Part 3

MRS. S. And how still more fortunate that Colonel Boldwig at once recognised the handwriting, for of course it will infallibly lead to the capture of the unconscionable scoundrel, as you very properly called him.

RAT. (_rather nettled_) You seem remarkably anxious to punish this unhappy misguided being, ma'am.

MRS. S. Heyday! did you not say to me, just now, "Madam, as the representative of the law, I tell you that it matters not what his social position may be; we must not mince matters." (_imitating RATCLIFFE'S manner._)

RAT. (_aside_) She's laughing at me, that's quite clear. (_aloud_) Of course not; but--but--(_drawing his chair closer to MRS. SOMERTON_)--but--(_aside_) Pon my life it requires more courage than I imagined. (_aloud_) I was about to observe that the circumstances attending this robbery are so--so whimsical.

MRS. S. Whimsical?

RAT. No, not whimsical, eccentric! that one is almost inclined to ascribe it to some other motive.

MRS. S. (_aside_) We are coming to it by degrees; (_aloud_) and pray, sir, what other motive can your lively imagination suggest?

RAT. (_drawing still nearer, and after a short hesitation, then in a low and impassioned tone_) Love!

MRS. S. (_aside and smiling_) At last. (_aloud_) Love! ha, ha, ha! Love of bank notes!

RAT. (_earnestly_) No. Love for you. Yes, madam, cannot you imagine an admiration so boundless--a passion so irresistible, that it might prompt a man?

MRS. S. To rob me of £15,000, and frighten me out of senses into the bargain.

RAT. (_still more earnestly_) Yes, madam, if by so doing, if by apparently reducing the woman to poverty, he hoped to obtain a voluntary resignation of her hand from a rival, who loves her for her fortune only.

MRS. S. Really, Captain Ratcliffe, I must confess you have imagined a marvellous pleasant love story.

RAT. Not more marvellous than true. Here are the proofs, (_gives pocket book to MRS. SOMERTON_) and now think, madam, what a love must that man's be who could thus risk his name, character, and reputation, with the sole hope of preserving you your liberty.

MRS. S. But unfortunately the denouement of this romance of real life is wanting; the rival does not resign the lady's hand.

RAT. (_aside, and looking towards room, R. 2 E._) Why the devil doesn't he make haste with the letters? (_POSTLETHWAITE looks in at the door_)

MRS. S. (_catching a glimpse of him_) No, sir, I know my cousin too well--he loves me too dearly to care about my loss of fortune; _he_ will be only too happy to work for me, toil for me, slave for me.

POS. (_at door_) Will he! (_disappears_)

MRS. S. He will never resign the hand of her he loves, beggared though she be. (_here POSTLETHWAITE comes out of room cautiously, slips the letter into RATCLIFFE'S hand, and runs out at door, L. C._)

RAT. (_presenting letter to MRS. SOMERTON_) From Mr. Percy Postlethwaite, madam. (_aside_) If he has deceived me I'll make Arabella Row, Pimlico, the scene of a terrific drama.

MRS. S. (_reading letter_) "Ever beloved cousin, I need not say that the loss of your fortune is nothing to me----" (_to RATCLIFFE_) You hear?

RAT. (_aside_) The devil take him!

MRS. S. (_reading_) "----But as the presence of a handsome, dashing young man like Captain Ratcliffe, under your roof in the middle of the night will necessarily afford materials for all the scandal mongers in the neighbourhood, I reluctantly tear your image from my heart, and bid you farewell for ever."

RAT. Then you are free--free to bestow your heart, your hand!

MRS. S. Nay, sir, what if my heart were no longer at my disposal? (_RATCLIFFE starts_) What if it had long since been given to one who once preserved my life at the peril of his own, and whose letters faithfully preserved (_slowly and with emotion drawing forth a packet of letters from her bosom, and looking down_) enabled me to recognise his handwriting.

RAT. Can it be possible? (_with rapture_)

MRS. S. That I have been taking my revenge on you for the last half hour without your perceiving it! (_holding out her hand_)

RAT. Oh, madam! (_kissing her hand_)

MRS. S. Hark! (_noise without_)

DAVID. (_without_) Bring him along--if he won't come agreeable, drag him in by the hair of his head.

_Enter DAVID, running, L. C., and dragging in POSTLETHWAITE, his dress disordered, DAVID carries a green wide-awake in his hand--PEGGY following._

DAV. Here, missus, we've got the robber.

MRS. S. (_holding RATCLIFFE'S hand_) So have I!

DAVID. Here be the desperate villain, ma'am, and here be his desperate green wide-awake; (_shewing hat_) and what's more, we won't let him go.

MRS. S. No more will I! (_seeing POSTLE._) Cousin Postlethwaite!

PEGGY. (_running forward_) Lawks! yes--so it be. Oh, Master Percy! (_throwing her arms round POSTLETHWAITE_)

POS. (_throwing her off_) Don't be a fool, Peggy. As I said before, it rumples one's front.

MRS. S. (_making a sign, all come forward and surround her_) My good friends, you need give yourselves no further trouble, I have recovered my property. My fifteen thousand pounds are here.

