OMNES. Good night.
(_ALL talking at fire, not looking to L. as HIRST and SOMERS exeunt.
HIRST chuckles and gives SOMERS a sly dig._)
SOMERS. Good night.
MALCOLM (_at fireplace_). Well, I suppose the bet's off, though as far
as I can see I won it. I never saw a man so scared in all my life. Sort
of poetic justice about it. (_LEEK with revolver in his hand, is just
putting it into his pocket. Seeing him._) Why, what's that you've got
there?
LEEK. A revolver. (_At fire._) You see I do a lot of night driving,
visiting patients in outlying districts--they're a tough lot round here,
and one never knows what might happen, so I have been accustomed to
carry it. I just pulled it out so as to have it handy. I meant to have a
pot at that ghost if I had seen him. There's no law against it, is
there? I never heard of a close time for ghosts.
BELDON.--Oh, I say, never mind ghosts. Will _you_ share my room? (_To
MALCOLM._)
(_GEORGE comes down a little, holding candle._)
MALCOLM. With pleasure. I'm not exactly frightened, but I'd sooner have
company, and I daresay George here would be glad to be allowed to make
up a bed on the floor.
BELDON. Certainly.
MALCOLM. Well, that's settled. A majority of three to one ought to stop
any ghost. Will that arrangement suit you, George?
GEORGE. Thank you, sir. And if you gentlemen would kindly come down to
the bar with me while I put out the gas. I could never be sufficiently
grateful, and when (_at door_) we come back we can let the Doctor out at
the front door. Will that do, sir?
LEEK. All right; I'll be getting my coat on. (_GEORGE gets to door. They
exit at door L. LEEK picks up his coat off chair up L., puts it on and
then turns up trousers. Footsteps heard in flies, then goes to the
window R., pulls curtain aside and opens the shutters of the window
nearest the fire. A flood of moonlight streams in from R. Clock strikes
twelve._) By Jove, what a lovely night. That poor devil did get a
fright, and no mistake. (_Crossing down to fireplace for his cap which
is on the mantelpiece. MALCOLM, BELDON and GEORGE return--the door
closes after them._) Well, no sign of it, eh?
MALCOLM. No, we've seen nothing this time. Here, give me the candle,
George, while you turn out the gas.
LEEK. All right, George, I'll put this one out. (_Turns out gas below
fire._)
(_MALCOLM and BELDON are up at sideboard, GEORGE having put the other
gas out, goes up to them and is just lighting the candles for them. The
DOCTOR is filling his pipe at mantel-shelf, and stooping to get a light
with a paper spill. LEEK whistles and lights spill. The handle of the
door is heard moving. OMNES stand motionless--MALCOLM and BELDON very
frightened. They all watch. The room is lit only by the firelight which
is very much fainter than it was at the beginning of the play, by the
candle which GEORGE holds, and by the flood of moonlight from the
window._)
(_The door slowly opens, a hand is seen, then a figure appears in dark
breeches, white stockings, buckled shoes, white shirt, very neat in
every detail, with a long white or spotted handkerchief tied round the
neck, the long end hanging down in front. The face cadaverous, with
sunken eyes and a leering smile, and close cropped red hair. The figure
blinks at the candle, then slowly raises its hands and unties the
handkerchief, its head falls on to one shoulder, it holds handkerchief
out at arm's length and advances towards MALCOLM._)
_Table_
GEORGE
LEEK BELDON MALCOLM
_Chair_
_Fire_ HIRST
(_Just as the figure reaches the place where the moonbeams touch the
floor, LEEK fires--he has very quietly and unobtrusively drawn his
revolver. GEORGE drops the candle and the figure, writhing, drops to the
floor. It coughs once a choking cough. MALCOLM goes slowly forward,
touches it with his foot, and kneels by figure, lifts figure up, gazes
at it, and pulls the red wig off, discovering HIRST. MALCOLM gasps out
"DOCTOR." LEEK places the revolver on chair, kneels behind HIRST.
MALCOLM is L. C., kneeling. At this moment SOMERS enters very brightly
with lighted candle._)
SOMERS. Well, did Hirst win his bet? (_Seeing HIRST on floor, he
realizes the matter_). My God, you didn't--I told him not to. I told him
not to!! I told him--(_falls fainting into arms of GEORGE._)
_Curtain._