Delphi Complete Works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Illustrated) (1075 page)

ARMITAGE
: No sir I am not.

CORONER
: You are a little exacting (
Turns away
)

RYLOTT
(
touching
ARMITAGE
on the shoulder
): I have only one thing to say to you sir. Get out of my house. Do you hear?

ARMITAGE
: Yes Dr Rylott I hear. And I seem to hear something else. Something crying from the ground, Dr. Rylott, from the ground.

(
Exits slowly into the entrance hall)

RYLOTT
: Impertinent rascal! (
Turns away
)

(
Enter
WATSON, ENID
and the other witnesses from the morning room. They all file out towards the entrance hail
)

(
ENID
has come down stage.
DR
WATSON
comes back from door
)

WATSON
: Good bye Miss Enid (
Shakes hands. Then in a lower voice
) Don t forget that you have a friend.

(
He goes out
)

(
Business of
CORONER
and
RYLOTT
lighting cigarettes —
ENID
catches
RYLOTT’S
e
ye across
CORONER
and shrinks down onto a chair
)

CURTAIN

ACT I
I

Two years have elapsed between Acts I and II

SCENE
I

 DR. RYLOTT’S study at Stoke Place.

The door at one side, a pair of French windows on the other.

It is two years later.

Enter
MRS
.
STAUNTON
,
showing in
ARMITAGE
.

MRS
.
STAUNTON
: I can’t tell how long the Doctor may be. It’s not long since he went out.

ARMITAGE
: Well, I’ll wait for him, however long it is.

MRS
.
STAUNTON
: It’s nothing I could do for you, I suppose.

ARMITAGE
: No, it is not.

MRS
.
STAUNTON
: Well, you need not be so short. Perhaps, after you’ve seen the Doctor, you may be sorry.

ARMITAGE
: There’s the law of England watching over me, Mrs. Staunton. I advise you not to forget it — nor your master either. I fear no man so long as I am doing my duty.

(
Enter
ENID
.)

Ah, Miss Stonor, I am very glad to see you.

ENID
(
bewildered
): Good-day, Mr. Armitage. What brings you up here?

ARMITAGE
: I had a little business with the Doctor. But I should be very glad to have a chat with you also.

MRS
.
STAUNTON
: I don’t think the Doctor would like it, Miss Enid.

ARMITAGE
: A pretty state of things. Isn’t this young lady able to speak with whoever she likes? Do you call this a prison, or a private asylum, or what? These are fine doings in a free country.

MRS
.
STAUNTON
: I am sure the Doctor would not like it.

ARMITAGE
: Look here, Mrs. Staunton, two is company and three is none. If I’m not afraid of your master, I’m not afraid of YOU. You’re a bit beyond your station, you are. Get to the other side of that door and leave us alone, or else —

MRS
.
STAUNTON
: Or what, Mr. Armitage?

ARMITAGE
: As sure as my father was a Methodist I’ll go down to the J.P. and swear out an information that this young lady is under constraint.

MRS
.
STAUNTON
: Oh — well, you need not be so hot about it. It’s nothing to me what you say to Miss Enid. But the Doctor won’t like it.

(
She goes out
)

ARMITAGE
(looking at the door): You haven’t such a thing as a hatpin? (Crossing over to door)

ENID
: No.

ARMITAGE
: If I were to jab it through that keyhole —

ENID
: Mr. Armitage please don’t.

ARMITAGE
: You’d hear Sister Jane’s top note. But we’ll speak low for I don’t mean she shall hear. First of all Miss Enid are they using you? Are you all right?

ENID
: Mr. Armitage I know you mean it all for kindness but I cannot discuss my personal affairs with you. I hardly know you.

ARMITAGE
: Only the village grocer. I know all about that. But I’ve taken an interest in you Miss Stonor and I’m not the kind of man that can’t leave go his hold. I came here not to see you, but your stepfather.

ENID
: Oh, Mr. Armitage, I beg you to go away at once. You have no idea how violent he is if any one thwarts him. Please, please go at once.

ARMITAGE
: Well Miss Stonor your only chance of getting to go is to answer my questions. When my conscience is clear, I’ll go and not before. My conscience tells me that it is my duty to stay here till I have some satisfaction.

ENID
(
crossing to settee and sitting
): What is it, Mr. Armitage. Let’s sit down.

ARMITAGE
(
bringing chair over to settee
): Well I’ll tell you. I make it my business to know what is going on in this house. It may be that I like you or it may be that I dislike your stepfather. Or it may be that it is just my nature but so it is I’ve got my own ways of finding out, and I find out.

ENID
: What have you found out?

ARMITAGE
: Now look here, Miss. Cast your mind back to that inquest two years ago.

ENID
: Oh! (
Turning away
.)

ARMITAGE
: I’m sorry if it hurts you, but I must speak plain. When did your sister meet her death? It was shortly after her engagement was it not?

ENID
: Yes, it was.

ARMITAGE
: Well, you’re engaged now, are you not?

ENID
: Yes, I am.

ARMITAGE
: Point number one. Well, now, have there not been repairs lately, and are you not forced to sleep in the very room your sister died in?

ENID
: Only for a few nights.

