Book: Loyalties (Fifth Series Plays)
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John Galsworthy >> Loyalties (Fifth Series Plays)
INSPECTOR. No prayers or anything?
DE LEVIS. No.
INSPECTOR. Pretty slippy with your undressin' as a rule?
DE LEVIS. Yes. Say five past eleven.
INSPECTOR. Mr WINSOR, what time did the gentleman come to you?
WINSOR. Half-past eleven.
INSPECTOR. How do you fix that, sir?
WINSOR. I'd just looked at the time, and told my wife to send her maid
off.
INSPECTOR. Then we've got it fixed between 11.15 and 11.30. [Jots] Now,
sir, before we go further I'd like to see your butler and the footman
that valets this gentleman.
WINSOR. [With distaste] Very well, Inspector; only--my butler has been
with us from a boy.
INSPECTOR. Quite so. This is just clearing the ground, sir.
WINSOR. General, d'you mind touching that bell?
CANYNGE rings a bell by the bed.
INSPECTOR. Well, gentlemen, there are four possibilities. Either the
thief was here all the time, waiting under the bed, and slipped out after
this gentleman had gone to Mr WINSOR. Or he came in with a key that fits
the lock; and I'll want to see all the keys in the house. Or he came in
with a skeleton key and out by the window, probably droppin' from the
balcony. Or he came in by the window with a rope or ladder and out the
same way. [Pointing] There's a footmark here from a big boot which has
been out of doors since it rained.
CANYNGE. Inspector--you er--walked up to the window when you first came
into the room.
INSPECTOR. [Stiffly] I had not overlooked that, General.
CANYNGE. Of course.
A knock on the door relieves a certain tension,
WINSOR. Come in.
The footman ROBERT, a fresh-faced young man, enters, followed by
TREISURE.
INSPECTOR. You valet Mr--Mr De Levis, I think?
ROBERT. Yes, sir.
INSPECTOR. At what time did you take his clothes and boots?
ROBERT. Ten o'clock, sir.
INSPECTOR. [With a pounce] Did you happen to look under his bed?
ROBERT. No, sir.
INSPECTOR. Did you come up again, to bring the clothes back?
ROBERT. No, sir; they're still downstairs.
INSPECTOR. Did you come up again for anything?
ROBERT. No, Sir.
INSPECTOR. What time did you go to bed?
ROBERT. Just after eleven, Sir.
INSPECTOR. [Scrutinising him] Now, be careful. Did you go to bed at
all?
ROBERT. No, Sir.
INSPECTOR. Then why did you say you did? There's been a theft here, and
anything you say may be used against you.
ROBERT. Yes, Sir. I meant, I went to my room.
INSPECTOR. Where is your room?
ROBERT. On the ground floor, at the other end of the right wing, sir.
WINSOR. It's the extreme end of the house from this, Inspector. He's
with the other two footmen.
INSPECTOR. Were you there alone?
ROBERT. No, Sir. Thomas and Frederick was there too.
TREISURE. That's right; I've seen them.
INSPECTOR. [Holding up his hand for silence] Were you out of the room
again after you went in?
ROBERT. No, Sir.
INSPECTOR. What were you doing, if you didn't go to bed?
ROBERT. [To WINSOR] Beggin' your pardon, Sir, we were playin' Bridge.
INSPECTOR. Very good. You can go. I'll see them later on.
ROBERT. Yes, Sir. They'll say the same as me. He goes out, leaving a
smile on the face of all except the INSPECTOR and DE LEVIS.
INSPECTOR. [Sharply] Call him back.
TREISURE calls "Robert," and the FOOTMAN re-enters.
ROBERT. Yes, Sir?
INSPECTOR. Did you notice anything particular about Mr De Levis's
clothes?
ROBERT. Only that they were very good, Sir.
INSPECTOR. I mean--anything peculiar?
ROBERT. [After reflection] Yes, Sir.
INSPECTOR. Well?
ROBERT. A pair of his boots this evenin' was reduced to one, sir.
INSPECTOR. What did you make of that?
ROBERT. I thought he might have thrown the other at a cat or something.
INSPECTOR. Did you look for it?
ROBERT. No, Sir; I meant to draw his attention to it in the morning.
