Delphi Collected Works of W. Somerset Maugham (Illustrated)

by William Somerset Maugham

  Arthur.

  [Trying to stop her.] Don’t, Violet. I don’t want you to go on.

  Violet.

  I must now.

  Arthur.

  Oh, my dear, don’t you see that things said can never be taken back. We may both know something....

  Violet.

  [Interrupting.] What do you mean?

  Arthur.

  But so long as we don’t tell one another we can ignore it. If certain words pass our lips then the situation is entirely changed.

  Violet.

  You’re frightening me.

  Arthur.

  I don’t wish to do that. Only you can tell me nothing that I don’t know. But if you tell me you may do irreparable harm.

  Violet.

  D’you mean to say you know? Oh, it’s impossible. Arthur, Arthur, I can’t help it. I must tell you. It burns my heart. I love Ronny with all my body and soul.

  [There is a pause while they look at one another.]

  Arthur.

  Did you think I didn’t know?

  Violet.

  Then why did you offer him the job?

  Arthur.

  I had to.

  Violet.

  No one could have blamed you if you had suggested Henry.

  Arthur.

  My dear, I’m paid a very considerable salary. It would surely be taking money under false pretences if I didn’t do my work to the best of my ability.

  Violet.

  It may mean happiness or misery to all three of us.

  Arthur.

  I must take the risk of that. You see, Ronny is cut out for this particular position. It’s only common honesty to give it him.

  Violet.

  Don’t you love me any more?

  Arthur.

  Don’t ask me that, Violet. You know I love you with all my heart.

  Violet.

  Then I can’t understand.

  Arthur.

  You don’t think I want him to stay, do you? When the telegram came from the Foreign Office ordering him to Paris my middle-aged heart simply leapt for joy. Do you think I didn’t see all the advantages he had over me? He seemed to have so much to offer you and I so little.

  Violet.

  Oh, Arthur!

  Arthur.

  But if he went away I thought presently you’d forget him. I thought if I were very kind to you and tolerant, and if I asked nothing more from you than you were prepared to give I might in time make you feel towards me, not love perhaps, but tenderness and affection. That was all I could hope for, but that would have made me very happy. Then the Khedive asked for an English secretary, and I knew Ronny was the only man for it. You see, I’ve been at this work so long, the official in me makes decisions almost mechanically.

  Violet.

  And supposing they break the heart of the man in you?

  Arthur.

  [Smiling.] By a merciful interposition of Providence we all seem to have just enough strength to bear the burdens that are placed on us.

  Violet.

  D’you think so?

  Arthur.

  You like the rest of us, Violet.

  Violet.

  How long have you known I loved him?

  Arthur.

  Always. I think perhaps I knew before you did.

  Violet.

  Why didn’t you do something?

  Arthur.

  Will you tell me what there was to do?

  Violet.

  Aren’t you angry with us?

  Arthur.

  I should be a fool to be that. It seems to me so natural, so horribly natural. He’s young and nice-looking and cheery. It seems to me now inevitable that you should have fallen in love with him. You might be made for one another.

  Violet.

  Oh, do you see that?

  Arthur.

  It had struck you too, had it? I suppose it’s obvious to anyone who takes the trouble to think about it. [She does not answer.] Haven’t you wished with all your heart that you’d met him first? Don’t you hate me now because I married you? [She looks away.] My dear child, I’m so sorry for you. I’ve been very grateful for your kindness to me during the last month or two. I’ve seen you try to be loving to me and affectionate. I’ve been so anxious to tell you not to force yourself, because I understood and you mustn’t be unhappy about me. But I didn’t know how. I could only make myself as little troublesome as possible.

  Violet.

  You’ve been immensely good to me, Arthur.

  Arthur.

  That’s the least you had a right to expect of me. I did you a great wrong in marrying you. I knew you didn’t love me. You were dazzled by the circumstances. You didn’t know what marriage was and how irksome it must be unless love makes its constraints sweeter than freedom. But I adored you. I thought love would come. With all my heart I ask you to forgive me.

  Violet.

  Oh, Arthur, don’t talk like that. You know I was so happy to marry you. I thought you wonderful, I was so excited and flattered — I thought that was love. I never knew that love would come like this. If I’d only known what to expect I could have fought against it. It took me unawares. I never had a chance. It wasn’t my fault, Arthur.

  Arthur.

  I’m not blaming you, darling.

  Violet.

  It would be easier for me if you did.

  Arthur.

  It’s just bad luck. Bad luck? I might have expected it.

  Violet.

  Still, I’m glad I’ve told you. I hated having a secret from you. It’s better that we should be frank with one another.

  Arthur.

  If I can help you in any way I’m glad too that you’ve told me.

  Violet.

  What is to be done?

  Arthur.

  There’s nothing to be done.

  Violet.

  Arthur, until to-day Ronny and I have never exchanged a word that anyone might not have heard. I was happy to be with him, I knew he liked me, I was quite satisfied with that. But when I heard that he was going away suddenly everything was changed. I felt I couldn’t bear to let him go. Oh, I’m so ashamed, Arthur.

  Arthur.

