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ARETHUSA。 Father； you believe in him； you do； I know you do。
GAUNT。 Child； I am not given to be hasty。 I will pray and sleep
upon this matter。 （A KNOCKING AT THE DOOR； C。） Who knocks so
late？ （HE OPENS。）
PEW （ENTERING）。 Cap'n； shall I fetch the constable？
GAUNT。 No。
PEW。 No？ Have ye killed him？
GAUNT。 My man； I'll see you into the road。 （HE TAKES PEW BY THE
ARM； AND GOES OUT WITH HIM。）
SCENE VI
ARETHUSA
ARETHUSA。 （LISTENS； THEN RUNNING TO DOOR； R。） Kit … dearest！
wait！ I will come to you soon。
（GAUNT RE…ENTERS； C。； AS THE DROP FALLS。）
ACT IV。
The Stage represents the Admiral's house； as in Acts I。 and III。
A chair； L。； in front。 As the curtain rises； the Stage is dark。
Enter ARETHUSA； L。； with candle； she lights another； and passes
to door； R。； which she unbolts。 Stage light
SCENE I
ARETHUSA； KIT
ARETHUSA。 Come； dear Kit； come！
KIT。 Well； I'm here。
ARETHUSA。 O Kit； you are not angry with me。
KIT。 Have I reason to be pleased？
ARETHUSA。 Kit； I was wrong。 Forgive me。
KIT。 O yes。 I forgive you。 I suppose you meant it kindly； but
there are some kindnesses a man would rather die than take a gift
of。 When a man is accused； Arethusa； it is not that he fears the
gallows … it's the shame that cuts him。 At such a time as that；
the way to help was to stand to your belief。 You should have
nailed my colours to the mast； not spoke of striking them。 If I
were to be hanged to…morrow； and your love there； and a free
pardon and a dukedom on the other side … which would I choose？
ARETHUSA。 Kit； you must judge me fairly。 It was not my life
that was at stake； it was yours。 Had it been mine … mine； Kit …
what had you done； then？
KIT。 I am a downright fool； I saw it inside out。 Why； give you
up； by George！
ARETHUSA。 Ah； you see！ Now you understand。 It was all pure
love。 When he said that word … O！ … death and that disgrace！ 。
。 。 But I know my father。 He fears nothing so much as the
goodness of his heart； and yet it conquers。 He would pray； he
said： and to…night； and by the kindness of his voice； I knew he
was convinced already。 All that is wanted； is that you should
forgive me。
KIT。 Arethusa； if you looked at me like that I'd forgive you
piracy on the high seas。 I was only sulky； I was boxed up there
in the black dark； and couldn't see my hand。 It made me pity
that blind man； by George！
ARETHUSA。 O； that blind man！ The fiend！ He came back； Kit：
did you hear him？ he thought we had killed you … you！
KIT。 Well； well； it serves me right for keeping company with
such a swab。
ARETHUSA。 One thing puzzles me： how did you get in？ I saw my
father lock the door。
KIT。 Ah； how？ That's just it。 I was a sheet in the wind； you
see。 How did we？ He did it somehow。 。 。 。 By George； he had a
key！ He can get in again。
ARETHUSA。 Again？ that man！
KIT。 Ay； can he！ Again！ When he likes！
ARETHUSA。 Kit； I am afraid。 O Kit； he will kill my father。
KIT。 Afraid。 I'm glad of that。 Now； you'll see I'm worth my
salt at something。 Ten to one he's back to Mrs。 Drake's。 I'll
after； and lay him aboard。
ARETHUSA。 O Kit； he is too strong for you。
KIT。 Arethusa； that's below the belt！ Never you fear； I'll give
a good account of him。
ARETHUSA （TAKING CUTLASS FROM THE WALL）。 You'll be none the
worse for this； dear。
KIT。 That's so （MAKING CUTS）。 All the same； I'm half ashamed to
draw on a blind man； it's too much odds。 （HE LEAPS SUDDENLY
AGAINST THE TABLE。） Ah！
ARETHUSA。 Kit！ Are you ill？
KIT。 My head's like a humming top； it serves me right for
drinking。
ARETHUSA。 O； and the blind man！ （SHE RUNS； L。； TO THE CORNER
CUPBOARD； BRINGS A BOTTLE AND GLASS； AND FILLS AND OFFERS GLASS。）
Here； lad； drink that。
KIT。 To you！ That's better。 （BOTTLE AND GLASS REMAIN ON
GAUNT'S TABLE。）
ARETHUSA。 Suppose you miss him？
KIT。 Miss him！ The road is straight； and I can hear the tap…
tapping of that stick a mile away。
ARETHUSA （LISTENING）。 St！ my father stirring in his room！
KIT。 Let me get clear； tell him why when I'm gone。 The door … ？
ARETHUSA。 Locked！
KIT。 The window！
ARETHUSA。 Quick； quick！ （SHE UNFASTENS R。 WINDOW； BY WHICH KIT
GOES OUT。）
SCENE II
ARETHUSA； GAUNT ENTERING L。
ARETHUSA。 Father； Kit is gone 。 。 。 。 He is asleep。
AUNT。 Waiting； waiting and wearying。 The years； they go so
heavily； my Hester still waiting！ （HE GOES R。 TO CHEST； WHICH HE
OPENS。） That is your chain； it's of Guinea gold； I brought it
you from Guinea。 （TAKING OUT CHAIN。） You liked it once； it
