One-Act Plays Part 14

VALSIN. The sight of them--

ANNE. I have my pa.s.sport; you shall see. [_With wildly shaking hands she takes from her blouse the pa.s.sport and the "permit," crumpled together._] It is in proper form--[_She is nervously replacing the two papers in her bosom when with a sudden movement he takes them from her. She cries out incoherently, and attempts to recapture them._]

VALSIN [_extending his left arm to fend her off_]. Yes, here you have your pa.s.sport. And there you have others. [_He points to the littered floor under the desk._] Many of them!

ANNE. Old letters! [_She clutches at the papers in his grasp._]

VALSIN [_easily fending her off_]. Doubtless! [_He shakes the "permit"

open._] Oho! A permission to embark--and signed by three names of the highest celebrity. Alas, these unfortunate statesmen, Billaud Varennes, Carnot, and Robespierre! Each has lately suffered an injury to his right hand. What a misfortune for France! And what a coincidence! One has not heard the like since we closed the theatres.

ANNE [_furiously struggling to reach his hand_]. Give me my papers!

Give me--

VALSIN [_holding them away from her_]. You see, these unlucky great men had their names signed for them by somebody else. And I should judge that this somebody else must have been writing quite recently--less than half an hour ago, from the freshness of the ink--and in considerable haste; perhaps suffering considerable anguish of mind, Widow Balsage! [_MADAME DE LASEYNE, overwhelmed, sinks into a chair. He comes close to her, his manner changing startlingly._]

VALSIN [_bending over with sudden menace, his voice loud and harsh_].

Widow Balsage, if you intend no journey, why have you this forged permission to embark on the Jeune Pierrette? Widow Balsage, who is the Citizen Balsage?

ANNE [_faintly_]. My brother.

VALSIN [_straightening up_]. Your first truth. [_Resuming his gaiety._] Of course he is not in that room yonder with your niece.

ANNE [_brokenly_]. No, no, no; he is not! He is not here.

VALSIN [_commiseratingly_]. Poor woman! You have not even the pleasure to perceive how droll you are.

ANNE. I perceive that I am a fool! [_She dashes the tears from her eyes and springs to her feet._] I also perceive that you have denounced us before the authorities here--

VALSIN. Pardon. In Boulogne it happens that _I_ am the authority. I introduce myself for the third time: Valsin, Commissioner of the National Committee of Public Safety. Tallien was sent to Bordeaux; Collot to Lyons; I to Boulogne. Citizeness, were all of the august names on your permit genuine, you could no more leave this port without my counter-signature than you could take wing and fly over the Channel!

ANNE [_with a shrill laugh of triumph_]. You have overreached yourself! You're an ordinary spy: you followed us from Paris--

VALSIN [_gaily_]. Oh, I intended you to notice that!

ANNE [_unheeding_]. You have claimed to be Commissioner of the highest power in France. We can prove that you are a common spy. You may go to the guillotine for that. Take care, Citizen! So! You have denounced us; we denounce you. I'll have you arrested by your own soldiers. I'll call them--[_She makes a feint of running to the window. He watches her coolly, in silence; and she halts, chagrined._]

VALSIN [_pleasantly_]. I was sure you would not force me to be premature. Remark it, Citizeness Laseyne: I am enjoying all this. I have waited a long time for it.

ANNE [_becoming hysterical_]. I am the Widow Balsage, I tell you! You do not know us--you followed us from Paris. [_Half sobbing._] You're a spy--a hanger-on of the police. We will prove--

VALSIN [_stepping to the dismantled doorway_]. I left my a.s.sistant within hearing--a species of animal of mine. I may claim that he belongs to me. A worthy patriot, but skillful, who has had the honor of a slight acquaintance with you, I believe. [_Calling._]

Dossonville! [_DOSSONVILLE, a large man, flabby of flesh, loose-mouthed, grizzled, carelessly dressed, makes his appearance in the doorway. He has a harsh and reckless eye; and, obviously a flamboyant bully by temperament, his abject, doggish deference to VALSIN is instantly impressive, more than confirming the latter's remark that DOSSONVILLE "belongs" to him. DOSSONVILLE, apparently, is a chattel indeed, body and soul. At sight of him MADAME DE LASEYNE catches at the desk for support and stands speechless._]

VALSIN [_easily_]. Dossonville, you may inform the Citizeness Laseyne what office I have the fortune to hold.

DOSSONVILLE [_coming in_]. Bright heaven! All the world knows that you are the representative of the Committee of Public Safety. Commissioner to Boulogne.

VALSIN. With what authority?

DOSSONVILLE. Absolute--unlimited! Naturally. What else would be useful?

VALSIN. You recall this woman, Dossonville?

DOSSONVILLE. She was present when I delivered the pa.s.sport to the Emigrant Valny-Cherault, in Paris.

VALSIN. Did you forge that pa.s.sport?

DOSSONVILLE. No. I told the Emigrant I had. Under orders.

[_Grinning._] It was genuine.

VALSIN. Where did you get it?

DOSSONVILLE. From you.

