第15章

MRS.GWYN.[Motionless.]Life's very hard on women!

MISS BEECH.Life's only just beginning for that child,Molly.

MRS.GWYN.You don't care if it ends for me!

MISS BEECH.Is it as bad as that?

MRS.GWYN.Yes.

MISS BEECH.[Rocking hey body.]Poor things!Poor things!

MRS.GWYN.Are you still fond of me?

MISS BEECH.Yes,yes,my dear,of course I am.

MRS.GWYN.In spite of my-wickedness?

[She laughs.]

MISS BEECH.Who am I to tell what's wicked and what is n't?God knows you're both like daughters to me!

MRS.GWYN.[Abruptly.]I can't.

MISS BEECH.Molly.

MRS.GWYN.You don't know what you're asking.

MISS BEECH.If I could save you suffering,my dear,I would.I hate suffering,if it 's only a fly,I hate it.

MRS.GWYN.[Turning away from her.]Life is n't fair.Peachey,go in and leave me alone.

[She leans back motionless.]

[Miss BEECH gets off her seat,and stroking MRS.GWYN's arm in passing goes silently away.In the opening of the wall she meets LEVER who is looking for his partner.They make way for each other.]

LEVER.[Going up to MRS.GWYN--gravely.]The next is our dance,Molly.

MRS.GWYN.[Unmoving.]Let's sit it out here,then.

[LEVER sits down.]

LEVER.I've made it all right with your Uncle.

MRS.GWYN.[Dully.]Oh?

LEVER.I spoke to him about the shares before dinner.

MRS.GWYN.Yes,he told me,thank you.

LEVER.There 's nothing to worry over,dear.

MRS.GWYN.[Passionately.]What does it matter about the wretched shares now?I 'm stifling.

[She throws her scarf off.]

LEVER.I don't understand what you mean by "now."MRS.GWYN.Don't you?

LEVER.We were n't--Joy can't know--why should she?I don't believe for a minute--MRS.GWYN.Because you don't want to.

LEVER.Do you mean she does?

MRS.GWYN.Her heart knows.

[LEVER makes a movement of discomfiture;suddenly MRS.GWYNlooks at him as though to read his soul.]

I seem to bring you nothing but worry,Maurice.Are you tired of me?

LEVER.[Meeting her eyes.]No,I am not.

MRS.GWYN.Ah,but would you tell me if you were?

LEVER.[Softly.]Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

[MRS.GWYN struggles to look at him,then covers her face with her hands.]

MRS.GWYN.If I were to give you up,you'd forget me in a month.

LEVER.Why do you say such things?

MRS.GWYN.If only I could believe I was necessary to you!

LEVER.[Forcing the fervour of his voice.]But you are!

MRS.GWYN.Am I?[With the ghost of a smile.]Midsummer day!

[She gives a laugh that breaks into a sob.]

[The music o f a waltz sounds from the house.]

LEVER.For God's sake,don't,Molly--I don't believe in going to meet trouble.

MRS.GWYN.It's staring me in the face.

LEVER.Let the future take care of itself!

[MRS.GWYN has turned away her face,covering it with her hands.]

Don't,Molly![Trying to pull her hands away.]Don't!

MRS.GWYN.Oh!what shall I do?

[There is a silence;the music of the waltz sounds louder from the house.]

[Starting up.]Listen!One can't sit it out and dance it too.

Which is it to be,Maurice,dancing--or sitting out?It must be one or the other,must n't it?

LEVER.Molly!Molly!

MRS.GWYN.Ah,my dear![Standing away from him as though to show herself.]How long shall I keep you?This is all that 's left of me.It 's time I joined the wallflowers.[Smiling faintly.]It's time I played the mother,is n't it?[In a whisper.]It'll be all sitting out then.

LEVER.Don't!Let's go and dance,it'll do you good.

[He puts his hands on her arms,and in a gust of passion kisses her lips and throat.]

MRS.GWYN.I can't give you up--I can't.Love me,oh!love me!

[For a moment they stand so;then,with sudden remembrance of where they are,they move apart.]

LEVER.Are you all right now,darling?

MRS.GWYN.[Trying to smile.]Yes,dear--quite.

LEVER.Then let 's go,and dance.[They go.]

[For a few seconds the hollow tree stands alone;then from the house ROSE comes and enters it.She takes out a bottle of champagne,wipes it,and carries it away;but seeing MRS.GWYN's scarf lying across the chair,she fingers it,and stops,listening to the waltz.

Suddenly draping it round her shoulders,she seizes the bottle of champagne,and waltzes with abandon to the music,as though avenging a long starvation of her instincts.Thus dancing,she is surprised by DICK,who has come to smoke a cigarette and think,at the spot where he was told to "have a go."ROSE,startled,stops and hugs the bottle.]

DICK.It's not claret,Rose,I should n't warm it.

[ROSE,taking off the scarf,replaces it on the chair;then with the half-warmed bottle,she retreats.DICK,in the swing,sits thinking of his fate.Suddenly from behind the hollow tree he sees Joy darting forward in her day dress with her hair about her neck,and her skirt all torn.As he springs towards her,she turns at bay.]

DICK.Joy!

JOY.I want Uncle Tom.

DICK.[In consternation.]But ought you to have got up--I thought you were ill in bed;oughtn't you to be lying down?

JOY.If have n't been in bed.Where's Uncle Tom?

DICK.But where have you been?-your dress is all torn.Look![He touches the torn skirt.]

JOY.[Tearing it away.]In the fields.Where's Uncle Tom?

DICK.Are n't you really ill then?

[Joy shakes her head.]

DICK,[showing her the irises.]Look at these.They were the best Icould get.

JOY.Don't!I want Uncle Tom!

DICK.Won't you take them?

JOY.I 've got something else to do.

DICK.[With sudden resolution.]What do you want the Colonel for?

JOY.I want him.

DICK.Alone?

JOY.Yes.

DICK.Joy,what is the matter?

JOY.I 've got something to tell him.

DICK.What?[With sudden inspiration.]Is it about Lever?

JOY.[In a low voice.]The mine.

DICK.The mine?

JOY.It 's not--not a proper one.

DICK.How do you mean,Joy?

JOY.I overheard.I don't care,I listened.I would n't if it had been anybody else,but I hate him.

DICK.[Gravely.]What did you hear?

JOY.He 's keeping back something Uncle Tom ought to know.

DICK.Are you sure?

[Joy makes a rush to pass him.]

[Barring the way.]No,wait a minute--you must!Was it something that really matters?--I don't want to know what.]

JOY.Yes,it was.