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小说: plays 字数: 每页4000字

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and now 。 。 。 hell and ruin are on either hand of me; and the
devil has me by the leg。  'My son; the Deacon 。 。 。 !'  Eh; God!
but there's no fool like an old fool!  (BECOMING CONSCIOUS OF THE
OTHERS。)  Rogues!

SMITH。  Take my arm; Deacon。

BRODIE。  Down; dog; down!  'Stay and be drunk with your equals。' 
Gentlemen and ladies; I have already cursed you pretty heavily。  
Let me do myself the pleasure of wishing you … a very … good 
evening。  (AS HE GOES OUT; HUNT; WHO HAS BEEN STAGGERING ABOUT IN
THE CROWD; FALLS ON A SETTLE; AS ABOUT TO SLEEP。)

ACT…DROP。


ACT II。

TABLEAU。  EVIL AND GOOD

The Stage represents the Deacon's workshop; benches; shavings; 
tools; boards; and so forth。  Doors; C。 on the street; and L。
into the house。  Without; church bells; not a chime; but a slow
brokentocsin。

SCENE I

BRODIE (SOLUS)。  My head! my head!  It's the sickness of the
grave。  And those bells go on 。 。 。 go on! 。 。 。 inexorable as
death and judgment。  'There they go; the trumpets of
respectability; sounding encouragement to the world to do and
spare not; and not to be found out。  Found out!  And to those who
are they toll as when a man goes to the gallows。'  Turn where I
will are pitfalls hell…deep。  Mary and her dowry; Jean and her
child … my child; the dirty scoundrel Moore; my uncle and his
trust; perhaps the man from Bow Street。  Debt; vice; cruelty;
dishonour; crime; the whole canting; lying; double…dealing;
beastly business!  'My son the Deacon … Deacon of the Wrights!' 
My thoughts sicken at it。  'Oh the Deacon; the Deacon!  Where's a
hat for the Deacon? where's a hat for the Deacon's headache?
(SEARCHING)。  This place is a piggery。  To be respectable and not
to find one's hat。)


SCENE II

To him; JEAN; a baby in her shawl。  C。

JEAN (WHO HAS ENTERED SILENTLY DURING THE DEACON'S LAST WORDS)。  
It's me; Wullie。

BRODIE (TURNING UPON HER)。  What!  You here again?  'you again!'

JEAN。  Deacon; I'm unco vexed。

BRODIE。  Do you know what you do?  Do you know what you risk? 
'Is there nothing … nothing! … will make you spare me this
idiotic; wanton prosecution?'

JEAN。  I was wrong to come yestreen; I ken that fine。  But the
day it's different; I but to come the day; Deacon; though I ken
fine it's the Sabbath; and I think shame to be seen upon the
streets。

BRODIE。  See here; Jean。  You must go now。  I come to you
to…night; I swear that。  But now I'm for the road。

JEAN。  No till you've heard me; William Brodie。  Do ye think I
came to pleasure mysel'; where I'm no wanted?  I've a pride o' my
ains。

BRODIE。  Jean; I am going now。  If you please to stay on alone;
in this house of mine; where I wish I could say you are welcome;
stay  (GOING)。

JEAN。  It's the man frae Bow Street。

BRODIE。  Bow Street?

JEAN。  I thocht ye would hear me。  Ye think little o' me; but
it's mebbe a braw thing for you that I think sae muckle o'
William Brodie 。 。 。 ill as it sets me。

BRODIE。  'You don't know what is on my mind; Jeannie; else you 
would forgive me。'  Bow Street?

JEAN。  It's the man Hunt:  him that was here yestreen for the 
Fiscal。

BRODIE。  Hunt?

JEAN。  He kens a hantle。  He 。 。 。 Ye maunna be angered wi' me; 
Wullie!  I said what I shouldna。

BRODIE。  Said?  Said what?

