ACT III(Same as Act I)
(Same as Act I)
[Tim,SelinaandLord William.
Lord William: Tim! Who was it?
Tim: It was Mrs. Martineau who spread the story.
Selina: Viper.
Tim: I should like to gag her with thistles.
Selina: Have you seen her?
Tim: I met her in the street.
Lord William: I trust you did not cut her. It is better to hear what people have to say first, then you can cut them afterwards with all the more reason.
Tim: I am afraid I told her what I thought about her.
Lord William: What did she say?
Tim: She said that of course she did not believe Ann’s story, but that it was so interesting that Ann should have cared enough for Jordan to invent it.
Selina: Brute!
Tim: Afterwards, when she was really angry, she remarked that she had been sure that we would all like to feel that the world had been able to benefit by this wonderful story of Ann’s unworldliness and high sense of friendship, as these qualities are so rarely seen and still more rarely believed in.
Selina: I can hear her saying it.
Lord William: Have you seen Ann?
Tim: No, I only came an hour ago.
Lord William: It’s all very trying.
Tim: It is having a saint like Ann discussed at all that makes one so sick. It is like seeing people without religion in a church.
Selina: I wouldn’t mind so much if they knew Ann. She is a miracle no one can deny.
Tim: What line does Ninian take?
Selina: At last Ninian’s qualities are coming in handy. He is incredibly grand, and, of course, it comes quite naturally to him. He is prepared to horse-whip anyone. He talks about “my wife.” He does not, of course,sayshe is above suspicion. That would be to cast a slur upon himself. Who was Cæsar?
Lord William: Ninian is one of those men who believe implicitly in their own all-conquering charm and, consequently, in the absence of temperament of every woman who resists them. They never consider the possibility of anyone who is not passionately in love with them being passionately in love with anyone else.
Tim: Well, no one suspects Ann of being in love with Jordan.
Lord William: Ah—no.
[He obviously knows the truth.
Tim: It is wonderful of her suddenly to invent a story like that, but, of course, I do see that it was rather trying for Ninian.
Selina: Have you seen Mr. Jordan since, Papa?
Lord William: Yes.
Tim: He must have been dreadfully upset at all the worry poor Ann is having.
Lord William: He seemed to be thinking mainly of himself.
Selina: There are two things I can’t forgive Ann. One is her marriage with Ninian, and the other her friendship with Mr. Jordan.
Lord William: They would, no doubt, each agree with you about the other.
Tim: But for that Martineau woman, no one would have known anything about it.
[EnterAnn, looking white and wretched, she kissesLord WilliamandSelina, andTimkisses her hands.
Ann: What were you saying about Mabel?
Selina: The viper.
Lord William: That woman is a hell cat.
Ann: Poor thing! I don’t think she means it. Her tongue runs away with her.
Selina: Tim wants to gag her with thistles.
Ann: I didn’t know you went in for ingenious tortures.
Lord William: Tim is a little more discriminating in his charity than you are.
Selina: Where is Ninian?
Ann: At his anti-Bolshevist Committee Meeting.
Lord William: Is that bud bursting into flower?
Ann: It keeps a lot of violent-minded people busy. If “minded” be the word.
Selina: I had a letter from Mrs. Sidebotham—Sidebotham ... this morning. She wants me to organize an entertainment in the village. I am afraid that Papa’s vulgar jokes wouldn’t do for that.
Ann: Nor would Red Pottage.
Selina: “I’m a red rag to the Reds, so we’re all of us red together.”
Lord William: Is it to be in aid of the organ?
Selina: It is.
Lord William: No one can say that I don’t know all about village life. I’ve not forgotten my youth.
Ann: What was Grandpapa like?
Lord William: Very formidable—arrogant, dry, autocratic, with magnificent manners.
Ann: That’s what Ninian’s generation misses. They take themselves very seriously, but somehow they are not in the least formidable. Just very long and a tiny bit ridiculous.
Selina: I still believe in a municipal solution for them.
[EnterThompson.
Thompson: Mr. Jordan has motored down from London. Could your Ladyship see him?
[Dead silence.Anngets very white.
