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The Sun
by
THE GIRL.[With a shiver] Nor p’raps he isn’t.
THE MAN.Like as not. It takes the lynch pins out, I tell you.
THE GIRL.God ‘elp us!
THE MAN.[Grimly] Ah! We said that a bit too often. What we want we take, now; there’s no one else to give it us, and there’s no fear’ll stop us; we seen the bottom of things.
THE GIRL.P’raps he’ll say that too.
THE MAN.Then it’ll be ‘im or me.
THE GIRL.I’m frightened:
THE MAN.[Tenderly] No, Daisy, no! The river’s handy. One more or less. ‘E shan’t ‘arm you; nor me neither. [He takes out a knife.]
THE GIRL.[Seizing his hand] Oh, no! Give it to me, Jim!
THE MAN.[Smiling] No fear! [He puts it away] Shan’t ‘ave no need for it like as not. All right, little Daisy; you can’t be expected to see things like what we do. What’s life, anyway? I’ve seen a thousand lives taken in five minutes. I’ve seen dead men on the wires like flies on a flypaper. I’ve been as good as dead meself a hundred times. I’ve killed a dozen men. It’s nothin’. He’s safe, if ‘e don’t get my blood up. If he does, nobody’s safe; not ‘im, nor anybody else; not even you. I’m speakin’ sober.
THE GIRL.[Softly] Jim, you won’t go fightin’ in the sun, with the birds all callin’?
THE MAN.That depends on ‘im. I’m not lookin’ for it. Daisy, I love you. I love your hair. I love your eyes. I love you.
THE GIRL.And I love you, Jim. I don’t want nothin’ more than you in all the world.
THE MAN.Amen to that, my dear. Kiss me close!
[The sound of a voice singing breaks in on their embrace. THE GIRL starts from his arms, and looks behind her along the towing-path. THE MAN draws back against, the hedge, fingering his side, where the knife is hidden. The song comes nearer.]
“I’ll be right there to-night,
Where the fields are snowy white;
Banjos ringing, darkies singing,
All the world seems bright.”
THE GIRL.It’s him!
THE MAN.Don’t get the wind up, Daisy. I’m here!
[The singing stops. A man’s voice says “Christ! It’s Daisy; it’s little Daisy ‘erself!” THE GIRL stands rigid. The figure of a soldier appears on the other side of the stile. His cap is tucked into his belt, his hair is bright in the sunshine; he is lean, wasted, brown, and laughing.]
SOLDIER.Daisy! Daisy! Hallo, old pretty girl!
[THE GIRL does not move, barring the way, as it were.]
THE GIRL.Hallo, Jack! [Softly] I got things to tell you!
SOLDIER.What sort o’ things, this lovely day? Why, I got things that’d take me years to tell. Have you missed me, Daisy?
THE GIRL.You been so long.
SOLDIER.So I ‘ave. My Gawd! It’s a way they ‘ave in the Army. I said when I got out of it I’d laugh. Like as the sun itself I used to think of you, Daisy, when the trumps was comin’ over, and the wind was up. D’you remember that last night in the wood? “Come back and marry me quick, Jack.” Well, here I am–got me pass to heaven. No more fightin’, no more drillin’, no more sleepin’ rough. We can get married now, Daisy. We can live soft an’ ‘appy. Give us a kiss, my dear.