I have sent the necessary office-papers to Milan. And I entreat you, in your own interests, as well as in ours, to lose no time. Your obedient servant, HARTMANN (chief clerk in the house of Defresnier and Company).”
Marguerite. (coming forward). Well?
Obenreizer. (coming forward). Well?
Vendale. (to MARGUERITE). I am afraid you will be disappointed. The journey is lengthened—we must go to Milan.
Marguerite. (aside). My last hope gone!
Obenreizer. (aside). I breathe again!
Vendale. (to OBENREIZER). There is no objection to your seeing this letter. There is even a reason for your seeing it. You have engaged to accompany me as far as Switzerland. In this winter weather, I can scarcely expect you to go on with me, and cross the Alps.
(Hands the letter to OBENREIZER).
Obenreizer. My friend! I do nothing by halves. If you cross the Alps—winter or summer, I cross them with you!
Vendale. Bravely said, brother-traveller! Joey! take a pen, and alter the address on my portmanteau from Neuchâtel to Milan. Do you know how to spell it? M I L A N. (He speaks aside with MARGUERITE, trying to compose her. OBENREIZER silently reads the letter.)
Joey (to himself, while altering the address). I can spell out more than that, Master George! I can spell out that Miss Margaret don’t like this journey of yours no better than I do. I’d give something to hear what she has to say about it.
Obenreizer. (to himself, folding up the letter). Witnesses may intrude themselves on the railways. Servants may be in the way at the inns. On the mountain, there are neither witnesses nor servants! On the mountain, I have got him! (Returning the letter to VENDALE.) En route, my friend! We have not another minute to spare.
Joey. I’ll take your luggage, Master George. The cab’s at the door. (Takes out VENDALE’S luggage. MADAME DOR follows in triumph with OBENREIZER’S portmanteau.)
Obenreizer. (to MARGUERITE). Adieu, my charming ward! Remember me in my absence, Marguerite, as kindly as you can. I know how precious he is to you. Trust to me—I’ll take care of him!
(Exit.)
Marguerite. (clinging to VENDALE). Oh, George! don’t, don’t, don’t go!
Obenreizer. (outside). Vendale!
Vendale. Compose yourself, my angel! In less than a month, I shall be back again!
Obenreizer. (as before). Vendale!
Vendale. One last kiss!
JOEY re-enters.
Joey. He’s a-waiting for you, Master George.
(VENDALE hurries out.)
Marguerite. Gone! Gone in spite of all I could say to him! What’s to be done?
Joey. Give me your hand, Miss—and I’ll tell you!
Marguerite. Both! both!
Joey. Look at me!
Marguerite. I do! I do!
Joey. Have you got courage enough to do a desperate thing?
Marguerite. Try me! I’m no fine lady. I’m one of the people, Joey, like you!
Joey. It’s borne in on your mind that he’s in danger; and it’s borne in on mine.
Marguerite. Yes!
Joey. He has gone, past all calling back.
Marguerite. Yes! yes!
Joey. Follow him, Miss. And I’ll go with you!
(MARGUERITE clasps her hands with a cry of delight. The curtain falls.)
THE END OF THE THIRD ACT.
ACT IV.
(In Three Scenes.)
FIRST SCENE.—A bedroom in a Swiss inn. Time, night. The bed is at the back of the stage. At the side, a door. A small table near the door. A heavy latch on the inner side of the door. At the opposite side, a fireplace. The candles on the table are burning low in their sockets. The red light of the fire is the principal light in the room. VENDALE is discovered, lying on a sofa. OBENREIZER is with him, walking backwards and forwards in the room.
Vendale. How still the night is! I hear a rushing sound somewhere in the distance. Is it a waterfall?
Obenreizer. Yes. A waterfall on the lower slopes of the mountain.
Vendale. The mountain that lies between us and Italy! The mountain that we cross to-morrow!
Obenreizer. (stopping in his walk, and pursuing his own train of thought). It sounds like the old waterfall at home. The waterfall which my mother showed to travellers—if she was my mother!
Vendale. If she was your mother?
Obenreizer. (still pursuing his thoughts). The sound of that waterfall changed with the weather, as does the sound of all falling waters, and flowing waters. I remember it as sometimes saying to me for whole days—“Who are you, my little wretch?—Who are you, my little wretch?”—I remember it other times saying, when its sound was hollow, and storm was coming up the pass—“Boom! Boom! Boom! Beat him! Beat him! Beat him!” like my mother in a rage—if she was my mother.
Vendale. Why do you say “if”?
Obenreizer. What do I know about it? I am so obscurely born, how can I say? I was young: the rest of my family were men and women. My so-called parents were old. Anything is possible of a case like mine.
Vendale. Did you ever doubt——?
Obenreizer. Bah! Here I am in the world. What does it matter how I come there?
Vendale. At least you are Swiss?
Obenreizer. How do I know? I say to you: “At least you are English.” How do you know?
Vendale. By what I have been told from infancy.
Obenreizer. You believe what you have been told from infancy? Good! To cut it short—I will believe what I have been told from infancy, too.
(Resumes his walk up and down the room.)
Vendale. Have you no recollections of your early days?
Obenreizer. (continuing his walk). I have recollections of feeling hunger; I have recollections of feeling cold; I have recollections of feeling the stick! There is the biography of my early days! Pity me or laugh at me, which you please—and then forget all about me, as soon as possible. Twenty years ago I should have begged your loose halfpence of you. Now, all I beg of you is—to change the subject!
(Goes to the window, opens the shutter, and looks out.)
Vendale. (speaking to himself). There is something he won’t confess about his early life. Is there any clue here to what Wilding wanted with him in the bygone time?
Obenreizer. (closing the window-shutter, and addressing VENDALE). Dark and cold, my brother-traveller! Not a creature passing on the earth! Not a star to be seen in the heavens! Your fire is burning low—we must mend it. (Goes to the door and calls off.) More wood! (The WAITER enters, and puts wood on the fire. OBENREIZER continues; standing near the door, and speaking to himself.) Where will he put the receipt to-night? If he sleeps, I shall find out. But suppose he wakes? I’ll make sure. (Takes a phial from his breast-pocket.) I’ll try the laudanum to-night.