heartbreak house-第18章

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MRS　HUSHABYE　＇stopping　in　the　doorway＇。　Do　you　mean　to　say　that
you've　had　some　of　my　father's　tea？　that　you　got　round　him　before
you　were　ten　minutes　in　the　house？

ELLIE。　I　did。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　You　little　devil！　＇She　goes　out　with　Randall＇。

MANGAN。　Won't　you　come；　Miss　Ellie？

ELLIE。　I'm　too　tired。　I'll　take　a　book　up　to　my　room　and　rest　a
little。　＇She　goes　to　the　bookshelf＇。

MANGAN。　Right。　You　can't　do　better。　But　I'm　disappointed。　＇He
follows　Randall　and　Mrs　Hushabye＇。

Ellie；　Hector；　and　Lady　Utterword　are　left。　Hector　is　close　to
Lady　Utterword。　They　look　at　Ellie；　waiting　for　her　to　go。

ELLIE　＇looking　at　the　title　of　a　book＇。　Do　you　like　stories　of
adventure；　Lady　Utterword？

LADY　UTTERWORD　＇patronizingly＇。　Of　course；　dear。

ELLIE。　Then　I'll　leave　you　to　Mr　Hushabye。　＇She　goes　out　through
the　hall＇。

HECTOR。　That　girl　is　mad　about　tales　of　adventure。　The　lies　I
have　to　tell　her！

LADY　UTTERWORD　＇not　interested　in　Ellie＇。　When　you　saw　me　what
did　you　mean　by　saying　that　you　thought；　and　then　stopping　short？
What　did　you　think？

HECTOR　＇folding　his　arms　and　looking　down　at　her　magnetically＇。
May　I　tell　you？

LADY　UTTERWORD。　Of　course。

HECTOR。　It　will　not　sound　very　civil。　I　was　on　the　point　of
saying；　〃I　thought　you　were　a　plain　woman。〃

LADY　UTTERWORD。　Oh；　for　shame；　Hector！　What　right　had　you　to
notice　whether　I　am　plain　or　not？

HECTOR。　Listen　to　me；　Ariadne。　Until　today　I　have　seen　only
photographs　of　you；　and　no　photograph　can　give　the　strange
fascination　of　the　daughters　of　that　supernatural　old　man。　There
is　some　damnable　quality　in　them　that　destroys　men's　moral　sense；
and　carries　them　beyond　honor　and　dishonor。　You　know　that；　don't
you？

LADY　UTTERWORD。　Perhaps　I　do；　Hector。　But　let　me　warn　you　once
for　all　that　I　am　a　rigidly　conventional　woman。　You　may　think
because　I'm　a　Shotover　that　I'm　a　Bohemian；　because　we　are　all　so
horribly　Bohemian。　But　I'm　not。　I　hate　and　loathe　Bohemianism。　No
child　brought　up　in　a　strict　Puritan　household　ever　suffered　from
Puritanism　as　I　suffered　from　our　Bohemianism。

HECTOR。　Our　children　are　like　that。　They　spend　their　holidays　in
the　houses　of　their　respectable　schoolfellows。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　I　shall　invite　them　for　Christmas。

HECTOR。　Their　absence　leaves　us　both　without　our　natural
chaperones。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　Children　are　certainly　very　inconvenient
sometimes。　But　intelligent　people　can　always　manage；　unless　they
are　Bohemians。

HECTOR。　You　are　no　Bohemian；　but　you　are　no　Puritan　either：　your
attraction　is　alive　and　powerful。　What　sort　of　woman　do　you　count
yourself？

LADY　UTTERWORD。　I　am　a　woman　of　the　world；　Hector；　and　I　can
assure　you　that　if　you　will　only　take　the　trouble　always　to　do
the　perfectly　correct　thing；　and　to　say　the　perfectly　correct
thing；　you　can　do　just　what　you　like。　An　ill…conducted；　careless
woman　gets　simply　no　chance。　An　ill…conducted；　careless　man　is
never　allowed　within　arm's　length　of　any　woman　worth　knowing。

HECTOR。　I　see。　You　are　neither　a　Bohemian　woman　nor　a　Puritan
woman。　You　are　a　dangerous　woman。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　On　the　contrary；　I　am　a　safe　woman。

HECTOR。　You　are　a　most　accursedly　attractive　woman。　Mind；　I　am
not　making　love　to　you。　I　do　not　like　being　attracted。　But　you
had　better　know　how　I　feel　if　you　are　going　to　stay　here。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　You　are　an　exceedingly　clever　lady…killer；
Hector。　And　terribly　handsome。　I　am　quite　a　good　player；　myself；
at　that　game。　Is　it　quite　understood　that　we　are　only　playing？

HECTOR。　Quite。　I　am　deliberately　playing　the　fool；　out　of　sheer
worthlessness。

LADY　UTTERWORD　＇rising　brightly＇。　Well；　you　are　my
brother…in…law；　Hesione　asked　you　to　kiss　me。　＇He　seizes　her　in
his　arms　and　kisses　her　strenuously＇。　Oh！　that　was　a　little　more
than　play；　brother…in…law。　＇She　pushes　him　suddenly　away＇。　You
shall　not　do　that　again。

