heartbreak house-第23章

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MRS　HUSHABYE。　It　doesn't　matter；　anyhow；　because　I　have　at　last
persuaded　your　father　that　you　don't　want　to　marry　him。

ELLIE　＇suddenly　coming　out　of　her　listlessness；　much　vexed＇。　But
why　did　you　do　that；　Hesione？　I　do　want　to　marry　him。　I　fully
intend　to　marry　him。

MAZZINI。　Are　you　quite　sure；　Ellie？　Mrs　Hushabye　has　made　me　feel
that　I　may　have　been　thoughtless　and　selfish　about　it。

ELLIE　＇very　clearly　and　steadily＇。　Papa。　When　Mrs。　Hushabye　takes
it　on　herself　to　explain　to　you　what　I　think　or　don't　think；　shut
your　ears　tight；　and　shut　your　eyes　too。　Hesione　knows　nothing
about　me：　she　hasn't　the　least　notion　of　the　sort　of　person　I　am；
and　never　will。　I　promise　you　I　won't　do　anything　I　don't　want　to
do　and　mean　to　do　for　my　own　sake。

MAZZINI。　You　are　quite；　quite　sure？

ELLIE。　Quite；　quite　sure。　Now　you　must　go　away　and　leave　me　to
talk　to　Mrs　Hushabye。

MAZZINI。　But　I　should　like　to　hear。　Shall　I　be　in　the　way？

ELLIE　＇inexorable＇。　I　had　rather　talk　to　her　alone。

MAZZINI　＇affectionately＇。　Oh；　well；　I　know　what　a　nuisance
parents　are；　dear。　I　will　be　good　and　go。　＇He　goes　to　the　garden
door＇。　By　the　way；　do　you　remember　the　address　of　that
professional　who　woke　me　up？　Don't　you　think　I　had　better
telegraph　to　him？

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇moving　towards　the　sofa＇。　It's　too　late　to
telegraph　tonight。

MAZZINI。　I　suppose　so。　I　do　hope　he'll　wake　up　in　the　course　of
the　night。　＇He　goes　out　into　the　garden＇。

ELLIE　＇turning　vigorously　on　Hesione　the　moment　her　father　is　out
of　the　room＇。　Hesione；　what　the　devil　do　you　mean　by　making
mischief　with　my　father　about　Mangan？

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇promptly　losing　her　temper＇。　Don't　you　dare　speak
to　me　like　that；　you　little　minx。　Remember　that　you　are　in　my
house。

ELLIE。　Stuff！　Why　don't　you　mind　your　own　business？　What　is　it　to
you　whether　I　choose　to　marry　Mangan　or　not？

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Do　you　suppose　you　can　bully　me；　you　miserable
little　matrimonial　adventurer？

ELLIE。　Every　woman　who　hasn't　any　money　is　a　matrimonial
adventurer。　It's　easy　for　you　to　talk：　you　have　never　known　what
it　is　to　want　money；　and　you　can　pick　up　men　as　if　they　were
daisies。　I　am　poor　and　respectable

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇interrupting＇。　Ho！　respectable！　How　did　you　pick　up
Mangan？　How　did　you　pick　up　my　husband？　You　have　the　audacity　to
tell　me　that　I　am　aaa

ELLIE。　A　siren。　So　you　are。　You　were　born　to　lead　men　by　the
nose：　if　you　weren't；　Marcus　would　have　waited　for　me；　perhaps。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇suddenly　melting　and　half　laughing＇。　Oh；　my　poor
Ellie；　my　pettikins；　my　unhappy　darling！　I　am　so　sorry　about
Hector。　But　what　can　I　do？　It's　not　my　fault：　I'd　give　him　to　you
if　I　could。

ELLIE。　I　don't　blame　you　for　that。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　What　a　brute　I　was　to　quarrel　with　you　and　call　you
names！　Do　kiss　me　and　say　you're　not　angry　with　me。

ELLIE　＇fiercely＇。　Oh；　don't　slop　and　gush　and　be　sentimental。
Don't　you　see　that　unless　I　can　be　hardas　hard　as　nailsI
shall　go　mad？　I　don't　care　a　damn　about　your　calling　me　names：　do
you　think　a　woman　in　my　situation　can　feel　a　few　hard　words？

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Poor　little　woman！　Poor　little　situation！

ELLIE。　I　suppose　you　think　you're　being　sympathetic。　You　are　just
foolish　and　stupid　and　selfish。　You　see　me　getting　a　smasher
right　in　the　face　that　kills　a　whole　part　of　my　life：　the　best
part　that　can　never　come　again；　and　you　think　you　can　help　me
over　it　by　a　little　coaxing　and　kissing。　When　I　want　all　the
strength　I　can　get　to　lean　on：　something　iron；　something　stony；　I
don't　care　how　cruel　it　is；　you　go　all　mushy　and　want　to　slobber
over　me。　I'm　not　angry；　I'm　not　unfriendly；　but　for　God's　sake　do
pull　yourself　together；　and　don't　think　that　because　you're　on
velvet　and　always　have　been；　women　who　are　in　hell　can　take　it　as
easily　as　you。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇shrugging　her　shoulders＇。　Very　well。　＇She　sits　down
on　the　sofa　in　her　old　place。　But　I　warn　you　that　when　I　am
neither　coaxing　and　kissing　nor　laughing；　I　am　just　wondering　how
much　longer　I　can　stand　living　in　this　cruel；　damnable　world。　You
object　to　the　siren：　well；　I　drop　the　siren。　You　want　to　rest
your　wounded　bosom　against　a　grindstone。　Well　＇folding　her　arms＇
here　is　the　grindstone。