INSPECTOR. Very good.
ROBERT. Yes, Sir. [He goes again.]
INSPECTOR. [Looking at DE LEVIS] Well, sir, there's your story
corroborated.
DE LEVIS. [Stifly] I don't know why it should need corroboration,
Inspector.
INSPECTOR. In my experience, you can never have too much of that. [To
WINSOR] I understand there's a lady in the room on this side [pointing
Left] and a gentleman on this [pointing Right] Were they in their rooms?
WINSOR. Miss Orme was; Captain Dancy not.
INSPECTOR. Do they know of the affair?
WINSOR. Yes.
INSPECTOR. Well, I'd just like the keys of their doors for a minute. My
man will get them.
He goes to the door, opens it, and speaks to a constable in the
corridor.
[To TREISURE] You can go with him.
TREISURE goes Out.
In the meantime I'll just examine the balcony.
He goes out on the balcony, followed by DE LEVIS.
WINSOR. [To CANYNGE] Damn De Levis and his money! It's deuced
invidious, all this, General.
CANYNGE. The Inspector's no earthly.
There is a simultaneous re-entry of the INSPECTOR from the balcony
and of TREISURE and the CONSTABLE from the corridor.
CONSTABLE. [Handing key] Room on the left, Sir. [Handing key] Room on
the right, sir.
The INSPECTOR tries the keys in the door, watched with tension by
the others. The keys fail.
INSPECTOR. Put them back.
Hands keys to CONSTABLE, who goes out, followed by TREISURE.
I'll have to try every key in the house, sir.
WINSOR. Inspector, do you really think it necessary to disturb the whole
house and knock up all my guests? It's most disagreeable, all this, you
know. The loss of the money is not such a great matter. Mr De Levis has
a very large income.
CANYNGE. You could get the numbers of the notes from Kentman the
bookmaker, Inspector; he'll probably have the big ones, anyway.
INSPECTOR. [Shaking his head] A bookie. I don't suppose he will, sir.
It's come and go with them, all the time.
WINSOR. We don't want a Meldon Court scandal, Inspector.
INSPECTOR. Well, Mr WINSOR, I've formed my theory.
As he speaks, DE LEVIS comes in from the balcony.
And I don't say to try the keys is necessary to it; but strictly, I ought
to exhaust the possibilities.
WINSOR. What do you say, De Levis? D'you want everybody in the house
knocked up so that their keys can be tried?
DE LEVIS. [Whose face, since his return, expresses a curious excitement]
No, I don't.
INSPECTOR. Very well, gentlemen. In my opinion the thief walked in
before the door was locked, probably during dinner; and was under the
bed. He escaped by dropping from the balcony--the creeper at that corner
[he points stage Left] has been violently wrenched. I'll go down now,
and examine the grounds, and I'll see you again Sir. [He makes another
entry in his note-book] Goodnight, then, gentlemen!
CANYNGE. Good-night!
WINSOR. [With relief] I'll come with you, Inspector.
He escorts him to the door, and they go out.
DE LEVIS. [Suddenly] General, I know who took them.
CANYNGE. The deuce you do! Are you following the Inspector's theory?
DE LEVIS. [Contemptuously] That ass! [Pulling the shaving papers out
of the case] No! The man who put those there was clever and cool enough
to wrench that creeper off the balcony, as a blind. Come and look here,
General. [He goes to the window; the GENERAL follows. DE LEVIS points
stage Right] See the rail of my balcony, and the rail of the next? [He
holds up the cord of his dressing-gown, stretching his arms out] I've
measured it with this. Just over seven feet, that's all! If a man can
take a standing jump on to a narrow bookcase four feet high and balance
there, he'd make nothing of that. And, look here! [He goes out on the
balcony and returns with a bit of broken creeper in his hand, and holds
it out into the light] Someone's stood on that--the stalk's crushed--the
inner corner too, where he'd naturally stand when he took his jump back.
CANYNGE. [After examining it--stiffly] That other balcony is young
Dancy's, Mr De Levis; a soldier and a gentleman. This is an
extraordinary insinuation.
DE LEVIS. Accusation.
CANYNGE. What!
