heartbreak house-第21章

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voice。

MANGAN。　Suppose　I　told　you　I　was　in　love　with　another　woman！

ELLIE　＇echoing　him＇。　Suppose　I　told　you　I　was　in　love　with
another　man！

MANGAN　＇bouncing　angrily　out　of　his　chair＇。　I'm　not　joking。

ELLIE。　Who　told　you　I　was？

MANGAN。　I　tell　you　I'm　serious。　You're　too　young　to　be　serious；
but　you'll　have　to　believe　me。　I　want　to　be　near　your　friend　Mrs
Hushabye。　I'm　in　love　with　her。　Now　the　murder's　out。

ELLIE。　I　want　to　be　near　your　friend　Mr　Hushabye。　I'm　in　love
with　him。　＇She　rises　and　adds　with　a　frank　air＇　Now　we　are　in　one
another's　confidence；　we　shall　be　real　friends。　Thank　you　for
telling　me。

MANGAN　＇almost　beside　himself＇。　Do　you　think　I'll　be　made　a
convenience　of　like　this？

ELLIE。　Come；　Mr　Mangan！　you　made　a　business　convenience　of　my
father。　Well；　a　woman's　business　is　marriage。　Why　shouldn't　I
make　a　domestic　convenience　of　you？

MANGAN。　Because　I　don't　choose；　see？　Because　I'm　not　a　silly　gull
like　your　father。　That's　why。

ELLIE　＇with　serene　contempt＇。　You　are　not　good　enough　to　clean　my
father's　boots；　Mr　Mangan；　and　I　am　paying　you　a　great　compliment
in　condescending　to　make　a　convenience　of　you；　as　you　call　it。　Of
course　you　are　free　to　throw　over　our　engagement　if　you　like；
but；　if　you　do；　you'll　never　enter　Hesione's　house　again：　I　will
take　care　of　that。

MANGAN　＇gasping＇。　You　little　devil；　you've　done　me。　＇On　the　point
of　collapsing　into　the　big　chair　again　he　recovers　himself＇。　Wait
a　bit；　though：　you're　not　so　cute　as　you　think。　You　can't　beat
Boss　Mangan　as　easy　as　that。　Suppose　I　go　straight　to　Mrs
Hushabye　and　tell　her　that　you're　in　love　with　her　husband。

ELLIE。　She　knows　it。

MANGAN。　You　told　her！！！

ELLIE。　She　told　me。

MANGAN　＇clutching　at　his　bursting　temples＇。　Oh；　this　is　a　crazy
house。　Or　else　I'm　going　clean　off　my　chump。　Is　she　making　a　swop
with　youshe　to　have　your　husband　and　you　to　have　hers？

ELLIE。　Well；　you　don't　want　us　both；　do　you？

MANGAN　＇throwing　himself　into　the　chair　distractedly＇。　My　brain
won't　stand　it。　My　head's　going　to　split。　Help！　Help　me　to　hold
it。　Quick：　hold　it：　squeeze　it。　Save　me。　＇Ellie　comes　behind　his
chair；　clasps　his　head　hard　for　a　moment；　then　begins　to　draw　her
hands　from　his　forehead　back　to　his　ears＇。　Thank　you。　＇Drowsily＇。
That's　very　refreshing。　＇Waking　a　little＇。　Don't　you　hypnotize
me；　though。　I've　seen　men　made　fools　of　by　hypnotism。

ELLIE　＇steadily＇。　Be　quiet。　I've　seen　men　made　fools　of　without
hypnotism。

MANGAN　＇humbly＇。　You　don't　dislike　touching　me；　I　hope。　You　never
touched　me　before；　I　noticed。

ELLIE。　Not　since　you　fell　in　love　naturally　with　a　grown…up　nice
woman；　who　will　never　expect　you　to　make　love　to　her。　And　I　will
never　expect　him　to　make　love　to　me。

MANGAN。　He　may；　though。

ELLIE　＇making　her　passes　rhythmically＇。　Hush。　Go　to　sleep。　Do　you
hear？　You　are　to　go　to　sleep；　go　to　sleep；　go　to　sleep；　be　quiet；
deeply　deeply　quiet；　sleep；　sleep；　sleep；　sleep；　sleep。

He　falls　asleep。　Ellie　steals　away；　turns　the　light　out；　and　goes
into　the　garden。

Nurse　Guinness　opens　the　door　and　is　seen　in　the　light　which
comes　in　from　the　hall。

GUINNESS　＇speaking　to　someone　outside＇。　Mr　Mangan's　not　here；
duckie：　there's　no　one　here。　It's　all　dark。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇without＇。　Try　the　garden。　Mr　Dunn　and　I　will　be　in
my　boudoir。　Show　him　the　way。

GUINNESS。　Yes；　ducky。　＇She　makes　for　the　garden　door　in　the　dark；
stumbles　over　the　sleeping　Mangan　and　screams＇。　Ahoo！　O　Lord；
Sir！　I　beg　your　pardon；　I'm　sure：　I　didn't　see　you　in　the　dark。
Who　is　it？　＇She　goes　back　to　the　door　and　turns　on　the　light＇。
Oh；　Mr　Mangan；　sir；　I　hope　I　haven't　hurt　you　plumping　into　your
lap　like　that。　＇Coming　to　him＇。　I　was　looking　for　you；　sir。　Mrs
Hushabye　says　will　you　please　＇noticing　that　he　remains　quite
insensible＇。　Oh；　my　good　Lord；　I　hope　I　haven't　killed　him。　Sir！
Mr　Mangan！　Sir！　＇She　shakes　him；　and　he　is　rolling　inertly　off
the　chair　on　the　floor　when　she　holds　him　up　and　props　him
against　the　cushion＇。　Miss　Hessy！　Miss　Hessy！　＇quick；　doty
darling。　Miss　Hessy！　＇Mrs　Hushabye　comes　in　from　the　hall；
followed　by　Mazzini　Dunn＇。　Oh；　Miss　Hessy；　I've　been　and　killed
him。

