the master of mrs. chilvers-第6章

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〃capable；〃　but　more　experienced；　more　fatherly　men　than　yourself。

＇He　turns；　they　look　at　one　another。　　His　tone　almost　touched
contempthers　was　veiled　anger。＇

GEOFFREY　　THAT'S　the　danger。　　It　may　come　to　a　real　fight。

ANNYS　　＇Upon　her　also　the　fear　has　fallen。＇　　It　must　not。　　＇She
flings　her　arms　around　him。＇　　We　must　show　the　world　that　man　and
woman　can　meetcontend　in　public　life　without　anger；　without
scorn。

GEOFFREY　　＇He　folds　her　to　him。＇　　The　very　words　sound　ugly；　don't
they？

ANNYS　　It　would　be　hideous。　　＇She　draws　away。＇　　How　long　will　the
election　last？

GEOFFREY　　Not　long。　　The　writ　will　be　issued　on　Wednesday。
Nomination　on　Mondaypolling；　I　expect；　on　Saturday。　　Puts　me　in
mindI　must　prepare　my　election　address。

ANNYS　　I　ought　to　be　getting　on　with　mine；　too；　I　suppose。

GEOFFREY　　It　ought　to　be　out　by　to…morrow。

ANNYS　　＇With　inspiration。＇　　We'll　do　yours　first。　　＇She　wonders　why
he　hesitates。＇

GEOFFREY　　〃We？〃　　Shan't　I　have　to　do　it　alonethis　time？

ANNYS　　Alone！　　Nonsense！　　How　can　you？

GEOFFREY　　I'm　afraid　I　shall　have　to　try。

ANNYS　　Um！　　I　suppose　you're　right。　　What　a　nuisance！　　＇She　turns
away。＇　　I　shan't　like　it。

GEOFFREY　　＇He　moves　towards　the　folding…doors。＇　　No。　　It　won't　be
quite　the　same　thing。　　Goodbye。

ANNYS　　＇She　crosses　to　her　desk　by　the　window。　　Not　the　same
instant　but　the　next　his　〃Goodbye〃　strikes　her。　　She　turns。＇
You're　not　going　out；　are　you？

GEOFFREY　　＇He　stops　and　turnspuzzled　at　her　question。＇　　No。　　Only
into　my　study。

ANNYS　　You　said　〃Goodbye。〃

GEOFFREY　　＇Not　remembering。＇　　_I_　did！　　Must　have　been　thinking　of
something　else。　　I　shall　be　in　here　if　you　want　me。　　＇He　goes　into
the　other　room。＇

ANNYS　　＇She　has　crossed　to　her　desk。　　She　is　humming。　　She　seats
herself；　takes　paper　and　pen；　writes。　　Without　turningstill
writingshe　raises　her　voice。＇　　Geoffrey！　　How　do　you　spell
〃experimental〃？　　One　〃r〃　or　two？

＇There　is　no　answer。　　Puzzled　at　the　silence；　she　looks　round。　　The
great　folding…doors　are　closed。　　She　stares　in　front　of　her；
thinking；　then　turns　again　to　her　work。＇

CURTAIN。



THE　SECOND　ACT



SCENE：…　Liberal　Central　Committee　Rooms；　East　India　Dock　Road；
Poplar。　　A　large；　high　room　on　the　first　floor　of　an　old…fashioned
house。　　Two　high　windows　right。　　A　door　at　back　is　the　main
entrance。　　A　door　left　leads　to　other　rooms。　　The　walls　are　papered
with　election　literature。　　Conspicuous　among　the　posters　displayed
is　〃A　Man　for　Men。〃　　〃No　Petticoat　Government。〃　　〃Will　you　be
Henpecked？〃　　A　large；　round　table　centre　is　littered　with　papers
and　pamphlets。　　A　large　desk　stands　between　the　windows。　　A　settee
is　against　the　left　wall。

