heartbreak house-第29节

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HECTOR　＇disgusted＇。　Yah！　Not　even　a　great　swindler！

MANGAN。　So　you　think。　But　I've　been　too　many　for　some　honest　men；
for　all　that。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　There　is　no　pleasing　you；　Mr　Mangan。　You　are
determined　to　be　neither　rich　nor　poor；　honest　nor　dishonest。

MANGAN。　There　you　go　again。　Ever　since　I　came　into　this　silly
house　I　have　been　made　to　look　like　a　fool；　though　I'm　as　good　a
man　in　this　house　as　in　the　city。

ELLIE　＇musically＇。　Yes：　this　silly　house；　this　strangely　happy
house；　this　agonizing　house；　this　house　without　foundations。　I
shall　call　it　Heartbreak　House。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Stop；　Ellie；　or　I　shall　howl　like　an　animal。

MANGAN　＇breaks　into　a　low　snivelling＇！！！

MRS　HUSAHBYE。　There！　you　have　set　Alfred　off。

ELLIE。　I　like　him　best　when　he　is　howling。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　Silence！　＇Mangan　subsides　into　silence＇。　I　say；
let　the　heart　break　in　silence。

HECTOR。　Do　you　accept　that　name　for　your　house？

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　It　is　not　my　house：　it　is　only　my　kennel。

HECTOR。　We　have　been　too　long　here。　We　do　not　live　in　this　house：
we　haunt　it。

LADY　UTTERWORD　＇heart　torn＇。　It　is　dreadful　to　think　how　you　have
been　here　all　these　years　while　I　have　gone　round　the　world。　I
escaped　young；　but　it　has　drawn　me　back。　It　wants　to　break　my
heart　too。　But　it　shan't。　I　have　left　you　and　it　behind。　It　was
silly　of　me　to　come　back。　I　felt　sentimental　about　papa　and
Hesione　and　the　old　place。　I　felt　them　calling　to　me。

MAZZINI。　But　what　a　very　natural　and　kindly　and　charming　human
feeling；　Lady　Utterword！

LADY　UTTERWORD。　So　I　thought；　Mr　Dunn。　But　I　know　now　that　it　was
only　the　last　of　my　influenza。　I　found　that　I　was　not　remembered
and　not　wanted。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　You　left　because　you　did　not　want　us。　Was　there
no　heartbreak　in　that　for　your　father？　You　tore　yourself　up　by
the　roots；　and　the　ground　healed　up　and　brought　forth　fresh
plants　and　forgot　you。　What　right　had　you　to　come　back　and　probe
old　wounds？

MRS　HUSHABYE。　You　were　a　complete　stranger　to　me　at　first；　Addy；
but　now　I　feel　as　if　you　had　never　been　away。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　Thank　you；　Hesione；　but　the　influenza　is　quite
cured。　The　place　may　be　Heartbreak　House　to　you；　Miss　Dunn；　and
to　this　gentleman　from　the　city　who　seems　to　have　so　little
self…control；　but　to　me　it　is　only　a　very　ill…regulated　and
rather　untidy　villa　without　any　stables。

HECTOR。　Inhabited　by？

ELLIE。　A　crazy　old　sea　captain　and　a　young　singer　who　adores　him。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　A　sluttish　female；　trying　to　stave　off　a　double
chin　and　an　elderly　spread；　vainly　wooing　a　born　soldier　of
freedom。

MAZZINI。　Oh；　really；　Mrs　Hushabye

MANGAN。　A　member　of　His　Majesty's　Government　that　everybody　sets
down　as　a　nincompoop：　don't　forget　him；　Lady　Utterword。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　And　a　very　fascinating　gentleman　whose　chief
occupation　is　to　be　married　to　my　sister。

HECTOR。　All　heartbroken　imbeciles。

MAZZINI。　Oh　no。　Surely；　if　I　may　say　so；　rather　a　favorable
specimen　of　what　is　best　in　our　English　culture。　You　are　very
charming　people；　most　advanced；　unprejudiced；　frank；　humane；
unconventional；　democratic；　free…thinking；　and　everything　that　is
delightful　to　thoughtful　people。

