heartbreak house-第33章

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life　instead　of　simplifying　it　by　doing　these　ridiculous　things。

ELLIE。　Your　house　is　not　Heartbreak　House：　is　it；　Lady　Utterword？

HECTOR。　Yet　she　breaks　hearts；　easy　as　her　house　is。　That　poor
devil　upstairs　with　his　flute　howls　when　she　twists　his　heart；
just　as　Mangan　howls　when　my　wife　twists　his。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　That　is　because　Randall　has　nothing　to　do　but
have　his　heart　broken。　It　is　a　change　from　having　his　head
shampooed。　Catch　anyone　breaking　Hastings'　heart！

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　The　numskull　wins；　after　all。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　I　shall　go　back　to　my　numskull　with　the　greatest
satisfaction　when　I　am　tired　of　you　all；　clever　as　you　are。

MANGAN　＇huffily＇。　I　never　set　up　to　be　clever。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　I　forgot　you；　Mr　Mangan。

MANGAN。　Well；　I　don't　see　that　quite；　either。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　You　may　not　be　clever；　Mr　Mangan；　but　you　are
successful。

MANGAN。　But　I　don't　want　to　be　regarded　merely　as　a　successful
man。　I　have　an　imagination　like　anyone　else。　I　have　a
presentiment

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Oh；　you　are　impossible；　Alfred。　Here　I　am　devoting
myself　to　you；　and　you　think　of　nothing　but　your　ridiculous
presentiment。　You　bore　me。　Come　and　talk　poetry　to　me　under　the
stars。　＇She　drags　him　away　into　the　darkness＇。

MANGAN　＇tearfully；　as　he　disappears＇。　Yes：　it's　all　very　well　to
make　fun　of　me；　but　if　you　only　knew

HECTOR　＇impatiently＇。　How　is　all　this　going　to　end？

MAZZINI。　It　won't　end；　Mr　Hushabye。　Life　doesn't　end：　it　goes　on。

ELLIE。　Oh；　it　can't　go　on　forever。　I'm　always　expecting
something。　I　don't　know　what　it　is；　but　life　must　come　to　a　point
sometime。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　The　point　for　a　young　woman　of　your　age　is　a
baby。

HECTOR。　Yes；　but；　damn　it；　I　have　the　same　feeling；　and　I　can't
have　a　baby。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　By　deputy；　Hector。

HECTOR。　But　I　have　children。　All　that　is　over　and　done　with　for
me：　and　yet　I　too　feel　that　this　can't　last。　We　sit　here　talking；
and　leave　everything　to　Mangan　and　to　chance　and　to　the　devil。
Think　of　the　powers　of　destruction　that　Mangan　and　his　mutual
admiration　gang　wield！　It's　madness：　it's　like　giving　a　torpedo
to　a　badly　brought　up　child　to　play　at　earthquakes　with。

MAZZINI。　I　know。　I　used　often　to　think　about　that　when　I　was
young。

HECTOR。　Think！　What's　the　good　of　thinking　about　it？　Why　didn't
you　do　something？

MAZZINI。　But　I　did。　I　joined　societies　and　made　speeches　and
wrote　pamphlets。　That　was　all　I　could　do。　But；　you　know；　though
the　people　in　the　societies　thought　they　knew　more　than　Mangan；
most　of　them　wouldn't　have　joined　if　they　had　known　as　much。　You
see　they　had　never　had　any　money　to　handle　or　any　men　to　manage。
Every　year　I　expected　a　revolution；　or　some　frightful　smash…up：
it　seemed　impossible　that　we　could　blunder　and　muddle　on　any
longer。　But　nothing　happened；　except；　of　course；　the　usual
poverty　and　crime　and　drink　that　we　are　used　to。　Nothing　ever
does　happen。　It's　amazing　how　well　we　get　along；　all　things
considered。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　Perhaps　somebody　cleverer　than　you　and　Mr　Mangan
was　at　work　all　the　time。

MAZZINI。　Perhaps　so。　Though　I　was　brought　up　not　to　believe　in
anything；　I　often　feel　that　there　is　a　great　deal　to　be　said　for
the　theory　of　an　over…ruling　Providence；　after　all。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　Providence！　I　meant　Hastings。

MAZZINI。　Oh；　I　beg　your　pardon；　Lady　Utterword。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　Every　drunken　skipper　trusts　to　Providence。　But
one　of　the　ways　of　Providence　with　drunken　skippers　is　to　run
them　on　the　rocks。

MAZZINI。　Very　true；　no　doubt；　at　sea。　But　in　politics；　I　assure
you；　they　only　run　into　jellyfish。　Nothing　happens。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　At　sea　nothing　happens　to　the　sea。　Nothing
happens　to　the　sky。　The　sun　comes　up　from　the　east　and　goes　down
to　the　west。　The　moon　grows　from　a　sickle　to　an　arc　lamp；　and
comes　later　and　later　until　she　is　lost　in　the　light　as　other
things　are　lost　in　the　darkness。　After　the　typhoon；　the
flying…fish　glitter　in　the　sunshine　like　birds。　It's　amazing　how
they　get　along；　all　things　considered。　Nothing　happens；　except
something　not　worth　mentioning。

