Plays: Lady Frederick, The Explorer, A Man of Honour

Name: Plays: Lady Frederick, The Explorer, A Man of Honour
Rating: 5 (2 reviews)
Author: Сомерсет Моэм

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Сомерсет Моэм

Год написания книги

2017

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Mrs. Crowley

Why is it, when you're so nice really, that you do all you can to make people think you utterly horrid?

Alec

Don't laugh at me because you've found out that at heart I'm nothing more than a sentimental old woman.

Mrs. Crowley

[Putting her hand on his arm.] What would you do if Lucy came here to-day?

    [Alec starts, looks at her sharply, then answers with deliberation.

Alec

I have always lived in polite society. I should never dream of outraging its conventions. If Miss Allerton happened to come, you may be sure I should be scrupulously polite.

Mrs. Crowley

Is that all? Lucy has suffered very much.

Alec

And do you suppose I've not suffered? Because I don't whine my misery to all and sundry, d'you think I don't care? I'm not the man to fall in and out of love with every pretty face I meet. All my life I've kept an ideal before my eyes. Oh, you don't know what it meant to me to fall in love. I felt that I had lived all my life in a prison, and at last Lucy came and took me by the hand and led me out. And for the first time I breathed the free air of heaven. Oh God! how I've suffered for it! Why should it have come to me? Oh, if you knew my agony and the torture!

    [He hides his face, trying to master his emotion. Mrs. Crowley goes to him and puts her hand on his shoulder.

Mrs. Crowley

Mr. Mackenzie.

Alec

[Springing up.] Go away. Don't look at me. How can you stand there and watch my weakness? Oh God, give me strength… My love was the last human weakness I had. It was right that I should drink that bitter cup. And I've drunk its very dregs. I should have known that I wasn't meant for happiness and a life of ease. I have other work to do in the world. And now that I have overcome this last temptation, I am ready to do it.

Mrs. Crowley

But haven't you any pity for yourself, haven't you any thought for Lucy?

Alec

Must I tell you, too, that everything I did was for Lucy's sake? And still I love her with all my heart and soul…

Dick comes in

Dick

Here is Lucy!

    [Charles comes in and announces Lucy.

Charles

Miss Allerton!

    [She enters, and Dick, anxious that the meeting shall not be more awkward than need be, goes up to her very cordially.

Dick

Ah, my dear Lucy. So glad you were able to come.

Lucy

[Giving her hand to Dick, but looking at Alec.] How d'you do?

Alec

How d'you do? [He forces himself to talk.] How is Lady Kelsey?

Lucy

She's much better, thanks. We've been to Spa, you know, for her health.

Alec

Somebody told me you'd gone abroad. Was it you, Dick? Dick is an admirable person, a sort of gazetteer for polite society.

Dick

Won't you have some tea, Lucy?

Lucy

No, thanks!

Mrs. Crowley

[Trying on her side also to make conversation.] We shall miss you dreadfully when you're gone, Mr. Mackenzie.

Dick

[Cheerfully.] Not a bit of it.

Alec

[Smiling.] London is an excellent place for showing one of how little importance one is in the world. One makes a certain figure, and perhaps is tempted to think oneself of some consequence. Then one goes away, and on returning is surprised to discover that nobody has even noticed one's absence.

Dick