Act 3 — SCENE I. Governor Claiborne’s mansion. Ball room just off the scene; music; guests in evening dress move about; enter Duval and legislators and politicians of Act I.; exeunt other guests.

1st POL. I have it from the Governor that an expedition has been fitted out,—has been in readiness for days to start against Lafitte and his followers.

DUV. (impatiently.) Then why doesn’t it start?

1st POL. Because there has been treachery,—because at the last moment it was discovered that the pilot was a spy.

DUV. Ah!

1st POL. It is an enforced delay. The way is dangerous.

1st LEG. (to Duval.) You forget that already one expedition against Barataria has failed and come to grief. (exeunt Duval, legislators and politicians; enter Lizbette, dressed as a serving-woman; enter Baptiste.)

BAP. Lordy, Aun’ Lizbette, yo’ hyar!

LIZ. Ne mine ’bout dat. Lizbette got frens. Yo hole yo mouf shut ’bout me, dass all. I wan t’ see yo.

BAP. Lordy! Dey shorely’ll come bad luck to me fo’ dis night.

LIZ. De folks all dancin’ de gran’ quadrille now. Who dat gwine see yo?

BAP. (submissively.) Yes ma’am.

LIZ. Is yo see dat young leddy wat come to de hotel dat day wid de nuns?

BAP. Lordy, Aun Lizbette, how yo know dat?

LIZ. Ne mine. Is yo see her?

BAP. Norm, I—

LIZ. (severely.) Pay ’tention wat you say.

BAP. (looks at her dazedly; finally fumbles in his pockets) I done got a little money hyar, Aun’ Lizbette, to hep make up wat de sperrit took ’way dat day.

LIZ. (turning the money over in her hand dissatisfiedly.) Huh!—Is yo see her? (Baptiste shakes his head.) Den go. (Baptiste bows and turns to go.) But yo better look out.

BAP. (stopping and turning around.) Ma’am?

LIZ. (moving bric-a-brac about energetically.) I dunno wat dat gwine save yo.

BAP. (trembling.) Who me?

LIZ. ’Ceptin’ yo gits spunky.—Go ’long.

BAP. Home?

LIZ. Ef yo doan hear fum me in fifteen minutes.

BAP. Lordy! (exeunt Baptiste and Lizbette; enter hurriedly Mariana, followed by Manuel; both in evening dress.)

MAN. Won’t you let me know your purpose?—Won’t you let me share with you your hopes and fears?

MAR. (quietly and firmly.) No.

MAN. Ah, you have not forgiven me; you still remember the conduct of which I will be ashamed to the end of my life.

MAR. (evenly and unemotionally.) You are mistaken. I remember also the love which constituted itself a protective force to return me to my uncle’s house six years ago.

MAN. (eagerly.) You—

MAR. (very self-reliant and aloof.) But now,—I can take care of myself.

MAN. (with sudden vehemence.) You want to see Lafitte again! You still love him! (Mariana remains unmoved; Manuel walks about.) Very well. (aside.) He must be gotten rid of. (dissembling his rage, he returns to Mariana.) I forgot to tell you, Mariana, that Father Cuthbert is in the city and wishes to see you. I shall be leaving in a little while and will take any message you like to send. (hands her paper and pencil.)

MAR. Thank you. (sits; writes a brief note; hands it to Manuel.) If you will give him this, I shall be much obliged to you.

MAN. (bows.) Good-night.

MAR. Good-night. (exit Manuel; enter Governor Claiborne.)

GOV. C. (soliloquizing.) Impatience does no good....

MAR. (advances; bows.) Governor Claiborne.

GOV. C. I beg your pardon, but—

MAR. Don’t you remember me? At the convent—

GOV. C. So I do. Miss d’Acosta.

MAR. Yes, Mariana d’Acosta, come to ask you a great favor.

GOV. C. Anything in my power.

MAR. I have heard of the delayed expedition against Barataria. I will myself, if you will allow me, lead it.

GOV. C. Miss d’Acosta!