JEAN。  Just that ye were a guid frien' to me。  He made believe he
was awful sorry for me; because ye gied me nae siller; and I
said; 'Wha tellt him that?' and that he lee'd。

BRODIE。  God knows he did!  What next?

JEAN。  He was that soft…spoken; butter wouldna melt in his mouth;
and he keept aye harp; harpin'; but after that let out; he got 
neither black nor white frae me。  Just that ae word and nae mair;
and at the hinder end he just speired straucht out; whaur it was
ye got your siller frae。

BRODIE。  Where I got my siller?

JEAN。  Ay; that was it!  'You ken;' says he。

BRODIE。  Did he? and what said you?

JEAN。  I couldna think on naething; but just that he was a gey
and clever gentleman。

BRODIE。  You should have said I was in trade; and had a good 
business。  That's what you should have said。  That's what you
would have said had you been worth your salt。  But it's blunder;
blunder; outside and in 'upstairs; downstairs; and in my lady's
chamber'。  You women!  Did he see Smith?

JEAN。  Ay; and kennt him。

BRODIE。  Damnation! … No; I'm not angry with you。  But you see
what I've to endure for you。  Don't cry。  'Here's the devil at
the door; and we must bar him out as best we can。'

JEAN。  God's truth; ye are nae vexed wi' me?

BRODIE。  God's truth; I am grateful to you。  How is the child?  
Well?  That's right。  (PEEPING。)  Poor wee laddie!  He's like
you; Jean。

JEAN。  I aye thocht he was liker you。

BRODIE。  Is he?  Perhaps he is。  Ah; Jeannie; you must see and
make him a better man than his father。

JEAN。  Eh man; Deacon; the proud wumman I'll be gin he's only
half sae guid。

BRODIE。  Well; well; if I win through this; we'll see what we can
do for him between us。  (LEADING HER OUT; C。)  And now; go … go …
go。

LAWSON (WITHOUT; L。)。  I ken the way; I ken the way。

JEAN (STARRING TO DOOR)。  It's the Fiscal; I'm awa。  (BRODIE;
L。)。


SCENE III

To these; LAWSON; L。

LAWSON。  A braw day this; William。  (SEEING JEAN。)  Eh Mistress 
Watt?  And what'll have brocht you here?

BRODIE (SEATED ON BENCH)。  Something; uncle; she lost last night;
and she thinks that something she lost is here。  VOILA。

LAWSON。  Why are ye no at the kirk; woman?  Do ye gang to the
kirk?

JEAN。  I'm mebbe no what ye would just ca' reg'lar。  Ye see; 
Fiscal; it's the wean。

LAWSON。  A bairn's an excuse; I ken that fine; Mistress Watt。 
But bairn or nane; my woman; ye should be at the kirk。  Awa wi'
ye!  Hear to the bells; they're ringing in。  (JEAN CURTSIES TO
BOTH; AND GOES OUT C。  THE BELLS WHICH HAVE BEEN RINGING QUICKER;
CEASE。)


SCENE IV

LAWSON (TO BRODIE; RETURNING C。 FROM DOOR)。  MULIER FORMOSA 
SUPERNE; William:  a braw lass; and a decent woman forbye。

BRODIE。  I'm no judge; Procurator; but I'll take your word for
it。  Is she not a tenant of yours?

LAWSON。  Ay; ay; a bit house on my land in Liberton's Wynd。  Her 
man's awa; puir body; or they tell me sae; and I'm concerned for 
her 'she's unco bonnie to be left her lane'。  But it sets me
brawly to be finding faut wi' the puir lass; and me an elder; and
should be at the plate。  'There'll be twa words about this in the
Kirk Session。'  However; it's nane of my business that brings me;
or I should tak' the mair shame to mysel'。  Na; sir; it's for
you; it's your business keeps me frae the kirk。

BRODIE。  My business; Procurator?  I rejoice to see it in such 
excellent hands。

LAWSON。  Ye see; it's this way。  I had a crack wi' the laddie; 
Leslie; INTER POCULA (he took a stirrup…cup wi' me); and he tells
me he has askit Mary; and she was to speak to ye hersel'。  O; ye 
needna look sae gash。  Did she speak? and what'll you have said
to her?

