heartbreak house-第14章

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perspiring。

MAZZINI。　Ellie；　Mangan　has　come：　I　thought　you'd　like　to　know。
Excuse　me；　Mrs　Hushabye；　the　strange　old　gentleman

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Papa。　Quite　so。

MAZZINI。　Oh；　I　beg　your　pardon；　of　course：　I　was　a　little
confused　by　his　manner。　He　is　making　Mangan　help　him　with
something　in　the　garden；　and　he　wants　me　too

A　powerful　whistle　is　heard。

THE　CAPTAIN'S　VOICE。　Bosun　ahoy！　＇the　whistle　is　repeated＇。

MAZZINI　＇flustered＇。　Oh　dear！　I　believe　he　is　whistling　for　me。
＇He　hurries　out＇。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Now　MY　father　is　a　wonderful　man　if　you　like。

ELLIE。　Hesione；　listen　to　me。　You　don't　understand。　My　father　and
Mr　Mangan　were　boys　together。　Mr　Ma

MRS　HUSHABYE。　I　don't　care　what　they　were：　we　must　sit　down　if
you　are　going　to　begin　as　far　back　as　that。　＇She　snatches　at
Ellie's　waist；　and　makes　her　sit　down　on　the　sofa　beside　her＇。
Now；　pettikins；　tell　me　all　about　Mr　Mangan。　They　call　him　Boss
Mangan；　don't　they？　He　is　a　Napoleon　of　industry　and　disgustingly
rich；　isn't　he？　Why　isn't　your　father　rich？

ELLIE。　My　poor　father　should　never　have　been　in　business。　His
parents　were　poets；　and　they　gave　him　the　noblest　ideas；　but　they
could　not　afford　to　give　him　a　profession。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Fancy　your　grandparents；　with　their　eyes　in　fine
frenzy　rolling！　And　so　your　poor　father　had　to　go　into　business。
Hasn't　he　succeeded　in　it？

ELLIE。　He　always　used　to　say　he　could　succeed　if　he　only　had　some
capital。　He　fought　his　way　along；　to　keep　a　roof　over　our　heads
and　bring　us　up　well；　but　it　was　always　a　struggle：　always　the
same　difficulty　of　not　having　capital　enough。　I　don't　know　how　to
describe　it　to　you。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Poor　Ellie！　I　know。　Pulling　the　devil　by　the　tail。

ELLIE　＇hurt＇。　Oh；　no。　Not　like　that。　It　was　at　least　dignified。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　That　made　it　all　the　harder；　didn't　it？　I　shouldn't
have　pulled　the　devil　by　the　tail　with　dignity。　I　should　have
pulled　hard＇between　her　teeth＇　hard。　Well？　Go　on。

ELLIE。　At　last　it　seemed　that　all　our　troubles　were　at　an　end。　Mr
Mangan　did　an　extraordinarily　noble　thing　out　of　pure　friendship
for　my　father　and　respect　for　his　character。　He　asked　him　how
much　capital　he　wanted；　and　gave　it　to　him。　I　don't　mean　that　he
lent　it　to　him；　or　that　he　invested　it　in　his　business。　He　just
simply　made　him　a　present　of　it。　Wasn't　that　splendid　of　him？

MRS　HUSHABYE。　On　condition　that　you　married　him？

ELLIE。　Oh；　no；　no；　no！　This　was　when　I　was　a　child。　He　had　never
even　seen　me：　he　never　came　to　our　house。　It　was　absolutely
disinterested。　Pure　generosity。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Oh！　I　beg　the　gentleman's　pardon。　Well；　what　became
of　the　money？

ELLIE。　We　all　got　new　clothes　and　moved　into　another　house。　And　I
went　to　another　school　for　two　years。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Only　two　years？

ELLIE。　That　was　all：　for　at　the　end　of　two　years　my　father　was
utterly　ruined。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　How？

ELLIE。　I　don't　know。　I　never　could　understand。　But　it　was
dreadful。　When　we　were　poor　my　father　had　never　been　in　debt。　But
when　he　launched　out　into　business　on　a　large　scale；　he　had　to
incur　liabilities。　When　the　business　went　into　liquidation　he
owed　more　money　than　Mr　Mangan　had　given　him。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Bit　off　more　than　he　could　chew；　I　suppose。

ELLIE。　I　think　you　are　a　little　unfeeling　about　it。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　My　pettikins；　you　mustn't　mind　my　way　of　talking。　I
was　quite　as　sensitive　and　particular　as　you　once；　but　I　have
picked　up　so　much　slang　from　the　children　that　I　am　really　hardly
presentable。　I　suppose　your　father　had　no　head　for　business；　and
made　a　mess　of　it。

ELLIE。　Oh；　that　just　shows　how　entirely　you　are　mistaken　about
him。　The　business　turned　out　a　great　success。　It　now　pays
forty…four　per　cent　after　deducting　the　excess　profits　tax。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Then　why　aren't　you　rolling　in　money？

ELLIE。　I　don't　know。　It　seems　very　unfair　to　me。　You　see；　my
father　was　made　bankrupt。　It　nearly　broke　his　heart；　because　he
had　persuaded　several　of　his　friends　to　put　money　into　the
business。　He　was　sure　it　would　succeed；　and　events　proved　that　he
was　quite　right。　But　they　all　lost　their　money。　It　was　dreadful。
I　don't　know　what　we　should　have　done　but　for　Mr　Mangan。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　What！　Did　the　Boss　come　to　the　rescue　again；　after
all　his　money　being　thrown　away？

