the register-第5章
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affairof frightening herdisgusting her。〃
MISS REED： 〃Oh； how little they know us； Nettie！〃
RANSOM： 〃She seemed so much above me in every wayso sensitive； so
refined； so gentle； so good； so angelic！〃
MISS REED： 〃There！ NOW do you call it eavesdropping？ If listeners
never hear any good of themselves； what do you say to that？ It
proves that I haven't been listening。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃'Sh！ They're saying something else。〃
RANSOM： 〃But all that's neither here nor there。 I can see now that
under the circumstances she couldn't as a lady have acted otherwise
than she did。 She was forced to treat our whole acquaintance as a
business matter； and I had forced her to do it。〃
MISS REED： 〃You HAD； you poor thing！〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃Well； what do you intend to do about it？〃
RANSOM： 〃Well〃 …
MISS REED： 〃'Sh！〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃'Sh！〃
RANSOM： 〃that's what I want to submit to you； Grinnidge。 I must
see her。〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃Yes。 I'm glad _I_ mustn't。〃
MISS REED； stifling a laugh on Miss Spaulding's shoulder： 〃They're
actually AFRAID of us； Nettie！〃
RANSOM： 〃See her； and go down in the dust。〃
MISS REED： 〃My very words！〃
RANSOM： 〃I have been trying to think what was the very humblest pie
I could eat； by way of penance； and it appears to me that I had
better begin by saying that I have come to ask her for the money I
refused。〃
MISS REED； enraptured： 〃Oh！ doesn't it seem just likelike
inspiration； Nettie？〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃'Sh！ Be quiet； do！ You'll frighten them away！〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃And then what？〃
RANSOM： 〃What then？ I don't know what then。 But it appears to me
that； as a gentleman； I've got nothing to do with the result。 All
that I've got to do is to submit to my fate； whatever it is。〃
MISS REED； breathlessly： 〃What princely courage！ What delicate
magnanimity！ Oh； he needn't have the LEAST fear！ If I could only
tell him that！〃
GRINNIDGE； after an interval of meditative smoking： 〃Yes； I guess
that's the best thing you can do。 It will strike her fancy； if she's
an imaginative girl； and she'll think you a fine fellow。〃
MISS REED： 〃Oh； the horrid thing！〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃If you humble yourself to a woman at all； do it
thoroughly。 If you go halfway down she'll be tempted to push you the
rest of the way。 If you flatten out at her feet to begin with； ten
to one but she will pick you up。〃
RANSOM： 〃Yes； that was my idea。〃
MISS REED： 〃Oh； was it； indeed！ Well！〃
RANSOM： 〃But I've nothing to do with her picking me up or pushing me
down。 All that I've got to do is to go and surrender myself。〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃Yes。 Well； I guess you can't go too soon。 I like your
company； but I advise you as a friend not to lose time。 Where does
she live？〃
RANSOM： 〃That's the remarkable part of it： she lives in this
house。〃
MISS REED and Miss Spaulding； in subdued chorus： 〃Oh！〃
GRINNIDGE； taking his pipe out of his mouth in astonishment： 〃No！〃
RANSOM： 〃I just came in here to give my good resolutions a rest
while I was screwing my courage up to ask for her。〃
MISS REED： 〃Don't you think he's VERY humorous？ Give his good
resolutions a rest！ That's the way he ALWAYS talks。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃'Sh！〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃You said you came for my advice。〃
RANSOM： 〃So I did。 But I didn't promise to act upon it。 Well！〃 He
goes toward the door。
GRINNIDGE； without troubling himself to rise： 〃Well； good luck to
you！〃
MISS REED： 〃How droll they are with each other！ Don't you LIKE to
hear them talk？ Oh； I could listen all day。〃
GRINNIDGE； calling after Ransom： 〃You haven't told me your duck's
name。〃
MISS REED： 〃Is THAT what they call us？ Duck！ Do you think it's
very respectful； Nettie？ I don't believe I like it。 Or； yes； why
not？ It's no harmif I AM his duck！〃
RANSOM； coming back： 〃Well； I don't propose to go shouting it round。
Her name is Miss ReedEthel Reed。〃
MISS REED： 〃How CAN he？〃
