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

some valuable introductions to capitalists of the right sort. I formed a syndicate; and the present enterprise is the result. I became leader, as the Jew always becomes leader, by his brains and imagination. But with all my pride of race I would give everything I possess to be an Englishman. I am like a boy: I cut her name on the trees and her initials on the sod. When I am alone I lie down and tear my wretched hair and cry Louisa⁠— Straker Startled. Louisa! Mendoza It is her name⁠—Louisa⁠—Louisa Straker⁠— Tanner Straker! Straker Scrambling up on his knees most indignantly. Look here: Louisa Straker is my sister, see? Wot do you mean by gassin about her like this? Wot she got to do with you? Mendoza A dramatic coincidence! You are Enry, her favorite brother! Straker Oo are you callin Enry? What call have you to take a liberty with my name or with hers? For two pins I’d punch your fat ed, so I would. Mendoza With grandiose calm. If I let you do it, will you promise to brag of it afterwards to her? She will be reminded of her Mendoza: that is all I desire. Tanner This is genuine devotion, Henry. You should respect it. Straker Fiercely. Funk, more likely. Mendoza Springing to his feet. Funk! Young man: I come of a famous family of fighters; and as your sister well knows, you would have as much chance against me as a perambulator against your motor car. Straker Secretly daunted, but rising from his knees with an air of reckless pugnacity. I ain’t afraid of you. With your Louisa! Louisa! Miss Straker is good enough for you, I should think. Mendoza I wish you could persuade her to think so. Straker Exasperated. Here⁠— Tanner Rising quickly and interposing. Oh come, Henry: even if you could fight the President you can’t fight the whole League of the Sierra. Sit down again and be friendly. A cat may look at a king; and even a President of brigands may look at your sister. All this family pride is really very old fashioned. Straker Subdued, but grumbling. Let him look at her. But wot does he mean by makin out that she ever looked at im? Reluctantly resuming his couch on the turf. Ear him talk, one ud think she was keepin company with him. He turns his back on them and composes himself to sleep. Mendoza

To Tanner, becoming more confidential as he finds himself virtually alone with a sympathetic listener in the still starlight of the mountains; for all the rest are asleep by this time. It was just so with her, sir. Her intellect reached forward into the twentieth century: her social prejudices and family affections reached back into the dark ages. Ah, sir, how the words of Shakespeare seem to fit every crisis in our emotions!

I loved Louisa: 40,000 brothers
Could not with all their quantity of love
Make up my sum.

And so on. I forget the rest. Call it madness if you will⁠—infatuation. I am an able man, a strong man: in ten years I should have owned a first-class hotel. I met her; and you see! I am a brigand, an outcast. Even Shakespeare cannot do justice to what I feel for Louisa. Let me read you some lines that I have written about her myself. However slight their literary merit may be, they express what I feel better than any casual words can. He produces a packet of hotel bills scrawled with manuscript, and kneels at the fire to decipher them, poking it with a stick to make it glow.

Tanner Clapping him rudely on the shoulder. Put them in the fire, President. Mendoza Startled. Eh? Tanner You are sacrificing your career to a monomania. Mendoza I know it. Tanner No you don’t. No man would commit such a crime against himself if he really knew what he was doing. How can you look round at these august hills, look up at this divine sky, taste this finely tempered air, and then talk like a literary hack on a second floor in Bloomsbury? Mendoza Shaking his head. The Sierra is no better than Bloomsbury when once the novelty has worn off. Besides, these mountains make you dream of women⁠—of women with magnificent hair. Tanner Of Louisa, in short. They will not make me dream of women, my friend: I am heartwhole. Mendoza Do not boast until morning, sir. This is a strange country for dreams. Tanner Well, we shall see. Goodnight. He lies down and composes himself to sleep. Mendoza, with a sigh, follows his example; and for a few moments there is peace in the Sierra. Then Mendoza sits up suddenly and says pleadingly to Tanner⁠— Mendoza Just allow me to read a few lines before you go to sleep. I should really like your opinion of them. Tanner Drowsily. Go on. I am listening. Mendoza I saw thee first in Whitsun week Louisa, Louisa⁠— Tanner Roaring himself. My dear President, Louisa is a very pretty name; but it really doesn’t rhyme well to Whitsun week. Mendoza Of course not. Louisa is not the rhyme, but the refrain. Tanner Subsiding. Ah, the refrain. I beg your pardon. Go on. Mendoza

Perhaps you do not care for that one: I think you will like this better. He recites, in rich soft tones, and to slow time.

Louisa, I love thee.
I love thee, Louisa.
Louisa, Louisa, Louisa, I love thee.
One name and one phrase make my music,
Louisa. Louisa, Louisa, Louisa, I love thee.

Mendoza thy lover,
Thy lover, Mendoza,
Mendoza adoringly lives for Louisa.
There’s nothing but that in the world for Mendoza.
Louisa, Louisa, Mendoza adores thee.

Affected. There is no merit in producing beautiful lines upon such a name. Louisa is an exquisite name, is it not?

Tanner All but asleep, responds with a faint groan. Mendoza

O wert thou, Louisa,
The wife of Mendoza,
Mendoza’s Louisa, Louisa Mendoza,
How blessed were the life of Louisa’s Mendoza!
How painless his longing of love for Louisa!