Act I, Scene VI
SCENE SIX.
-- The inside of Ritzberg's house. Entrance door in flat -- in
some part of the scene, a fire-place.
The MONSTER dashes open the door and enters, bearing
EMMELINE -- he places her in a chair, and looks round for some
means of assisting her, perceives the fire, discovers by touching
it, that it yields heat, removes the chair with EMMELINE to the
fire and remains watching her. The CHILD enters, on perceiving
the MONSTER, utters a shriek of terror, and runs across the stage
exclaiming, "Mother! mother!" RITZBERG then enters, is likewise
alarmed at the appearance of the MONSTER. The MONSTER observes
the CHILD with admiration and beckons it to approach him, which
the CHILD refuses to do, he then softly approaches the CHILD with
gestures of conciliation, the CHILD endeavouring to escape from
him. EMMELINE utters a piercing shriek -- RITZBERG snatches up
his gun, fires at the MONSTER, wounds it in the shoulder. The
MONSTER puts down the CHILD, who rushes to his mother's embrace
-- expresses the agony occasioned by the wound -- the rage
inspired by the pain -- would rush on RITZBERG, who keeps the gun
presented, it is deterred by fear of a repetition of the wound,
rushes out of the hut, RITZBERG remains on the defensive, whilst
EMMELINE thanks Heaven for the preservation of her
child.
Act
Scene
