The action of the play takes place on a night in summer at the foot of
Bignor Hill on the north side of the Sussex Downs. The time is that of
the Roman occupation of England. In the foreground is an open space of
turf surrounded with gorse-bushes. The turf rises in a steep bank at
the back and melts into the side of the hill. The left of the stage is
closed in by a wooded spur of the hill. The scene is wild and revealed
by a strong moonlight. A fallen tree-trunk lies on the right, and a
raised bank is at the left of the stage.
On the summit of the hill the glow of a camp-fire is seen, and from
time to time a flame leaps up as though fuel had been added. Towards
the end of the play the fire dies down and goes out.
When the curtain rises the stage is empty, but a sound of men marching
is faintly heard. The sound is heard in pauses throughout the first
part of the play.
[_Gleva enters from the R. She is a British princess, clothed in
skins. But she has added to her dress some of the refinements of
the conquerors--a shirt of fine linen, the high sandals of the
Roman lady, the Roman comb in her hair, some jewellery, a necklace
of stones, and bracelets. She is followed by three men of her
tribe, wild men in skins, armed with knives, and flint axes carried
at the waist. Gleva comes forward silently into the open space of
turf_.]
Gleva: No one!
Bran: The trumpet has not sounded the last call on the hill.
Gleva: No. Yet the hour for it is past. By now the camp should be
asleep. (_She looks up the hill and then turns to her men_.) Be ready
to light the torch.
Caransius: Everything is strange to-day.
[_He sits R. under the shelter of a bush, and with a flint and
steel kindles a tiny flame during the following scene. He has a
torch in his hand which he lays by his side. When the fire is
lighted he blows on it from time to time to keep it alight_.]
Bran: Yes. And yesterday. For many months we have been left in quiet.
Now once more the soldiers march through Anderida.
Gleva (_holds up her hand_): Listen!
[_A pause. The sound of marching is heard quite clearly, but at a
distance_.]
Bran: It does not stop, Princess.
Gleva: All yesterday, all through last night, all through this long
day! Listen to it, steady as a heart beating, steady and terrible.
(_She speaks with great discouragement, moving apart, L., and sitting
on tree bole_.)
Caransius (_lighting fire_): I crept to the edge of the forest to-day.
I lay very quiet behind the bushes and looked out across the clearing
to the road.
Gleva: You!
[_A general exclamation of astonishment._]
Caransius: Oh, it's not easy to frighten me, I can tell you. I fought
at Verulanium with the Iceni. I know. I carried a sling. (_He nods
majestically at his companions._) And there you have it.
Gleva: Yes, yes, good friend. But which way did the soldiers march?
What of the road?
[_She goes over to him._]
Caransius: Mistress, there wasn't any road. There were only soldiers.
As far as my eyes could see, bright helmets and brown faces and
flashing shoulder plates bobbing up and down between the trees and a
smother of dust until my head whirled.
Bran and Both Attendants: Oh!
Gleva: But which way did they go?
Caransius: I lost my dog, too--the brute. He ran from me and joined
the marching men. I dared not call to him.
Bran: Yes, that is the way of dogs.