man and superman-第47章

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wanted　to　set　myself　right　with　you　and　Tavy。　I　couldn't　sit
mumchance　and　have　everything　put　on　me。

TANNER。　＇politely＇　Quite　so。

MRS　WHITEFIELD。　＇dissatisfied＇　And　now　I've　only　made　matters
worse。　Tavy's　angry　with　me　because　I　don't　worship　Ann。　And　when
it's　been　put　into　my　head　that　Ann　ought　to　marry　you；　what　can
I　say　except　that　it　would　serve　her　right？

TANNER。　Thank　you。

MRS　WHITEFIELD。　Now　don't　be　silly　and　twist　what　I　say　into
something　I　don't　mean。　I　ought　to　have　fair　play

Ann　comes　from　the　villa；　followed　presently　by　Violet；　who　is
dressed　for　driving。

ANN。　＇coming　to　her　mother's　right　hand　with　threatening　suavity＇
Well；　mamma　darling；　you　seem　to　be　having　a　delightful　chat　with
Jack。　We　can　hear　you　all　over　the　place。

MRS　WHITEFIELD。　＇appalled＇　Have　you　overheard

TANNER。　Never　fear：　Ann　is　onlywell；　we　were　discussing　that
habit　of　hers　just　now。　She　hasn't　heard　a　word。

MRS　WHITEFIELD。　＇stoutly＇　I　don't　care　whether　she　has　or　not：　I
have　a　right　to　say　what　I　please。

VIOLET。　＇arriving　on　the　lawn　and　coming　between　Mrs　Whitefield
and　Tanner＇　I've　come　to　say　goodbye。　I'm　off　for　my　honeymoon。

MRS　WHITEFIELD。　＇crying＇　Oh　don't　say　that；　Violet。　And　no
wedding；　no　breakfast；　no　clothes；　nor　anything。

VIOLET。　＇petting　her＇　It　won't　be　for　long。

MRS　WHITEFIELD。　Don't　let　him　take　you　to　America。　Promise　me
that　you　won't。

VIOLET。　＇very　decidedly＇　I　should　think　not；　indeed。　Don't　cry；
dear：　I'm　only　going　to　the　hotel。

MRS　WHITEFIELD。　But　going　in　that　dress；　with　your　luggage；　makes
one　realize＇she　chokes；　and　then　breaks　out　again＇　How　I　wish
you　were　my　daughter；　Violet！

VIOLET。　＇soothing　her＇　There；　there：　so　I　am。　Ann　will　be
jealous。

MRS　WHITEFIELD。　Ann　doesn't　care　a　bit　for　me。

ANN。　Fie；　mother！　Come；　now：　you　mustn't　cry　any　more：　you　know
Violet　doesn't　like　it　＇Mrs　Whitefzeld　dries　her　eyes；　and
subsides＇。

VIOLET。　Goodbye；　Jack。

TANNER。　Goodbye；　Violet。

VIOLET。　The　sooner　you　get　married　too；　the　better。　You　will　be
much　less　misunderstood。

TANNER。　＇restively＇　I　quite　expect　to　get　married　in　the　course
of　the　afternoon。　You　all　seem　to　have　set　your　minds　on　it。

VIOLET。　You　might　do　worse。　＇To　Mrs　Whitefield：　putting　her　arm
round　her＇　Let　me　take　you　to　the　hotel　with　me：　the　drive　will
do　you　good。　Come　in　and　get　a　wrap。　＇She　takes　her　towards　the
villa＇。

MRS　WHITEFIELD。　＇as　they　go　up　through　the　garden＇　I　don't　know
what　I　shall　do　when　you　are　gone；　with　no　one　but　Ann　in　the
house；　and　she　always　occupied　with　the　men！　It's　not　to　be
expected　that　your　husband　will　care　to　be　bothered　with　an　old
woman　like　me。　Oh；　you　needn't　tell　me：　politeness　is　all　very
well；　but　I　know　what　people　think＇She　talks　herself　and　Violet
out　of　sight　and　hearing＇。

Ann；　musing　on　Violet's　opportune　advice；　approaches　Tanner；
examines　him　humorously　for　a　moment　from　toe　to　top；　and　finally
delivers　her　opinion。

ANN。　Violet　is　quite　right。　You　ought　to　get　married。

TANNER。　＇explosively＇　Ann：　I　will　not　marry　you。　Do　you　　hear？　I
won't；　won't；　won't；　won't；　WON'T　marry　you。

ANN。　＇placidly＇　Well；　nobody　axd　you；　sir　she　said；　sir　she　said；
sir　she　said。　So　that's　settled。

TANNER。　Yes；　nobody　has　asked　me；　but　everybody　treats　the　thing
as　settled。　It's　in　the　air。　When　we　meet；　the　others　go　away　on
absurd　pretexts　to　leave　us　alone　together。　Ramsden　no　longer
scowls　at　me：　his　eye　beams；　as　if　he　were　already　giving　you
away　to　me　in　church。　Tavy　refers　me　to　your　mother　and　gives　me
his　blessing。　Straker　openly　treats　you　as　his　future　employer：
it　was　he　who　first　told　me　of　it。

ANN。　Was　that　why　you　ran　away？

TANNER。　Yes；　only　to　be　stopped　by　a　lovesick　brigand　and　run
down　like　a　truant　schoolboy。

ANN。　Well；　if　you　don't　want　to　be　married；　you　needn't　be　＇she
turns　away　from　him　and　sits　down；　much　at　her　ease＇。

