te in our relations with
your family. Well, Mr. Dudgeon, what I wanted to ask you is this: Who
is (reading the name from the letter) William Maindeck Parshotter?

RICHARD. He is the Mayor of Springtown.

BURGOYNE. Is William--Maindeck and so on--a man of his word?

RICHARD. Is he selling you anything?

BURGOYNE. No.

RICHARD. Then you may depend on him.

BURGOYNE. Thank you, Mr.--'m Dudgeon. By the way, since you are not Mr.
Anderson, do we still--eh, Major Swindon? (meaning "do we still hang
him?")

RICHARD. The arrangements are unaltered, General.

BURGOYNE. Ah, indeed. I am sorry. Good morning, Mr. Dudgeon. Good
morning, madam.

RICHARD (interrupting Judith almost fiercely as she is about to make
some wild appeal, and taking her arm resolutely). Not one word more.
Come.

She looks imploringly at him, but is overborne by his determination.
They are marched out by the four soldiers: the sergeant, very sulky,
walking between Swindon and Richard, whom he watches as if he were a
dangerous animal.

BURGOYNE. Gentlemen: we need not detain you. Major Swindon: a word with
you. (The officers go out. Burgoyne waits with unruffled serenity until
the last of them disappears. Then he becomes very grave, and addresses
Swindon for the first time without his title.) Swindon: do you know
what this is (showing him the letter)?

SWINDON. What?

BURGOYNE. A demand for a safe-conduct for an officer of their militia
to come here and arrange terms with us.

SWINDON. Oh, they are giving in.

BURGOYNE. They add that they are sending the man who raised Springtown
last night and drove us out; so that we may know that we are dealing
with an officer of importance.

SWINDON. Pooh!

BURGOYNE. He will be fully empowered to arrange the terms of--guess
what.

SWINDON. Their surrender, I hope.

BURGOYNE. No: our evacuation of the town. They offer us just six hours
to clear out.

SWINDON. What monstrous impudence!

BURGOYNE. What shall we do, eh?

SWINDON. March on Springtown and strike a decisive blow at once.

BURGOYNE (quietly). Hm! (Turning to the door) Come to the adjutant's
office.

SWINDON. What for?

BURGOYNE. To write out that safe-conduct. (He puts his hand to the door
knob to open it.)

SWINDON (who has not budged). General Burgoyne.

BURGOYNE (returning). Sir?

SWINDON. It is my duty to tell you, sir, that I do not consider the
threats of a mob of rebellious tradesmen a sufficient reason for our
givi