Night Must Fall : a Play in Three Acts Part 33

DAN: What d'you come back for?

OLIVIA (_the words pouring out_): To find you out. You've kept me guessing for a fortnight. Guessing hard. I very nearly knew, all the time. But not quite. And now I do know.

DAN: Why was you so keen on finding me out?

OLIVIA (_vehemently, coming to the table_): In the same way any sane, decent-minded human being would want--would want to have you arrested for the monster you are!

DAN (_quietly_): What d'you come back for?

OLIVIA: I ... I've told you....

_He smiles at her slowly and shakes his head. She sits at the table and closes her eyes._

I got as far as the edge of the wood. I could see the lights in the village.... I came back.

_She buries her head in her arms._ DAN _rises, looks at her a moment regretfully, puts away his cigarette, and stands with both hands over the invalid chair._

DAN (_casually_): She didn't keep any money anywhere else, did she?

OLIVIA: I've read a lot about evil----

DAN _realises his hands are wet with paraffin and wipes them on his trousers._

DAN: Clumsy....

OLIVIA: I never expected to come across it in real life.

DAN (_lightly_): You didn't ought to read so much. I never got through a book yet.... But I'll read you all right.... (_Crossing to her, leaning over the table, and smiling at her intently_) You haven't had a drop to drink, and yet you feel as if you had. You never knew there was such a secret part inside of you. All that book-learnin'

and moral-me-eye here and social-me-eye there--you took that off on the edge of the wood same as if it was an overcoat ... and you left it there!

OLIVIA: I hate you. I ... hate you!

DAN (_urgently_): And same as anybody out for the first time without their overcoats, you feel as light as air! Same as I feel, sometimes--only I never had no overcoat--(_Excited_) Why--this is my big chance! You're the one I can tell about meself! Oh, I'm sick o'

hearin' how clever everybody else is--I want to tell 'em how clever _I_ am for a change!... Money I'm goin' to have, and people doin'

what they're told, and _me_ tellin' them to do it! There was a 'oman at the Tallboys, wasn't there? She wouldn't be told, would she?

She thought she was up 'gainst a soft fellow in a uniform, didn't she?

She never knew it was _me_ she was dealin' with--(_striking his chest in a paroxysm of elation_)--_me!_ And this old girl treatin' me like a son 'cause I made her think she was a chronic invalid--ha! She's been more use to me to-night (_tapping the notes in his jacket pocket, smartly_) than she has to any other body all her life. Stupid, that's what people are ... stupid. If those two hadna' been stupid they might be breathin' now; you're not stupid; that's why I'm talkin' to you. (_With exaggerated self-possession_) You said just now murder's ordinary.... Well, it isn't ordinary at all, see?

And I'm not an ordinary chap. There's one big difference 'tween me and other fellows that try this game. I'll _never be found out_. 'Cause I don't care a----(_Snapping his fingers grandly_) The world's goin' to hear from me. That's me. (_Chuckling_) You wait.... (_After a pause_) But you can't wait, can you?

OLIVIA: What do you mean?

DAN: Well, when I say I'll never be found out, what I mean is, no living soul will be able to tell any other living soul about me.

(_Beginning to roll up a sleeve, nonchalantly_) Can you think of anybody ... who can go to-morrow ... and tell the police the fire at Forest Corner ... wasn't an accident at all?

OLIVIA: I--I can.

DAN: Oh, no, you can't.

OLIVIA: Why can't I?

DAN: Well, I'm up against a very serious problem, I am. But the answer to it is as simple as pie, to a feller like me, simple as pie ...

(_Rolling up the other sleeve a little way_) She isn't going to be the only one ... found to-morrow ... in the fire at Forest Corner....

(_After a pause_) Aren't you frightened? You ought to be!

(_Smiling_) Don't you think I'll do it?

OLIVIA: I know you will. I just can't realise it.

DAN: You know, when I told you all that about meself just now, I'd made up my mind then about you. (_Moving slowly after her, round the table, as she steps back towards the window._) That's what I am, see? I make up me mind to do a thing, and I do it.... You remember that first day when I come in here? I said to meself then, There's a girl that's got her wits about her; she knows a thing or two; different from the others. I was right, wasn't I? You----(_Stopping abruptly, and looking round the room_) What's that light in here?

OLIVIA: What light?

DAN: There's somebody in this room's holdin' a flashlight.

OLIVIA: It can't be in this room.... It must be a light in the wood.

DAN: It can't be.

_A flashlight crosses the window-curtains._ OLIVIA _turns and stares at it._

OLIVIA: Somebody's watching the bungalow....

_He looks at her, as if he did not understand._

DAN (_fiercely_): n.o.body's watching!... (_He runs to the window.

She backs into the corner of the room._)

I'm the one that watches! They've got no call to watch me! I'll go out and tell them that, an' all! (_Opening the curtains in a frenzy_) I'm the one that watches!

_The light crosses the window again. He stares, then claps his hands over his eyes.

(Backing to the sofa_) Behind them trees.

(_Clutching the invalid chair_) Hundreds back of each tree....

Thousands of eyes. The whole d.a.m.n world's on my track!... (_Sitting on the edge of the sofa, and listening_) What's that?... Like a big wall fallin' over into the sea.... (_Closing his hands over his ears convulsively_.)

OLIVIA (_coming down to him_): They mustn't come in....

DAN (_turning to her_): Yes, but ... (_Staring_) you're lookin' at me as if you never see'd me before....

OLIVIA: I never have. n.o.body has. You've stopped acting at last. You're real. Frightened. Like a child. (_Putting her arm about his shoulders_) They mustn't come in....

DAN: But everything's slippin' away. From underneath our feet.... Can't _you_ feel it? Starting slow ... and then hundreds of miles an hour.... I'm goin' backwards!... And there's a wind in my ears, terrible blowin' wind.... Everything's going past me, like the telegraph-poles.... All the things I've ever seen ... faster and faster ... backwards--back to the day I was born. (_Shrieking_) I can see it coming ... the day I was born!... (_Turning to her, simply_) I'm goin' to die.

_A pause.

A knock at the front door._

It's getting cold.