heartbreak house-第20部分

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LADY　UTTERWORD　＇gratefully＇。　Thank　you；　Hector。　＇They　shake　hands
cordially＇。

Mazzini　Dunn　is　seen　crossing　the　garden　from　starboard　to　port。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER　＇coming　from　the　pantry　and　addressing　Ellie＇。
Your　father　has　washed　himself。

ELLIE　＇quite　self…possessed＇。　He　often　does；　Captain　Shotover。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　A　strange　conversion！　I　saw　him　through　the
pantry　window。

Mazzini　Dunn　enters　through　the　port　window　door；　newly　washed
and　brushed；　and　stops；　smiling　benevolently；　between　Mangan　and
Mrs　Hushabye。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇introducing＇。　Mr　Mazzini　Dunn；　Lady　Utoh；　I
forgot：　you've　met。　＇Indicating　Ellie＇　Miss　Dunn。

MAZZINI　＇walking　across　the　room　to　take　Ellie's　hand；　and
beaming　at　his　own　naughty　irony＇。　I　have　met　Miss　Dunn　also。　She
is　my　daughter。　＇He　draws　her　arm　through　his　caressingly＇。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Of　course：　how　stupid！　Mr　Utterword；　my　sister's
er

RANDALL　＇shaking　hands　agreeably＇。　Her　brother…in…law；　Mr　Dunn。
How　do　you　do？

MRS　HUSHABYE。　This　is　my　husband。

HECTOR。　We　have　met；　dear。　Don't　introduce　us　any　more。　＇He　moves
away　to　the　big　chair；　and　adds＇　Won't　you　sit　down；　Lady
Utterword？　＇She　does　so　very　graciously＇。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Sorry。　I　hate　it：　it's　like　making　people　show
their　tickets。

MAZZINI　＇sententiously＇。　How　little　it　tells　us；　after　all！　The
great　question　is；　not　who　we　are；　but　what　we　are。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　Ha！　What　are　you？

MAZZINI　＇taken　aback＇。　What　am　I？

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　A　thief；　a　pirate；　and　a　murderer。

MAZZINI。　I　assure　you　you　are　mistaken。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　An　adventurous　life；　but　what　does　it　end　in？
Respectability。　A　ladylike　daughter。　The　language　and　appearance
of　a　city　missionary。　Let　it　be　a　warning　to　all　of　you　＇he　goes
out　through　the　garden＇。

DUNN。　I　hope　nobody　here　believes　that　I　am　a　thief；　a　pirate；　or
a　murderer。　Mrs　Hushabye；　will　you　excuse　me　a　moment？　I　must
really　go　and　explain。　＇He　follows　the　captain＇。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇as　he　goes＇。　It's　no　use。　You'd　really　better
＇but　Dunn　has　vanished＇。　We　had　better　all　go　out　and　look　for
some　tea。　We　never　have　regular　tea；　but　you　can　always　get　some
when　you　want：　the　servants　keep　it　stewing　all　day。　The　kitchen
veranda　is　the　best　place　to　ask。　May　I　show　you？　＇She　goes　to
the　starboard　door＇。

RANDALL　＇going　with　her＇。　Thank　you；　I　don't　think　I'll　take　any
tea　this　afternoon。　But　if　you　will　show　me　the　garden

MRS　HUSHABYE。　There's　nothing　to　see　in　the　garden　except　papa's
observatory；　and　a　gravel　pit　with　a　cave　where　he　keeps　dynamite
and　things　of　that　sort。　However；　it's　pleasanter　out　of　doors；
so　come　along。

RANDALL。　Dynamite！　Isn't　that　rather　risky？

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Well；　we　don't　sit　in　the　gravel　pit　when　there's　a
thunderstorm。

LADY　UTTERORRD。　That's　something　new。　What　is　the　dynamite　for？

HECTOR。　To　blow　up　the　human　race　if　it　goes　too　far。　He　is
trying　to　discover　a　psychic　ray　that　will　explode　all　the
explosive　at　the　well　of　a　Mahatma。

ELLIE。　The　captain's　tea　is　delicious；　Mr　Utterword。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇stopping　in　the　doorway＇。　Do　you　mean　to　say　that
you've　had　some　of　my　father's　tea？　that　you　got　round　him　before
you　were　ten　minutes　in　the　house？

ELLIE。　I　did。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　You　little　devil！　＇She　goes　out　with　Randall＇。

MANGAN。　Won't　you　come；　Miss　Ellie？

ELLIE。　I'm　too　tired。　I'll　take　a　book　up　to　my　room　and　rest　a
little。　＇She　goes　to　the　bookshelf＇。

MANGAN。　Right。　You　can't　do　better。　But　I'm　disappointed。　＇He
follows　Randall　and　Mrs　Hushabye＇。

