the master of mrs. chilvers-第10节

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damned　collection。　　Order　as　many　as　you　want。

SIGSBY　　＇His　excitement　rising。＇　　I　can　go　ahead。　　You　mean　it？

GEOFFREY　　＇He　looks　at　him。＇　　It's　got　to　be　a　fight！　　＇A　moment。
He　returns　to　his　writing。＇　　Telephone　Hake　that　I　shall　be　dining
at　the　Reform　Club。

CURTAIN。



THE　THIRD　ACT



SCENE：…　A　room　in　the　Town　Hall；　Poplar。　　A　high；　bare；　cold　room；
unfurnished　except　for　cane…bottomed　chairs　ranged　against　the
walls。　　French　windows　right　give　on　to　a　balcony　overlooking　the
street。　　Door　in　back　opens　upon　a　stone　passage。　　A　larger　door
opens　into　another　room；　through　which　one　passes　to　reach　the　room
in　which　the　counting　of　the　votes　is　taking　place。　　A　fire　burns
or　rather　tries　to　burn。　　The　room　is　lighted　from　the　centre　of
the　ceiling　by　an　electric　sun。　　A　row　of　hat…pegs　is　on　the　wall
between　the　two　doors。　　The　time　is　about　9　p。m。

＇People　entering　from　the　street　wear　coats　or　cloaks；　&c。；　the
season　being　early　spring。　　If　passing　through　or　staying　in　the
room；　they　take　off　their　outdoor　things　and　hang　them　up；　putting
them　on　again　before　going　out。＇

＇JAWBONES　is　coaxing　the　reluctant　fire　by　using　a　newspaper　as　a
blower。　　He　curses　steadily　under　his　breath。　　The　door　opens。
GINGER　enters；　she　is　dressed　in　cheap　furs。＇

JAWBONES　　Shut　the　door；　can't　yer！

GINGER　　Don't　yer　want　a　draught？

JAWBONES　　No；　I　don't。　　Not　any　more　than　I've　got。

GINGER　　＇She　shuts　the　door。＇　　'Ave　they　begun　counting　the　votes？

JAWBONES　　Been　at　it　for　the　last　three…quarters　of　an　hour。

GINGER　　Who's　going　to　win？

JAWBONES　　One　of　'em。

＇LADY　MOGTON　has　entered。　　She　has　come　from　the　room　where　they
are　counting　the　votes。＇

Shut　that　door！　　＇He　glances　over　his　shoulder；　sees　his　mistake。＇
Beg　pardon！　　＇To　himself。＇　　Thought　'twas　the　other　fool！

LADY　MOGTON　　＇She　shuts　the　door。　　To　GINGER。＇　　Have　you　seen　Mrs。
Chilvers？

GINGER　　Not　since　the　afternoon；　your　ladyship。

LADY　MOGTON　　She　is　coming；　I　suppose？

GINGER　　I　think　so；　your　ladyship。

LADY　MOGTON　　It's　very　cold　in　here；　Gordon。

JAWBONES　　Yes；　my　lady。　　Not　what　I　call　a　cosy　room。

LADY　MOGTON　　＇To　GINGER。＇　　Jump　into　a　cab。　　See　if　you　can　find
her。　　Perhaps　she　has　been　detained　at　one　of　the　committee…rooms。
Tell　her　she　ought　to　be　here。

GINGER　　Yes；　your　ladyship。　　＇She　crosses；　opens　door。＇

JAWBONES　　Shut　the　door。

GINGER　　Oh；　shut　…

＇She　finds　herself　face　to　face　with　a　MESSENGER　carrying　a　ballot…
box。＇

I　beg　yer　pardon！　　＇She　goes　out；　closes　door。＇

LADY　MOGTON　　＇To　the　MESSENGER。＇　　Is　that　the　last？

MESSENGER　　Generally　is。　　Isle　of　Dogs！

＇He　goes　into　the　other　room。＇

LADY　MOGTON　　＇To　JAWBONES。＇　　Do　you　know　where　Mr。　Chilvers　is？

＇There　comes　a　bloodthirsty　yell　from　the　crowd　outside。＇

JAWBONES　　Not　unless　that's　'im。　　＇He　finishes　for　the　time　being
with　the　fire。　　Rises。＇

＇JANET　enters。＇

LADY　MOGTON　　Was　that　you　they　were　yelling　at？

JANET　　No；　it's　Mr。　Sigsby。

＇Another　yell　is　heard。　　Out　of　it　a　shrill　female　voice〃Mind　'is
fice；　yer　spoiling　it！〃＇

