally anxious to speak to you, War- burton. SIR HARRY Let us go into my sitting-room. POLLITT No, let us stay here. LADY WARBURTON We will leave you. POLLITT I beg you to stay all of you. I want you all to hear what I 've got to say. Lady Warburton's green elephant was stolen on Sunday night. Now more of her jewels have been stolen. Professor Norman Nutt suspects me of being the thief LADY WARBURTON Oh, no ! POLLITT and I 'm afraid other people in this house share his suspicion. SIR HARRY My dear Pollitt POLLITT Please don't interrupt me. It is well known I 'm hard up and a gambler ; that I owe a great deal of money. It is true that my uncle has paid some of my debts, but not all. (Sarcastically) What is more likely than that I should take advantage of your friendship and hospitality to steal Lady War- 234 The Green Elephant [in. burton's jewels ? I was seen in her sitting-room on Saturday night, the key of Lady Warburton's safe in my hand. All this is known to the Professor. I was leaving for London by the six o'clock train. But now I shall not leave. My luggage has already gone, but that can be remedied. You can tele- phone to London to Scotland Yard and ask them to intercept it at Waterloo and have it examined. There remains this bag. (He takes bis bag from the table and takes out its contents, two novels, and some letters, and MISS HART'S cardboard box. He then holds the bag upside down.} You can see it is now empty. Please search it for yourselves. There remains this cardboard box. It contains a Chinese crystal which Miss Hart asked me to take back to London. I will show it you. [He opens the box, takes out the contents, and throwing away the tissue paper reveals the green elephant. LADY WARBURTON The green elephant ! POLLITT Warburton, I am the victim of some hideous conspiracy ! MRS. MOTTERWAY (coming forwar d with great calm) There is no conspiracy. I stole the green elephant. I stole it on Sunday night, and last night Delia left her bracelet in my room and I stole the in.] The Green Elephant 235 other jewels. I have got them now. Send for the police do anything you like arrest me, put me in prison I did it I did it all I did it on purpose [She breaks into a Jit of hysterics. CURTAIN END OF ACT III ACT IV SCENE : LADY WARBURTON'S sitting-room^ as in Act I. DISCOVERED : LADY WARBURTON, sitting on the sofa. {Enter the MAID R. LADY WARBURTON Well, did you take the message ? MAID Mrs. Motterway said she would come directly. LADY WARBURTON How is she ? MAID She says she still feels very poorly, my lady, but LADY WARBURTON What? MAID She ate a very good dinner, my lady twice of everything, my lady LADY WARBURTON Very well, Harper, that 's all I want. MAID Very good, my lady. [She goes out L. Enter MRS. MOTTERWAY R. iv.] The Green Elephant 237 MRS. MOTTERWAY Are you quite alone ? LADY WARBURTON Yes, quite alone, and we shan't be disturbed. The only person who could possibly come here is Harry. MRS. MOTTERWAY I couldn't see him. LADY WARBURTON Then we can lock the doors if you like. MRS. MOTTERWAY I think that would be safer. [LADY WARBURTON locks both the doors. They sit down, LADY WARBURTON on the sofa L., MRS. MOTTERWAY in the armchair R. LADY WARBURTON How are you, darling ? MRS. MOTTERWAY I 'm feeling dreadfully upset. I 've got a racking headache, and, of course, I couldn't eat a morsel of food. LADY WARBURTON No, of course not. MRS. MOTTERWAY And I don't suppose I shall sleep a wink but what has happened ? 238 The Green Elephant [iv. LADY WARBURTON I don't know. They 're having dinner. Of course, directly er it all happened, Anthony wouldn't speak to the Professor. Rupert 's got a pompous fit. Harry lost his head, Letty Hart was almost in hysterics, and Betis said nothing at all, and so I came straight up here and refused to see any one. The truth is I want you to tell me what it all means, so that I may know what to say and do, and how to deal with Harry. Of course, I know you didn't steal the jewels. MRS. MOTTERWAY You think Anthony did. I swear he didn't. LADY WARBURTON But, darling, I know he didn't, and I know you didn't either. MRS. MOTTERWAY (hysterically and tearfully) I did. I did it for him to get him money. LADY WARBURTON And the green elephant, too ? MRS. MOTTERWAY Yes, I stole that on Sunday night when you went to fetch the medicine for me, do you remember ? I couldn't take the other things then, as I LADY WARBURTON Angela, can't you trust me ? I know that you said this because you saw Anthony was suspected, but it 's only that idiotic American who suspects iv.] The Green Elephant 239 him. I know he never dreamt of touching the jewels. MRS. MOTTERWAY Then who do you think took them ? LADY WARBURTON I know, but I 've promised not to say yet. I will tell you to-night. I swear to you on my word of honour that no shadow of suspicion will ever fall on Anthony. MRS. MOTTERWAY Does Letty Hart know anything about it ? LADY WARBURTON Not a thing. By the way, I 've found out some- thing interesting about Letty. She 's in love. MRS. MOTTERWAY (anxiously) Really ? Who is he ? LADY WARBURTON Mr. Betis. MRS. MOTTERWAY (intensely relieved) Not really ? Did it happen since he 's been here ? LADY WARBURTON They may have known each other before but I 'm quite certain of it they may be (The door is rattled.) Who 's there ? MISS HART (off R.) It 's me, Letty Hart. May I come in ? 240 The Green Elephant [iv. LADY WARBURTON (Loud to MISS HART) One minute. (Low to MRS. MOTTERWAY) What shall I say ? MRS. MOTTERWAY Let me go first. LADY WARBURTON You can go through my bedroom. MRS. MOTTERWAY But I 've got heaps more things to say to you. LADY WARBURTON I '11 come up directly I Ve seen what she wants. MRS. MOTTERWAY And then if I could only see Anthony without any of the others LADY WARBURTON You shall see him here. I '11 arrange that. [MRS. MOTTERWAY goes into LADY WAR- BURTON'S bedroom L. C. LADY WAR- BURTON unlocks and opens^ door R. Enter MISS HART R. MISS HART Mr. Betis is going away to-night by the 10.30 train for good. He particularly wishes to see you before he goes. LADY WARBURTON Is the Professor going too ? MISS HART No, he 's going to-morrow. iv..] The Green Elephant 241 LADY WARBURTON (after a moment's pause) Where is he ? MISS HART Outside on the landing. LADY WARBURTON I will see him here, but not just this moment. Will you bring him in here, and ask him if he doesn't mind waiting ? I must go and see after Angela. MISS HART Certainly. LADY WARBURTON I shan't be very long. Don't let any one else come in here. Say I 'm in bed say anything. I can't discuss the whole thing now. MISS HART Yes, I understand. LADY WARBURTON I '11 be down directly. [She goes out through the bedroom L. C. MISS HART (going to the door R. and opening it) Mr. Betis. (Enter BETIS R.) Lady Warburton has gone to see after Mrs. Motterway. She will be down directly. She wants you to wait here ; and I 'm glad she 's gone, as I must have a talk with you, Mr. Carter, before you go ; and here we shan't be interrupted. Please sit down here. (She points to the armchair and sits down on the sofa. BETIS sits down,} I will go straight to the point. I know everything. 242 The Green Elephant [iv. BETIS I don't quite catch on. MISS HART I know who you are. You 're Peter Little, the man who is suspected of having organised the Ralston robbery and several others. BETIS What makes you think that ? MISS HART When I sailed with you to New York, there was a man on board called Williams, who had been at college with Peter Little. One day I heard the Ralston case discussed and Williams was there. He told me a great deal about Peter Little, and when I asked him what he was like to look at, he said : ' He was very like that man Carter who was a friend of yours when we sailed together to New York.' BETIS Is that all ? MISS HART Yes, that 's all. But besides this I am quite certain that you are Peter Little. And then I know for a fact that you stole Lady Warburton's jewels. BETIS And the green elephant which was stolen before I got here f iv.] The Green Elephant 243 MISS HART I don't know about the green elephant. I don't pretend to understand how that disappeared, but I know you stole the jewels. BETIS Well ? MISS HART I suspected you from the first when I met you on the liner, I mean. I knew that there was some- thing wrong then. I felt certain you had broken the law somehow. I have very strong intuitions. Every word you said confirmed it. And here I meet you under a new name, gulling an old pro- fessor to your heart's content. A jewel is missed, and you direct his suspicions against Mr. Pollitt. BETIS I beg your pardon. On Monday morning I heard Mrs. Motterway tell Pollitt she knew he had stolen the green elephant. MISS HART He couldn't have stolen it. However, to con- tinue the Professor's suspicions are aroused . . . then Lady Warburton's jewels are stolen just as Pollitt is going away, and the green elephant is found in his bag. BETIS And Mrs. Motterway says she put it there. MISS HART Yes, obviously to shield Mr. Pollitt. 244 The Green Elephant [iv. BETIS Well MISS HART I know he didn't, and I know Mrs. Motterway didn't, because she 's in love with him. So it seems quite simple to me that some person used the disappearance of the green elephant as an oppor- tunity for stealing some jewels which were much more valuable, and of throwing the guilt on some one else. When we met on the liner I had the strongest suspicions that you weren't straight, but I didn't mind. The fact was, I was a little bit in love with you. I 've quite got over it now entirely. That 's all past and done with, but it 's left some- thing behind a certain indulgence. But when I realised you were letting an innocent man be sus- pected I felt not surprised, but furiously angry, and I was determined that this should not happen. BETIS I 'd fixed up that Pollitt shouldn't be suspected for more than twenty-four hours. MISS HART Then it 's true ? BETIS Why, yes, I 'm Peter Little all right, and what 's more I had intended to leave this country to- morrow ; but now, I suppose, you '11 give me up to the police. MISS HART I will keep silent on one condition. iv.] The Green Elephant 245 BETIS What 's that ? MISS HART That you give back the jewels. BETIS That 's robbing a poor man. MISS HART These are my conditions. BETIS Not that I mind returning them ; they 're not worth much to me. MISS HART But how can you get the jewels back ? BETIS Don't trouble. That 's my stunt. I '11 leave them behind me. You can find out where they are by clairvoyance. Look in your crystal. MISS HART But if I see nothing. I often see nothing. BETIS Then look in the Professor's box. That large tin box I brought down at tea for him to-day. It 's got ' N. N. New York ' painted on it in white letters. MISS HART But he will be suspected. BETIS No, the matter will be explained. 246 The Green Elephant [iv. MISS HART Then he '11 know you stole them. BETIS I don't care if he does. I 've done with the Professor. I 'm going back home, and he can't stop me. It will teach him not to meddle in detective work, and to stick to his Goethe. MISS HART Very well. BETIS Say, you don't hate me after all ? MISS HART No, I try to hate you ; but the truth is I don't. The moment I saw you when you arrived I felt something would happen. Even before you came here, on Sunday night, I saw you in the crystal quite plainly, and all the time you were here I knew it was coming. I felt that I was going to discover the secret that I wished to remain hidden. Only, Mr. Carter, I can't help being fond of you. We made such friends that time, didn't we ? That is why I wish you would give it up ! BETIS My profession ? Not yet awhile. I 'm not tired of it yet. MISS HART Do, Mr. Carter, to please me. I 'm always afraid something dreadful may happen to you. Do give it up. It 's awful iv.] The Green Elephant 247 BETIS Why awful ? It 's a poor life and a hard life. But I daresay one day I shall grow tired of honest work and take to one of the easier, dishonest trades. Maybe I '11 be a politician. Would you think better of me then ? MISS HART It 's not that, Mr. Carter. I hate stealing, but BETIS You like thieves. MISS HART You see, I can't help liking you, but I should like to think of you as being out of danger, and safe. BETIS I shan't stick to thieving for ever. It 's too monotonous, and I can't ever get caught. MISS HART Well, if you do give it up, let me know. BETIS Yes, I '11 cable you directly I start a new stunt. [Enter LADY WARBURTON R. BETIS rises. MISS HART How is Mrs. Motterway ? LADY WARBURTON She 's better. You want to speak to me, Mr. Betis ? 248 The Green Elephant [iv. BETIS I should like a moment's talk with you if you can spare the time, Lady Warburton. MISS HART I will leave you. [She goes to the door R. LADY WARBURTON Come up again presently, Letty, and tell me what they are doing. (Exit MISS HART R.} Do sit down, Mr. Betis. (They sit on the sofa L.) It 's all very extraordinary, isn't it ? BETIS It is queer. LADY WARBURTON I suppose Angela said she did it to shield Anthony Pollitt. She 's been devoted to him, you know, for some time. But why she thought he stole the jewels, I can't think. BETIS She saw him in your dressing-room on Sunday night. But, of course, she thought the green elephant was there, whereas we know it wasn't. LADY WARBURTON You mean you think it wasn't. BETIS No, Lady Warburton, I mean we know it wasn't. LADY WARBURTON It was sold ? BETIS No, pawned. iv.] The Green Elephant 249 LADY WARBURTON By my maid ? BETIS By Miss Harper. LADY WARBURTON And the other jewels. Do you think she stole them ? BETIS Why, no. Mrs. Motterway says she stole them. LADY WARBURTON I know Mrs. Motterway didn't. Angela never tells the truth, if she can help it. BETIS Then who did ? LADY WARBURTON I have my suspicions already. BETIS It would be mighty interesting to hear them. LADY WARBURTON You shall ; then you can advise me. You know I trust you more than the Professor. You are six times as clever as he is. BETIS Six times isn't much. LADY WARBURTON (laughing) Well, sixty times, say. BETIS That 's a heap better. (A pause.) Well ? 