the master of mrs. chilvers-第13章
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the window a few inches。
＇He does so。 Some woman； much interrupted； is making a speech。＇
＇JANET opens the door a little way and looks in。＇
JANET Oh； it is you！ I am glad！
＇She goes out again。＇
ELIZABETH Are the others all here？
GINGER 'Er ladyship is watching the counting。 Miss Phoebe 'as
just gone out …
＇PHOEBE enters。＇
Oh； 'ere she is。
PHOEBE Hullo！ ＇She is taking off her things。＇ Wherever have you
been？ We've been scouring the neighbourhood …
＇LADY MOGTON enters； followed by JANET。＇
I say； you're looking jolly chippy。
ELIZABETH We had an extra enthusiastic meeting。 She spoke for
rather a long time。 I made her come home with me and lie down。 I
think she is all right now。
LADY MOGTON Would you like to see a doctor？
PHOEBE There is a very good man close here。 ＇She turns to
JAWBONES； who is still near the window。＇ Gordon …
ANNYS ＇Interrupting。＇ No。 Please don't。 I am quite all right。
I hate strange doctors。
PHOEBE Well； let me send for Whitby； he could be here in twenty
minutes。
ANNYS I wish you would all leave me alone。 There's absolutely
nothing to fuss about whatever。 We pampered womenwe can't
breathe the same air that ordinary mortals have to。 We ought to be
ashamed of ourselves。
PHOEBE ＇To herself。＇ Obstinate pig。
＇She catches JAWBONES' eye； unnoticed by the others； she takes him
aside。 They whisper。＇
ANNYS How is it going？
LADY MOGTON You must be prepared for winning。 ＇She puts again the
question that ANNYS has frequently been asked to answer during the
last few days。＇ What are you going to do？
＇MRS。 MOUNTCALM…VILLIERS enters； as usual in a flutter of
excitement。＇
MRS。 MOUNTCALM…VILLIERS Am I late？
＇They brush her back into silence。 ELIZABETH takes charge of her。＇
ANNYS ＇She has risen。＇ You think it wise tactics； to make it
impossible for Geoffrey to be anything else in the future but our
enemy？
LADY MOGTON ＇Contemptuously。＇ You are thinking of him； and not of
the cause。
ANNYS And if I were！ Haven't I made sacrifice enough？more than
any of you will ever know。 Ayand would make more； if I felt it
was demanded of me。 I don't！ ＇Her burst of anger is finished。
She turns； smiling。＇ I'm much more cunning than you think。 There
will be other elections we shall want to fight。 With the Under…
Secretary for Home Affairs in sympathy with us； the Government will
find it difficult to interfere。 Don't you see how clever I am？
＇JAWBONES； having received his instructions from PHOEBE； has
slipped out unobserved。 He has beckoned to GINGER； she has
followed him。 PHOEBE has joined the group。＇
MRS。 MOUNTCALM…VILLIERS。 There's something in that。
JANET Is Mr。 Chilvers still in sympathy with us？
PHOEBE Of course he is。 A bit rubbed up the wrong way just at
present； that's our fault。 When Annys goes down； early next mouth；
to fight the Exchange Division of Manchester； we shall have him
with us。
＇A moment。＇
LADY MOGTON Where do you get that from？
PHOEBE From St。 Herbert。 The present member is his cousin。 They
say he can't live more than a week。
MRS。 MOUNTCALM…VILLIERS It really seems like Providence。
ANNYS ＇Has taken the opportunity of giving PHOEBE a grateful
squeeze of the hand。＇。
LADY MOGTON You will fight Manchester？
ANNYS Yes。 ＇Laughs。＇ And make myself a public nuisance if I win。
LADY MOGTON Well； must be content with that； I suppose。 Better
not come in； the room's rather crowded。 I'll keep you informed how
things are going。
＇She goes out； followed by JANET。＇
MRS。 MOUNTCALM…VILLIERS I'll stay with you； dear。
PHOEBE I want you to come and be photographed for the Daily
Mirror。 The man's waiting downstairs。
ELIZABETH I'll stop with Annys。
MRS。 MOUNTCALM…VILLIERS I'm not quite sure； you know； that I take
well by flashlight。
PHOEBE You wait till you've seen mamma！ We must have you。 They
want you for the centre of the page。
MRS。 MOUNTCALM…VILLIERS Well； if it's really …
