The Girl with the Green Eyes Part 27

JINNY. _Blame you!_

AUSTIN. She doesn't _know_.

JINNY. That's a lie! I know everything, Ruth! I know why you followed my husband to Rome, and why he sent for you to come back here. I know that you and he were in Brooklyn this afternoon, and that you only plan to get rid of me by some divorce, and by hook or crook to marry each other!

RUTH. No!--No!--

JINNY. Oh, you can lie, too, can you? I won't keep you waiting long!

You've stolen my husband from me--take him. I won't _share_ him with any woman! He's yours now, and I'll soon be out of your way!

AUSTIN. _Jinny!_

RUTH. [_To Austin._] She must be told the truth.

[_AUSTIN bows his head._

JINNY. Now you'll make up your story, will you? I tell you it's useless.

If he wouldn't let me see your compromising letter, I've seen a letter from _him_ to _you_ to-night that gives the whole thing away.

RUTH. [_Very quietly._] Your husband went to Brooklyn _without me_, as your _brother_ will tell you, to see the clergyman who married me, or _thought_ he _married_ me to _Geoffrey Tillman_ three months ago!

[_JINNY looks up with a start._] That marriage was _illegal_ because your brother was already married, and Mr. Austin tried and did get the promise of silence this afternoon about the Brooklyn service, to prevent a charge of bigamy against your brother. The first marriage, which still holds good, was with--Maggie, your present servant--

[_JINNY stands immovable. There is a silence._

AUSTIN. Geoffrey is not at your house?

RUTH. No, he left when I came on here. As I wrote you in the note I sent upstairs, I was too stunned by what he told me to answer then, and I wanted a word of advice with you. [_She turns to JINNY._] _I_ knew what I thought was my _marriage_ to your brother must be kept secret, but I could not learn why. This was my trouble, which, after your marriage, I selfishly laid on your husband's shoulders, thinking he might help me!

[_No answer from JINNY, who stands as if struck dumb and into stone._]

Mr. Austin only learned the whole truth when we met that day in Rome.

_I_ did not learn till to-day that I was not honestly your brother's wife. I had to be told, because divorce proceedings are to be started at once to break--the other--marriage. [_No answer from JINNY._] To spare me, and above all to spare you the knowledge of your brother's sin, your husband has kept Geoffrey's secret from you. You have _well_ repaid him!

[_She turns again to AUSTIN._] Good-by--I feel to-night I couldn't marry Geoffrey again. He's tumbled so far off his pedestal he has fallen out of my heart. But still--we'll see; I've told him to come to-morrow.

_Thank you_ from the bottom of my heart--it's full of grat.i.tude, even if it is broken!

[_She goes out Right._

[_JINNY slowly turns, almost afraid to look at AUSTIN. He stands stern, with set face._

JINNY. [_In a low voice, ashamed to go near him._] Can you forgive me?

Can you--

AUSTIN. Ugh!

[_Crossing room for his coat._

JINNY. I'm mad! You know I don't know what I do. But I _love you_--I love you! Forgive me!

AUSTIN. Never!

[_Taking up his coat._

JINNY. Where are you going?

AUSTIN. Out of this house.

JINNY. If you leave me, I'll not bear it! I'll kill myself! I warn you!

AUSTIN. Bah!--Good-by!

[_Going to the door Right._

JINNY. No! Where are you going?

AUSTIN. Out of this house _for good_!

[_At the door he turns and looks at her._

JINNY. [_Echoes._] For good?

AUSTIN. _For good!_

[_He goes out, slamming the door behind him._

[_JINNY stands a moment motionless. She then cries faintly--"Jack!"

She goes to the door and pushes it open, crying out again in loud, strong despair, "Jack!" There is a moment's pause. She cries out again weakly, heartbrokenly, "Jack!"--comes back into the room, and throwing herself down on the floor, her head resting on her arms in the arm-chair, she sobs hysterically, wildly, "What have I done! Dear G.o.d, what have I done!" as_

THE CURTAIN FALLS

ACT IV

Scene I

_Dawn of the next day. At the rise of the curtain JINNY is by the open window, whose curtains she has thrown aside. The sky is blood-red and streaked with gold the moment before sunrise. JINNY is worn and haggard, with hair dishevelled._

JINNY. [_Turning and leaning against the window._] Day at last! What a night--what a night--but now it's morning and he hasn't come back! He means it! And it's my own fault--it's my own fault! [_She shivers. She closes the window and comes away. After a moment's pause she goes deliberately and looks at the several gas fixtures in the room. She then closes all the doors and locks them. She carefully draws down the shade and closes in the curtains of the window. She hesitates, then pulls aside the curtains and the shade, and takes a long, last look at the dawn. She closes it all in again. She gets Austin's picture from the desk and places it on the table near the centre of the room. She then goes to the gas bracket at the Right and turns on the gas. She lights it to see if the gas is all right; then blows it out. She then crosses to the other bracket and turns that on; she goes to the chandelier at centre, and, mounting a chair, turns on its three jets. She then sits down by the table with AUSTIN'S picture before her, and looking into its eyes, her elbows on the table, her head in her hands, she waits._] Oh, Jack, my beloved! I couldn't help it--I never for one minute stopped loving you better than everything else in my life, but no more than I could stop loving you could I stop or help being jealous! Once the cruel idea has got hold of me it seems to _have_ to work its way out!

Everything gets red before me and I don't seem to know what I say or do!

It's no excuse, I know. I've got no excuse, only I _love_ you! You'll forgive me when I'm gone, won't you, Jack? You'll know I _loved_ you!--loved you so I couldn't _live_ without you!--loved you!--_loved_ you! [_She kisses the photograph tenderly, adoringly, slowly, in tears._] Loved--you--loved you!--loved--

[_Her head drops forward, as_

THE CURTAIN FALLS

SCENE II