Part 8

[CATHERINE _gives an inarticulate sob_. GEORGE WINTER, _shrugging his shoulders, goes towards the door_.

GEORGE WINTER.

Will you promise to prevent anyone from disturbing me?

CATHERINE.

Yes.

GEORGE WINTER.

In half an hour you can go to bed.... I hope you’ll sleep as soundly as I shall.

[_He goes out and locks the door behind him._ CATHERINE _hides her face in her hands and moans with fright and horror. In a moment_ O’DONNELL _comes in_. CATHERINE _starts as she hears him_.

CATHERINE.

I thought you’d gone to bed.

O’DONNELL.

I feel so awfully wide awake. I came in to see if I could find a book.

CATHERINE.

[_Pointing to a table._] There are some over there.

O’DONNELL.

You’re looking dreadfully done up. Why don’t you turn in?

[_At that moment shouts are heard in the square below, cheers and cries of_ WINTER.

CATHERINE.

[_Frightened._] What’s that?

O’DONNELL.

[_Going to the window._] Oh, it’s closing time. Enthusiastic politicians who’ve been turned out of the public-houses.

[_Cries of_ WINTER, WINTER.

CATHERINE.

Oh, send them away, I can’t bear it.

O’DONNELL.

[_Opening the window and calling out._] Mr. Winter has gone to bed, gentlemen, and I strongly recommend you to follow his example.

[_He shuts the window, amid the laughter and cheers of the roisterers. They go away singing._ CATHERINE _clenches her hands to prevent herself from screaming_.

O’DONNELL.

[_With a laugh._] Splendid, aren’t they?

CATHERINE.

Now, you really must go to bed.

O’DONNELL.

[_Taking a book from the table._] All right. I dare say we shall have a busy day to-morrow.... I really think this is the happiest day I’ve ever had. Life is jolly, isn’t it?

CATHERINE.

[_With a strange look at him._] Yes.

O’DONNELL.

Good-night.

CATHERINE.

[_With a sudden start._] Oh!

O’DONNELL.

What’s the matter?

CATHERINE.

I thought I heard a sound.

O’DONNELL.

I didn’t. The hotel’s as still as death, for a wonder. I hope the trains won’t disturb you to-night.

CATHERINE.

Good-night.

[_He goes out._ CATHERINE _turns and looks at the door of_ GEORGE WINTER’S _room. She takes a step towards it._

CATHERINE.

George!

[_She listens, but there is no answer. With a gesture of horror she turns away._ FRED BENNETT _bursts into the room_.

BENNETT.

I beg your pardon. I didn’t expect to find any one here. Where’s the Governor?

CATHERINE.

I don’t know.

BENNETT.

I want to see him at once.

CATHERINE.

He can’t see any one to-night.

BENNETT.

He’ll see me.

CATHERINE.

He left instructions that no one was to bother him.

BENNETT.

It’s a matter of life and death.

CATHERINE.

[_With a shiver of apprehension._] I tell you, you can’t see him.

BENNETT.

Isn’t he in his room?

CATHERINE.

No.

BENNETT.

[_Going towards the door._] Are you sure?

CATHERINE.

[_Getting in his way._] He’s tired out. Can’t you let him rest?

BENNETT.

Oh, but you don’t know what’s happened. The mine’s all right. For goodness’ sake, let me go to him.

CATHERINE.

[_Quickly._] What do you mean?

BENNETT.

[_The words tumbling over one another in his hurry._] The manager had taken Macdonald in, hadn’t shown him a new shaft they’d sunk. The place is crammed full of gold. It was only a dodge of the Lewishams. I did what the Governor told me. I just flooded the market with selling orders of their stocks, and at closing time Manny Lewisham sent for me. I smelt a rat. I was too clever for him. He’s offered to take the Governor in. He’ll buy a huge block of shares to-morrow at par. He’s going to pay on the nail. And we’re safe, we’re safe, we’re safe.

CATHERINE.

D’you mean to say....

BENNETT.

[_Interrupting._] It’s what the Governor’s been fighting for for ten years. At last he’s got there. The shares’ll be worth anything you like in a month. It means wealth, safety, everything.

CATHERINE.

Then George is....

BENNETT.

He’s at the top of the tree. He’s where he ought to be. In ten years he’ll be in the House of Lords. Would you like to tell him yourself?

[CATHERINE _hesitates for a moment. She sees her chance of freedom slipping away from her once more. For a moment she struggles with herself. All her life, past and future, comes before her in a flash._

CATHERINE.

I don’t know where he is.

BENNETT.

You don’t know?

CATHERINE.

He went down to the smoking-room.

BENNETT.

I must find him.

[_He runs towards the door, but before he can get out_ CATHERINE _has a revulsion of feeling_. _She gives a cry._

CATHERINE.

No, stop. He’s in his bedroom. Oh, be quick! Be quick!

[BENNETT _stops and looks at her with surprise. She runs to the door and beats against it with her hands._

CATHERINE.

George, George, George! Open the door! George, George!

BENNETT.

What’s the matter? What d’you mean?

CATHERINE.

George! It’s all right. Open the door, for God’s sake. [_To_ BENNETT.] Oh, can’t you open the door?

BENNETT.

Good God, what’s he doing?

CATHERINE.

George, George!

[BENNETT _puts his shoulder against it and tries to burst the door open. It does not yield._

BENNETT.

Governor. It’s me.

CATHERINE.

He locked it. Break the glass.

[_She gives him a bronze ornament which is at her hand, and he breaks it against the pane of glass which is above the lock. The glass splinters. He puts his hand in and turns the key. Then he opens the door and bursts in._

BENNETT.

He’s not there.

CATHERINE.

He must be. He must be.

BENNETT.

The windows are wide open. He must have gone out.

CATHERINE.

There’s nowhere to go. There’s only about two yards of garden and then the line. Call out.

BENNETT.

Perhaps he’s in the garden.

[BENNETT _runs out through the door of_ GEORGE WINTER’S _room. As he does this_, FRANCIS ETCHINGHAM _comes in from the left, in his pyjamas and a dressing-gown_.

ETCHINGHAM.

I say, what the devil’s all this row? It’s bad enough to have the trains banging under one’s window all night long. Upon my soul.

CATHERINE.

Where’s George? Father, father!

ETCHINGHAM.

How the deuce should I know?

[BENNETT _comes back_.

BENNETT.

He’s not in the garden anywhere.

CATHERINE.

Oh, I’m so frightened!

ETCHINGHAM.

What on earth’s the matter with you, Kate?

CATHERINE.

Oh, my God, my God!

BENNETT.

We can’t find the Governor.

ETCHINGHAM.

Perhaps he’s gone for a walk.

CATHERINE.

Along the line?

[TEDDIE O’DONNELL _comes running in_. _He has taken his coat and waistcoat off._

O’DONNELL.

I say, I’ve just seen a most awful accident. A man’s been run over on the line.

[CATHERINE _gives a shrill scream of horror, and, falling on her knees, hides her face_.

THE END.

* * * * *

Typographical errors corrected by the etext transcriber:

seizes her her by the shoulders=> seizes her by the shoulders {pg 27}

he get’s a month’s hard labour=> he gets a month’s hard labour {pg 101}

rapidily run their eyes=> rapidly run their eyes {pg 141}

He say’s Teddie’s awfully useful=> He says Teddie’s awfully useful {pg 167}