heartbreak house-第24章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


black　hair　is　false？

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

ELLIE　＇groaning＇。　Oh！　Even　the　hair　that　ensnared　him　false！
Everything　false！

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Pull　it　and　try。　Other　women　can　snare　men　in　their
hair；　but　I　can　swing　a　baby　on　mine。　Aha！　you　can't　do　that；
Goldylocks。

ELLIE　＇heartbroken＇。　No。　You　have　stolen　my　babies。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Pettikins；　don't　make　me　cry。　You　know　what　you
said　about　my　making　a　household　pet　of　him　is　a　little　true。
Perhaps　he　ought　to　have　waited　for　you。　Would　any　other　woman　on
earth　forgive　you？

ELLIE。　Oh；　what　right　had　you　to　take　him　all　for　yourself！
＇Pulling　herself　together＇。　There！　You　couldn't　help　it：　neither
of　us　could　help　it。　He　couldn't　help　it。　No；　don't　say　anything
more：　I　can't　bear　it。　Let　us　wake　the　object。　＇She　begins
stroking　Mangan's　head；　reversing　the　movement　with　which　she　put
him　to　sleep＇。　Wake　up；　do　you　hear？　You　are　to　wake　up　at　once。
Wake　up；　wake　up；　wake

MANGAN　＇bouncing　out　of　the　chair　in　a　fury　and　turning　on　them＇。
Wake　up！　So　you　think　I've　been　asleep；　do　you？　＇He　kicks　the
chair　violently　back　out　of　his　way；　and　gets　between　them＇。　You
throw　me　into　a　trance　so　that　I　can't　move　hand　or　footI　might
have　been　buried　alive！　it's　a　mercy　I　wasn'tand　then　you　think
I　was　only　asleep。　If　you'd　let　me　drop　the　two　times　you　rolled
me　about；　my　nose　would　have　been　flattened　for　life　against　the
floor。　But　I've　found　you　all　out；　anyhow。　I　know　the　sort　of
people　I'm　among　now。　I've　heard　every　word　you've　said；　you　and
your　precious　father；　and　＇to　Mrs　Hushabye＇　you　too。　So　I'm　an
object；　am　I？　I'm　a　thing；　am　I？　I'm　a　fool　that　hasn't　sense
enough　to　feed　myself　properly；　am　I？　I'm　afraid　of　the　men　that
would　starve　if　it　weren't　for　the　wages　I　give　them；　am　I？　I'm
nothing　but　a　disgusting　old　skinflint　to　be　made　a　convenience
of　by　designing　women　and　fool　managers　of　my　works；　am　I？　I'm

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇with　the　most　elegant　aplomb＇。　Sh…sh…sh…sh…sh！　Mr
Mangan；　you　are　bound　in　honor　to　obliterate　from　your　mind　all
you　heard　while　you　were　pretending　to　be　asleep。　It　was　not
meant　for　you　to　hear。

MANGAN。　Pretending　to　be　asleep！　Do　you　think　if　I　was　only
pretending　that　I'd　have　sprawled　there　helpless；　and　listened　to
such　unfairness；　such　lies；　such　injustice　and　plotting　and
backbiting　and　slandering　of　me；　if　I　could　have　up　and　told　you
what　I　thought　of　you！　I　wonder　I　didn't　burst。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇sweetly＇。　You　dreamt　it　all；　Mr　Mangan。　We　were
only　saying　how　beautifully　peaceful　you　looked　in　your　sleep。
That　was　all；　wasn't　it；　Ellie？　Believe　me；　Mr　Mangan；　all　those
unpleasant　things　came　into　your　mind　in　the　last　half　second
before　you　woke。　Ellie　rubbed　your　hair　the　wrong　way；　and　the
disagreeable　sensation　suggested　a　disagreeable　dream。

MANGAN　＇doggedly＇。　I　believe　in　dreams。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　So　do　I。　But　they　go　by　contraries；　don't　they？

MANGAN　＇depths　of　emotion　suddenly　welling　up　in　him＇。　I　shan't
forget；　to　my　dying　day；　that　when　you　gave　me　the　glad　eye　that
time　in　the　garden；　you　were　making　a　fool　of　me。　That　was　a
dirty　low　mean　thing　to　do。　You　had　no　right　to　let　me　come　near
you　if　I　disgusted　you。　It　isn't　my　fault　if　I'm　old　and　haven't
a　moustache　like　a　bronze　candlestick　as　your　husband　has。　There
are　things　no　decent　woman　would　do　to　a　manlike　a　man　hitting
a　woman　in　the　breast。

Hesione；　utterly　shamed；　sits　down　on　the　sofa　and　covers　her
face　with　her　hands。　Mangan　sits　down　also　on　his　chair　and
begins　to　cry　like　a　child。　Ellie　stares　at　them。　Mrs　Hushabye；
at　the　distressing　sound　he　makes；　takes　down　her　hands　and　looks
at　him。　She　rises　and　runs　to　him。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Don't　cry：　I　can't　bear　it。　Have　I　broken　your
heart？　I　didn't　know　you　had　one。　How　could　I？

MANGAN。　I'm　a　man；　ain't　I？

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇half　coaxing；　half　rallying；　altogether　tenderly＇。
Oh　no：　not　what　I　call　a　man。　Only　a　Boss：　just　that　and　nothing
else。　What　business　has　a　Boss　with　a　heart？

