The Return of Peter Grimm by David Belasco (classic reads .TXT) 📕

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PETER. Yes, you can.... You're afraid....

CATHERINE. [_In a low voice._] So you do remember the time when you lived with Annamarie; ... you always told me that you didn't ... [_To_ DR. MACPHERSON.] I must know more of this--[_Pauses abruptly._] Think, William, who came to the house?

PETER. That's what _I_ asked you, William.

WILLIAM. That's what _he_ asked ...

DR. MACPHERSON. Who?

WILLIAM. Mr. Grimm.

DR. MACPHERSON. When, William?

WILLIAM. Just now ...

CATHERINE _and_ MRS. BATHOLOMMEY. [_Together._] Just now!

DR. MACPHERSON. H'm.... You both ask the same question, eh? The man that came to see--

MRS. BATHOLOMMEY. [_Perplexed._] It can't be possible that the child knows what he's talking about.

DR. MACPHERSON. [_Ignoring her._] What did you tell Mr. Grimm when he asked you?

PETER. You'd better make haste, William. Frederik is coming back.

WILLIAM. [_Looking uneasily over his shoulder._] I'm afraid.

CATHERINE. Why does he always look towards that door? You're not afraid now, William?

WILLIAM. [_Looking towards the door._] N-no--but.... Please, please don't let Mr. Frederik come back. 'Cause then I'll be afraid again.

DR. MACPHERSON. Ah!

PETER. William! William!

WILLIAM. [_Rising quickly._] Yes, Mr. Grimm?

PETER. You must say that I am very unhappy.

WILLIAM. He says he is very unhappy.

DR. MACPHERSON. Why is he unhappy?... Ask him.

WILLIAM. Why are you unhappy, Mr. Grimm?

PETER. I am thinking of Catherine's future....

WILLIAM. [_Not understanding the last word--puzzled._] Eh?

PETER. To-morrow ...

WILLIAM. [_After a slight pause._] To-morrow ...

PETER. Catherine's--

WILLIAM. [_Looks at_ CATHERINE--_hesitating._] Your--[_Stops._ CATHERINE _gives the_ DOCTOR _a quick glance--she seems to divine the message._

DR. MACPHERSON. [_Prompting._] Her--

CATHERINE. What, William? What of to-morrow?

PETER. She must not marry Frederik.

WILLIAM. I mustn't say _that_.

DR. MACPHERSON. What?

WILLIAM. What he wanted me to say. [_Points towards_ PETER. _All instinctively look towards the spot to which_ WILLIAM _points, but they see no one._

PETER. [_Speaking slowly to the boy._] Catherine--must--not--marry Frederik Grimm.

DR. MACPHERSON. Speak, William. No one will hurt you.

WILLIAM. Oh, yes, _he_ will.... [_Looking timidly towards the door_ FREDERIK _passed through._] I don't want to tell his name--'cause ... 'cause ...

DR. MACPHERSON. Why don't you tell the name, William?

PETER. Make haste, William, make haste.

WILLIAM. [_Trembling._] I'm afraid ... I'm afraid ... he will make Annamarie cry; ... he makes me cry ...

CATHERINE. [_With suppressed excitement--half to herself._] Why are you afraid of him? Was Frederik the man that came to see Annamarie?

MRS. BATHOLOMMEY. Catherine!

CATHERINE. [_On her knees before_ WILLIAM.] Was he? Was it Frederik Grimm? Tell me, William.

MRS. BATHOLOMMEY. Surely you don't believe ...

CATHERINE. [_In a low voice._] I've thought of a great many things to-day ... little things ... little things I'd never noticed before.... I'm putting them together just as he put that picture together.... I must know the truth.

PETER. William, make haste.... Frederik is listening at the door.

WILLIAM. [_Frightened._] I won't say any more. He's there ... at the door ... [_He looks over his shoulder and_ CATHERINE _goes towards the door._

DR. MACPHERSON. William, tell me.

PETER. William!

