The Problem of 'Edwin Drood' Part 5

JASPER. Look at it! Look what a poor miserable thing it is! _That_ must be real. It's over.

(_He has accompanied this incoherence with some wild unmeaning gestures_; _but they trail off into the progressive inaction of stupor_, _and he lies like a log upon the bed_. _The_ WOMAN _attempts to rouse him as before_, _but finding him past rousing __for the time_, _she slowly gets upon her feet with an air of disappointment_, _flicks his face with her hand savagely_, _and then flings a rug over_ JASPER.)

(_Both_ SAL _and_ JASPER _now being perfectly quiet_, _the back of scene is illuminated_, _showing the scene exactly as at end of Act II_. _The candle is out in the Opium Den_, _leaving front part of stage dark_. _The brightest light in vision is from_ JASPER'S _window_, _leaving other parts of scene slightly in shadow but sufficiently light for action to be seen_. _It is to be carefully noted that all the persons on in the Vision Scene should wear list shoes_, _so that they make no noise in moving about_, _and that the Stage Manager should insist upon perfect quiet behind the stage and at the wings_. _The actors_, _too_, _speak in rather a measured_, _monotonous tone_. _Crowd later on in Vision to be grouped and drilled from this point of view_.)

(_The Scene being well open_, _there is a flash of lightning_, _and a peal of thunder_, _followed after a short pause by a burst of merry laughter from_ JASPER'S _room_, _the voices of_ DROOD _and_ NEVILLE _being audible_. _They come down to door_, JASPER _with them_, _without his hat_.)

Edwin, Jasper, and Neville are talking. Edwin says he will walk with Neville as far as the river and have a look at the storm. Neville and Jasper exchange good-nights, and Edwin says: 'Don't go to bed, Jack, I won't be long.'

(JASPER _in response waves hand_. _Pause_. _Then re-enters house_, _closes door_. _Goes upstairs_. _Puts light out_, _and is seen for a moment at window_. _Flash of lightning_, _peal of thunder_.

_Pause_. JASPER _comes out with hat on head_, _the black silk scarf on arm_. _Comes out cautiously_, _closing door after him and looks round_, _and warily goes to crypt_; _finds door locked and takes key from his pocket with which he opens it_, _and pushes door wide open_.

_Creeps off in the direction_ NEVILLE _and_ EDWIN _have gone_.

_Pause_. _Weak flash of lightning and peal of thunder_. JASPER _returns crouching_, _and hides within shadow of wall_. _Re-enter_ EDWIN DROOD _from where exit was made_. _He looks up at_ JASPER'S _window_.)

Ah, too bad; he has gone to bed and has put his light out.

(JASPER _rushes upon_ EDWIN _from behind_, _seizes him_, _whips scarf_, _which he has previously been twisting into rope-like shape_, _round his head and neck_, _and proceeds to strangle him_. _There is a fierce struggle for a few seconds_. _Nearly on the point of death_, EDWIN _gets free of_ JASPER, _sees his a.s.sailant_, _and thinks_ JASPER _is there to help him_.)

EDWIN. Jack! Jack! Save me! They are killing me! (Flings himself into JASPER'S arms.)

JASPER. Save you, yes!

(_Deliberately tightens scarf_, _strikes_ EDWIN, _and kills him_.

_Flash of lightning and peal of thunder_, _as_ EDWIN _falls lifeless at_ JASPER'S _feet_. _Pause_.)

JASPER (_a little overcome physically_, _and jerking out his sentences gasping_, _but with intense ferocity_). You poor fool.

You'll boast no more. (_Spurning body with his foot_.) Ah! ah! ah!

(_Laughs wildly_.) He's gone. The fellow-traveller has gone for ever, gone down, into the everlasting abyss! Hush! (_Listens_.) Durdles? No, opium mixed with his liquor keeps that other fool quiet. (_Listens again_, _and looks cautiously round-distant low-moaning peal of thunder_.) Only the storm wearing itself out!

Ah! ah! ah! (_Looking at body_.) You've seen the last of the storm, weak, self-satisfied fool! Come (wildly seizing the body, and dragging it towards crypt), come-to your marriage bed (_drags body_).

Come-to sleep with Death!

(_Exit with body into crypt_.)

(_Slow music_. _Short pause_. _Re-enter_ JASPER _from crypt_, _and as he does so gauze clouds begin to darken scene_. JASPER _locks crypt_, _puts key in his pocket_, _crosses_, _crouching and creeping_, _looking behind him fearfully_, _and enters his own house_, _with flash of lightning_, _peal of thunder_, _the very last of the storm_. _By this time gauze clouds nearly darken the scene_.

_Double on bed moves_. OPIUM SAL _rises restlessly_, _once more leans over bed_, _and begins to talk while the actor representing_ JASPER_ returns to his place on bed_.)

SAL. Troubled dreams, deary! Troubled dreams. Have you been taking the journey again? Was it pleasant, and what did you do to fellow-traveller, eh?

JASPER (_speaking in a dreamy way_). That's how the journey was made-that's how I like to make it. But there's something more. I never saw that before; what is it? (_Fearfully_, _falls asleep again_.)

