THE EQUINOX
various precious pieces ofsilwer and gold, china and
the like—HE fond/es and admires these, puts them
back, lochs up, crosses to cache with utmost furti’zteness,
opens same, pulls out sac/ks of gold coin, plays with
them]
MARTIN. They'll never discover old Martin Meyer’s cache,
Iwarrant.
Oh, the beautiful gold!
When I was a young
man I was fond of the kisses of beautiful women; did ever a
pair of lips touch me as softly as the soft bright gold?
[Laughs softly and gladly]
How it trickles over my hands!
Sweetest caresses ever I knew, and not a pennyweight rubbed
off the beautiful minted money {or it all.
Ah!
[HE listens]
Nothing!
Nothing!
But I mustn't be caught like this:
old Martin Meyer must be very careful
[HE replaces the sachs, and closes the cache.
Then goes to
hett, undresses, <gets in, aayusts a large night-cap, and
puts out the lights]
[Loud/y] Good-night, Jack
! the doors always open
: if you
hear robbers, run in, my lad, and serve ’em as you served that
brute of a Bagstock.
]Αεκ. [Of—very sleepy] Good—night.
All right, Father,
never fear.
MARTIN, Good—night.
JACK. [Of—fainter] God-nigh’l
[MARTIN composes himself to sleep
A pause.
Then the
door slowly, slowly opens. Audience can see
JACK
crouching behind andpushing in with infinite caution.
HE carries a dark lantern.
This goes on for a long
while; at last he warilyputs his head in, withdraws
it, and again puts it in
slightly advanced, with
I36