MAR. No one is so well qualified for the work as I. I have lived there, days that have been years. I have seen them rob, destroy life and property; kill my nearest and dearest. Oh!—

GOV. C. My poor child!

MAR. I will lead the expedition. I know the way. (Governor Claiborne shakes his head; walks back and forth.) I have seen the British in consultation with those pirates; seen them seated at the same table in feasting and good fellowship!

GOV. C. (starts.) Can you be sure?

MAR. I heard them discussing the capture of Louisiana; I heard and saw them drink to Success!

GOV. C. (walks about.) If it were not for your youth—your sex—

MAR. Ah, let me go. I have most cause to go.

GOV. C. You were on the ship—

MAR. Yes. Let me go.

GOV. C. Your brother—

MAR. Ah, there is no time to lose. Action is imperative. Write the order.

GOV. C. Pray heaven, I do not wrong you in doing so. (writes; Mariana takes the order.)

MAR. The nation will bless you for this act. (exeunt; Mariana hurriedly, Governor Claiborne slowly and much perturbed in spirit; enter from opposite direction, Pedro; enter Manuel.)

MAN. (starts.) You! Why, I thought—Does Mariana know you are alive?

PED. Probably not.

MAN. (with sudden change of thought; hurriedly, eagerly.) Would you like to earn the five hundred dollars reward for Lafitte’s head?

PED. I would.

MAN. Very well. (takes Mariana’s note out of his pocket.) Here’s an easy way.

PED. (reads.) “Dear Father:—I beg your pardon for my words and actions at Barataria. I shall be at l’hotel des Exiles at 4 o’clock on the 7th. May I see you then? Humbly and in sorrow, Mariana.”—(slaps Manuel on the back.) My boy, love is improving you.

MAN. Have you an eraser?

PED. (takes one out of his pocket.) Always prudent to carry one. (Manuel spreads Mariana’s note on a table; erases heading.) I think I can capture Emperor Lafitte at the time and place mentioned and make beside quite a handsome sum off the Spanish merchants for the capture.

MAN. By whom can we send this?

PED. (examining the note.) It must go immediately. The appointment is only two days off and Lafitte cannot be trusted to be found at the last moment. He is said to be frequently away from Barataria for days.

MAN. How about that nigger of Darblee? He is thought to be very much en rapport with Lizbette, the old witch of the island, who is Lafitte’s staunch friend.

PED. Just the man! Frighten him sufficiently with portents and he would as soon think of dying as of proving faithless. (enter Baptiste at back.)

MAN. Isn’t that he?

PED. Baptiste. (Baptiste starts; comes forward bowing.) You are in great danger.

BAP. Yes, sah.

PED. It behooves you to be careful.—Do you know Lizbette?

BAP. Naw, sah, I ain’t—

PED. That will do. Do you know Lizbette?

BAP. (in distressed irresolution.) I done had some ’quaintance wid ’er, but—

PED. Here is a paper that you will give to Lizbette for Lafitte. Now listen. If it reach him safely and in time, you will have a big reward. If not—

BAP. Lordy!

PED. If not, you will be haunted to a most torturing death; a death you will not be able to escape. You are in great danger. I put the paper here on this table. (lays paper down; Baptiste approaches.) Don’t touch it, till you have seen me disappear. I’m going. (moves toward exit.) Be careful. Watch the paper. Watch me. Your safety is at stake. (raises his hand impressively; exeunt Manuel and Pedro; Baptiste in his eagerness to watch Pedro, goes a little up stage, away from the table; enter by a side entrance, Lizbette.)

LIZ. (passing by table and swooping up paper.) I dunno who dat scatter all dis litter ’bout. (throws paper in fire and exits without having been seen by Baptiste.)

BAP. (comes to table; finds note gone! falls on his knees.) Lordy! Lordy! (crawls around table on his knees looking for paper; enter Bella.)

BELLA. Why, Baptiste! You’d better hurry home before Mr. Darblee discovers your absence.

BAP. Good-by, Miss Bella.

