man and superman-第24章

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me　own　up。

VIOLET。　＇instantly　becoming　serious　and　resolute＇　No；　no。　Hector：
you　promised　me　not　to。

HECTOR。　I'll　keep　my　promise　until　you　release　me　from　it。　But　I
feel　mean；　lying　to　those　men；　and　denying　my　wife。　Just
dastardly。

VIOLET。　I　wish　your　father　were　not　so　unreasonable。

HECTOR。　He's　not　unreasonable。　He's　right　from　his　point　of　view。
He　has　a　prejudice　against　the　English　middle　class。

VIOLET。　It's　too　ridiculous。　You　know　how　I　dislike　saying　such
things　to　you；　Hector；　but　if　I　were　tooh；　well；　no　matter。

HECTOR。　I　know。　If　you　were　to　marry　the　son　of　an　English
manufacturer　of　office　furniture；　your　friends　would　consider　it
a　misalliance。　And　here's　my　silly　old　dad；　who　is　the　biggest
office　furniture　man　in　the　world；　would　show　me　the　door　for
marrying　the　most　perfect　lady　in　England　merely　because　she　has
no　handle　to　her　name。　Of　course　it's　just　absurd。　But　I　tell
you；　Violet；　I　don't　like　deceiving　him。　I　feel　as　if　I　was
stealing　his　money。　Why　won't　you　let　me　own　up？

VIOLET。　We　can't　afford　it。　You　can　be　as　romantic　as　you　please
about　love；　Hector；　but　you　mustn't　be　romantic　about　money。

HECTOR。　＇divided　between　his　uxoriousness　and　his　habitual
elevation　of　moral　sentiment＇　That's　very　English。　＇Appealing
to　her　impulsively＇　Violet：　Dad's　bound　to　find　us　out　some
day。

VIOLET。　Oh　yes；　later　on　of　course。　But　don't　let's　go　over　this
every　time　we　meet；　dear。　You　promised

HECTOR。　All　right；　all　right；　I

VIOLET。　＇not　to　be　silenced＇　It　is　I　and　not　you　who　suffer　by
this　concealment；　and　as　to　facing　a　struggle　and　poverty　and　all
that　sort　of　thing　I　simply　will　not　do　it。　It's　too　silly。

HECTOR。　You　shall　not。　I'll　sort　of　borrow　the　money　from　my　dad
until　I　get　on　my　own　feet；　and　then　I　can　own　up　and　pay　up　at
the　same　time。

VIOLET。　＇alarmed　and　indignant＇　Do　you　mean　to　work？　Do　you　want
to　spoil　our　marriage？

HECTOR。　Well；　I　don't　mean　to　let　marriage　spoil　my　character。
Your　friend　Mr　Tanner　has　got　the　laugh　on　me　a　bit　already　about
that；　and

VIOLET。　The　beast！　I　hate　Jack　Tanner。

HECTOR。　＇magnanimously＇　Oh；　he's　all　right：　he　only　needs　the
love　of　a　good　woman　to　ennoble　him。　Besides；　he's　proposed　a
motoring　trip　to　Nice；　and　I'm　going　to　take　you。

VIOLET。　How　jolly！

HECTOR。　Yes；　but　how　are　we　going　to　manage？　You　see；　they've
warned　me　off　going　with　you；　so　to　speak。　They've　told　me　in
confidence　that　you're　married。　That's　just　the　most　overwhelming
confidence　I've　ever　been　honored　with。

Tanner　returns　with　Straker；　who　goes　to　his　car。

TANNER。　Your　car　is　a　great　success；　Mr　Malone。　Your　engineer　is
showing　it　off　to　Mr　Ramsden。

HECTOR。　＇eagerlyforgetting　himself＇　Let's　come；　Vi。

VIOLET。　＇coldly；　warning　him　with　her　eyes＇　I　beg　your　pardon；
Mr　Malone；　I　did　not　quite　catch

HECTOR。　＇recollecting　himself＇　I　ask　to　be　allowed　the　pleasure
of　showing　you　my　little　American　steam　car；　Miss　Robinson。

VIOLET。　I　shall　be　very　pleased。　＇They　go　off　together　down　the
avenue＇。

TANNER。　About　this　trip；　Straker。

STRAKER。　＇preoccupied　with　the　car＇　Yes？

TANNER。　Miss　Whitefield　is　supposed　to　be　coming　with　me。

STRAKER。　So　I　gather。

TANNER。　Mr　Robinson　is　to　be　one　of　the　party。

STRAKER。　Yes。

TANNER。　Well；　if　you　can　manage　so　as　to　be　a　good　deal　occupied
with　me；　and　leave　Mr　Robinson　a　good　deal　occupied　with　Miss
Whitefield；　he　will　be　deeply　grateful　to　you。

STRAKER。　＇looking　round　at　him＇　Evidently。

TANNER。　〃Evidently〃！　Your　grandfather　would　have　simply　winked。

STRAKER。　My　grandfather　would　have　touched　his　at。

TANNER。　And　I　should　have　given　your　good　nice　respectful
grandfather　a　sovereign。

STRAKER。　Five　shillins；　more　likely。　＇He　leaves　the　car　and
approaches　Tanner＇。　What　about　the　lady's　views？

