heartbreak house-第19章

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CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　To　kill　fellows　like　Mangan。

HECTOR。　No　use。　They　will　always　be　able　to　buy　more　dynamite
than　you。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　I　will　make　a　dynamite　that　he　cannot　explode。

HECTOR。　And　that　you　can；　eh？

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　Yes：　when　I　have　attained　the　seventh　degree　of
concentration。

HECTOR。　What's　the　use　of　that？　You　never　do　attain　it。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　What　then　is　to　be　done？　Are　we　to　be　kept
forever　in　the　mud　by　these　hogs　to　whom　the　universe　is　nothing
but　a　machine　for　greasing　their　bristles　and　filling　their
snouts？

HECTOR。　Are　Mangan's　bristles　worse　than　Randall's　lovelocks？

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER；。　We　must　win　powers　of　life　and　death　over　them
both。　I　refuse　to　die　until　I　have　invented　the　means。

HECTOR。　Who　are　we　that　we　should　judge　them？

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　What　are　they　that　they　should　judge　us？　Yet
they　do；　unhesitatingly。　There　is　enmity　between　our　seed　and
their　seed。　They　know　it　and　act　on　it；　strangling　our　souls。
They　believe　in　themselves。　When　we　believe　in　ourselves；　we
shall　kill　them。

HECTOR。　It　is　the　same　seed。　You　forget　that　your　pirate　has　a
very　nice　daughter。　Mangan's　son　may　be　a　Plato：　Randall's　a
Shelley。　What　was　my　father？

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　The　damnedst　scoundrel　I　ever　met。　＇He　replaces
the　drawing…board；　sits　down　at　the　table；　and　begins　to　mix　a
wash　of　color＇。

HECTOR。　Precisely。　Well；　dare　you　kill　his　innocent
grandchildren？

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　They　are　mine　also。

HECTOR。　Just　sowe　are　members　one　of　another。　＇He　throws
himself　carelessly　on　the　sofa＇。　I　tell　you　I　have　often　thought
of　this　killing　of　human　vermin。　Many　men　have　thought　of　it。
Decent　men　are　like　Daniel　in　the　lion's　den：　their　survival　is　a
miracle；　and　they　do　not　always　survive。　We　live　among　the
Mangans　and　Randalls　and　Billie　Dunns　as　they；　poor　devils；　live
among　the　disease　germs　and　the　doctors　and　the　lawyers　and　the
parsons　and　the　restaurant　chefs　and　the　tradesmen　and　the
servants　and　all　the　rest　of　the　parasites　and　blackmailers。　What
are　our　terrors　to　theirs？　Give　me　the　power　to　kill　them；　and
I'll　spare　them　in　sheer

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER　＇cutting　in　sharply＇。　Fellow　feeling？

HECTOR。　No。　I　should　kill　myself　if　I　believed　that。　I　must
believe　that　my　spark；　small　as　it　is；　is　divine；　and　that　the
red　light　over　their　door　is　hell　fire。　I　should　spare　them　in
simple　magnanimous　pity。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　You　can't　spare　them　until　you　have　the　power
to　kill　them。　At　present　they　have　the　power　to　kill　you。　There
are　millions　of　blacks　over　the　water　for　them　to　train　and　let
loose　on　us。　They're　going　to　do　it。　They're　doing　it　already。

HECTOR。　They　are　too　stupid　to　use　their　power。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER　＇throwing　down　his　brush　and　coming　to　the　end
of　the　sofa＇。　Do　not　deceive　yourself：　they　do　use　it。　We　kill
the　better　half　of　ourselves　every　day　to　propitiate　them。　The
knowledge　that　these　people　are　there　to　render　all　our
aspirations　barren　prevents　us　having　the　aspirations。　And　when
we　are　tempted　to　seek　their　destruction　they　bring　forth　demons
to　delude　us；　disguised　as　pretty　daughters；　and　singers　and
poets　and　the　like；　for　whose　sake　we　spare　them。

HECTOR　＇sitting　up　and　leaning　towards　him＇。　May　not　Hesione　be
such　a　demon；　brought　forth　by　you　lest　I　should　slay　you？

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　That　is　possible。　She　has　used　you　up；　and　left
you　nothing　but　dreams；　as　some　women　do。

HECTOR。　Vampire　women；　demon　women。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　Men　think　the　world　well　lost　for　them；　and
lose　it　accordingly。　Who　are　the　men　that　do　things？　The　husbands
of　the　shrew　and　of　the　drunkard；　the　men　with　the　thorn　in　the
flesh。　＇Walking　distractedly　away　towards　the　pantry＇。　I　must
think　these　things　out。　＇Turning　suddenly＇。　But　I　go　on　with　the
dynamite　none　the　less。　I　will　discover　a　ray　mightier　than　any
X…ray：　a　mind　ray　that　will　explode　the　ammunition　in　the　belt　of
my　adversary　before　he　can　point　his　gun　at　me。　And　I　must　hurry。
I　am　old：　I　have　no　time　to　waste　in　talk　＇he　is　about　to　go　into
the　pantry；　and　Hector　is　making　for　the　hall；　when　Hesione　comes
back＇。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Daddiest；　you　and　Hector　must　come　and　help　me　to
entertain　all　these　people。　What　on　earth　were　you　shouting
about？