TANNER。　＇following　her＇　Does　any　man　want　to　be　hanged？　Yet　men
let　themselves　be　hanged　without　a　struggle　for　life；　though　they
could　at　least　give　the　chaplain　a　black　eye。　We　do　the　world's
will；　not　our　own。　I　have　a　frightful　feeling　that　I　shall　let
myself　be　married　because　it　is　the　world's　will　that　you　should
have　a　husband。

ANN。　I　daresay　I　shall；　someday。

TANNER。　But　why　meme　of　all　men？　Marriage　is　to　me　apostasy；
profanation　of　the　sanctuary　of　my　soul；　violation　of　my　manhood；
sale　of　my　birthright；　shameful　surrender；　ignominious
capitulation；　acceptance　of　defeat。　I　shall　decay　like　a　thing
that　has　served　its　purpose　and　is　done　with；　I　shall　change　from
a　man　with　a　future　to　a　man　with　a　past；　I　shall　see　in　the
greasy　eyes　of　all　the　other　husbands　their　relief　at　the　arrival
of　a　new　prisoner　to　share　their　ignominy。　The　young　men　will
scorn　me　as　one　who　has　sold　out：　to　the　young　women　I；　who　have
always　been　an　enigma　and　a　possibility；　shall　be　merely　somebody
else's　propertyand　damaged　goods　at　that：　a　secondhand　man　at
best。

ANN。　Well；　your　wife　can　put　on　a　cap　and　make　herself　ugly　to
keep　you　in　countenance；　like　my　grandmother。

TANNER。　So　that　she　may　make　her　triumph　more　insolent　by
publicly　throwing　away　the　bait　the　moment　the　trap　snaps　on　the
victim！

ANN。　After　all；　though；　what　difference　would　it　make？　Beauty　is
all　very　well　at　first　sight；　but　who　ever　looks　at　it　when　it
has　been　in　the　house　three　days？　I　thought　our　pictures　very
lovely　when　papa　bought　them；　but　I　haven't　looked　at　them　for
years。　You　never　bother　about　my　looks：　you　are　too　well　used　to
me。　I　might　be　the　umbrella　stand。

TANNER。　You　lie；　you　vampire：　you　lie。

ANN。　Flatterer。　Why　are　you　trying　to　fascinate　me；　Jack；　if　you
don't　want　to　marry　me？

TANNER。　The　Life　Force。　I　am　in　the　grip　of　the　Life　Force。

ANN。　I　don't　understand　in　the　least：　it　sounds　like　the　Life
Guards。

TANNER。　Why　don't　you　marry　Tavy？　He　is　willing。　Can　you　not　be
satisfied　unless　your　prey　struggles？

ANN。　＇turning　to　him　as　if　to　let　him　into　a　secret＇　Tavy　will
never　marry。　Haven't　you　noticed　that　that　sort　of　man　never
marries？

TANNER。　What！　a　man　who　idolizes　women　　who　sees　nothing　in
nature　but　romantic　scenery　for　love　duets！　Tavy；　the　chivalrous；
the　faithful；　the　tenderhearted　and　true！　Tavy　never　marry！　Why；
he　was　born　to　be　swept　up　by　the　first　pair　of　blue　eyes　he
meets　in　the　street。

ANN。　Yes；　I　know。　All　the　same；　Jack；　men　like　that　always　live
in　comfortable　bachelor　lodgings　with　broken　hearts；　and　are
adored　by　their　landladies；　and　never　get　married。　Men　like　you
always　get　married。

TANNER。　＇Smiting　his　brow＇　How　frightfully；　horribly　true！　It　has
been　staring　me　in　the　face　all　my　life；　and　I　never　saw　it
before。

ANN。　Oh；　it's　the　same　with　women。　The　poetic　temperament's　a
very　nice　temperament；　very　amiable；　very　harmless　and　poetic；　I
daresay；　but　it's　an　old　maid's　temperament。

TANNER。　Barren。　The　Life　Force　passes　it　by。

ANN。　If　that's　what　you　mean　by　the　Life　Force；　yes。

TANNER。　You　don't　care　for　Tavy？

ANN。　＇looking　round　carefully　to　make　sure　that　Tavy　is　not
within　earshot＇　No。

TANNER。　And　you　do　care　for　me？

ANN。　＇rising　quietly　and　shaking　her　finger　at　him＇　Now　Jack！
Behave　yourself。

TANNER。　Infamous；　abandoned　woman！　Devil！

ANN。　Boa…constrictor！　Elephant！

TANNER。　Hypocrite！

ANN。　＇Softly＇　I　must　be；　for　my　future　husband's　sake。

TANNER。　For　mine！　＇Correcting　himself　savagely＇　I　mean　for　his。

ANN。＇ignoring　the　correction＇　Yes；　for　yours。　You　had　better
marry　what　you　call　a　hypocrite；　Jack。　Women　who　are　not
hypocrites　go　about　in　rational　dress　and　are　insulted　and　get
into　all　sorts　of　hot　water。　And　then　their　husbands　get　dragged
in　too；　and　live　in　continual　dread　of　fresh　complications。
Wouldn't　you　prefer　a　wife　you　could　depend　on？

TANNER。　No；　a　thousand　times　no：　hot　water　is　the　revolutionist's
element。　You　clean　men　as　you　clean　milkpails；　by　scalding　them。

ANN。　Cold　water　has　its　uses　too。　It's　healthy。

TANNER。　＇despairingly＇　Oh；　you　are　witty：　at　the　supreme　moment
the　Life　Force　endows　you　with　every　quality。　Well；　I　too　can　be
a　hypocrite。　Your　father's　will　appointed　me　your　guardian