登陆注册
5146500000008

第8章

JILL.Of course.I love it.

HILLCRIST.Well, you won't be able to live in it unless we stop that ruffian.Chimneys and smoke, the trees cut down, piles of pots.Every kind of abomination.There! [He points] Imagine!

[He points through the French window, as if he could see those chimneys rising and marring the beauty of the fields] I was born here, and my father, and his, and his, and his.They loved those fields, and those old trees.And this barbarian, with his "improvement" schemes, forsooth! I learned to ride in the Centry meadows--prettiest spring meadows in the world; I've climbed every tree there.Why my father ever sold----! But who could have imagined this? And come at a bad moment, when money's scarce.

JILL.[Cuddling his arm] Dodo!

HILLCRIST.Yes.But you don't love the place as I do, Jill.You youngsters don't love anything, I sometimes think.

JILL.I do, Dodo, I do!

HILLCRIST.You've got it all before you.But you may live your life and never find anything so good and so beautiful as this old home.I'm not going to have it spoiled without a fight.

[Conscious of batting betrayed Sentiment, he walks out at the French window, passing away to the right.JILL following to the window, looks.Then throwing back her head, she clasps her hands behind it.]

JILL.Oh--oh-oh!

[A voice behind her says, "JILL!" She turns and starts back, leaning against the right lintel of the window.ROLF appears outside the window from Left.]

Who goes there?

ROLE.[Buttressed against the Left lintel] Enemy--after Chloe's bag.

JILL.Pass, enemy! And all's ill!

[ROLF passes through the window, and retrieves the vanity bag from the floor where CHLOE dropped it, then again takes his stand against the Left lintel of the French window.]

ROLF.It's not going to make any difference, is it?

JILL.You know it is.

ROLF.Sins of the fathers.

JILL.Unto the third and fourth generations.What sin has my father committed?

ROLF.None, in a way; only, I've often told you I don't see why you should treat us as outsiders.We don't like it.

JILL.Well, you shouldn't be, then; I mean, he shouldn't be.

ROLF.Father's just as human as your father; he's wrapped up in us, and all his "getting on" is for us.Would you like to be treated as your mother treated Chloe? Your mother's set the stroke for the other big-wigs about here; nobody calls on Chloe.And why not? Why not? I think it's contemptible to bar people just because they're new, as you call it, and have to make their position instead of having it left them.

JILL.It's not because they're new, it's because--if your father behaved like a gentleman, he'd be treated like one.

ROLF.Would he? I don't believe it.My father's a very able man;he thinks he's entitled to have influence here.Well, everybody tries to keep him down.Oh! yes, they do.That makes him mad and more determined than ever to get his way.You ought to be just, Jill.

JILL.I am just.

ROLF.No, you're not.Besides, what's it got to do with Charlie and Chloe? Chloe's particularly harmless.It's pretty sickening for her.Father didn't expect people to call until Charlie married, but since----JILL.I think it's all very petty.

ROLF.It is--a dog-in-the-manger business; I did think you were above it.

JILL.How would you like to have your home spoiled?

ROLE.I'm not going to argue.Only things don't stand still.

Homes aren't any more proof against change than anything else.

JILL.All right! You come and try and take ours.

ROLF.We don't want to take your home.

JILL.Like the Jackmans'?

ROLF.All right.I see you're hopelessly prejudiced.

[He turns to go.]

JILL.[Just as he is vanishing--softly] Enemy?

ROLF.[Turning] Yes, enemy.

JILL.Before the battle--let's shake hands.

[They move from the lintels and grasp each other's hands in the centre of the French window.]

CURTAIN

同类推荐
  • 曾国藩家书

    曾国藩家书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说善恶因果经

    佛说善恶因果经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 大乘经纂要义

    大乘经纂要义

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 十二佛名神咒校量功德除障灭罪经

    十二佛名神咒校量功德除障灭罪经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 传家宝

    传家宝

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 京师五城坊巷胡同集

    京师五城坊巷胡同集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 万道吞天决

    万道吞天决

    原本被同门视为废物的陈轩,某一天记忆觉醒,原来他是一代吞天大帝转世重修之身。归来之日,战天骄,灭强敌,他将再次踏上万界之巅!
  • 物不迁论

    物不迁论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 情动是一生最初的苍老

    情动是一生最初的苍老

    善解人意却又偏执狂的骆千树,自尊心极强的同事又多愁善感;体贴入微的温柔达人却性格里夹杂着妥协与狭隘的干净少年程镜川,冷酷暴烈却可以瞬间变身情圣的辍学社会小青年符羽西;才艺超群、为梦想坚持不懈却城府颇深的芭蕾女生于欣慧……你将没有理由不相信,他们构筑起来的故事,将会多么厚重而山峦叠嶂,峰回路转。
  • 春分日宇宙骑士杀人事件

    春分日宇宙骑士杀人事件

    从出生之后经历了许多奇妙的事情,去了很多特别的地方,遇见了很多怪奇人士,而现在的自己也正从事着有些不一般的工作。也不知在某天,我就突发奇想:把人生中遇见的有趣的东西,写成故事分享给大家应该不错吧?之后说做就做了——所以在每个看似非常离奇的故事的背后,实际上,或许是真的有某些事实性的东西存在着的哦。希望大家喜欢。
  • 一意共你行

    一意共你行

    对于陆卷尔而说,青春的尴尬就是第一次军训集合的时候从背包里掉了只袜子,而更糗的是这一幕还被丁未看到。少女的心思在开始是紫色的秘密,到后来就疯长成了无名的幽怨。尤其当陆卷尔被两个男子包围的时候。左手青梅竹马,右手青年才俊——原来爱情给我们的第一道难题并不是你该选择谁,而是,伤害谁?
  • 预言大师

    预言大师

    有很多事都可以用如果当初……那么就会……来做结尾,以此来弥补那些可惜的结局,但如果有一天,你真的可以预言,你真的可以知道未来将要发生的事情,那么你会怎么做?且看预言大师的精彩生活……
  • 天道巫神

    天道巫神

    数千年前注定的劫难,一个无法改变的命运,人类终将面对。发掘传说背后的真相,在巫力与术法的世界,顺天还是逆转?-----------------------------现实与神话交融,巫术与探险结合,精心创作,足量存稿,确保完本。每日早9点、晚9点定时更新。书友群:725466103新书《矿海》,敬请关注。
  • 再见还是晚安

    再见还是晚安

    作为一个三流律师,整天都在跑客户,但谁能想到,一觉醒来突然回到了大三的暑假。是继续从事之前的律师生涯,还是换一个呢?错过的人这次能不能挽回?
  • 往事与怀念

    往事与怀念

    这本回忆文集从作者的童年经历写到青年求学,从作者一生的学术追求写到命运的多次坎坷。书中的那些往事,特别是关于翻译《叶甫盖尼·奥涅金》的回忆,体现了共和国老一代知识分子在残酷历史年代里的命运沉浮。回溯的视角更增添了理性的视野。作者那种历经坎坷,却对理想矢志追求的情怀令人感慨而感动。