MANGAN。　Then　you're　not　a　bit　sorry　for　what　you　did；　nor
ashamed？

MRS　HUSHABYE。　I　was　ashamed　for　the　first　time　in　my　life　when
you　said　that　about　hitting　a　woman　in　the　breast；　and　I　found
out　what　I'd　done。　My　very　bones　blushed　red。　You've　had　your
revenge；　Boss。　Aren't　you　satisfied？

MANGAN。　Serve　you　right！　Do　you　hear？　Serve　you　right！　You're
just　cruel。　Cruel。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Yes：　cruelty　would　be　delicious　if　one　could　only
find　some　sort　of　cruelty　that　didn't　really　hurt。　By　the　way
＇sitting　down　beside　him　on　the　arm　of　the　chair＇；　what's　your
name？　It's　not　really　Boss；　is　it？

MANGAN　＇shortly＇。　If　you　want　to　know；　my　name's　Alfred。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇springs　up＇。　Alfred！！　Ellie；　he　was　christened
after　Tennyson！！！

MANGAN　＇rising＇。　I　was　christened　after　my　uncle；　and　never　had　a
penny　from　him；　damn　him！　What　of　it？

MRS　HUSHABYE。　It　comes　to　me　suddenly　that　you　are　a　real　person：
that　you　had　a　mother；　like　anyone　else。　＇Putting　her　hands　on
his　shoulders　and　surveying　him＇。　Little　Alf！

MANGAN。　Well；　you　have　a　nerve。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　And　you　have　a　heart；　Alfy；　a　whimpering　little
heart；　but　a　real　one。　＇Releasing　him　suddenly＇。　Now　run　and　make
it　up　with　Ellie。　She　has　had　time　to　think　what　to　say　to　you；
which　is　more　than　I　had　＇she　goes　out　quickly　into　the　garden　by
the　port　door＇。

MANGAN。　That　woman　has　a　pair　of　hands　that　go　right　through　you。

ELLIE。　Still　in　love　with　her；　in　spite　of　all　we　said　about　you？

MANGAN。　Are　all　women　like　you　two？　Do　they　never　think　of
anything　about　a　man　except　what　they　can　get　out　of　him？　You
weren't　even　thinking　that　about　me。　You　were　only　thinking
whether　your　gloves　would　last。

ELLIE。　I　shall　not　have　to　think　about　that　when　we　are　married。

MANGAN。　And　you　think　I　am　going　to　marry　you　after　what　I　heard
there！

ELLIE。　You　heard　nothing　from　me　that　I　did　not　tell　you　before。

MANGAN。　Perhaps　you　think　I　can't　do　without　you。

ELLIE。　I　think　you　would　feel　lonely　without　us　all；　now；　after
coming　to　know　us　so　well。

MANGAN　＇with　something　like　a　yell　of　despair＇。　Am　I　never　to
have　the　last　word？

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER　＇appearing　at　the　starboard　garden　door＇。　There
is　a　soul　in　torment　here。　What　is　the　matter？

MANGAN。　This　girl　doesn't　want　to　spend　her　life　wondering　how
long　her　gloves　will　last。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER　＇passing　through＇。　Don't　wear　any。　I　never　do
＇he　goes　into　the　pantry＇。

LADY　UTTERWORD　＇appearing　at　the　port　garden　door；　in　a　handsome
dinner　dress＇。　Is　anything　the　matter？

ELLIE。　This　gentleman　wants　to　know　is　he　never　to　have　the　last
word？

LADY　UTTERWORD　＇coming　forward　to　the　sofa＇。　I　should　let　him
have　it；　my　dear。　The　important　thing　is　not　to　have　the　last
word；　but　to　have　your　own　way。

MANGAN。　She　wants　both。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　She　won't　get　them；　Mr　Mangan。　Providence　always
has　the　last　word。

MANGAN　＇desperately＇。　Now　you　are　going　to　come　religion　over　me。
In　this　house　a　man's　mind　might　as　well　be　a　football。　I'm
going。　＇He　makes　for　the　hall；　but　is　stopped　by　a　hail　from　the
Captain；　who　has　just　emerged　from　his　pantry＇。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　Whither　away；　Boss　Mangan？

MANGAN。　To　hell　out　of　this　house：　let　that　be　enough　for　you　and
all　here。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　You　were　welcome　to　come：　you　are　free　to　go。
The　wide　earth；　the　high　seas；　the　spacious　skies　are　waiting　for
you　outside。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　But　your　things；　Mr　Mangan。　Your　bag；　your　comb
and　brushes；　your　pyjamas

HECTOR　＇who　has　just　appeared　in　the　port　doorway　in　a　handsome
Arab　costume＇。　Why　should　the　escaping　slave　take　his　chains　with
him？

MANGAN。　That's　right；　Hushabye。　Keep　the　pyjamas；　my　lady；　and
much　good　may　they　do　you。

HECTOR　＇advancing　to　Lady　Utterword's　left　hand＇。　Let　us　all　go
out　into　the　night　and　leave　everything　behind　us。

MANGAN。　You　stay　where　you　are；　the　lot　of　you。　I　want　no
company；　especially　female　company。

ELLIE。　Let　him　go。　He　is　unhappy　here。　He　is　angry　with　us。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　Go；　Boss　Mangan；　and　when　you　have　found　the
land　where　there　is　happiness　and　where　there　are　no　women；　send
me　its　latitude　a