Major Barbara.docx
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Major Barbara.docx
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MajorBarbara
MajorBarbara,ActIII
NextdayafterlunchLadyBritomartiswritinginthelibraryinWiltonCrescent.Sarahisreadinginthearmchairnearthewindow.Barbara,inordinarydress,paleandbrooding,isonthesettee.CharleyLomaxenters.Comingforwardbetweenthesetteeandthewritingtable,hestartsonseeingBarbarafashionablyattiredandinlowspirits.
LOMAX.You'veleftoffyouruniform!
Barbarasaysnothing;butanexpressionofpainpassesoverherface.
LADYBRITOMART[warninghiminlowtonestobecareful]Charles!
LOMAX[muchconcerned,sittingdownsympatheticallyonthesetteebesideBarbara]I'mawfullysorry,Barbara.YouknowIhelpedyouallIcouldwiththeconcertinaandsoforth.[Momentously]Still,IhavenevershutmyeyestothefactthatthereisacertainamountoftoshabouttheSalvationArmy.NowtheclaimsoftheChurchofEngland--
LADYBRITOMART.That'senough,Charles.Speakofsomethingsuitedtoyourmentalcapacity.
LOMAX.ButsurelytheChurchofEnglandissuitedtoallourcapacities.
BARBARA[pressinghishand]Thankyouforyoursympathy,Cholly.NowgoandspoonwithSarah.
LOMAX[risingandgoingtoSarah]Howismyownesttoday?
SARAH.Iwishyouwouldn'ttellChollytodothings,Barbara.Healwayscomesstraightanddoesthem.Cholly:
we'regoingtotheworksatPerivaleSt.Andrewsthisafternoon.
LOMAX.Whatworks?
SARAH.Thecannonworks.
LOMAX.What!
Yourgovernor'sshop!
SARAH.Yes.
LOMAX.OhIsay!
Cusinsentersinpoorcondition.HealsostartsvisiblywhenheseesBarbarawithoutheruniform.
BARBARA.Iexpectedyouthismorning,Dolly.Didn'tyouguessthat?
CUSINS[sittingdownbesideher]I'msorry.Ihaveonlyjustbreakfasted.
SARAH.Butwe'vejustfinishedlunch.
BARBARA.Haveyouhadoneofyourbadnights?
CUSINS.No:
Ihadratheragoodnight:
infact,oneofthemostremarkablenightsIhaveeverpassed.
BARBARA.Themeeting?
CUSINS.No:
afterthemeeting.
LADYBRITOMART.Youshouldhavegonetobedafterthemeeting.Whatwereyoudoing?
CUSINS.Drinking.
LADYBRITOMART.{Adolphus!
SARAH.{Dolly!
BARBARA.{Dolly!
LOMAX.{OhIsay!
LADYBRITOMART.Whatwereyoudrinking,mayIask?
CUSINS.AmostdevilishkindofSpanishburgundy,warrantedfreefromaddedalcohol:
aTemperanceburgundyinfact.Itsrichnessinnaturalalcoholmadeanyadditionsuperfluous.
BARBARA.Areyoujoking,Dolly?
CUSINS[patiently]No.Ihavebeenmakinganightofitwiththenominalheadofthishousehold:
thatisall.
LADYBRITOMART.Andrewmadeyoudrunk!
CUSINS.No:
heonlyprovidedthewine.IthinkitwasDionysoswhomademedrunk.[ToBarbara]ItoldyouIwaspossessed.
LADYBRITOMART.You'renotsoberyet.Gohometobedatonce.
CUSINS.Ihaveneverbeforeventuredtoreproachyou,LadyBrit;buthowcouldyoumarrythePrinceofDarkness?
LADYBRITOMART.Itwasmuchmoreexcusabletomarryhimthantogetdrunkwithhim.ThatisanewaccomplishmentofAndrew's,bytheway.Heusen'ttodrink.
CUSINS.Hedoesn'tnow.Heonlysatthereandcompletedthewreckofmymoralbasis,theroutofmyconvictions,thepurchaseofmysoul.Hecaresforyou,Barbara.Thatiswhatmakeshimsodangeroustome.
