Act III

Opening Music

Scene One: - A room in Emmaretta’s house. Sophonisba sits alone, brushing her hair at the mirror. Enter Carronvalia, very excitedly.

Carronvalia - I’ve paid in full my overdraft

And now I’m in the clear at last.

I’ve settl’d all the cash I ow’d -

Thanks to Julieanne’s magic code.

Her ghost inspir’d me not to waste

My money on expensive taste;

Instead I’ll save more carefully

And care for those worse off than me.

Sophonisba - I said be careful with such spells,

Or what the magic book foretells.

Although you’ve won the lottery,

You still have almost no money.

In future you must take more care -

Of ghosts and witches, still beware,

For though this time your cause was sav’d,

Next time you may not be unscath’d.

Emmaretta - Is it true that you have been host

To the Witch of Larbert’s ghost?

Halia - I don’t believe such things exist.

You must have seen her when you were pitifully drunk.

Carronvalia - I have no need for such excesses

As drink, or men, or brand new dresses.

Emmaretta - Then do not come with us tonight -

We know when we have got it right.

Sophonisba - Let’s go for a walk

Down St. Martin’s lane;

A quiet evening’s talk,

Then back home again.

To the Covent Garden,

To watch, in the square,

The street folk, performers

And other things there.

Let’s put on our hats

And dress up real fine.

We still can have fun

Without music and wine -

And if the young men

Look at us that way,

We shall not deny them,

As long as they pay.

Scene Two: - Covent Garden. Sophonisba and Carronvalia arrive at the Piazza. It is getting dark. On the corner is a ballad singer, dressed in black. As they approach her, Carronvalia recognises her as Julieanne.

Julieanne - Come buy! Come buy my penny ballads.

Don’t cry, don’t cry - forget thy sadness.

Forget thy grief; thy heart’s belief.

Come buy, come buy, come buy.

Come buy! Come buy my words to cherish.

I die, I die - yet never perish.

Forget my death; my final breath.

Come buy, come buy, come buy.

Carronvalia - Julieanne, the night is thine,

Through thy voice so fair and fine.

All life bestow’d; all sadness gone.

Julieanne, thy soul lives on.

Julieanne, the Winter, cold,

Shall not take thee in it’s hold,

For pain is banish’d; Death is gone.

Julieanne, thy song lives on.

Julieanne, O bless this place,

That once again restor’d thy face.

Now we’re together, troubles are gone.

Julieanne, thy fame lives on.

Sophonisba - Are you trying to say that this girl is a ghost?

Well, I must admit, she looks paler than most.

Julieanne - That comes from going out at night

And singing ballads ‘til the morning light.

Carronvalia - But are you not that apparition

That came to me in such sad condition?

Julieanne - Alas, I must at last now tell

Of the true nature of thy magic spell.

A man who is a friend of mine,

Was also, once, a client of thine.

He knew of debts thou wish’d to clear

And, thus, employ’d me to appear.

A book he wrote - a nonsense tale;

A code made up - this actress pale.

The whole thing was a fantasy,

But now thou hast unmaskéd me.

This man could not thy favours buy

And, so, resolv’d to cast the lie.

By that false book, he got for free

The pleasure of thy company.

And though, I am asham’d to say,

I was trick’d in a similar way.

I’m sure that he had meant no harm,

For he has such a devious charm.

Carronvalia - So we were both fool’d?

Sophonisba - No, I was not wrong.

Julieanne - Thou would have not known,

Lest thou had heard my song.

Carronvalia - If all was a sham,

Then, how did I win?

And why have I ended

My life fill’d with sin?

Sophonisba - If you are no ghost

And were never a witch,

How come Carronvalia

Has now become rich?

Julieanne - The answer is simple;

I meant her no hurt,

But she, all along

Was ‘the Witch of Larbert’.