Tim: You’d better see him, hadn’t you? We’ll go.
[Annnods yes.
[Selinakisses her silently.
[Lord Williamstays behind a second; takes her in his arms.
Lord William: I understand, my darling, but believe me he’s not worth it.
[Lord WilliamandJordanmeet in the door and bow, but do not shake hands.
[There is a pause.
Ann(nervously): Philip, you look so strange.
Philip(with a bitter laugh): Strange!
Ann: Set and hard, with a different voice, not your voice for me.
Philip: Ann, there are moments when you don’t seem to me quite normal.
Ann: I don’t understand.
Philip: I have come here to talk sense, not to make love.
Ann: Love is the only sense in the world.
Philip: In the whole of my life I have never met anyone so deliberately blind as you are. You ignore all values except the ones you have created yourself. Quite suddenly, on the spur of the moment, you ruin my reputation and your own and then sit there quite calmly, talking about love.
Ann: But I love you.
Philip: What in God’s name has love got to do with it?
Ann: What else has anything to do with it?
Philip: Your reputation, my career.
Ann: You see, they were all attacking you, saying monstrous, wicked, lying things, I couldn’t sit there and listen. I simply told them the truth.
Philip: What did they say?
Ann: They said you were frightened. At least, someone suggested that, and then Mr. Molyneux said no, you were drunk, and that was why you had failed the Government. And Uncle Bill told them you had been with a woman—a woman you had picked up in the streets.
Philip: Well?
Ann: Naturally I denied it. I said that you had been with me.
Philip: And they wouldn’t believe you?
Ann: No. So I told them that you were my lover.
Philip: Were you mad?
Ann: Not in the least. It was the obvious thing to do. I couldn’t sit there and listen to them telling lies about you—I’m not ashamed of having loved you.
Philip: Do you mean to sit there and tell me that all this arose simply because they said I had taken part in a drunken orgy?
Ann: How could I let them say that?
Philip: Good God, do you think anyone cares a damn? That that sort of thing doesn’t happen to everyone?
Ann: I think that it matters very much for a man to fail his chief when he has trusted him, relied on him.
Philip: And if I am with you, am I not equally failing my chief who has trusted me, relied on me? Doesn’t that matter?
Ann: I think that matters too. But somehow, love is a different world—far away beyond our ordinary lives. It makes everything else seem so distant and irrelevant.
Philip: Well, I may as well explain to you that to me love is an appetite like any other appetite. It is no better and no worse than drink, and one woman is no better and no worse than another. At least I used to think that. But now I realize that a temporary adventure is nothing to being entangled in the octopus grip of a love affair with a virtuous woman.
[Annmakes a gesture.
If you want to have children, marry. If you want to love you will have to pay the bill, but see that it is a cash transaction. I meet you—a good woman, a beautiful woman, a charming woman. I am attracted to you as hundreds of men have been before me. And then,suddenly you present me with your virtue. I am flattered, naturally, I take what the gods give me. Who wouldn’t? And then, what happens? The woman who used to believe in virtue, believes in love. A strange flaming thing this love, before which everything is sacrificed, pride, discretion, the conventions, reputation. You are blinded by it. What am I to do? I tell you things, I warn you, I try to escape. But everything I say is like describing objects to someone who can’t see. Gently, serenely, you laugh the foundations of your life away as if they were irrelevant absurdities.
Ann(in agony): Oh....
Philip: And then, one fine day, in a moment of hysterical exaltation, you pull down the very scaffolding of the building, and, sitting among the ruins, you still smile and say: “Love is the only sense in the world.” A child of ten could have told that I had ceased to care for you. And I have been sacrificed on my own altar. Funny, isn’t it?
Ann: Oh, my God!
Philip: Well, I don’t want to waste any time psychologizing. I want to discuss the situation sensibly. Does your husband mean to divorce you?
Ann: No. You see, he doesn’t believe that I was telling the truth.
Philip(infinitely relieved): Doesn’t believe that I have been your lover?
Ann: No.
Philip: Good God—you are a clever woman, Ann.
Ann: They none of them believe it except Uncle Bill. They think—it was a mad invention.
Philip: Well, you must try and make all of your friends think it was a joke.
