登陆注册
38597500000006

第6章

BLAYNE. No, hut he'll die if you don't give the hundred. Here!

Here's a peg-voucher. You can see what we've signed for, and Anthony's man will come round to-morrow to collect it. So there will be no trouble.

JERVOISE. (Signing.) One hundred, E. M. J. There you are (feebly). It isn't one of your jokes, is it?

BLAYNE. No, it really is wanted. Anthony, you were the biggest poker-winner last week, and you've defrauded the tax-collector too long. Sign!

ANTHONY. Let's see. Three fifties and a seventy-two twenty-three twenty-say four hundred and twenty. That'll give him a month clear at the Hills. Many thanks, you men. I'll send round the chaprassi to-morrow.

CURTISS. You must engineer his taking the stuff, and of course you mustn't-ANTHONY. Of course. It would never do. He'd weep with gratitude over his evening drink.

BLAYNE. That's just what he would do, damn him. Oh! I say, Anthony, you pretend to know everything. Have you heard about Gandy?

ANTHONY. No. Divorce Court at last?

BLAYNE. Worse. He's engaged!

ANTHONY. How much? He can't be!

BLAYNE. He is. He's going to be married in a few weeks. Markyn told me at the Judge's this evening. It's pukka.

ANTHONY. You don't say so? Holy Moses! There'll be a shine in the tents of Kedar.

CURTISS. 'Regiment cut up rough, think you?

ANTHONY. 'Don't know anything about the Regiment.

MACKESY. It is bigamy, then?

ANTHONY. Maybe. Do you mean to say that you men have forgotten, or is there more charity in the world than I thought?

DONE. You don't look pretty when you are trying to keep a secret.

You bloat. Explain.

ANTHONY. Mrs. Herriott!

BLAYNE. (After a long pause, to the room generally.) It's my notion that we are a set of fools.

MACKESY. Nonsense. That business was knocked on the head last season. Why, young Mallard-ANTHONY. Mallard was a candlestick, paraded as such. Think awhile. Recollect last season and the talk then. Mallard or no Mallard, did Gandy ever talk to any other woman?

CURTISS. There's something in that. It was slightly noticeable now you come to mention it. But she's at Naini Tat and he's at Simla.

ANTHONY. He had to go to Simla to look after a globe-trotter relative of his-a person with a title. Uncle or aunt.

BLAYNE And there he got engaged. No law prevents a man growing tired of a woman.

ANTHONY. Except that he mustn't do it till the woman is tired of him. And the Herriott woman was not that.

CURTISS. She may be now. Two months of Naini Tal works wonders.

DONE. Curious thing how some women carry a Fate with them.

There was a Mrs. Deegie in the Central Provinces whose men invariably fell away and got married. It became a regular proverb with us when I was down there. I remember three men desperately devoted to her, and they all, one after another, took wives.

CURTISS. That's odd. Now I should have thought that Mrs.

Deegie's influence would have led them to take other men's wives.

It ought to have made them afraid of the judgment of Providence.

ANTHONY. Mrs. Herriott will make Gandy afraid of something more than the judgment of Providence, I fancy.

BLAYNE. Supposing things are as you say, he'll be a fool to face her. He'll sit tight at Simla.

ANTHONY. 'Shouldn't be a bit surprised if he went off to Naini to explain. He's an unaccountable sort of man, and she's likely to be a more than unaccountable woman.

DONE. What makes you take her character away so confidently?

ANTHONY. Primum tern pus. Caddy was her first and a woman doesn't allow her first man to drop away without expostulation.

She justifies the first transfer of affection to herself by swearing that it is forever and ever. Consequently-BLAYNE. Consequently, we are sitting here till past one o'clock, talking scandal like a set of Station cats. Anthony, it's all your fault. We were perfectly respectable till you came in Go to bed.

I'm off, Good-night all.

CURTISS. Past one! It's past two by Jove, and here's the khit coming for the late charge. Just Heavens! One, two, three, four, five rupees to pay for the pleasure of saying that a poor little beast of a woman is no better than she should be. I'm ashamed of myself.

Go to bed, you slanderous villains, and if I'm sent to Beora to-morrow, be prepared to hear I'm dead before paying my card account!

THE TENTS OF KEDAR

Only why should it be with pain at all Why must I 'twix the leaves of corona! Put any kiss of pardon on thy brow? Why should the other women know so much, And talk together -Such the look and such The smile he used to love with, then as now. -Any Wife to any Husband.

SCENE -A Naini Tal dinner for thirty-four. Plate, wines, crockery, and khitmatgars care fully calculated to scale of Rs. 6000 per mensem, less Exchange. Table split lengthways by bank of flowers.

MRS. HERRIOTT. (After conversation has risen to proper pitch.)Ah! 'Didn't see you in the crush in the drawing-room. (Sotto voce.)Where have you been all this while, Pip?

CAPTAIN GADSBY. (Turning from regularly ordained dinner partner and settling hock glasses.) Good evening. (Sotto voce.)Not quite so loud another time. You've no notion how your voice carries. (Aside.) So much for shirking the written explanation. It'll have to be a verbal one now. Sweet prospect! How on earth am Ito tell her that I am a respectable, engaged member of society and it's all over between us?

MRS. H. I've a heavy score against you. Where were you at the Monday Pop? Where were you on Tuesday? Where were you at the Lamonts' tennis? I was looking everywhere.

CAPT. G. For me! Oh, I was alive somewhere, I suppose.

(Aside.) It's for Minnie's sake, but it's going to be dashed unpleasant.

MRS. H. Have I done anything to offend you? I never meant it if Ihave. I couldn't help going for a ride with the Vaynor man. It was promised a week before you came up.