(_shows pocket book_)

POS. You don't mean that! (_very tenderly_) Oh, my ever beloved cousin! (_aside to RATCLIFFE_) Where's my letter? (_again to MRS. SOMERTON, and still more tenderly_) I repeat--oh, my ever beloved cousin! (_again aside to RATCLIFFE_) Where's my letter?

RAT. (_aside to him_) I gave it to Mrs. Somerton--it's all right.

POS. All right! I'm horribly afraid it's all wrong!

MRS. S. Yes, cousin, I've read your cruel words, and as it seems you won't have me---- (_with affected grief_)

POS. But I will. (_very tenderly_) Dry your tears ever-beloved one--I _will_ have you.

MRS. S. What, in spite of the presence of a fine dashing young man under my roof in the middle of the night--eh, cousin?

POS. (_still very tenderly_) What of that? I'm not so very particular.

MRS. S. But think of the scandal mongers of the neighbourhood--eh, cousin?

POS. Never mind--I'm desperate!

MRS. S. So am I--and, therefore, as the only means of preserving my reputation, I gave my hand to him who has compromised it.

(_giving her hand to RATCLIFFE._)

POS. What, Charley Ratcliffe?

PEGGY. (_aside_) Then that's Mr. C. R. after all.

RAT. (_to POSTLETHWAITE_) Yes, my dear friend, the gigantic housebreaker, seven feet high, with two pair of pistols in each of his brawny hands, stands before you.

POS. You? Poo--poo! Where are your whiskers?--where's your imperial?

RAT. In my pocket--ha, ha!

POS. (_after a short pause_) I say, Master Charley, what sort of a game have you been playing here?

MRS. S. (_smiling_) A game of fright.

POS. Ecod, it's more like "Beat my neighbour out of doors!"

RAT. At any rate, I have secured this lady for my _partner_, and for such a prize who would not play "A DESPERATE GAME."

CURTAIN.

PRINTED BY THOMAS SCOTT, WARWICK COURT, HOLBORN.

Transcriber's Note

This transcription is based on images digitized by Google from a copy held by Shields Special Collections of the University of California, Davis Library. The images are available through the HathiTrust Digital Library at:

http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/007431700

In general, I have retained variant spellings (e.g., "tarletan", "trowsers", "does'nt", "her's", and "your's") and the idiosyncrasies of the original punctuation. However, for the sake of consistency and to correct obvious errors, the following changes were made:

- The spacing of the abbreviations for the entrances and exits has been made consistent.

- p. 2: MRS. SOMERTON,--Green tarletan ball dress--Changed comma to a period for consistency.

- p. 4: RAT. By all means, David. (_aside_) he does'nt know me.--Capitalized "he".

- p. 9: for the amount at once (_taking a piece_--Inserted a period after "once".

- p. 9: I had taken that _little precaution_ against interruption (_resumes his writing_)--Inserted a period after "interruption".

- p. 11: _makes a profound bow, and exits, L. U. E_)--Inserted a period after "E".

- p. 12: I'll run for him this monent,--Changed "monent" to "moment".

- p. 12: no, my friend (_running to door, L. C._) Holloa,--Inserted a period after "friend".

- p. 12: _to ring the bell_, and the bell rope's cut--Changed the comma to a closing parenthesis.

- p. 12: raise an alarm at all events (_pulling both triggers_--Inserted a period after "events".

- p. 12: Oh, if I had only known that (_about to get out at the window_)--Inserted a period after "that".

- p. 14: POS. (_pulling him back_) you can't till your successor is appointed.--Capitalized "you".

- p. 14: That's right--you must know then (_seats himself_)--Inserted a period after "then".

- p. 15: My cousin, Captain Ratcliffe (_introducing them._--Inserted a period after "Ratcliffe".

- p. 15: RAT. True! smiling.--"smiling" is a stage direction, so this line has been changed to: "RAT. True! (_smiling_)"

- p. 16: RAT. (_smiling again_) True,--Comma changed to a period.

- p. 16: POS. Yes, yes, (_aside to him_) That'll do--she can't bear it.--Changed comma after second "yes" to a period.

- p. 16: RAT. (_to Mrs. S._) Bank notes, I presume?--"Mrs." changed to small caps in the html version and all caps in the text version for consistency.

- p. 16: this bold and impudent villain. (_RATCLIFFE slightly starts_) treating the matter as--Changed period after "villain" to a comma.

- p. 17: Lor, Master Percy, is that you? _throwing her arms_--Inserted a beginning parenthesis before "throwing".

- p. 17: Lor love'ee, (_about to embrace him again._--Changed comma after "love'ee" to a period.

- p. 18: here sit down, (_making POS. sit down_--Changed comma to a period.

- p. 18: run, fly! _PEGGY trots out at door_--Inserted a beginning parenthesis before "PEGGY".

- p. 18: RAT (_to POS. and slapping him on the shoulder_)--Inserted a period after "RAT".

- p. 19: POS. I'll do it at once, (_aside_) amd considering--Changed "amd" to "and".

- p. 19: The devil! (_aloud_) and is name is----Changed first "is" to "his".

- p. 20: we must not mince matters. (_imitating RATCLIFFE'S manner._)--Inserted closing quotation mark after "matters."

- p. 20: more courage than I imagined. I was about to observe--Inserted "(_aloud_)" after "than I imagined."

End of Project Gutenberg's A Desperate Game, by John Maddison Morton