250 The Green Elephant [iv. LADY WARBURTON You, of course, never met Miss Hart before you came here ? BETIS No, I never had that pleasure. LADY WARBURTON I thought not ; only the day you arrived I thought she seemed to recognise you. BETIS (calmly} Indeed ! LADY WARBURTON But perhaps she took you for some one else. BETIS Perhaps. LADY WARBURTON For a Mr. Carter possibly ? BETIS Never heard of him. LADY WARBURTON No, but Miss Hart has. She met him in America. BETIS What 's that got to do with the jewels ? LADY WARBURTON Nothing at all. You say the green elephant was pawned. If it was pawned, it was redeemed on Monday or Tuesday, since it was here on Tuesday afternoon. Mr. Pollitt couldn't have redeemed it because he was here all Monday and all Tuesday. iv.] The Green Elephant 251 And it was found in his bag. When it was found Mrs. Motterway said she had stolen it on Sunday, although we know that on Sunday it wasn't in the house. She says it to shield Mr. Pollitt, and Mr. Pollitt is suspected by the Professor. Mr. Pollitt is hard up, Mr. Pollitt is in debt. Now who could have redeemed the jewel in London on Tuesday ? Who put the green elephant in Mr. Pollitt's bag ? The same person who redeemed the green elephant and used it to steal my jewels. BETIS But you forget it might have been redeemed weeks ago. LADY WARBURTON That 's impossible, because on Saturday morning I had BETIS The pawn-ticket. Then you did pawn the green elephant ? LADY WARBURTON I never did anything of the kind. Why should I pawn a not very valuable jewel when I have plenty of money of my own ? BETIS I don't know anything about the reasons. I only know the facts. LADY WARBURTON Prove it if you can. 252 The Green Elephant [iv. BETIS Sir Harry will be able to make inquiries at Cormack's the pawnbrokers. LADY WARBURTON But you 're not going to tell him ! You daren't, because if you do I shall tell him you stole my jewels. BETIS No, you won't. Firstly, because you can't mention your suspicions to Sir Harry without owning up about the green elephant, and after having let two innocent people be suspected of theft, if I know Sir Harry, he would never forgive you. He would not even forgive you for not having told the truth in the first place. After all that has happened now he would think your conduct criminal. LADY WARBURTON (sighing) Yes, Harry 's very peculiar and tiresome about those kind of things. BETIS Secondly, if you did, you wouldn't be believed, because he will find the jewels to-night. LADY WARBURTON They 've been found ? How, and by whom ? BETIS You will know that later. I think in the future you will do best never to mention your suspicions ; because if you did, in order to prove that they arc iv.] The Green Elephant 253 baseless, Sir Harry would have to be informed of your negotiations with Messrs. Cormack. LADY WARBURTON Whatever happens, Harry must never know about that. BETIS He won't ever know. LADY WARBURTON Are you quite sure ? Will you swear it ? BETIS By everything that 's most sacred. [Enter MISS HART R. with a crystal in her hand. MISS HART The motor is there for Mr. Betis, and Sir Harry is just coming upstairs to fetch him. What shall I do ? LADY WARBURTON It doesn't matter now. He can come as much as he likes. MISS HART And, Delia, I 've got a great piece of news for you. I believe I can find the jewels. LADY WARBURTON What now, directly ? MISS HART Yes, now. Oh, and Sir Harry wanted you to see the Professor. 254 The Green Elephant [iv. LADY WARBURTON Tell him to bring him ; if you find the jewels, I don't care what happens. (Exit MISS HART R.} Are you really going at once, Mr. Betis ? BETIS Yes, as soon as I 've said good-bye to Sir Harry. I must catch the 10.30. The jewels will be found, Lady Warburton, in the next ten minutes. {Enter SIR HARRY and the PROFESSOR R. Enter MISS HART. SIR HARRY My dear, Mr. Betis ought to be starting. He has just got twenty- three minutes to catch the train. PROFESSOR Good-evening, Lady Warburton. (To BETIS) You won't forget to have everything ready for me by to-morrow evening, Betis ? BETIS No, Professor. By the way, here is the key of your tin box which you were looking for yesterday. [Gives a key to the PROFESSOR. PROFESSOR Thank you, Betis. BETIS Good-bye, Lady Warburton. Thank you both very much for your kind hospitality. Good-bye, Professor. iv.] The Green Elephant 255 MISS HART I 'm sorry you 're going, Mr. Betis. Do you know, about the jewels, I believe I can find them. I believe that if I look in the crystal, and some one wills me, I could see where they are at present. SIR HARRY You don't mean to say so ! Dear, dear. PROFESSOR This is most interesting. BETIS The Professor will tell me the result to-morrow. Good-bye, Miss Hart. (He shakes hands with every one.} I wish I could wait, but I can't. Good- bye. MISS HART Good luck. SIR HARRY Mr. Betis ; we are all very much obliged to you. [He follows him to the door. LADY WARBURTON Good-bye, Mr. Betis. [Exit BETIS R. MISS HART If I 'm to look into the crystal some one must will me. Any one will do. Will you do it, Delia ? LADY WARBURTON Certainly. MISS HART Put your hand on mine. Yes, that 's right. Now. (She looks into the crystal) I don't see 256 The Green Elephant [iv. anything . . . The glass is getting clouded . . . (A short pause.) Ah, I see Delia's sitting-room. The door is open, I see the safe. The glass is blurred . . . LADY WARBURTON Can you see anything now ? MISS HART Now I see nothing. (Pause.) Nothing at all. Ah, now it 's getting misty. I see a large tin box with N. N. on it, and New York painted in white letters. PROFESSOR My box ! MISS HART And now I see nothing no, nothing at all. PROFESSOR This is most extraordinary. Let me think. I had my box in the hall on Monday evening. I will fetch it at once. [Exit PROFESSOR L. LADY WARBURTON So the Professor has stolen my jewels. I always thought he had. I always knew he was a thief. I hope he will be put in prison for life. SIR HARRY My dear, please don't say such things, even in fun. LADY WARBURTON It 's not fun. I feel certain he 's a thief. He 's a horrible bore, in any case, and quite the worst detective I have ever seen. iv.] The Green Elephant 257 SIR HARRY It 's most uncharitable and ungrateful of you to talk like that. LADY WARBURTON Harry, just go and see what Mr. Pollitt is doing and ask him to come here. SIR HARRY Very well, my dear. [Exit SIR HARRY R. LADY WARBURTON Letty, I want to speak to you. MISS HART What is it ? LADY WARBURTON I want to know if you know who took the jewels. MISS HART I haven't the remotest idea. LADY WARBURTON Do you know they are in the Professor's box ? MISS HART Only from what I saw in the crystal. LADY WARBURTON Angela is in my bedroom. I must tell her. (She opens the door L.) Angela ! MRS. MOTTERWAY (off) Yes. LADY WARBURTON Angela, it 's most exciting. Letty has dis- covered the jewels by looking in a crystal. She 258 The Green Elephant [iv. thinks they 're in the Professor's box. He 's just gone to fetch it. Won't you come in ? MRS. MOTTERWAY (off) I '11 wait here and leave the door a tiny bit open, so that I can see. Send Anthony to me as soon as you can. LADY WARBURTON I will. Here they are. [Enter the PROFESSOR and POLLITT and SIR HENRY R. The PROFESSOR puts the box on the table R. and opens it. He takes out two large jew el- cases and a small red bag. He opens the cases and takes out a diamond and a pearl necklace. SIR HARRY Are all the jewels there ? LADY WARBURTON Yes, my two necklaces. That was all I had here. My tiara and all my ornaments are in London. PROFESSOR This is really most astounding. (Looking into the box.) Ah, what is this ! A letter addressed to me in Betis' handwriting. (Reading) ' To be shown to Sir Henry Warburton.' I will read it. (The PROFESSOR reads) : ' DEAR PROFESSOR, Owing to private business, I am obliged to resign my post of secretary to you. I am thinking of going back to the police. I knew iv.] The Green Elephant 259 that Miss Hart stole the Green Elephant in a somnambulist trance on Saturday night and placed it in Mr. Pollitt's bag thinking she was putting a Chinese crystal there, so I had no difficulty in locating these trinkets. I return them because I have no kind of use for them. I am leaving the country, and don't want any useless baggage. Take my advice, quit the sleuth-hound stunt, or you '11 look like thirty cents. I am, Professor, yours truly, JOHN BETIS.' Well, of all unheard-of insolence ! Sir Henry, Lady Warburton, and above all to you, Mr. Pollitt, I offer you my most humble apologies. But I must add that although this impudent scoundrel inter- fered with my reasoning, which I arrived at by extrapolation, my theory was correct. From the first I knew that Miss Hart had taken the green elephant in her sleep. SIR HARRY Don't mention it, Professor. It is an inex- pressible relief to think all this sad business is over, without publicity. (To LADY WARBURTON) What a lesson to you, my dear, to be careful in the future of the key of your safe. PROFESSOR It 's a great relief to me that my theory was correct. But, as Goethe says, ' My friend, all theory is but grey, The tree of life is green and gay.' 260 The Green Elephant [iv. SIR HARRY Professor, don't you think, another cigar [Exit SIR HARRY R.,followed by the PROFESSOR. LADY WARBURTON We must tell Angela at once, Anthony. POLLITT I will. LADY WARBURTON Go through my bedroom, it 's quicker. [POLLITT goes out L. C., and shuts the door. [Enter FOOTMAN R. FOOTMAN (tO MISS HART) Mr. Betis left this note for you, Miss. MISS HART Thank you. [She opens the letter and reads it. Exit FOOTMAN R. LADY WARBURTON You made Betis give back the jewels. LADY WARBURTON I know he stole them. You made him give them back because he 's in love with you. MISS HART (giving her the letter) Read that. iv.] The Green Elephant 261 LADY WARBURTON (reading) ( DEAR Miss HART, I don't want there to be any misunderstanding. So I '11 tell you right away that the reason I gave back the two necklaces is that they are sham. The real ones have been pawned. I found the pawn-tickets in the safe. I borrowed the necessary dollars to redeem them, from the Professor, and the necklaces will be in my possession to-morrow. I am going back to God's country. I wish you good luck. I guess the Professor won't throw quite so many bouquets at himself to-night. Yours truly, PETER LITTLE.' LADY WARBURTON (rising, goes to the table where the red bag is, opens it, empties it) Oh ! Oh ! That villain Betis has taken the pawn-tickets out of the bag ! MISS HART But who pawned the necklaces ? LADY WARBURTON I did. I did it to pay a money-lender. Of course, I couldn't possibly own up to Harry about this, so I had two sham necklaces made, and pawned the real ones. MISS HART And the green elephant ? LADY WARBURTON I pawned that too, long ago. You must never breathe a word of this to Harry or else he would kill me ! 262 The Green Elephant [iv. MISS HART But you must telegraph to the pawnbroker and stop him giving up the jewels. LADY WARBURTON I can't, because Betis gave me to understand that if ever I breathed a word he would tell Harry, and Harry must never know that the green elephant was pawned. [Enter MRS. MOTTERWAY L. C., and POLLITT. MRS. MOTTERWAY I hear the jewels have been found. I knew they would be. And I have got some other news for you it 's a secret at present. Anthony and I are engaged to be married. CURTAIN END OF ACT IV THE DOUBLE GAME A PLAY IN THREE ACTS TO CHARLES HANDS PERSONS OF THE PLAY BLOUM, IVAN BORISOVITCH, a schoolmaster. BLOUM, ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA, his wife. RAKINT, BORIS NIKOLAEVITCH, a man of letters.! Boarders ROMODIN, DIMITRI VASiLEViTCH, a student. \ at the BERNOVA, MARIE ANDREEVNA. jBloums'. COUNT PETER ZOUROV, her uncle. PHILIPOV, ALEXEI IVANOVITCH, a military doctor. DIMITRIEV, FEDOR PETROVITCH, a doctor. NIELSEN, SERGEI ANDREVITCH, an ex-civil engineer in business. HAROLD JAMESON, a correspondent to a London news- paper. OKOUNOVA, SOFIE DIMITREVNA, wife of a civil servant. MARKOV, NICOLAS SEMENOVITCH, Bloum's nephew ; a schoolboy. PONOV, ALEXANDER ALEXANDROVITCH. SASH A, a maid. The Action takes place at Moscow^ in the apartment of Ivan Borisovitch Bloum, between 10 p.m. of Friday night and IO a.m. of Saturday morning^ in January, 1907. THE DOUBLE GAME ACT I SCENE : Sitting-room and dining-room in the BLOUMS' apartment, which forms a part of the ground floor of a two-storied wooden house in Moscow. The room is papered with white, shiny paper, which has become the worse for wear and looks rather dingy. On the walls are several large photographs of famous men Beethoven, Herzen, Pushkin and Tourgeniev. L. C. a door leading into a small sitting-room, which is sometimes used as a bedroom ; the door is open, and a card-table in the centre of the room visible. Parallel with this room R. C. is occupied by an open conservatory forming an alcove, the same size as the small room L. C., but with no wall between it and the sitting-room. It has double windows all round it which are frozen. It is lit by a lamp hanging from the ceiling. In the middle of the conservatory, a dining-table laid for supper with eight or ten chairs round it. A small table stands next to the head of the dining-table L., with a samovar, cups, and a metal slop basin on it. L. of the sitting-room double windows sealed with cotton-wool. Door R. leading into a small passage, which forms the front hall of the house and opens on to 267 268 The Double Game [i. the street. The passage leads into the kitchen, and there are bedrooms R. and L. of it. In the corner of the stage L., sideways, a large china stove. L. in front of the window a red rep sofa, in front of which stands a large round wooden table on which there is a silver-gilt bowl full of visiting-cards and some photograph albums. There are several wooden chairs stuffed with rep round the table. A lamp stands in the centre of the table. On the stage side of the door R., between the door and the footlights, an open card-table with four chairs round it ; candles and bits of chalk on it. Placed sideways across the stage, between the conservatory and the door L. C., a grand piano open. The key- board is towards the stage ; between it and the con- servatory a small palm-tree in a flower-pot. It is 9.30 in the evening of a day in January. DISCOVERED : ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA BLOUM, fifty years old, with grey hair, intelligent eyes, a kind expression, and a soft, agreeable voice. She has nevertheless many traits of decision. There is a brisk air of bustle and confidence about her. She gives the impression of being practical, sensible, and energetic. At the same time she has a fund of senti- mentality. She is dressed in black. She is sitting on the sofa L. Sitting next to her, on her left, is DIMITRI VASILEVITCH ROMODiN, a student, aged twenty-four. He has a frank, good-looking face. He shows signs of character. His hair is fair and long. He wears a student's uniform. On the other side of the table, opposite ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA, IVAN BORisoviTCH BLOUM is playing at i.] The Double Game 269 Patience with a single pack. He is a large, rather fat man, fifty-six years old, but looks younger. He has a grey beard, a meek, good-natured expression. He wears dark, rather shabby clothes. At the card-table, playing vindt, are : R., FEDOR PETROVITCH DiMiTRiEV, a military doctor. He wears a doctor's uniform. Aged forty. He has a moustache and a black beard. , He is a large, jovial man, and talks in a loud voice with a good deal of gesticulation. His partner (L.) is ALEXEI IVANOVITCH PHILIPOV. Aged thirty-five. He is dark haired, thin, and pale ; tired and melancholy -looking. He seldom speaks. His hair is cropped short ' en brosse.' Dressed in a long black frock-coat and black tie. R. C., SOFIE DIMITREVNA OKouNovA. Forty-seven years old, short, fat, and plain. Her black hair is parted in the middle, and brushed right back on either side. She is dressed in black. She wears a large cameo brooch. Her partner, sitting with his back to the stage, is SERGEI ANDREVITCH NIELSEN, an ex-civil engineer, now in business. Forty-six years old, bald, and rather fat and rather coarse, with pronounced Jewish features, sharp eyes, a fair moustache : intelligent, keen-looking. He wears a pince-nez and German clothes, dark green cut-away coat, and a large watch chain. The card-players have each of them got a glass of tea near them. NIELSEN It 's your deal, Sofie Dimitrevna. (He gets up, 27 The Double Game [i. takes his glass and brings it with him.} May I have some more tea ? ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Yes, do pour it out. [He takes his glass, goes into the conservatory, Jills it half full of tea from the tea-pot, and fills the glass up with water from the samovar. NIELSEN. I see our author has published a new book. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Who, Rakint ? NIELSEN Yes. It 's called Giordano Bruno and the Move- ment of Liberation. Shall you read it ? ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA I haven't time to read his books. SOFIE DIMITREVNA I can't endure all that decadent stuff. NIELSEN (laughing) You mustn't say that before Marie Andreevna. [He goes back to his seat and sits down. SOFIE DIMITREVNA Why, is she taken with him ? NIELSEN Yes, very much. i.] The Double Game 271 ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Rakint is really very interesting. He is a clever man. (To ROMODIN) Isn't he, Dimitri Vasilevitch ? ROMODIN (without showing much interest) Oh yes, very. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA You don't think he is. ROMODIN Yes, certainly, he is clever. He writes well. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA I don't think you like him. ROMODIN I ? Why not ? What makes you think that ? I get on very well with him. Do you dislike him ? ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA There is nothing to dislike in him. He is always obliging and ready to do anything for me. I think he is interesting, and he speaks well. He 's a cultivated man, and they say he writes well. I haven't time to read his books myself. I don't suppose I should read them if I had time. They are too high-flown for me. ROMODIN Yes, fantastic, but he has talent. It 's not I, it 's Mr. Jameson who dislikes him. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Ah ! Harold Frantzovitch ; he was here this afternoon. He said he would look in this evening. 272 The Double Game [i. NIELSEN Is that the correspondent ? ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Yes. He 's becoming more and more reactionary. SOFIE DIMITREVNA I like his articles. I think they are impartial and fair. I think he speaks the truth. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA (taking no notice) It 's St. Petersburg that has changed him. He used to be quite Liberal. Now he says just the very same things all the Englishmen say when they come here to learn Russian, not understanding the situation, and judging everything from the English point of view. SOFIE DIMITREVNA Of course, he has become more Conservative. He has seen all the dreadful things the revolutionaries have done. PHILIPOV Hasn't he seen the dreadful things the Govern- ment has done too ? BLOUM Well, what I say is : the worse everything goes the better. This is the tenth time I 've done this Patience, and it won't come out. SOFIE DIMITREVNA Did you read in the newspaper what they did at Odessa the other day ? They threw a bomb at some colonel who had never done anything, and i.] The Double Game 273 four or five people were killed in the crowd. Two of them were women. (Vehemently] Is that fair ? Is that right ? ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA That was all got up by the police. We know them. SOFIE DIMITREVNA How can you ? DIMITRIEV (tO SOFIE DIMITREVNA It 's your deal. Let us leave politics alone. BLOUM (throwing down his cards) It won't come out. Where 's Marie Andreevna ? ROMODIN I don't think she 's come in yet. [BLOUM begins the Patience over again. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA (sighing) She never is in. She rushes about from morning till night. ROMODIN Just as you do. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Heaven knows I have enough to do, with these elections. Especially since they shut the club. But what she does all day I can't think. ROMODIN She works hard for her lectures. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA She looks so tired, and I 'm sure she does too much, and then 274 The Double Game [i. ROMODIN What ? ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Oh ! nothing. (Pause.} She has changed during the last two months. ROMODIN In what sort of way ? ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA She goes out more than she used to. She looks ill. ROMODIN I think she is delicate. SOFIE DIMITREVNA I think it 's quite dreadful girls behaving in the way they do now [The electric bell rings. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Perhaps that is Marie Andreevna. I don't believe she 's had supper. (She gets up.} [Enter HAROLD JAMESON L. About thirty. He wears a pince-nez, and is dressed in a grey tweed suit. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Harold Frantzovitch ! Just fancy ! I was be- ginning to think you had forgotten. Come and sit down here. BLOUM I 'm doing your Patience and it won't come out. i.] The Double Game 275 JAMESON I 'm late. [He shakes hands with ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA, and then goes to the card-table and shakes hands with the four players, and with ROMODIN. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Do sit down. [ROMODIN stands up and makes room for him. He sits down. NIELSEN What 's the news, Mr. Jameson ? JAMESON There is news, and bad news. That 's why I am late. I had to send a long wire. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA What ? JAMESON A man has thrown a bomb at Stiegelbaum. [The card-players lay down their cards and all of them turn round. NIELSEN turns his chair right round. PHILIPOV stands up. THE CARD-PLAYERS (in chorus) Not really ! ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA (in great excitement} Good Heavens ! Just fancy ! You don't mean to say so ? And what happened ? Was he killed ? 276 The Double Game [i. JAMESON No, he was wounded ; his aide-de-camp was killed. ELIZAVETA ivANOVNA (obviously disappointed} Ah ! Just fancy. [PHILIPOV sits down and the card-players turn round again. SOFIE DIMITREVNA How terrible ! PHILIPOV It was bound to happen ; but it won't make any difference. (He sighs.} NIELSEN Where did it happen ? [Electric bell rings. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA That 's Marie Andreevna. (Rises.} JAMESON On the way to the station. NIELSEN Was he badly wounded ? JAMESON No, they said, only slightly. He will recover. [Enter NICOLAS SEMENOVITCH MARKOV R. A schoolboy, seventeen years old, dressed in a schoolboy's grey uniform and a greatcoat. NICOLAS (gaily and excitedly) You 've heard the news ? i.] The Double Game 277 ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Yes, we have. Take off your coat, child. NICOLAS No, Aunt Elizaveta, I haven't time. I must go home at once. I couldn't help looking in to tell you the news. They very nearly killed him. His carriage was blown up and the aide-de-camp was killed. DIMITRIEV That comes of insulting the people of Moscow. [Electric bell rings. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Yes, and I must say if he had been killed I can't say I should have been sorry, after the speech he made the other day. JAMESON Do you really mean to say that because a man makes a tactless speech he deserves to be blown up ? ROMODIN He has done a great many worse things than make tactless speeches. [Enter BORIS NIKOLAEVITCH RAKINT, a tall man, about thirty-six, rather worn, good- looking, with intelligent, mobile, pene- trating eyes. He is restless and voluble. He gives the impression of nervous strength rather than nervous weakness. He is amiable and quick and sensitive in his 278 The Double Game [i. perceptions. He smokes one cigarette after another. He is well dressed, black frock- coat, black tie. RAKINT Good evening, gentlemen. Good evening, Sofie Dimitrevna. I suppose you 've all heard the news ? Isn't it exciting ? (To JAMESON) Mr. Jameson, I believe. I think we have met before. JAMESON (coldly) Yes, I think we have. BLOUM Yes, we 've heard the news. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Harold Frantzovitch has just told us. BLOUM And to think they should have missed him by so little. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Who did it ? RAKINT (to JAMESON) It was a student, wasn't it ? JAMESON Yes. He was dressed up as a policeman. He threw the bomb just as Stiegelbaum was getting out of his carriage. The carriage was blown to bits. The coachman was killed and the horses ran away. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA What happened to the student ? i.] The Double Game 279 RAKINT He was killed. BLOUM Poor fellow ! ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA How dreadful ! All the youth of the country- is being mowed down. JAMESON (to IVAN) I J m very glad he was killed. You don't approve of this way of doing things ? BLOUM (laughing) We all know what your reactionary opinions are. To think that they should have missed him by so little ! NICOLAS Well, if they don't kill him now they '11 kill him later. BLOUM What I say is, that they had no business ever to appoint a man like that. He was known to be dishonest. He must have stolen thousands and thousands of roubles. Ah ! we '11 teach them ! DIMITRIEV A man who treats the people of Moscow as if he were a German drill-sergeant must expect to be killed. We are not used to that bureaucratic tone. They may behave like that in St. Petersburg, but they can't treat us like that here. The people of Moscow have shown that they will not stand it, and I am proud of them. 280 The Double Game [i. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA He was always like that ; he was always un- popular wherever he was. It 's a miracle he was not killed before. JAMESON (sitting down) I think you are all cannibals. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Why? JAMESON You are discussing it just as if somebody had missed a good stroke at lawn tennis. SOFIE DIMITREVNA Bravo ! You are quite right, Harold Frantzo- vitch, quite right. DIMITRIEV You English cannot understand us, and you 've lived too long in St. Petersburg. There are nothing but Germans and officials there. Here we are warm-hearted. Here we know how to live. You English are so cold-blooded that I suppose you like St. Petersburg. We are not like that here. We are sincere, honest. We do not know what hypocrisy means, and we cannot stand being treated in that fashion. And whenever we are treated like that we shall speak our mind. JAMESON I 'm glad I wasn't in the square to-day when you happened to be speaking your mind in that way. i.] The Double Game 281 DIMITRIEV You don't understand. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA (to JAMESON) I 'm ashamed of you. You ought to know better, and you do know better. You know we hate these horrors as much as you do. But think of all the victims of the Government in the past ! Think of the hundreds of boys and girls who were put in prison or exiled without any trial ! JAMESON I 've no doubt they deserved it. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA (with an impatient gesture) You 're only talking like that to tease me. I won't argue with you any more. NICOLAS I must go home. (He shakes hands with ELIZA- VETA IVANOVNA) Good-night. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Good-night, Kolia. [KOLIA goes out R. IVAN That will teach them not to make tactless speeches any more. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Yes, and not to speak to the people of Moscow as if he were a drill-sergeant. Supper will soon be ready, gentlemen. I must look after Sasha. [She goes out R. NIELSEN These revolutionaries always seem to me to try 282 The Double Game [i. and kill the wrong people. It is a matter of the utmost indifference whether Stiegelbaum lives or dies. He is merely a lay figure, a man of straw. BLOUM All the same, the more of such vermin we get rid of, the better. In any case, we 've taught the Government a lesson. It 's the only way we can teach them. [Enter ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA R. RAKINT Stiegelbaum was harmless enough ; but he was a fool. Has Marie Andreevna gone to the theatre ? ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA (sitting down) No ; but she 's not come in yet. I expect she heard the news somewhere. RAKINT (sitting down opposite DIMITRI) (To ROMODIN) Well, Dimitri Vasilevitch, what do you think of the news ? ROMODIN (coldly} I think a young student has lost his life uselessly. I am against acts of terrorism, and moreover I think that the people who inspire the young to commit acts of this kind are cowards. But I think my views are well known to you. RAKINT (ironically} It is refreshing to hear the young talk so sensibly. Of course, we are all opposed to terrorism in the abstract. ROMODIN No, not all of us. i.] The Double Game 283 ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Of course we are, all of us ; but that 's not the question. The question is : Who is responsible for terrorism ? And there 's only one answer : The Government. Isn't that true ? RAKINT Of course. [Bell rings. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA That must be Marie Andreevna. JAMESON (tO DIMITRl) So this student won't be canonised by the University as a saint and a martyr ? ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Ah ! it is Marie Andreevna. [Enter MARIE ANDREEVNA BERNOVA L. A girl, twenty-one years old, with fair hair, frank eyes, and a clear complexion. She is pale and looks tired and worn. There are slight grey marks under her eyes. She is neatly, but most inexpensively dressed in black. But when she first comes in at the door she has got on her winter cloak i.e. a black cloak lined with cheap fur, with a cheap astrakan collar. She has also got on a cap made of the same astrakan. In spite of her almost shabby clothes she has an air of elegance and dis- tinction. Her movements are quick and brisk ; her demeanour quiet and natural. 284 The Double Game [i. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA At last ! We thought you were lost. [MARIE ANDREEVNA takes off her cloak and cap and a woollen shawl she wears round her neck, and hangs them up in the passage. Then she comes back into the room and sits down L. of ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA, where ROMODIN brings for her a chair. MARIE ANDREEVNA I am late. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA You are tired ? MARIE ANDREEVNA No, not in the least. But I have been busy. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA You 've heard the news, of course. MARIE ANDREEVNA Yes, I heard. I must just go and tidy myself. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Supper will be ready in a moment. [MARIE ANDREEVNA goes out R. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA (to JAMESON) I forgot, you don't know Marie Andreevna. JAMESON No but surely I have seen her before ? ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA (knowingly) In St. Petersburg, most likely. i.] The Double Game 285 JAMESON I believe it was. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA It 's quite likely. She 's from St. Petersburg. She belongs to a very aristocratic family. She 's the daughter, in fact, of a Count Zourov, a member of the Council of Empire. She grew so tired of the frivolous life in St. Petersburg that she ran away and came here. She is going to take a degree in medicine, and they say she 's most capable. Just think ! Only, of course, she does too much. I 'm all for girls working and educating them- selves, but they exaggerate things ! She over- works herself ; and she rushes about from morning till night. SOFIE DIMITREVNA It 's all wrong. It 's the same spirit of rebellion and revolt. We shall all be terribly punished for it some day. [Enter SASHA R., bearing a tray on which are sardines, sprats, and, cold meat. She carries this into the conservatory and then returns. SASHA Supper is quite ready. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Ladies and gentlemen, supper is ready ; please come. \?ke card-players get up. NIELSEN It 's a good thing we stopped, or else Sofie Dimitrevna would have won all our money. 286 The Double Game [i. BLOUM Please go on, Sofie Dimitrevna. DIMITRIEV Vindt makes one hungry. [The card-players go into the conservatory followed by BLOUM. Enter MARIE ANDREEVNA R. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Marie Andreevna, let me introduce Mr. Jameson to you. Harold Frantzovitch Jameson Marie Andreevna Bernova. (MARIE ANDREEVNA bows to JAMESON.) Now come and have supper. MARIE ANDREEVNA Thank you, I 've had supper. RAKINT And so have I. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA (tO JAMESON) You will have supper, won't you ? JAMESON With pleasure. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA (tO ROMODIN) And you, Dimitri Vasilevitch ? ROMODIN I 'm not hungry, thank you ; but I should like a glass of beer. [JAMESON goes into the conservatory followed by ROMODIN and then by ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA. They sit down at the supper- i.] The Double Game 287 table. RAKINT sits down in ELIZAVETA'S place. MARIE ANDREEVNA Who is that Englishman ? RAKINT He is a correspondent for one of the big London newspapers, and has been in Russia a long time. He used to live here last year. He is reactionary ; but on the whole he does us less harm than the Radical correspondents. MARIE ANDREEVNA I think I met him once before in St. Petersburg. RAKINT Was it successful ? MARIE ANDREEVNA This afternoon ? (RAKINT nods.} Yes. And I have got a thousand things to tell you. I am very happy. RAKINT (seeing ROMODIN approach from the conservatory) Not now. [Enter ROMODIN from the conservatory. He goes up to the piano, and takes from off it a box of cigarette cartridges and some tobacco. He puts them on the table C., and sits down at MARIE ANDREEVNA'S left and begins to make cigarettes. He has evidently established himself for good. RAKINT gets up ; he looks at MARIE 288 The Double Game [i. questioningly ; she takes no notice. RO- MODIN begins placidly rolling cigarettes. RAKINT walks out of the room R. ROMODIN I am afraid I have interrupted your conversation. MARIE ANDREEVNA Not at all. ROMODIN I am quite certain of it. And, moreover, I am quite certain that Rakint is annoyed, and that he wanted to speak to you too, and I want to speak to you now. MARIE ANDREEVNA What about ? ROMODIN I am anxious about you. MARIE ANDREEVNA How do you mean anxious ? ROMODIN I think you are going too far. MARIE ANDREEVNA I think we will not discuss that now, if you don't mind. I don't think we agree, I don't think we ever shall agree ; so what is the use of discussing it ? ROMODIN But you must discuss it. After all, I am responsible to a certain degree. i.]. The Double Game 289 MARIE ANDREEVNA For me ? No, not in the least. I am respon- sible to myself, and to no one else. ROMODIN But for me, you would never have left your parents and your friends ; you would never have left St. Petersburg, the brilliant life you led in society there ; you would not have sacrificed every- thing and followed me here. MARIE ANDREEVNA I certainly should have done so. Sooner or later it must have come to that. I have no doubt you did influence me, but surely you know that one cannot influence any one who is not ready to be influenced. One can never learn something which one does not almost know already. You helped me to carry out a plan, but you didn't create the plan for me. It had been simmering in my mind for years. If I had not come across you I should have found somebody else to help me. ROMODIN I know all that. I know that that is true. At the same time, you did come across me. It was I who helped you. I was the instrument, the means of your carrying out your ideas. I am to a certain degree responsible. MARIE ANDREEVNA Well, what if you are ? Why does the responsi- bility weigh more heavily upon you now than it did at the beginning ? 290 The Double Game [i. ROMODIN Because you are changed. During the last two months you have become quite different. At first you were content to work among the people ; to make ready the way ; to try to teach and educate, for teaching and education are what we need more than all things. The light is what they need ' light, more light.' But now I believe you have gone farther. At first you used to be against terrorism, and now I am not sure that you are. MARIE ANDREEVNA I was always a revolutionary. I never believed that anything could be done except by revolutionary means. ROMODIN Oh. I am a revolutionary in that sense. I believe that revolution is the only way ; but I don't believe in these terrorist acts. They retard the cause instead of advancing it. MARIE ANDREEVNA In the first place, how do you know that I am in favour of terrorism ? ROMODIN I know there was a meeting of the Maximalists here this afternoon in this very house, and that you took part in it. MARIE ANDREEVNA Nonsense ! there was no such thing. A few friends came to see me. You have been spying upon me. i.] The Double Game 291 ROMODIN What do you take me for ? Sasha told me that. Nikitin was here. MARIE ANDREEVNA (calmly) Well, even if I do agree with them, what then? There is, after all, little difference between your ideas and theirs. It is entirely a question of degree. ROMODIN We are against terrorism. Don't you see that it is you I care about ? It is against your nature, too. All this is not you ; it is the influence of some one else which is making you untrue to your real self. MARIE ANDREEVNA And under whose influence am I now, pray ? ROMODIN It is Rakint, of course. MARIE ANDREEVNA I am fond of you, I respect and admire you, so you will not mind if I say that this is entirely my own affair, and that you must let me manage my own affairs myself. ROMODIN I know, I know. Please do not misunderstand me. You know I have never asked anything of you. You know that I never shall ask anything of you. You know that I do not wish to interfere with you in any way. At the same time, I cannot help wanting to watch over you and to protect you as 292 The Double Game [i. much as I can. I am older than you are, after all. I think I see certain things more clearly, and I am certain of one thing. . . . Oh, please, don't misunderstand me now. Please don't say that this is jealousy, or anything foolish like that. But I am convinced of one thing, absolutely convinced : Rakint's influence cannot be good for you. MARIE ANDREEVNA You simply happen to dislike him. I have known that all along. ROMODIN Dislike him ! I hate the sight of him. If I saw him dying in the street I would not lift a finger to save him. MARIE ANDREEVNA (laughing) And yet you say you are not jealous. ROMODIN (rising from his chair} There it is ! I knew you would say that. All women are alike; they cannot be fair they cannot look at things objectively and impersonally. Don't you see that this matter is above and beyond all petty feelings like that ? It is not a question of liking or disliking, or jealousy or amour propre. Don't you see that I hate the man because I dis- trust him, because I think there is something funda- mentally wrong and crooked in him ; something rotten, something ambiguous, shifty I don't know what, but I feel it in my blood and in my veins. MARIE ANDREEVNA And I, a woman and women are supposed to i.] The Double Game 293 have far keener instincts and a far more delicate insight than men I, a woman, do not feel all this. On the contrary ROMODIN You really like him. MARIE ANDREEVNA Yes, I really like him. ROMODIN Listen to me. I implore you from the bottom of my heart to give this up before it is too late. You are blind. You do not see what you are doing. You do not see men as they are ; least of all do you see him as he is. MARIE ANDREEVNA I must beg you to be quiet. I will not hear a word against Rakint. What right have you to talk to me like this ? What right have you to say such things ? What do you know against him ? ROMODIN It is true, I know nothing against him. It is only an instinct, a feeling. MARIE ANDREEVNA Then you should keep such instincts to yourself. You talk of women being unfair. Really this is more than unfair. Just because you happen to be jealous of a man, to blacken his character when you have no kind of reason for doing so. ROMODIN (violently} You have no right to say I am jealous. 294 The Double Game [i. MARIE ANDREEVNA For Heaven's sake don't talk so loud ! They can hear us. You have no right to talk to me as you have been talking. I will not listen to another word. Leave me alone. ROMODIN Forgive me. I beg you to listen to me. MARIE ANDREEVNA Not another word. You have disappointed me. I must beg you never to speak to me like that again, and never to mention Rakint's name to me. [She gets up and goes out abruptly R. ELIZA- VETA enters from the conservatory. MARIE walks quickly past her without speaking, ROMODIN rises and begins walking up and down the room. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA What have you been saying to Marie Andreevna ? She has gone to her room in tears. ROMODIN Nothing. We disagreed, that is all. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Politics again, I suppose. (Bell rings.} I find it impossible to discuss politics with you ' Left ' people. You simply will not listen to reason. ROMODIN I was saying the most reasonable things. i.] The Double Game 295 JAMESON (from the conservatory) Elizaveta Ivanovna, please come here, you are wanted. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Immediately. [She gets up and goes into conservatory. Enter RAKINT R. RAKINT Where is Marie Andreevna ? ROMODIN She went to her room a few moments ago. (RAKINT walks towards the door.} Boris Nikolae- vitch ! RAKINT What ? ROMODIN One moment ! I want to ask you something. RAKINT What is it ? [They both sit down at the corner of the table R. ROMODIN I will go straight to the point. I want you to save Marie Andreevna. RAKINT How do you mean save her ? From what ? ROMODIN You know perfectly well what I mean. You know that what has happened to-day is a mere blind. You know that there is something far 296 The Double Game [i. more important on hand, which is to come off shortly. You know she is in it. RAKINT Is she ? ROMODIN Yes, I know she is. And I know you can save her. You are the only person who can save her. RAKINT Pardon me, but how do you know anything about this ? What part do you play, you who are of us and not of us ? Don't you understand that a man must either be of us and with us, heart and soul, or against us ? How is it that you know our plans, and yet when it comes to anything difficult you shirk the task and wash your hands ? I advise you to be careful, my friend, or else people will begin to think you are a spy, and you know what fate will await you then. Some people are be- ginning to suspect it already. But so far I have stood up for you and protected you. But if you interfere with me in any way, I shall cease to do so. Do you understand ? I tell you clearly that if you interfere one jot in our matters, I shall think nothing of crushing you. Do you understand ? ROMODIN I understand you perfectly. [Enter from the conservatory ELIZAVETA IVAN- OVNA. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Has Marie Andreevna gone to bed ? i.] The Double Game 297 ROMODIN I don't know. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA I wanted to see her. (Goes to the door R. and calls) Sasha ! (Enter MARIE ANDREEVNA R.} Ah, here you are ; I was just going to send for you. (Calling) It 's nothing, Sasha. MARIE ANDREEVNA Do you want to speak to me ? ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA A moment. Sit down. [ROMODIN walks into the conservatory. RAKINT goes out R. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA I want to speak to you rather seriously, my dear. I was out all the afternoon taking circulars from place to place for the Committee. When I came back Sasha came to me in a state of great excitement and said, ' Only think what has been happening ! We have had a meeting here.' ' What meeting ? ' I asked. ' Yes,' she said, ' a meeting in the room you lend to Marie Andreevna for her piano-lessons. There were more than a dozen men came to it and several women.' I went into the room and found the whole place full of smoke and the floor littered with cigarette ends. I asked Sasha when they were here, and she said they had been here from half- past three to five. I asked how they had come, and she said they came, all of them, by the back way 298 The Double Game [i. through the kitchen. And that you were there too. What does it all mean ? MARIE ANDREEVNA It is quite true ; there was a meeting here. We have our meetings just as you do. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA I think you ought to have told me. Just think what my husband would say if he heard of it ! MARIE ANDREEVNA Ivan Borisovitch is far more advanced than you are ; but I promise you it shall not occur again. I meant to ask you this morning, but then you went out, and after that I had to go out, so I just missed you. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA You see, if the police found out about it my husband might quite well be sent away from the school. MARIE ANDREEVNA I know. It was very thoughtless of me ; only they treat us so unfairly. You are allowed to have your meetings wherever you like. We are obliged to have them where we can, and constantly to change houses, and even then we are never sure of not being spied upon. After all, why should we not have our meetings just as well as you ? We are a political party ; in other countries we should be treated just the same as any other political party. I know you don't agree with us, but you must admit that we have the right to meet, to i.] The Double Game 299 discuss our political programme, and to elect our representatives, just as much as you or any one else. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA I know, I know. But, after all, you must admit that there is a great difference between us. Your people are revolutionaries. Your people want to take everything by force, at once, and we say you can't do it because we know you can't. All you are doing by your violence is to put everything back. That is what we say, and that is why I am sorry that you should be mixed up with all those people. MARIE ANDREEVNA I utterly disagree with you. Great changes have always been brought about by small minorities, and by people who are ready to sacrifice their lives. Think of Christianity, for instance. [Bell rings. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA The early Christians never resorted to terrorism. MARIE ANDREEVNA None of our people resort to terrorism except when it is absolutely necessary. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA But you are in some way responsible for every terrorist act that happens. MARIE ANDREEVNA Not more responsible than you are. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Well, I can't discuss that now. But I can't 300 The Double Game [i. have meetings in my house. Besides, the way you do it is so foolish. It is dreadfully imprudent for every one to come in by the same door ; to come through the kitchen. They must have been seen by every one. MARIE ANDREEVNA No ; we know where the spies are. There are none in this district at present. [Enter SASH A R. SASH A There is a gentleman wishes to see Boris Nikolae- vitch. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA He 's in his room. Who is it ? SASH A The gentleman who often comes. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Ask him to come in here. (SASHA goes out R.) I suppose it 's Ponov. He always comes late. I '11 tell Boris Nikolaevitch. [Enter SASHA followed by PONOV R. PONOV is thirty-nine years old ; fair with a moustache ; very smooth spoken and amiable, with dreamy eyes ; a colourless personality. He looks as if he had served for years in a Government office. PONOV Good evening, Elizaveta Ivanovna. Is Boris Niko- laevitch in ? i.] The Double Game 301 ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Good evening. Yes, he is in. (To SASHA) Tell Boris Nikolaevitch PONOV I will go to his room. [SASHA goes out R. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA What do you think of the news ? PONOV I thought it would happen. They say he will be quite well in a day or two. How are you getting on with the elections ? ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA As well as can be expected. I have been out all day. PONOV You are the most energetic woman in Moscow. Au revoir. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Au revoir. You know 7 the way ? PONOV Yes, I know the way. [Exit R. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Where were we ? Oh yes, I know. What I wanted to ask you was this : How did you let the members of your party know that they were to come here ? MARIE ANDREEVNA I sent them postcards. 302 The Double Game [i. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA What ! By post ? MARIE ANDREEVNA Yes, why not ? ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Why, my dear child, they must have been read in the post. The police know all about it by now. MARIE ANDREEVNA I don't think so. Of course, I did not put on the postcards ' Come to the meeting,' but the people who got them knew what they meant. Nobody could have guessed what they were really about. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA All you revolutionaries are the same. You spoil everything by your thoughtlessness. You will have it your own way, and you ruin the whole cause. MARIE ANDREEVNA I think you are unfair. Whenever there is a terrorist attempt, you blame us and say it is terrible, and at the same time you take advantage of it. You are secretly pleased when other people throw bombs. You have all the advantage and none of the responsibility. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA On the contrary, we think that all those terrorist acts simply put the clock back for us. MARIE ANDREEVNA If nobody had ever thrown a bomb, where should we be now, I would like to know. i.] The Double Game 303 ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Yes, but now it is different. MARIE ANDREEVNA I think it 's worse than ever. What have you obtained by your peaceful means ? ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA I know we make mistakes, but that is inevitable. But tell me you are a revolutionary, I know, but you are not in any of those Committees ? MARIE ANDREEVNA (simply) I am on the side of the revolution. I have no will of my own. My will is that of my party. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA I beg you to be careful. You are not fit for such things. All that is men's work and not women's. MARIE ANDREEVNA Then why do you have anything to do with politics ? [Enter from the conservatory JAMESON, DIMI- TRIEV, BLOUM, PHILIPOV, NIELSEN, and ROMODIN. DIMITRIEV Will you play another rubber, Sofie Dimitrevna ? SOFIE DIMITREVNA It 's late, isn't it ? ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA No, it 's quite early. 304 The Double Game [i. SOFIE DIMITREVNA Very well then. [The card-players sit down at the card- table. BLOUM (to JAMESON) Let us try the Patience again. JAMESON I '11 race you. {They sit down at the round table. ROMODIN sits down next to MARIE ANDREEVNA. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA We must have some fresh hot water. (She goes into the conservatory and rings. SASHA enters im- mediately after and takes away the samovar. As ELIZAVETA goes she meets RAKINT.) Where is Ponov ? RAKINT He J s gone. He couldn't stay. I should like some tea if I may. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA One moment. RAKINT (strolling up to the piano to ROMODIN) Dimitri Vasilevitch. ROMODIN What ? RAKINT Do you know this tune ? (He plays a tune with onejinger on the piano.} ROMODIN (strolling up to the piano} It 's out of Carmen. i.] The Double Game 305 RAKINT I wanted to tell you that I have been thinking over what you were saying just now about the Woman's Suffrage question and I think you were quite right. [Enter ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA R. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA The samovar will be here in a moment. Just think what has happened, Boris Nikolaevitch ! RAKINT What ? [ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA sits down on the sofa ; RAKINT next to her, on her R. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Sasha's young man is a policeman. When I went into the kitchen just now I found them gossiping. I sent him away, because, although he is quite a decent sort of man, I won't have gossiping going on in my kitchen when she ought to be cooking dinner. Well, just fancy ! She told me as soon as he had gone that he had seen a member of the secret police walking out of the house. ROMODIN Out of this apartment ? ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA He didn't know which apartment he came from, but he couldn't have been from this one, could he ? For nobody has been here, have they, except Kolia ? 306 The Double Game [i. RAKINT No, and Ponov. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Oh, then, it couldn't have been from this apart- ment. It must have been either opposite or from the next floor. But it gave me rather a turn when Sasha told me this, all the same. ROMODIN When was it ? ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Oh, just now, about five or ten minutes ago. CURTAIN END OF ACT I ACT II The same room an hour later. DISCOVERED : MARIE ANDREEVNA, writing at the table. Enter ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA from the con- servatory. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Don't you think you ought to go to bed ? It 's late. MARIE ANDREEVNA I 'm not at all tired, and I 've got some work I must finish. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Well, well, I shall leave you. Will you put out the lamp when you go to bed ? MARIE ANDREEVNA Yes, I will. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA I 'm very tired. I was quite glad when they went away. Sofie Dimitrevna never will leave a subject alone, when it 's over. They got so excited. MARIE ANDREEVNA What about ? ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Oh, about Stiegelbaum again. 307 308 The Double Game [n. MARIE ANDREEVNA She doesn't understand that we think assassination just as terrible as she does. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA It 's all her husband. He is a reactionary through and through. Well, I must go. Good-night, Marie Andreevna. Don't sit up too late. You really need sleep. To-morrow is a holiday, so you needn't get up early. MARIE ANDREEVNA Good-night, Elizaveta Ivanovna. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Good-night, and don't forget the lamp. MARIE ANDREEVNA No, I won't forget. [ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA goes out R. A short pause. Enter RAKINT R. RAKINT Are you there ? MARIE ANDREEVNA Yes. They 've all gone to bed. (RAKINT sits down.} I thought they would never go. And I 've got so much to say, such news. Elizaveta Ivanovna scolded me about the meeting. RAKINT Did she mind ? ii,] The Double Game 309 MARIE ANDREEVNA Not really. She was inwardly pleased, and rather excited about it. But she said I ought to have told her. She says I must not do it again without tell- ing her. RAKINT Wait a moment ; I want to unlock the outer door. MARIE ANDREEVNA Why? RAKINT Ponov is coming back. He said he must see me again this evening. MARIE ANDREEVNA About Stiegelbaum ? RAKINT Yes, among other things ; I knew nothing about it, did you ? MARIE ANDREEVNA Nothing. None of us did. How will he open the front door ? RAKINT He 's got my key. MARIE ANDREEVNA When did he say he would come ? RAKINT Between one and two. It 's past one now. 1 told him to tap at the door here. MARIE ANDREEVNA I will go away before he comes. 310 The Double Game [n. RAKINT Just as you like perhaps it would be better only you will come back afterwards, won't you ? MARIE ANDREEVNA Yes, of course. [RAKINT goes out R. He comes back im- mediately. RAKINT We shall have to shift our quarters. I think I know of a good house. MARIE ANDREEVNA Not yet. You haven't heard my news : what we settled to-day. RAKINT Before we discuss all that, there is something I must tell you. MARIE ANDREEVNA What is it ? RAKINT Well, it 's rather difficult to explain ; only I have been thinking over matters. MARIE ANDREEVNA Well? RAKINT Don't you think it might perhaps be better if you were to go away ? MARIE ANDREEVNA What do you mean ? ii.] The Double Game 311 RAKINT I mean, if you went abroad for a time to Switzerland, say, away from all this business. I 'm thinking of going away. I 'm tired of it. It 's so discouraging, so hopeless, at present. It will all come to nothing. We are not ready. That is the truth. Everything here is unripe unripe in its over-ripeness. We are not ready. Look what happened to-day. They threw a bomb at Stiegel- baum. What was the use ? What would have been the use of it, even if they had killed him ? As it was, everybody took it as the most natural thing in the world. You heard what they all said. It didn't even move them. MARIE ANDREEVNA I don't understand you. What do you mean ? Give up the whole cause ? No, of course not. And now RAKINT I don't mean that. We should work all the same, of course ; only perhaps we should be able to do more abroad than we can do here. They are all so weak here, so childish. Nobody has any strength of mind. They are so hysterical. MARIE ANDREEVNA Then there is all the more reason for our staying here, especially for you, to encourage them. You are not weak. You can inspire them ; and you must. It 's your duty. As for my going, that 's quite impossible. Don't you know what our meeting was about to-day ? 312 The Double Game [n. RAKINT Yes, Vasiliev. MARIE ANDREEVNA Yes. But now it 's all settled. RAKINT What I said just now was not true. That is not the reason why I want to go away. The real reason is different. MARIE ANDREEVNA What is it ? RAKINT Well, I think all this business of brotherhood, of brotherly and sisterly love, is rubbish. You must know what I am going to say to you. You have known it, I am sure, for the last month or longer. I can't endure living like this any longer. Because I can think only of one thing. I think of it day and night without stopping. You know. MARIE ANDREEVNA Yes, I know. RAKINT You despise me for it ? MARIE ANDREEVNA Oh no! RAKINT Then listen. MARIE ANDREEVNA (softly) Not yet. Not to-night. ii.] The Double Game 313 RAKINT Yes, now and to-night. You must hear it. I don't love you as brother. I love you as a man. Tell me you don't hate me for it. Tell me you don't despise me for this for giving way to my natural human feelings. MARIE ANDREEVNA You needn't have spoken. I knew it already. I am almost sorry you said it. It was so wonder- ful as it was. But if you hadn't said it, I think that I should. RAKINT Then it is true. And you do love me. MARIE ANDREEVNA Yes. I loved you long before I met you here. I saw you once before ; but you didn't see me. It was in October, two years ago, just after the Manifesto. I was here in Moscow staying with my cousins. The day of Bauman's funeral the doctor, you know. I didn't know it was going to happen. I was in the streets by chance. I saw the crowd and I waited. Then in the distance I heard the men singing the funeral march, quite softly. I heard the words, ' You fell with the brave.' And they all marched by, hundreds of them, students, doctors, schoolboys, professors, the whole of the professional class, with their red flags, every- thing so everyday-looking, without any pomp or ceremony, except for the flags and the singing. The singing was so sad, and yet there was some- thing obstinate about it. And the man who was 3 14 The Double Game [n. being taken to his grave by those thousands of people was quite unknown. Then I suddenly understood. I realised the meaning of the revolu- tion : the reason why so many men and women had sacrificed all they had friends, love, and life. The reason they had killed, and thrown bombs, and endured everything. I understood that this unknown doctor was a symbol. He was anonymous, and yet he stood for the whole of Russia the whole of suffering, thinking Russia. I thought no king or hero had ever had such a wonderful funeral procession as this doctor. Those thousands of shabby students and middle- class men in their everyday clothes were more impressive than any amount of regiments and cere- mony. And the funeral march ! It was scarcely sung just spoken, almost whispered, quite simply and naturally and yet, how tremendous ! And I understood that although this generation might be crushed, the cause would never die. It would live again. They had opened a window which nothing could shut. While I was thinking this, I saw a man walking in the crowd. He was shabbily dressed ; he looked sad and tired. I caught sight of the light in his eyes, and there was some- thing in them like the tune of the funeral march. In that man's eyes I saw the whole revolution. It was you, Boris. From that moment I loved you. Then I met you here a year afterwards, and I understood that what I had guessed was true. RAKINT (rising in great agitation) Oh, stop ! don't ! Be quiet. I can't bear it. ii.] The Double Game 315 I can't bear to hear you speak of me like that. You mustn't think of me like that. (He sits down.} Listen to me. I am going to tell you something. I am going to tell you something which is very difficult for me to say but you must try and understand. (Pause.