CATHERINE _opens the door suddenly._ FREDERIK _is standing, listening. He is taken unawares and for a few seconds he does not move--then he recovers._

WILLIAM. Please don't let him scold me. I'm afraid of him. [_Going towards the stairs--looking at_ FREDERIK.] I was afraid of him when I lived with Annamarie and he came to see us and made her cry.

DR. MACPHERSON. Are you sure you remember that? Weren't you too small?

WILLIAM. No, I do remember.... I always did remember; only for a little while I--I forgot.... I must go to bed. He told me to. [_Goes upstairs._

PETER. [_Calling after_ WILLIAM.] You're a good boy, William. [WILLIAM _goes to his room._

CATHERINE. [_After a slight pause--simply._] Frederik, you've heard from Annamarie.... [_Gestures towards the desk._ FREDERIK _sees the photograph and is silent._] You've had a letter from her. You tried to destroy it. Why did you tell Marta that you'd had no message--no news? You went to see her, too. Why did you tell me that you'd never seen her since she went away? Why did you lie to me? Why do you hate that child?

FREDERIK. Are you going to believe what that boy--

CATHERINE. I'm going to find out. I'm going to find out where she is, before I marry you. That child may be right or wrong; but I'm going to know what his mother was to you. I want the truth.

DR. MACPHERSON. [_Who has been in thought--now looking up._] We've heard the truth. We had that message from Peter Grimm himself.

CATHERINE. Yes, it is true. I believe Uncle Peter Grimm was in this room to-night.

FREDERIK. [_Not surprised--glancing towards the spot where_ PETER _stood when he thought he saw him._] Oh! You, too? Did you see him, too?

MRS. BATHOLOMMEY. [_Incredulously._] Impossible!

CATHERINE. I don't care what anyone else may think--people have the right to think for themselves; but I believe he has been here--he _is_ here. Uncle Peter, if you can hear me now, give me back my promise--or--or I'll take it back!

PETER. [_Gently--smilingly--relieved._] I did give it back to you, my dear; but what a time I have had getting it across!

CURTAIN.


ACT III.


_The third act takes place at twenty minutes to twelve on the same night._

_The fire is out. The table on which_ PETER _took his coffee in the first act is now being used by the_ DOCTOR _for_ WILLIAM'S _medicines, two bottles, two glasses, two teaspoons, a clinical thermometer, &c._ WILLIAM, _who has been questioned by the_ DOCTOR, _is now asleep upstairs._ PETER'S _hat hangs on the peg in the shadow. Although the hour is late, no one has thought of going to bed._ FREDERIK _is waiting at the hotel for the lawyer whom_ HICKS _was to send to arrange for the sale of_ PETER GRIMM'S _nurseries, but he has not arrived. The_ DOCTOR, _full of his theories, is seated before the fire, writing the account of_ PETER GRIMM'S _return, for the American Branch of the "London Society for Psychical Research." It is now a fine, clear night. The clouds are almost silvery and a hint of the moon is showing._

DR. MACPHERSON. [_Reading what he has written._] "To be forwarded to the 'London Society for Psychical Research': Dr. Hyslop: Dear Sir: This evening at the residence of Peter--" [_Pauses and inserts "the late" and continues to read after inserting the words._] "--the late Peter Grimm-- the well-known horticulturist of Grimm Manor, New York, certain phenomena were observed which would clearly indicate the return of Peter Grimm, ten days after his decease. While he was invisible to all, three people were present besides myself--one of these, a child of eight, who received the message. No spelling out by signals nor automatic writing was employed, but word of mouth." [_A rap sounds._] Who will that be at this hour?... [_Looks at the clock._] Nearly midnight. [_Opening the door._] Yes?

A VOICE. [_Outside._] Telegram for Frederik Grimm.

DR. MACPHERSON. Not in. I'll sign. [_He signs and, receiving the telegram, sets it against a candle-stick on the desk and resumes his seat. Reads:_] "I made a compact with Peter Grimm, while he was in the flesh, that whichever went first was to return and give the other some sign; and I propose to give positive proof--" [_He hesitates--thinks--then repeats._] "positive proof that he kept this compact and that I assisted in the carrying out of his instructions."