GRINNIDGE： 〃Slender； willowy party； with a lot of blond hair that
looks as if it might be indigenous？ Rather pensive…looking？〃
MISS REED： 〃Indigenous！ I should hope so！〃
RANSOM： 〃Yes。 But she isn't pensive。 She's awfully deep。 It makes
me shudder to think how deep that girl is。 And when I think of my
courage in daring to be in love with hera stupid； straightforward
idiot like meI begin to respect myself in spite of being such an
ass。 Well； I'm off。 If I stay any longer I shall never go。〃 He
closes the door after him； and Miss Reed instantly springs to her
feet。
MISS REED： 〃Now he'll have to go down to the parlor and send up his
name； and that just gives me time to do the necessary prinking。 You
stay here and receive him； Nettie。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Never！ After what's happened I can never look him
in the face again。 Oh； how low； and mean； and guilty I feel！〃
MISS REED； with surprise： 〃Why； how droll！ Now _I_ don't feel the
least so。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Oh； it's very different with YOU。 YOU'RE in love
with him。〃
MISS REED： 〃For shame； Nettie！ I'm NOT in love with him。〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃And you can explain and justify it。 But I never
can justify it to myself； much less to him。 Let me go； Ethel！ I
shall tell Mrs。 McKnight that we must change this room instantly。
And just after I'd got it so nearly in order！ Go down and receive
him in the parlor； Ethel。 I CAN'T see him。〃
MISS REED： 〃Receive him in the parlor！ Why； Nettie； dear； you're
crazy！ I'm going to ACCEPT him： and how can I accept himwith all
the consequencesin a public parlor？ No； indeed！ If you won't meet
him here for a moment； just to oblige me； you can go into the other
room。 Or； noyou'd be listening to every word through the key…hole；
you're so demoralized！〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Yes； yes； I deserve your contempt； Ethel。〃
MISS REED； laughing： 〃You will have to go out for a walk； you poor
thing； and I'm not going to have you coming back in five or ten
minutes。 You have got to stay out a good hour。〃
MISS SPAULDING； running to get her things from the next room： 〃Oh；
I'll stay out till midnight！〃
MISS REED； responding to a tap at the door： 〃Ye…e…s！ Come in！
You're caught； Nettie。〃
A MAID…SERVANT； appearing with a card： 〃This gentleman is asking for
you in the parlor； Miss Reed。〃
MISS REED： 〃Oh！ Ask him to come up here； please。Nettie！ Nettie！〃
She calls to her friend in the next room。 〃He's coming right up； and
if you don't run you're trapped。〃
MISS SPAULDING； re…appearing； cloaked and bonneted： 〃I don't blame
YOU； Ethel； comparatively speaking。 You can say that everything is
fair in love。 He will like it； and laugh at it in you； because he'll
like everything you've done。 Besides； you've no principles； and I
HAVE。〃
MISS REED： 〃Oh； I've lots of principles； Nettie； but I've no
practice！〃
MISS SPAULDING： 〃No matter。 There's no excuse for me。 I listened
simply because I was a woman； and couldn't help it； and； oh； what
will he think of me？〃
MISS REED： 〃I won't give you away； if you really feel so badly〃 …
MISS SPAULDING： 〃Oh； DO you think you can keep from telling him；
Ethel dear？ Try！ And I will be your slave forever！〃 Steps are
heard on the stairs outside。 〃Oh； there he comes！〃 She dashes out
of the door； and closes it after her； a moment before the maid…
servant； followed by Mr。 Ransom； taps at it。
III。
SCENE： Miss Reed opens the door； and receives Mr。 Ransom with well…
affected surprise and state； suffering him to stand awkwardly on the
threshold for a moment。
SHE； coldly： 〃Oh！Mr。 Ransom！〃
HE； abruptly： 〃I've come〃 …
SHE： 〃Won't you come in？〃
HE； advancing a few paces into the room： 〃I've come〃 …
SHE； indicating a chair： 〃Will you sit down？〃
HE： 〃I must stand for the present。 I've come to ask you for that
money； Miss Reed； which I refused yesterday； in terms that I blush to
think of。 I was altogether and wholly in the wrong； and I'm ready to
offer any imaginable apology or reparation。 I'm ready to take the
money and to sign a receipt； and then to be dismissed with whatever
ignominy you please。 I deserve anythingeverything！〃
SHE： 〃The money？ Excuse me； I don't