  Dear child!

  Violet.

  I don’t know how it happened. He told me he loved me. He didn’t mean to. Don’t think he’s been disloyal to you, Arthur. We were both so upset. It was just as much my fault as his. I couldn’t help letting him see how much he meant to me. We thought we were never going to see one another again. He took me in his arms and held me in them. I was so happy and so miserable. I never thought life could mean so much.

  Arthur.

  And just now when you were alone he kissed your hands.

  Violet.

  How do you know?

  Arthur.

  When I wanted to kiss them you withdrew them. You couldn’t bear that I should touch them. You felt on them still the pressure of his lips.

  Violet.

  I couldn’t help it. He was beside himself with joy because he needn’t go. I don’t want to love him, Arthur. I want to love you. I’ve tried so desperately hard.

  Arthur.

  My dear, one either loves or one doesn’t. I’m afraid trying doesn’t do much good.

  Violet.

  If he stays here I shall have to see him constantly. I shan’t have a chance to get over it. Oh, I can’t. I can’t. It’s intolerable. Have pity on me.

  Arthur.

  I’m afraid you’ll be very unhappy. But you see, something more than your happiness is at stake. A little while ago you said you wanted to do more for your country than you did. Does it strike you that you can do something for it now?

  Violet.

  I?

  Arthur.

  We all want to do great and heroic things, but generally we can only do very modest ones. D’you think we ought to shirk them?

  Violet.

  I don’t understand.

  Arthur.

  Ronny can be of
infinite value here. You can’t help your feelings for him. I can’t bring myself to blame you. But you are mistress of your words and your actions. What are we to do? You wouldn’t wish me to resign when my work here is but half done. We must make the best of the position. Remember that all of us here, you more than most women, because you’re my wife, work for the common cause by our lives and the example we set. At all costs we must seem honest, straightforward, and without reproach. And one finds by experience that it’s much less trouble to be a thing than only to seem it. There’s only one way in which we can avoid reproach and that is by being irreproachable.

  Violet.

  You mean that it’s necessary for the country that Ronny and you should stay here? And if my heart breaks it doesn’t matter. I thought I was doing so much in asking you to send him away. Don’t you know that with all my heart I wanted him to stay? D’you know what I feel, Arthur? I can’t think of anything else. I’m obsessed by a hungry longing for him. Till to-day I could have borne it. But now ... I feel his arms about me every moment, and his kisses on my lips. You can’t know the rapture and the torture and the ecstasy that consume me.

  Arthur.

  Oh, my dear, do you think I don’t know what love is?

  Violet.

  I want to do the right thing, Arthur, but you mustn’t ask too much of me. If I’ve got to treat him as a casual friend, I can’t go on seeing him. I can’t, Arthur, I can’t! If he must stay then let me go.

  Arthur.

  Never! I think, even if it weren’t necessary, I should make him stay now. You and I are not people to run away from danger. After all, we’re not obliged to yield to our passions — we can control them if we want to. For your own sake you must stay, Violet.

  Violet.

  And if I break, I break.

  Arthur.

  It’s only the worthless who are broken by unhappiness. If you have faith and courage and honesty unhappiness can only make you stronger.

  Violet.

  Have you thought of yourself, Arthur? What will you feel when you see him with me? What will you suspect when you’re working in your office and don’t know where I am?

  Arthur.

  I shall know that you are unhappy, and I shall feel the most tender compassion for you.

  Violet.

  You’re exposing me to a temptation that I want with all my heart to yield to. What is there to hold me back? Only the thought that I must do my duty to you. What is there to reward me? Only the idea that perhaps I’m doing a little something for the country.

  Arthur.

  I put myself in your hands, Violet. I shall never suspect that you can do anything, not that I should reproach you for — I will never reproach you — but that you may reproach yourself for.

  [A pause.]

  Violet.

  Just now, when we were talking of Abdul Said, I asked if you could do your duty when it was a matter that affected you, if it meant misery or happiness to you, I said.

  Arthur.

  My dear, duty is rather a forbidding word. Let us say that I — want to earn my screw.

  Violet.

  You must have thought me very silly. I said I hoped you’d never be put to the test, and the test had come already, and you never hesitated.

  Arthur.

  These things are very much a matter of habit, you know.

  Violet.

  What you can do I can do too, Arthur — if you believe in me.

  Arthur.

  Of course I believe in you.

  Violet.

  Then let him stay. I’ll do what I can.

  [Ronny comes in.]

  Ronny.

  The Khedive was engaged when I rang up. But I left the message and the answer has just come through. He will be pleased to see you, sir, at eleven o’clock.

  Arthur.

  That will do admirably. Ronny must lunch with us to-morrow, Violet. We’ll crack a bottle to celebrate his step!

  END OF THE SECOND ACT

  ACT III

  The scene shows part of the garden and a verandah at the Consular Agent’s house. Coloured lanterns are fixed here and there. It is night, and in the distance is seen the blue sky bespangled with stars. At the lack of the verandah are the windows of the house gaily lit. Within a band is heard playing dance-music. Violet is giving a dance. Everyone who appears is magnificently gowned. Violet is wearing all her pearls and diamonds. Arthur has across his shirt front the broad riband of an order. It is the end of the evening. Various people are sealed on the verandah, enjoying the coolness. They are Mr. and Mrs. Appleby, Christina and Arthur.