BELLA. Good-by, Baptiste. (exit Baptiste.) Poor fellow! He looks as I feel. Oh, I am so glad Dominique has not come. If he and Pedro d’Acosta meet ... I believe that man to be a sinister and deadly.—I hate State balls! (enter Dominique.)

DOM. Alone?

BELLA. (half coquettishly.) I was hoping to be.

DOM. You were waiting for me,—wondering why I hadn’t come. Now, confess.

BELLA. (seriously.) I was prayerfully glad you hadn’t come.

DOM. What!—Let me tell you something:—you haven’t kissed me once.

BELLA. What kept you? (enter unperceived, Manuel.)

DOM. I see. You want me to kiss you first. (kisses her in spite of Bella’s attempted defense; Manuel coughs; Dominique turns; Manuel exits.)

BELLA. Now, you see.

DOM. A very disagreeable fellow. Is he the suitor?

BELLA. No.

DOM. Who is the suitor, Bella? What’s his abominable name? (Bella is silent.) Is he here? (Bella starts.) He is. Then I’ll find him. (going.)

BELLA. (alarmed.) Dominique! I’ll tell you one thing about him. He’s—stout.

DOM. What! Ah, you are joking. I give you warning. I am going to disguise myself and catch a glimpse of that man.

BELLA. Why disguise yourself?

DOM. Because I believe you’d warn him away if you knew I were coming.

BELLA. Pshaw! (laughs.) I’d know you under any disguise. Oh!—I have an idea. “Things will come right through a disguise!”

DOM. Eh?

BELLA. You must assume a disguise and try it on your uncle.

DOM. My uncle!

BELLA. Don’t you see, if the impression produced by it be favorable, you can try it on my father and lay your case before him. Then in an adverse event, you’ll still be unknown.

DOM. (doubtfully, scratching his chin.) Ye—es; but I’d like to catch a glimpse of Mr. Duval to-night.

BELLA. He has already gone home. Now listen, Dominique. Don’t be seen with me any more to-night. We’ll only jeopardize our chances.

DOM. (kicks a flower lying on the floor.) Allow me to conduct you to your friends. (Bella takes his arms and as they turn to move away, Pedro enters and sees them; exeunt Bella and Dominique.)

PED. (savagely, yet calculatingly.) There is a way ... it may not be worth much, but then again it may. (re-enter Dominique alone; as he is passing, Pedro goes up to him; raises his hand.) “TO-MORROW—”

DOM. “AND HER DUPES.”

PED. (offers Dominique his hand; gives him a hearty shake.) At eleven o’clock on the morning of the 7th, you are to go to the Cafe Marin for an important paper containing news of urgent import for Lafitte. At three o’clock of the same day, you are to bring the documents to Lafitte at l’hotel des Exiles.

DOM. At three o’clock.

PED. I am understood?

DOM. Perfectly. Au revoir. (exit; enter Manuel.)

MAN. Just a word. You’d better make yourself secure with your lady-love. Otherwise, you may find that even with one fortune, you will be unable to get the other.

PED. What do you mean?

MAN. I noticed a very ardent young man with her a while ago, and I noticed that he kissed her quite possessingly.

PED. (grimly.) I have the young man under surveillance. (enter unperceived, Lizbette; she straightens a rug; Dominique repasses at back with a few ladies.) Is that the man? (Manuel and Lizbette look up stage.)

MAN. That’s the man.

PED. My stay in Barataria wasn’t profitless after all. I learned the pirate pass-word. (Lizbette, who had been on the point of going, stops; listens.)

MAN. Not much gain in that, I should say.

PED. Well, I used it a while ago as an experiment upon that ardent young man and the trap succeeded beautifully. He answered immediately.

MAN. Why didn’t you have him arrested?

PED. I had no witnesses. But I have instructed him to get and bring certain papers to Lafitte at Darblee’s at 3 o’clock on the afternoon of the 7th. I shall have a body of armed men on the spot and if the government fail to catch and convict the fellow with those papers on him, I shall be much deceived. (exeunt Pedro and Manuel.)

