heartbreak house-第21节

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object　to　the　siren：　well；　I　drop　the　siren。　You　want　to　rest
your　wounded　bosom　against　a　grindstone。　Well　＇folding　her　arms＇
here　is　the　grindstone。

ELLIE　＇sitting　down　beside　her；　appeased＇。　That's　better：　you
really　have　the　trick　of　falling　in　with　everyone's　mood；　but　you
don't　understand；　because　you　are　not　the　sort　of　woman　for　whom
there　is　only　one　man　and　only　one　chance。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　I　certainly　don't　understand　how　your　marrying　that
object　＇indicating　Mangan＇　will　console　you　for　not　being　able　to
marry　Hector。

ELLIE。　Perhaps　you　don't　understand　why　I　was　quite　a　nice　girl
this　morning；　and　am　now　neither　a　girl　nor　particularly　nice。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Oh；　yes；　I　do。　It's　because　you　have　made　up　your
mind　to　do　something　despicable　and　wicked。

ELLIE。　I　don't　think　so；　Hesione。　I　must　make　the　best　of　my
ruined　house。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Pooh！　You'll　get　over　it。　Your　house　isn't　ruined。

ELLIE。　Of　course　I　shall　get　over　it。　You　don't　suppose　I'm　going
to　sit　down　and　die　of　a　broken　heart；　I　hope；　or　be　an　old　maid
living　on　a　pittance　from　the　Sick　and　Indigent　Roomkeepers'
Association。　But　my　heart　is　broken；　all　the　same。　What　I　mean　by
that　is　that　I　know　that　what　has　happened　to　me　with　Marcus　will
not　happen　to　me　ever　again。　In　the　world　for　me　there　is　Marcus
and　a　lot　of　other　men　of　whom　one　is　just　the　same　as　another。
Well；　if　I　can't　have　love；　that's　no　reason　why　I　should　have
poverty。　If　Mangan　has　nothing　else；　he　has　money。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　And　are　there　no　YOUNG　men　with　money？

ELLIE。　Not　within　my　reach。　Besides；　a　young　man　would　have　the
right　to　expect　love　from　me；　and　would　perhaps　leave　me　when　he
found　I　could　not　give　it　to　him。　Rich　young　men　can　get　rid　of
their　wives；　you　know；　pretty　cheaply。　But　this　object；　as　you
call　him；　can　expect　nothing　more　from　me　than　I　am　prepared　to
give　him。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　He　will　be　your　owner；　remember。　If　he　buys　you；　he
will　make　the　bargain　pay　him　and　not　you。　Ask　your　father。

ELLIE　＇rising　and　strolling　to　the　chair　to　contemplate　their
subject＇。　You　need　not　trouble　on　that　score；　Hesione。　I　have
more　to　give　Boss　Mangan　than　he　has　to　give　me：　it　is　I　who　am
buying　him；　and　at　a　pretty　good　price　too；　I　think。　Women　are
better　at　that　sort　of　bargain　than　men。　I　have　taken　the　Boss's
measure；　and　ten　Boss　Mangans　shall　not　prevent　me　doing　far　more
as　I　please　as　his　wife　than　I　have　ever　been　able　to　do　as　a
poor　girl。　＇Stooping　to　the　recumbent　figure＇。　Shall　they；　Boss？
I　think　not。　＇She　passes　on　to　the　drawing…table；　and　leans
against　the　end　of　it；　facing　the　windows＇。　I　shall　not　have　to
spend　most　of　my　time　wondering　how　long　my　gloves　will　last；
anyhow。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇rising　superbly＇。　Ellie；　you　are　a　wicked；　sordid
little　beast。　And　to　think　that　I　actually　condescended　to
fascinate　that　creature　there　to　save　you　from　him！　Well；　let　me
tell　you　this：　if　you　make　this　disgusting　match；　you　will　never
see　Hector　again　if　I　can　help　it。

ELLIE　＇unmoved＇。　I　nailed　Mangan　by　telling　him　that　if　he　did
not　marry　me　he　should　never　see　you　again　＇she　lifts　herself　on
her　wrists　and　seats　herself　on　the　end　of　the　table＇。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇recoiling＇。　Oh！