  Appleby.

  Well, my dear, I think it’s about time I was taking you back to your hotel.

  Arthur.

  Oh, nonsense! It’s when everybody has gone that a dance really begins to get amusing.

  Christina.

  That’s a pleasant remark to make to your guests.

  Mrs. Appleby.

  I’m really ashamed to have stayed like this to the bitter end, but I do love to see the young folk enjoying themselves.

  Arthur.

  Ah! you have learnt how to make the most of advancing years. The solace of old age is to take pleasure in the youth of those who come after us.

  Christina.

  I don’t think you’re very polite, Arthur.

  Mrs. Appleby.

  Bless your heart, I know I’m not so young as I was.

  Arthur.

  Do you mind?

  Mrs. Appleby.

  Me? Why should I? I’ve had my day and I’ve enjoyed it. It’s only fair to give others a chance now.

  Christina.

  I’m sure you enjoyed your trip up the Nile.

  Mrs. Appleby.

  Oh, we had a wonderful time.

  Arthur.

  And what conclusions did you come to, Mr. Appleby? I remember that you were looking for instruction as well as amusement.

  Appleby.

  I didn’t forget what you told me. I just kept my ears open and my mouth shut.

  Arthur.

  A capital practice, not much favoured by democratic communities.

  Appleby.

  But I came to one very definite conclusion for all that.

  Arthur.

  What was it?

  Appleby.

  In fact, I came to two.

  Arthur.

  That’s not so satisfactory — unless they contradicted one another; in which case I venture to suggest that you have grasped at all events the elements of the Egyptian problem.

  Appleby.

  The first is that you’re the right man in the right place.

  Arthur.

  Christina would never admit that. She has known for many years that she could manage Egypt far better than I do.

  Christina.

  I don’t deny that for a minute. I think on the whole women are more level-headed than men. They’re not swayed by emotion. They’re more practical. They know that principle must often yield to expediency, and they can do the expedient without surrendering the principle.

  Arthur.

  You make my head whirl, Christina.

  Appleby.

  I had the opportunity of seeing a good many different sorts of people. I never heard a reasonable complaint against you. Some of them didn’t like you personally, but they looked up to you, and they believed in you. I asked myself how you managed it.

  Mrs. Appleby.

  I told him that it’s because you’re human.

  Arthur.

  Christina thinks it very bad for me to hear pleasant things said of me.

  Christina.

  Christina doesn’t know what her brother would do if he hadn’t got an affectionate sister to gibe at.

  Appleby.

  It must be a great satisfaction to you to see the country becoming every year more prosperous and contented.

  Arthur.

  What was the second conclusion you came to?

  Appleby.

  I’m
coming to that. Most of us are torn asunder as it were by a conflict of duties. This and that urgently needs to be done, and if you put one thing right you put something else wrong. We all want to do for the best, but we don’t exactly know what the best is. Now, you’ve got your duty clearly marked out before you, if you take my meaning; you’re young.

  Arthur.

  Youngish.

  Appleby.

  You’ve made a success of your job and of your life. It’s not all of us who can say that. My second conclusion is that you must be the happiest man alive.

  Mrs. Appleby.

  I’m glad he’s got that off his chest. He’s been dinning it into my ears for the last ten days. My impression is that he fell in love with Lady Little that day he lunched here six weeks ago.

  Arthur.

  I’m not going to blame him for that. Everybody does.... It was a wise old fellow who said that you must count no man happy till he’s dead. [Christina gives him a look, and puts her hand affectionately on his arm. He quickly withdraws it.] Here is Violet.

  [She comes in on Henry Pritchard’s arm and sinks into a chair.]

  Violet.

  I’m absolutely exhausted. I feel that in another minute my legs will drop off.

  Arthur.

  Do take care, darling, that would be so disfiguring.

  Violet.

  Oh, I’d still dance on the stumps.

  Arthur.

  When are you going to send that unfortunate band away?

  Violet.

  Oh, we must have one more dance. After all, it’s our last ball of the season. And now that everyone has gone I needn’t be dignified any more. There’s no one but Henry and Anne and Ronny. We’ve just had a gorgeous one-step, haven’t we, Henry?

  Henry.

  Gorgeous. You’re a ripping dancer.

  Violet.

  My one accomplishment. [The band is heard beginning a waltz.] Good heavens, they’ve started again. That’s Anne, I’m positive. She’s been playing the British matron too and now she’s having her fling.

  Arthur.

  You girls, you never grow up.

  Henry.

  Are you ready for another turn, Violet?

  Arthur.

  Don’t dance any more, darling, you look worn out.

  Violet.

  Supposing you danced with your mother, Henry. I can see her toes itching inside her black satin slippers.

  Christina.

  Nonsense! I haven’t danced for fifteen years.

  Henry.

  Come on, mother. Just to show them you know how.

  [He seizes her hand and drags her to her feet.]