ELLIE　＇sitting　down　beside　her；　appeased＇。　That's　better：　you
really　have　the　trick　of　falling　in　with　everyone's　mood；　but　you
don't　understand；　because　you　are　not　the　sort　of　woman　for　whom
there　is　only　one　man　and　only　one　chance。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　I　certainly　don't　understand　how　your　marrying　that
object　＇indicating　Mangan＇　will　console　you　for　not　being　able　to
marry　Hector。

ELLIE。　Perhaps　you　don't　understand　why　I　was　quite　a　nice　girl
this　morning；　and　am　now　neither　a　girl　nor　particularly　nice。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Oh；　yes；　I　do。　It's　because　you　have　made　up　your
mind　to　do　something　despicable　and　wicked。

ELLIE。　I　don't　think　so；　Hesione。　I　must　make　the　best　of　my
ruined　house。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Pooh！　You'll　get　over　it。　Your　house　isn't　ruined。

ELLIE。　Of　course　I　shall　get　over　it。　You　don't　suppose　I'm　going
to　sit　down　and　die　of　a　broken　heart；　I　hope；　or　be　an　old　maid
living　on　a　pittance　from　the　Sick　and　Indigent　Roomkeepers'
Association。　But　my　heart　is　broken；　all　the　same。　What　I　mean　by
that　is　that　I　know　that　what　has　happened　to　me　with　Marcus　will
not　happen　to　me　ever　again。　In　the　world　for　me　there　is　Marcus
and　a　lot　of　other　men　of　whom　one　is　just　the　same　as　another。
Well；　if　I　can't　have　love；　that's　no　reason　why　I　should　have
poverty。　If　Mangan　has　nothing　else；　he　has　money。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　And　are　there　no　YOUNG　men　with　money？

ELLIE。　Not　within　my　reach。　Besides；　a　young　man　would　have　the
right　to　expect　love　from　me；　and　would　perhaps　leave　me　when　he
found　I　could　not　give　it　to　him。　Rich　young　men　can　get　rid　of
their　wives；　you　know；　pretty　cheaply。　But　this　object；　as　you
call　him；　can　expect　nothing　more　from　me　than　I　am　prepared　to
give　him。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　He　will　be　your　owner；　remember。　If　he　buys　you；　he
will　make　the　bargain　pay　him　and　not　you。　Ask　your　father。

ELLIE　＇rising　and　strolling　to　the　chair　to　contemplate　their
subject＇。　You　need　not　trouble　on　that　score；　Hesione。　I　have
more　to　give　Boss　Mangan　than　he　has　to　give　me：　it　is　I　who　am
buying　him；　and　at　a　pretty　good　price　too；　I　think。　Women　are
better　at　that　sort　of　bargain　than　men。　I　have　taken　the　Boss's
measure；　and　ten　Boss　Mangans　shall　not　prevent　me　doing　far　more
as　I　please　as　his　wife　than　I　have　ever　been　able　to　do　as　a
poor　girl。　＇Stooping　to　the　recumbent　figure＇。　Shall　they；　Boss？
I　think　not。　＇She　passes　on　to　the　drawing…table；　and　leans
against　the　end　of　it；　facing　the　windows＇。　I　shall　not　have　to
spend　most　of　my　time　wondering　how　long　my　gloves　will　last；
anyhow。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇rising　superbly＇。　Ellie；　you　are　a　wicked；　sordid
little　beast。　And　to　think　that　I　actually　condescended　to
fascinate　that　creature　there　to　save　you　from　him！　Well；　let　me
tell　you　this：　if　you　make　this　disgusting　match；　you　will　never
see　Hector　again　if　I　can　help　it。

ELLIE　＇unmoved＇。　I　nailed　Mangan　by　telling　him　that　if　he　did
not　marry　me　he　should　never　see　you　again　＇she　lifts　herself　on
her　wrists　and　seats　herself　on　the　end　of　the　table＇。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇recoiling＇。　Oh！

ELLIE。　So　you　see　I　am　not　unprepared　for　your　playing　that　trump
against　me。　Well；　you　just　try　it：　that's　all。　I　should　have　made
a　man　of　Marcus；　not　a　household　pet。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇flaming＇。　You　dare！

ELLIE　＇looking　almost　dangerous＇。　Set　him　thinking　about　me　if
you　dare。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Well；　of　all　the　impudent　little　fiends　I　ever　met！
Hector　says　there　is　a　certain　point　at　which　the　only　answer　you
can　give　to　a　man　who　breaks　all　the　rules　is　to　knock　him　down。
What　would　you　say　if　I　were　to　box　your　ears？

ELLIE　＇calmly＇。　I　should　pull　your　hair。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇mischievously＇。　That　wouldn't　hurt　me。　Perhaps　it
comes　off　at　night。

ELLIE　＇so　taken　aback　that　she　drops　off　the　table　and　runs　to
her＇。　Oh；　you　don't　mean　to　say；　Hesione；　that　your　beautiful
black　hair　is　false？

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇patting　it＇。　Don't　tell　Hector。　He　believes　in　it。

ELLIE　＇groaning＇。　Oh