Ann: But I wanted them to believe it. I—I was proud of it.
Philip(brutally): Well, you’re not proud of it now, are you?
Ann: No. I don’t think that I shall ever recover from the shame of it.
Philip: It’ll soon blow over.
Ann: I didn’t mean that. Do you think I care what the world thinks? Do you think I mind the scandal? It’s having loved you that I mind. That is the shame that will never wear out.
[There is a pause.
Philip: I suppose I have been saying things I didn’t altogether mean.
Ann: I don’t think so.
Philip: It’s no good saying I am sorry, is it?
Ann: No.
Philip: I should like to try and make you understand.
Ann: I understand everything—now.
Philip: At the beginning there are so many things. Surprise, discovery, exploration, enchantment. You are always going a step further—a delicious unacknowledged step—or rather you don’t go further, but you are always finding yourself further—further and deeper. And later, when you are tiring, there are still inflamed moments—moments of passion, meaningless victories of the senses over the heart, which are greedily accepted as proofs of love.
Ann: Don’t....
Philip: And with you there was nothing. No pride I could hurt, no vanity I could offend, no self-respect I could outrage. You gave your whole self to me, and therefore I was without weapons. There wasn’t anyone I could deal with.
Ann(icily): Is it usually very easy to bring a woman to breaking-point—to breaking-off point, I mean?
Philip(cynically): It can be done.
Ann: It has been beautifully done this time. There is nothing left, nothing at all, no mess of regrets and pangs and importunities.
Philip: Ann, Ann dearest, don’t!
Ann(with immense scorn): Are you going to makeloveto me?
Philip: There is no making about it. I have cared very much.
Ann: You are incredible.
Philip: I wouldn’t like to leave you unnecessarily hurt by foolish things that I said in a temper.
Ann: You have not hurt me; you have emptied me, depopulated me of everything I have ever known and believed. I shall be able to go out and look at life and try to find out what things exist and where they are.
[Pause.
Philip(curiously): Ann, where did you think I was that night?
Ann: What night?
Philip: The night of the debate.
Ann: I didn’t know. I thought perhaps that you had been frightened.
Philip: Iwaswith a woman.
Ann: Oh!
Philip: They were right after all, you see.
[Pause.
Ann: I think I would like you to go.
Philip: Ann!
Ann(icily): It is no good my discussing it with a stranger, is it? He wouldn’t understand.
[Philipis walking up and down the room.
Ann: I think I asked you to go.
Philip: I hate to leave you like this.
[Annis looking out of the window with her back turned toward him.
Philip: Ann!
Ann: Good-bye!
Philip: Good-bye!
[ExitPhilip.
[Pause.
[EnterNinian.
Ninian: Hullo!
Ann: Is that you?
Ninian: You do look a wreck.
Ann(nervously): Ninian....
Ninian: Yes?
Ann(she thinks better of it): Did you have a good meeting?
Ninian: Pretty good.
Ann(still more nervously): Ninian....
Ninian: Yes?
Ann: I am afraid that what I said the other night distressed you.
Ninian: That tommy-rot about Jordan?
Ann: Yes.
Ninian: Hysteria, that’s what it was.
Ann: Yes.
Ninian: You cold women aren’t quite normal. No natural outlets, so you go and invent things.
Ann: It was just a silly joke.
Ninian(putting his arm around her): After all, you didn’t need to invent a lover.
Ann(shuddering): Don’t!
Ninian: I see what a fool I’ve been to let my little prude be a little prude.
Ann: You mustn’t....
Ninian: Turn your face around.
Ann: No.
Ninian: Those days are over, my darling.
[Ninianturns her face round and kisses and kisses her. When he is finished, they are both flushed; her hair is dishevelled and he is out of breath.
Ninian: That’s what you needed, isn’t it?
Ann: How dare you! How dare you!
Ninian: You prefer the imaginary Mr. Jordan?
Ann: If you ever do that again, I shall kill you!
Ninian: What a little vixen you are!
Ann: I mean it.