ARMITAGE
: Point number two. In your evidence you said you heard music in the house at night. Have you never heard music of late?

ENID
: Good God! only last night I thought I heard it; and then persuaded myself that it was a dream. But how do you know these things, Mr. Armitage, and what do they mean?

ARMITAGE
: Well, I won’t tell you how I know them, and I can’t tell you what they mean. But it’s devilish, Miss Stonor, devilish! (
Rising
.) Now I’ve come up to see your stepfather and to tell him, as man to man, that I’ve got my eye on him, and that if anything happens to you it will be a bad day’s work for him.

ENID
(
rising
): Oh, Mr. Armitage, he would beat you within an inch of your life. Mr. Armitage, you cannot think what he is like when the fury is on him. He is terrible.

ARMITAGE
: The law will look after me.

ENID
: It might avenge you, Mr. Armitage, but it could not protect you. Besides, there is no possible danger. You know of my engagement to Lieutenant Curtis?

ARMITAGE
: I hear he leaves to-morrow.

ENID
: That is true. But the next day I am going on a visit to his mother, at Fenton. Indeed, there is no danger.

ARMITAGE
: Well, I won’t deny that I am consoled by what you say, but there’s just one condition on which I would leave this house.

ENID
: What is that?

ARMITAGE
: Well, I remember your friend, Dr. Watson, at the inquest — and we’ve heard of his connection with Mr. Sherlock
HOLMES
. If you’ll promise me that you’ll slip away to London to-morrow, see those two gentlemen, and get their advice, I’ll wash my hands of it. I should feel that some one stronger than me Was looking after you.

ENID
: Oh, Mr. Armitage, I couldn’t.

ARMITAGE
(
folding his arms
): Then I stay here.

ENID
: It is Lieutenant Curtis’s last day in England.

ARMITAGE
: When does he leave?

ENID
: In the evening.

ARMITAGE
: Well if you go in the morning you’d be back in time.

ENID
: But how can I get away?

ARMITAGE
: Who’s to stop you? Have you money?

ENID
: Yes, I have enough.

ARMITAGE
: Then go.

ENID
: It is really impossible.

ARMITAGE
(
sitting
): Very good. Then I’ll have it out with Doctor.

ENID
(
crossing to him
): There, there! I’ll promise. I’ll go. I won’t have you hurt I’ll write and arrange it all somehow.

ARMITAGE
: Word of honour?

ENID
: Yes, yes I’ll write to Dr Watson. Oh do go. This way. (Goes to the French window) If you keep among the laurels you can get to the high road and no one will meet you.

ARMITAGE
(
going up to the windows. Pause. Returning)
: That dog about?

ENID
: It is with the Doctor. Oh do go! and thank you — Thank you with all my heart.

ARMITAGE
: My wife and I can always take you in. Don’t you forget it.

(
ARMITAGE
goes out
ENID
stands looking after him. As she does so Mrs Staunton enters the room
)

MRS
STAUNTON
: I saw Mr. Armitage going off through the shrubbery (
Looks out of window
).

ENID
: Yes he has gone.

MRS
.
STAUNTON
: But why did he not wait to see the Doctor.

ENID
: He’s changed his mind.

MRS
STAUNTON
: He is the most impertinent busybody in the whole village. Fancy the insolence of him coming up here without a with-your-leave or by-your-leave. What was it he wanted, Miss Enid?

ENID
: It is not your place, Mrs. Staunton, to ask such questions.

MRS
.
STAUNTON
: Oh, indeed! For that matter, Miss Enid, I should not have thought it was your place to have secrets with the village grocer. The Doctor will want to know all about it.

ENID
: What my stepfather may do is another matter. I beg, Mrs. Staunton, that you will attend to your own affairs and leave me alone.

MRS
.
STAUNTON
(putting her arms akimbo): High and mighty, indeed! I’m to do all the work of the house, but the grocer can come in and turn me out of the room. If you think I am nobody you may find yourself mistaken some of these days.

ENID
: How dare you — (She makes for the door, as
RYLOTT
enters.)

RYLOTT
: Why,
ENID
, what’s the matter? Any one been upsetting you? What’s all this, Mrs. Staunton?

ENID
: Mrs. Staunton has been rude to me.

RYLOTT
: Dear, dear! Here’s a storm in a teacup. Well, now, come and tell me all about it. No one shall bother my little Enid. What would her sailor boy say?

MRS
.
STAUNTON
: Mr. Armitage has been here. He would speak with Miss
ENID
alone. I didn’t think it right. That is why Miss Enid is offended.

RYLOTT
: Where is the fellow?

MRS
.
STAUNTON
: He is gone. He went off through the shrubbery.

RYLOTT
: Upon my word, he seems to make himself at home. What did he want,
ENID
?

ENID
: He wanted to know how I was.

RYLOTT
: This is too funny! You have made a conquest, Enid. You have a rustic admirer.

ENID
: I believe he is a true friend who means well to me.

RYLOTT
: Astounding! Perhaps it is as well for him that he did not prolong his visit. But now, my dear girl, go to your room until I send for you. I am very sorry that you have been upset, and I will see that such a thing does not happen again. Tut, tut! my little girl shall not be worried. Leave it to me. (
Goes up to door with
ENID
.)