BARBARA.Thathasnothingtodowithit,Dolly.Therearelargerlovesanddivinerdreamsthanthefiresideones.Youknowthat,don'tyou?
CUSINS.Yes:
thatisourunderstanding.Iknowit.Iholdtoit.Unlesshecanwinmeonthatholiergroundhemayamusemeforawhile;buthecangetnodeeperhold,strongasheis.
BARBARA.Keeptothat;andtheendwillberight.Nowtellmewhathappenedatthemeeting?
CUSINS.Itwasanamazingmeeting.MrsBainesalmostdiedofemotion.JennyHillwentstarkmadwithhysteria.ThePrinceofDarknessplayedhistrombonelikeamadman:
itsbrazenroaringswerelikethelaughterofthedamned.117conversionstookplacethenandthere.TheyprayedwiththemosttouchingsincerityandgratitudeforBodger,andfortheanonymousdonorofthe5000pounds.Yourfatherwouldnotlethisnamebegiven.
LOMAX.Thatwasratherfineoftheoldman,youknow.Mostchapswouldhavewantedtheadvertisement.
CUSINS.Hesaidallthecharitableinstitutionswouldbedownonhimlikekitesonabattlefieldifhegavehisname.
LADYBRITOMART.That'sAndrewallover.Heneverdoesaproperthingwithoutgivinganimproperreasonforit.
CUSINS.HeconvincedmethatIhaveallmylifebeendoingimproperthingsforproperreasons.
LADYBRITOMART.Adolphus:
nowthatBarbarahaslefttheSalvationArmy,youhadbetterleaveittoo.Iwillnothaveyouplayingthatdruminthestreets.
CUSINS.Yourordersarealreadyobeyed,LadyBrit.
BARBARA.Dolly:
wereyoueverreallyinearnestaboutit?
Wouldyouhavejoinedifyouhadneverseenme?
CUSINS[disingenuously]Well--er--well,possibly,asacollectorofreligions--
LOMAX[cunningly]Notasadrummer,though,youknow.Youareaveryclearheadedbrainychap,Cholly;anditmusthavebeenapparenttoyouthatthereisacertainamountoftoshabout--
LADYBRITOMART.Charles:
ifyoumustdrivel,drivellikeagrown-upmanandnotlikeaschoolboy.
LOMAX[outofcountenance]Well,drivelisdrivel,don'tyouknow,whateveraman'sage.
LADYBRITOMART.IngoodsocietyinEngland,Charles,mendrivelatallagesbyrepeatingsillyformulaswithanairofwisdom.Schoolboysmaketheirownformulasoutofslang,likeyou.Whentheyreachyourage,andgetpoliticalprivatesecretaryshipsandthingsofthatsort,theydropslangandgettheirformulasoutofTheSpectatororTheTimes.YouhadbetterconfineyourselftoTheTimes.YouwillfindthatthereisacertainamountoftoshaboutTheTimes;butatleastitslanguageisreputable.
LOMAX[overwhelmed]Youaresoawfullystrong-minded,LadyBrit--
LADYBRITOMART.Rubbish!
[Morrisoncomesin].Whatisit?
MORRISON.Ifyouplease,mylady,MrUndershafthasjustdroveuptothedoor.
LADYBRITOMART.Well,lethimin.[Morrisonhesitates].What'sthematterwithyou?
MORRISON.ShallIannouncehim,mylady;orisheathomehere,sotospeak,mylady?
LADYBRITOMART.Announcehim.
MORRISON.Thankyou,mylady.Youwon'tmindmyasking,Ihope.Theoccasionisinamannerofspeakingnewtome.
LADYBRITOMART.Quiteright.Goandlethimin.
MORRISON.Thankyou,mylady.[Hewithdraws].
LADYBRITOMART.Children:
goandgetready.[SarahandBarbaragoupstairsfortheirout-of-doorwrap]].Charles:
goandtellStephentocomedownhereinfiveminutes:
youwillfindhiminthedrawingroom.[Charlesgoes].Adolphus:
tellthemtosendroundthecarriageinaboutfifteenminutes.[Adolphusgoes].
