第31章 ACT IV(7)

BROADBENT [developing the most formidable symptoms of rage and grief].Do you mean to say that you are going to refuse me?that you don't care for me?

NORA [looking at him in consternation].Oh,don't take it to heart,Mr Br--BROADBENT [flushed and almost choking].I don't want to be petted and blarneyed.[With childish rage]I love you.I want you for my wife.[In despair]I can't help your refusing.I'm helpless:Ican do nothing.You have no right to ruin my whole life.You--[a hysterical convulsion stops him].

NORA [almost awestruck].You're not going to cry,are you?Inever thought a man COULD cry.Don't.

BROADBENT.I'm not crying.I--I--I leave that sort of thing to your damned sentimental Irishmen.You think I have no feeling because I am a plain unemotional Englishman,with no powers of expression.

NORA.I don't think you know the sort of man you are at all.

Whatever may be the matter with you,it's not want of feeling.

BROADBENT [hurt and petulant].It's you who have no feeling.

You're as heartless as Larry.

NORA.What do you expect me to do?Is it to throw meself at your head the minute the word is out o your mouth?

BROADBENT [striking his silly head with his fists].Oh,what a fool!what a brute I am!It's only your Irish delicacy:of course,of course.You mean Yes.Eh?What?Yes,yes,yes?

NORA.I think you might understand that though I might choose to be an old maid,I could never marry anybody but you now.

BROADBENT [clasping her violently to his breast,with a crow of immense relief and triumph].Ah,that's right,that's right:

That's magnificent.I knew you would see what a first-rate thing this will be for both of us.

NORA [incommoded and not at all enraptured by his ardor].You're dreadfully strong,an a gradle too free with your strength.An Inever thought o whether it'd be a good thing for us or not.But when you found me here that time,I let you be kind to me,and cried in your arms,because I was too wretched to think of anything but the comfort of it.An how could I let any other man touch me after that?

BROADBENT [touched].Now that's very nice of you,Nora,that's really most delicately womanly [he kisses her hand chivalrously].

NORA [looking earnestly and a little doubtfully at him].Surely if you let one woman cry on you like that you'd never let another touch you.

BROADBENT [conscientiously].One should not.One OUGHT not,my dear girl.But the honest truth is,if a chap is at all a pleasant sort of chap,his chest becomes a fortification that has to stand many assaults:at least it is so in England.

NORA [curtly,much disgusted].Then you'd better marry an Englishwoman.

BROADBENT [making a wry face].No,no:the Englishwoman is too prosaic for my taste,too material,too much of the animated beefsteak about her.The ideal is what I like.Now Larry's taste is just the opposite:he likes em solid and bouncing and rather keen about him.It's a very convenient difference;for we've never been in love with the same woman.

NORA.An d'ye mean to tell me to me face that you've ever been in love before?

BROADBENT.Lord!yes.

NORA.I'm not your first love?

BROADBENT.First love is only a little foolishness and a lot of curiosity:no really self-respecting woman would take advantage of it.No,my dear Nora:I've done with all that long ago.Love affairs always end in rows.We're not going to have any rows:

we're going to have a solid four-square home:man and wife:

comfort and common sense--and plenty of affection,eh [he puts his arm round her with confident proprietorship]?

NORA [coldly,trying to get away].I don't want any other woman's leavings.

BROADBENT [holding her].Nobody asked you to,ma'am.I never asked any woman to marry me before.

NORA [severely].Then why didn't you if you're an honorable man?

BROADBENT.Well,to tell you the truth,they were mostly married already.But never mind!there was nothing wrong.Come!Don't take a mean advantage of me.After all,you must have had a fancy or two yourself,eh?

NORA [conscience-stricken].Yes.I suppose I've no right to be particular.

BROADBENT [humbly].I know I'm not good enough for you,Nora.But no man is,you know,when the woman is a really nice woman.

NORA.Oh,I'm no better than yourself.I may as well tell you about it.

BROADBENT.No,no:let's have no telling:much better not.Ishan't tell you anything:don't you tell ME anything.Perfect confidence in one another and no tellings:that's the way to avoid rows.

NORA.Don't think it was anything I need be ashamed of.

BROADBENT.I don't.

NORA.It was only that I'd never known anybody else that I could care for;and I was foolish enough once to think that Larry--HROADBENT [disposing of the idea at once].Larry!Oh,that wouldn't have done at all,not at all.You don't know Larry as Ido,my dear.He has absolutely no capacity for enjoyment:he couldn't make any woman happy.He's as clever as be-blowed;but life's too earthly for him:he doesn't really care for anything or anybody.

NORA.I've found that out.

BROADBENT.Of course you have.No,my dear:take my word for it,you're jolly well out of that.There![swinging her round against his breast]that's much more comfortable for you.

NORA [with Irish peevishness].Ah,you mustn't go on like that.Idon't like it.

BROADBENT [unabashed].You'll acquire the taste by degrees.You mustn't mind me:it's an absolute necessity of my nature that Ishould have somebody to hug occasionally.Besides,it's good for you:it'll plump out your muscles and make em elastic and set up your figure.

NORA.Well,I'm sure!if this is English manners!Aren't you ashamed to talk about such things?

BROADBENT [in the highest feather].Not a bit.By George,Nora,it's a tremendous thing to be able to enjoy oneself.Let's go off for a walk out of this stuffy little room.I want the open air to expand in.Come along.Co-o-o-me along.[He puts her arm into his and sweeps her out into the garden as an equinoctial gale might sweep a dry leaf].