BRODIE。  She has not spoken; I have said nothing; and I believe I
asked you to avoid the subject。

LAWSON。  Ay; I made a note o' that observation; William 'and 
assoilzied mysel''。  Mary's a guid lass; and I'm her uncle; and
I'm here to be answered。  Is it to be ay or no?

BRODIE。  It's to be no。  This marriage must be quashed; and hark 
ye; Procurator; you must help me。

LAWSON。  Me? ye're daft!  And what for why?

BRODIE。  Because I've spent the trust…money; and I can't refund
it。

LAWSON。  Ye reprobate deevil!

BRODIE。  Have a care; Procurator。  No wry words!

LAWSON。  Do you say it to my face; sir?  Dod; sir; I'm the Crown 
Prosecutor。

BRODIE。  Right。  The Prosecutor for the Crown。  And where did you
get your brandy?

LAWSON。  Eh?

BRODIE。  Your brandy!  Your brandy man!  Where do you get your 
brandy?  And you a Crown official and an elder!

LAWSON。  Whaur the deevil did ye hear that?

BRODIE。  Rogues all!  Rogues all; Procurator!

LAWSON。  Ay; ay。  Lord save us!  Guidsake; to think o' that noo!
。 。 。 Can ye give me some o' that Cognac?  I'm 。 。 。 。 。 I'm sort
o' shaken; William; I'm sort o' shaken。  Thank you; William!
(LOOKING; PITEOUSLY AT GLASS。)  NUNC EST BIBENDUM。  (DRINKS。) 
Troth; I'm set ajee a bit。  Wha the deevil tauld ye?

BRODIE。  Ask no questions; brother。  We are a pair。

LAWSON。  Pair; indeed!  Pair; William Brodie!  Upon my saul; sir;
ye're a brazen…faced man that durst say it to my face!  Tak' you 
care; my bonnie young man; that your craig doesna feel the wecht
o' your hurdies。  Keep the plainstanes side o' the gallows。  VIA 
TRITA; VIA TUTA; William Brodie!

BRODIE。  And the brandy; Procurator? and the brandy?

LAWSON。  Ay 。 。 。 weel 。 。 。 be't sae!  Let the brandy bide; man;
let the brandy bide!  But for you and the trust…money 。 。 。
damned!  It's felony。  TUTOR IN REM SUAM; ye ken; TUTOR IN REM
SUAM。  But O man; Deacon; whaur is the siller?

BRODIE。  It's gone … O how the devil should I know?  But it'll 
never come back。

LAWSON。  Dear; dear!  A' gone to the winds o' heaven!  Sae ye're
an extravagant dog; too。  PRODIGUS ET FURIOSUS!  And that puir
lass … eh; Deacon; man; that puir lass!  I mind her such a bonny
bairn。

BRODIE (STOPPING HIS EARS)。  Brandy; brandy; brandy; brandy;
brandy

LAWSON。  William Brodie; mony's the long day that I've believed
in you; prood; prood was I to be the Deacon's uncle; and a sore 
hearing have I had of it the day。  That's past; that's past like 
Flodden Field; it's an auld sang noo; and I'm an aulder man than 
when I crossed your door。 But mark ye this … mark ye this;
William  Brodie; I may be no sae guid's I should be; but there's
no a saul between the east sea and the wast can lift his een to
God that made him; and say I wranged him as ye wrang that lassie。 
I bless God;

William Brodie … ay; though he was like my brother … I bless God 
that he that got ye has the hand of death upon his hearing; and
can win into his grave a happier man than me。  And ye speak to
me; sir?   Think shame … think shame upon your heart!

BRODIE。  Rogues all!

LAWSON。  You're the son of my sister; William Brodie。  Mair than 
that I stop not to inquire。  If the siller is spent; and the
honour tint … Lord 

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