ELLIE。　So　you　see　I　am　not　unprepared　for　your　playing　that　trump
against　me。　Well；　you　just　try　it：　that's　all。　I　should　have　made
a　man　of　Marcus；　not　a　household　pet。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇flaming＇。　You　dare！

ELLIE　＇looking　almost　dangerous＇。　Set　him　thinking　about　me　if
you　dare。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Well；　of　all　the　impudent　little　fiends　I　ever　met！
Hector　says　there　is　a　certain　point　at　which　the　only　answer　you
can　give　to　a　man　who　breaks　all　the　rules　is　to　knock　him　down。
What　would　you　say　if　I　were　to　box　your　ears？

ELLIE　＇calmly＇。　I　should　pull　your　hair。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇mischievously＇。　That　wouldn't　hurt　me。　Perhaps　it
comes　off　at　night。

ELLIE　＇so　taken　aback　that　she　drops　off　the　table　and　runs　to
her＇。　Oh；　you　don't　mean　to　say；　Hesione；　that　your　beautiful
black　hair　is　false？

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇patting　it＇。　Don't　tell　Hector。　He　believes　in　it。

ELLIE　＇groaning＇。　Oh！　Even　the　hair　that　ensnared　him　false！
Everything　false！

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Pull　it　and　try。　Other　women　can　snare　men　in　their
hair；　but　I　can　swing　a　baby　on　mine。　Aha！　you　can't　do　that；
Goldylocks。

ELLIE　＇heartbroken＇。　No。　You　have　stolen　my　babies。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Pettikins；　don't　make　me　cry。　You　know　what　you
said　about　my　making　a　household　pet　of　him　is　a　little　true。
Perhaps　he　ought　to　have　waited　for　you。　Would　any　other　woman　on
earth　forgive　you？

ELLIE。　Oh；　what　right　had　you　to　take　him　all　for　yourself！
＇Pulling　herself　together＇。　There！　You　couldn't　help　it：　neither
of　us　could　help　it。　He　couldn't　help　it。　No；　don't　say　anything
more：　I　can't　bear　it。　Let　us　wake　the　object。　＇She　begins
stroking　Mangan's　head；　reversing　the　movement　with　which　she　put
him　to　sleep＇。　Wake　up；　do　you　hear？　You　are　to　wake　up　at　once。
Wake　up；　wake　up；　wake

MANGAN　＇bouncing　out　of　the　chair　in　a　fury　and　turning　on　them＇。
Wake　up！　So　you　think　I've　been　asleep；　do　you？　＇He　kicks　the
chair　violently　back　out　of　his　way；　and　gets　between　them＇。　You
throw　me　into　a　trance　so　that　I　can't　move　hand　or　footI　might
have　been　buried　alive！　it's　a　mercy　I　wasn'tand　then　you　think
I　was　only　asleep。　If　you'd　let　me　drop　the　two　times　you　rolled
me　about；　my　nose　would　have　been　flattened　for　life　against　the
floor。　But　I've　found　you　all　out；　anyhow。　I　know　the　sort　of
people　I'm　among　now。　I've　heard　every　word　you've　said；　you　and
your　precious　father；　and　＇to　Mrs　Hushabye＇　you　too。　So　I'm　an
object；　am　I？　I'm　a　thing；　am　I？　I'm　a　fool　that　hasn't　sense
enough　to　feed　myself　properly；　am　I？　I'm　afraid　of　the　men　that
would　starve　if　it　weren't　for　the　wages　I　give　them；　am　I？　I'm
nothing　but　a　disgusting　old　skinflint　to　be　made　a　convenience
of　by　designing　women　and　fool　managers　of　my　works；　am　I？　I'm

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇with　the　most　elegant　aplomb＇。　Sh…sh…sh…sh…sh！　Mr
Mangan；　you　are　bound　in　honor　to　obliterate　from　your　mind　all
you　heard　while　you　were　pretending　to　be　asleep。　It　was　not
meant　for　you　to　hear。