TANNER。　She　is　just　as　willing　to　be　left　to　Mr　Robinson　as　Mr
Robinson　is　to　be　left　to　her。　＇Straker　looks　at　his　principal
with　cool　scepticism；　then　turns　to　the　car　whistling　his
favorite　air＇。　Stop　that　aggravating　noise。　What　do　you　mean　by
it？　＇Straker　calmly　resumes　the　melody　and　finishes　it。　Tanner
politely　hears　it　out　before　he　again　addresses　Straker；　this
time　with　elaborate　seriousness＇。　Enry：　I　have　ever　been　a　warm
advocate　of　the　spread　of　music　among　the　masses；　but　I　object　to
your　obliging　the　company　whenever　Miss　Whitefield's　name　is
mentioned。　You　did　it　this　morning；　too。

STRAKER。　＇obstinately＇　It's　not　a　bit　o　use。　Mr　Robinson　may　as
well　give　it　up　first　as　last。

TANNER。　Why？

STRAKER。　Garn！　You　know　why。　Course　it's　not　my　business；　but　you
needn't　start　kiddin　me　about　it。

TANNER。　I　am　not　kidding。　I　don't　know　why。

STRAKER。　＇Cheerfully　sulky＇　Oh；　very　well。　All　right。　It　ain't　my
business。

TANNER。　＇impressively＇　I　trust；　Enry；　that；　as　between　employer
and　engineer；　I　shall　always　know　how　to　keep　my　proper　distance；
and　not　intrude　my　private　affairs　on　you。　Even　our　business
arrangements　are　subject　to　the　approval　of　your　Trade　Union。　But
don't　abuse　your　advantages。　Let　me　remind　you　that　Voltaire　said
that　what　was　too　silly　to　be　said　could　be　sung。

STRAKER。　It　wasn't　Voltaire：　it　was　Bow　Mar　Shay。

TANNER。　I　stand　corrected：　Beaumarchais　of　course。　Now　you　seem
to　think　that　what　is　too　delicate　to　be　said　can　be　whistled。
Unfortunately　your　whistling；　though　melodious；　is　unintelligible。
Come！　there's　nobody　listening：　neither　my　genteel　relatives　nor
the　secretary　of　your　confounded　Union。　As　man　to　man；　Enry；　why
do　you　think　that　my　friend　has　no　chance　with　Miss　Whitefield？

STRAKER。　Cause　she's　arter　summun　else。

TANNER。　Bosh！　who　else？

STRAKER。　You。

TANNER。　Me！！！

STRAKER。　Mean　to　tell　me　you　didn't　know？　Oh；　come；　Mr　Tanner！

TANNER。　＇in　fierce　earnest＇　Are　you　playing　the　fool；　or　do　you
mean　it？

STRAKER。　＇with　a　flash　of　temper＇　I'm　not　playin　no　fool。　＇More
coolly＇　Why；　it's　as　plain　as　the　nose　on　your　face。　If　you　ain't
spotted　that；　you　don't　know　much　about　these　sort　of　things。
＇Serene　again＇　Ex…cuse　me；　you　know；　Mr　Tanner；　but　you　asked　me
as　man　to　man；　and　I　told　you　as　man　to　man。

TANNER。　＇wildly　appealing　to　the　heavens＇　Then　II　am　the
bee；　the　spider；　the　marked　down　victim；　the　destined　prey。

STRAKER。　I　dunno　about　the　bee　and　the　spider。　But　the　marked
down　victim；　that's　what　you　are　and　no　mistake；　and　a　jolly　good
job　for　you；　too；　I　should　say。

TANNER。　＇momentously＇　Henry　Straker：　the　moment　of　your　life　has
arrived。

STRAKER。　What　d'y'mean？

TANNER。　That　record　to　Biskra。

STRAKER。　＇eagerly＇　Yes？

TANNER。　Break　it。

STRAKER。　＇rising　to　the　height　of　his　destiny＇　D'y'mean　it？

TANNER。　I　do。

STRAKER。　When？

TANNER。　Now。　Is　that　machine　ready　to　start？

STRAKER。　＇quailing＇　But　you　can't

TANNER。　＇cutting　him　short　by　getting　into　the　car＇　Off　we　go。
First　to　the　bank　for　money；　then　to　my　rooms　for　my　kit；　then　to
your　rooms　for　your　kit；　then　break　the　record　from　London　to
Dover　or　Folkestone；　then　across　the　channel　and　away　like　mad　to
Marseilles；　Gibraltar；　Genoa；　any　port　from　which　we　can　sail　to
a　Mahometan　country　where　men　are　protected　from　women。

STRAKER。　Garn！　you're　kiddin。

TANNER。　＇resolutely＇　Stay　behind　then。　If　you　won't　come　I'll　do
it　alone。　＇He　starts　the　motor＇。

STRAKER。　＇running　after　him＇　Here！　Mister！　arf　a　mo！　steady　on！
＇he　scrambles　in　as　the　car　plunges　forward＇。




ACT　III

Evening　in　the　Sierra　Nevada。　Rolling　slopes　of　brown；　with　olive
trees　instead　of　apple　trees　in　the　cultivated　patches；　and
occasional　prickly　pears　instead　of　gorse　and　bracken　in　the
wilds。　Higher　up；　tall　stone　peaks　and　precipices；　all　handsome
and　distinguished。　No　wild　nature　here：　rather　a　most
aristocratic　mountain　landscape　made　by　a　fastidious
artist…creator。　No　vulgar　profusion　of　vegetation：　even　a　touch
of　aridity　in　the　frequent　patches　of　stones：　Spanish
magnificence　and　Spanish　economy　everywhere。

Not　very　far　north　of　a　spot　at　which　the　high　road　over　one　of
the　passes　crosses　a　tunnel　on　the　railway　from　Malaga　to
Granada；　is　one　of　the　mountain　amphitheatres　of　the　Sierra。
Looking　at　it　from　the　wide　end　of　the　horse…shoe；　one