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

letter, Dad: you can’t get over that. Malone Raising his voice. I won’t be talked back to by you, d’y’ hear? Violet Ssh! Please, please. Here they all come. Father and son, checked, glare mutely at one another as Tanner comes in through the little gate with Ramsden, followed by Octavius and Ann. Violet Back already! Tanner The Alhambra is not open this afternoon. Violet What a sell! Tanner passes on, and presently finds himself between Hector and a strange elder, both apparently on the verge of personal combat. He looks from one to the other for an explanation. They sulkily avoid his eye, and nurse their wrath in silence. Ramsden Is it wise for you to be out in the sunshine with such a headache, Violet? Tanner Have you recovered too, Malone? Violet Oh, I forgot. We have not all met before. Mr. Malone: won’t you introduce your father? Hector With Roman firmness. No, I will not. He is no father of mine. Malone Very angry. You disown your dad before your English friends, do you? Violet Oh please don’t make a scene. Ann and Octavius, lingering near the gate, exchange an astonished glance, and discreetly withdraw up the steps to the garden, where they can enjoy the disturbance without intruding. On their way to the steps Ann sends a little grimace of mute sympathy to Violet, who is standing with her back to the little table, looking on in helpless annoyance as her husband soars to higher and higher moral eminences without the least regard to the old man’s millions. Hector I’m very sorry, Miss Robinson; but I’m contending for a principle. I am a son, and, I hope, a dutiful one; but before everything I’m a man!!! And when Dad treats my private letters as his own, and takes it on himself to say that I shan’t marry you if I am happy and fortunate enough to gain your consent, then I just snap my fingers and go my own way. Tanner Marry Violet! Ramsden Are you in your senses? Tanner Do you forget what we told you? Hector Recklessly. I don’t care what you told me. Ramsden Scandalized. Tut tut, sir! Monstrous! He flings away towards the gate, his elbows quivering with indignation. Tanner Another madman! These men in love should be locked up. He gives Hector up as hopeless, and turns away towards the garden, but Malone, taking offence in a new direction, follows him and compels him, by the aggressivenes of his tone, to stop. Malone I don’t understand this. Is Hector not good enough for this lady, pray? Tanner My dear sir, the lady is married already. Hector knows it; and yet he persists in his infatuation. Take him home and lock him up. Malone Bitterly. So this is the highborn social tone I’ve spoilt by my ignorant, uncultivated behavior! Makin love to a married woman! He comes angrily between Hector and Violet, and almost bawls into Hector’s left ear. You’ve picked up that habit of the British aristocracy, have you? Hector That’s all right. Don’t you trouble yourself about that. I’ll answer for the morality of what I’m doing. Tanner Coming forward to Hector’s right hand with flashing eyes. Well said, Malone! You also see that mere marriage laws are not morality! I agree with you; but unfortunately Violet does not. Malone I take leave to doubt that, sir. Turning on Violet. Let me tell you, Mrs. Robinson, or whatever your right name is, you had no right to send that letter to my son when you were the wife of another man. Hector Outraged. This is the last straw. Dad: you have insulted my wife. Malone Your wife! Tanner You the missing husband! Another moral impostor! He smites his brow, and collapses into Malone’s chair. Malone You’ve married without my consent! Ramsden You have deliberately humbugged us, sir! Hector Here: I have had just about enough of being badgered. Violet and I are married: that’s the long and the short of it. Now what have you got to say⁠—any of you? Malone I know what I’ve got to say. She’s married a beggar. Hector No; she’s married a worker His American pronunciation imparts an overwhelming intensity to this simple and unpopular word. I start to earn my own living this very afternoon. Malone Sneering angrily. Yes: you’re very plucky now, because you got your remittance from me yesterday or this morning, I reckon. Wait til it’s spent. You won’t be so full of cheek then. Hector Producing a letter from his pocketbook. Here it is Thrusting it on his father. Now you just take your remittance and yourself out of my life. I’m done with remittances; and I’m done with you. I don’t sell the privilege of insulting my wife for a thousand dollars. Malone Deeply wounded and full of concern. Hector: you don’t know what poverty is. Hector Fervidly. Well, I want to know what it is. I want’be a Man. Violet: you come along with me, to your own home: I’ll see you through. Octavius Jumping down from the garden to the lawn and running to Hector’s left hand. I hope you’ll shake hands with me before you go, Hector. I admire and respect you more than I can say. He is affected almost to tears as they shake hands. Violet Also almost in tears, but of vexation. Oh don’t be an idiot, Tavy. Hector’s about as fit to become a workman as you are. Tanner Rising from his chair on the other ride of Hector. Never fear: there’s no question of his becoming a navvy, Mrs. Malone. To Hector. There’s really no difficulty about capital to start with. Treat me as a friend: draw on me. Octavius Impulsively. Or on me. Malone With fierce jealousy. Who wants your dirty money? Who should he draw on but his own father? Tanner and Octavius recoil, Octavius rather hurt, Tanner consoled by the