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business。 That's what you should have said。 That's what you
would have said had you been worth your salt。 But it's blunder；
blunder； outside and in ＇upstairs； downstairs； and in my lady's
chamber＇。 You women！ Did he see Smith？
JEAN。 Ay； and kennt him。
BRODIE。 Damnation！ … No； I'm not angry with you。 But you see
what I've to endure for you。 Don't cry。 ＇Here's the devil at
the door； and we must bar him out as best we can。＇
JEAN。 God's truth； ye are nae vexed wi' me？
BRODIE。 God's truth； I am grateful to you。 How is the child？
Well？ That's right。 （PEEPING。） Poor wee laddie！ He's like
you； Jean。
JEAN。 I aye thocht he was liker you。
BRODIE。 Is he？ Perhaps he is。 Ah； Jeannie； you must see and
make him a better man than his father。
JEAN。 Eh man； Deacon； the proud wumman I'll be gin he's only
half sae guid。
BRODIE。 Well； well； if I win through this； we'll see what we can
do for him between us。 （LEADING HER OUT； C。） And now； go … go …
go。
LAWSON （WITHOUT； L。）。 I ken the way； I ken the way。
JEAN （STARRING TO DOOR）。 It's the Fiscal； I'm awa。 （BRODIE；
L。）。
SCENE III
To these； LAWSON； L。
LAWSON。 A braw day this； William。 （SEEING JEAN。） Eh Mistress
Watt？ And what'll have brocht you here？
BRODIE （SEATED ON BENCH）。 Something； uncle； she lost last night；
and she thinks that something she lost is here。 VOILA。
LAWSON。 Why are ye no at the kirk； woman？ Do ye gang to the
kirk？
JEAN。 I'm mebbe no what ye would just ca' reg'lar。 Ye see；
Fiscal； it's the wean。
LAWSON。 A bairn's an excuse； I ken that fine； Mistress Watt。
But bairn or nane； my woman； ye should be at the kirk。 Awa wi'
ye！ Hear to the bells； they're ringing in。 （JEAN CURTSIES TO
BOTH； AND GOES OUT C。 THE BELLS WHICH HAVE BEEN RINGING QUICKER；
CEASE。）
SCENE IV
LAWSON （TO BRODIE； RETURNING C。 FROM DOOR）。 MULIER FORMOSA
SUPERNE； William： a braw lass； and a decent woman forbye。
BRODIE。 I'm no judge； Procurator； but I'll take your word for
it。 Is she not a tenant of yours？
LAWSON。 Ay； ay； a bit house on my land in Liberton's Wynd。 Her
man's awa； puir body； or they tell me sae； and I'm concerned for
her ＇she's unco bonnie to be left her lane＇。 But it sets me
brawly to be finding faut wi' the puir lass； and me an elder； and
should be at the plate。 ＇There'll be twa words about this in the
Kirk Session。＇ However； it's nane of my business that brings me；
or I should tak' the mair shame to mysel'。 Na； sir； it's for
you； it's your business keeps me frae the kirk。
BRODIE。 My business； Procurator？ I rejoice to see it in such
excellent hands。
LAWSON。 Ye see； it's this way。 I had a crack wi' the laddie；
Leslie； INTER POCULA （he took a stirrup…cup wi' me）； and he tells
me he has askit Mary； and she was to speak to ye hersel'。 O； ye
needna look sae gash。 Did she speak？ and what'll you have said
to her？
BRODIE。 She has not spoken； I have said nothing； and I believe I
asked you to avoid the subject。
LAWSON。 Ay； I made a note o' that observation； William ＇and
assoilzied mysel'＇。 Mary's a guid lass； and I'm her uncle； and
I'm here to be answered。 Is it to be ay or no？
BRODIE。 It's to be no。 This marriage must be quashed； and hark
ye； Procurator； you must help me。
LAWSON。 Me？ ye're daft！ And what for why？
BRODIE。 Because I've spent the trust…money； and I can't refund
it。
LAWSON。 Ye reprobate deevil！
BRODIE。 Have a care； Procurator。 No wry words！
LAWSON。 Do you say it to my face； sir？ Dod； sir； I'm the Crown
Prosecutor。
BRODIE。 Right。 The Prosecutor for the Crown。 And where did you
get your brandy？
LAWSON。 Eh？
BRODIE。 Your brandy！ Your brandy man！ Where do you get your
brandy？ And you a Crown official and an elder！
LAWSON。 Whaur the deevil did ye hear that？
BRODIE。 Rogues all！ Rogues all； Procurator！
LAWSON。 Ay； ay。 Lord save us！ Guidsake； to think o' that noo！
。 。 。 Can ye give me some o' that Cognac？ I'm 。 。 。 。 。 I'm sort
o' shaken； William； I'm sort o' shaken。 Thank you； William！
（LOOKING； PITEOUSLY AT GLASS。） NUNC EST BIBENDUM。 （DRINKS。）
Troth； I'm set ajee a bit。 Wha the deevil tauld ye？
BRODIE。 Ask no questions； brother。 We are a pair。
LAWSON。 Pair； indeed！ Pair； William Brodie！ Upon my saul； sir；
ye're a brazen…faced man that durst say it to my face！ Tak' you
care； my bonnie young man； that your craig doesna feel the wecht
o' your hurdies。 Keep the plainstanes side o' the gallows。 VIA
TRITA； VIA TUTA； William Brodie！
BRODIE。 And the brandy； Procurator？ and the brandy？
