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will be quite alone； all your old friends； all the old faces；
gone into darkness。 The night （WITH A GESTURE） 。 。 。 it waits
for me。 You will be quite alone。
MARY。 The night！
BRODIE。 Mary； you must hear。 How am I to tell her； and the old
man just dead！ Mary； I was the boy you knew； I loved pleasure； I
was weak； I have fallen 。 。 。 low 。 。 。 lower than you think。
A beginning is so small a thing！ I never dreamed it would come
to this 。 。 。 。 this hideous last night。
MARY。 Willie； you must tell me； dear。 I must have the truth 。
。 。 the kind truth 。 。 。 at once 。 。 。 in pity。
BRODIE。 Crime。 I have fallen。 Crime。
MARY。 Crime？
BRODIE。 Don't shrink from me。 Miserable dog that I am； selfish
hound that has dragged you to this misery 。 。 。 you and all
that loved him 。 。 。 think only of my torments； think only of my
penitence； don't shrink from me。
MARY。 I do not care to hear； I do not wish； I do not mind； you
are my brother。 What do I care？ How can I help you？
BRODIE。 Help？ help ME？ You would not speak of it； not wish it；
if you knew。 My kind good sister； my little playmate； my sweet
friend！ was I ever unkind to you till yesterday？ Not openly
unkind？ you'll say that when I am gone。
MARY。 If you have done wrong； what do I care？ If you have
failed； does it change my twenty years of love and worship？
Never！
BRODIE。 Yet I must make her understand 。 。 。 。 ！
MARY。 I am your true sister； dear。 I cannot fail； I will never
leave you； I will never blame you。 Come！ （GOES TO EMBRACE。）
BRODIE （RECOILING）。 No； don't touch me； not a finger； not that；
anything but that！
MARY。 Willie； Willie！
BRODIE （TAKING THE BLOODY DAGGER FROM THE TABLE）。 See； do you
understand that？
MARY。 Ah！ What； what is it！
BRODIE。 Blood。 I have killed a man。
MARY。 You？ 。 。 。 。
BRODIE。 I am a murderer； I was a thief before。 Your brother 。 。
。 the old man's only son！
MARY。 Walter； Walter； come to me！
BRODIE。 Now you see that I must die； now you see that I stand
upon the grave's edge； all my lost life behind me； like a horror
to think upon； like a frenzy； like a dream that is past。 And
you； you are alone。 Father； brother； they are gone from you； one
to heaven； one 。 。 。 。 ！
MARY。 Hush； dear； hush！ Kneel； pray； it is not too late to
repent。 Think of our father dear； repent。 （SHE WEEPS； STRAINING
TO HIS BOSOM。） O Willie； my darling boy； repent and join us。
SCENE VI
To these； LAWSON； LESLIE； JEAN
LAWSON。 She kens a'； thank the guid Lord！
BRODIE （TO MARY）。 I know you forgive me now； I ask no more。
That is a good man。 （TO LESLIE。） Will you take her from my
hands？ （LESLIE TAKES MARY。） Jean； are ye here to see the end？
JEAN。 Eh man； can ye no fly？ Could ye no say that it was me？
BRODIE。 No； Jean； this is where it ends。 Uncle； this is where
it ends。 And to think that not an hour ago I still had hopes！
Hopes！ Ay； not an hour ago I thought of a new life。 You were
not forgotten； Jean。 Leslie； you must try to forgive me 。 。 。
you； too！
LESLIE。 You are her brother。
BRODIE （TO LAWSON）。 And you？
LAWSON。 My name…child and my sister's bairn！
BRODIE。 You won't forget Jean； will you？ nor the child？
LAWSON。 That I will not。
MARY。 O Willie； nor I。
SCENE VII
To these； HUNT
HUNT。 The game's up； Deacon。 I'll trouble you to come along
with me。
BRODIE （BEHIND THE TABLE）。 One moment； officer： I have a word
to say before witnesses ere I go。 In all this there is but one
man guilty； and that man is I。 None else has sinned； none else
must suffer。 This poor woman （POINTING TO JEAN） I have used； she
never understood。 Mr。 Procurator…Fiscal； that is my dying
confession。 （HE SNATCHES HIS HANGER FROM THE TABLE； AND RUSHES
UPON HUNT； WHO PARRIES； AND RUNS HIM THROUGH。 HE REELS ACROSS
THE STAGE AND FALLS。） The new life 。 。 。 the new life！ （HE
DIES。）
CURTAIN。
…
Play： BEAU AUSTIN
DEDICATED WITH ADMIRATION AND RESPECT TO GEORGE MEREDITH
BOURNEMOUTH： 1ST OCTOBER 1884。
PERSONS REPRESENTED
GEORGE FREDERICK AUSTIN； called 'Beau Austin' AEtat。 50
JOHN FENWICK； of Allonby Shaw 〃 〃 26
ANTHONY MUSGRAVE； Cornet in the Prince's Own 〃 〃 21
MENTEITH； the Beau's Valet 〃 〃 55
A ROYAL DUKE （Dumb show。）
DOROTHY MUSGRAVE； Anthony's Sister 〃 〃 25
MISS EVELINA FOSTER； her Aunt 〃 〃 45
BARBARA RIDLEY； her Maid 〃 〃 20
VISITORS TO THE WELLS
