the lion and the unicorn-第3章
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〃My friends； at least；〃 said Carroll； 〃need not go to
Lockhart's。〃
〃And the Savoy？〃 asked Miss Cavendish； mournfully shaking her
head。
〃A dream of the past；〃 said Carroll； waving his pipe through the
smoke。 〃Gatti's？ Yes； on special occasions； but for necessity；
the Chancellor's； where one gets a piece of the prime roast beef
of Old England； from Chicago； and potatoes for ninepencea pot
of bitter twopence…halfpenny； and a penny for the waiter。 It's
most amusing on the whole。 I am learning a little about London；
and some things about myself。 They are both most interesting
subjects。〃
〃Well； I don't like it；〃 Miss Cavendish declared helplessly。
〃When I think of those suppers and the flowers； I feelI feel
like a robber。〃
〃Don't；〃 begged Carroll。 〃I am really the most happy of men
that is； as the chap says in the play； I would be if I wasn't so
damned miserable。 But I owe no man a penny and I have assetsI
have L？0 to last me through the winter and two marvellous
plays； and I love； next to yourself； the most wonderful woman God
ever made。 That's enough。〃
〃But I thought you made such a lot of money by writing？〃 asked
Miss Cavendish。
〃I dothat is； I could；〃 answered Carroll； 〃if I wrote the
things that sell； but I keep on writing plays that won't。〃
〃And such plays！〃 exclaimed Marion； warmly； 〃and to think that
they are going begging。〃 She continued indignantly； 〃I can't
imagine what the managers do want。〃
〃I know what they don't want；〃 said the American。 Miss Cavendish
drummed impatiently on the tea…tray。
〃I wish you wouldn't be so abject about it；〃 she said。 〃If I
were a man I'd make them take those plays。〃
〃How？〃 asked the American； 〃with a gun？〃
〃Well； I'd keep at it until they read them；〃 declared Marion。
〃I'd sit on their front steps all night and I'd follow them in
cabs； and I'd lie in wait for them at the stage…door。 I'd just
make them take them。〃
Carroll sighed and stared at the ceiling。 〃I guess I'll give up
and go home；〃 he said。
〃Oh； yes； do； run away before you are beaten；〃 said Miss
Cavendish； scornfully。 〃Why； you can't go now。 Everybody will
be back in town soon； and there are a lot of new plays coming on；
and some of them are sure to be failures； and that's our chance。
You rush in with your piece and somebody may take it sooner than
close the theatre。〃
〃I'm thinking of closing the theatre myself；〃 said Carroll。
〃What's the use of my hanging on here？〃 he exclaimed。 〃It
distresses Helen to know I am in London； feeling about her as I
doand the Lord only knows how it distresses me。 And； maybe； if
I went away；〃 he said； consciously； 〃she might miss me。 She
might see the difference。〃
Miss Cavendish held herself erect and pressed her lips together
with a severe smile。 〃If Helen Cabot doesn't see the difference
between you and the other men she knows now；〃 she said； 〃I doubt
if she ever will。 Besides〃 she continued； and then hesitated。
〃Well； go on；〃 urged Carroll。
〃Well； I was only going to say；〃 she explained； 〃that leaving the
girl alone never did the man any good unless he left her alone
willingly。 If she's sure he still cares； it's just the same to
her where he is。 He might as well stay on in London as go to
South Africa。 It won't help him any。 The difference comes when
she finds he has stopped caring。 Why； look at Reggie。 He tried
that。 He went away for ever so long； but he kept writing me from
wherever he went； so that he was perfectly miserableand I went
on enjoying myself。 Then when he came back； he tried going about
with his old friends again。 He used to come to the theatre with
themoh； with such nice girlsbut he always stood in the back
of the box and yawned and scowledso I knew。 And； anyway； he'd
always spoil it all by leaving them and waiting at the stage
entrance for me。 But one day he got tired of the way I treated
him and went off on a bicycle tour with Lady Hacksher's girls and
some men from his regiment； and he was gone three weeks and never
