The Complete Plays of J. M. Barrie - 30 Titles in One Edition. Джеймс Барри

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СКАЧАТЬ it’s true, I’m a marked man. (Appealing) What is it you see in me, Effie, that’s so terrible adorable?

      EFFIE. I see nothing partikler. You ‘re not my choice, but I’m yours — and we’ll get on fine.

      PETE. You’re ower young to marry.

      EFFIE. Havers! Many a woman is a widow at my age.

      PETE. My blood was up. I spoke in haste.

      EFFIE. Then you can repent at your leisure.

      PETE. Effie, I’m a terrible bad character.

      EFFIE. I’ll reform you.

      PETE. I drink!

      EFFIE. Ay!

      PETE. I swear!

      EFFIE. Ay!

      PETE. In fact, I’m just a regular devil.

      EFFIE. Deevil or no deevil, Pete, you ‘re the man for me.

      PETE (to her back). Effie woman! Effie!

      (He goes very despondently. Enter professor in tall hat, frock-coat, flower in it, and cane in hand, cosens looks out at window at him.)

      COSENS. Good luck to you, Tom.

      PROFESSOR (referring to cane). Dick, how do you twirl it?

      (Tries.)

      COSENS. Capital!

      PROFESSOR. How do you think I look, Dick? (Referring to hat) You know I never wear this except at funerals. I don’t think she’ll know it’s me, Dick?

      COSENS (chaffing). Perhaps that will increase your chances!

      PROFESSOR (almost going — returning). You know, I don’t feel so old.

      COSENS. You ‘re not.

      PROFESSOR. Dick, I remember I was rather good at games. I had an off-break.

      COSENS. Tell her that.

      PROFESSOR. I once bled a boy’s nose at school.

      COSENS. Good.

      PROFESSOR. What extraordinary things are coming back to me! I used to draw caricatures of my schoolmasters!

      COSENS. YOU did!

      PROFESSOR. It is my solemn opinion, Dick — that I had quite a sense of fun!

      COSENS. You’ll simply bowl her over, Tom.

      PROFESSOR. You know I never believed I had a chance with her, and now I feel almost hopeful.

      COSENS. That’s the way to win them. Be off, before it goes.

      PROFESSOR (going and returning). Dick, I’ve lost hope. What can she see in me?

      COSENS. My dear Tom, when women love us we should never ask why. All we can be sure of is that they see something in us which isn’t there.

      (The professor goes, cosens leans out of window as if watching him cosens evidently indicates to him to wear hat more jauntily. Signs to waggle cane. Shows approval and claps hands. While he is doing so, miss goodwillie enters, and observes his antics.)

      MISS GOODWILLIE. Whatever are you doing, Doctor?

      COSENS. Observe the hat — and the cane.

      MISS GOODWILLIE. Where has he gone?

      COSENS. Prepare to receive cavalry, my friend; Tom is off to the cottage where Miss White is living to propose to her.

      MISS GOODWILLIE. Ah! I think I can stop that. The Gildings have just told me something that will show Tom what she is, when I tell it to him.

      COSENS. Whatever it is, I don’t believe it.

      MISS GOODWILLIE. I do.

      COSENS. You are so cynical, Miss Goodwillie, you believe in no one.

      MISS GOODWILLIE. I believe in everything — except women — and men.

      COSENS. Where are you going now?

      MISS GOODWILLIE. TO tax her with it before Tom.

      (COSENS flings up his arms and disappears from window.

      MISS GOODWILLIE is going, but evidently sees someone else coming and turns and sits on seat. Enter LUCY.) I have been looking for you for some hours, Miss White.

      LUCY. I was out when you called. So I have come to see you.

      MISS GOODWILLIE. TO triumph over me i lucy. No, to let you triumph over me.

      MISS GOODWILLIE. What? Don’t you know that your scheme has succeeded. He wants to marry you.

      LUCY. It is your scheme that has succeeded — your scheme to make me unworthy of him. Yes, I am an adventuress now. But don’t forget that it is you who have made me one.

      MISS GOODWILLIE. How?

      LUCY. I have known for quite a long time that a word from me would open his eyes to what you were so anxious he should never see, but I would not speak it. It is true that he knows he loves me now, but only as the result of a shameless trick I played on him.

      MISS GOODWILLIE. I have heard all about that, but I admit I don’t quite see why you should tell me. (Suspicious) I suppose it is because you guessed I knew already.

      LUCY. Go on thinking the worst of me. It doesn’t matter now. I have degraded myself, and I am going away.

      MISS GOODWILLIE (on her guard). Is this true?

      LUCY. My box is packed and I leave for London tonight.

      MISS GOODWILLIE. Without seeing my brother?

      LUCY. I should prefer that.

      MISS GOODWILLIE. With no explanations? He would follow you by the next train.

      LUCY. You can tell him what I did. That will cure him.

      MISS GOODWILLIE (who secretly does not believe that it would cure him). How do I know that he will not follow you still?

      LUCY (eagerly). You think he might forgive me?

      MISS GOODWILLIE (dissembling). Never!

      LUCY. No, no! He has such a scorn of guile. He has said to me that guile is the one thing in a woman that he would never overlook.

      MISS GOODWILLIE. And it is true. He is coming.

      LUCY. Let me go.

      MISS GOODWILLIE (cunningly). Stop! There is a better way. He need not despise you.

      LUCY СКАЧАТЬ