The Time is 1820。 The Scene is laid at Tunbridge Wells。 The
Action occupies a space of ten hours。
HAYMARKET THEATRE MONDAY； NOVEMBER 3d； 1890
CAST
GEORGE FREDERICK AUSTIN MR。 TREE
JOHN FENWICK MR。 FRED TERRY
ANTHONY MUSGRAVE MR。 EDMUND MAURICE
MENTEITH MR。 BROOKFIELD
A ROYAL DUKE MR。 ROBB HARWOOD
DOROTHY MUSGRAVE MRS。 TREE
MISS EVELINA FOSTER MISS ROSE LECLERCQ
BARBARA RIDLEY MISS AYLWARD
VISITORS TO THE WELLS
PROLOGUE
SPOKEN BY MR。 TREE IN THE CHARACTER OF BEAU AUSTIN
'To all and singular；' as Dryden says；
We bring a fancy of those Georgian days；
Whose style still breathed a faint and fine perfume
Of old…world courtliness and old…world bloom：
When speech was elegant and talk was fit
For slang had not been canonised as wit；
When manners reigned； when breeding had the wall；
And Women … yes！ … were ladies first of all；
When Grace was conscious of its gracefulness；
And man … though Man！ … was not ashamed to dress。
A brave formality； a measured ease；
Were his … and her's … whose effort was to please。
And to excel in pleasing was to reign
And； if you sighed； never to sigh in vain。
But then； as now … it may be； something more …
Woman and man were human to the core。
The hearts that throbbed behind that quaint attire
Burned with a plenitude of essential fire。
They too could risk； they also could rebel；
They could love wisely … they could love too well。
In that great duel of Sex； that ancient strife
Which is the very central fact of life；
They could … and did … engage it breath for breath；
They could … and did … get wounded unto death。
As at all times since time for us began
Woman was truly woman； man was man；
And joy and sorrow were as much at home
In trifling Tunbridge as in mighty Rome。
Dead … dead and done with！ Swift from shine to shade
The roaring generations flit and fade。
To this one； fading； flitting； like the rest；
We come to proffer … be it worst or best …
A sketch； a shadow； of one brave old time；
A hint of what it might have held sublime；
A dream； an idyll； call it what you will；
Of man still Man； and woman … Woman still！
BEAU AUSTIN
MUSICAL INDUCTION： 'LASCIA CH'IO PIANGA' （RINALDO）。 HANDEL。
ACT I。
The Stage represents Miss Foster's apartments at the Wells。
Doors； L。 and C。； a window； L。 C。； looking on the street； a table
R。； laid for breakfast。
SCENE I
BARBARA； to her MISS FOSTER
BARBARA （OUT OF WINDOW）。 Mr。 Menteith！ Mr。 Menteith！ Mr。
Menteith！ … Drat his old head！ Will nothing make him hear？ … Mr。
Menteith！
MISS FOSTER （ENTERING）。 Barbara！ this is incredible： after all
my lessons； to be leaning from the window； and calling （for
unless my ears deceived me； you were positively calling！） into
the street。
BARBARA。 Well； madam； just wait until you hear who it was。 I
declare it was much more for Miss Dorothy and yourself than for
me； and if it was a little countrified； I had a good excuse。
MISS FOSTER。 Nonsense； child！ At least； who was it？
BARBARA。 Miss Evelina； I was sure you would ask。 Well； what do
you think？ I was looking out of window at the barber's opposite
…
MISS FOSTER。 Of which I entirely disapprove …
BARBARA。 And first there came out two of the most beautiful …
the Royal livery； madam！
MISS FOSTER。 Of course； of course： the Duke of York arrived
last night。 I trust you did not hail the Duke's footmen？
BARBARA。 O no； madam； it was after they were gone。 Then； who
should come out … but you'll never guess！
MISS FOSTER。 I shall certainly not try。
BARBARA。 Mr。 Menteith himself！
MISS FOSTER。 Why； child； I never heard of him。
BARBARA。 O madam； not the Beau's own gentleman？
MISS FOSTER。 Mr。 Austin's servant。 No？ Is it possible？ By
that； George Austin must be here。
BARBARA。 No doubt of that； madam； they're never far apart。 He
came out feeling his chin； madam； so； and a packet of letters
under his arm； so； and he had the Beau's own walk to that degree
you couldn't tell his back from his master's。
MISS FOSTER。 My dear Barbara； you too frequently forget
yourself。 A young woman in your position must beware of levity。
BARBARA。 Madam； I know it； but la； what are you to make of me？
Look at the time and trouble dear Miss Dorothy was always taking
… she that trained up everybody … and see what's come of it：
Barbara Ridley I was； and Barbara Ridley I am； and I don't do
with fashionable ways … I can't do with t