MRS. BATHOLOMMEY. [_Enters--evidently highly wrought up by the events of the evening._] Who was that? Who knocked?

DR. MACPHERSON. Telegram.

MRS. BATHOLOMMEY. I thought perhaps Frederik had come back. Don't you consider William much better?

DR. MACPHERSON. Mm ...

MRS. BATHOLOMMEY. Dear, dear! The scene that took place to-night has completely upset me. [_The_ DOCTOR _takes up his pen and reads to himself._] Well, Doctor: [_She pushes forward a chair and sits at the other side of the table--facing him._] the breaking off of the engagement is rather sudden, isn't it? We've been talking it over in the front parlour, Mr. Batholommey and I. James has finished his work and has just joined us. I suggest sending out a card--a neat card--saying that, owing to the bereavement in the family, the wedding has been indefinitely postponed. Of course, it isn't exactly true.

DR. MACPHERSON. Won't take place at all. [_Goes on reading._

MRS. BATHOLOMMEY. Evidently not; but if the whole matter looks very strange to me--how is it going to look to other people; especially when we haven't any--any rational explanation--as yet? We must get out of it in some fashion.

DR. MACPHERSON. Whose business is it?

MRS. BATHOLOMMEY. Nobody's, of course. But Catherine's position is certainly unusual; and the strangest part of it all is--she doesn't seem to feel her situation. She's sitting alone in the library, seemingly placid and happy. What I really wish to consult you about is this: shouldn't the card we're going to send out have a narrow black border? [_The_ DOCTOR _is now writing._] Doctor, you don't appear to be interested. You might at least answer my question.

DR. MACPHERSON. What chance have I had to answer? You've done all the talking.

MRS. BATHOLOMMEY. [_Rising--annoyed._] Oh, of course, all these little matters sound trivial to you; but men like you couldn't look after the workings of the _next_ world if other people didn't attend to _this_. Some one has to do it.

DR. MACPHERSON. I fully appreciate the fact, Mistress Batholommey, that other people are making it possible for me to be myself. I'll admit that; and now if I might have a few moments in peace to attend to something really important--

_The_ REV. MR. BATHOLOMMEY _has entered with his hat in his hand._

REV. MR. BATHOLOMMEY. Doctor, I've been thinking things over. I ran in for a moment to suggest that we suspend judgment until the information William has volunteered can be verified. I can scarcely believe that--

DR. MACPHERSON. Ump! [_Rises and goes to the telephone on the desk._] Four-red.

REV. MR. BATHOLOMMEY. I regret that Frederik left the house without offering some explanation.

DR. MACPHERSON. [_At the 'phone._] Marget, I'm at Peter's. I mean--I'm at the Grimms'. Send me my bag. I'll stay the night with William. Bye. [_Seats himself at the table._

REV. MR. BATHOLOMMEY. Tell Frederik that, if he cares to consult me, I shall be at home in my study. Good-night, Doctor. Good-night, Rose.

DR. MACPHERSON. Hold on, Mr. Batholommey! [_The_ REV. MR. BATHOLOMMEY _turns._] I'm writing an account of all that's happened here to-night--

REV. MR. BATHOLOMMEY. [_Dubiously._] Indeed!

DR. MACPHERSON. I shall verify every word of the evidence by William's mother for whom I am searching. [_The_ REV. MR. BATHOLOMMEY _smiles faintly behind his hand._] Then I shall send in my report, and not until then. What I wish to ask is this: would you have any objection to the name of Mrs. Batholommey being used as a witness?

REV. MR. BATHOLOMMEY. [_Looks perplexed._] Well,--er--a--

MRS. BATHOLOMMEY. Oh, no, you don't! You may flout our beliefs; but wouldn't you like to bolster up your report with "the wife of a clergyman who was present!" It sounds so respectable and sane, doesn't it? No, sir! You cannot prop up your wild-eyed--

REV. MR. BATHOLOMMEY. Rose, my dear!

MRS. BATHOLOMMEY. [_Sweeping on._]--theories