pleased you long ago； O； why not now … why will you not be happy
now？ 。 。 。 I swear this is my last voyage； see； I lay my hand
upon the Holy Book and swear it。 One more venture … for the
child's sake； Hester； you don't think upon your little maid。
ARETHUSA。 Ah； for my sake； it was for my sake！
GAUNT。 Ten days out from Lagos。 That's a strange sunset； Mr。
Yeo。 All hands shorten sail！ Lay aloft there； look smart！ 。 。
。 What's that？ Only the negroes in the hold 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 Mr。
Yeo； she can't live long at this； I have a wife and child in
Barnstaple。 。 。 。 Christ； what a sea！ Hold on； for God's sake …
hold on fore and aft！ Great God！ （AS THOUGHT THE SEA WERE MAKING
A BREACH OVER THE SHIP AT THE MOMENT）。
ARETHUSA。 O！
GAUNT。 They seem quieter down below there 。 。 。 No water … no
light … no air … seven days battened down； and the seas mountain
high； and the ship labouring hell…deep！ Two hundred and five；
two hundred and five； two hundred and five … all to eternal
torture！
ARETHUSA。 O pity him； pity him！ Let him sleep； let him forget！
Let her prayers avail in heaven； and let him rest！
GAUNT。 Hester； no； don't smile at me。 Rather tears！ I have
seen you weep … often； often； two hundred and five times。 Two
hundred and five！ （WITH RING。 Hester； here is your ring （HE
TRIES TO PUT THE RING ON HIS FINGER）。 How comes it in my hand？
Not fallen off again？ O no； impossible！ it was made smaller；
dear； it can't have fallen off！ Ah； you waste away。 You must
live； you must； for the dear child's sake； for mine； Hester； for
mine！ Ah； the child。 Yes。 Who am I to judge？ Poor Kit French！
And she； your little maid； she's like you； Hester； and she will
save him！ How should a man be saved without a wife？
ARETHUSA。 O father； if you could but hear me thank and bless
you！ （THE TAPPING OF PEW'S STICK IS HEARD APPROACHING。 GAUNT
PASSES L。 FRONT AND SITS。）
GAUNT （BEGINNING TO COUNT THE TAPS）。 One … two … two hundred and
five
ARETHUSA （LISTENING）。 God help me； the blind man！ （SHE RUNS TO
DOOR； C。； THE KEY IS PUT INTO THE LOCK FROM WITHOUT； AND THE DOOR
OPENS。）
SCENE III
ARETHUSA （AT BACK OF STAGE BY THE DOOR）； GAUNT （FRONT L。）； TO
THESE； PEW； C。
PEW （SOTTO VOCE）。 All snug。 （COMING DOWN。） So that was you； my
young friend Christopher； as shot by me on the road； and so you
was hot foot after old Pew？ Christopher； my young friend； I
reckon I'll have the bowels out of that chest； and I reckon
you'll be lagged and scragged for it。 （AT THESE WORDS ARETHUSA
LOCKS THE DOOR； AND TAKES THE KEY。） What's that？ All still。
There's something wrong about this room。 Pew； my 'art of oak；
you're queer to…night； brace up； and carry off。 Where's the
tool？ （PRODUCING KNIFE。） Ah； here she is； and now for the
chest； and the gold； and rum … rum … rum。 What！ Open？ 。 。 。
old clothes； by God！ 。 。 。 He's done me； he's been before me；
he's bolted with the swag； that's why he ran： Lord wither and
waste him forty year for it！ O Christopher； if I had my fingers
on your throat！ Why didn't I strangle the soul out of him？ I
heard the breath squeak in his weasand； and Jack Gaunt pulled me
off。 Ah； Jack； that's another I owe you。 My pious friend； if I
was God Almighty for five minutes！ （GAUNT RISES AND BEGINS TO
PACE THE STAGE LIKE A QUARTERDECK； L。） What's that？ A man's
walk。 He don't see me； thank the blessed dark！ But it's time to
slip； my bo。 （HE GROPES HIS WAY STEALTHILY TILL HE COMES TO
GAUNT'S TABLE； WHERE HE BURNS HIS HAND IN THE CANDLE。） A candle
… lighted … then it's bright as day！ Lord God； doesn't he see
me？ It's the horrors come alive。 （GAUNT DRAWS NEAR AND TURNS
AWAY。） I'll go mad； mad！ （HE GROPES TO THE DOOR； STOPPING AND
STARTING。） Door。 （HIS VOICE RISING FOR THE FIRST TIME； SHARP
WITH TERROR。） Locked？ Key gone？ Trapped！ Keep off … keep off
of me … keep away！ （SOTTO VOCE AGAIN。） Keep your head； Lord
have mercy； keep your head。 I'm wet with sweat。 What devil's
den is this？ I must out … out！ （HE SHAKES THE DOOR VEHEMENTLY。）
No？ Knife it is then … knife … knife … knife！ （HE MOVES WITH
THE KNIFE RAISED TOWARDS GAUNT； INTENTLY LISTENING； AND CHANGING
HIS DIRECTION AS GAUNT CHANGES HIS POSITION ON THE STAGE。）
ARETHUSA （RUSHING TO INTERCEPT HIM）。 Father； father； wake！
GAUNT。 Hester； Hester！ （HE TURNS； IN TIME TO SEE ARETHUSA
GRAPPLE PEW IN THE CENTRE OF THE STAGE； AND PEW FORCE HER DOWN。）
ARETHUSA。 Kit！ Kit！
PEW （WITH THE KNIFE RAISED）。 Pew's way！
SCENE IV
TO THESE； KIT
（He