Ellie；　Hector；　and　Lady　Utterword　are　left。　Hector　is　close　to
Lady　Utterword。　They　look　at　Ellie；　waiting　for　her　to　go。

ELLIE　＇looking　at　the　title　of　a　book＇。　Do　you　like　stories　of
adventure；　Lady　Utterword？

LADY　UTTERWORD　＇patronizingly＇。　Of　course；　dear。

ELLIE。　Then　I'll　leave　you　to　Mr　Hushabye。　＇She　goes　out　through
the　hall＇。

HECTOR。　That　girl　is　mad　about　tales　of　adventure。　The　lies　I
have　to　tell　her！

LADY　UTTERWORD　＇not　interested　in　Ellie＇。　When　you　saw　me　what
did　you　mean　by　saying　that　you　thought；　and　then　stopping　short？
What　did　you　think？

HECTOR　＇folding　his　arms　and　looking　down　at　her　magnetically＇。
May　I　tell　you？

LADY　UTTERWORD。　Of　course。

HECTOR。　It　will　not　sound　very　civil。　I　was　on　the　point　of
saying；　〃I　thought　you　were　a　plain　woman。〃

LADY　UTTERWORD。　Oh；　for　shame；　Hector！　What　right　had　you　to
notice　whether　I　am　plain　or　not？

HECTOR。　Listen　to　me；　Ariadne。　Until　today　I　have　seen　only
photographs　of　you；　and　no　photograph　can　give　the　strange
fascination　of　the　daughters　of　that　supernatural　old　man。　There
is　some　damnable　quality　in　them　that　destroys　men's　moral　sense；
and　carries　them　beyond　honor　and　dishonor。　You　know　that；　don't
you？

LADY　UTTERWORD。　Perhaps　I　do；　Hector。　But　let　me　warn　you　once
for　all　that　I　am　a　rigidly　conventional　woman。　You　may　think
because　I'm　a　Shotover　that　I'm　a　Bohemian；　because　we　are　all　so
horribly　Bohemian。　But　I'm　not。　I　hate　and　loathe　Bohemianism。　No
child　brought　up　in　a　strict　Puritan　household　ever　suffered　from
Puritanism　as　I　suffered　from　our　Bohemianism。

HECTOR。　Our　children　are　like　that。　They　spend　their　holidays　in
the　houses　of　their　respectable　schoolfellows。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　I　shall　invite　them　for　Christmas。

HECTOR。　Their　absence　leaves　us　both　without　our　natural
chaperones。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　Children　are　certainly　very　inconvenient
sometimes。　But　intelligent　people　can　always　manage；　unless　they
are　Bohemians。

HECTOR。　You　are　no　Bohemian；　but　you　are　no　Puritan　either：　your
attraction　is　alive　and　powerful。　What　sort　of　woman　do　you　count
yourself？

LADY　UTTERWORD。　I　am　a　woman　of　the　world；　Hector；　and　I　can
assure　you　that　if　you　will　only　take　the　trouble　always　to　do
the　perfectly　correct　thing；　and　to　say　the　perfectly　correct
thing；　you　can　do　just　what　you　like。　An　ill…conducted；　careless
woman　gets　simply　no　chance。　An　ill…conducted；　careless　man　is
never　allowed　within　arm's　length　of　any　woman　worth　knowing。

HECTOR。　I　see。　You　are　neither　a　Bohemian　woman　nor　a　Puritan
woman。　You　are　a　dangerous　woman。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　On　the　contrary；　I　am　a　safe　woman。

HECTOR。　You　are　a　most　accursedly　attractive　woman。　Mind；　I　am
not　making　love　to　you。　I　do　not　like　being　attracted。　But　you
had　better　know　how　I　feel　if　you　are　going　to　stay　here。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　You　are　an　exceedingly　clever　lady…killer；
Hector。　And　terribly　handsome。　I　am　quite　a　good　player；　myself；
at　that　game。　Is　it　quite　understood　that　we　are　only　playing？

HECTOR。　Quite。　I　am　deliberately　playing　the　fool；　out　of　sheer
worthlessness。

LADY　UTTERWORD　＇rising　brightly＇。　Well；　you　are　my
brother…in…law；　Hesione　asked　you　to　kiss　me。　＇He　seizes　her　in
his　arms　and　kisses　her　strenuously＇。　Oh！　that　was　a　little　more
than　play；　brother…in…law。　＇She　pushes　him　suddenly　away＇。　You
shall　not　do　that　again。

HECTOR。　In　effect；　you　got　your　claws　deeper　into　me　than　I
intended。

MRS　HUBHABYE　＇coming　in　from　the　garden＇。　Don't　let　me　disturb
you；　I　only　want　a　cap　to　put　on　daddiest。　The　sun　is　setting；
and　he'll　catch　cold　＇she　makes　for　the　door　leading　t