HECTOR。　In　effect；　you　got　your　claws　deeper　into　me　than　I
intended。

MRS　HUBHABYE　＇coming　in　from　the　garden＇。　Don't　let　me　disturb
you；　I　only　want　a　cap　to　put　on　daddiest。　The　sun　is　setting；
and　he'll　catch　cold　＇she　makes　for　the　door　leading　to　the
hall＇。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　Your　husband　is　quite　charming；　darling。　He　has
actually　condescended　to　kiss　me　at　last。　I　shall　go　into　the
garden：　it's　cooler　now　＇she　goes　out　by　the　port　door＇。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Take　care；　dear　child。　I　don't　believe　any　man　can
kiss　Addy　without　falling　in　love　with　her。　＇She　goes　into　the
hall＇。

HECTOR　＇striking　himself　on　the　chest＇。　Fool！　Goat！

Mrs　Hushabye　comes　back　with　the　captain's　cap。

HECTOR。　Your　sister　is　an　extremely　enterprising　old　girl。
Where's　Miss　Dunn！

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Mangan　says　she　has　gone　up　to　her　room　for　a　nap。
Addy　won't　let　you　talk　to　Ellie：　she　has　marked　you　for　her　own。

HECTOR。　She　has　the　diabolical　family　fascination。　I　began　making
love　to　her　automatically。　What　am　I　to　do？　I　can't　fall　in　love；
and　I　can't　hurt　a　woman's　feelings　by　telling　her　so　when　she
falls　in　love　with　me。　And　as　women　are　always　falling　in　love
with　my　moustache　I　get　landed　in　all　sorts　of　tedious　and
terrifying　flirtations　in　which　I'm　not　a　bit　in　earnest。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Oh；　neither　is　Addy。　She　has　never　been　in　love　in
her　life；　though　she　has　always　been　trying　to　fall　in　head　over
ears。　She　is　worse　than　you；　because　you　had　one　real　go　at
least；　with　me。

HECTOR。　That　was　a　confounded　madness。　I　can't　believe　that　such
an　amazing　experience　is　common。　It　has　left　its　mark　on　me。　I
believe　that　is　why　I　have　never　been　able　to　repeat　it。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇laughing　and　caressing　his　arm＇。　We　were
frightfully　in　love　with　one　another；　Hector。　It　was　such　an
enchanting　dream　that　I　have　never　been　able　to　grudge　it　to　you
or　anyone　else　since。　I　have　invited　all　sorts　of　pretty　women　to
the　house　on　the　chance　of　giving　you　another　turn。　But　it　has
never　come　off。

HECTOR。　I　don't　know　that　I　want　it　to　come　off。　It　was　damned
dangerous。　You　fascinated　me；　but　I　loved　you；　so　it　was　heaven。
This　sister　of　yours　fascinates　me；　but　I　hate　her；　so　it　is
hell。　I　shall　kill　her　if　she　persists。

MRS。　HUSHABYE。　Nothing　will　kill　Addy；　she　is　as　strong　as　a
horse。　＇Releasing　him＇。　Now　I　am　going　off　to　fascinate　somebody。

HECTOR。　The　Foreign　Office　toff？　Randall？

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Goodness　gracious；　no！　Why　should　I　fascinate　him？

HECTOR。　I　presume　you　don't　mean　the　bloated　capitalist；　Mangan？

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Hm！　I　think　he　had　better　be　fascinated　by　me　than
by　Ellie。　＇She　is　going　into　the　garden　when　the　captain　comes　in
from　it　with　some　sticks　in　his　hand＇。　What　have　you　got　there；
daddiest？

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　Dynamite。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　You've　been　to　the　gravel　pit。　Don't　drop　it　about
the　house；　there's　a　dear。　＇She　goes　into　the　garden；　where　the
evening　light　is　now　very　red＇。

HECTOR。　Listen；　O　sage。　How　long　dare　you　concentrate　on　a
feeling　without　risking　having　it　fixed　in　your　consciousness　all
the　rest　of　your　life？

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　Ninety　minutes。　An　hour　and　a　half。　＇He　goes
into　the　pantry＇。

Hector；　left　alone；　contracts　his　brows；　and　falls　into　a
day…dream。　He　does　not　move　for　some　time。　Then　he　folds　his
arms。　Then；　throwing　his　hands　behind　him；　and　gripping　one　with
the　other；　he　strides　tragically　once　to　and　fro。　Suddenly　he
snatches　his　walking　stick　from　the　teak　table；　and　draws　it；　for
it　is　a　swordstick。　He　fights　a　desperate　duel　with　an　imaginary
antagonist；　and　after　many　vicissitudes　runs　him　through　the　body
up　to　the　hilt。　He　sheathes　his　sword　and　throws　it　on　the　sofa；
falling　into　another　reverie　as　he　does　so。　He　looks　straight
into　the　eyes　of　an　imaginary　woman；　seizes　her　by　the　arms；　and
says　in　a　deep　and　thrilling　tone；　〃Do　you　love　me！〃　The　captain
comes　out　of　the　pantry　at　this　moment；　and　Hector；　caught　with
his　arms　stretched　out　and　his　fists　clenched；　has　to　account　for
his　attitude　by　going　through　a　series　of　gymnastic　exercises。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　That　sort　of　strength　is　no　good。　You　will
never　be　as　strong　as　a　gorilla。

HECTOR。　What　is　the　dynamite　for？

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　To　kill　fellows　like　Mangan。

HECTOR。　No　use。　They　will　always　be　ab