LAWSON。 Ay 。 。 。 weel 。 。 。 be't sae！ Let the brandy bide； man；
let the brandy bide！ But for you and the trust…money 。 。 。
damned！ It's felony。 TUTOR IN REM SUAM； ye ken； TUTOR IN REM
SUAM。 But O man； Deacon； whaur is the siller？
BRODIE。 It's gone … O how the devil should I know？ But it'll
never come back。
LAWSON。 Dear； dear！ A' gone to the winds o' heaven！ Sae ye're
an extravagant dog； too。 PRODIGUS ET FURIOSUS！ And that puir
lass … eh； Deacon； man； that puir lass！ I mind her such a bonny
bairn。
BRODIE （STOPPING HIS EARS）。 Brandy； brandy； brandy； brandy；
brandy
LAWSON。 William Brodie； mony's the long day that I've believed
in you； prood； prood was I to be the Deacon's uncle； and a sore
hearing have I had of it the day。 That's past； that's past like
Flodden Field； it's an auld sang noo； and I'm an aulder man than
when I crossed your door。 But mark ye this … mark ye this；
William Brodie； I may be no sae guid's I should be； but there's
no a saul between the east sea and the wast can lift his een to
God that made him； and say I wranged him as ye wrang that lassie。
I bless God；
William Brodie … ay； though he was like my brother … I bless God
that he that got ye has the hand of death upon his hearing； and
can win into his grave a happier man than me。 And ye speak to
me； sir？ Think shame … think shame upon your heart！
BRODIE。 Rogues all！
LAWSON。 You're the son of my sister； William Brodie。 Mair than
that I stop not to inquire。 If the siller is spent； and the
honour tint … Lord help us； and the honour tint！ … sae be it； I
maun bow the head。 Ruin shallna come by me。 Na； and I'll say
mair； William； we have a' our weary sins upon our backs； and
maybe I have mair than mony。 But； man； if ye could bring HALF
the jointure 。 。 。 ＇POTIUS QUAM PEREAS＇ 。 。 。 for your mither's
son？ Na？ You couldna bring the half？ Weel； weel； it's a sair
heart I have this day； a sair heart and a weary。 If I were a
better man mysel' 。 。 。 but there； there； it's a sair heart that
I have gotten。 And the Lord kens I'll help ye if I can。 ＇POTIUS
QUAM PEREAS。＇
SCENE V
BRODIE。 Sore hearing； does he say？ My hand's wet。 But it's
victory。 Shall it be go？ or stay？ ＇I should show them all I
can； or they may pry closer than they ought。＇ Shall I have it
out and be done with it？ To see Mary at once ＇to carry bastion
after bastion at the charge＇ … there were the true safety after
all！ Hurry … hurry's the road to silence now。 Let them once get
tattling in their parlours； and it's death to me。 For I'm in a
cruel corner now。 I'm down； and I shall get my kicking soon and
soon enough。 I began it in the lust of life； in a hey…day of
mystery and adventure。 I felt it great to be a bolder； craftier
rogue than the drowsy citizen that called himself my fellow…man。
＇It was meat and drink to know him in the hollow of my hand；
hoarding that I and mine might squander； pinching that we might
wax fat。＇ It was in the laughter of my heart that I tip…toed
into his greasy privacy。 I forced the strong…box at his ear
while he sprawled beside his wife。 He was my butt； my ape； my
jumping…jack。 And now 。 。 。 O fool； fool！ ＇Duped by such knaves
as are a shame to knavery； crime's rabble； hell's
tatterdemalions！＇ Shorn to the quick！ Rooked to my vitals！ And
I must thieve for my daily bread like any crawling blackguard in
the gutter。 And my sister 。 。 。 my kind； innocent sister！ She
will come smiling to me with her poor little love…story； and I
must break her heart。 Broken hearts； broken lives！ 。 。 。 I
should have died before。
SCENE VI
BRODIE； MARY
MARY （TAPPING WITHOUT）。 Can I come in； Will？
BRODIE。 O yes； come in； come in！ （MARY ENTERS。） I wanted to be
quiet； but it doesn't matter； I see。 You women are all the same。
MARY。 O no； Will； they're not all so happy； and they're not all
Brodies。 But I'll be a woman in one thing。 For I've come to
claim your promise； dear； and I'm going to be petted and
comforted and made much of； altho' I don't need it； and 。 。 。
Why； Will； what's wrong with you？ You look 。 。 。 I don't know
what you look like。
BRODIE。 O nothing！ A splitting head and an aching heart。 Well！
you've come to speak to me。 Speak up。 What is it？ Come； girl！
What is it？ Can't you speak？
MARY。 Why； Will； what is the matter？
BRODIE。 I thought you had come to tell me something。 Here I am。
For God's sake out with it； and don't stand beating about the
bush。
MARY。 O be kind； be kind to me。
BRODIE。 Kind？ I am kind。 I'm only ill an