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Chessel's Court。 At the back； L。C。； an archway opening on the
High Street。 The door of the Excise in wing； R。； the opposite
side of the stage is lumbered with barrels； packing…cases； etc。
Moonlight； the Excise Office casts a shadow over half the stage。
A clock strikes the hour。 A round of the City Guard； with
halberts； lanterns； etc。 enters and goes out again by the arch；
after having examined the fastenings of the great door and the
lumber on the left。 Cry without in the High Street： 'Ten by the
bell； and a fine clear night。' Then enter cautiously by the
arch； SMITH and MOORE； with AINSLIE loaded with tools。
SCENE I
SMITH； MOORE； AINSLIE
SMITH （ENTERING FIRST）。 Come on。 Coast clear。
MOORE （AFTER THEY HAVE COME TO THE FRONT。） Ain't he turned up
yet？
SMITH （TO AINSLIE）。 Now Maggot！ The fishing's a going to begin。
AINSLIE。 Dinna cangle； Geordie。 My back's fair broke。
MOORE。 O muck！ Hand out them pieces。
SMITH。 All right； Humptious！ （TO AINSLIE。） You're a nice old
sort for a rag…and…bone man： can't hold a bag open！ （TAKING OUT
TOOLS。） Here they was。 Here are the bunchums； one AND two； and
jolly old keys was they。 Here's the picklocks； crow…bars； and
here's Lord George's pet bull's eye； his old and valued friend；
the Cracksman's treasure！
MOORE。 Just like you。 Forgot the rotten centrebit。
SMITH。 That's all you know。 Here she is； bless her！ Portrait
of George as a gay hironmonger。
MOORE。 O rot！ Hand it over； and keep yourself out of that there
thundering moonlight。
SMITH （LIGHTING LANTERN）。 All right； old mumble…peg。 Don't you
get carried away by the fire of old Rome。 That's your motto。
Here are the tools； a perfect picter of the sublime and
beautiful； and all I hope is； that our friend and pitcher； the
Deakin； will make a better job of it than he did last night。 If
he don't； I shall retire from the business … that's all； and
it'll be George and his little wife and a black footman till
death do us part。
MOORE。 O muck！ You're all jaw like a sheep's jimmy。 That's my
opinion of you。 When did you see him last？
SMITH。 This morning； and he looked as if he was rehearsing for
his own epitaph。 I never see such a change in a man。 I gave him
the office for to…night； and was he grateful？ Did he weep upon
my faithful bosom？ No； he smiled upon me like a portrait of the
dear departed。 I see his 'art was far away； and it broke my own
to look at him。
MOORE。 Muck！ Wot I ses is； if a cove's got that much of the nob
about him； wot's the good of his working single…handed？ That's
wot's the matter with him。
SMITH。 Well； old Father Christmas； he ain't single…handed to…
night； is he？
MOORE。 No； he ain't； he's got a man with him to…night。
SMITH。 Pardon me； Romeo； two men； I think？
MOORE。 A man wot means business。 If I'd a bin with him last
night； it ain't psalm…singin' would have got us off。 Psalm…
singin'？ Muck！ Let 'em try it on with me。
AINSLIE。 Losh me； I heard a noise。 （ALARM； THEY CROUCH INTO THE
SHADOW AND LISTEN。）
SMITH。 All serene。 （TO AINSLIE） Am I to cut that liver out of
you？ Now； am I？ （A WHISTLE。） 'St！ here we are。 （WHISTLES A
MODULATION； WHICH IS ANSWERED。）
SCENE II
To these BRODIE
MOORE。 Waiting for you； Deacon。
BRODIE。 I see。 Everything ready？
SMITH。 All a…growing and a…blowing。
BRODIE。 Give me the light。 （BRIEFLY EXAMINES TOOLS AND DOOR WITH
BULL'S EYE。） You； George； stand by； and hand up the pieces。
Ainslie； take the glim。 Moore； out and watch。
MOORE。 I didn't come here to do sentry…go； I didn't。
BRODIE。 You came here to do as I tell you。 （MOORE GOES UP
SLOWLY。） Second bunch； George。 I know the lock。 Steady with
the glim。 （AT WORK。） No good。 Give me the centrebit。
SMITH。 Right。 （WORK CONTINUES。 AINSLIE DROPS LANTERN。）
BRODIE。 Curse you！ （THROTTLING AND KICKING HIM。） You shake；
and you shake； and you can't even hold a light for your betters。
Hey？
AINSLIE。 Eh Deacon； Deacon 。 。 。
SMITH。 Now Ghost！ （WITH LANTERN。）
BRODIE。 'St； Moore！
MOORE。 Wot's the row？
BRODIE。 Take you the light。
MOORE （TO AINSLIE）。 Wo' j' yer shakin' at？ （KICKS HIM。）
BRODIE （TO AINSLIE）。 Go you； and see if you're good at keeping
watch。 Inside the arch。 And if you let a footfall pass； I'll
break your back。 （AINSLIE RETIRES。） Steady with the light。 （AT
WORK WITH CENTREBIT。） Hand up number four； George。 （AT WORK
WITH PICKLOCK。） That has it。
