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heartbreak house-第35部分

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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 it
to get out of marrying Ellie。

MANGAN。 I'm telling the truth about my money for the first time
in my life; and it's the first time my word has ever been
doubted。

LADY UTTERWORD。 How sad! Why don't you go in for politics; Mr
Mangan?

MANGAN。 Go in for politics! Where have you been living? I am in
politics。

LADY UTTERWORD。 I'm sure I beg your pardon。 I never heard of you。

MANGAN。 Let me tell you; Lady Utterword; that the Prime Minister
of this country asked me to join the Government without even
going through the nonsense of an election; as the dictator of a
great public department。

LADY UTTERWORD。 As a Conservative or a Liberal?

MANGAN。 No such nonsense。 As a practical business man。 'They all
burst out laughing'。 What are you all laughing at?

MRS HUSHARYE。 Oh; Alfred; Alfred!

ELLIE。 You! who have to get my father to do everything for you!

MRS HUSHABYE。 You! who are afraid of your own workmen!

HECTOR。 You! with whom three women have been playing cat and
mouse all the evening!

LADY UTTERWORD。 You must have given an immense sum to the party
funds; Mr Mangan。

MANGAN。 Not a penny out of my own pocket。 The syndicate found the
money: they knew how useful I should be to them in the
Government。

LADY UTTERWORD。 This is most interesting and unexpected; Mr
Mangan。 And what have your administrative achievements been; so
far?

MANGAN。 Achievements? Well; I don't know what you call
achievements; but I've jolly well put a stop to the games of the
other fellows in the other departments。 Every man of them thought
he was going to save the country all by himself; and do me out of
the credit and out of my chance of a title。 I took good care that
if they wouldn't let me do it they shouldn't do it themselves
either。 I may not know anything about my own machinery; but I
know how to stick a ramrod into the other fellow's。 And now they
all look the biggest fools going。

HECTOR。 And in heaven's name; what do you look like?

MANGAN。 I look like the fellow that was too clever for all the
others; don't I? If that isn't a triumph of practical business;
what is?

HECTOR。 Is this England; or is it a madhouse?

LADY UTTERWORD。 Do you expect to save the country; Mr Mangan?

MANGAN。 Well; who else will? Will your Mr Randall save it?

LADY UTTERWORD。 Randall the rotter! Certainly not。

MANGAN。 Will your brother…in…law save it with his moustache and
his fine talk?

HECTOR。 Yes; if they will let me。

MANGAN 'sneering'。 Ah! Will they let you?

HECTOR。 No。 They prefer you。

MANGAN。 Very well then; as you're in a world where I'm
appreciated and you're not; you'd best be civil to me; hadn't
you? Who else is there but me?

LADY UTTERWORD。 There is Hastings。 Get rid of your ridiculous
sham democracy; and give Hastings the necessary powers; and a
good supply of bamboo to bring the British native to his senses:
he will save the country with the greatest ease。

CAPTAIN SHOTOVER。 It had better be lost。 Any fool can govern with
a stick in his hand。 I could govern that way。 It is not God's
way。 The man is a numskull。

LADY UTTERWORD。 The man is worth all of you rolled into one。 What
do you say; Miss Dunn?

ELLIE。 I think my father would do very well if people did not put
upon him and cheat him and despise him because he is so good。

MANGAN 'contemptuously'。 I think I see Mazzini Dunn getting into
parliament or pushing his way into the Government。 We've not come
to that yet; thank God! What do you say; Mrs Hushabye?

MRS HUSHABYE。 Oh; I say it matters very little which of you
governs the country so long as we govern you。

HECTOR。 We? Who is we; pray?

MRS HUSHABYE。 The devil's granddaughters; dear。 The lovely women。

HECTOR 'raising his hands as before'。 Fall; I say; and deliver us
from the lures of Satan!

ELLIE。 There seems to be nothing real in the world except my
father and Shakespeare。 Marcus's tigers are false; Mr Mangan's
millions are false; there is nothing really strong and true about
Hesione but her beautiful black hair; and Lady Utterword's is too
pretty to be real。 The one thing that was left to me was the
Captain's seventh degree of concentration; and that turns out to
be

CAPTAIN SHOTOVER。 Rum。

LADY UTTERWORD 'placidly'。 A good deal of my hair is quite
genuine。 The Duchess of Dithering offered me fifty guineas for
this 'touching her forehead' under the impression that it was a
transformation; but it is all natural except the color。

MANGAN 'wildly'。 Look here: I'm going to take off all my clothes
'he begins tearing off his coat'。

LADY UTTERWORD。  }    'in     { Mr。 Mangan!
CAPTAIN SHOTOVER } consterna… { What's that?
HECTOR。          }    tion'   { Ha! Ha! Do。 Do
ELLIE            }            { Please don't。

MRS HUSHABYE 'catching his arm and stopping him'。 Alfred; for
shame! Are you mad?

MANGAN。 Shame! What shame is there in this house? Let's all strip
stark naked。 We may as well do the thing thoroughly when we're
about it。 We've stripped ourselves morally naked: well; let us
strip ourselves physically naked as well; and see how we like 
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