DE LEVIS. I have intuitions, General; it's in my blood. I see the whole
thing. Dancy came up, watched me into the bathroom, tried my door,
slipped back into his dressing-room, saw my window was open, took that
jump, sneaked the notes, filled the case up with these, wrenched the
creeper there [He points stage Left] for a blind, jumped back, and
slipped downstairs again. It didn't take him four minutes altogether.
CANYNGE. [Very gravely] This is outrageous, De Levis. Dancy says he
was downstairs all the time. You must either withdraw unreservedly,
or I must confront you with him.
DE LEVIS. If he'll return the notes and apologise, I'll do nothing--
except cut him in future. He gave me that filly, you know, as a hopeless
weed, and he's been pretty sick ever since, that he was such a flat as
not to see how good she was. Besides, he's hard up, I know.
CANYNGE. [After a vexed turn up and down the room] It's mad, sir, to
jump to conclusions like this.
DE LEVIS. Not so mad as the conclusion Dancy jumped to when he lighted
on my balcony.
CANYNGE. Nobody could have taken this money who did not know you had it.
DE LEVIS. How do you know that he didn't?
CANYNGE. Do you know that he did?
DE LEVIS. I haven't the least doubt of it.
CANYNGE. Without any proof. This is very ugly, De Levis. I must tell
WINSOR.
DE LEVIS. [Angrily] Tell the whole blooming lot. You think I've no
feelers, but I've felt the atmosphere here, I can tell you, General. If
I were in Dancy's shoes and he in mine, your tone to me would be very
different.
CANYNGE. [Suavely frigid] I'm not aware of using any tone, as you call
it. But this is a private house, Mr De Levis, and something is due to
our host and to the esprit de corps that exists among gentlemen.
DE LEVIS. Since when is a thief a gentleman? Thick as thieves--a good
motto, isn't it?
CANYNGE. That's enough! [He goes to the door, but stops before opening
it] Now, look here! I have some knowledge of the world. Once an
accusation like this passes beyond these walls no one can foresee the
consequences. Captain Dancy is a gallant fellow, with a fine record as a
soldier; and only just married. If he's as innocent as--Christ--mud will
stick to him, unless the real thief is found. In the old days of swords,
either you or he would not have gone out of this room alive. It you
persist in this absurd accusation, you will both of you go out of this
room dead in the eyes of Society: you for bringing it, he for being the
object of it.
DE LEVIS. Society! Do you think I don't know that I'm only tolerated
for my money? Society can't add injury to insult and have my money as
well, that's all. If the notes are restored I'll keep my mouth shut; if
they're not, I shan't. I'm certain I'm right. I ask nothing better than
to be confronted with Dancy; but, if you prefer it, deal with him in your
own way--for the sake of your esprit de corps.
CANYNGE. 'Pon my soul, Mr De Levis, you go too far.
DE LEVIS. Not so far as I shall go, General Canynge, if those notes
aren't given back.
WINSOR comes in.
WINSOR. Well, De Levis, I'm afraid that's all we can do for the present.
So very sorry this should have happened in my house.
CANYNGE. [Alter a silence] There's a development, WINSOR. Mr De Levis
accuses one of your guests.
WINSOR. What?
CANYNGE. Of jumping from his balcony to this, taking the notes, and
jumping back. I've done my best to dissuade him from indulging the
fancy--without success. Dancy must be told.
DE LEVIS. You can deal with Dancy in your own way. All I want is the
money back.
CANYNGE. [Drily] Mr De Levis feels that he is only valued for his
money, so that it is essential for him to have it back.
WINSOR. Damn it! This is monstrous, De Levis. I've known Ronald Dancy
since he was a boy.
CANYNGE. You talk about adding injury to insult, De Levis. What do you
call such treatment of a man who gave you the mare out of which you made
this thousand pounds?
DE LEVIS. I didn't want the mare; I took her as a favour.
CANYNGE. With an eye to possibilities, I venture to think--the principle
guides a good many transactions.
DE LEVIS. [As if flicked on a raw spot] In my race, do you mean?
CANYNGE. [Coldly] I said nothing of the sort.
DE LEVIS. No; you don't say these things, any of you.
CANYNGE. Nor did I think it.
DE LEVIS. Dancy does.
