The Magician's Show Box, and Other Stories Part 8

_They draw her out._

FIRST FAIRY. Why, it is not Edith; yet she has on her purple dress!

SECOND FAIRY.

An elf has crept into Fairyland; Bid her bide, and make her stand; Fairies, seize her by the hand; She shall not slip away.

THIRD FAIRY. How came you with the queen's dress?

LISA. She put it on me.

f.a.n.n.y. Edith wishes to play us a trick; this is one of the farmer's daughters, perhaps.

_Enter MRS. LANDOR._

MRS. L. Edith, it is time to break up your plays for to-night.

To-morrow you shall dance again as much as you please.

f.a.n.n.y. It is not Edith.

MRS. L. O, I thought it was; where is she? Some of you must go and look for her.

f.a.n.n.y. This girl can tell you. She says Edith gave her the purple dress.

MRS. L. Where is Edith?

LISA. O, she has gone!

MRS. L. Gone! where?

LISA. She has gone with my mother.

MRS. L. With your mother, child? What do you mean?

LISA. Please don't frighten me so, and I will tell you. She said she wanted to be a gypsy; so she put on my dress, and waited at the gate for mother.

MRS. L. O, my child, my child! The gypsies have carried her off. What shall I do?

LISA. They did not carry her off; she said she wanted to go, and I should stay and sleep in her bed, and have plenty to eat, and be your child.

MRS. L. Be my child, you little impostor! Away with you, as fast as you can go.

f.a.n.n.y. But she has Edith's fairy dress on.

MRS. L. Let her put on her own rags again.

f.a.n.n.y. But Edith has her dress.

MRS. L. Then she must have one of Edith's old ones. Here, Nancy, see this child dressed in one of Miss Edith's frocks. Keep an eye upon her, and do not let her steal any thing.

f.a.n.n.y. Mary, run and tell the men to go and look for Edith, and find Edward as soon as possible.

EDWARD, (_entering._) Here I am, mother; what do you wish?

MRS. L. You must go in search of Edith; she has been carried off to the gypsies' camp.

EDWARD. The gypsies' camp! I will find her, mother; do not be troubled about her.

SCENE 4. _A Lonely Road; LISA crying. EDWARD enters._

EDWARD. Edith, Edith, I have found you at last. (_Throws his arms round her._)

LISA. It is not Edith; it is only me.

EDWARD. You, you little vagabond! What have you done with Edith?

Where is your gypsy camp?

LISA. She is not there; I have been to the gypsies. They say mother is carried to jail, and Edith to the House of Correction.

EDWARD. Edith in the House of Correction! My sister! That shall never be.

_Exit._

LISA. O, stop, stop! Pray show me the way to the jail; don't leave me alone here! There, he has gone. Edith would not have done so. What shall I do? I am so tired I cannot drag one foot after another. I must lie down and die here, all alone in the dark night. And mother is in the jail without me. How wretched she will be! O mother, mother!

SCENE 5. _House of Correction. EDITH, CATHARINE HALL, SARAH MUNN, and other Women._

SARAH. What young thing is that they have just brought in? She looks as if she thought we were wild tigers from a caravan.

CATHARINE. She's a proud little minx; see how she holds up her head, and looks about, with her old brown rags on. For all she has such fine ways, I'll warrant you she is no better than the rest of us. I'll have a talk with her.

SARAH. Let her alone. Don't go; she's better than we, and shall be left so.

CATHARINE. Hands off. Do you think I'm going to be cheated of my sport? You had better turn minister. You look as grand as a judge. We'll teach her what kind of company she has fallen into. Come along; you haven't had any too much amus.e.m.e.nt to-day.

SARAH. Well.

CATHARINE. Come, child, tell us all about it; what are you in here for?

EDITH. I have done nothing.

CATHARINE. Arson, perhaps; that's my go.

EDITH. What is arson?

CATHARINE. What innocence! You never set a barn on fire, did you, my pretty one?