POS. A hat! I never heard of anything so absurd in all my life.
PEGGY. But it’s a very peculiar hat—what they call a wide-awake—a green one. (POSTLETHWAITE here slowly raises his hand and feels his head, then looks about him. RATCLIFFE notices his movements)
PEGGY. Sergeant Jones found it under the window; but that’s not all—he says that the robber in making his escape must have fallen into the green house, and that probably his clothes may have been cut, or that pieces of glass may be sticking in him. (POS. falls behind—gives a sudden start of pain—then examines his coat tails and finds one of them torn, fixes his hand on it. RATCLIFFE still observing him) But that’s not all, there are footmarks on the gravel walk, and as the gravel was only laid down yesterday, Sergeant Jones says that some of it must be sticking to his boots. (here POSTLETHWAITE begins shuffling with his feet about, which he keeps up incessantly) But that’s not all! as Joe Podger, the blacksmith was going to his work this morning, he saw a man, a little short man, he says, (POSTLETHWAITE draws himself up and crosses to C.) drop from that window, and he says he should know him again among a thousand.
POS. Oh lud! (slightly staggering)
RAT. (trying to check a laugh) What’s the matter, my dear fellow? here sit down. (making POS. sit down, who utters a cry of pain and jumps up again, then seeing RAT. and PEG. looking at him, begins shuffling his feet about again, and keeping his hand on his coat tail)
RAT. (to PEG.) Tell Sergeant Jones from me to act upon the information he has got without one moment’s loss of time; run, fly! (PEGGY trots out at door, L. U. E.)
RAT. (to POS. and slapping him on the shoulder) This is famous news indeed, eh?
POS. Yes, glorious news, though for my part I can’t see that there’s anything at all in finding a wide-a-wake—any man might lose his wide-a-wake—I might lose mine, and it might be a green wide-a-wake.
RAT. Heaven forbid, for I should immediately arrest you, my dear friend, but what of that? your charming cousin is too well aware of your intense affection.
POS. What d’ye mean by intense affection? As I said before, I respect her—I like her, but—