Chapter XVIII: Act I: Scene 1

_A village green_. _Some girls with market baskets come on to it_, _each one carrying a leaflet which she is earnestly reading_.

_Gradually all the girls approach from different sides reading leaflets_.

_Under a tree at the far end of the green the old gipsy is sitting—she lights a pipe and begins to smoke as_ ROSE, _her basket full of market produce_, _comes slowly forward reading her sheet of paper_. _She is followed by_ MARION—_also reading_.

ROSE. Well, ’tis like to be a fine set out, this May Day.

MARION. I can make naught of it myself.

ROSE. Why, ’tis Lord Cullen putting it about as how he be back from the war and thinking of getting himself wed, like.

MARION. I understands that much, I do.

ROSE. Only he can’t find the maid what he’s lost his heart to.

MARION. [_Reading_.] The wench what his lordship did see a-dancing all by herself in the forest when he was hid one day all among the brambles, a-rabbiting or sommat.

ROSE. And when my lord would have spoke with her, the maid did turn and fled away quick as a weasel.

MARION. And his lordship off to the fighting when ’twas next morn.

ROSE. So now, each maid of us in the village and all around be to dance upon the green come May Day so that my lord may see who ’twas that pleased his fancy.

[SUSAN _comes up and stands quietly listening_. _She is bare foot and her skirt is ragged_, _she wears a shawl over her shoulders and her hair is rough and untidy_. _On her arm she carries a basket containing a few vegetables and other marketings_.

MARION. And when he do pitch upon the one, ’tis her as he will wed.

ROSE. ’Twill be a thing to sharpen the claws of th’ old countess worse nor ever—that marriage.

MARION. Ah, I reckon as her be mortal angered with all the giddle-gaddle this business have set up among the folk.

ROSE. [_Regretfully_.] I’ve never danced among the trees myself.

MARION. [_Sadly_.] Nor I, neither, Rose.

ROSE. I’d dearly like to be a countess, Marion.

MARION. His lordship might think I was the maid. I’m spry upon my feet you know.

[SUSAN _comes still nearer_.

MARION. [_Turning to her and speaking rudely_.] Well, Princess Rags, ’tisn’t likely as ’twas you a-dancing one of your Morris dances in the wood that day!

ROSE. [_Mockingly_.] ’Tisn’t likely as his lordship would set his thoughts on a wench what could caper about like a Morris man upon the high road. So there.

SUSAN. [_Indifferently_.] I never danced upon the high road, I dances only where ’tis dark with gloom and no eyes upon me. No mortal eyes.

MARION. [_Impudently_.] Get along with you, Princess Royal. Go off to th’ old gipsy Gran’ma yonder. We don’t want the likes of you along of us.

ROSE. Go off and dance to your own animals, Miss Goatherd. All of us be a-going to practise our steps against May Day. Come along girls.

[_She signs to the other girls who all draw near and arrange themselves for a Country Dance_. SUSAN _goes slowly towards her_ GRANDMOTHER _and sits on the ground by her side_, _looking sadly and wistfully at the dancers_. _At the end of the dance_, _the girls pick up their baskets and go off in different directions across the green_. SUSAN _and her_ GRANDMOTHER _remain in their places_. _The gipsy continues to smoke and_ SUSAN _absently turns over the things in her basket_.

SUSAN. They mock me in the name they have fixed to me—Princess Royal.

GRANDMOTHER. Let them mock. I’ll bring the words back to them like scorpions upon their tongues.

[_There is a little silence and then_ SUSAN _begins to sing as though to herself_.

SUSAN. [_Singing_.]

“As I walked out one May morning,
So early in the Spring;
I placed my back against the old garden gate,
And I heard my true love sing.” {1}

GRANDMOTHER. [_At the end of the singing_.] It might be the blackcap a-warbling all among of the branches. So it might.

SUSAN. Ah, ’twas I that was a-dancing in the shade of the woods that day.

GRANDMOTHER. He’ll never look on the likes of you—that’s sure enough, my little wench.

SUSAN. I wish he was a goat-herd like myself—O that I do.

GRANDMOTHER. Then there wouldn’t be no use in your wedding yourself with him as I can see.

SUSAN. ’Tis himself, not his riches that I want.

GRANDMOTHER. You be speaking foolishness. What do you know of him—what do us blind worms know about the stars above we?

SUSAN. I see’d him pass by upon his horse one day. All there was of him did shine like the sun upon the water—I was very near dazed by the brightness. So I was.

[_The_ GRANDMOTHER _continues to smoke in silence_.

SUSAN. [_Softly_.] And ’twas then I lost the heart within me to him.

[JOCKIE _runs up beating his tabor_.

SUSAN. [_Springing up_.] Come, Jockie, I have a mind to dance a step or two. [_Rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands_.] Tears be for them as have idle times and not for poor wenches what mind cattle and goats. Come, play me my own music, Jock. And play it as I do like it best.

[JOCKIE _begins to play the tune of_ “_Princess Royal_” _and_ SUSAN _dances_. _Whilst_ SUSAN _is dancing_ LADY MILLICENT _and her waiting maid come slowly by and stand watching_. SUSAN _suddenly perceives them and throws herself on the ground_. JOCKIE _stops playing_.