Ninian: My dear, seriously, you ask a little too much of life. For years you have been worshipped from afar by reverent friends as a saint and a statue. I joinedthem in my awe of the cold, good woman, beautiful and untouched. I respected my model wife. Then, one fine day, you tell us that you have a lover—you proclaim it with flaming passion. No one believes you. Of course it isn’t true. You are the saint. What you say is only the flaring loyalty of friendship. You are such a wonderful friend, with such a beautiful, unworldly sense of the relationship.
Ann: Don’t!
Ninian: You all think I’m a fool, don’t you? I can’t talk. I’m not witty. I take myself seriously, and my duties seriously. Supposing some day you discover that I was not stupid as I seemed?
Ann: I never thought you stupid.
Ninian: Because I don’t choose to play at eighteenth-century conversations with two ridiculous old men and one intolerable young girl, because I have nothing to say to your disreputable old aunt, you think I see nothing. I let them laugh at me because it is the only thing theycando; but sometimes when I am alone, I laugh at them—I, who have no sense of humour; Ninian, your one great blunder.
Ann: Please!
Ninian: Well, you’ve often had your little laughs against me. Now, for a change, you and I are going to be fellow conspirators.
Ann(frightened): What do you mean?
Ninian: I’m a simple man; I don’t go in for psychology. I can’t talk. I don’t want to. It is a curtain between you and life. Your uncle, your aunt, Molyneux, Selina, they make patterns over everything, but it doesn’t change the underneath.
Ann: They only pretend.
Ninian: They think they pretend, but they get caught themselves. They thought it would be amusing to have a saint in the family. You were the only possible candidate. In fact, I agree that you fitted admirably into the rôle. You are unselfish and conscientious and charitable. Only you upset their calculations by being a real person.
Ann: They are all like that underneath.
Ninian: And you fell in love; that made you more human still.
Ann: What do you mean?
Ninian: And one day, their artificial chatter became unbearable and you told them the truth.
Ann: Do you mean that silly joke about Mr. Jordan?
Ninian: Precisely. But they were so well trained that they didn’t believe you.
Ann: I don’t understand.
Ninian: You weren’t playing the game of love according to their rules.
Ann(terrified): Ninian!
Ninian: So they pointed out to one another that you were rather more of a saint than even they had supposed.
Ann: Ninian, why are you torturing me? Pretending to believe that ridiculous story.
Ninian: I have watched you for some time, my dear, and I have come to the conclusion that you are suffering from a very dangerous disease. Ann, you are a human being. Incidentally, you are my wife.
Ann: Of course.
Ninian: You haven’t been much of a wife to me, have you, my little Ann?
[Ninianis getting closer to her.Annrecoils.
Ann: I have tried to be.
Ninian: You have been the wife of the Lord Lieutenant, the mistress of his household. Now, my darling, you are going to be my wife, my mistress.
[His tone is half bullying, half insinuating. He is obviously enjoying having her on the rack.
Ann: Ninian, you are so different. I—you—I mean I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Ninian: You’ll soon know, my darling. Don’t shudder.
[Annhas got up and is moving away from him.
Ninian: Come here!
[Like a C. O.
Ninian: Come here!
[Niniangets up and dragsAnnto the sofa, pushing her on to her knees and imprisoning her between his two legs. With one hand he is holding her two wrists behind her back, with the other he is stroking her hair.
Ninian: They didn’t know how to treat you, did they? Tim and the others? Only Jordan knew. Women always capitulate to the men who think lightly of love.
Ann: Ninian, you’re hurting me.
Ninian: I’m asserting myself, my dear. Master and Mistress—that’s what a household needs.
[He laughs.
Ninian: By Jove, that’s good—worthy of your uncle.
Ann: Let me go.
Ninian: Where are those beautiful manners? Say “Please let me go, dear Ninian.”
Ann: Please let me go.
[Ninianreleases her. She gets up and walks towards the window.
Ninian: I didn’t say you might walk away. Sit there. It is delightful to feel that we are sharing a secret—fellow conspirators.
[Pause.
Ninian: Where is the charming family chatter? And surely even your usual courtesy would compel you to answer when you are spoken to.
Ann: Ninian, please let me go and wash my face and tidy my hair.
