heartbreak house-第30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！


very　sleepy。　Say　good…night　to　Mrs　Hushabye　for　me；　will　you；
like　a　good　chap。　Good…night。　＇He　hurries　out＇。

HECTOR。　Poor　wretch！　Oh　women！　women！　women！　＇He　lifts　his　fists
in　invocation　to　heaven＇。　Fall。　Fall　and　crush。　＇He　goes　out　into
the　garden＇。



ACT　III

In　the　garden；　Hector；　as　he　comes　out　through　the　glass　door　of
the　poop；　finds　Lady　Utterword　lying　voluptuously　in　the　hammock
on　the　east　side　of　the　flagstaff；　in　the　circle　of　light　cast　by
the　electric　arc；　which　is　like　a　moon　in　its　opal　globe。　Beneath
the　head　of　the　hammock；　a　campstool。　On　the　other　side　of　the
flagstaff；　on　the　long　garden　seat；　Captain　Shotover　is　asleep；
with　Ellie　beside　him；　leaning　affectionately　against　him　on　his
right　hand。　On　his　left　is　a　deck　chair。　Behind　them　in　the
gloom；　Hesione　is　strolling　about　with　Mangan。　It　is　a　fine　still
night；　moonless。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　What　a　lovely　night！　It　seems　made　for　us。

HECTOR。　The　night　takes　no　interest　in　us。　What　are　we　to　the
night？　＇He　sits　down　moodily　in　the　deck　chair＇。

ELLIE　＇dreamily；　nestling　against　the　captain＇。　Its　beauty　soaks
into　my　nerves。　In　the　night　there　is　peace　for　the　old　and　hope
for　the　young。

HECTOR。　Is　that　remark　your　own？

ELLIE。　No。　Only　the　last　thing　the　captain　said　before　he　went　to
sleep。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　I'm　not　asleep。

HECTOR。　Randall　is。　Also　Mr　Mazzini　Dunn。　Mangan；　too；　probably。

MANGAN。　No。

HECTOR。　Oh；　you　are　there。　I　thought　Hesione　would　have　sent　you
to　bed　by　this　time。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇coming　to　the　back　of　the　garden　seat；　into　the
light；　with　Mangan＇。　I　think　I　shall。　He　keeps　telling　me　he　has
a　presentiment　that　he　is　going　to　die。　I　never　met　a　man　so
greedy　for　sympathy。

MANGAN　＇plaintively＇。　But　I　have　a　presentiment。　I　really　have。
And　you　wouldn't　listen。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　I　was　listening　for　something　else。　There　was　a
sort　of　splendid　drumming　in　the　sky。　Did　none　of　you　hear　it？　It
came　from　a　distance　and　then　died　away。

MANGAN。　I　tell　you　it　was　a　train。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　And　I　tell　you；　Alf；　there　is　no　train　at　this
hour。　The　last　is　nine　forty…five。

MANGAN。　But　a　goods　train。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Not　on　our　little　line。　They　tack　a　truck　on　to　the
passenger　train。　What　can　it　have　been；　Hector？

HECTOR。　Heaven's　threatening　growl　of　disgust　at　us　useless
futile　creatures。　＇Fiercely＇。　I　tell　you；　one　of　two　things　must
happen。　Either　out　of　that　darkness　some　new　creation　will　come
to　supplant　us　as　we　have　supplanted　the　animals；　or　the　heavens
will　fall　in　thunder　and　destroy　us。

LADY　UTTERWORD　＇in　a　cool　instructive　manner；　wallowing
comfortably　in　her　hammock＇。　We　have　not　supplanted　the　animals；
Hector。　Why　do　you　ask　heaven　to　destroy　this　house；　which　could
be　made　quite　comfortable　if　Hesione　had　any　notion　of　how　to
live？　Don't　you　know　what　is　wrong　with　it？

HECTOR。　We　are　wrong　with　it。　There　is　no　sense　in　us。　We　are
useless；　dangerous；　and　ought　to　be　abolished。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　Nonsense！　Hastings　told　me　the　very　first　day　he
came　here；　nearly　twenty…four　years　ago；　what　is　wrong　with　the
house。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　What！　The　numskull　said　there　was　something
wrong　with　my　house！

LADY　UTTERWORD。　I　said　Hastings　said　it；　and　he　is　not　in　the
least　a　numskull。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　What's　wrong　with　my　house？

LADY　UTTERWORD。　Just　what　is　wrong　with　a　ship；　papa。　Wasn't　it
clever　of　Hastings　to　see　that？

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　The　man's　a　fool。　There's　nothing　wrong　with　a
ship。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　Yes；　there　is。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　But　what　is　it？　Don't　be　aggravating；　Addy。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　Guess。

HECTOR。　Demons。　Daughters　of　the　witch　of　Zanzibar。　Demons。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　Not　a　bit。　I　assure　you；　all　this　house　needs　to
make　it　a　sensible；　healthy；　pleasant　house；　with　good　appetites
and　sound　sleep　in　it；　is　horses。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Horses！　What　rubbish！