MRS　HUSHABYE。　You　do　us　proud；　Mazzini。

MAZZINI。　I　am　not　flattering；　really。　Where　else　could　I　feel
perfectly　at　ease　in　my　pyjamas？　I　sometimes　dream　that　I　am　in
very　distinguished　society；　and　suddenly　I　have　nothing　on　but　my
pyjamas！　Sometimes　I　haven't　even　pyjamas。　And　I　always　feel
overwhelmed　with　confusion。　But　here；　I　don't　mind　in　the　least：
it　seems　quite　natural。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　An　infallible　sign　that　you　are　now　not　in　really
distinguished　society；　Mr　Dunn。　If　you　were　in　my　house；　you
would　feel　embarrassed。

MAZZINI。　I　shall　take　particular　care　to　keep　out　of　your　house；
Lady　Utterword。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　You　will　be　quite　wrong；　Mr　Dunn。　I　should　make
you　very　comfortable；　and　you　would　not　have　the　trouble　and
anxiety　of　wondering　whether　you　should　wear　your　purple　and　gold
or　your　green　and　crimson　dressing…gown　at　dinner。　You　complicate
life　instead　of　simplifying　it　by　doing　these　ridiculous　things。

ELLIE。　Your　house　is　not　Heartbreak　House：　is　it；　Lady　Utterword？

HECTOR。　Yet　she　breaks　hearts；　easy　as　her　house　is。　That　poor
devil　upstairs　with　his　flute　howls　when　she　twists　his　heart；
just　as　Mangan　howls　when　my　wife　twists　his。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　That　is　because　Randall　has　nothing　to　do　but
have　his　heart　broken。　It　is　a　change　from　having　his　head
shampooed。　Catch　anyone　breaking　Hastings'　heart！

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　The　numskull　wins；　after　all。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　I　shall　go　back　to　my　numskull　with　the　greatest
satisfaction　when　I　am　tired　of　you　all；　clever　as　you　are。

MANGAN　＇huffily＇。　I　never　set　up　to　be　clever。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　I　forgot　you；　Mr　Mangan。

MANGAN。　Well；　I　don't　see　that　quite；　either。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　You　may　not　be　clever；　Mr　Mangan；　but　you　are
successful。

MANGAN。　But　I　don't　want　to　be　regarded　merely　as　a　successful
man。　I　have　an　imagination　like　anyone　else。　I　have　a
presentiment

MRS　HUSHABYE。　Oh；　you　are　impossible；　Alfred。　Here　I　am　devoting
myself　to　you；　and　you　think　of　nothing　but　your　ridiculous
presentiment。　You　bore　me。　Come　and　talk　poetry　to　me　under　the
stars。　＇She　drags　him　away　into　the　darkness＇。

MANGAN　＇tearfully；　as　he　disappears＇。　Yes：　it's　all　very　well　to
make　fun　of　me；　but　if　you　only　knew

HECTOR　＇impatiently＇。　How　is　all　this　going　to　end？

MAZZINI。　It　won't　end；　Mr　Hushabye。　Life　doesn't　end：　it　goes　on。

ELLIE。　Oh；　it　can't　go　on　forever。　I'm　always　expecting
something。　I　don't　know　what　it　is；　but　life　must　come　to　a　point
sometime。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　The　point　for　a　young　woman　of　your　age　is　a
baby。

HECTOR。　Yes；　but；　damn　it；　I　have　the　same　feeling；　and　I　can't
have　a　baby。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　By　deputy；　Hector。

HECTOR。　But　I　have　children。　All　that　is　over　and　done　with　for
me：　and　yet　I　too　feel　that　this　can't　last。　We　sit　here　talking；
and　leave　everything　to　Mangan　and　to　chance　and　to　the　devil。
Think　of　the　powers　of　destruction　that　Mangan　and　his　mutual
admiration　gang　wield！　It's　madness：　it's　like　giving　a　torpedo
to　a　badly　brought　up　child　to　play　at　earthquakes　with。