Ninian: By all means. Make yourself pretty. I shall still be here.
[ExitAnn.
[EnterLord WilliamandSelina.
Lord William: Good morning, Ninian.
Ninian: Good morning.
Lord William: You seem in excellent spirits.
Ninian: I am.
Lord William: Bolshies red as ever?
Ninian: I beg your pardon?
Lord William: Red as the faces of their most apoplectic opponents.
Selina: Papa, you’re getting vulgar.
Ninian: It is a sad thing that a man with your father’s attainments should not have devoted his gifts to the service of his country.
Lord William(dryly): I leave that to you and Jordan.
Selina: Mr. Jordan is altogether detestable.
Lord William: By the way, Ninian, I’ve found something out about Jordan.
Ninian: What?
Lord William: That night when he didn’t turn up to make his speech. You remember? The occasion Ann made that tirade about.
Ninian: Yes.
Lord William: Well, it was true. He was with a woman.
Ninian(paling): What?
Lord William: Tommy Dunn saw him getting out of a taxi with a woman at one a.m. at the door of a block of flats—flats that I am afraid Tommy knows only too well. He’s quite certain it was Jordan because Jordan’s hat fell off and he picked it up.
Ninian: Good God!
[EnterAnn, looking very pale. She has obviously been weeping.
Ninian: Ann, did you hear what Uncle William said?
Ann: Yes, I knew.
Ninian: Knew what?
Ann: Knew that Mr. Jordan was with a woman that night.
Ninian: Then why the devil——
Ann: I know. I was a fool. It was a silly thing to do. It was the first thing that came into my head.
Ninian: Uncle William, I have insulted my wife this morning in a way that no woman has ever been insulted before. Ann, do you think that you can ever forgive me?
Ann: I forgive you.
Ninian(taking her hand and kissing it): You are a saint.
Ann: Alas, no. You were right, Ninian. Only a human being.
[EnterMolyneuxandLady Emily. They are all talking.Lord WilliamandAnnare D. S. L. corner.
Lady Emily: There is nothing like the country, Ann, nothing like it.
Molyneux: Home, sweet home. When I am asked if I have any relations I always say, I have some Cathcart connections.
Ann(in a tone of desperate weariness): Everything is going round and round just the same, though the bottom has fallen out of life.
Lord William: My dear, life is a merry-go-round. It never stops for you however many things you drop. The onlooker sees you sitting on the same painted swan, but he can’t see your broken heart unless you show it to him. There is only one rule—not to fall off.
Ann: What is there left for me?
Lord William: Your painted swan.
Lady Emily: As we were crossing the park we met the vicar, who said, “Quite a stranger, Lady Emily.” It is delightful to be able to count on something in this world.
Molyneux: Candover means a great deal to me. In the whole shifting scene of life, here alone I find my certainties.
Lady Emily: Selina, do you remember that little thing like barley sugar who married a big-game shooter?
Ann(desperately, toLord William): Listen to them. I can’t bear it. They are going on as if nothing had happened.
Lord William: Nothing has happened.
Ann: They are just the same—just the same as they were the day before yesterday.
Lord William: Just the same as they were fifty years ago. Why should they change now?
Ann: And Ninian thinks that he has wronged me, and Tim believes that I am a saint.
Lord William: Ninian did wrong you and you are a saint.
Ann: What was it you said? In life we don’t go from one thing to another, but from one thing to the same thing.
Lord William: You see, one is after all the same person. Whatever we do, our actions are defeated by our characters.
Ann: Then this merry-go-round is a life sentence?
Lord William: And you can’t change your swan without falling.
Ann(passionately): I want to fall——
Lord William(gently): Listen, my dear, to what Emily is saying.
Lady Emily:—she really was a very silly woman. Looking up with her huge blue eyes, she said, “My husband married me for love.”
Molyneux:—And I commented acidly, “So many marriages can only be explained by love.”
Lady Emily:—And the fool answered, “Dear Mr. Molyneux, it does me good to hear you say that. I knew you were an idealist.”
Molyneux:—And then——?
Curtain
Washington,November, 1922.
Printed atThe Chapel River Press,Kingston, Surrey.