MANGAN。　Pretending　to　be　asleep！　Do　you　think　if　I　was　only
pretending　that　I'd　have　sprawled　there　helpless；　and　listened　to
such　unfairness；　such　lies；　such　injustice　and　plotting　and
backbiting　and　slandering　of　me；　if　I　could　have　up　and　told　you
what　I　thought　of　you！　I　wonder　I　didn't　burst。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇sweetly＇。　You　dreamt　it　all；　Mr　Mangan。　We　were
only　saying　how　beautifully　peaceful　you　looked　in　your　sleep。
That　was　all；　wasn't　it；　Ellie？　Believe　me；　Mr　Mangan；　all　those
unpleasant　things　came　into　your　mind　in　the　last　half　second
before　you　woke。　Ellie　rubbed　your　hair　the　wrong　way；　and　the
disagreeable　sensation　suggested　a　disagreeable　dream。

MANGAN　＇doggedly＇。　I　believe　in　dreams。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　So　do　I。　But　they　go　by　contraries；　don't　they？

MANGAN　＇depths　of　emotion　suddenly　welling　up　in　him＇。　I　shan't
forget；　to　my　dying　day；　that　when　you　gave　me　the　glad　eye　that
time　in　the　garden；　you　were　making　a　fool　of　me。　That　was　a
dirty　low　mean　thing　to　do。　You　had　no　right　to　let　me　come　near
you　if　I　disgusted　you。　It　isn't　my　fault　if　I'm　old　and　haven't
a　moustache　like　a　bronze　candlestick　as　your　husband　has。　There
are　things　no　decent　woman　would　do　to　a　manlike　a　man　hitting
a　woman　in　the　breast。

Hesione；　utterly　shamed；　sits　down　on　the　sofa　and　covers　her
face　with　her　hands。　Mangan　sits　down　also　on　his　chair　and
begins　to　cry　like　a　child。　Ellie　stares　at　them。　Mrs　Hushabye；
at　the　distressing　sound　he　makes；　takes　down　her　hands　and　looks
at　him。　She　rises　and　runs　to　him。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Don't　cry：　I　can't　bear　it。　Have　I　broken　your
heart？　I　didn't　know　you　had　one。　How　could　I？

MANGAN。　I'm　a　man；　ain't　I？

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇half　coaxing；　half　rallying；　altogether　tenderly＇。
Oh　no：　not　what　I　call　a　man。　Only　a　Boss：　just　that　and　nothing
else。　What　business　has　a　Boss　with　a　heart？

MANGAN。　Then　you're　not　a　bit　sorry　for　what　you　did；　nor
ashamed？

MRS　HUSHABYE。　I　was　ashamed　for　the　first　time　in　my　life　when
you　said　that　about　hitting　a　woman　in　the　breast；　and　I　found
out　what　I'd　done。　My　very　bones　blushed　red。　You've　had　your
revenge；　Boss。　Aren't　you　satisfied？

MANGAN。　Serve　you　right！　Do　you　hear？　Serve　you　right！　You're
just　cruel。　Cruel。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Yes：　cruelty　would　be　delicious　if　one　could　only
find　some　sort　of　cruelty　that　didn't　really　hurt。　By　the　way
＇sitting　down　beside　him　on　the　arm　of　the　chair＇；　what's　your
name？　It's　not　really　Boss；　is　it？

MANGAN　＇shortly＇。　If　you　want　to　know；　my　name's　Alfred。

MRS　HUSHABYE　＇springs　up＇。　Alfred！！　Ellie；　he　was　christened
after　Tennyson！！！

MANGAN　＇rising＇。　I　was　christened　after　my　uncle；　and　never　had　a
penny　from　him；　damn　him！　What　of　it？

MRS　HUSHABYE。　It　comes　to　me　suddenly　that　you　are　a　real　person：
that　you　had　a　mother；　like　anyone　else。　＇Putting　her　hands　on
his　shoulders　and　surveying　him＇。　Little　Alf！

MANGAN。　Well；　you　have　a　nerve。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　And　you　have　a　heart；　Alfy；　a　whimpering　little
heart；　but　a