} When I was a boy MARIE ANDREEVNA Hush ! I heard a knock. RAKINT (Listening) Yes, it 's Ponov. I will go and open the door. MARIE ANDREEVNA (rising) As soon as he is gone, tap at my door gently. RAKINT Yes. [They both go out R. A short pause. Then PONOV and RAKINT come back and sit down at the table. RAKINT looks in at the conservatory and in the sitting- room L. C. PONOV Can we talk here, or shall we go into your room ? RAKINT No, no, here. My room is next door to Ro- modin's, and the walls are thin. Here nobody can overhear us. Have you found out about the Stiegelbaum affair ? PONOV Yes. It was not planned by any of the organi- 316 The Double Game [n. sations. A stray student must have done it entirely by himself. RAKINT He was disguised as a policeman. PONOV No, not as a policeman, but as a naval officer. By an extraordinary chance there happened to be a naval officer staying at the Hotel Dresden to-day with an English correspondent. RAKINT Jameson ? PONOV Yes, Jameson. So nobody paid any attention when they saw a naval officer and the curious thing is that the two men happened to be very much alike walking up and down in front of Stiegelbaum's house. RAKINT Do they know his name ? PONOV His name was Miiller. He had absolutely nothing to do with any of the parties, either with your St. Petersburg branch, or with any of the Moscow organisations. We knew nothing of him. The matter was entirely unexpected. RAKINT But won't it make a great difference to them ? PONOV No. That is what I want to speak to you about. ii.] The Double Game 317 The matter is urgent. The plot to kill Vasiliev was arranged to come off on Thursday ; but this afternoon there was a meeting here in this house, and we know by the steps which were taken that they have settled to do it to-morrow. The Exe- cutive Committee met in another place about two hours' ago. We are certain that they must have confirmed the decision. I suppose they think a blow struck now, immediately, will be unexpected. He is to go to the Cathedral to-morrow at eleven for the service. We will manage to let them know that there is to be no alteration in his plans. They will have everything ready. RAKINT But who is to do it ? PONOV That we don't know. We can't tell. We couldn't get anybody into the meetings. The lots were probably drawn by the Executive. We only know that all preparations have been made, and that no change has been ordered ; because, if it had, they would have taken steps immediately to let their people know. As to who the person or persons will be, that is exactly what you must find out for us before nine o'clock, if possible. That girl who calls herself Bernova Zourov's daughter she 's in it that branch. You must find out from her who is to do it, and exactly who the accomplices are to be. This will be easy since you have already got so much valuable information out of her. 318 The Double Game [n. RAKINT (getting up to conceal his agitation) Yes ; I shall be able to find out from her. PONOV And, you know, if we take them in time, and she is deeply implicated, we can manage to get her out of the country to Switzerland. We don't want the scandal of her arrest or imprisonment Zourov's daughter you understand the fuss it would make. RAKINT (turning his back to PONOV and lighting a cigarette] Quite. PONOV Only, of course, if we are too late and she takes part in anything, it would be impossible not to arrest her. You see, the plan is to capture the whole lot before the affair is to come off. We don't want to risk a bomb being thrown. Where shall we meet for you to let me know ? RAKINT (sitting down) I will come to your place to-morrow at half-past nine, if that 's not too late. PONOV Bernova is sure to tell you, isn't she ? RAKINT Oh yes. Quite sure ! PONOV What 's the matter with you ? RAKINT With me ? Nothing. Why ? ii.] The Double Game 319 PONOV You 're not looking well. RAKINT I am tired. (Nervously) And then I think we are all of us dancing round in a vicious circle. PONOV What do you mean ? RAKINT (nervously) What we are doing, and what the revolutionaries are doing, is ridiculous. We are all of us playing blindly the same silly game. It is entirely a matter of chance, on which side the player is. I believe the thirst for risk and excitement is at the bottom of it all in fact, hysteria. Life is so monotonous that we have to enliven it with dynamite. PONOV (laughing) You are talking like a professor no, like a student. I should keep that kind of sentiment for your ' works.' RAKINT You may laugh if you like, but I confess I am sick of the whole business. It 's so futile. PONOV I believe you 've been converted. RAKINT (laughing speaking excitedly and nervously} Oh no ! Not yet ! I remember years ago, when I was young : it was different then. After the Lebedev business. In those days we believed 320 The Double Game [n. that there was a difference between one side and the other. We believed in our side with a vengeance ! Before the Lebedev affair we were all ardent revolutionaries. We believed in regeneration by anarchy, and all the rest of it. Then came the crash. We discovered the whole business was being run by an intriguer for his own personal advantage. And this intriguer was a refrigerated fiend. He terrorised one of our com- rades into suicide, betrayed every one, and made off with the funds ! The scales fell from our eyes, and the whole network of lies, exploitation, and crime was revealed to us. How the gang had been duped, how girls had been lured from their homes and seduced, and all in the name However, you know all that. Then I went over to the other camp, and I believed in that. I was filled with another enthusiasm. I felt I could do anything. I was ready to devote my life to the other cause ; to fight the revolutionaries, to unmask them, to revenge their victims (laughing) to save the country ! PONOV Well and now ? RAKINT You don't suppose I have got any illusions left as to the nature of our business ? PONOV No, I don't. But I should have thought that you derived a certain satisfaction from success. There is only one thing that matters in life. The whole world is divided into two parts, the slave- ii.] The Double Game 321 drivers and the slaves ; or, if you like to call them by another name, Capital and Labour. The thing is to be in the first class and not in the second. That is the only thing in the world that matters. To be the person who is on the top, and not the person who is down below. And you are not among the slaves. (Smiling ironically} You are at the top of your profession. RAKINT Have you ever read Dante ? PONOV Yes, that 's to say, no bits of it like everybody. RAKINT You remember who had the place of honour in the lowest circle of the Inferno, in the jaws of Lucifer ? Brutus and Judas. They are the men who are at the top of our profession but we, what is our place ? PONOV That 's literature nonsense. That is to say even then Dante is biassed. I should like to have Judas's version of the case. There may be something to be said from his point of view ; and the other disciples behaved even worse than he did. Both sides are always right and wrong. If we were on the other side we should be with the assassins, that 's all. We 're no worse than they are. RAKINT I know all that. It 's all very well to say that, if you look at things from the proper height and 322 The Double Game [n. distance, there's no difference between black and white. But I can't. In spite of myself, black still seems to me black, and white, white ! PONOV If it is, what do I care ? Not a straw. You said yourself the scales fell from your eyes about the revolutionaries, years ago. RAKINT Yes, then ; but now they 're different. PONOV Ten times stupider, that 's all. RAKINT (savagely} What do I care about the revolution or the government ? I tell you I 'm sick of the whole thing. I 've had enough of it. PONOV What is the matter with you ? RAKINT I 'm tired, I 'm ill. I 'm tired of Moscow, tired of Russia tired of life. PONOV I believe you are in love. RAKINT (vehemently} Nonsense ! (Abruptly changing his tone smiling) I 'm middle-aged, that 's all, and I haven't slept lately. PONOV By the way, apropos of Bernova ii;] The Double Game 323 RAKINT What? PONOV I forgot to tell you. RAKINT Well, what ? PONOV I heard rather a curious thing about her. RAKINT What ? PONOV That she has become one of us. They think she has sent us some information about the re- volutionaries anonymously. RAKINT That 's a lie ! PONOV Ah ! (Pause) Well (getting up) I must go. To-morrow at 9.30. And you will have that list of names ? RAKINT Yes, of course. PONOV But in your present state of nerves you might be liable to make a mistake. So I think I shall or- ganise a little search party to-night. We may get some information. RAKINT I don't know what you mean. Do what you like. 324 The Double Game [n. I shall have the names for you to-morrow in any case. PONOV Very well ; 9.30 to-morrow. Good-night. RAKINT Yes, at 9.30. This way. [He leads PONOV out R. He returns again presently with MARIE ANDREEVNA. They sit down at the table. RAKINT I am sorry to have kept you waiting so long. MARIE ANDREEVNA I had plenty of things to do. Did he tell you anything interesting ? RAKINT Nothing that we didn't know already. MARIE ANDREEVNA Now I have something to tell you. RAKINT Yes? MARIE ANDREEVNA You know what was settled at the meeting ? RAKINT The Vasiliev affair ? MARIE ANDREEVNA Yes. Instead of coming off on Thursday, it 's to happen to-morrow morning. To-morrow morn- ing at eleven. ii.] The Double Game 325 RAKINT And who is to do it ? MARIE ANDREEVNA There are to be two of us. The lots are to be drawn by the Executive Committee to-night. I shall not hear the result till to-morrow. Michael will come here and tell me before breakfast. And then one of the chosen persons will meet a cab opposite the Art Theatre driven by Vasov, dis- guised as an Ivoshchik, and he or she will drive to the Polish church. Opposite the railings there, Nikitin, who has made the bombs, will be waiting, disguised as a porter, and hand a bomb in a parcel to whoever is in the carriage. Then they will drive about till the time comes, when they will intercept Vasiliev's carriage on the Twerskaia, opposite the Gramophone Company. The same business will be done by a second person, who will also be supplied with a bomb, and wait for Vasiliev at the bottom of the street, in case the first bomb should be a failure. RAKINT And might you be chosen ? MARIE ANDREEVNA My name will be amongst the others. RAKINT And who are the others I MARIE ANDREEVNA Besides Nikitin and Astrov, who are to be dis- guised as porters, there are nine of us Treich, 326 The Double Game [n. Schmidt, Abramov, Korisnietski, Egorov, Marousia, Xenia, Zhitov, and myself. RAKINT Is it true that you love me ? MARIE ANDREEVNA You know it 's true. RAKINT Yes. But perhaps it is only the cause that you love ? MARIE ANDREEVNA No, it 's more than that. I love you because you are the cause ; but I love you still more because you are you. RAKINT And if I gave it up ? MARIE ANDREEVNA It would make no difference to me now. I love you for what you are. I love you because you are you. Nothing that you did could make any difference to me now. RAKINT Supposing I betrayed the cause ? MARIE ANDREEVNA You couldn't do that. That wouldn't be you. RAKINT But supposing I did. MARIE ANDREEVNA You might just as well say : suppose that you ii,] The Double Game 327 were some one else. You are not. You wouldn't be you if you betrayed the cause. You couldn't betray the cause, because if you could I never should have loved you. RAKINT Do you love me enough to make a great sacrifice for me ? MARIE ANDREEVNA There is no sacrifice in the world I would not make for you. RAKINT Would you give up all this business and go away to Switzerland with me at once to-morrow ? MARIE ANDREEVNA Not to-morrow. I must wait till this business is over. It would be impossible to go away before, wouldn't it ? You wouldn't want me to. You couldn't. You would hate me for doing it, and I should hate you as soon as it was done. RAKINT But after to-morrow ? MARIE ANDREEVNA Until to-morrow is past my life does not belong to me. But after to-morrow RAKINT You would give up the whole thing ? MARIE ANDREEVNA Yes, I think I might, if you wanted it very much. 328 The Double Game [n. RAKINT Yes, I do want it very much, but I want more a still greater sacrifice. I want you to give it up now, at once, and for ever, not to take part in to-morrow's business. MARIE ANDREEVNA You want me to run away from the danger ? RAKINT Yes, that is what I want. Because now it is all different. MARIE ANDREEVNA Supposing your branch had determined on an attempt, just like ours has, and I asked you to give up the whole business the day before the critical act would you ? I know you wouldn't. You believe in the cause, don't you ? RAKINT No. I no longer believe in it. I believe in you. That is all I believe in. I love you and you love me. What does anything else in the world matter ? This is real, and it is so great, that everything else beside it is nothing. The cause is nothing to me. It all seems to me unreal and dead. I 've done with it. It was a dream. Now I am awake. Don't speak to me of cowardice, of abandoning one's post, and the rest of it. You know that that is all prejudice and convention. You know perfectly well that it needs far more courage to give up than to go on. We should have the whole world against us ; we should be branded as rene- ii.] The Double Game 329 gades and cowards ; we should be hunted and probably killed ; we should lose everything ; but what we would gain would be inestimable. Then we should be together and invincible. MARIE ANDREEVNA This is sheer delirium. You don't mean what you are saying. It 's not true. You are giving way to your nerves. RAKINT It is true. I want there to be absolute truth between us, and not the shadow of anything false. MARIE ANDREEVNA If you were in your right mind you would see that it 's impossible. RAKINT That is not you speaking. It is not the you that was speaking just now. It is the voice of prejudice. I don't believe it. You are not like that. Of course, it would be a sacrifice. It is the greatest sacrifice you could make. That is why I ask it of you. If you consent to make this sacrifice for me, I will make a still greater sacrifice for you. MARIE ANDREEVNA What ? I don't understand. RAKINT If you give up this business it will be the greatest proof of love a woman has ever given a man ; and I, in my turn, will make you the greatest sacrifice a man has ever made a woman. 330 The Double Game [n. MARIE ANDREEVNA You mean, it would be greater sacrifice for you to give up the cause than for me ? RAKINT Oh no ! I was not thinking of that. It would be no sacrifice at all for me to give up the cause. I have given it up already. I hate it. I disbelieve in it, and I laugh at it. It is a far greater sacrifice than that. MARIE ANDREEVNA What is it ? RAKINT (speaking with hesitation and difficulty) It 's difficult to explain. You see, I understood from what you said just now that I that you have got wrong ideas about me. That is to say, you think I am (he -pauses} well, you credit me with all sorts of ideals with your ideals. You judge me how shall I say by too high a standard not, of course, my love for you I don't mean that. But you seem to think I have your strength, your faith, your virtues, all sorts of things which you have got and I haven't. There is something else. (He pauses.} There are things many things all kinds of things, in my life you don't know. If you knew them you would hate them abomi- nate them. I mean, things which you wouldn't, you couldn't, forgive. (Talking faster and more fluently.