MORRISON[atthedoor]MrUndershaft.
Undershaftcomesin.Morrisongoesout.
UNDERSHAFT.Alone!
Howfortunate!
LADYBRITOMART[rising]Don'tbesentimental,Andrew.Sitdown.[Shesitsonthesettee:
hesitsbesideher,onherleft.Shecomestothepointbeforehehastimetobreathe].Sarahmusthave800poundsayearuntilCharlesLomaxcomesintohisproperty.Barbarawillneedmore,andneeditpermanently,becauseAdolphushasn'tanyproperty.
UNDERSHAFT[resignedly]Yes,mydear:
Iwillseetoit.Anythingelse?
foryourself,forinstance?
LADYBRITOMART.IwanttotalktoyouaboutStephen.
UNDERSHAFT[ratherwearily]Don't,mydear.Stephendoesn'tinterestme.
LADYBRITOMART.Hedoesinterestme.Heisourson.
UNDERSHAFT.Doyoureallythinkso?
Hehasinducedustobringhimintotheworld;buthechosehisparentsveryincongruously,Ithink.Iseenothingofmyselfinhim,andlessofyou.
LADYBRITOMART.Andrew:
Stephenisanexcellentson,andamoststeady,capable,highmindedyoungman.YOUaresimplytryingtofindanexcusefordisinheritinghim.
UNDERSHAFT.MydearBiddy:
theUndershafttraditiondisinheritshim.Itwouldbedishonestofmetoleavethecannonfoundrytomyson.
LADYBRITOMART.Itwouldbemostunnaturalandimproperofyoutoleaveittoanyoneelse,Andrew.Doyousupposethiswickedandimmoraltraditioncanbekeptupforever?
DoyoupretendthatStephencouldnotcarryonthefoundryjustaswellasalltheothersonsofthebigbusinesshouses?
UNDERSHAFT.Yes:
hecouldlearntheofficeroutinewithoutunderstandingthebusiness,likealltheothersons;andthefirmwouldgoonbyitsownmomentumuntiltherealUndershaft--probablyanItalianoraGerman--wouldinventanewmethodandcuthimout.
LADYBRITOMART.ThereisnothingthatanyItalianorGermancoulddothatStephencouldnotdo.AndStephenatleasthasbreeding.
UNDERSHAFT.Thesonofafoundling!
nonsense!
LADYBRITOMART.Myson,Andrew!
Andevenyoumayhavegoodbloodinyourveinsforallyouknow.
UNDERSHAFT.True.ProbablyIhave.Thatisanotherargumentinfavorofafoundling.
LADYBRITOMART.Andrew:
don'tbeaggravating.Anddon'tbewicked.Atpresentyouareboth.
UNDERSHAFT.ThisconversationispartoftheUndershafttradition,Biddy.EveryUndershaft'swifehastreatedhimtoiteversincethehousewasfounded.Itismerewasteofbreath.IfthetraditionbeeverbrokenitwillbeforanablermanthanStephen.
LADYBRITOMART[pouting]Thengoaway.
UNDERSHAFT[deprecatory]Goaway!
LADYBRITOMART.Yes:
goaway.IfyouwilldonothingforStephen,youarenotwantedhere.Gotoyourfoundling,whoeverheis;andlookafterhim.
UNDERSHAFT.Thefactis,Biddy--
LADYBRITOMART.Don'tcallmeBiddy.Idon'tcallyouAndy.
UNDERSHAFT.IwillnotcallmywifeBritomart:
itisnotgoodsense.Seriously,mylove,theUndershafttraditionhaslandedmeinadifficulty.Iamgettingoninyears;andmypartnerLazarushasatlastmadeastandandinsistedthatthesuccessionmustbesettledonewayortheother;andofcourseheisquiteright.Yousee,Ihaven'tfoundafitsuccessoryet.
LADYBRITOMART[obstinately]Thereis
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