BARTLETT--Ye lie! The Sarah Allen, ye blind fool, come back from the
Southern Seas as I swore she must! Loaded with gold as I swore she would
be!--makin’ port!--droppin’ her anchor just when I hailed her.
NAT--[_Feebly, his will crumbling._] But--how do you know?--some other
schooner----
BARTLETT--Not know my own ship--and the signal I’d ordered Horne to
make!
NAT--[_Mechanically._] I know--a red and a green at the mainm’sthead.
BARTLETT--Then look out if ye dare! [_He goes to a porthole._] Ye kin
see it plain from here. [_Commandingly._] Will ye believe your eyes?
Look! [NAT _comes to him slowly--looks through the porthole--and starts
back, a possessed expression coming over his face_.]
NAT--[_Slowly._] A red and a green--clear as day!
BARTLETT--[_His face is now transfigured by the ecstasy of a dream come
true._] They’ve lowered a boat--the three--Horne an’ Cates and Jimmy
Kanaka. They’re rowin’ ashore. Listen. I hear the oars in the locks.
Listen!
NAT--[_Staring into his father’s eyes--after a pause during which he
appears to be straining his hearing to the breaking point--excitedly._]
I hear!
BARTLETT--Listen! They’ve landed. They’ll be comin’ up the path now.
[_In a crooning, monotonous tone._] They move slowly--slowly. It be
heavy, I know--that chest. [_After a pause._] Hark! They’re below at the
door in front.
NAT--I hear!
BARTLETT--Ye’ll see it now in a moment, boy--the gold. Up with it,
bullies! Up ye come! Up, bullies! It’s heavy, heavy!
NAT--[_Madly._] I hear them! They’re on the floor below! They’re coming!
I’ll open the door. [_He springs to the door and flings it open,
shouting._] Welcome home, boys! [SUE _is discovered outside just
climbing up the stairs from below. She steps inside, then stops, looking
with amazement and horror from father to brother._ NAT _pushes her
roughly aside to look behind her down the stairs_.]
SUE--Nat!
NAT--[_Turning to his father._] I’ll go down to the wharf. They must be
there or---- [_The rest of his words are lost as he hurries down the
stairs._ BARTLETT _steps back, shrinking away from his daughter, and
sinks on a chair by the table with a groan, his hands over his eyes._]
SUE--[_Comes to him and shakes him by the shoulder--alarmed._] Pa! What
has happened? What is the matter with Nat? What have you told him?
[_With bitter despair._] Oh, can’t you see you’re driving him mad, too?
BARTLETT--[_Letting his hands fall and staring at her
haggardly--falteringly, as if reason were slowly filtering back into his
brain._] Sue--ye said--drivin’ him mad, _too_! Then ye think I be----?
[_He staggers to his feet._ SUE _breaks down, sobbing_. BARTLETT
_falters on_.] But I seen her--the Sarah Allen--the signal lights----
SUE--Oh, Pa, there’s nothing there! You know it! She was lost months
ago.
BARTLETT--Lost? [_He stumbles over to a porthole and looks out. His body
sags as if he were going to fall. He turns away and cries hopelessly in
a tone of heart-rending grief._] Lost! Aye, they be no Sarah Allen
there--no lights--nothin’!
SUE--[_Pleading fiercely._] Pa, you’ve got to save Nat! He won’t heed
anyone else. Can’t you tell him the truth--the whole truth whatever it
is--now when I’m here and you’re yourself again--and set him free from
this crazy dream!
BARTLETT--[_With wild grief._] Confess, ye mean? Sue, ye be houndin’ me
like your Ma did to her dyin’ hour! Confess--that I spoke the word to
Jimmy--in my mind! Confess--brass and junk--not worth a damn! [_In
frenzied protest._] No! Ye lie!
SUE--Oh, Pa, I don’t know what you mean. Tell Nat the truth! Save him!
BARTLETT--The truth? It’s a lie! [_As_ SUE _tries to bar his way to the
companionway--sternly_.] Out o’ my way, girl! [_He pulls himself feebly
up the stairs. The door is heard slamming above._ SUE _sits down in a
chair in a hopeless, exhausted attitude. After a pause_ NAT _re-enters.
He is panting heavily from his exertions. His pale face is set in an
expression of despair._]
NAT--[_Looking about the room wildly._] Where is he? Sue! [_He comes
forward and falls on his knees beside her chair, hiding his face in her
lap like a frightened child. He sobs hoarsely._] Sue! What does it all
mean? I looked. There was nothing there--no schooner--nothing.
SUE--[_Soothing him as if he were a little boy._] Of course there
wasn’t. Did you expect there would be, you foolish boy? Come, you know
better than that. Why, Nat, you told the doctor and I that you were
absolutely convinced the Sarah Allen was lost.