HECTOR　＇stopping　in　the　act　of　turning　the　door　handle＇。　He　is
madder　than　usual。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　We　all　are。

HECTOR。　I　must　change　＇he　resumes　his　door　opening＇。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Stop；　stop。　Come　back；　both　of　you。　Come　back。
＇They　return；　reluctantly＇。　Money　is　running　short。

HECTOR。　Money！　Where　are　my　April　dividends？

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Where　is　the　snow　that　fell　last　year？

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　Where　is　all　the　money　you　had　for　that　patent
lifeboat　I　invented？

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Five　hundred　pounds；　and　I　have　made　it　last　since
Easter！

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　Since　Easter！　Barely　four　months！　Monstrous
extravagance！　I　could　live　for　seven　years　on　500　pounds。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Not　keeping　open　house　as　we　do　here；　daddiest。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　Only　500　pounds　for　that　lifeboat！　I　got　twelve
thousand　for　the　invention　before　that。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Yes；　dear；　but　that　was　for　the　ship　with　the
magnetic　keel　that　sucked　up　submarines。　Living　at　the　rate　we
do；　you　cannot　afford　life…saving　inventions。　Can't　you　think　of
something　that　will　murder　half　Europe　at　one　bang？

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　No。　I　am　ageing　fast。　My　mind　does　not　dwell　on
slaughter　as　it　did　when　I　was　a　boy。　Why　doesn't　your　husband
invent　something？　He　does　nothing　but　tell　lies　to　women。

HECTOR。　Well；　that　is　a　form　of　invention；　is　it　not？　However；
you　are　right：　I　ought　to　support　my　wife。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Indeed　you　shall　do　nothing　of　the　sort：　I　should
never　see　you　from　breakfast　to　dinner。　I　want　my　husband。

HECTOR　＇bitterly＇。　I　might　as　well　be　your　lapdog。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Do　you　want　to　be　my　breadwinner；　like　the　other
poor　husbands？

HECTOR。　No；　by　thunder！　What　a　damned　creature　a　husband　is
anyhow！

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇to　the　captain＇。　What　about　that　harpoon　cannon？

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　No　use。　It　kills　whales；　not　men。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Why　not？　You　fire　the　harpoon　out　of　a　cannon。　It
sticks　in　the　enemy's　general；　you　wind　him　in；　and　there　you
are。

HECTOR。　You　are　your　father's　daughter；　Hesione。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　There　is　something　in　it。　Not　to　wind　in
generals：　they　are　not　dangerous。　But　one　could　fire　a　grapnel
and　wind　in　a　machine　gun　or　even　a　tank。　I　will　think　it　out。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇squeezing　the　captain's　arm　affectionately＇。　Saved！
You　are　a　darling；　daddiest。　Now　we　must　go　back　to　these
dreadful　people　and　entertain　them。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　They　have　had　no　dinner。　Don't　forget　that。

HECTOR。　Neither　have　I。　And　it　is　dark：　it　must　be　all　hours。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Oh；　Guinness　will　produce　some　sort　of　dinner　for
them。　The　servants　always　take　jolly　good　care　that　there　is　food
in　the　house。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER　＇raising　a　strange　wail　in　the　darkness＇。　What　a
house！　What　a　daughter！

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇raving＇。　What　a　father！

HECTOR　＇following　suit＇。　What　a　husband！

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　Is　there　no　thunder　in　heaven？

HECTOR。　Is　there　no　beauty；　no　bravery；　on　earth？

MRS　HUSHABYE。　What　do　men　want？　They　have　their　food；　their
firesides；　their　clothes　mended；　and　our　love　at　the　end　of　the
day。　Why　are　they　not　satisfied？　Why　do　they　envy　us　the　pain
with　which　we　bring　them　into　the　world；　and　make　strange　dangers
and　torments　for　themselves　to　be　even　with　us？

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER　＇weirdly　chanting＇。
　　　　　　I　builded　a　house　for　my　daughters；　and　opened　the　doors
　　　　　　　　　　　　thereof；
　　　　　　That　men　might　come　for　their　choosing；　and　their　betters
　　　　　　　　　　　　spring　from　their　love；
　　　　　　But　one　of　them　married　a　numskull；

HECTOR　＇taking　up　the　rhythm＇。
　　　　　　The　other　a　liar　wed；

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇completing　the　stanza＇。
　　　　　　And　now　must　she　lie　beside　him；　even　as　she　made　her　bed。

LADY　UTTERWORD　＇calling　from　the　garden＇。　Hesione！　Hesione！　Where
are　you？

HECTOR。　The　cat　is　on　the　tiles。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Coming；　darling；　coming　＇she　goes　quickly　into　the
garden＇。

The　captain　goes　back　to　his　place　at　the　table。