by Unknown
MICAH. You did!
GAVIN. Once, Rob, when I was a boy I went fishing — on the Sabbath day!
DOW. The trout aye bite better on the Sabbath. It’s queer. God’s critters tempting decent men.
GAVIN. I used to draw comic pictures in my school-books. I am afraid I liked to be thought funny. (Sighing.) But it has all gone, Rob. The cares of a congregation soon take the nonsense out of one.
(micah lies down on rock.) I suppose it is as well.
DOW (sorry for him). No, it’s a shame. We ‘re a hard, dour set for a man of twenty-one to be put in charge o’.
GAVIN. Hard, dour, perhaps. But so needy, you are hanging on to existence by the teeth. When I see you all on the Sabbath in your poor worn blacks, that to the grand world might be an object of mirth, but that I know to be possible to you only because of your struggle to enter God’s house respectably, then I — I love my congregation, Rob. The men’s battered old lum hats, so hard to come by, take on a radiance to me and are about the best thing I know.
DOW. I wish I saw you married, Mr. Dishart.
GAVIN. Who would have me, Rob?
DOW (grandly). There’s not a lady in the land that wouldna be proud to be Mistress Gavin Dishart. (Fiercely) Did any woman ever refuse you?
(gavin shakes his head.) I would like to see her try it!
MICAH. So would I!
GAVIN (smiling). I must take you both with me when I go a-wooing!
DOW. Every member of the congregation would like to go wi’ you! Ay, that’s another shame. We canna leave you to yourself, and here am I as bad as the rest. Come away, Micah. Good night, Mr. Dishart.
GAVIN. Good night, Rob.
(Exit dow micah, following him a few steps, comes back.)
MICAH (sitting on ground by him). Mr. Dishart, how did you play at bools?
GAVIN. I remember we made a ring on the ground in this way (Turns round on his heel), and then we went down like this.
(Kneels.) Micah, swear you’ll never tell my elders that you saw me playing marbles.
(They play in dumb show, without marbles.)
MICAH. I swear!
GAVIN. Well, you take the marble so, and flick it —
(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 r
oguishly 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?
BABBIE. I ken my father’s in the wood and my — my sweetheart! (MAKES FACE ASIDE.) But they little think I am here!
GAVIN. Then I shall blow it for you.
BABBIE (DOUBTFULLY). But could you?
GAVIN (INDIGNANTLY). Could I! Give it me.
(She does so, and he blows loudly on the horn. Then turns proudly to her.)
There!
BABBIE. It was grandly done.
GAVIN. I wonder if they heard?
BABBIE (TAKING A SIDE GLANCE AT THE TOWN). I wonder! I dinna suppose you could blaw louder. It needs a strong man to blaw a lusty blast.
GAVIN (INDIGNANTLY).! AM a strong man.
(Blows a long blast and, to the concealed delight of babbie, lights appear.)
They must have heard that.
BABBIE. Again!
GAVIN. That must suffice.
BABBIE. I see the blowing tires you.
GAVIN. Tires me!
(He blows again. One or two other lights go in. Moving lights are seen. A drum is heard, gavin listens in surprise, but does not look round.)
The town drum —
(Distant shouts from town commence.)
at this hour — very odd!
(babbie taps him demurely on shoulder and points to the town where about eight lights altogether are now visible. He looks and is astounded.) I can’t understand it. Did you hear that? (LOOKS DOWN AT THE TOWN — AND IS ASTOUNDED.) Crowds of people are gathering in the square. (HE COMES DOWN A STEP.) What can it mean?
BABBIE (FOLLOWING HIM A STEP). It means that the town is rising agin’ the sojers.
GAVIN. Soldiers? There are no soldiers.
(BUGLE SOUNDS THE ‘DOUBLE.’)
BABBIE. The wood is full o’ them! You hear!
(Drum stops.)
There’s a chance for them yet. The alarm has been sounded.
GAVIN. What? After I forbade it! (STERNLY) Who sounded the alarm?
BABBIE (looking through bush). You did.
GAVIN. I?
BABBIE (POINTING). On the horn!
(Bugle and military drum starts off gavin is paralysed with consternation. The horn drops from his hand. The town is now dimly lit. The roaring of the mob increases in volume, gavin goes threateningly after babbie as if he could throttle her captain halliwell is heard giving orders.)
HALLIWELL (OFF). Extend to the right! — open out through the whin bushes until you ‘re in touch with the flank company.
