The Devil's Disciple Part 14

SERGEANT (making for the door). Yes sir.

BURGOYNE (as the sergeant pa.s.ses). The first clean, sober townsman you see.

SERGEANT. Yes Sir. (He goes out.)

BURGOYNE. Sit down, Mr. Anderson--if I may call you so for the present.

(Richard sits down.) Sit down, madam, whilst we wait. Give the lady a newspaper.

RICHARD (indignantly). Shame!

BURGOYNE (keenly, with a half smile). If you are not her husband, sir, the case is not a serious one--for her. (Richard bites his lip silenced.)

JUDITH (to Richard, as she returns to her seat). I couldn't help it.

(He shakes his head. She sits down.)

BURGOYNE. You will understand of course, Mr. Anderson, that you must not build on this little incident. We are bound to make an example of somebody.

RICHARD. I quite understand. I suppose there's no use in my explaining.

BURGOYNE. I think we should prefer independent testimony, if you don't mind.

The sergeant, with a packet of papers in his hand, returns conducting Christy, who is much scared.

SERGEANT (giving Burgoyne the packet). Dispatches, Sir. Delivered by a corporal of the 53rd. Dead beat with hard riding, sir.

Burgoyne opens the dispatches, and presently becomes absorbed in them.

They are so serious as to take his attention completely from the court martial.

SERGEANT (to Christy). Now then. Attention; and take your hat off. (He posts himself in charge of Christy, who stands on Burgoyne's side of the court.)

RICHARD (in his usual bullying tone to Christy). Don't be frightened, you fool: you're only wanted as a witness. They're not going to hang YOU.

SWINDON. What's your name?

CHRISTY. Christy.

RICHARD (impatiently). Christopher Dudgeon, you blatant idiot. Give your full name.

SWINDON. Be silent, prisoner. You must not prompt the witness.

RICHARD. Very well. But I warn you you'll get nothing out of him unless you shake it out of him. He has been too well brought up by a pious mother to have any sense or manhood left in him.

BURGOYNE (springing up and speaking to the sergeant in a startling voice). Where is the man who brought these?

SERGEANT. In the guard-room, sir.

Burgoyne goes out with a haste that sets the officers exchanging looks.

SWINDON (to Christy). Do you know Anthony Anderson, the Presbyterian minister?

CHRISTY. Of course I do. (Implying that Swindon must be an a.s.s not to know it.)

SWINDON. Is he here?

CHRISTY (staring round). I don't know.

SWINDON. Do you see him?

CHRISTY. No.

SWINDON. You seem to know the prisoner?

CHRISTY. Do you mean d.i.c.k?

SWINDON. Which is d.i.c.k?

CHRISTY (pointing to Richard). Him.

SWINDON. What is his name?

CHRISTY. d.i.c.k.

RICHARD. Answer properly, you jumping jacka.s.s. What do they know about d.i.c.k?

CHRISTY. Well, you are d.i.c.k, ain't you? What am I to say?

SWINDON. Address me, sir; and do you, prisoner, be silent. Tell us who the prisoner is.

CHRISTY. He's my brother Dudgeon.

SWINDON. Your brother!

CHRISTY. Yes.

SWINDON. You are sure he is not Anderson.

CHRISTY. Who?

RICHARD (exasperatedly). Me, me, me, you--

SWINDON. Silence, sir.

SERGEANT (shouting). Silence.

RICHARD (impatiently). Yah! (To Christy) He wants to know am I Minister Anderson. Tell him, and stop grinning like a zany.

CHRISTY (grinning more than ever). YOU Pastor Anderson! (To Swindon) Why, Mr. Anderson's a minister---a very good man; and d.i.c.k's a bad character: the respectable people won't speak to him. He's the bad brother: I'm the good one, (The officers laugh outright. The soldiers grin.)