The　Woman's　Laundry　Union　have　taken　such　a　strong　dislike　to　him。

＇A　final　yell。　　Then　a　voice：　　〃That's　taken　some　of　the　starch　out
of　him！〃　followed　by　a　shriek　of　laughter。＇

JAWBONES　　'E　only　suggested　as　'ow　there　was　enough　old　washerwomen
in　Parliament　as　it　was。

LADY　MOGTON　　A　most　unnecessary　remark。　　It　will　teach　him　…

＇SIGSBY　enters；　damaged。　　His　appearance　is　comic。　　LADY　MOGTON
makes　no　effort　to　repress　a　grim　smile。＇

SIGSBY　　Funny；　ain't　it？

LADY　MOGTON　　I　am　sorry。

SIGSBY　　＇He　snarls。＇　　〃The　Mother's　Hand　shall　Help　Us！〃　　One　of
your　posters；　I　think。

LADY　MOGTON　　You　shouldn't　have　insulted　themcalling　them　old
washerwomen！

SIGSBY　　Insult！　　Can't　one　indulge　in　a　harmless　jeu　d'esprit＇he
pronounces　it　according　to　his　own　ideas＇without　having　one's
clothes　torn　off　one's　back？　　＇Fiercely。＇　　What　do　you　mean　by　it
disgracing　your　sex？

LADY　MOGTON　　Are　you　addressing　me？

SIGSBY　　All　of　you。　　Upsetting　the　foundations　upon　which　society
has　been　rearedthe　natural　and　lawful　subjection　of　the　woman　to
the　man。　　Why　don't　you　read　St。　Paul？

LADY　MOGTON　　St。　Paul　was　addressing　Christians。　　When　men　behave
like　Christians　there　will　be　no　need　of　Votes　for　Women。　　You　read
St。　Paul　on　men。　　＇To　JANET。＇　　I　shall　want　you！

＇She　goes　out；　followed　by　JANET。＇

＇SIGSBY　gives　vent　to　a　gesture。＇

JAWBONES　　Getting　saucy；　ain't　they？

SIGSBY　　Over…indulgence。　　That's　what　the　modern　woman　is　suffering
from。　　Gets　an　idea　on　Monday　that　she'd　like　the　whole　world
altered；　if　it　isn't　done　by　Saturday；　raises　hell！　　Where's　the
guv'nor？

JAWBONES　　Hasn't　been　here。

SIGSBY　　＇Hands　JAWBONES　his　damaged　hat。＇　　See　if　they　can　do
anything　to　that。　　If　not；　get　me　a　new　one。　　＇He　forks　out　a
sovereign。＇　　Sure　to　be　some　shops　open　in　the　High　Street。　　＇LAMB
and　ST。　HERBERT　enter。＇

LAMB　　Hallo！　have　they　been　mauling　you？

SIGSBY　　＇He　snatches　the　damaged　hat　from　JAWBONES；　to　hand　it　back
the　next　moment；　holds　it　out。＇　　Woman's　contribution　to　politics。
Get　me　a　collar　at　the　same　timesixteen　and　a　half。

＇JAWBONES　takes　his　cap　and　goes　out。　　The　men　hang　up　their
overcoats。＇

SIGSBY　　Where's　it　all　going　to　end？　　That's　what　I　want　to　know！

ST。　HERBERT　　Where　most　things　end。　　In　the　millennium；　according
to　its　advocates。　　In　the　ruin　of　the　country；　according　to　its
opponents。　　In　mild　surprise　on　the　part　of　the　next　generation
that　ever　there　was　any　fuss　about　it。

SIGSBY　　In　amazement；　you　mean；　that　their　fathers　were　so　blind　as
not　to　see　where　it　was　leading。　　My　boy；　this　is　going　to　alter
the　whole　relationship　between　the　sexes！

ST。　HERBERT　　Is　it　so　perfect　as　it　is？

＇A　silence。＇

Might　it　not　be　established　on　a　more　workable；　a　more　enduring
basis　if　woman　were　allowed　a　share　in　the　shaping　of　it？

＇Some　woman　in　the　crowd　starts　the　refrain；　〃We'll　hang　old
Asquith　on　a　sour　apple　tree。〃　　It　is　taken　up　with　quiet
earnestness　by　others。＇

