Knowing Good and Evil.
SCENE.--_The_ GADSBYS' _bungalow in the Plains, in June. Punkah-coolies
asleep in veranda where_ CAPTAIN GADSBY _is walking up and down._
DOCTOR'S _trap in porch._ JUNIOR CHAPLAIN _drifting generally and
uneasily through the house. Time,_ 3.40 A. M. _Heat 94 degrees in
veranda._
DOCTOR. (_Coming into veranda and touching_ G. _on the shoulder._) You
had better go in and see her now.
CAPT. G. (_The colour of good cigar-ash._) Eh, wha-at? Oh, yes, of
course. What did you say?
DOCTOR. (_Syllable by syllable._) Go--in--to--the--room--and--see--her.
She wants to speak to you. (_Aside, testily._) I shall have _him_ on my
hands next.
JUNIOR CHAPLAIN. (_In half-lighted dining-room._) Isn't there any--?
DOCTOR. (_Savagely._) Hsh, you little fool!
JUNIOR CHAPLAIN. Let me do my work. Gadsby, stop a minute! (_Edges
after_ G.)
DOCTOR. Wait till she sends for you at least--_at least_. Man alive,
he'll kill you if you go in there! What are you bothering him for?
JUNIOR CHAPLAIN. (_Coming into veranda._) I've given him a stiff
brandy-peg. He wants it. You've forgotten him for the last ten hours
and--forgotten yourself too.
G. _enters bedroom, which is lit by one night-lamp.
Ayah on the floor pretending to be asleep._
VOICE. (_From the bed._) All down the street--such bonfires! _Ayah_, go
and put them out! (_Appealingly._) How can I sleep with an installation
of the C.I.E. in my room? No--not C.I.E. Something else. _What_ was it?
CAPT. G. (_Trying to control his voice._) Minnie, I'm here. (_Bending
over bed._) Don't you know me, Minnie? It's me--it's Phil--it's your
husband.
VOICE. (_Mechanically._) It's me--it's Phil--it's your husband.
CAPT. G. She doesn't know me!--It's your own husband, darling,
VOICE. Your own husband, darling.
AYAH. (_With an inspiration._) _Memsahib_ understanding all _I_ saying.
CAPT. G. Make her understand me then--quick!
AYAH. (_Hand on_ MRS. G's _forehead._) _Memsahib!_ Captain Sahib here.
VOICE. _Salma do._ (_Fretfully._) I know I'm not fit to be seen.
AYAH. (_Aside to_ G.) Say _'marneen'_ same as breakfash.
CAPT. G. Good-morning, little woman. How are we to-day?
VOICE. That's Phil. Poor old Phil. (_Viciously._)
Phil, you fool, I can't see you. Come nearer.
CAPT. G. Minnie! Minnie! It's me--you know me?
VOICE. (_Mockingly._) Of course I do. Who does not know the man who was
so cruel to his wife--almost the only one he ever had?
CAPT. G. Yes, dear. Yes--of course, of course. But won't you speak to
him? He wants to speak to you so much.
VOICE. They'd never let him in. The Doctor would give _darwaza bund_
even if he were in the house. He'll never come. (_Despairingly._) O
Judas! Judas! Judas!
CAPT. G. (_Putting out his arms._) They have let him in, and he always
was in the house. Oh, my love--don't you know me?
VOICE. (_In a half chant._) 'And it came to pass at the eleventh hour
that this poor soul repented.' It knocked at the gates, but they were
shut--tight as a plaster--a great, burning plaster. They had pasted our
marriage certificate all across the door, and it was made of red-hot
iron--people really ought to be more careful, you know.
CAPT. G. What _am_ I to do? (_Takes her in his arms._) Minnie! speak to
me--to Phil.
VOICE. What shall I say? Oh, tell me what to say before it's too late!
They are all going away and I can't say anything.
CAPT. G. Say you know me! Only say you know me!
DOCTOR. (_Who has entered quietly._) For pity's sake don't take it too
much to heart, Gadsby. It's this way sometimes. They won't recognise.
They say all sorts of queer things--don't you _see?_
CAPT. G. All right! All right! Go away now, she'll recognise me; you're
bothering her. She _must_--mustn't she?
DOCTOR. She will before--Have I your leave to try--?
CAPT. G. Anything you please, so long as she'll know me. It's only a
question of--hours, isn't it?
DOCTOR. (_Professionally._) While there's life there's hope, y'know. But
don't build on it.
CAPT. G. I don't. Pull her together if it's possible. (_Aside._) What
have I done to deserve this?
DOCTOR. (_Bending over bed._) Now, Mrs. Gadsby! We shall be all right
to-morrow. You _must_ take it, or I shan't let Phil see you. It isn't
nasty, is it?
VOICE. Medicines! _Always_ more medicines! Can't you leave me alone?
CAPT. G. Oh, leave her in peace, Doc!
DOCTOR. (_Stepping back,--aside._) May I be forgiven if I've done wrong.
(_Aloud._) In a few minutes she ought to be sensible; but I daren't tell
you to look for anything. It's only--
CAPT. G. What? Go _on_, man.
DOCTOR. (_In a whisper._) Forcing the last rally.
CAPT. G. Then leave us alone.
DOCTOR. Don't mind what she says at first, if you can. They--they--they
turn against those they love most sometimes in this.--It's hard, but--
CAPT. G. Am I her husband or are you? Leave us alone for what time we
have together.
VOICE. (_Confidentially._) And we were engaged _quite_ suddenly, Emma.