BABBIE. Oh!
(She flies off gavin turns and rushes out. Drum stops. Enter eight Soldiers followed by captain halliwell and lord rintoul.)
LORD RINTOUL (TROUBLED). Halliwell, who blew that horn and alarmed the town?
HALLIWELL (SELF-CONFIDENT). We shall soon know, Rintoul. Be calm, I shall get your pretty weavers.
LORD RINTOUL. You said your men saw that minister fellow order the watchers to their homes?
HALLIWELL. Yes — and then I delayed the advance to give them time to get to bed.
LORD RINTOUL. A blunder!
HALLIWELL. It was the wish of the constables, who said that if they could get into the town unseen, they knew where to lay hands on every man they want. So we were lying in the wood waiting quietly, when suddenly a horn sounded three times —
(An old villager enters.)
— and in a moment the town was in an uproar.
LORD RINTOUL. Oh!
HALLIWELL. Don’t BE FLURRIED, WE SHALL HAVE SOME FUN NOW.
LORD RINTOUL. If we should fail again!
HALLIWELL (TO VILLAGER, AS TO A CHILD). Shoo!
(Villager bolts and halliwell laughs.)
Fail again! My dear Rintoul! I am with you this time, and my men are already a hoop of steel round the town. We have your weavers so. (MAKING A HOOP OF HIS ARMS.) Just as I told Lady Barbara we should have them. I only wish she were here, now, to see how neatly I am doing it. It’s too easy, you know — like shooting rabbits.
(Enter female villager over rocks.)
Shoo!
(Shouts from town recommence. She rushes away. Noise of crowd, halliwell saunters up to back and surveys town through glasses.)
(TO LORD RINTOUL) Aha! Someone is addressing them from the top of an outside stair! I believe — yes, it is that minister. Ho, ho! He prevails upon them — they fling down their weapons. There’s to be no fun after all! — Hallo — Oh, by Jove! — splendid! Rintoul, a woman is addressing them from another stair.
LORD RINTOUL. A woman!
HALLIWELL. I think — yes — she is exhorting them to fight! Oh, bravo! The minister shakes his fist at her — and she — oh, the little rebel — she blows him a kiss! They turn from him to her — splendid! I am really enjoying it now! She is leading them — they are gone! (COMES DOWN.)
LORD RINTOUL. Gone — where? (RATHER ANXIOUSLY.)
HALLIWELL. Into the arms of my loving soldiers, of course.
(COMPLACENTLY MAKING THE CIRCLE AGAIN WITH HIS ARMS. ENTER MICAH, WHO RUNS TO HALLIWELL.)
MICAH. Oh, SIR, DINNA TAK’ MY FATHER. It WASNA him THAT DROVE THE CART — IT WAS ME. I’M LITTLE but I’m terrible BAD.
HALLIWELL. Who blew that horn, boy?
(A bugle is heard.)
LORD RINTOUL. Quick! Tell us.
(MILITARY DRUMS OFF.)
MICAH. I think it was a woman — an Egyptian.
HALLIWELL. A woman again! (THROWS HIM DOWN BY FIRE.) What a town of Amazons!
LORD RINTOUL. Can it be the same woman?
HALLIWELL. I hope so. I shall introduce you to her presently. (TO MICAH) Her name?
MICAH. I dinna ken. Naebody in Thrums ever saw her afore.
LORD RINTOUL. Odd!
HALLIWELL. Joan of Arc, I expect.
MICAH. Mr Dishart — that’s the minister — tried to chase her out of the wood. But she had come back.
HALLIWELL. Very sociable of her.
(Enter nanny followed by a crowd of women, distracted and partially dressed. After the women are on, a child also runs in and clings to one of them. Cries of ‘This is him — This is the Captain — Here’s rintoul,’ etc.)
They can’t resist the red coat, Rintoul!
LORD RINTOUL. I grow uneasy.
HALLIWELL. You can’t think how uneasy she is to be presently!
(DRUM AND SHOUTS STOP.)
NANNY (ON ROCK). For mercy’s sake, Captain, pity, have pity!
VILLAGERS. Pity, sir — have mercy, sir (ETC.).
HALLIWELL (GOING TO FOOT OF BANK). You are all charming people, I am sure, but I can do nothing for you.
(micah joins crowd.)
VILLAGERS. Oh, sir, mercy! (Etc., etc.)
(Some run off micah sneaks off after them.)
NANNY. Our men folk will be killed —