SMITH。 Well done our side。
BRODIE。 Now the crow bar！ （AT WORK。） That's it。 Put down the
glim； Badger； and help at the wrench。 Your whole weight； men！
Put your backs to it！ （WHILE THEY WORK AT THE BAR； BRODIE STANDS
BY； DUSTING HIS HANDS WITH A POCKET…HANDKERCHIEF。 AS THE DOOR
OPENS。） VOILA！ In with you。
MOORE （ENTERING WITH LIGHT）。 Mucking fine work too； Deacon！
BRODIE。 Take up the irons； George！
SMITH。 How about the P（h）antom？
BRODIE。 Leave him to me。 I'll give him a look。 （ENTERS
OFFICE。）
SMITH （FOLLOWING）。 Houp…la！
SCENE III
AINSLIE； afterwards BRODIE； afterwards HUNT and OFFICERS
AINSLIE。 Ca' ye that mainners？ Ye're grand gentry by your way
o't！ Eh sirs； my hench！ Ay； that was the Badger。 Man； but
ye'll look bonnie hangin'！ （A FAINT WHISTLE。） Lord's sake；
what's thon？ Ay； it'll be Hunt an' his lads。 （WHISTLE
REPEATED。） Losh me； what gars him whustle； whustle？ Does he
think me deaf？ （GOES UP。 BRODIE ENTERS FROM OFFICE； STANDS AN
INSTANT； AND SEES HIM MAKING A SIGNAL THROUGH THE ARCH。）
BRODIE。 Rats！ Rats！ （HIDES L。 AMONG LUMBER。 ENTER NOISELESSLY
THROUGH ARCH HUNT AND OFFICERS。）
HUNT。 Birds caught？
AINSLIE。 They're a' ben the house； mister。
HUNT。 All three？
AINSLIE。 The hale set； mister。
BRODIE。 Liar！
HUNT。 Mum； lads； and follow me。 （EXIT； WITH HIS MEN； INTO
OFFICE。 BRODIE SEEN WITH DAGGER。）
HUNT。 In the King's name！ ｝
MOORE。 Muck！ ｝ （WITHIN。）
SMITH。 Go it； Badger。 ｝
HUNT。 Take 'em alive； boys！ ｝
AINSLIE。 Eh； but that's awful。 （THE DEACON LEAPS OUT； AND STABS
HIM。 HE FALLS WITHOUT A CRY。）
BRODIE。 Saved！ （HE GOES OUT BY THE ARCH。）
SCENE IV
HUNT and OFFICERS； with SMITH and MOORE handcuffed。 Signs of a
severe struggle
HUNT （ENTERING）。 Bring 'em along； lads！ （LOOKING AT PRISONERS
WITH LANTERN。） Pleased to see you again； Badger。 And you too；
George。 But I'd rather have seen your principal。 Where's he got
to？
MOORE。 To hell； I hope。
HUNT。 Always the same pretty flow of language； I see； Hump。
（LOOKING AT BURGLARY WITH LANTERN。） A very tidy piece of work；
Dook； very tidy！ Much too good for you。 Smacks of a fine
tradesman。 It WAS the Deacon； I suppose？
SMITH。 You ought to know G。 S。 better by this time； Jerry。
HUNT。 All right； your Grace： we'll talk it over with the Deacon
himself。 Where's the jackal？ Here； you； Ainslie！ Where are
you？ By jingo； I thought as much。 Stabbed to the heart and dead
as a herring！
SMITH。 Bravo！
HUNT。 More of the Deacon's work； I guess？ Does him credit too；
don't it； Badger？
MOORE。 Muck。 Was that the thundering cove that peached？
HUNT。 That was the thundering cove。
MOORE。 And is he corpsed？
HUNT。 I should just about reckon he was。
MOORE。 Then； damme； I don't mind swinging！
HUNT。 We'll talk about that presently。 M'Intyre and Stewart；
you get a stretcher； and take that rubbish to the office。 Pick
it up； it's only a dead informer。 Hand these two gentlemen over
to Mr。 Procurator…Fiscal； with Mr。 Jerry Hunt's compliments。
Johnstone and Syme； you come along with me。 I'll bring the
Deacon round myself。
ACT…DROP
ACT V。
TABLEAU VIII。 THE OPEN DOOR
The Stage represents the Deacon's room； as in Tableau I。 Fire
light。 Stage dark。 A pause。 Then knocking at the door； C。
Cries without of 'WILLIE！' 'MR。 BRODIE！' The door is burst open。
SCENE I
DOCTOR； MARY； a MAIDSERVANT with lights。
DOCTOR。 The apartment is unoccupied。
MARY。 Dead； and he not here！
DOCTOR。 The bed has not been slept in。 The counterpane is not
turned down。
MARY。 It is not true； it cannot be true。
DOCTOR。 My dear young lady； you must have misunderstood your
brother's language。
MARY。 O no； that I did not。 That I am sure I did not。
DOCTOR （LOOKING AT DOOR）。 The strange thing is 。 。 。 the bolt。
SERVANT。 It's unco strange。
DOCTOR。 Well； we have acted for the best。
SERVANT。 Sir； I dinna think this should gang nae further。
DOCTOR。 The secret is in our keeping。 Affliction is enough
without scandal。
MARY。 Kind heaven； what does it mean？
DOCTOR。 I think there is no more to be done。
MARY。 I am here alone； Doctor； you pass my uncle's door？
DOCTOR。 The Procurator…Fiscal？ I shall make it my devoir。
Expect him soon。 （GOES OUT WITH MAID。）
MARY （HASTILY SEARCHES THE ROOM）。 No； he is not there。 She was
right！ O father； you can never know； praise God！
SCENE II
MARY； to whom JEAN and afterwards LESLIE
JEAN （AT DOOR）。 Mistress 。 。 。 。！
MARY。 Ah！ Who is there？ Who are you？
JEAN。 Is he no hame yet？ I'm aye waitin' on