LIZ. (advances; shakes her fist after them.) Catch Marser Dominique, would you? Not wid de powers ’gainst yo. I kin warn Marser Dominique. (going.) Stop! Ee plum discontempchus o’ me. Ef I tell ’im, ee’ll go shore. Ne mine Marser Lafitte sot heap o store on dat young man. I gwine save ’im anyhow. Marser Lafitte de man! Ee’ll know how to deal wid ’em. (unties her apron; exit; enter Lafitte; he is exquisitely attired in evening dress; enter from opposite direction a man servant.)

LAF. Is Miss d’Acosta here?

SER. Naw, sah.

LAF. Be careful. She has been here.

SER. (scratching his temple.) Miss d’Acosta?—Oh, yes sah; I ’members.

LAF. Is she here now.

SER. Less’n she done gone, sah. She was hyar a minit ago. (Lafitte exits eagerly followed by servant; enter Governor Claiborne and the Chairman on the Committee of War Measures.)

GOV. C. I was very reluctant to let her go.

CHAIR. If Lafitte be in league with the British, it is a league formidable beyond computation.

GOV. C. Exactly. No time can be lost. I ordered the expedition off with all speed. Lafitte must be captured. Since the five hundred dollars reward be of no avail, we’ll try fire.

CHAIR. It is like the British to league themselves with those hellish pirates. (exeunt; enter Lafitte.)

LAF. She is not here and I can find no clue as to where she has gone. (leans against mantel; enter several ladies and gentlemen.)

1st LADY. She must have reconsidered her determination to become a nun.

2d LADY. No wonder! I think Don Manuel d’Acosta (Lafitte starts) is the most perfectly fascinating man I ever met.

1st GEN. Oh, now. A little quarter!

1st LADY. He seemed so tender to her—so protecting and gallant! (exeunt ladies and gentlemen.)

LAF. I must find her, or she will be duped, trapped, as she was trapped into a belief that I could be a traitor! (enter Governor Claiborne and the Chairman; Lafitte goes up to them.) Governor Claiborne, allow me to present to you—Jean Lafitte. (bows.)

GOV. C. What!—Do you know that there is a five hundred dollar reward for your head posted over this city?

LAF. I have been a little more flattering. (bows.) I have offered five thousand dollars for yours.

GOV. C. (enraged.) You dare! (to the Chairman.) The guard.

CHAIR. (summoning at back quickly.) The guard! (enter soldiers.)

GOV. C. I order you to—(points to Lafitte; Lafitte takes from his breast a white paper; holds it commandingly aloft; the Governor pauses; waives the soldiers off.) Await further orders. (exeunt soldiers.) Well? It is questionable honor in me to respect even a flag of truce in your hands.—Proceed.

LAF. The British are preparing to attack New Orleans by way of Barataria.

GOV. C. Well sir? You are ready to give them assistance.

LAF. I come to offer my services to the American forces.

CHAIR. A trick.

LAF. For no pay whatever;—to enter the lists merely as a private.

CHAIR. A ruse, sir; a crafty ruse by which to obtain money or honors from the American government. (Lafitte hands the paper to Governor Claiborne.)

GOV C. (reads.)—“Captain!... thirty thousand dollars!” ... (hands the paper to the Chairman.)

LAF. If you will not accept my services, I shall instantly leave the country. I will not suffer the imputation of having co-operated towards an invasion from Barataria which cannot fail to take place. (Governor Claiborne walks about.)

CHAIR. (doubtfully still.) The Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate are here—

GOV. C. It would do no harm to see them and find out whether they think it fit to submit the matter to the Legislature and to General Jackson.

LAF. I can only give you ten minutes in which to decide.

GOV. C. (resentfully.) You are autocratic.

LAF. I must be. A matter dearer life, country, heaven, claims my attention and cannot wait. I will await your early return here. (exeunt Governor Claiborne and the Chairman; Lafitte becomes impatient; looks at his watch; finally sits near the fire and absent-mindedly picks up a charred remnant of Mariana’s note which had fallen on the hearth.) A love note, probably.... (he holds it up; throws it into the fire; then, looking upon the flame, he softly and unconsciously whistles Mon Coeur a Toi.)

CURTAIN.