WINSOR. Really, De Levis, if this is the way you repay hospitality--
DE LEVIS. Hospitality that skins my feelings and costs me a thousand
pounds!
CANYNGE. Go and get Dancy, WINSOR; but don't say anything to him.
WINSOR goes out.
CANYNGE. Perhaps you will kindly control yourself, and leave this to me.
DE LEVIS turns to the window and lights a cigarette. WINSOR comes
back, followed by DANCY.
CANYNGE. For WINSOR's sake, Dancy, we don't want any scandal or fuss
about this affair. We've tried to make the police understand that. To
my mind the whole thing turns on our finding who knew that De Levis had
this money. It's about that we want to consult you.
WINSOR. Kentman paid De Levis round the corner in the further paddock,
he says.
DE LEVIS turns round from the window, so that he and DANCY are
staring at each other.
CANYNGE. Did you hear anything that throws light, Dancy? As it was your
filly originally, we thought perhaps you might.
DANCY. I? No.
CANYNGE. Didn't hear of the sale on the course at all?
DANCY. No.
CANYNGE. Then you can't suggest any one who could have known? Nothing
else was taken, you see.
DANCY. De Levis is known to be rolling, as I am known to be stony.
CANYNGE. There are a good many people still rolling, besides Mr De
Levis, but not many people with so large a sum in their pocket-books.
DANCY. He won two races.
DE LEVIS. Do you suggest that I bet in ready money?
DANCY. I don't know how you bet, and I don't care.
CANYNGE. You can't help us, then?
DANCY. No. I can't. Anything else? [He looks fixedly at DE LEVIS].
CANYNGE. [Putting his hand on DANCY's arm] Nothing else, thank you,
Dancy.
DANCY goes. CANYNGE puts his hand up to his face. A moment's
silence.
WINSOR. You see, De Levis? He didn't even know you'd got the money.
DE LEVIS. Very conclusive.
WINSOR. Well! You are--!
There is a knock on the door, and the INSPECTOR enters.
INSPECTOR. I'm just going, gentlemen. The grounds, I'm sorry to say,
have yielded nothing. It's a bit of a puzzle.
CANYNGE. You've searched thoroughly?
INSPECTOR. We have, General. I can pick up nothing near the terrace.
WINSOR. [After a look at DE LEVIS, whose face expresses too much] H'm!
You'll take it up from the other end, then, Inspector?
INSPECTOR. Well, we'll see what we can do with the bookmakers about the
numbers, sir. Before I go, gentlemen--you've had time to think it over--
there's no one you suspect in the house, I suppose?
DE LEVIS's face is alive and uncertain. CANYNGE is staring at him
very fixedly.
WINSOR. [Emphatically] No.
DE LEVIS turns and goes out on to the balcony.
INSPECTOR. If you're coming in to the racing to-morrow, sir, you might
give us a call. I'll have seen Kentman by then.
WINSOR. Right you are, Inspector. Good night, and many thanks.
INSPECTOR. You're welcome, sir. [He goes out.]
WINSOR. Gosh! I thought that chap [With a nod towards the balcony]
was going to--! Look here, General, we must stop his tongue. Imagine it
going the rounds. They may never find the real thief, you know. It's
the very devil for Dancy.
CANYNGE. WINSOR! Dancy's sleeve was damp.
WINSOR. How d'you mean?
CANYNGE. Quite damp. It's been raining.
The two look at each other.
WINSOR. I--I don't follow-- [His voice is hesitative and lower, showing
that he does].
CANYNGE. It was coming down hard; a minute out in it would have been
enough--[He motions with his chin towards the balcony].
WINSOR. [Hastily] He must have been out on his balcony since.
CANYNGE. It stopped before I came up, half an hour ago.
WINSOR. He's been leaning on the wet stone, then.
CANYNGE. With the outside of the upper part of the arm?
WINSOR. Against the wall, perhaps. There may be a dozen explanations.
[Very low and with great concentration] I entirely and absolutely refuse
to believe anything of the sort against Ronald Dancy in my house. Dash
it, General, we must do as we'd be done by. It hits us all--it hits us
all. The thing's intolerable.
CANYNGE. I agree. Intolerable. [Raising his voice] Mr De Levis!
DE LEVIS returns into view, in the centre of the open window.