VALSIN [_suavely_]. Sit down, Dossonville. [_The latter, who is standing by a chair, obeys with a promptness more than military.

VALSIN turns smilingly to MADAME DE LASEYNE._] Dossonville's instructions, however, did not include a "permit" to sail on the _Jeune Pierrette_. All of which, I confess, Citizeness, has very much the appearance of a trap! [_He tosses the two papers upon the desk.

Utterly dismayed, she makes no effort to secure them. He regards her with quizzical enjoyment._]

ANNE. Ah--you--[_She fails to speak coherently._]

VALSIN. Dossonville has done very well. He procured your pa.s.sport, brought your "disguises," planned your journey, even gave you directions how to find these lodgings in Boulogne. Indeed, I instructed him to omit nothing for your comfort. [_He pauses for a moment._] If I am a spy, Citizeness Laseyne, at least I trust your gracious intelligence may not cling to the epithet "ordinary." My soul! but I appear to myself a most uncommon type of spy--a very intricate, complete, and unusual spy, in fact.

ANNE [_to herself, weeping_]. Ah, poor Louis!

VALSIN [_cheerfully_]. You are beginning to comprehend? That is well.

Your niece's door is still ajar by the discreet width of a finger, so I a.s.sume that the Emigrant also begins to comprehend. Therefore I take my ease! [_He seats himself in the most comfortable chair in the room, crossing his legs in a leisurely att.i.tude, and lightly drumming the tips of his fingers together, the while his peaceful gaze is fixed upon the ceiling. His tone, as he continues, is casual._] You understand, my Dossonville, having long ago occupied this very apartment myself, I am serenely aware that the Emigrant can leave the other room only by the window; and as this is the fourth floor, and a proper number of bayonets in the courtyard below are arranged to receive any person active enough to descend by a rope of bed-clothes, one is confident that the said Emigrant will remain where he is. Let us make ourselves comfortable, for it is a delightful hour--an hour I have long promised myself. I am in a good humor. Let us all be happy.

Citizeness Laseyne, enjoy yourself. Call me some bad names!

ANNE [_between her teeth_]. If I could find one evil enough!

VALSIN [_slapping his knee delightedly_]. There it is: the complete incompetence of your cla.s.s. You poor aristocrats, you do not even know how to swear. Your ancestors knew how! They were fighters; they knew how to swear because they knew how to attack; you poor moderns have no profanity left in you, because, poisoned by idleness, you have forgotten even how to resist. And yet you thought yourselves on top, and so you were--but as foam is on top of the wave. You forgot that power, like genius, always comes from underneath, because it is produced only by turmoil. We have had to wring the neck of your feather-head court, because while the court was the nation the nation had its pockets picked. You were at the mercy of anybody with a pinch of brains: adventurers like Mazarin, like Fouquet, like Law, or that little commoner, the woman Fish, who called herself Pompadour and took France--France, merely!--from your King, and used it to her own pleasure. Then, at last, after the swindlers had well plucked you--at last, unfortunate creatures, the People got you! Citizeness, the People had starved: be a.s.sured they will eat you to the bone--and then eat the bone! You are helpless because you have learned nothing and forgotten everything. You have forgotten everything in this world except how to be fat!

DOSSONVILLE [_applauding with unction_]. Beautiful! It is beautiful, all that! A beautiful speech!

VALSIN. a.s.s!

DOSSONVILLE [_meekly_]. Perfectly, perfectly.

VALSIN [_crossly_]. That wasn't a speech; it was the truth. Citizeness Laseyne, so far as you are concerned, I am the People. [_He extends his hand negligently, with open palm._] And I have got you. [_He clenches his fingers, like a cook's on the neck of a fowl._] Like that! And I'm going to take you back to Paris, you and the Emigrant.

[_She stands in an att.i.tude eloquent of despair. His glance roves from her to the door of the other room, which is still slightly ajar; and, smiling at some fugitive thought, he continues, deliberately._] I take you: you and your brother--and that rather pretty little person who traveled with you. [_There is a breathless exclamation from the other side of the door, which is flung open violently, as ELOISE--flushed, radiant with anger, and altogether magnificent--sweeps into the room to confront VALSIN._]

ELOISE [_slamming the door behind her_]. Leave this Jack-in-Office to me, Anne!

DOSSONVILLE [_dazed by the vision_]. Lord! What glory! [_He rises, bowing profoundly, muttering hoa.r.s.ely._] Oh, eyes! Oh, hair! Look at her shape! Her chin! The divine--

VALSIN [_getting up and patting him rea.s.suringly on the back_]. The lady perceives her effect, my Dossonville. It is no novelty. Sit down, my Dossonville. [_The still murmurous DOSSONVILLE obeys VALSIN turns to ELOISE, a brilliant light in his eyes._] Let me greet one of the nieces of Widow Balsage--evidently not the sleepy one, and certainly not ill. Health so transcendent--

ELOISE [_placing her hand upon MADAME DE LASEYNE's shoulder_]. This is a clown, Anne. You need have no fear of him whatever. His petty authority does not extend to us.