(SAL _wearily resumes her att.i.tude of rest with her arms on bed_, _and the Vision Scene goes on_. DURDLES _appears beckoning off_, _unlocks crypt and enters_. _As he does so_ GREWGIOUS _and_ ROSA _come on from direction indicated by_ DURDLES'S _beckoning_, _all the others in scene coming from the same place_. ROSA _clings to her guardian's arm_. _They stop in centre of stage opposite crypt_, _looking towards door_. NEVILLE _and_ HELENA _follow_. _They join_ GREWGIOUS _and_ ROSA. CRISPARKLE _and_ OPIUM SAL'S _Double come on_.

OPIUM SAL'S _Double is pointing towards_ ROSA _and others_, _and_ CRISPARKLE _joins the group_. _The Double now stands near wing and beckons off_. _Townspeople come on and make group_, _Double at their head_, _she pointing towards crypt_; _they all look in that direction_. DURDLES _comes to door_, _beckons_ GREWGIOUS, _who goes in after_ DURDLES _to crypt_. _Groups now move a step or two nearer to entrance of crypt_. _Slight pause_. ROSA _clings to_ HELENA; NEVILLE _in dumb show whispers anxiously to_ HELENA _and_ ROSA, _as if to rea.s.sure and comfort them_. HELENA _stands proudly but anxious_; ROSA _droopingly_.)

GREW. (_standing just outside crypt door_, _and addressing himself to_ CRISPARKLE). Keep the women back; this is no place for them.

Edwin Drood has been foully murdered!

(_Sensation in crowd_, _not indicated by noise_, _but dumb show_.

ROSA _staggers_. NEVILLE _catches her in his arms_. JASPER _moves and groans in his sleep_. DURDLES _comes out of crypt_, _plucks_ GREWGIOUS _by the sleeve_, _and holds up_ JASPER'S _long black scarf_.)

CRIS. Jasper's scarf!

(JASPER again groans on bed.)

Where is Jasper?

(_Goes to door of_ JASPER'S _house and knocks_. _This knocking must be made right at back of stage_.)

GREW. It is no good knocking there. The murderer of Edwin Drood will be found in London!

(_Sensation as before in crowd_. CRISPARKLE _still knocks_, _and between knocks faint rapping is heard at door of opium den_, _and_ JASPER _tosses about on bed_, _then starts up with a cry_, _the Vision disappearing the moment he stands on the floor_.)

JASPER (_starting as if at what he has seen_). No, no. It's a lie!

(_Knocking at opium den door becomes louder_.)

(_Turning to_ SAL, _who is now at other end of room_.) What's that?

SAL. They wants to come in.

JASPER. Who wants to come in?

(_Knocking is louder and louder_.)

SAL. Why, the perlice.

JASPER. The police! d.a.m.nation! The man who followed me here to-night! Then it's all true. Durdles has found the body in spite of all my precautions, and I am lost. (Rushes wildly about room.) Is there no escape? Where's the window?

SAL. There ain't no winder, deary.

JASPER. Then I'm trapped like a wolf in a cage. You filthy hag, this is your doing.

(_Seizes candlestick on stool to strike her_; _she crouches down_.

_Knocking at door now so fierce as to arrest his attention_, _and he turns towards it_, _weapon in his hand_.)

(_Voice at door_. Open in the Queen's name!)

(JASPER _drops stool or whatever he has seized upon to attack_ SAL _with_, _staggers back_, _tears open his shirt-sleeve_, _where a small phial is seen fastened to left wrist_, _drags it from his wrist and holds it convulsively in right hand_, _as door is violently burst open_.)

(_Enter_ Inspector of Police, _handcuffs in hand_, DURDLES, NEVILLE, CRISPARKLE, and GREWGIOUS.)

GREW. (_to_ Officer, _pointing to_ JASPER). There is your prisoner.

JASPER. Never! Do you think I was not prepared for this always!

(_Takes poison_, _and flings phial down_.) Now I defy you! Hush! I did kill him! Ha! ha! The fellow-traveller! Yes. For love. For a mad wild pa.s.sion. Killed him as I would have killed you and you-as I would have swept you all from the path that led to her. Ha! ha! what fools you were not to see it, not to see my love, how it burned, how it consumed me. She knew it! Rosa knew it. (_Then speaking as though none but he and_ ROSA _were present_.) Rosa! Rosa! My Rosa!

Come! You must! You shall! (_Wildly_.) Back! Back! She's mine I tell you! (_Pa.s.ses hand over eyes_, _and staggers_, _then once more half realises the situation_.) What's that? (_Looks round_, _and sees_ NEVILLE.) You here! You who think to reap the harvest for which I have sold my soul to h.e.l.l! Vile wretch! I'll kill you!

(_Rushes to_ NEVILLE, _who stands forward_. _In act of raising arm to strike him_, JASPER _is seized with death spasm_, _trembles_, _shudders_, _and_, _flinging up arms_, _falls dead_. _Picture_: OPIUM SAL _crouching still in fear_, _Officer_, GREWGIOUS, DURDLES, NEVILLE, _and_ CRISPARKLE _near the body_.)