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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You're over-modest, Alec. If you weren't, you might be a great man. Now, I make a point of telling my friends that I'm indispensable, and they take me at my word.

Alec

You are a leaven of flippancy in the heavy dough of British righteousness.

Dick

The wise man only takes the unimportant quite seriously.

Alec

[With a smile.] For it is obvious that it needs more brains to do nothing than to be a cabinet minister.

Dick

You pay me a great compliment, Alec. You repeat to my very face one of my favourite observations.

Lucy

[Almost in a whisper.] Haven't I heard you say that only the impossible is worth doing?

Alec

Good heavens, I must have been reading the headings of a copy-book.

Mrs. Crowley

[To Dick.] Are you going to Southampton to see Mr. Mackenzie off?

Dick

I shall hide my face on his shoulder and weep salt tears. It'll be most affecting, because in moments of emotion I always burst into epigram.

Alec

I loathe all solemn leave-takings. I prefer to part from people with a nod and a smile, whether I'm going for ever or for a day to Brighton.

Mrs. Crowley

You're very hard.

Alec

Dick has been teaching me to take life flippantly. And I have learnt that things are only serious if you take them seriously, and that is desperately stupid. [To Lucy.] Don't you agree with me?

Lucy

No.

    [Her tone, almost tragic, makes him pause for an instant; but he is determined that the conversation shall be purely conventional.

Alec

It's so difficult to be serious without being absurd. That is the chief power of women, that life and death are merely occasions for a change of costume: marriage a creation in white, and the worship of God an opportunity for a Paris bonnet.

    [Mrs. Crowley makes up her mind to force a crisis, and she gets up.

Mrs. Crowley

It's growing late, Dick. Won't you take me round the house?

Alec

I'm afraid my luggage has made everything very disorderly.

Mrs. Crowley

It doesn't matter. Come, Dick!

Dick

[To Lucy.] You don't mind if we leave you?

Lucy

Oh, no.

    [Mrs. Crowley and Dick go out. There is a moment's silence.

Alec

Do you know that our friend Dick has offered his hand and heart to Mrs. Crowley this afternoon?

Lucy

I hope they'll be very happy. They're very much in love with one another.

Alec

[Bitterly.] And is that a reason for marrying? Surely love is the worst possible foundation for marriage. Love creates illusions, and marriages destroy them. True lovers should never marry.

Lucy

Will you open the window? It seems stifling here.

Alec

Certainly. [From the window.] You can't think what a joy it is to look upon London for the last time. I'm so thankful to get away.