Washington Square Plays Part 2

d.i.c.k. He's sick and needs to go to bed for a while.

MARY. He ain't here.

SERGEANT. What do you want to lie for?

MARY [quickly]. I ain't lyin'. I ain't seed no soldier.

THADDEUS. No one could 'a' come without her seein' 'em.

SERGEANT. I suppose you know what'll happen to you if you are hidin'

the man? [MARY stands rooted to the spot where she stopped when she came downstairs. Her eyes are fixed on the SERGEANT.]

THADDEUS. There ain't no one here. We both been here all day, an' there couldn't no one come without our knowin' it. What would they want round here anyway?

SERGEANT. We'll search the place.

MARY [quickly]. Ye ain't got no----

SERGEANT [sharply]. What's that, woman?

MARY. There ain't no one here, an' ye're keepin' us from our sleep.

SERGEANT. Your sleep? This is an affair of life and death. Get us a lantern.

[THADDEUS moves to the table which stands in front of the cubby-hole, and lights the lantern from the candle which he holds in his hand. He hands the lantern to the SERGEANT.]

SERGEANT [seeing the door to the cubby-hole]. Ha! Tryin' to hide the door are you, by puttin' a table in front of it. You can't fool me. [To THADDEUS.] Pull the table away and let's see what's behind the door.

THADDEUS. It's a cubby-hole an' ain't been opened in years.

SERGEANT [sternly and emphatically]. I said to open the door.

[THADDEUS sets the candle on the larger table, moves the smaller table to the right, and opens the door to the cubby-hole. Anger is seen on MARY'S face. The SERGEANT takes a long-barrelled revolver from his belt, and peers into the cubby-hole. He sees nothing.]

SERGEANT [returning his revolver to his belt]. We're goin' to tear this place to pieces till we find him. You might just as well hand him over now.

MARY. There ain't no one here.

SERGEANT. All right. Now we'll see. d.i.c.k, you stand guard at the door.

[d.i.c.k goes to the door back, and stands gazing out into the night--his back to the audience.]

SERGEANT [to THADDEUS]. Come along, man. I'll have a look at the upstairs. [To MARY.] You sit down in that chair [points to the chair at right of table, and feeling for a sufficiently strong threat]. Don't you stir or I'll--I'll set fire to your house. [To THADDEUS.] Go on ahead.

[THADDEUS and the SERGEANT go upstairs. MARY sinks almost lifelessly into the chair. She is the picture of fear. She sits facing left.

Suddenly she leans forward. The door left is being opened. She opens her eyes wide and draws her breath sharply. She opens her mouth as though she would scream, but makes no sound. The NORTHERNER comes slowly and cautiously through the door. (d.i.c.k cannot see him because of the jog in the wall.) MARY only stares in bewilderment at the NORTHERNER, as the man, with eyes fixed appealingly on her, opens the door to the cubby-hole and crawls inside.]

d.i.c.k. Woman!

MARY [almost with a cry--thinking that d.i.c.k has seen the NORTHERNER].

Yes.

d.i.c.k. Have you got an apple handy? I'm starved. [MARY moves to the cupboard to get the apple for d.i.c.k. The SERGEANT and THADDEUS come downstairs. The SERGEANT, seeing that MARY is not where he left her, looks about quickly and discovers her at the cupboard.]

SERGEANT. Here, what'd I tell you I'd do if you moved from that chair?

MARY [with great fear]. Oh, I didn't--I only--he wanted----

d.i.c.k. It's all right, Sergeant. I asked her to get me an apple.

SERGEANT. d.i.c.k, take this lantern and search the barn. [d.i.c.k takes the lantern from the SERGEANT and goes out back.] [To THADDEUS.] Come in here with me. [Takes the candle from centre table.] [The SERGEANT and THADDEUS move toward the door left. As though in a stupor, MARY starts to follow.] Sit down! [MARY falls into the chair at the right of the centre table. The SERGEANT and THADDEUS go into the room at left. They can be heard moving furniture about. MARY'S eyes fall on a pin on the floor. She bends over, picks it up, and fastens it in her belt. The SERGEANT and THADDEUS return.]

SERGEANT. If I find him now, after all the trouble you've given me, you know what'll happen. There's likely to be two dead men and a woman, instead of only the Yankee.

d.i.c.k [bounding into the room]. Sergeant!

SERGEANT. What is it? [d.i.c.k hurries to the SERGEANT and says something in a low voice to him. Satisfaction shows on the latter's face.]

SERGEANT. Now my good people, how did that horse get here?

THADDEUS. What horse?

d.i.c.k. There's a horse in the barn with a saddle on his back. I swear he's been ridden lately.

THADDEUS [amazed]. There is?

SERGEANT. You know it. [To MARY.] Come, woman, who drove that horse here?

MARY [silent for a moment--her eyes on the floor]. I don't know. I didn't hear nothin'.

THADDEUS [moving in the direction of the door back]. Let me go an' see.

SERGEANT [pus.h.i.+ng THADDEUS back]. No, you don't. You two have done enough to justify the harshest measures. Show us the man's hiding-place.

THADDEUS. If there's anybody here, he's come in the night without our knowin' it. I tell ye I didn't see anybody, an' she didn't, an'----

SERGEANT [has been watching MARY]. Where is he? [The SERGEANT'S tone makes THADDEUS jump. There is a pause, during which MARY seems trying to compose herself. Then slowly, she lifts her eyes and looks at the SERGEANT.]

MARY. There ain't n.o.body in the house 'cept us two.

SERGEANT [to d.i.c.k]. Did you search all the outbuildings?

d.i.c.k. Yes. There's not a trace of him except the horse.

SERGEANT [wiping the perspiration from his face; speaks with apparent deliberation at first, but increases to great strength and emphasis]. He didn't have much of a start of us, and I think he was wounded. A farmer down the road said he heard hoof-beats. The man the other side of you heard nothing, and the horse is in your barn. [Slowly draws revolver, and points it at THADDEUS.] There are ways of making people confess.

THADDEUS [covering his face with his hands]. For G.o.d's sake, don't. I know that horse looks bad--but as I live I ain't heard a sound, or seen anybody. I'd give the man up in a minute if he was here.