MAZZINI。　I　know。　I　used　often　to　think　about　that　when　I　was
young。

HECTOR。　Think！　What's　the　good　of　thinking　about　it？　Why　didn't
you　do　something？

MAZZINI。　But　I　did。　I　joined　societies　and　made　speeches　and
wrote　pamphlets。　That　was　all　I　could　do。　But；　you　know；　though
the　people　in　the　societies　thought　they　knew　more　than　Mangan；
most　of　them　wouldn't　have　joined　if　they　had　known　as　much。　You
see　they　had　never　had　any　money　to　handle　or　any　men　to　manage。
Every　year　I　expected　a　revolution；　or　some　frightful　smash…up：
it　seemed　impossible　that　we　could　blunder　and　muddle　on　any
longer。　But　nothing　happened；　except；　of　course；　the　usual
poverty　and　crime　and　drink　that　we　are　used　to。　Nothing　ever
does　happen。　It's　amazing　how　well　we　get　along；　all　things
considered。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　Perhaps　somebody　cleverer　than　you　and　Mr　Mangan
was　at　work　all　the　time。

MAZZINI。　Perhaps　so。　Though　I　was　brought　up　not　to　believe　in
anything；　I　often　feel　that　there　is　a　great　deal　to　be　said　for
the　theory　of　an　over…ruling　Providence；　after　all。

LADY　UTTERWORD。　Providence！　I　meant　Hastings。

MAZZINI。　Oh；　I　beg　your　pardon；　Lady　Utterword。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　Every　drunken　skipper　trusts　to　Providence。　But
one　of　the　ways　of　Providence　with　drunken　skippers　is　to　run
them　on　the　rocks。

MAZZINI。　Very　true；　no　doubt；　at　sea。　But　in　politics；　I　assure
you；　they　only　run　into　jellyfish。　Nothing　happens。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　At　sea　nothing　happens　to　the　sea。　Nothing
happens　to　the　sky。　The　sun　comes　up　from　the　east　and　goes　down
to　the　west。　The　moon　grows　from　a　sickle　to　an　arc　lamp；　and
comes　later　and　later　until　she　is　lost　in　the　light　as　other
things　are　lost　in　the　darkness。　After　the　typhoon；　the
flying…fish　glitter　in　the　sunshine　like　birds。　It's　amazing　how
they　get　along；　all　things　considered。　Nothing　happens；　except
something　not　worth　mentioning。

ELLIE。　What　is　that；　O　Captain；　O　my　captain？

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER　＇savagely＇。　Nothing　but　the　smash　of　the　drunken
skipper's　ship　on　the　rocks；　the　splintering　of　her　rotten
timbers；　the　tearing　of　her　rusty　plates；　the　drowning　of　the
crew　like　rats　in　a　trap。

ELLIE。　Moral：　don't　take　rum。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER　＇vehemently＇。　That　is　a　lie；　child。　Let　a　man
drink　ten　barrels　of　rum　a　day；　he　is　not　a　drunken　skipper　until
he　is　a　drifting　skipper。　Whilst　he　can　lay　his　course　and　stand
on　his　bridge　and　steer　it；　he　is　no　drunkard。　It　is　the　man　who
lies　drinking　in　his　bunk　and　trusts　to　Providence　that　I　call
the　drunken　skipper；　though　he　drank　nothing　but　the　waters　of
the　River　Jordan。

ELLIE。　Splendid！　And　you　haven't　had　a　drop　for　an　hour。　You　see
you　don't　need　it：　your　own　spirit　is　not　dead。

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　Echoes：　nothing　but　echoes。　The　last　shot　was
fired　years　ago。

HECTOR。　And　this　ship　that　we　are　all　in？　This　soul's　prison　we
call　England？

CAPTAIN　SHOTOVER。　The　captain　is　in　his　bunk；　drinki