sent me even a line； and I got so scared； I couldn't sleep； and
I stood it for three days more； and then I wired him to come
back or I'd jump off London Bridge； and he came back that very
night from Edinburgh on the express； and I was so glad to see him
that I got confused； and in the general excitement I promised to
marry him； so that's how it was with us。〃
〃Yes；〃 said the American； without enthusiasm； 〃but then I still
care； and Helen knows I care。〃
〃Doesn't she ever fancy that you might care for some one else？
You have a lot of friends； you know。〃
〃Yes； but she knows they are just thatfriends；〃 said the
American。
Miss Cavendish stood up to go； and arranged her veil before the
mirror above the fireplace。
〃I come here very often to tea；〃 she said。
〃It's very kind of you；〃 said Carroll。 He was at the open
window； looking down into the street for a cab。
〃Well； no one knows I am engaged to Reggie；〃 continued Miss
Cavendish； 〃except you and Reggie； and he isn't so sure。 SHE
doesn't know it。〃
〃Well？〃 said Carroll。
Miss Cavendish smiled a mischievous kindly smile at him from the
mirror。
〃Well？〃 she repeated； mockingly。 Carroll stared at her and
laughed。 After a pause he said： 〃It's like a plot in a comedy。
But I'm afraid I'm too serious for play…acting。〃
〃Yes； it is serious；〃 said Miss Cavendish。 She seated herself
again and regarded the American thoughtfully。 〃You are too good
a man to be treated the way that girl is treating you； and no one
knows it better than she does。 She'll change in time； but just
now she thinks she wants to be independent。 She's in love with
this picture…painting idea； and with the people she meets。 It's
all new to herthe fuss they make over her and the titles； and
the way she is asked about。 We know she can't paint。 We know
they only give her commissions because she's so young and pretty；
and American。 She amuses them； that's all。 Well； that cannot
last； she'll find it out。 She's too clever a girl； and she is
too fine a girl to be content with that long。 Thenthen she'll
come back to you。 She feels now that she has both you and the
others； and she's making you wait： so wait and be cheerful。
She's worth waiting for； she's young； that's all。 She'll see the
difference in time。 But； in the meanwhile； it would hurry
matters a bit if she thought she had to choose between the new
friends and you。〃
〃She could still keep her friends； and marry me；〃 said Carroll；
〃I have told her that a hundred times。 She could still paint
miniatures and marry me。 But she won't marry me。〃
〃She won't marry you because she knows she can whenever she wants
to；〃 cried Marion。 〃Can't you see that？ But if she thought you
were going to marry some one else now？〃
〃She would be the first to congratulate me；〃 said Carroll。 He
rose and walked to the fireplace； where he leaned with his arm on
the mantel。 There was a photograph of Helen Cabot near his hand；
and he turned this toward him and stood for some time staring at
it。 〃My dear Marion；〃 he said at last； 〃I've known Helen ever
since she was as young as that。 Every year I've loved her more；
and found new things in her to care for； now I love her more
than any other man ever loved any other woman。〃
Miss Cavendish shook her head sympathetically。
〃Yes； I know；〃 she said； 〃that's the way Reggie loves me； too。〃
Carroll went on as though he had not heard her。
〃There's a bench in St。 James's Park；〃 he said； 〃where we used to
sit when she first came here； when she didn't know so many
people。 We used to go there in the morning and throw penny buns
to the ducks。 That's been my amusement this summer since you've
all been awaysitting on that bench； feeding penny buns to the
silly ducksespecially the black one； the one she used to like
best。 And I make pilgrimages to all the other places we ever
visited together； and try to pretend she is with me。 And I
support the crossing sweeper at Lansdowne Passage because she
once said she felt sorry for him。 I do all the other absurd
things that a man in love tortures himself by doing。 But to what
end？ She knows how I care； and yet she wo
