Chapter 39

BRODIE, LESLIE

BRODIE _enters by the window with assurance and ease_, _closes it silently_, _and proceeds to traverse the room_. _As he moves_, LESLIE _leaps upon and grapples him_.

LESLIE. Take off that mask!

BRODIE. Hands off!

LESLIE. Take off the mask!

BRODIE. Leave go, by God, leave go!

LESLIE. Take it off!

BRODIE (_overpowered_). Leslie . . .

LESLIE. Ah! you know me! (_Succeeds in tearing off the mask_.) Brodie!

BRODIE (_in the moonlight_). Brodie.

LESLIE. You . . . you, Brodie, you?

BRODIE. Brodie, sir, Brodie as you see.

LESLIE. What does it mean? What does it mean, my God? Were you here before? Is this the second time? Are you a thief, man? are you a thief? Speak, speak, or I’ll kill you.

BRODIE. I am a thief.

LESLIE. And my friend, my own friend, and . . . Mary, Mary! . . . Deacon, Deacon, for God’s sake, no!

BRODIE. God help me!

LESLIE. ‘We Brodies! We Brodies!’

BRODIE. Leslie—

LESLIE. Stand off! Don’t touch me! You’re a thief!

BRODIE. Leslie, Leslie

LESLIE. A thief’s sister! Why are you here? why are you here? Tell me! Why do you not speak? Man, I know you of old. Are you Brodie, and have nothing to say?

BRODIE. To say? Not much—God help me—and commonplace, commonplace like sin. I was honest once; I made a false step; I couldn’t retrace it; and . . . that is all.

LESLIE. You have forgot the bad companions!

BRODIE. I did forget them. They were there.

LESLIE. Commonplace! Commonplace! Do you speak to me, do you reason with me, do you make excuses? You—a man found out, shamed, a liar, a thief—a man that’s killed me, killed this heart in my body; and you speak! What am I to do? I hold your life in my hand; have you thought of that? What am I to do?

BRODIE. Do what you please; you have me trapped.

(JEAN WATT _is heard singing without two bars of_ ‘_Wanderin’ Willie_,’ _by way of signal_.)

LESLIE. What is that?

BRODIE. A signal.

LESLIE. What does it mean?

BRODIE. Danger to me; there is someone coming.

LESLIE. Danger to you?

BRODIE. Some one is coming. What are you going to do with me? (_A knock at the door_.)

LESLIE (_after a pause_). Sit down. (_Knocking_.)

BRODIE. What are you going to do with me?

LESLIE. Sit down. (BRODIE _sits in darkest part of stage_. LESLIE _opens door_, _and admits_ LAWSON. _Door open till end of Act_.)