CANYNGE. [With cold decision] Young Dancy was an officer and is a
gentleman; this insinuation is pure supposition, and you must not make
it. Do you understand me?
DE LEVIS. My tongue is still mine, General, if my money isn't!
CANYNGE. [Unmoved] Must not. You're a member of three Clubs, you want
to be member of a fourth. No one who makes such an insinuation against a
fellow-guest in a country house, except on absolute proof, can do so
without complete ostracism. Have we your word to say nothing?
DE LEVIS. Social blackmail? H'm!
CANYNGE. Not at all--simple warning. If you consider it necessary in
your interests to start this scandal-no matter how, we shall consider it
necessary in ours to dissociate ourselves completely from one who so
recklessly disregards the unwritten code.
DE LEVIS. Do you think your code applies to me? Do you, General?
CANYNGE. To anyone who aspires to be a gentleman, Sir.
DE LEVIS. Ah! But you haven't known me since I was a boy.
CANYNGE. Make up your mind.
A pause.
DE LEVIS. I'm not a fool, General. I know perfectly well that you can
get me outed.
CANYNGE. [Icily] Well?
DE LEVIS. [Sullenly] I'll say nothing about it, unless I get more
proof.
CANYNGE. Good! We have implicit faith in Dancy.
There is a moment's encounter of eyes; the GENERAL'S steady, shrewd,
impassive; WINSOR'S angry and defiant; DE LEVIS's mocking, a little
triumphant, malicious. Then CANYNGE and WINSOR go to the door, and
pass out.
DE LEVIS. [To himself] Rats!
CURTAIN
ACT II
SCENE I
Afternoon, three weeks later, in the card room of a London Club. A
fire is burning, Left. A door, Right, leads to the billiard-room.
Rather Left of Centre, at a card table, LORD ST ERTH, an old John
Bull, sits facing the audience; to his right is GENERAL CANYNGE, to
his left AUGUSTUS BORRING, an essential Clubman, about thirty-five
years old, with a very slight and rather becoming stammer or click
in his speech. The fourth Bridge player, CHARLES WINSOR, stands
with his back to the fire.
BORRING. And the r-rub.
WINSOR. By George! You do hold cards, Borring.
ST ERTH. [Who has lost] Not a patch on the old whist--this game. Don't
know why I play it--never did.
CANYNGE. St Erth, shall we raise the flag for whist again?
WINSOR. No go, General. You can't go back on pace. No getting a man to
walk when he knows he can fly. The young men won't look at it.
BORRING. Better develop it so that t-two can sit out, General.
ST ERTH. We ought to have stuck to the old game. Wish I'd gone to
Newmarket, Canynge, in spite of the weather.
CANYNGE. [Looking at his watch] Let's hear what's won the
Cambridgeshire. Ring, won't you, WINSOR? [WINSOR rings.]
ST ERTH. By the way, Canynge, young De Levis was blackballed.
CANYNGE. What!
ST ERTH. I looked in on my way down.
CANYNGE sits very still, and WINSOR utters a disturbed sound.
BORRING. But of c-course he was, General. What did you expect?
A FOOTMAN enters.
FOOTMAN. Yes, my lord?
ST ERTH. What won the Cambridgeshire?
FOOTMAN. Rosemary, my lord. Sherbet second; Barbizon third. Nine to
one the winner.
WINSOR. Thank you. That's all.
FOOTMAN goes.
BORRING. Rosemary! And De Levis sold her! But he got a good p-price, I
suppose.
The other three look at him.
ST ERTH. Many a slip between price and pocket, young man.
CANYNGE. Cut! [They cut].
BORRING. I say, is that the yarn that's going round about his having had
a lot of m-money stolen in a country house? By Jove! He'll be pretty
s-sick.
WINSOR. You and I, Borring.
He sits down in CANYNGE'S chair, and the GENERAL takes his place by
the fire.
BORRING. Phew! Won't Dancy be mad! He gave that filly away to save her
keep. He was rather pleased to find somebody who'd take her. Bentman
must have won a p-pot. She was at thirty-threes a fortnight ago.
ST ERTH. All the money goes to fellows who don't know a horse from a
haystack.
CANYNGE. [Profoundly] And care less. Yes! We want men racing to whom
a horse means something.
