The Complete Plays of J. M. Barrie - 30 Titles in One Edition. Джеймс Барри

—

      (A woman is heard singing in the distance. They are so busy over their game that it goes on for some little time before they hear it.’)

      What is that? (RISING, TAKES UP HIS HAT AND PUTS IT ON.)

      MICAH. It’s some woman singing in the wood.

      GAVIN (STERNLY). At this hour!

      (rob calls micah in distance.)

      That is your father calling you, Micah — run!

      (MICAH RUNS UP ON ROCKS, LOOKS OFF DOWN CUT.)

      MICAH. I see her — she’s dancing!

      GAVIN. The wanton!

      MICAH. She’s an Egyptian!

      GAVIN. A gipsy! Go!

      (Exit micah scared, gavin stands down awaiting the gipsy. The singing grows louder and babbie enters singing and dancing in wild joyousness. She is dressed as a gipsy with bare feet, etc. He stands, transfixed with indignation, as she enters without seeing him. He extends his arm and cries: ‘Woman!’ She stops abruptly. He cries: ‘Woman, stand forward!’ She flings him a kiss and dances off as she had come on. She turns before she disappears to beckon to him mockingly. He cries: ‘Woman! ‘furiously, and exits in pursuit of her cruickshanks comes stealing on and has begun to ascend tree, when babbie runs on.)

      BABBIE (to cruickshanks by tree). Are you a Thrums man? — quick, before the Minister comes back.

      CRUICKSHANKS. You — you — (Comes down, staring at HER IN AMAZEMENT.) Behears! It’s her little leddyship!

      BABBIE (DISTRESSED). No, no — I am a gipsy.

      CRUICKSHANKS (TRIUMPHANT). It winna do — I ken you. You ‘re Lord Rintoul’s daughter, the Lady Barbara — and in an Egyptian’s clothes! (REPROVINGLY) Your leddyship, does your father ken o’ this?

      BABBIE. How did you know me? I was never in Thrums before.

      CRUICKSHANKS. I’m the only man here that ever saw you. I was mole-catching at Rintoul at the time.

      BABBIE. Don’t tell anyone!

      CRUICKSHANKS (HEAVILY). It may be my solemn duty.

      BABBIE. When I have done it to save you! To let Thrums know that the soldiers are coming tonight!

      CRUICKSHANKS (aghast). The night! (Steps back and looks off-)

      BABBIE. I heard Captain Halliwell and my father discussing it.

      CRUICKSHANKS. YOU came here to warn us?

      BABBIE. I don’t quite know what it was that brought me here. Just the fun of outwitting them — or to save the poor weavers — or merely the call of the moon. Did the moon never tap on your window and cry, ‘Come out, Mr. Mole-catcher?’ cruickshanks. Never!

      BABBIE. ‘Come out and be mad.’ It does on mine. So I slipped into these and came. Stole away! We have danced together through the woods.

      CRUICKSHANKS. Together! There was someone wi’ you?

      BABBIE. The moon and I. Did I tell you we were mad? We danced, danced, danced. (SHE DANCES ACROSS STAGE.)

      (cruickshanks follows her. Four Soldiers cross at back.)

      CRUICKSHANKS (going down to her — aghast). The sojers!

      (They crouch down behind bush. At exit of Soldiers, babbie rises, cruickshanks cautiously comes from behind bush.)

      BABBIE. We can’t get into the town now — they are between us and it. This is what they are to do. They are to surround the town quietly before the constables march into it. How far is it from here to the nearest houses of the town?

      CRUICKSHANKS. Not a minute.

      BABBIE. A minute! And yet we can’t reach them. Quick, is there no way of alarming the people?

      CRUICKSHANKS. The horn! (LIFTS IT.) We were to blow three blasts on this horn if we saw the red-coats.

      BABBIE. Then blow — blow!

      CRUICKSHANKS. Canny, your leddyship, canny. If I were to blow, it might gie the town a chance, but the sojers would come back and nab ME. No, no, I’m off! (FLINGS DOWN HORN.)

      BABBIE. Where to?

      CRUICKSHANKS. Out o’ this countryside. I’m a single man, and wherever there’s moles to catch, that’s hame to me.

      BABBIE. You would run away!

      CRUICKSHANKS. Ay, and quick. But I’ll keep your secret — for you’ve done a glorious thing this night — you’ve saved Joe Cruickshanks! (EXITS QUICKLY.)

      BABBIE. Coward, coward!

      (Lifts horn and tries to blow it — calls after him: ‘I can’t blow it. Coward!’ She utters ejaculation of despair, gavin’s voice is heard calling ‘Woman!’)

      He will do! (Without looking round she sinks to the ground concealing horn, and covering her face with her hands pretends to cry.) Oh! Oh! Oh!

      GAVIN (entering). Woman! Woman! (Crosses down to her. He is rather breathless.) How dared you mock me!

      BABBIE. Oh! Oh! Oh!

      GAVIN (a little less sternly). What is your name?

      BABBIE (as if terrified). Babbie.

      (She speaks Scotch for the remainder of this scene with gavin, though she had spoken English to cruickshanks.)

      GAVIN. Babbie? Babbie what?

      BABBIE. Just Babbie. I’m no married yet!

      GAVIN. Take care. Stand up.

      (She jumps up hurriedly, affecting terror, but still with hands over face. The horn is left at her feet.)

      Uncover your face.

      BABBIE.! DAURNA. It’s so UGLY.

      GAVIN. What difference, think you, does that make to a minister?

      (babbie suddenly drops her hands and pushes out her head so that her face is close to his. Pause, in which he stares at her in admiration.)

      BABBIE (demurely). I’m glad you like it. (Turns away.)

      GAVIN (recoiling). I never said —

      BABBIE. But what difference does that make to a minister?

      GAVIN (STERNLY). Oh!

      BABBIE (sinks down again in distress). Oh! Oh! Oh!

      (gavin looks at her in doubt as to whether her grief is genuine. He seems to be melting when she peeps at him roguishly through her fingers.)

      GAVIN. I have sworn to drive all gipsies from these parts. This town is hot against them and with reason. Begone to your associates, and tell them that from me.

      BABBIE (WEEPING). I wish I could but I’ve lost them. I’ve been out telling fortunes — (RISES AND TURNS TO HIM.) Tell your fortune, pretty gentleman?

      GAVIN (STAMPING). Certainly not!

      BABBIE. Oh! (CROSSES TO TREE TRUNK AND SITS.) He’s angry again! Oh! Oh! Oh!

      GAVIN (AFTER PAUSE — MORE GENTLY). Come, come, you ARE an odd girl — don’t cry. Are you crying?

      BABBIE (TEARFULLY). When you speak to me — (SNIFF) — so kindly — (SMILING) — I could near kiss you.

      GAVIN (in a low voice, after looking hurriedly about him). What did you say?

      BABBIE. I said — Oh, if I could only blow on the horn!

      GAVIN. What horn?

      BABBIE. This horn. (PICKING IT UP.) I so often lose my way, they gave me this horn to blaw on, so that they could hear and come for me. But I canna blaw it. (CRYING.)

      GAVIN. Do you think your friends are in the wood?