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Plays: Lady Frederick, The Explorer, A Man of Honour
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Год написания книги
2017
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How can you say that of your wife?
Basil
Don't you think I must have gone through a good deal before I could acknowledge to myself what she was? I'm chained to her for all my life. And when I look into the future – I see her a vulgar, slatternly shrew like her mother, and myself abject, degraded, and despicable. The woman never tires in her conflict with the man, and in the end he always succumbs. A man, when he marries a woman like that, thinks he's going to lift her up to his own station. The fool! It's she who drags him down to hers.
Hilda
[Much disturbed, rising from her seat.] I wanted you to be so happy.
Basil
[Going towards her.] Hilda!
Hilda
No – don't… Please!
Basil
If it weren't for you I couldn't have lived. It was only by seeing you that I gathered courage to go on with it. And each time I came here I loved you more passionately.
Hilda
Oh, why did you come?
Basil
I couldn't help it. I knew it was poison, but I loved the poison. I would give my whole soul for one look of your eyes.
Hilda
If you care for me at all, do your duty like a brave man – and let me respect you.
Basil
Say that you love me, Hilda.
Hilda
[Distracted.] You're making our friendship impossible. Don't you see that you're preventing me from ever having you here again?
Basil
I can't help it.
Hilda
I ought never to have seen you again. I thought there was no harm in your coming, and I – I couldn't bear to lose you altogether.
Basil
Even if I never see you again, I must tell you now that I love you. I made you suffer, I was blind. But I love you with all my heart, Hilda. All day I think of you, and I dream of you in the night. I long to take you in my arms and kiss you, to kiss your lips, and your beautiful hair, and your hands. My whole soul is yours, Hilda.
[He goes towards her again to take her in his arms.
Hilda
Oh, no, go away. For God's sake, go now. I can't bear it.
Basil
Hilda, I can't live without you.
Hilda
Have mercy on me. Don't you see how weak I am? Oh, God help me!
Basil
You don't love me?
Hilda
[Vehemently.] You know I love you. But because of my great love I beseech you to do your duty.
Basil
My duty is to be happy. Let us go where we can love one another – away from England, to a land where love isn't sinful and ugly.
Hilda
Oh, Basil, let us try to walk straight. Think of your wife, who loves you also – as much as I do. You're all the world to her. You can't treat her so shamefully.
[She puts her handkerchief to her eyes, and Basil gently takes away her hand.
Basil
Don't cry, Hilda. I can't bear it.
Hilda
[In broken tones.] Don't you understand that we could never respect ourselves again if we did that poor creature such a fearful wrong? She would be always between us with her tears and her sorrows. I tell you I couldn't bear it. Have mercy on me – if you love me at all.
Basil
[Wavering.] Hilda, it's too hard. I can't leave you.
Hilda
Basil
Don't you think I must have gone through a good deal before I could acknowledge to myself what she was? I'm chained to her for all my life. And when I look into the future – I see her a vulgar, slatternly shrew like her mother, and myself abject, degraded, and despicable. The woman never tires in her conflict with the man, and in the end he always succumbs. A man, when he marries a woman like that, thinks he's going to lift her up to his own station. The fool! It's she who drags him down to hers.
Hilda
[Much disturbed, rising from her seat.] I wanted you to be so happy.
Basil
[Going towards her.] Hilda!
Hilda
No – don't… Please!
Basil
If it weren't for you I couldn't have lived. It was only by seeing you that I gathered courage to go on with it. And each time I came here I loved you more passionately.
Hilda
Oh, why did you come?
Basil
I couldn't help it. I knew it was poison, but I loved the poison. I would give my whole soul for one look of your eyes.
Hilda
If you care for me at all, do your duty like a brave man – and let me respect you.
Basil
Say that you love me, Hilda.
Hilda
[Distracted.] You're making our friendship impossible. Don't you see that you're preventing me from ever having you here again?
Basil
I can't help it.
Hilda
I ought never to have seen you again. I thought there was no harm in your coming, and I – I couldn't bear to lose you altogether.
Basil
Even if I never see you again, I must tell you now that I love you. I made you suffer, I was blind. But I love you with all my heart, Hilda. All day I think of you, and I dream of you in the night. I long to take you in my arms and kiss you, to kiss your lips, and your beautiful hair, and your hands. My whole soul is yours, Hilda.
[He goes towards her again to take her in his arms.
Hilda
Oh, no, go away. For God's sake, go now. I can't bear it.
Basil
Hilda, I can't live without you.
Hilda
Have mercy on me. Don't you see how weak I am? Oh, God help me!
Basil
You don't love me?
Hilda
[Vehemently.] You know I love you. But because of my great love I beseech you to do your duty.
Basil
My duty is to be happy. Let us go where we can love one another – away from England, to a land where love isn't sinful and ugly.
Hilda
Oh, Basil, let us try to walk straight. Think of your wife, who loves you also – as much as I do. You're all the world to her. You can't treat her so shamefully.
[She puts her handkerchief to her eyes, and Basil gently takes away her hand.
Basil
Don't cry, Hilda. I can't bear it.
Hilda
[In broken tones.] Don't you understand that we could never respect ourselves again if we did that poor creature such a fearful wrong? She would be always between us with her tears and her sorrows. I tell you I couldn't bear it. Have mercy on me – if you love me at all.
Basil
[Wavering.] Hilda, it's too hard. I can't leave you.
Hilda
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