LADY　UTTERWORD。　Yes：　horses。　Why　have　we　never　been　able　to　let
this　house？　Because　there　are　no　proper　stables。　Go　anywhere　in
England　where　there　are　natural；　wholesome；　contented；　and　really
nice　English　people；　and　what　do　you　always　find？　That　the
stables　are　the　real　centre　of　the　household；　and　that　if　any
visitor　wants　to　play　the　piano　the　whole　room　has　to　be　upset
before　it　can　be　opened；　there　are　so　many　things　piled　on　it。　I
never　lived　until　I　learned　to　ride；　and　I　shall　never　ride
really　well　because　I　didn't　begin　as　a　child。　There　are　only　two
classes　in　good　society　in　England：　the　equestrian　classes　and
the　neurotic　classes。　It　isn't　mere　convention：　everybody　can　see
that　the　people　who　hunt　are　the　right　people　and　the　people　who
don't　are　the　wrong　ones。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　There　is　some　truth　in　this。　My　ship　made　a　man
of　me；　and　a　ship　is　the　horse　of　the　sea。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　Exactly　how　Hastings　explained　your　being　a
gentleman。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　Not　bad　for　a　numskull。　Bring　the　man　here　with
you　next　time：　I　must　talk　to　him。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　Why　is　Randall　such　an　obvious　rotter？　He　is　well
bred；　he　has　been　at　a　public　school　and　a　university；　he　has
been　in　the　Foreign　Office；　he　knows　the　best　people　and　has
lived　all　his　life　among　them。　Why　is　he　so　unsatisfactory；　so
contemptible？　Why　can't　he　get　a　valet　to　stay　with　him　longer
than　a　few　months？　Just　because　he　is　too　lazy　and
pleasure…loving　to　hunt　and　shoot。　He　strums　the　piano；　and
sketches；　and　runs　after　married　women；　and　reads　literary　books
and　poems。　He　actually　plays　the　flute；　but　I　never　let　him　bring
it　into　my　house。　If　he　would　only＇she　is　interrupted　by　the
melancholy　strains　of　a　flute　coming　from　an　open　window　above。
She　raises　herself　indignantly　in　the　hammock＇。　Randall；　you　have
not　gone　to　bed。　Have　you　been　listening？　＇The　flute　replies
pertly＇。　How　vulgar！　Go　to　bed　instantly；　Randall：　how　dare　you？
＇The　window　is　slammed　down。　She　subsides＇。　How　can　anyone　care
for　such　a　creature！

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Addy：　do　you　think　Ellie　ought　to　marry　poor　Alfred
merely　for　his　money？

MANGAN　＇much　alarmed＇。　What's　that？　Mrs　Hushabye；　are　my　affairs
to　be　discussed　like　this　before　everybody？

LADY　UTTERWORD。　I　don't　think　Randall　is　listening　now。

MANGAN。　Everybody　is　listening。　It　isn't　right。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　But　in　the　dark；　what　does　it　matter？　Ellie　doesn't
mind。　Do　you；　Ellie？

ELLIE。　Not　in　the　least。　What　is　your　opinion；　Lady　Utterword？
You　have　so　much　good　sense。

MANGAN。　But　it　isn't　right。　It＇Mrs　Hushabye　puts　her　hand　on
his　mouth＇。　Oh；　very　well。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　How　much　money　have　you；　Mr。　Mangan？

MANGAN。　ReallyNo：　I　can't　stand　this。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　Nonsense；　Mr　Mangan！　It　all　turns　on　your　income；
doesn't　it？

MANGAN。　Well；　if　you　come　to　that；　how　much　money　has　she？

ELLIE。　None。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　You　are　answered；　Mr　Mangan。　And　now；　as　you　have
made　Miss　Dunn　throw　her　cards　on　the　table；　you　cannot　refuse　to
show　your　own。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Come；　Alf！　out　with　it！　How　much？

MANGAN　＇baited　out　of　all　prudence＇。　Well；　if　you　want　to　know；　I
have　no　money　and　never　had　any。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Alfred；　you　mustn't　tell　naughty　stories。

MANGAN。　I'm　not　telling　you　stories。　I'm　telling　you　the　raw
truth。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　Then　what　do　you　live　on；　Mr　Mangan？

MANGAN。　Travelling　expenses。　And　a　trifle　of　commission。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　What　more　have　any　of　us　but　travelling
expenses　for　our　life's　journey？

MRS　HUSHABYE。　But　you　have　factories　and　capital　and　things？

MANGAN。　People　think　I　have。　People　think　I'm　an　industrial
Napoleon。　That's　why　Miss　Ellie　wants　to　marry　me。　But　I　tell　you
I　have　nothing。

ELLIE。　Do　you　mean　that　the　factories　are　like　Marcus's　tigers？
That　they　don't　exist？

MANGAN。　They　exist　all　right　enough。　But　they're　not　mine。　They
belong　to　syndicates　and　shareholders　and　all　sorts　of　lazy
good…for…nothing　capitalists。　I　get　money　from　such　people　to
start　the　factories。　I　find　people　like　Miss　Dunn's　father　to
work　them；　and　keep　a　tight　hand　so　as　to　make　them　pay。　Of
course　I　make　them　keep　me　going　pretty　well；　but　it's　a　dog's
life；　and　I　don't　own　anything。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Alfred；　Alfred；　you　are　making　a　poor　mouth　of　i