LADY MILLICENT. [_Fanning herself_.] A wondrous bold dance, upon my word—could it have been that which captivated my lord, Alice?

ALICE. O no, mistress. His lordship has no fancy for boldness in a maid.

LADY MILLICENT. Immodest too. A Morris dance. The girl should hide her face in shame.

ALICE. And there she is, looking at your ladyship with her gipsy eyes, bold as a brass farthing.

SUSAN. [_Starting up and speaking passionately_.] I’ll not be taunted for my dancing—I likes to dance wild, and leap with my body when my spirit leaps, and fly with my limbs when my heart flies and move in the air same as the birds do move when ’tis mating time.

GRANDMOTHER. Ah, ’tis so with she. She baint no tame mouse what creeps from its hole along of t’others and who do go shuffle shuffle, in and out of the ring, mild as milk and naught in the innards of they but the squeak.

SUSAN. [_Defiantly_.] ’Twas my dance gained his lordship’s praise—so there, fine madam.

LADY MILLICENT. Your dance? Who are you then?

ALICE. A gipsy wench, mistress, who minds the goats and pigs for one of they great farms.

GRANDMOTHER. Have a care for that tongue of yours, madam waiting maid. For I know how to lay sommat upon it what you won’t fancy.

LADY MILLICENT. [_Coming up to_ SUSAN _and laying her hand on her arm_.] Now tell me your name, my girl.

SUSAN. They call me Princess Royal.

LADY MILLICENT. O that must be in jest. Why, you are clothed in rags, poor thing.

SUSAN. [_Shaking herself free_.] I’d sooner wear my own rags nor the laces which you have got upon you.

LADY MILLICENT. Now why do you say such a thing?

SUSAN. ’Twas in these rags as I danced in the wood that day, and ’tis by these rags as my lord will know me once more.

LADY MILLICENT. Listen, I will cover you in silk and laces, Princess Royal.

ALICE. Susan is the maid’s name.

SUSAN. I don’t want none of your laces or silks.

LADY MILLICENT. And feed you with poultry and cream and sweetmeats.

SUSAN. I want naught but my crust of bread.

LADY MILLICENT. I’ll fill your hands with gold pieces.

GRANDMOTHER. Do you hear that, Sue?

SUSAN. [_Doggedly_.] I hear her well enough, Gran.

LADY MILLICENT. If you’ll teach me your dance against May Day. Then, I’ll clothe myself much after your fashion and dance upon the green with the rest.

SUSAN. I’ll not learn you my dance. Not for all the gold in the world. You shan’t go and take the only thing I have away from me.

LADY MILLICENT. [_Angrily_.] Neither shall a little gipsy wretch like you take my love from me. We were as good as promised to each other at our christening.

ALICE. Don’t put yourself out for the baggage, madam. His lordship would never look on her.

GRANDMOTHER. Gold, did you say, mistress?

LADY MILLICENT. Gold? O yes—an apron full of gold, and silver too.

GRANDMOTHER. Do you hear that, Susan?

SUSAN. [_Doggedly_.] I’ll not do it for a King’s ransom.

GRANDMOTHER. You will. You’ll do it for the sake of poor old Gran, what’s been father and mother to you—and what’s gone hungered and thirsty so that you might have bread and drink.

SUSAN. [_Distractedly_.] O I can never give him up.

GRANDMOTHER. He’ll never be yourn to give—Dance till your legs is off and he’ll have naught to say to a gipsy brat when ’tis all finished.

ALICE. Whilst my lady belongs to his lordship’s own class, ’tis but suitable as she should be the one to wed with him—knowing the foreign tongues and all, and playing so sweetly on her instruments. There’s a lady anyone would be proud to take before the Court in London.

[SUSAN _turns away with a movement of despair_. _The_ GRANDMOTHER _begins to smoke again_. LADY MILLICENT _fans herself and_ ALICE _arranges her own shawl_.

GRANDMOTHER. I could do with a little pig up at our place if I’d the silver to take into the market for to buy him with. [_A silence_.

GRANDMOTHER. And I could do with a pair of good shoes to my poor old feet come winter time when ’tis snowing. [_Another silence_.

GRANDMOTHER. And ’twould be good not to go to bed with the pain of hunger within my lean old body—so ’twould. [SUSAN _turns round suddenly_.

SUSAN. I’ll do it, Gran. I’ll do it for your sake. ’Tis very likely true what you do say, all of you. I’d but dance my feet off for naught. When he came to look into my gipsy eyes, ’twould all be over and done with.

LADY MILLICENT. Sensible girl.

ALICE. ’Tis time she should see which way her bread was spread.

SUSAN. Come, Jockie, come ladies—come Gran—we’ll be off to the quiet of our own place where I can learn her ladyship the steps and capers.

GRANDMOTHER. [_Rising and pointing to an advancing figure_.] You’d best make haste. The mice be a-running from their holes once more—t’wouldn’t do for they to know aught about this.

SUSAN. Let us go quickly then.

[_The_ GRANDMOTHER, SUSAN, LADY MILLICENT _with_ ALICE _and_ JOCKIE _go out as a crowd of village girls come on to the green_, _and laughing and talking together_, _arrange themselves to practise a Country Dance_.

_End of Act I_.