BORRING. I thought the horse m-meant the same to everyone, General--
chance to get the b-better of one's neighbour.
CANYNGE. [With feeling] The horse is a noble animal, sir, as you'd know
if you'd owed your life to them as often as I have.
BORRING. They always try to take mine, General. I shall never belong to
the noble f-fellowship of the horse.
ST ERTH. [Drily] Evidently. Deal!
As BORRING begins to deal the door is opened and MAJOR COLFORD
appears--a lean and moustached cavalryman.
BORRING. Hallo, C-Colford.
COLFORD. General!
Something in the tone of his voice brings them all to a standstill.
COLFORD. I want your advice. Young De Levis in there [He points to the
billiard-room from which he has just come] has started a blasphemous
story--
CANYNGE. One moment. Mr Borring, d'you mind--
COLFORD. It makes no odds, General. Four of us in there heard him.
He's saying it was Ronald Dancy robbed him down at WINSOR's. The
fellow's mad over losing the price of that filly now she's won the
Cambridgeshire.
BORRING. [All ears] Dancy! Great S-Scott!
COLFORD. Dancy's in the Club. If he hadn't been I'd have taken it on
myself to wring the bounder's neck.
WINSOR and BORRING have risen. ST ERTH alone remains seated.
CANYNGE. [After consulting ST ERTH with a look] Ask De Levis to be good
enough to come in here. Borring, you might see that Dancy doesn't leave
the Club. We shall want him. Don't say anything to him, and use your
tact to keep people off.
BORRING goes out, followed by COLFORD. WINSOR. Result of hearing
he was black-balled--pretty slippy.
CANYNGE. St Erth, I told you there was good reason when I asked you to
back young De Levis. WINSOR and I knew of this insinuation; I wanted to
keep his tongue quiet. It's just wild assertion; to have it bandied
about was unfair to Dancy. The duel used to keep people's tongues in
order.
ST ERTH. H'm! It never settled anything, except who could shoot
straightest.
COLFORD. [Re-appearing] De Levis says he's nothing to add to what he
said to you before, on the subject.
CANYNGE. Kindly tell him that if he wishes to remain a member of this
Club he must account to the Committee for such a charge against a
fellow-member. Four of us are here, and form a quorum.
COLFORD goes out again.
ST ERTH. Did Kentman ever give the police the numbers of those notes,
WINSOR?
WINSOR. He only had the numbers of two--the hundred, and one of the
fifties.
ST ERTH. And they haven't traced 'em?
WINSOR. Not yet.
As he speaks, DE LEVIS comes in. He is in a highly-coloured, not to
say excited state. COLFORD follows him.
DE LEVIS. Well, General Canynge! It's a little too strong all this--
a little too strong. [Under emotion his voice is slightly more exotic].
CANYNGE. [Calmly] It is obvious, Mr De Levis, that you and Captain
Dancy can't both remain members of this Club. We ask you for an
explanation before requesting one resignation or the other.
DE LEVIS. You've let me down.
CANYNGE. What!
DE LEVIS. Well, I shall tell people that you and Lord St Erth backed me
up for one Club, and asked me to resign from another.
CANYNGE. It's a matter of indifference to me, sir, what you tell people.
ST ERTH. [Drily] You seem a venomous young man.
DE LEVIS. I'll tell you what seems to me venomous, my lord--chasing a
man like a pack of hounds because he isn't your breed.
CANYNGE. You appear to have your breed on the brain, sir. Nobody else
does, so far as I know.
DE LEVIS. Suppose I had robbed Dancy, would you chase him out for
complaining of it?
COLFORD. My God! If you repeat that--
CANYNGE. Steady, Colford!
WINSOR. You make this accusation that Dancy stole your money in my house
on no proof--no proof; and you expect Dancy's friends to treat you as if
you were a gentleman! That's too strong, if you like!
DE LEVIS. No proof? Bentman told me at Newmarket yesterday that Dancy
did know of the sale. He told Goole, and Goole says that he himself
spoke of it to Dancy.
WINSOR. Well--if he did?
DE LEVIS. Dancy told you he didn't know of it in General Canynge's
presence, and mine. [To CANYNGE] You can't deny that, if you want to.