Man and Superman, George Bernard Shaw [hardest books to read txt] 📗

under our foot as it descends: your bodies are under our wheels as we start. No woman shall ever enslave me in that way. Ann But, Jack, you cannot get through life without considering other people a little. Tanner Aye; but what other people? It is this consideration of other people or rather this cowardly fear of them which we call consideration that makes us the sentimental slaves we are. To consider you, as you call it, is to substitute your will for my own. How if it be a baser will than mine? Are women taught better than men or worse? Are mobs of voters taught better than statesmen or worse? Worse, of course, in both cases. And then what sort of world are you going to get, with its public men considering its voting mobs, and its private men considering their wives? What does church and state mean nowadays? The woman and the ratepayer. Ann Placidly. I am so glad you understand politics, Jack: it will be most useful to you if you go into parliament. He collapses like a pricked bladder. But I am sorry you thought my influence a bad one. Tanner I don’t say it was a bad one. But bad or good, I didn’t choose to be cut to your measure. And I won’t be cut to it. Ann Nobody wants you to, Jack. I assure you⁠—really on my word⁠—I don’t mind your queer opinions one little bit. You know we have all been brought up to have advanced opinions. Why do you persist in thinking me so narrow minded? Tanner That’s the danger of it. I know you don’t mind, because you’ve found out that it doesn’t matter. The boa constrictor doesn’t mind the opinions of a stag one little bit when once she has got her coils round it. Ann Rising in sudden enlightenment. O-o-o-o-oh! Now I understand why you warned Tavy that I am a boa constrictor. Granny told me. She laughs and throws her boa around her neck. Doesn’t it feel nice and soft, Jack? Tanner In the toils. You scandalous woman, will you throw away even your hypocrisy? Ann I am never hypocritical with you, Jack. Are you angry? She withdraws the boa and throws it on a chair. Perhaps I shouldn’t have done that. Tanner Contemptuously. Pooh, prudery! Why should you not, if it amuses you? Ann Shyly. Well, because⁠—because I suppose what you really meant by the boa constrictor was this. She puts her arms round his neck. Tanner Staring at her. Magnificent audacity! She laughs and pats his cheeks. Now just to think that if I mentioned this episode not a soul would believe me except the people who would cut me for telling, whilst if you accused me of it nobody would believe my denial. Ann Taking her arms away with perfect dignity. You are incorrigible, Jack. But you should not jest about our affection for one another. Nobody could possibly misunderstand it. You do not misunderstand it, I hope. Tanner My blood interprets for me, Ann. Poor Ricky Ticky Tavy! Ann Looking quickly at him as if this were a new light. Surely you are not so absurd as to be jealous of Tavy. Tanner Jealous! Why should I be? But I don’t wonder at your grip of him. I feel the coils tightening round my very self, though you are only playing with me. Ann Do you think I have designs on Tavy? Tanner I know you have. Ann Earnestly. Take care, Jack. You may make Tavy very unhappy if you mislead him about me. Tanner Never fear: he will not escape you. Ann I wonder are you really a clever man! Tanner Why this sudden misgiving on the subject? Ann You seem to understand all the things I don’t understand; but you are a perfect baby in the things I do understand. Tanner I understand how Tavy feels for you, Ann; you may depend on that, at all events. Ann And you think you understand how I feel for Tavy, don’t you? Tanner I know only too well what is going to happen to poor Tavy. Ann I should laugh at you, Jack, if it were not for poor papa’s death. Mind! Tavy will be very unhappy. Tanner Yes; but he won’t know it, poor devil. He is a thousand times too good for you. That’s why he is going to make the mistake of his life about you. Ann I think men make more mistakes by being too clever than by being too good. She sits down, with a trace of contempt for the whole male sex in the elegant carriage of her shoulders. Tanner Oh, I know you don’t care very much about Tavy. But there is always one who kisses and one who only allows the kiss. Tavy will kiss; and you will only turn the cheek. And you will throw him over if anybody better turns up. Ann Offended. You have no right to say such things, Jack. They are not true, and not delicate. If you and Tavy choose to be stupid about me, that is not my fault. Tanner Remorsefully. Forgive my brutalities, Ann. They are levelled at this wicked world, not at you. She looks up at him, pleased and forgiving. He becomes cautious at once. All the same, I wish Ramsden would come back. I never feel safe with you: there is a devilish charm⁠—or no: not a charm, a subtle interest. She laughs. Just so: you know it; and you triumph in it. Openly and shamelessly triumph in it! Ann What a shocking flirt you are, Jack! Tanner A flirt!! I!! Ann Yes, a flirt. You are always abusing and offending people, but you never really mean to let go your hold of them. Tanner I will ring the bell. This conversation has already gone further than I intended. Ramsden and Octavius come back with Miss Ramsden, a hardheaded old maiden lady in a plain brown silk gown, with enough rings, chains and brooches to show that