ELLIE。　What　is　that；　O　Captain；　O　my　captain？

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER　＇savagely＇。　Nothing　but　the　smash　of　the　drunken
skipper's　ship　on　the　rocks；　the　splintering　of　her　rotten
timbers；　the　tearing　of　her　rusty　plates；　the　drowning　of　the
crew　like　rats　in　a　trap。

ELLIE。　Moral：　don't　take　rum。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER　＇vehemently＇。　That　is　a　lie；　child。　Let　a　man
drink　ten　barrels　of　rum　a　day；　he　is　not　a　drunken　skipper　until
he　is　a　drifting　skipper。　Whilst　he　can　lay　his　course　and　stand
on　his　bridge　and　steer　it；　he　is　no　drunkard。　It　is　the　man　who
lies　drinking　in　his　bunk　and　trusts　to　Providence　that　I　call
the　drunken　skipper；　though　he　drank　nothing　but　the　waters　of
the　River　Jordan。

ELLIE。　Splendid！　And　you　haven't　had　a　drop　for　an　hour。　You　see
you　don't　need　it：　your　own　spirit　is　not　dead。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　Echoes：　nothing　but　echoes。　The　last　shot　was
fired　years　ago。

HECTOR。　And　this　ship　that　we　are　all　in？　This　soul's　prison　we
call　England？

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　The　captain　is　in　his　bunk；　drinking　bottled
ditch…water；　and　the　crew　is　gambling　in　the　forecastle。　She　will
strike　and　sink　and　split。　Do　you　think　the　laws　of　God　will　be
suspended　in　favor　of　England　because　you　were　born　in　it？

HECTOR。　Well；　I　don't　mean　to　be　drowned　like　a　rat　in　a　trap。　I
still　have　the　will　to　live。　What　am　I　to　do？

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　Do？　Nothing　simpler。　Learn　your　business　as　an
Englishman。

HECTOR。　And　what　may　my　business　as　an　Englishman　be；　pray？

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　Navigation。　Learn　it　and　live；　or　leave　it　and
be　damned。

ELLIE。　Quiet；　quiet：　you'll　tire　yourself。

MAZZINI。　I　thought　all　that　once；　Captain；　but　I　assure　you
nothing　will　happen。

A　dull　distant　explosion　is　heard。

HECTOR　＇starting　up＇。　What　was　that？

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　Something　happening　＇he　blows　his　whistle＇。
Breakers　ahead！

The　light　goes　out。

HECTOR　＇furiously＇。　Who　put　that　light　out？　Who　dared　put　that
light　out？

NURSE　GUINNESS　＇running　in　from　the　house　to　the　middle　of　the
esplanade＇。　I　did；　sir。　The　police　have　telephoned　to　say　we'll
be　summoned　if　we　don't　put　that　light　out：　it　can　be　seen　for
miles。

HECTOR。　It　shall　be　seen　for　a　hundred　miles　＇he　dashes　into　the
house＇。

NURSE　GUINNESS。　The　Rectory　is　nothing　but　a　heap　of　bricks；　they
say。　Unless　we　can　give　the　Rector　a　bed　he　has　nowhere　to　lay
his　head　this　night。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　The　Church　is　on　the　rocks；　breaking　up。　I　told
him　it　would　unless　it　headed　for　God's　open　sea。

NURSE　GUINNESS。　And　you　are　all　to　go　down　to　the　cellars。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　Go　there　yourself；　you　and　all　the　crew。　Batten
down　the　hatches。

NURSE　GUINNESS。　And　hide　beside　the　coward　I　married！　I'll　go　on
the　roof　first。　＇The　lamp　lights　up　again＇。　There！　Mr　Hushabye's
turned　it　on　again。

THE　BURGLAR　＇hurrying　in　and　appealing　to　Nurse　Guinness＇。　Here：
where's　the　way　to　that　gravel　pit？　The　boot…boy　says　there's　a
cave　in　the　gravel　pit。　Them　cellars　is　no　use。　Where's　the
gravel　pit；　Captain？

NURSE　GUINNESS。　Go　straight　on　past　the　flagstaff　until　you　fall
into　it　and　break　your　dirty　neck。　＇She　pushes　him　contemptuously
towards　the　flagstaff；　and　herself　goes　to　the　foot　of　the
hammock　and　waits　there；　as　it　were　by　Ariadne's　cradle＇。

Another　and　louder　explosion　is　heard。　The　burglar　stops　and
stands　trembling。

ELLIE　＇rising＇。　That　was　nearer。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　The　next　one　will　get　us。　＇He　rises＇。　Stand　by；
all　hands；　for　judgment。

THE　BURGLAR。　Oh　my　Lordy　God！　＇He　rushes　away　frantically　past
the　flagstaff　into　the　gloom＇。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇emerging　panting　from　the　darkness＇。　Who　was　that
running　away？　＇She　comes　to　Ellie＇。　Did　you　hear　the　explosions？
And　the　sound　in　the　sky：　it's　splendid：　it's　like　an　orchestra：
it's　like　Beethoven。

ELLIE。　By　thunder；　Hesione：　it　is　Beethoven。

She　and　Hesione　throw　themselves　into　one　another's　arms　in　wild
excitement。　The　light　increases。

MAZZINI　＇anxiously＇。　The　light　is　getting　brighter。

NURSE　GUINNESS　＇looking　up　at　the　house＇。　It's　Mr　Hushabye
turning　on　all　the　lights　in　the