＇When　the　curtain　rises；　ROSE　MERTON　（otherwise　〃GINGER〃）　is
discovered　seated；　her　left　arm　resting　on　the　table。　　She　is　a
young　lady　typical　of　the　Cockney　slavey　type；　dressed　according　to
the　ideas　of　her　class　as　regards　the　perfect　lady。　　Her　hat　is
characteristic。　　Her　gloves；　her　reticule；　her　umbrellathe　latter
something　rather　〃saucy〃are　displayed　around　her。　　She　is　feeling
comfortable　and　airing　her　views。　　MRS。　CHINN　is　laying　the　cloth
over　a　portion　of　the　table；　with　some　tea…things。　　MRS。　CHINN　is　a
thin；　narrow…chested　lady　with　thin　hands　and　bony　wrists。　　No　one
since　her　husband　died　has　ever　seen　her　without　her　bonnet。　　Its
appearance　suggests　the　possibility　that　she　sleeps　in　it。　　It　is
black；　like　her　dress。　　The　whole　figure　is　decent；　but　dingy。＇

GINGER　　Wot　I　say　about　the　question　is　…

MRS。　CHINN　　Do　you　mind　moving　your　arm？

GINGER　　Beg　pardon。　　＇She　shifts。＇　　Wot　I　say　is；　why　not　give　us
the　vote　and　end　all　the　talking？

MRS。　CHINN　　You　think　it　would　have　that　effect？

GINGER　　Well！　we　don't　want　to　go　on　being　a　nuisancelonger　than
we　can　possibly　'elp！

MRS。　CHINN　　Daresay　you're　right。　　It's　about　the　time　most　people
stop。

GINGER　　You've　never　thought　much　about　the　question　yourself；　'ave
you；　Mrs。　Chinn？

MRS。　CHINN　　I　ain't　fretted　much　about　it。

GINGER　　Was　a　time　when　I　didn't。　　I　used　to　be　all　foryou　know
larking　about。　　I　never　thought　much　about　anything。

MRS。　CHINN　　Ah！　it's　a　useful　habit。

GINGER　　What　is？

MRS。　CHINN　　Thinking。

GINGER　　It's　what　we　women　'aven't　done　enough　ofin　the　past；　I
mean。　　All　that's　going　to　be　altered。　　In　the　future　there's　going
to　be　no　difference　between　men　and　women。

MRS。　CHINN　　＇Slowly；　quietly　she　turns　upon　GINGER　her
expressionless　eyes。＇

GINGER　　Mentally；　I　mean；　o'　course。

MRS。　CHINN　　＇Takes　back　her　eyes。＇

GINGER　　Do　you　know；　Mrs。　Chinn；　that　once　upon　a　time　there　was
only　one　sex？　　＇She　spreads　herself。＇　　Hus！

MRS。　CHINN　　You　ain't　thinking　of　going　back　to　it；　are　you？

GINGER　　Not　if　the　men　be'ave　themselves。

MRS。　CHINN　　Perhaps　they're　doing　their　best；　poor　things！　　It
don't　do　to　be　too　impatient　with　them。

GINGER　　Was　talking　to　old　Dot…and…carry…one　the　other　d'y。　　You
know　who　I　meanchap　with　the　wooden　leg　as　'as　'is　pitch　outside
the　〃George。〃　　〃Wot　do　you　wimmen　want　worrying　yourselves　about
things　outside　the　'ome？〃　'e　says　to　me。　　〃You've　got　the
children；〃　'e　says。　　〃Oh；〃　I　says；　〃and　whose　fault's　that；　I'd
like　to　know？　　You　wait　till　we've　got　the　vote；〃　I　says；　〃we'll
soon　show　you〃

＇SIGSBY　enters。　　SIGSBY　is　a　dapper　little　man；　very　brisk　and
bustlinghirsutelooks　as　if　he　wanted　dusting；　cleaning　up
generally。＇

SIGSBY　　That　young　blackguard　come　back　yet？

GINGER　　＇At　sound　of　SIGSBY'S　voice　she　springs　up。　　At　first　is
about　to　offer　excuses　for　being　found　seated；　but　recollects
herself。＇