I assure you that I never thought of it for a moment; but, oh, my little
Me!--I don't know _what_ I should have done if he _hadn't_ proposed.
CAPT. G. She thinks of that Deercourt girl before she thinks of me.
(_Aloud._) Minnie!
VOICE. Not from the shops, Mummy dear. You can get the real leaves from
Kaintu, and (_laughing weakly_) never mind about the blossoms--Dead
white silk is only fit for widows, and I _won't_ wear it. It's as bad as
a winding sheet. (_A long pause._)
CAPT. G. I never asked a favour yet. If there is anybody to listen to
me, let her know me--even if I die too!
VOICE. (_Very faintly._) Pip, Pip dear.
CAPT. G. I'm here, darling.
VOICE. What has happened? They've been bothering me so with medicines
and things, and they wouldn't let you come and see me. I was never ill
before. Am I ill now?
CAPT. G. You--you aren't quite well.
VOICE. How funny! Have I been ill long?
CAPT. G. Some days; but you'll be all right in a little time.
VOICE. Do you think so, Pip? I don't feel well and--Oh! what _have_ they
done to my hair?
CAPT. G. I d-d-don't know.
VOICE. They've cut it off. What a shame!
CAPT. G. It must have been to make your head cooler.
VOICE. 'Just like a boy's wig. Don't I look horrid?
CAPT. G. Never looked prettier in your life, dear. (_Aside._) How am I
to ask her to say good-bye?
VOICE. I don't _feel_ pretty. I feel very ill. My heart won't work.
It's nearly dead inside me, and there's a funny feeling in my eyes.
Everything seems the same distance--you and the almirah and the
table--inside my eyes or miles away. What does it mean, Pip?
CAPT. G. You're a little feverish, Sweetheart--very feverish. (_Breaking
down._) My love! my love! How can I let you go?
VOICE. I thought so. Why didn't you tell me that at first?
CAPT. G. What?
VOICE. That I am going to--die.
CAPT. G. But you aren't! You shan't.
AYAH _to punkah-coolie_. (_Stepping into veranda after a glance at the
bed._) _Punkah chor do!_ (Stop pulling the punkah.)
VOICE. It's hard, Pip. So very, _very_ hard after one year--just one
year. (_Wailing._) And I'm only twenty. Most girls aren't even married
at twenty. Can't they do _anything_ to help me? I don't _want_ to die.
CAPT. G. Hush, dear. You won't.
VOICE. What's the use of talking? _Help_ me! You've never failed me yet.
Oh, Phil, help me to keep alive. (_Feverishly._) I don't believe you
wish me to live. You weren't a bit sorry when that horrid Baby thing
died. I wish I'd killed it!
CAPT. G. (_Drawing his hand across his forehead._) It's more than a
man's meant to bear--it's not right. (_Aloud._) Minnie, love, I'd die
for you if it would help.
VOICE. No more death. There's enough already. Pip, don't _you_ die too.
CAPT. G. I wish I dared.
VOICE. It says: 'Till Death do us part.' Nothing after that--and so it
would be no use. It stops at the dying. _Why_ does it stop there? Only
such a very short life, too. Pip, I'm sorry we married.
CAPT. G. No! Anything but that, Min!
VOICE. Because you'll forget and I'll forget. Oh, Pip, _don't_ forget!
I always loved you, though I was cross sometimes. If I ever did anything
that you didn't like, say you forgive me now.
CAPT. G. You never did, darling. On my soul and honour you never did. I
haven't a thing to forgive you.
VOICE. I sulked for a whole week about those petunias. (_With a laugh._)
What a little wretch I was, and how grieved you were! Forgive me that,
Pip.
CAPT. G. There's nothing to forgive. It was my fault. They _were_ too
near the drive. For God's sake _don't_ talk so, Minnie! There's such a
lot to say and so little time to say it in.
VOICE. Say that you'll always love me--until the end.
CAPT. G. Until the end. (_Carried away._) It's a lie. It _must_ be,
because we've loved each other. This isn't the end.
VOICE. (_Relapsing into semi-delirium._) _My_ Church-service has an
ivory-cross on the back, and _it_ says so, so it must be true.
'Till Death do us part.'--But that's a lie. (_With a parody of_ G.'s
_manner._) A damned lie! (_Recklessly._) Yes, I can swear as well as
Trooper Pip. I can't make my head think, though. That's because they
cut off my hair. How _can_ one think with one's head all fuzzy?
(_Pleadingly._) Hold me, Pip! Keep me with you always and always.
(_Relapsing._) But if you marry the Thorniss girl when I'm dead, I'll
come back and howl under our bedroom window all night. Oh, bother!
You'll think I'm a jackal. Pip, what time is it?
CAPT. G. I--I--I can't help it, dear.
VOICE. How funny! I couldn't cry now to save my life. (G. _shivers._)
_I_ want to sing.
CAPT. G. Won't it tire you? Better not, perhaps.
VOICE. Why? I _won't_ be bothered about. (_Begins in a hoarse
quaver_):--
'Minnie bakes oaten cake, Minnie brews ale,
All because her Johnnie's coming home from the sea.
(That's parade, Pip.)
And she grows red as rose, who was so pale;
And “Are you sure the church-clock goes?” says she.'
(_Pettishly._) I knew I couldn't take the last note. How do the bass
chords run? (_Puts out her hands and begins playing piano on the
sheet._)
CAPT. G. (_Catching up hands._) Ahh! Don't do that, Pussy, if you love
me.