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'Gold' An alchemical adventure.

SCENE 2

A Street in Port Seton

Various passers by.  Enter Seton.  He walks like a man who is unfamiliar
with the outside world.  Various passers by.  Enter Auld Mrs. Nesbitt.


MRS. NESBITT	(to Seton)  Aye, aye, aye. And how are ye keepin'
	son, eh? How's yoursel'?
SETON	I thank you Mrs. Nesbitt.  I am in good health.
	And how are you this day?
MRS. NESBITT	To tell you the honest truth I'm no that weill,
	son, I'm no that weill.
SETON	I am sorry to hear that Mrs. Nesbitt.
MRS. NESBITT	I'm sufferin' somethin' michty wi' ma legs.
	They're aye up tae somethin' agin ma will.  Only
	the other day I was oot fur a shank when they just
	went frae under us, just like that.  Ma left lug's
	mairtyrin', ma back's playin' me up and ma fourth
	son's had his heid choppit aff fur stealin' yin o'
	Mister Johnestoun's Yetholm yews.  That apairt I
	canne complain.  How's your brither keepin' son?
SETON	Brother?
MRS. NESBITT	Aye.  Your brither.
SETON	But I have no brother
MRS. NESBITT	Eh?
SETON	I have no brother Mrs. Nesbitt.
MRS. NESBITT	Oh.  How's that?  Are ye not Mister Heriot then?
SETON	No.  I am Alexander Seton
MRS. NESBITT	Seton, eh?  Aye, so ye are tae, so ye are. 
	I was thinkin' ye was somebody else, son.  I was
	thinkin' ye was Heriot. Aye, Aye, aye,  Weil,
	there ye go.  I'll mebe see ye later son.

		(Exit Mrs. Nesbitt)

		(Various passers-by, including a young girl in
		great distress.  A few seconds later an older
		man (her father) enters, in hot pursuit.  Enter
		two youths, their manner is threatening and
		belligerent.)

1st YOUTH	Oy, oy, oy. Watch us Erchie!  See us!

		(They move to Seton and stand on either side of him.)

1st YOUTH	Do ye want yir hurdies thrapplin', eh?

		(the boys giggle and snigger)

2nd YOUTH	Do ye want yir hurdies yokin' in?
SETON	I regret to have to say it, but your meaning escapes me.
1st YOUTH	Eh?
SETON	No doubt it is highly amusing.
1st YOUTH	Did ye hear that Erchie? 'Highly amusing'. 
	What did ye think o' that?
2nd YOUTH	Aye. He's a man  o' perts awricht.
1st YOUTH	Gi' us a peek o' yir whang man.
2nd YOUTH	Aye.  Gi' us a peek o' yir whang.

		(they giggle)

SETON	Go away you idle, stupid boys or else I shall wap your ears for you.
1st YOUTH	Did ye hear that Erchie?
	That's eskin' fir trouble.  Shall we roust him over?
2nd YOUTH	Aye.... weill.... later mebe.
1st YOUTH	(Jeering) Oh.  So you're affeart?
2nd YOUTH	No.' I'm no affeart. But he seems to be hairmless enough.
1st YOUTH	(to Seton) Luckily fir ye, ma frien hasne the wind
	fir it else yid be spalderin' flat on yir back.
2nd YOUTH	Come awa, come awa! Leave him alane.

		(Exeunt)

		(Re-enter the father and daughter.  The father has now
		caught her, and beats her round the head).

FATHER	Hizzy!  Duntet!  Calet!  Hure!
	You'll nae come back o'er ma darecheck nae mair.
DAUGHTER	No, faither, dinne.
FATHER	I'll skelp ye!
DAUGHTER	Pray mercy faither.
FATHER	I'll belt ye!
DAUGHTER	Hae pity on us.
FATHER	I'll kill ye so I will.
DAUGHTER	Leave us alane.
FATHER	I'll skin ye alive.
SETON	(Who has been watching and can bear it no longer)
	Pray leave her alone.  You are a shameless gouster man!
FATHER	(Stopping his attack and turning to Seton) 
	And what's it got to do wi' you eh? What's it to you?
DAUGHTER	(also turning on Seton) Aye, that's right enough.
	What's it to you?
FATHER	Aye, that's right enough. It's nane o' your business.
SETON	Forgive me. I understood that the poor child was in a state
	of great distress.
FATHER	Puir child? Puir child? Get awa' to Hell man! She's noucht 
	but a hure.
DAUGHTER	Aye.  The deil tak ye!
FATHER	(Setting about his daughter again)
	Hizzy! Duntet! Calet! Hure!

		(They exit.  Seton stands astonished. Various passers-by.
		Enter John Maxwell, a sea captain).

MAXWELL	Sandy! Gid ta see ye man!
SETON	Tis good to see you too John.
MAXWELL	And how are ye keepin'?  Eh? How's yoursel'?
SETON	To tell you the honest truth, John, I am no longer entierely certain.
MAXWELL	Ye were ai a queer yin Sandy. Ye were ai gey strange.
	But tell us somethin', Sandy, where ha ye bin hidin' yoursel'
	o late? We've nae seen much o' ye in recent times.
SETON	I have been greatly preoccupied at home.
MAXWELL	Oh?
SETON	Aye.  And what of yourself John?
MAXWELL	Weil, ye ken us Sandy. Aye on the go.
	This wey and that wey. Aye on the move.
	I'm awa agin the morn.
SETON	Oh.  And where to this time?
MAXWELL	Amsterdam.  Wi' a shipment o' coals and fine linen back the wey.
	But fir the day I hae a wee diversion in mind.
SETON	Oh?  And what is that?
MAXWELL	Twixt ourselves, tis the cockfightin' Sandy.
SETON	Oh.  I see.
MAXWELL	Wha's the maiter wi' ye man? Ye could mebe gang alang wi' us.
SETON	I fear that I would not enjoy such a spectacle.
MAXWELL	Oh. I see. Tae gid fir the rest o' us eh? Tae gid, eh?
SETON	Not at all. Not at all.
MAXWELL	Weill, that's where I'm goin'.
	Ye can please yoursel'.

	(He starts to go).

SETON	John! I will come along with you.
MAXWELL	Gid man Sandy. You'll nae live tae regret it.