ELLIE。　He　did　indeed；　and　never　uttered　a　reproach　to　my　father。
He　bought　what　was　left　of　the　businessthe　buildings　and　the
machinery　and　thingsfrom　the　official　trustee　for　enough　money
to　enable　my　father　to　pay　six…and…eight…pence　in　the　pound　and
get　his　discharge。　Everyone　pitied　Papa　so　much；　and　saw　so
plainly　that　he　was　an　honorable　man；　that　they　let　him　off　at
six…and…eight…pence　instead　of　ten　shillings。　Then　Mr。　Mangan
started　a　company　to　take　up　the　business；　and　made　my　father　a
manager　in　it　to　save　us　from　starvation；　for　I　wasn't　earning
anything　then。

MRS。　HUSHABYE。　Quite　a　romance。　And　when　did　the　Boss　develop　the
tender　passion？

ELLIE。　Oh；　that　was　years　after；　quite　lately。　He　took　the　chair
one　night　at　a　sort　of　people's　concert。　I　was　singing　there。　As
an　amateur；　you　know：　half　a　guinea　for　expenses　and　three　songs
with　three　encores。　He　was　so　pleased　with　my　singing　that　he
asked　might　he　walk　home　with　me。　I　never　saw　anyone　so　taken
aback　as　he　was　when　I　took　him　home　and　introduced　him　to　my
father；　his　own　manager。　It　was　then　that　my　father　told　me　how
nobly　he　had　behaved。　Of　course　it　was　considered　a　great　chance
for　me；　as　he　is　so　rich。　Andandwe　drifted　into　a　sort　of
understandingI　suppose　I　should　call　it　an　engagement＇she　is
distressed　and　cannot　go　on＇。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇rising　and　marching　about＇。　You　may　have　drifted
into　it；　but　you　will　bounce　out　of　it；　my　pettikins；　if　I　am　to
have　anything　to　do　with　it。

ELLIE　＇hopelessly＇。　No：　it's　no　use。　I　am　bound　in　honor　and
gratitude。　I　will　go　through　with　it。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇behind　the　sofa；　scolding　down　at　her＇。　You　know；
of　course；　that　it's　not　honorable　or　grateful　to　marry　a　man　you
don't　love。　Do　you　love　this　Mangan　man？

ELLIE。　Yes。　At　least

MRS　HUSHABYE。　I　don't　want　to　know　about　〃at　least〃：　I　want　to
know　the　worst。　Girls　of　your　age　fall　in　love　with　all　sorts　of
impossible　people；　especially　old　people。

ELLIE。　I　like　Mr　Mangan　very　much；　and　I　shall　always　be

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇impatiently　completing　the　sentence　and　prancing
away　intolerantly　to　starboard＇。　grateful　to　him　for　his
kindness　to　dear　father。　I　know。　Anybody　else？

ELLIE。　What　do　you　mean？

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Anybody　else？　Are　you　in　love　with　anybody　else？

ELLIE。　Of　course　not。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Humph！　＇The　book　on　the　drawing…table　catches　her
eye。　She　picks　it　up；　and　evidently　finds　the　title　very
unexpected。　She　looks　at　Ellie；　and　asks；　quaintly＇　Quite　sure
you're　not　in　love　with　an　actor？

ELLIE。　No；　no。　Why？　What　put　such　a　thing　into　your　head？

MRS　HUSHABYE。　This　is　yours；　isn't　it？　Why　else　should　you　be
reading　Othello？

ELLIE。　My　father　taught　me　to　love　Shakespeare。

MRS　HUSHAYE　＇flinging　the　book　down　on　the　table＇。　Really！　your
father　does　seem　to　be　about　the　limit。

ELLIE　＇naively＇。　Do　you　never　read　Shakespeare；　Hesione？　That
seems　to　me　so　extraordinary。　I　like　Othello。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Do　you；　indeed？　He　was　jealous；　wasn't　he？

ELLIE。　Oh；　not　that。　I　think　all　the　part　about　jealousy　is
horrible。　But　don't　you　think　it　must　have　been　a　wonderful
experience　for　Desdemona；　brought　up　so　quietly　at　home；　to　meet
a　man　who　had　been　out　in　the　world　doing　all　sorts　of　brave
things　and　having　terrible　adventures；　and　yet　finding　something
in　her　that　made　him　love　to　sit　and　talk　with　her　and　tell　her
about　them？

MRS　HUSHABYE。　That's　your　idea　of　romance；　is　it？

ELLIE。　Not　romance；　exactly。　It　might　really　happen。

Ellie's　eyes　show　that　she　is　not　arguing；　but　in　a　daydream。　Mrs
Hushabye；　watching　her　inquisitively；　goes　deliberately　back　to
the　sofa　and　resumes　her　seat　beside　her。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Ellie　darling；　have　you　noticed　that　some　of　those
stories　that　Othello　told　Desdemona　couldn't　have　happened？

ELLIE。　Oh；　no。　Shakespeare　thought　they　could　have　happened。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Hm！　Desdem