PHOEBE ＇To the others。＇ Shall see you again。 ＇She winks。 Then
to MRS。 MOUNTCALM…VILLIERS。＇ We mustn't keep them waiting。 They
are giving us a whole page。
＇PHOEBE takes MRS。 MOUNTCALM…VILLIERS out。 ELIZABETH has followed
to the door； she closes it。 ANNYS has reseated herself； facing the
fire。＇
ELIZABETH When did you see your husband last？
ANNYS Not sinceTuesday； wasn't it； that we went round to his
rooms。 Why？
ELIZABETH I'm thinking about Manchester。 What was it he said to
you？
ANNYS Oh； we were； both of us； a little over…excited； I suppose。
He has＇she hesitates； finally answers＇he has always been so
eager for children。
ELIZABETH Yes。 So many men are； not having to bear the pain and
inconvenience themselves。
ANNYS Oh； well； they have to provide for them when they do come。
That's fair enough division； I su… ＇Suddenly she turns fiercely。＇
Why do you talk like that？ As if we women were cowards。 Do you
think if God sent me a child I should grudge Him the price！
ELIZABETH Do you want Him to？
ANNYS I don't know； prayed Him to； once。
ELIZABETH ＇She lays her hand upon her。＇ It isn't a few more
mothers that the world has need of。 It is the women whom God has
appointedto whom He has given freedom； that they may champion the
cause of the mothers； helpless by reason of their motherhood。
＇A moment。 GEOFFREY enters。＇
GEOFFREY Good evening。
ANNYS ＇Rises； a smile struggles for possession。 But he only
shakes hands； and it dies away。＇
ELIZABETH Good evening。
＇They shake hands。＇
GEOFFREY You are not interested in the counting？
ANNYS The room is rather crowded。 Mamma thought I would be better
out here。 How have you been？
GEOFFREY Oh； all right。 It's going to be a very near thing； they
tell me。
ANNYS Yes； I shall be glad when it's over。
GEOFFREY It's always a trying time。 What are you going to do； if
you win？
＇LADY MOGTON looks in。＇
LADY MOGTON ＇Seeing GEOFFREY。＇ Oh； good evening。
GEOFFREY Good evening。
LADY MOGTON Chilvers； 2；960Annys Chilvers； 2；874。
＇She disappearscloses door。＇
ANNYS Perhaps I'm not going to win。 ＇She goes to him； smiling。＇
I hope you'll win。 I would so much rather you won。
GEOFFREY Very kind of you。 I'm afraid that won't make it a
certainty。
ANNYS ＇His answer has hardened her again。＇ How can I？ It would
not be fair。 Without your consent I should never have entered upon
it。 It was understood that the seat； in any case； would be yours。
GEOFFREY I would rather you considered yourself quite free。 In
warfare it doesn't pay to be 〃fair〃 to one's enemy。
ANNYS ＇Still hardening。＇ Besides； there is no need。 There will
be other opportunities。 I can contest some other constituency。 If
I win； claim the seat for that。
＇A moment。＇
GEOFFREY So this is only the beginning？ You have decided to
devote yourself to a political career？
ANNYS Why not？
GEOFFREY If I were to ask you to abandon it； to come back to your
place at my sidehelping me； strengthening me？
ANNYS You mean you would have me abandon my own taskmerge myself
in you？
GEOFFREY Be my wife。
ANNYS It would not be right。 I； too； have my work。
GEOFFREY If it takes you away from me？
ANNYS Why need it take me away from you？ Why cannot we work
together for common ends； each in our own way？
GEOFFREY We talked like that before we tried it。 Marriage is not
a partnership； it is a leadership。
ANNYS ＇She looks at him。＇ You meanan ownership。
GEOFFREY Perhaps you're right。 I didn't make it。 I'm only
beginning to understand it。
ANNYS And I too。 It is not what I want。
GEOFFREY You mean its duties have become irksome to you。
ANNYS I mean I want to be the judge myself of what are my duties。
GEOFFREY I no longer count。 You will go your way without me？
ANNYS I must go the way I think right。
GEOFFREY ＇He flings away。＇ If you win to…night you will do well
to make the most of it。 Take my advice and claim the seat。
ANNYS ＇Looks at him puzzled。＇
ELIZABETH Why？
GEOFFREY Because ＇with a short； ugly laugh＇ the Lord only knows
when you'll get another opportunit
