oon. (LEYRAC shakes his head.)
LEY. You have seen her--do you know her?
DAVID. A perfect stranger.
LEY. She must be mad, or it's a mistake.
DAVID. No mistake, sir, I can assure you. She knew all about you, clearly enough.
LEY. I will see her.
DAVID. Shall I go with you?
LEY. You might see me to the place, and then go back to the hotel to wait for me.
[Exit, R.
DAVID (to PLATO). Come along, Mr. Plato!
[Exeunt PLATO and DAVID R. Music, tremolo. Gas down a little more.
Enter, L., WESTCRAFT, crossing to R.; pauses R., looking off R., and then exits R., at if following some one.
Scene changes to SCENE III.--Hut interior in 4th grooves. Light on table, R. Gas down three-quarters turn. Gas up in L. U. E., and lime-light effect L. U. E. corner, in the flies.
Discover RUTH on couch up R. C., and GIRL R. by table. RUTH. Time passes, and still he does not come. (weak voice) Look for him again, my dear. (GIRL goes to D. in F.) Look for him again. (GIRL opens D. F.)
Appear, U. E., outside D. F., DAVID, LEYRAC and PLATO. PLATO. Dis am de place, sah. Dis am Ruth's hut. (bows and exits, L. U. E.)
RUTH. Is he there?
LEY. (on the threshold). Are you speaking to me?
RUTH. (eagerly). Yes, yes, come in! (sits up.)
DAVID. Shall I wait for you here, sir?
LEY. No. Go back to the hotel and wait for me there. (DAVID bows and exits, L. U. E. GIRL goes out D. F., shutting it behind her after showing in LEYRAC. ) Look at me. Am I really the person you want to see? (removes his hat.)
RUTH. Yes. (LEYRAC puts hat on table.)
LEY. You know my name?
RUTH. Your name is Maurice de Leyrac. Will you move the light a little closer? (LEYRAC moves table nearer head of bed) Thanks. (leaning on one elbow, hoarsely, eagerly) What has brought you to Trinidad?
LEY. What interest can you have in my movements? Oh, this is absurd. (kindly) I don't wish to speak harshly to you, my good woman, but you cannot expect me to stop here by your bed to hear your sick delusions.
RUTH. What evil wind brought you again to this accursed island?
LEY. The poor woman is wandering. (gets his hat.)
RUTH. Do you come to Trinidad of your own free will?
LEY. Of my own free will. Come, you are too ill--you are under some error. I--my time is precious. But--but, there--(puts down his hat)--is there anything I can do for you before I go?
RUTH. I want you to look back in your mind. What is the first thing that you remember, the first, first thing in your mind?
LEY. (interested, but still a little careless of tone). The first thing I remember? (thinking.)
RUTH. Do I live in your mind? Look at me! yes, look at me! pray, oh, pray, look at me! (leans forward.)
LEY. (shakes his head) The first thing that I remember? is--is being on board a ship with my father and mother.
RUTH (sighs disappointedly). Ah! (sadly) My memory goes back to a time farther than yours--when the Count and Countess de Leyrac adopted you for their own son.
LEY. Adopted me?
RUTH. Adopted.
LEY. (incredulously). I am not the son of the Count and Countess?
RUTH. You are not their son.
LEY. (staggered). Ah! (quickly) Oh! she is mad.
RUTH. I am not mad. Is this the truth or is it not? The Count and Countess had no other children, and brought you up in France.
LEY. Oh! you speak the truth so far.
RUTH. When you spoke to them of your infancy, were you not surprised that they should always change the conversation to another subject?
LEY. (quickly). Over and over again!
RUTH. Ah! and when they died and left you in charge of a guardian, did he not carefully keep from you the family papers?
LEY. Great heavens! yes!
RUTH. Am I mad now?
LEY. You say I was adopted. Then my parents, my real parents--do they still live?
RUTH. One is dead.
LEY. My mother?
BOTH. No! your father.
LEY. Then my mother lives!
RUTH. Yes. His name was Brentwood. His widow----
LEY. My mother!
RUTH (hanging her head). Not your mother! his wife!
LEY. Then who was my mother?
RUTH. A slave-girl on your father's plantation.
LEY. A slave! Ah! (bitterly) It has been the one dream of my life to live worthy of my birth! And I was never so proud and glad of it as this day. And now!--(sadly) Is my mother living, say you?
RUTH (timidly). Do you blame her?
LEY. (forcibly). God forbid!
RUTH. You are not ashamed?
LEY. It is not my fault. I am sure, not hers. You would not keep me in suspense unless you feared for her. Where is she?
RUTH. Oh! don't look at me! (hides face with hands) Don't look at me!
LEY. Why not? You asked me to look at you an hour since, and now--Ah! (forcibly) you are--my mother! oh! mother! (falls on knees by bedside) kiss me. (they embrace.)
WESTCRAFT appears on roof outside window in F., moonlight upon him. WEST. (aside). The lamp is moved, I cannot see, but I can hear! I can hear!
LEY. (rises) Hark! There is something moving outside (stands trembling with agitation, trying to recover his composure, dashes away a tear, etc.)
RUTH. Nay. 'tis only the night wind coming down from the mountains, and rustling the dry leaves of the thatch.
LEY. Let me look and make sure. (opens D. in F., and looks out. Moonlight on him, picture. Music, piano, tremolo).
Enter, R. D., remaining there, MISS MILBURN. MISS M. (aside). What has brought him to Ruth's cottage? (keeps herself hid, though seen from the front.)
LEY. No, there is no one. (closes D , retiring to bedside). I see no living creature, I heard nothing but the wind.
RUTH. Come here to me, I have not said what I wanted to say.
LEY. (tenderly). You are too weak, mother. Not now; when you are stronger.
RUTH. My time is too short for me to linger. Listen. When your father was on his death bed, he thought of me, he wrote to me, but his jealous wife destroyed his letters. He wanted to see me, but his jealous wife stopped the messengers. He had something to send to me, but thanks to his wife, I never received anything.
LEY. Go on, mother. (holding her hand in his.)
RUTH.