Three Plays by Granville-Barker.

by Harley Granville-Barker.

THE MARRYING OF ANN LEETE

_The first three acts of the comedy pa.s.s in the garden at Markswayde_, MR. CARNABY LEETE'S _house near Reading, during a summer day towards the close of the eighteenth century: the first act at four in the morning, the second shortly after mid-day, the third near to sunset. The fourth act takes place one day in the following winter; the first scene in the hall at Markswayde, the second scene in a cottage some ten miles off._

_This part of the Markswayde garden looks to have been laid out during the seventeenth century. In the middle a fountain; the centrepiece the figure of a nymph, now somewhat cracked, and pouring nothing from the amphora; the rim of the fountain is high enough and broad enough to be a comfortable seat._

_The close turf around is in parts worn bare. This plot of ground is surrounded by a terrace three feet higher. Three sides of it are seen.

From two corners broad steps lead down; stone urns stand at the bottom and top of the stone bal.u.s.trades. The other two corners are rounded convexly into broad stone seats._

_Along the edges of the terrace are growing rose trees, close together; behind these, paths; behind those, shrubs and trees. No landscape is to be seen. A big copper beech overshadows the seat on the left. A silver birch droops over the seat on the right. The trees far to the left indicate an orchard, the few to the right are more of the garden sort.

It is the height of summer, and after a long drought the rose trees are dilapidated._

_It is very dark in the garden. Though there may be by now a faint morning light in the sky it has not penetrated yet among these trees. It is very still, too. Now and then the leaves of a tree are stirred, as if in its sleep; that is all. Suddenly a shrill, frightened, but not tragical scream is heard. After a moment_ ANN LEETE _runs quickly down the steps and on to the fountain, where she stops, panting_. LORD JOHN CARP _follows her, but only to the top of the steps, evidently not knowing his way_. ANN _is a girl of twenty; he an English gentleman, nearer forty than thirty_.

LORD JOHN. I apologise.

ANN. Why is it so dark?

LORD JOHN. Can you hear what I'm saying?

ANN. Yes.

LORD JOHN. I apologise for having kissed you . . . almost unintentionally.

ANN. Thank you. Mind the steps down.

LORD JOHN. I hope I'm sober, but the air . . .

ANN. Shall we sit for a minute? There are several seats to sit on somewhere.

LORD JOHN. This is a very dark garden.

_There is a slight pause._

ANN. You've won your bet.

LORD JOHN. So you did scream!

ANN. But it wasn't fair.

LORD JOHN. Don't reproach me.

ANN. Somebody's coming.

LORD JOHN. How d'you know?

ANN. I can hear somebody coming.

LORD JOHN. We're not sitting down.

ANN'S _brother_, GEORGE LEETE _comes to the top of the steps, and afterwards down them. Rather an old young man._

GEORGE. Ann!

ANN. Yes.

GEORGE. My lord!

LORD JOHN. Here.

GEORGE. I can't see you. I'm sent to say we're all anxious to know what ghost or other bird of night or beast has frightened Ann to screaming point, and won you . . . the best in Tatton's stables--so he says now.

He's quite annoyed.

LORD JOHN. The mare is a very good mare.

ANN. He betted it because he wanted to bet it; I didn't want him to bet it.

GEORGE. What frightened her?

ANN. I had rather, my lord, that you did not tell my brother why I screamed.

LORD JOHN. I kissed her.

GEORGE. Did you?

ANN. I had rather, Lord John, that you had not told my brother why I screamed.

LORD JOHN. I misunderstood you.

GEORGE. I've broke up the whist party. Ann, shall we return?

LORD JOHN. She's not here.

GEORGE. Ann.

LADY COTTESHAM, ANN'S _sister and ten years older, and_ MR. DANIEL TATTON, _a well-living, middle-aged country gentleman, arrive together_.

TATTON _carries a double candlestick. . . the lights out_.

MR. TATTON. Three steps?

SARAH. No . . . four.