MRS。　CHINN　　Which　one；　sir？

SIGSBY　　Young　Jawboneswhat's　he　call　himself？Gordon。

MRS。　CHINN　　Not　yet；　sir。

SIGSBY　　＇Grunts。＇　　My　chop　ready？

MRS。　CHINN　　I　expect　it's　about　done。　　I'll　see。

＇She　goes　out。＇

SIGSBY　　＇He　turns　to　GINGER。＇　　What　can　_I_　do　for　you？

GINGER　　＇She　produces　a　letter。＇　　I　was　to　wait　for　an　answer。

SIGSBY　　＇He　opens　and　reads　it。＇　　What　do　they　expect　me　to　do？

GINGER　　'Er　ladyship　thought　as　perhaps　you　would　consult　Mr。
Chilvers　'imself　on　the　subject。

SIGSBY　　Look　here。　　What　I　want　to　know　is　this：　　am　I　being　asked
to　regard　Lady　Mogton　as　my　opponent's　election　agent；　or　as　my
principal's　mother…in…law？　　That　point's　got　to　be　settled。　　＇His
vehemence　deepens。＇　　Look　at　all　these　posters。　　Not　to　be　used；
for　fear　the　other　side　mayn't　like　them。　　Now　Lady　Mogton　writes
me　that　my　candidate's　supporters　are　not　to　employ　a　certain
argument　she　disapproves　of：　　because；　if　they　do；　she'll　tell　his
wife。　　Is　this　an　election；　or　is　it　a　family　jar？

＇JAWBONES　enters。　　JAWBONESotherwise　WILLIAM　GORDONis　a　clean…
shaven　young　hooligan。　　He　wears　a　bicycle　cap　on　the　back　of　his
head；　allowing　a　picturesque　tuft　of　hair　to　fall　over　his
forehead。　　Evidently　he　is　suffering　from　controlled　indignation。＇

SIGSBY　　＇Seeing　him。＇　　Oh；　so　you've　come　back；　have　you？

JAWBONES　　I　'ave；　wot's　left　of　me。

SIGSBY　　What　have　you　been　doing？

JAWBONES　　Clinging　to　a　roof　for　the　last　three　hours。

SIGSBY　　Clinging　to　a　roof！　　What　for？

JAWBONES　　＇He　boils　over。＇　　Wot　for？　　'Cos　I　didn't　want　to　fall
off！　　Wot　do　you　think：　　'cos　I　was　fond　of　it？

SIGSBY　　I　don't　understand　…

JAWBONES　　You　find　yourself　'alf　way　up　a　ladder；　posting　bills　as
the　other　side　'as　took　objection　towith　a　crowd　of　girls　from
Pink's　jam　factory　waiting　for　you　at　the　bottom　with　a　barrel　of
treacle；　and　you　WILL　understand。　　Nothing　else　for　me　to　do；　o'
course；　but　to　go　up。　　Then　they　took　the　ladder　away。

SIGSBY　　Where　are　the　bills？

JAWBONES　　Last　I　see　of　them　was　their　being　put　into　a　'earse　on
its　way　to　Ilford　Cemetery。

SIGSBY　　This　has　got　to　be　seen　into。　　This　sort　of　thing　can't　be
allowed　to　go　on。　　＇He　snatches　up　his　hat。＇

JAWBONES　　There's　another　suggestion　I'd　like　to　make。

SIGSBY　　＇Pauses。＇

JAWBONES　　That　is；　if　this　election　is　going　to　be　fought　fairly；
that　our　side　should　be　provided　with　'at…pins。

SIGSBY　　＇Grunts。＇　　Tell　Mrs。　Chinn　to　keep　that　chop　warm。　　＇He
goes　out。＇

GINGER　　＇She　begins　to　giggle。　　It　grows　into　a　shrill　hee…haw。＇

JAWBONES　　＇He　looks　a