CAPT. G. I didn't know-

MRS. H. It really was.

CAPT. G. Anything about it, I mean.

MRS. H. What has upset you today? All these days? You haven't been near me for four whole days-nearly one hundred hours. Was it kind of you, Pip? And I've been looking forward so much to your coming.

CAPT. G. Have you?

同类推荐
  • 临臯文集

    临臯文集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 道德真经传

    道德真经传

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 杂藏经

    杂藏经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 道德真经注

    道德真经注

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • The Ruby of Kishmoor

    The Ruby of Kishmoor

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 仙门来了只小妖精

    仙门来了只小妖精

    新文《作精偶像是大佬》已开,娱乐圈爽文,有兴趣的可以去看一看哦。——【爽文×甜文×升级】都说太显门来了个貌美如妖的女修,以仙为美的修仙界众人嗤之以鼻。可当这只小妖精渐渐名起修仙界的时候,众人不镇定了……——自从太显门的“小妖精”出门游历后,以仙为美的风气渐渐偏移了,一股妖媚风开始在修仙界弥漫了……——自从小妖精名声响彻修仙界后,她屁股后面就多了一群狂热的男修女修。“仙子,看看我吧,姐姐最爱你了!”“啊啊啊仙子对我笑了,真的太好看了啊!”“啊啊仙子吃东西好可爱!仙子打架也好好看!”——有一天众人发现小妖精家财万贯。众人:???什么,全修仙界最大的衣铺竟然是她的?——某少主自从碰到小妖精,被属下大呼:“开了窍的少主太可怕!”谁来告诉他们,强大慑人的少主怎么会天天被小妖精撩到耳红?天天吃飞醋?天天说着惊世骇俗的大实话?某少主的老实语录:“想做你的灵宠。”“想和你待在一起。”“想抱抱你。”“想亲亲你。”
  • 绝色魔妃:皇上滚上来

    绝色魔妃:皇上滚上来

    她曾叱咤风云,却被最爱的青梅竹马杀害而死,没想到上天如此垂怜她,给了她一次生命,这一次,她将在异世里再次叱咤风云。。。不过,那么长的比女人还好看的死妖孽一直叫她娘子,什么鬼?!黑人问号?!还有同父异母的哥哥敢抢她的男人,她不介意让他断子绝孙!!!
  • 千秋醉:重生言灵三小姐

    千秋醉:重生言灵三小姐

    她是言灵最后的血脉,重生为了陆府三小姐,这个爹竟然不是原装爹?就连娇滴滴的三姨娘也是玩蛊高手,自己还是她养蛊的容器?!
  • 天行

    天行

    号称“北辰骑神”的天才玩家以自创的“牧马冲锋流”战术击败了国服第一弓手北冥雪,被誉为天纵战榜第一骑士的他,却受到小人排挤,最终离开了效力已久的银狐俱乐部。是沉沦,还是再次崛起?恰逢其时,月恒集团第四款游戏“天行”正式上线,虚拟世界再起风云!
  • TFBOYS记忆中的百合花

    TFBOYS记忆中的百合花

    十年前,你无声的离开,十年后,你成王归来。原本平静的世界竟被你一下子打乱。我用我的一切来下这场命运的赌注,而最终的结果却是你的一句:我欠你一个25岁的承诺。我输的很彻底,真的很彻底……
  • 之子于归

    之子于归

    结婚前,关长玿意气风发;结婚后,关长玿逍遥自在;离婚后,关长玿抑郁忧心焦虑不安。结婚前,莫沉思懵懂天真;结婚后,莫沉思小心翼翼;离婚后,莫沉思意气风发逍遥自在。
  • 我真不想看见bug

    我真不想看见bug

    万物皆有bug,而我拥有看见bug的眼睛。对着【新华字典】十秒钟内连续眨眼超过一百次,解锁过目不忘bug。心中默念肯德基,然后在五秒内作出????的手势,解锁凭空获得一个奥尔良鸡腿堡的bug。在万米高空金鸡独立持续一分钟,并且大喊一声“我来,我见,我征服”,解锁“魂穿异界”bug。这是一个利用各种bug,在玄幻世界搞风搞雨贱兮兮的主角……绝对爆笑,各种意想不到的骚操作!……读者群:709761627
  • 仙觅

    仙觅

    一世孤苦穿越千年,懵懵懂懂,一次遭难,明悟前世今生,再回首却发现只剩那枚吊坠还有一个奇怪老头。一次妖祸,让他明白世间真有妖怪鬼怪,而自己的母亲恰是仙界一女仙。为寻母亲,李渔毅然踏上寻仙之路。寻仙之路千般磨难,只为生存,抢丹夺宗,引魔入道,直至踏上巅峰。“三界六道,以我为尊!”
  • 丑小鸭逆袭进行曲

    丑小鸭逆袭进行曲

    丑小鸭想变成白天鹅,可能吗?宋佳明白灰姑娘是本来就是公主,因为灰姑娘的母亲是个贵族女子,而父亲也是贵族富商,所以灰姑娘本来就是天生的贵族。世间有人谤我、欺我、辱我、笑我、轻我、贱我,如何处之乎?”拾得笑曰:“只要忍他、让他、避他、由他、耐他、敬他,不要理他,再过几年,你且看他。最后她会逆袭成为白天鹅吗?
  • 妖刀战纪主线篇

    妖刀战纪主线篇

    每种兽类中最出类拔萃者即为妖,将妖魂打入刀内即为妖刀。凡妖刀削铁如泥,自带刀势。凡有妖刀者,善加使用,可为一方强者号令至尊......