第25章

VALENTINE.No, I didn't: I adored you.(She rises quickly and turns her back on him.) And you can never take that moment away from me.So now I don't care what happens.(He comes down the room addressing a cheerful explanation to nobody in particular.) I'm perfectly aware that I'm talking nonsense.I can't help it.(To Mrs.Clandon.) I love Gloria; and there's an end of it.

MRS.CLANDON (emphatically).Mr.Valentine: you are a most dangerous man.Gloria: come here.(Gloria, wondering a little at the command, obeys, and stands, with drooping head, on her mother's right hand, Valentine being on the opposite side.Mrs.Clandon then begins, with intense scorn.) Ask this man whom you have inspired and made brave, how many women have inspired him before (Gloria looks up suddenly with a flash of jealous anger and amazement); how many times he has laid the trap in which he has caught you; how often he has baited it with the same speeches; how much practice it has taken to make him perfect in his chosen part in life as the Duellist of Sex.

VALENTINE.This isn't fair.You're abusing my confidence, Mrs.

Clandon.

MRS.CLANDON.Ask him, Gloria.

GLORIA (in a flush of rage, going over to him with her fists clenched).Is that true?

VALENTINE.Don't be angry---

GLORIA (interrupting him implacably).Is it true? Did you ever say that before? Did you ever feel that before---for another woman?

VALENTINE (bluntly).Yes.(Gloria raises her clenched hands.)MRS.CLANDON (horrified, springing to her side and catching her uplifted arm).Gloria!! My dear! You're forgetting yourself.

(Gloria, with a deep expiration, slowly relaxes her threatening attitude.)VALENTINE.Remember: a man's power of love and admiration is like any other of his powers: he has to throw it away many times before he learns what is really worthy of it.

MRS.CLANDON.Another of the old speeches, Gloria.Take care.

VALENTINE (remonstrating).Oh!

GLORIA (to Mrs.Clandon, with contemptuous self-possession).Do you think I need to be warned now? (To Valentine.) You have tried to make me love you.

VALENTINE.I have.

GLORIA.Well, you have succeeded in making me hate you---passionately.

VALENTINE (philosophically).It's surprising how little difference there is between the two.(Gloria turns indignantly away from him.He continues, to Mrs.Clandon) I know men whose wives love them; and they go on exactly like that.

MRS.CLANDON.Excuse me, Mr.Valentine; but had you not better go?

GLORIA.You need not send him away on my account, mother.He is nothing to me now; and he will amuse Dolly and Phil.(She sits down with slighting indifference, at the end of the table nearest the window.)VALENTINE (gaily).Of course: that's the sensible way of looking at it.Come, Mrs.Clandon: you can't quarrel with a mere butterfly like me.

MRS.CLANDON.I very greatly mistrust you, Mr.Valentine.But I do not like to think that your unfortunate levity of disposition is mere shamelessness and worthlessness;---GLORIA (to herself, but aloud).It is shameless; and it is worthless.

MRS.CLANDON.---so perhaps we had better send for Phil and Dolly and allow you to end your visit in the ordinary way.

VALENTINE (as if she had paid him the highest compliment).You overwhelm me, Mrs.Clandon.Thank you.(The waiter enters.)WAITER.Mr.McComas, ma'am.

MRS.CLANDON.Oh, certainly.Bring him in.

WAITER.He wishes to see you in the reception-room, ma'am.

MRS.CLANDON.Why not here?

WAITER.Well, if you will excuse my mentioning it, ma'am, I think Mr.McComas feels that he would get fairer play if he could speak to you away from the younger members of your family, ma'am.

MRS.CLANDON.Tell him they are not here.

WAITER.They are within sight of the door, ma'am; and very watchful, for some reason or other.

MRS.CLANDON (going).Oh, very well: I'll go to him.

WAITER (holding the door open for her).Thank you, ma'am.(She goes out.He comes back into the room, and meets the eye of Valentine, who wants him to go.) All right, sir.Only the tea-things, sir.(Taking the tray.) Excuse me, sir.Thank you sir.(He goes out.)VALENTINE (to Gloria).Look here.You will forgive me, sooner or later.Forgive me now.

GLORIA (rising to level the declaration more intensely at him).

Never! While grass grows or water runs, never, never, never!!!

VALENTINE (unabashed).Well, I don't care.I can't be unhappy about anything.I shall never be unhappy again, never, never, never, while grass grows or water runs.The thought of you will always make me wild with joy.(Some quick taunt is on her lips: he interposes swiftly.)No: I never said that before: that's new.

GLORIA.It will not be new when you say it to the next woman.

VALENTINE.Oh, don't, Gloria, don't.(He kneels at her feet.)GLORIA.Get up.Get up! How dare you? (Phil and Dolly, racing, as usual, for first place, burst into the room.They check themselves on seeing what is passing.Valentine springs up.)PHILIP (discreetly).I beg your pardon.Come, Dolly.(He turns to go.)GLORIA (annoyed).Mother will be back in a moment, Phil.

(Severely.) Please wait here for her.(She turns away to the window, where she stands looking out with her back to them.)PHILIP (significantly).Oh, indeed.Hmhm!

DOLLY.Ahah!

PHILIP.You seem in excellent spirits, Valentine.

VALENTINE.I am.(Comes between them.) Now look here.You both know what's going on, don't you? (Gloria turns quickly, as if anticipating some fresh outrage.)DOLLY.Perfectly.

VALENTINE.Well, it's all over.I've been refused---scorned.I'm only here on sufferance.You understand: it's all over.Your sister is in no sense entertaining my addresses, or condescending to interest herself in me in any way.(Gloria, satisfied, turns back contemptuously to the window.) Is that clear?

DOLLY.Serve you right.You were in too great a hurry.

PHILIP (patting him on the shoulder).Never mind: you'd never have been able to call your soul your own if she'd married you.You can now begin a new chapter in your life.