Mazzini　runs　round　the　back　of　the　chair　to　Mangan's　right　hand；
and　sees　that　the　nurse's　words　are　apparently　only　too　true。

MAZZINI。　What　tempted　you　to　commit　such　a　crime；　woman？

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇trying　not　to　laugh＇。　Do　you　mean；　you　did　it　on
purpose？

GUINNESS。　Now　is　it　likely　I'd　kill　any　man　on　purpose？　I　fell
over　him　in　the　dark；　and　I'm　a　pretty　tidy　weight。　He　never
spoke　nor　moved　until　I　shook　him；　and　then　he　would　have　dropped
dead　on　the　floor。　Isn't　it　tiresome？

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇going　past　the　nurse　to　Mangan's　side；　and
inspecting　him　less　credulously　than　Mazzini＇。　Nonsense！　he　is
not　dead：　he　is　only　asleep。　I　can　see　him　breathing。

GUINNESS。　But　why　won't　he　wake？

MAZZINI　＇speaking　very　politely　into　Mangan's　ear＇。　Mangan！　My
dear　Mangan！　＇he　blows　into　Mangan's　ear＇。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　That's　no　good　＇she　shakes　him　vigorously＇。　Mr
Mangan；　wake　up。　Do　you　hear？　＇He　begins　to　roll　over＇。　Oh！
Nurse；　nurse：　he's　falling：　help　me。

Nurse　Guinness　rushes　to　the　rescue。　With　Mazzini's　assistance；
Mangan　is　propped　safely　up　again。

GUINNESS　＇behind　the　chair；　bending　over　to　test　the　case　with
her　nose＇。　Would　he　be　drunk；　do　you　think；　pet？

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Had　he　any　of　papa's　rum？

MAZZINI。　It　can't　be　that：　he　is　most　abstemious。　I　am　afraid　he
drank　too　much　formerly；　and　has　to　drink　too　little　now。　You
know；　Mrs　Hushabye；　I　really　think　he　has　been　hypnotized。

GUINNESS。　Hip　no　what；　sir？

MAZZINI。　One　evening　at　home；　after　we　had　seen　a　hypnotizing
performance；　the　children　began　playing　at　it；　and　Ellie　stroked
my　head。　I　assure　you　I　went　off　dead　asleep；　and　they　had　to
send　for　a　professional　to　wake　me　up　after　I　had　slept　eighteen
hours。　They　had　to　carry　me　upstairs；　and　as　the　poor　children
were　not　very　strong；　they　let　me　slip；　and　I　rolled　right　down
the　whole　flight　and　never　woke　up。　＇Mrs　Hushabye　splutters＇。　Oh；
you　may　laugh；　Mrs　Hushabye；　but　I　might　have　been　killed。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　I　couldn't　have　helped　laughing　even　if　you　had
been；　Mr　Dunn。　So　Ellie　has　hypnotized　him。　What　fun！

MAZZINI。　Oh　no；　no；　no。　It　was　such　a　terrible　lesson　to　her：
nothing　would　induce　her　to　try　such　a　thing　again。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Then　who　did　it？　I　didn't。

MAZZINI。　I　thought　perhaps　the　captain　might　have　done　it
unintentionally。　He　is　so　fearfully　magnetic：　I　feel　vibrations
whenever　he　comes　close　to　me。

GUINNESS。　The　captain　will　get　him　out　of　it　anyhow；　sir：　I'll
back　him　for　that。　I'll　go　fetch　him　＇she　makes　for　the　pantry＇。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Wait　a　bit。　＇To　Mazzini＇。　You　say　he　is　all　right
for　eighteen　hours？

MAZZINI。　Well；　I　was　asleep　for　eighteen　hours。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Were　you　any　the　worse　for　it？

MAZZINI。　I　don't　quite　remember。　They　had　poured　brandy　down　my
throat；　you　see；　and

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Quite。　Anyhow；　you　survived。　Nurse；　darling：　go　and
ask　Miss　Dunn　to　come　to　us　here。　Say　I　want　to　speak　to　her
particularly。　You　will　find　her　with　Mr　Hushabye　probably。

GUINNESS。　I　think　not；　ducky：　Miss　Addy　is　with　him。　But　I'll
find　her　and　send　her　to　you。　＇She　goes　out　into　the　garden＇。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇calling　Mazzini's　attention　to　the　figure　on　the
chair＇。　Now；　Mr　Dunn；　look。　Just　look。　Look　hard。　Do　you　still
intend　to　sacrifice　your　daughter　to　that　thing？

MAZZINI　＇troubled＇。　You　have　completely　upset　me；　Mrs　Hushabye；
by　all　you　have　said　to　me。　That　anyone　could　imagine　that　II；
a　consecrated　soldier　of　freedom；　if　I　may　say　socould
sacrifice　Ellie　to　anybody　or　anyone；　or　that　I　should　ever　have
dreamed　of　forcing　her　inclinations　in　any　way；　is　a　most　painful
blow　to　mywell；　I　suppose　you　would　say　to　my　good　opinion　of
myself。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇rather　stolidly＇。　Sorry。

MAZZINI　＇looking　forlornly　at　the　body＇。　What　is　your　objection
to　poor　Mangan；　Mrs　Hushabye？　He　looks　all　right　to　me。　But　then
I　am　so　accustomed　to　him。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Have　you　no　heart？　Have　you　no　sense？　Look　at　the
brute！　Think　of　poor　weak　innocent　Ellie　in　the　clutches　of　this
slavedriv