Rip. I knew there was a woman in it.
Mar. And if Jonas be dead, hast thou no word of welcome to Jonas’s brother?
Dan. None! (To Ripley.) Gi’ me the money.
Rip. There! Ay, count it; we’re all thieves and liars. (To Marple.) That’s his craze. Is it right?
Dan. I dunno, I can’t count to-night. Let it be, I’ll count it to-morrow. (To Marple.) How didst thou find me?
Mar. I found thee through this fellow. I was in the town on law business, and I heard men talk of such a one as thou, and I asked and asked, and found out that thou wast the brother who used to work wi’ me. I’ve come to ask thee to come back to us, and be the man thou wast wont to be. Come, man, be thine old self, thou canst not be better; throw off thy present self, thou canst not be worse!
Dan. Not worse? Why, man, I’m a king, alone here! Here I live, free from liars and thieves, alone! alone! What, back to the world, the hollow, lying world? Not I! Back to the rock on which my ship was wrecked? Not I! Back to the den of thieves that stripped me? Not I! No, no; I don’t find fish come back to my nets when once they’ve slipped through the meshes, and I’m no more a fool than my fish. See here—I’ve lived here nigh upon four years, and ’cepting some such gaping fool as him (indicating Ripley), I’ve seen no soul, and no soul’s seen me. I’ve done harm to none, and none’s done harm to me. I’ve told no lies, and no lies ain’t been told me. I’ve robbed no one, and no one’s robbed me. Can any one who walks the world say as much? I’ve lived on the fish I’ve caught, the garden I’ve dug, and I’ve saved money by the nets I’ve made, not much—a trifle to such as thou, and I’ve sent it far from here—I never keep it here, no, no. I’ve no hopes, no cares, no fears. And thou askest me to go back to the foul old world, the world that poor dead and gone Jonas Marple was robbed in; the bitter black world that blighted his poor harmless life. No! I’m going to bide here.
Mar. Well, as thou wilt, Jonas.
Dan. Dan’l—that’s my name, Dan’l Druce. Jonas Marple died the day his wife left him. His wife’s a widow, and, mayhap, married again. God bless her!
Rip. Thou’lt do no good wi’ him, there’s a devil’s flare in his eyes; best let him bide.