Cæsar's Wife: A Comedy in Three Acts. Maugham William Somerset

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СКАЧАТЬ our friendship, Anne. You know how deeply I value it.

Anne

      You used to come and see me very often. You knew I was discreet and you used to talk over with me all sorts of matters which occupied you. I was pleased and flattered. Of course I realised that those pleasant conversations of ours must stop when you married. I only came here this winter to collect my goods and chattels.

Arthur

      You make me feel vaguely guilty towards you.

Anne

      Of course you're nothing of the sort. But I don't want Violet to feel that I am making any attempt to – to monopolise you. She's been charming to me. The more I know her the more delightful I find her.

Arthur

      It's very nice of you to say so.

Anne

      You know I've always had a great admiration for you. I'm so glad to see you married to a girl who's not unworthy of you.

Arthur

      I suppose it was a dangerous experiment for a man of my age to marry a girl of nineteen.

Anne

      I think one can admit that. But you've always been one of the favourites of the gods. You've made a wonderful success of it.

Arthur

      It needs on a husband's part infinite tact, patience, and tolerance.

Anne

      You have the great advantage that Violet is genuinely in love with you.

Arthur

      I suppose only a fatuous ass would confess that a beautiful girl was in love with him.

Anne

      You make her very happy.

Arthur

      There's nothing I wouldn't do to achieve that. I'm more desperately in love with Violet even than when I first married her.

Anne

      I'm so glad. I want nothing but your happiness.

Arthur

      Here is Christina.

      [The door opens as he says these words and an English Butler ushers in Mrs. Pritchard. She is a tall, spare woman, with hair turning grey, comely, upright in her carriage, with decision of character indicated by every gesture; but though masterful and firm to attain her ends, she is an honest woman, direct, truthful and not without humour. She is admirably gowned in a manner befitting her station and importance.]

Butler

      Mrs. Pritchard.

      [Exit.]

Arthur

      I knew it was you, Christina. I felt a sense of responsibility descend upon the house.

Christina

      [Kissing him.] How is Violet?

Arthur

      Lovely.

Christina

      I was inquiring about her health.

Arthur

      Her health is perfect.

Christina

      At her age one's always well, I suppose. [Kissing Anne.] How d'you do? And how are you, my poor Arthur?

Arthur

      You ask me as though I was a doddering old gentleman, crippled with rheumatism. I'm in the best of health, thank you very much, and very active for my years. [Christina has seen a flower on the table that has fallen from a bowl, and picks it up and puts it back in its place.] Why do you do that?

Christina

      I don't like untidiness.

Arthur

      I do.

      [He takes the flower out again and places it on the table.]

Christina

      I was expecting to find you in your office.

Arthur

      Do you think I'm neglecting my work? I thought it more becoming to wait for you here.

Christina

      I wanted to see you on a matter of business.

Arthur

      So I understood from your message. I feel convinced you're going to put me in the way of making my fortune.

Anne

      I'll leave you, shall I?

Christina

      Oh, no, pray don't. There's not the least reason why you shouldn't hear what it's all about.

Arthur

      You're not going to make my fortune after all. You're going to ask me to do something.

Christina

      What makes you think that?

Arthur

      You want a third person present to be witness to my brutal selfishness when I refuse. I know you, Christina.

Christina

      [Smiling.] You're much too sensible to refuse a perfectly reasonable request.

Arthur

      Let us hear it. [She sits down on the sofa. The cushions have been disordered by people sitting on them and she shakes them out, and pats them and arranges them in their place.] I wish you'd leave the furniture alone, Christina.

Christina

      I cannot make out what pleasure people take in seeing things out of their proper place.

Arthur

      You're very long in coming to the point.

Christina

      I hear that the Khedive has quarrelled with his secretary.

Arthur

      You're a marvellous woman, Christina. You get hold of all the harem gossip.

Christina

      It's true, isn't it?

Arthur

      Yes. But I only heard of it myself just before luncheon. How did it come to your ears?

Christina

      That doesn't matter, does it? I have a way of hearing things that may be of interest to me.

Arthur

      I'm afraid I'm very dense, but I don't see how it can be of any particular interest to you.

Christina

      [Smiling.] Dear Arthur. The Khedive has asked you to recommend him an English secretary.

Anne

      Has he really? That's a change. He's never had an English secretary before.

Arthur

      Never.

Anne

      It's a wonderful opportunity.

Arthur

      If we get the right man he can be of the greatest possible help. If he's tactful, wise, and courteous, there's no reason why in time he shouldn't attain very considerable influence over the Khedive. If we can really get the Khedive to work honestly and sincerely with us, instead of hampering us by all kinds of secret devices, we can do miracles in this country.

Anne

      What a splendid chance for the man who gets the job!

Arthur

      I suppose it is. If he has the right qualities he may achieve anything. And after all, it's a splendid chance to be able to render such great service to our own old country.

Christina

      Has the Khedive given any particulars about the sort of man he СКАЧАТЬ