The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson – Swanston Edition. Volume 15

Lawson. Me? Me a suspicion? Ye’re daft, sir; and me the Crown offeecial!.. Eh, man, I’m a’ shakin’ … And sae ye thocht ye kennt him?

Leslie. I did that. And what’s more, I’ve sat every night in case of his return. I promise you, Procurator, he shall not slip me twice. Meanwhile, I’m worried and put out. You understand how such a fancy will upset a man. I’m uneasy with my friends and on bad terms with my own conscience. I keep watching, spying, comparing, putting two and two together, and hunting for resemblances until my head goes round. It’s like a puzzle in a dream. Only yesterday I thought I had him. And who d’you think it was?

Lawson. Wha? Wha was’t? Speak, Mr. Leslie, speak. I’m an auld man: dinna forget that.

Leslie. I name no names. It would be unjust to him; and, upon my word, it was so silly it would be unfair to me. However, here I sit, night after night. I mean him to come back; come back he shall; and I’ll tell you who he was next morning.

Lawson. Let sleeping dogs lie, Mr. Leslie; ye dinna ken what ye micht see. And then, leave him alane, he’ll come nae mair. And sitting up a’ nicht … it’s a factum imprestabile, as we say: a thing impossible to man. Gang ye to your bed, like a guid laddie, and sleep lang and soundly, and bonnie, bonnie dreams to ye! (Without.) Let sleeping dogs lie, and gang ye to your bed.

SCENE III

Leslie (calling). In good time, never fear! (He carefully bolts and chains the door.) The old gentleman seems upset. What for, I wonder? Has he had a masked visitor? Why not? It’s the fashion. Out with the lights. (Blows out the candles. The stage is only lighted by the moon through the window.) He is sure to come one night or other. He must come. Right or wrong, I feel it in the air. Man, but I know you, I know you somewhere. That trick of the shoulders, the hang of the clothes – whose are they? Where have I seen them? And then, that single look of the eye, that one glance about the room as the window opened … it is almost friendly; I have caught it over the glass’s rim! If it should be … his? No, his it is not.

Watchman (without). Past ten o’clock, and a fine moonlight night.

Another (further away). Past ten o’clock, and all’s well.

Leslie. Past ten? Ah, there’s a long night before you and me, watchmen. Heavens, what a trade! But it will be something to laugh over with Mary and … with him! Damn it, the delusion is too strong for me. It’s a thing to be ashamed of. “We Brodies”: how she says it! “We Brodies and our Deacon”: what a pride she takes in it, and how good it sounds to me! “Deacon of his craft, sir, Deacon of the …” (Brodie, masked, appears without at the window, which he proceeds to force.) Ha! I knew he’d come. I was sure of it. (He crouches near and nearer to the window, keeping in the shade.) And I know you too. I swear I know you.

SCENE IV

Brodie, Leslie

Brodie enters by the window with assurance and ease, closes it silently and proceeds to traverse the room. As he moves, Leslie leaps upon and grapples him.

Leslie. Take off that mask!

Brodie. Hands off!

Leslie. Take off that mask!

Brodie. Leave go, by God, leave go!

Leslie. Take it off!

Brodie (overpowered). Leslie…

Leslie. Ah! you know me! (Succeeds in tearing off the mask.) Brodie!

Brodie (in the moonlight). Brodie.

Leslie. You … you, Brodie, you!

Brodie. Brodie, sir, Brodie, as you see.

Leslie. What does it mean? What does it mean? My God! Were you here before? Is this the second time? Are you a thief, man? are you a thief? Speak, speak, or I’ll kill you.

Brodie. I am a thief.

Leslie. And my friend, my own friend, and … Mary, Mary!.. Deacon, Deacon, for God’s sake, no!

Brodie. God help me!

Leslie. “We Brodies! We Brodies!”

Brodie. Leslie —

Leslie. Stand off! Don’t touch me! You’re a thief!

Brodie. Leslie, Leslie —

Leslie. A thief’s sister! Why are you here? why are you here? Tell me! Why do you not speak? Man, I know you of old. Are you Brodie, and have nothing to say?

Brodie. To say? Not much – God help me! – and commonplace, commonplace like sin. I was honest once; I made a false step; I couldn’t retrace it; and … that is all.

Leslie. You have forgot the bad companions!

Brodie. I did forget them. They were there.

Leslie. Commonplace! Commonplace! Do you speak to me, do you reason with me, do you make excuses? You – a man found out, shamed, a liar, a thief – a man that’s killed me, killed this heart in my body; and you speak! What am I to do? I hold your life in my hand; have you thought of that? What am I to do?

Brodie. Do what you please; you have me trapped. (Jean Watt is heard singing without two bars of “Wanderin’ Willie,” by way of signal.)

Leslie. What is that?

Brodie. A signal.

Leslie. What does it mean?

Brodie. Danger to me: there is some one coming.

Leslie. Danger to you?

Brodie. Some one is coming. What are you going to do with me? (A knock at the door.)

Leslie (after a pause). Sit down. (Knocking.)

Brodie. What are you going to do with me?

Leslie. Sit down. (Brodie sits in darkest part of stage. Leslie opens door and admits Lawson. Door open till end of Act.)

SCENE V

Brodie, Lawson, Leslie

Lawson. This is an unco’ time to come to your door; but eh, laddie, I couldna bear to think o’ ye sittin’ yer lane in the dark.

Leslie. It was very good of you.