Oliver Cromwell Part 16

THE SCENE CLOSES

SCENE VII

_CROMWELL'S house in London. The morning of January 30, 1649, the day of the King's execution._

_Outside the window can be seen the grey winter gloom, brightened by fallen snow. The room, in which a fire is burning, is empty, and for a time there is silence. Then from a near street comes the soft sound of m.u.f.fled drums._

_BRIDGET runs in, and goes to the window, opening it. Then she goes back to the door, and calls._

_Bridget:_ Mother.

(She goes back to the window.)

_Elizabeth_ (coming in): Yes.

_Bridget:_ It is the King. He is pa.s.sing down to Whitehall.

_Elizabeth:_ Don't look, child.

_Bridget:_ I can see nothing but the pike-heads. The people seem very still. You can hear nothing but the drums.

(A little later MRS. CROMWELL comes in. She goes to a chair by the fire.)

_Mrs. Cromwell:_ Oliver has just sent from Whitehall for his great coat. I've sent Beth with it.

_Bridget:_ The King has just pa.s.sed, grandmother.

_Elizabeth:_ He has gone into Whitehall.

_Mrs. Cromwell:_ Men will pity him. He had no pity.

_Bridget:_ Do you think father is right, grandmother? Saying that it had to be?

_Mrs. Cromwell:_ Yes, I do think so.

_Elizabeth:_ He betrayed his own people. It was that.

_Mrs. Cromwell:_ There could be no safety or hope while he lived.

_Bridget:_ Yes. He betrayed his own people. That's it.

_Mrs. Cromwell:_ Kings must love, too.

_Elizabeth:_ When your father wanted to give him back his throne, a little simple honesty in the King would have saved all. But he could not come to that.

_Bridget:_ The drums have stopped.

_Mrs. Cromwell:_ Is Henry with your father?

_Bridget:_ Yes.

_Mrs. Cromwell:_ What is the time?

_Elizabeth:_ Nearly one o'clock.

_Bridget:_ It must be past one.

_Mrs. Cromwell:_ Oliver will be the foremost man in England.

_Bridget:_ Henry says he could be king.

_Elizabeth:_ That he would never be. I know.

_Mrs. Cromwell:_ He will have to guide all.

_Bridget:_ Don't you wish it could have been done without this, grandmother?

_Mrs. Cromwell:_ When the world labours in anger, child, you cannot name the hour.

_Bridget:_ But Henry thinks it is right, too.

_Mrs. Cromwell:_ If this be wrong, all was wrong.

_Bridget:_ Yes. Thank you, grandmother. That is what I wanted. It was necessary.

_Elizabeth:_ Henry meant to come back before the end, didn't he?

_Bridget:_ He said so.

_Mrs. Cromwell:_ It's very cold.

_Bridget:_ I think it will snow again.

_Elizabeth:_ What are the drums beating again for?

_Bridget:_ Perhaps--I don't know. Will you have another shawl, grandmother?

_Mrs. Cromwell:_ No, thank you.

(IRETON comes in.)

_Bridget:_ Has anything happened?

_Ireton:_ Not yet. In a minute or two. At half-past one. It's three minutes yet.