} Now, if you will make this sacrifice for me I shall know that your love is great enough for me to make my sacrifice. Do you see ? And my sacrifice is well, I will strip my soul to you ii.] The Double Game 331 bare and naked as it will be at the Day of Judg- ment. You shall see me as I really am. And I swear that a greater sacrifice will never have been made. MARIE ANDREEVNA That is madness. What do I care what you have done ? You don't understand. Once and for all I love you, because you are you. There is nothing you can have done there can be nothing in your soul which I couldn't forgive. Forgive is the wrong word there would be no question of for- giveness. The worse it was, the deeper my under- standing and sympathy would be. It would simply increase my love for you. But nothing you can say or do can alter what has got to be. I didn't tell you all just now. To-morrow's business is quite settled. I meant to tell you at once, but then it all came differently. RAKINT What do you mean ? MARIE ANDREEVNA The lots were drawn this afternoon. That is what I was longing to tell you when I came in this evening. But then all this happened. RAKINT (looking at her and understanding) It 's not you ? MARIE ANDREEVNA Yes. My name came first. I am to throw the first bomb. Now you see why it is impossible. 332 The Double Game [n. RAKINT No a thousand times no. I ask you more than ever to make this sacrifice now. MARIE ANDREEVNA Oh ! what is the use of this discussion ? You know it 's impossible. RAKINT Then I will ask you something else, which you cannot refuse let me take your place. I know your people. I know the man who is to drive you disguised. I know Nikitin who has made the bombs. We have been in an affair together before. We can say you are ill. Let me do this instead of you. You can't refuse me that. MARIE ANDREEVNA Would you do the same for me if you were in my position ? RAKINT No. But that 's quite different. MARIE ANDREEVNA I can't. RAKINT I implore you, if you love me, to do this. It will make absolutely no difference to the cause ; but what a difference to me. MARIE ANDREEVNA What is the difference ? It means the end of our life in any case. ii.] The Double Game 333 RAKINT Your life is precious, but mine is useless. I am finished. Let me take your place. You cannot think what a useful deed you will be doing. At last I shall be happy. You can't refuse. MARIE ANDREEVNA I couldn't do it. RAKINT Then you don't love me. That is to say, you put what you call your duty or your honour, or whatever you like to call it, first. You can't sacrifice your pride. MARIE ANDREEVNA Not my pride, but my soul. RAKINT It 's not your soul you are saving by doing this, but mine that you are damning. MARIE ANDREEVNA I cannot see why. RAKINT Because I tell you that it is so. If you refuse me this thing I am lost. MARIE ANDREEVNA I am trying, but I can't understand. RAKINT And I can't explain. I ask you to do this for me. 334 The Double Game [n. MARIE ANDREEVNA I must do my work, and you must go on with yours that is to say, with our work. RAKINT Our work ! Don't you understand, I disbelieve in the whole thing ? MARIE ANDREEVNA Your faith will come back. RAKINT Never. MARIE ANDREEVNA I can't. Don't ask me, because I can't. I couldn't let you do it and then go on living. RAKINT It 's not as if I were asking you to give up the cause. It can only help the cause. You can have no possible reason for refusing. MARIE ANDREEVNA Oh ! what is the use ? You know that 's sophistry. It 's impossible. RAKINT Very well. Not another word. I won't ask you any more. There is nothing more to be said. There is nothing more for us to do except to say good-bye. Marie - (He takes hold of both her hands.} (Dropping her hands) I hear somebody coming. [MARIE gets up. [Enter ROM ODIN carrying a candle. ii.] The Double Game 335 ROMODIN I beg your pardon for interrupting you ; but I Ve got something to say to Boris Nikolaevitch. MARIE ANDREEVNA (rising) I will leave you. ROMODIN I think you had better hear it too. MARIE ANDREEVNA Very well. RAKINT What is it ? ROMODIN (sitting down) You remember what Elizaveta Ivanovna told us this evening about the policeman in the kitchen having seen a member of the secret police go out of the house ? RAKINT (with forced naturalness) Yes. From one of the other apartments. ROMODIN Well, I have been talking to Jensen, who lives on our floor. He says he was in all the evening and that nobody even rang his bell. He says the Biraevs, who live on the second floor, went to St. Petersburg yesterday. RAKINT Well? ROMODIN Well, the only man the policeman could have seen was Ponov. 336 The Double Game [n. RAKINT (with a forced laugh} Ponov how absurd ! Is that all ? You don't mean to Say you think Ponov has got anything to do with the secret police. ROMODIN I don't think anything. But what other ex- planation is there ? RAKINT The policeman is probably a fool. He made a mistake. Perhaps he took one of us for some one else. MARIE ANDREEVNA Yes, that 's it, of course. The policeman made a mistake. ROMODIN But if it 's true, it 's serious. RAKINT You can set your mind at rest about it, I assure you. Don't give the matter a moment's thought, Marie Andreevna. I assure you it was a mistake. MARIE ANDREEVNA I am convinced of it. ROMODIN Possibly, but RAKINT But what ? ROMODIN It 's strange. That 's all. ii.] The Double Game 337 MARIE ANDREEVNA I don't think so. RAKINT We know it wasn't Ponov or any of us. Either the policeman mistook one of us, or possibly Ponov, for some one else, or some one else called at one of the other apartments and went away again. That 's all. MARIE ANDREEVNA Yes. And now I will go to bed. It 's very late. Good-night. ROMODIN One moment ; that 's not all. As I was going up to the Biraevs apartment I just caught sight of a man going down the stairs, who seemed to me very like Ponov. RAKINT It was Ponov. He came to see me again later, about some business which concerns Marie An- dreevna and myself. ROMODIN Oh! MARIE ANDREEVNA You see, it 's nothing. Good-night. Good- night, Boris Nikolaevitch. Please put out the lamp. RAKINT Good-night, Marie Andreevna. I am going to 338 The Double Game [n. bed also. Good-night, Dimitri Vasilevitch. If you go on first I will put out the lamp. [ROMODIN and MARIE ANDREEVNA go out R. RAKINT puts out the light and follows them. The stage is dark for a moment. Then RAKINT comes back holding a candle. He sits down, and is shortly followed by ROMODIN. ROMODIN (sitting down) I thought you would come back. RAKINT I wanted to tell you that I think it most unwise and thoughtless of you to frighten Marie Andreevna like that. ROMODIN I wished her to know what I knew. She can form her own conclusions. RAKINT She is far too sensible to believe in a mare's nest. ROMODIN And yet you blame me for frightening her ? I strongly suspect that her party has got something dangerous on hand ; one would have thought that you couldn't take too many precautions. I daresay the policeman did make a mistake ; but surely it is as well she should know. RAKINT But, good gracious ! you talk as if you admitted the possibility of Ponov being a spy. ii.] The Double Game 339 ROMODIN That would indeed be surprising, wouldn't it ? He is such a great friend of yours. RAKINT Have you anything else to say to me ? ROMODIN Yes ; I want to know whether the revolutionary branch to which Marie Andreevna belongs have settled on definite action, and whether she is to take part in it. RAKINT I am not at liberty to tell you. ROMODIN I insist on knowing. RAKINT I refuse to tell you. ROMODIN Then it will be my duty to warn Marie Andreevna that she is in danger of RAKINT Of what ? ROMODIN Of spies. RAKINT You think Ponov is a spy ? ROMODIN I know. I know more than that. If you want to know who has told me it, I will tell you. It 340 The Double Game [n. is you your face ; your voice and the lying soul that speaks in your eyes. RAKINT You know nothing. ROMODIN I don't believe a word you say. RAKINT Listen to me a moment. There is only one thing that matters, and that is Marie Andreevna. I don't suppose you wish her any harm. ROMODIN Well? RAKINT She is in danger. ROMODIN Ponov has denounced her ? RAKINT No. ROMODIN I don't believe you. RAKINT I repeat to you that she is in danger. ROMODIN I don't believe you. RAKINT Then what is the use of our talking ? ii,] The Double Game 341 ROMODIN You are right. There is no use in our talking. (He draws a revolver.} I think we understand each other. RAKINT You can fire off that pistol if you like ; but re- member, if you do, she is done for. ROMODIN I don't believe you. RAKINT The plot to kill Vasiliev is to come off to-morrow. Marie Andreevna has been chosen to throw the bomb. I can prevent this happening. Nobody else can. If you do nothing and say nothing I can save her. But if you say a word, or interfere in any kind of way, I can't. ROMODIN I don't believe you. RAKINT Don't you understand, you obstinate boy, that I love her ? ROMODIN (putting the revolver on the table} How am I to know that you are speaking the truth ? RAKINT Then shoot and have done with it. 342 The Double Game [n. ROMODIN You are right. I will trust you till to-morrow. It will not be too late for us to settle things then. And you swear to save her ? RAKINT Yes, I swear. But you must not open your lips on the subject. ROMODIN I won't. Then au revoir till to-morrow. [He goes out. RAKINT To-morrow ! CURTAIN END OF ACT II ACT III The sitting-room as in Act 11. DISCOVERED : MARIE ANDREEVNA writing a letter at the table L. Enter SASHA bringing a samovar. She puts it down on the table in the conservatory. MARIE ANDREEVNA Is Elizaveta Ivanovna up yet ? SASHA Not yet. But she told me to bring the samovar. MARIE ANDREEVNA Is Boris Nikolaevitch up ? SASHA He 's got up very early. He 's gone out. MARIE ANDREEVNA Has he been gone long ? SASHA No, only about five minutes. [Exit SASHA R. MARIE ANDREEVNA goes into the conservatory and pours herself out a glass of tea. She comes back and sits down at the table. Enter ROMODIN R. 343 344 The Double Game [m. ROMODIN Good-morning. MARIE ANDREEVNA Good-morning. ROMODIN Has Rakint been here ? MARIE ANDREEVNA No. He 's gone out. ROMODIN Ah! MARIE ANDREEVNA Shall I pour you out some tea ? ROMODIN Please. You look tired. MARIE ANDREEVNA I don't feel tired. (She gets him a glass of tea. They sit down.} ROMODIN I don't want to intrude in your private affairs, but MARIE ANDREEVNA What? ROMODIN I beg and implore you to be careful. MARIE ANDREEVNA I don't understand you. ROMODIN I mean, in view of what I told you last night. in.] The Double Game 345 MARIE ANDREEVNA Do you mean that absurd story about Ponov ? ROMODIN You think it is absurd ? MARIE ANDREEVNA If there were any truth in it, Boris Nikolaevitch would know. He thought it was quite absurd. ROMODIN Are you sure ? MARIE ANDREEVNA Quite sure. ROMODIN Of course, I don't know anything, but I can't help feeling anxious. MARIE ANDREEVNA But I know that there is nothing in it. ROMODIN But supposing there were supposing Ponov is a spy. Wouldn't that be a serious thing for you ? MARIE ANDREEVNA He couldn't be a spy without Boris Nikolaevitch knowing it. ROMODIN Why not ? There have often been cases of men being spies who were never suspected, not even by their best friends. And then, supposing Rakint does know it. 346 The Double Game [HI. MARIE ANDREEVNA He would have told me, of course. ROMODIN Are you sure ? MARIE ANDREEVNA Of course I am. Do you think he would be afraid of frightening me ? ROMODIN I didn't mean that. MARIE ANDREEVNA What did you mean ? ROMODIN Oh ! nothing. I meant do you think you are right in believing so absolutely in his judgment ? MARIE ANDREEVNA Of course, lam right. I trust his judgment more than any one's. ROMODIN You mean, that you love him. MARIE ANDREEVNA (vehemently and angrily) Yes, I do love him. And you know it, and you are jealous. I can't tell you how greatly I despise you for your meanness. ROMODIN Please don't say that. I want you to under- stand. It is true that I envy him how could I help it ? It is not out of meanness, I assure you. MARIE ANDREEVNA But you are always hinting things against him. in.] The Double Game 347 ROMODIN I am sorry ; please don't think that I am mean. (He pauses.) I am very likely going away to-day for some time. Before I go, I want to tell you some- thing. I want you to know that from the very first moment I saw you I loved you. I always knew it was hopeless. I had always meant never to speak of it never to tell you. But now I can't help it. There is nothing in the world I wouldn't do for you. You have been my religion, my God, everything. You have changed the world for me. And you see you are so far above every one else that it is difficult for me to think any one worthy of you. I feel that any one who dares to love you must be unworthy of you. That 's all. We won't speak of it again. Only please tell me that you don't think I am mean, and that you forgive me for any- thing I may have said or done. MARIE ANDREEVNA There is nothing to forgive. You have been a good friend to me. [Enter ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA R. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Good-morning. Ah ! you 've got tea, Marie Andreevna. (To ROMODIN) Have you had yours ? ROMODIN Yes. Thank you. [ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA goes into the conser- vatory^ and pours out a glass of tea ; she comes back and sits down at sofa. 348 The Double Game [m. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA I am surprised at your getting up so early. To- day 's a holiday, and I thought you would take the opportunity of having a real good rest and sleeping till dinner. I am sure you need it. MARIE ANDREEVNA I 'm far too busy. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA You can't surely be busy to-day. [Enter BLOUM R., reading the newspaper. BLOUM Good-morning, everybody. (He sits down at the table.} I 've had my coffee. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA (to MARIE ANDREEVNA) I hope you 're not going to rush about the whole day again. Why not stay at home quietly this morning ? MARIE ANDREEVNA I can't possibly. I 'm fearfully busy. I 've got an appointment in an hour's time. BLOUM (Looking up from the newspaper) They say Stiegelbaum's wound was so slight that he will be able to go out to-day. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA I don't expect he '11 dare to go to the service in the Cathedral this morning. ROMODIN What 's the service for ? in.] The Double Game 349 ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA It 's a memorial service for one of our royal * martyrs.' BLOUM No, you are wrong. They say he is going. It says so here. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA They always say that. ROMODIN They say that Stiegelbaum is a very brave man. BLOUM It 's not he who is so bad, although he is tactless and stupid. It 's the people who surround him Vasiliev, for instance. ROMODIN He 's the head of the police now, isn't he ? BLOUM Yes. Oh ! he 's a real good-for-nothing. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA He 's not normal. He 's a neurasthenic. He is quite out of his mind, and he ought to be shut up in an asylum. [Enter SASHA R. SASH A There 's a gentleman called to see Boris Nikolae- vitch. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Who is it ? SASHA The same gentleman who called last night. 350 The Double Game [m. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Ponov ? SASHA I don't know. The gentleman who called last night. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Well, tell him. SASHA But he 's gone out. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Then tell the gentleman. SASHA I have told him. But he wants to write a letter and leave it. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Then show him in to Boris Nikolaevitch's room. SASHA I 'm doing his room. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Then show him in here. SASHA Very well. [She goes out R. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Ponov always calls at such extraordinary hours either before any one is up, or after every body has gone to bed. BLOUM Naturally. He 's busy all day. in.] The Double Game 351 ROMODIN What is his business ? BLOUM It 's something to do with the post-office. No, I 'm wrong. He 's in some office, though. ROMODIN Government office ? BLOUM No ; business, I think. [Enter SASHA R. SASHA The gentleman sends his compliments, and hopes that you will excuse him. But he hasn't time to stay. He has left a card. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Very well. (To BLOUM) Is there any news ? [SASHA goes out R. BLOUM The whole paper is full of nothing else but the Stiegelbaum affair. He was only slightly wounded in the foot by a piece of the shell. The man who threw the bomb was a student called Miiller. He was only eighteen. Just fancy ! He was dressed as a naval officer. They saw him walking up and down the square all the morning. All the windows were broken in the square. The name of the aide- de-camp was Count Leyden. MARIE ANDREEVNA Oh! 352 The Double Game [m. BLOUM Do you know him ? MARIE ANDREEVNA No, no, I don't know him. BLOUM Quite a young man only twenty-six. [Enter SASHA R. SASHA The hall porter says there 's somebody at the telephone who wants to speak to Marie Andreevna. MARIE ANDREEVNA I will go downstairs. [SASHA goes out R. followed by MARIE ANDREEVNA. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA (to BLOUM) How stupid of you to say that to Marie Andreevna about Leyden. She very likely knew him in St. Petersburg. BLOUM But I thought she 'd given up all her aristocratic relations. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA So she has ; but it 's uncomfortable all the same for her. He was very likely a friend of her family's. BLOUM I 'm sorry the man should be killed if he did nothing. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Oh ! it 's not that I 've any pity for him. in.] The Double Game 353 ROMODIN Why not ? ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA When the wood 's being cut down, the chips fly about. If people go into the Government service, they must take the risk. ROMODIN I hate all that bloodshed. BLOUM You are becoming quite reactionary. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA (sententiously) We all hate the bloodshed. But when one thinks what the Government are responsible for, one can't be expected to grow sentimental over the death of one of the paid, idle aristocrats. It 's disgust for all those kind of people which makes girls like Marie Andreevna leave their homes and go to the people. BLOUM Then why were you annoyed with me for asking her ? ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA Oh ! there are certain things men never under- stand. BLOUM Well, our aristocracy is rotten to the core. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA We haven't got an aristocracy. We 've only got a bureaucratic oligarchy. 354 The Double Game [m. BLOUM It 's past half-past nine. I must go. [He gets up and goes out R. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA (tO BLOUM) Don't be late for dinner to-day. We 've got guests. BLOUM I know, I know. ROMODIN (tO ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA) I suppose you won't be busy to-day ? ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA I 'm not going out, if that 's what you mean ; but I 've got more work than I can finish to do at home. (Enter MARIE ANDREEVNA R.) Well ? Is the telephone working again ? MARIE ANDREEVNA Oh ! yes. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA It was out of order nearly all day yesterday. Well, I must leave you and go to my writing. Dinner at six punctually to-day. We 've got guests. [She goes out R. MARIE ANDREEVNA Has Boris Nikolaevitch come in ? ROMODIN Not that I know of. MARIE ANDREEVNA I want to tell you that I am sorry I was cross in.] The Double Game 355 with you just now. This is probably the last opportunity I shall ever have of talking to you. ROMODIN Why? MARIE ANDREEVNA Well, there 's no reason why I shouldn't tell you now. I belong to the Moscow branch of the Social Revolutionaries. You knew that already, I suppose. Our branch had settled that a bomb was to be thrown at General Vasiliev, the head of the police, this morning, while he was on his way to the service in the Cathedral. I was in it. In fact, I was chosen to throw the bomb. And now, one of our people has just telephoned to me that the plot has been discovered. Nikitin has been arrested and his papers seized. All the rest of us are sure to be arrested, unless they manage to hide, or to get away at once. The police may come for me at any minute. So good-bye ; I am extremely grateful for anything you have done for me. Let us part good friends, and don't think of me unkindly. ROMODIN It 's all my fault. It 's terrible. MARIE ANDREEVNA No, it 's not terrible. There is nothing to regret. I have no regret for the past, no fear for the future. My work 's not over ; on the contrary, it 's only just begun, and I am full of hope. I am very happy. If they arrest me, I may be sent to prison for life. But even in prison there will be work to 356 The Double Game [m. do. If they don't arrest me, and I get away, there will be work for me to do abroad. In any case, I 'm not afraid. If my life could be lived over again, I should act in exactly the same way. I would change nothing. I am infinitely grateful to you for having opened my eyes to the futility of my former life and for having shown me the path of truth. ROMODIN But you mustn't lose a minute. You must leave this house at once and hide. MARIE ANDREEVNA I expect it is too late. Besides, I couldn't go without seeing Boris Nikolaevitch. He ROMODIN One moment. How was the plot found out ? MARIE ANDREEVNA They don't know. Probably somebody's rooms were searched and papers were found she couldn't tell me much on the telephone or else somebody has denounced us. ROMODIN I knew it. MARIE ANDREEVNA What do you mean ? ROMODIN It 's Ponov. MARIE ANDREEVNA No a thousand times no. in.] The Double Game 357 ROMODIN You have been deceived, betrayed, and mocked, and so have I. They have laughed at us. He made me swear to keep silence under the pretext of saving you, and I was fool enough to believe him ; and this is what has happened. MARIE ANDREEVNA But what do you mean ? ROMODIN Rakint, of course. MARIE ANDREEVNA Don't say that again. I forbid it. ROMODIN But it 's true. Don't you see that the man is a spy and a traitor, and that he 's been playing a double game the whole time ? He 's simply made use of your innocence, your enthusiasm, and your infatuation to get twelve people arrested. MARIE ANDREEVNA It 's not true. You don't understand. ROMODIN But I taxed him with it last night, and he as good as admitted it. MARIE ANDREEVNA Do you mean to say that he told you he was a spy? ' ROMODIN No. But he as good as admitted it by the way 358 The Double Game [m. in which he denied it. I mean, I am quite certain of it. MARIE ANDREEVNA You don't understand anything. You are simply blind with jealousy. ROMODIN Then you don't believe it ? MARIE ANDREEVNA Certainly not. ROMODIN But good gracious ! The whole thing is as plain as daylight. That is why Ponov came here twice last night. Simply that Raldnt might find out from you the names of the people. MARIE ANDREEVNA You don't understand. You know nothing. Stop, I tell you. You can't know, you can't understand. You are utterly on the wrong track. I can't explain everything to you. ROMODIN It is you who are blind blind with love for that villain, that scoundrel. MARIE ANDREEVNA (with tears in her eyes) And so are you obstinate, blind, and jealous. Oh ! I hate you and I despise you. Do you hear ? [Enter SASHA R. SASH A There is a gentleman wants to see you, Marie Andreevna. in.] The Double Game 359 MARIE ANDREEVNA Please show him in here. SASHA Very well. [She goes out R. MARIE ANDREEVNA They 've come to arrest me. Good-bye. I didn't want to quarrel with you now ; but it was your fault. [Enter SASHA and COUNT PETER ZOUROV R. COUNT PETER ZOUROV is forty-five years old, but looks older. He has silver-grey hair ; refined-looking ; dressed in a black frock-coat. COUNT ZOUROV How do you do, Mary ? MARIE ANDREEVNA Uncle Peter ! [ROMODIN bows and goes out R. COUNT ZOUROV I arrived yesterday. I am staying at the Hotel Dresden, and last night I happened to meet Jameson there that English reporter. He told me you were living here. I will go straight to the point. I am going to Florence to-night, to the Palmerino. Your aunt is there and your cousins. I want you to come with me. I have got a ticket for you. MARIE ANDREEVNA I can't, Uncle Peter ! 360 The Double Game [m. COUNT ZOUROV It 's all arranged. MARIE ANDREEVNA I couldn't, however much I wanted to ; certain things have happened which have made it im- possible. I shouldn't be allowed to leave Moscow. COUNT ZOUROV I know what you mean. I know what you have done. I don't want to reproach you or to lecture you in any way. I quite understand why you did it, and I don't think it 's your fault. But you can set your mind at rest about all that. I saw Vasiliev yesterday, the head of the police. Perhaps you don't know that the plot against his life has been discovered, and the men who organised it, and the men who so cruelly deceived you, have already been arrested. And I don't mind telling you that the whole thing was a blind and a farce ; half of the men in the plot were in the pay of the police, and their arrest will only be for show. The rest will be let out if they give useful information, which they are certain to do. MARIE ANDREEVNA It 's not true. COUNT ZOUROV You have been the prey and the victim of a gang of unscrupulous scoundrels. I have arranged that if you go abroad now with me, the whole matter will be hushed up ; and I don't expect you will want to take part in this kind of thing again. in.] The Double Game 361 MARIE ANDREEVNA They 've lied to you. It 's not true. COUNT ZOUROV How do you imagine that the plot could have been discovered if some of your own people hadn't told the police ? MARIE ANDREEVNA It 's all a tissue of lies. Of course, the police say that. They have said that over and over again in the past, and it never, was true. COUNT ZOUROV I can prove it to you. [A bell rings. MARIE ANDREEVNA There 's somebody coming. Let us go into the next room. [They go into the sitting-room L. C. Enter RAKINT R. He rings the bell. Enter SASHA. SASHA Did you ring ? RAKINT Yes. Has anybody been here for me this morning ? SASHA Yes. The gentleman who was here yesterday. He left this card. [She gives him a card. The bell rings. 362 The Double Game [m. RAKINT All right. [SASH A goes out R. RAKINT walks up and down the room and smokes a cigarette. Enter PONOV R. PONOV At last ! RAKINT I have just come back from your house. PONOV I started to come here quite early. I thought I would catch you long before you would start to come to me. I was delayed on the way, and I got here just too late. I guessed you had gone to my house. But I couldn't go back immediately as I had to see a man at a quarter to ten, so I tele- phoned from his house to say I would come back here immediately. Did they give you the message ? RAKINT No. I started before it came. PONOV Well, I 've got news for you. The police searched Treich's rooms last night. He 's a student, and they found papers more or less giving the whole of to-day's business away. There were about seven or eight of them in it, Nikitin amongst others. They have all been arrested. RAKINT Oh! in.] The Double Game 363 PONOV They suspect that girl, Marie Andreevna, of being in it, but they found no definite mention of her. And some relation of hers, an important personage, saw Vasiliev yesterday about her. RAKINT Ah ! Who has been arrested ? PONOV I don't know all their names, but they are nearly all students, and there were two women among them. \Enter ROMODIN R. ROMODIN (to RAKINT) Can I speak to you a moment ? RAKINT I will come to your room. PONOV I won't keep you any longer. I am extremely busy, and I must go at once. I only wanted to tell you that the dinner had been postponed. That was all. I have got nothing else to tell you. RAKINT I understand. Au reuoir, then. PONOV Au revoir. [PONOV goes out R. ROMODIN You said you would save her, and you have betrayed her. I was a fool to listen to you for one moment last night. 364 The Double Game [in. RAKINT You 're mistaken. ROMODIN (in great excitement} I 'm not mistaken. [MARIE ANDREEVNA opens the door L. C. She is about to come into the room when she sees RAKINT. She pauses at the door. ROMODIN and RAKINT have got their backs turned to her. They do not see her. She remains spell-bound and listens. ROMODIN (continuing and gesticulating wildly) You swore if I said nothing till to-day you would save her. You said you loved her ! You ! And I believed you ! (He laughs.} Then you went straight to Ponov and denounced them all ! You used Marie Andreevna as a pawn in your double game, your hellish game. Even Judas threw away his thirty pieces ; but you invest yours ! RAKINT (excitedly) I swear you 're mistaken. If you knew the whole truth you would understand. Call me spy, traitor, Judas, as much as you please, but I kept my word. I was doing everything to save her, and we have prevented her arrest. But the un- foreseen happened. It was not we who denounced her : Ponov has just told me that the thing was found out in a student's papers by chance. You can ask him. ni.] The Double Game 365 MARIE ANDREEVNA (to COUNT ZOUROV, who has come to the door L. C.) Uncle Peter (COUNT ZOUROV walks in L. C.) I have changed my mind, Uncle Peter. I will come at once. Will you wait in that room while I get ready? I will not be a moment. COUNT ZOUROV Certainly. [He goes back into the room L. C. MARIE ANDREEVNA goes out R., without looking at RAKINT. RAKINT (to ROMODIN) What have you done ? ROMODIN Don't go on trying to keep up the farce witlTme. You know perfectly well she may be arrested at any moment. RAKINT I swear to you it was the truth. I could have saved her and now it 's too late. [A pistol shot is heard off R. RAKINT Ah! ROMODIN What was that ? (A pause.} [Enter COUNT ZOUROV L. C. COUNT ZOUROV What was that ? It sounded like a pistol shot. 366 The Double Game [m. ROMODIN Yes, it sounded like a pistol shot. COUNT ZOUROV We had better go and see. [COUNT ZOUROV and ROMODIN rush to the door. RAKINT remains and sits down at the table. They are met by ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA God help us ! Marie Andreevna has shot herself. ROMODIN I '11 telephone for the doctor at once. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA (barring the way) No, no. It 's quite useless. In the head. It is all over. [RAKINT and ROMODIN make a movement to the door. ELIZAVETA IVANOVNA No, don't go. You mustn't see her like that. CURTAIN END OF ACT III Printed by T. and A. CONSTABLE, Printers to His Majesty at the Edinburgh University Press This DOCK is DUE on tne last date stamped, below JAN 3 193*i#r Form L-9-15m-7,'32 6003 UC Southern Regional Library Facility A 000 494 534 1 CALIFORNIA