SIGSBY　　Shaping　it！　　Nice　sort　of　shape　it　will　be　by　the　time　that
lot　＇with　a　gesture；　including　the　crowd；　LADY　MOGTON　&　Co。＇　　have
done　knocking　it　about。　　Wouldn't　be　any　next　generation　to　be
surprised　at　anything　if　some　of　them　had　their　way。

ST。　HERBERT　　The　housebreakers　come　firstnot　a　class　of　work
demanding　much　intelligence；　the　builders　come　later。　　Have　you
seen　Chilvers？

LAMB　　I　left　him　at　the　House。　　He　couldn't　get　away。

SIGSBY　　There's　your　object…lesson　for　you。　　We　don't　need　to　go
far。　　A　man's　whole　career　ruined　by　the　wife　he　nourishes。

ST。　HERBERT　　How　do　you　mean；　〃ruined？〃

SIGSBY　　So　it　is。　　If　she　wins　the　election　and　claims　the　seat。
Do　you　think　the　Cabinet　will　want　him？　　Their　latest　addition
compelled　to　appeal　to　the　House　of　Commons　to　fight　for　him
against　his　own　womenfolk。　　＇Grunts。＇　　He'll　be　the　laughing…stock
of　the　whole　country。

ST。　HERBERT　　Do　you　know　for　certain　that　they　mean　to　claim　the
seat？

SIGSBY　　〃Wait　and　see〃　is　their　answer。

LAMB　　Hasn't　Chilvers　any　idea？

SIGSBY　　Can't　get　him　to　talk。　　Don't　think　he's　seen　her　since
that　shindy　over　the　Deputation。

LAMB　　Humph！

SIGSBY　　Even　if　she　herself　wished　to　draw　back；　the　others　would
overrule　her。

LAMB　　I'm　not　so　sure　of　that。　　She's　got　a　way　of　shutting　her
mouth　that　reminds　me　of　my　old　woman。

SIGSBY　　The　arrangement；　as　he　explained　it　to　me；　was　that　the
whole　thing　was　to　end　with　the　polling。　　It　was　to　have　been　a
mere　joke；　a　mere　ballon　d'essai。　　The　mistake　he　made　was　thinking
he　could　depend　on　her。

LAMB　　Guess　she　made　the　same　mistake。　　You　can　fight　and　shake
hands　afterwards；　it　doesn't　go　with　kissing。

SIGSBY　　Man　and　woman　were　not　made　to　fight。　　It　was　never
intended。

＇The　woman's　〃Marseillaise〃　has　been　taken　up　by　the　crowd。　　The
chorus　has　been　reached。＇

Oh；　damn　your　row！　　＇He　slams　to　the　window；　it　was　ajar。＇

＇JAWBONES　has　entered；　with　his　purchases。＇

＇Turning　from　window　he　sees　JAWBONES；　goes　to　meet　him。＇　　Couldn't
they　do　anything？

JAWBONES　　＇He　has　bought　a　new　hat；　has　also　brought　back　the
remains。　　He　shakes　his　head。＇　　No　good　for　anything　else　but　a
memento。

SIGSBY　　＇With　a　grunt　he　snatches　the　thing　and　flings　it　into　a
corner。　　Tries　on　the　new　one。＇

JAWBONES　　'Ow's　it　feel？

＇SIGSBY；　with　the　help　of　JAWBONES；　attends　to　his　appearance。＇

LAMB　　＇To　ST。　HERBERT。＇　　No　use　talking　to　her；　I　suppose？

ST。　HERBERT　　＇Shrugs　his　shoulders。＇　　She'll　do　what　she　imagines
to　be　her　duty。　　Women　are　so　uncivilised。

＇A　burst　of　cheering　is　heard。　　A　shrill　male　voice：　　〃Three　cheers
for　Winston　Churchill！〃　　It　is　followed　by　an　explosion　of　yells。＇

ST。　HERBERT　　Who's　that？

LAMB　　＇He　has　opened　the　window。＇　　Phoebe　Mogton！

SIGSBY　　What　a　family！

＇JANET　has　entered。＇

JANET　　Is　that　Mrs。　Chilvers？　　＇To　LAMB　and　ST。　HERBERT。＇　　Good
evening。

ST。　HERBERT　　Good　evening。

LAMB　　No；　it's　her　sister。

JANET　　I　wonder　she　doesn't　come。

SIGSBY　　What　are　the　latest　figures？　　Do　you　know？

＇PHOEBE　enters。＇

JANET　　I　forget　the　numbers。　　Mrs。　Chilvers　is　forty　ah