Well Tommy Has Proposed to Me Again He Really Does Nothing but Propose to Me
Mrs. Cheveley says
Oh, no! I can't stand your English house-parties. In England people actually try to be vivid at breakfast. That is so dreadful of them! Only tiresome people are bright at breakfast. And then the family skeleton is always reading family prayers. My stay in England really depends on you, Sir Robert. Quite seriously. I want to talk to you almost a groovy political and financial scheme, about this Argentine Culvert Company, in fact. Oh, I like irksome, practical subjects. What I don't like are irksome, practical people. There is a wide difference. Besides, you are interested, I know, in International Canal schemes. You lot were Lord Radley'south secretary, weren't you, when the Regime bought the Suez Canal shares?
Sir Robert Chiltern says
One night afterward dinner at Lord Radley's the Baron began talking most success in modern life as something that one could reduce to an absolutely definite scientific discipline. With that wonderfully fascinating quiet voice of his he expounded to u.s. the most terrible of all philosophies, the philosophy of power, preached to us the almost marvellous of all gospels, the gospel of gilt. I think he saw the issue he had produced on me, for some days afterwards he wrote and asked me to come and see him. He was living then in Park Lane, in the house Lord Woolcomb has now. I think so well how, with a strange smile on his pale, curved lips, he led me through his wonderful motion picture gallery, showed me his tapestries, his enamels, his jewels, his carved ivories, made me wonder at the strange loveliness of the luxury in which he lived; and so told me that luxury was nothing just a background, a painted scene in a play, and that power, power over other men, power over the earth, was the one thing worth having, the ane supreme pleasance worth knowing, the ane joy one never tired of, and that in our century only the rich possessed it. Wealth has given me enormous power. It gave me at the very outset of my life liberty, and freedom is everything. You accept never been poor, and never known what appetite is. You cannot sympathise what a wonderful chance the Baron gave me. Such a risk as few men get. When I was going away he said to me that if I ever could give him whatsoever private data of real value he would make me a very rich man. I was dazed at the prospect he held out to me, and my ambition and my desire for power were at that time dizzying. Six weeks afterward certain private documents passed through my easily. Weak? Oh, I am ill of hearing that phrase. Sick of using it nearly others. Weak? Exercise yous really think, Arthur, that it is weakness that yields to temptation? I tell you that there are terrible temptations that it requires forcefulness, strength and backbone, to yield to. To pale all one's life on a unmarried moment, to take chances everything on one throw, whether the stake be power or pleasure, I intendance not [South ;there is no weakness in that. In that location is a horrible, a terrible backbone. I had that courage. I sat down the same afternoon and wrote Baron Arnheim the letter this woman now holds. He made three-quarters of a million over the transaction. I received from the Baron £110,000. No; that money gave me exactly what I wanted, power over others. I went into the Firm immediately. The Baron brash me in finance from time to time. Earlier five years I had almost trebled my fortune. Since and then everything that I take touched has turned out a success. In all things connected with money I accept had a luck so extraordinary that sometimes information technology has made me almost afraid. I remember having read somewhere, in some strange volume, that when the gods wish to punish us they respond our prayers.
Mrs. Cheveley says
Poor sometime Lord Mortlake, who had only two topics of conversation, his gout and his wife! I never could quite make out which of the two he was talking about. He used the near horrible language nigh them both. Well, y'all were dizzy, Arthur. Why, Lord Mortlake was never anything more to me than an amusement. Ane of those utterly slow amusements one only finds at an English country business firm on an English country Sunday. I don't think any one at all morally responsible for what he or she does at an English language state house. I loved you, Arthur. I did love you. And y'all loved me. Yous know yous loved me; and dearest is a very wonderful affair. I suppose that when a human has in one case loved a woman, he will do anything for her, except continue to dear her?
(After a interruption.)
I am tired of living abroad. I want to come up back to London. I want to have a charming house hither. I want to take a salon. If one could only teach the English language how to talk, and the Irish how to listen, club here would be quite civilised. Besides, I have arrived at the romantic phase. When I saw you last night at the Chilterns', I knew you lot were the but person I had ever cared for, if I ever have cared for anybody, Arthur. And so, on the forenoon of the day you marry me, I will give you Robert Chiltern's letter. That is my offer. I will give it to you now, if yous promise to ally me.
Sir Robert Chiltern says
At that place was your mistake. There was your error. The error all women commit. Why tin can't you women dearest the states, faults and all? Why do yous identify united states of america on monstrous pedestals? We have all feet of dirt, women every bit well as men; but when we men love women, we love them knowing their weaknesses, their follies, their imperfections, dear them all the more, information technology may exist, for that reason. Information technology is not the perfect, but the imperfect, who take need of love. Information technology is when we are wounded our own hands, or the easily of others, that honey should come up to cure us- else what use is dear at all? All sins, except a sin against itself, Dear should forgive. All lives, salvage loveless lives, truthful Love should pardon. A homo's love is similar that. It is wider, larger, more homo than a woman'south. Women think that they are making ideals of men. What they are making of u.s. are fake idols merely. You lot fabricated your false idol of me, and I had not the courage to come up down, show you my wounds, tell you my weaknesses. I was afraid that I might lose your love, as I have lost it now. And so, terminal night yous ruined my life for me- yes, ruined it! What this woman asked of me was zip compared to what she offered to me. She offered security, peace, stability. The sin of my youth, that I had idea was buried, rose up in forepart of me, hideous, horrible, with its hands at my throat. I could have killed it for ever, sent it dorsum into its tomb, destroyed its tape, burned the one witness confronting me. You prevented me. No 1 merely y'all, yous know it. And at present what is there before me simply public disgrace, ruin, terrible shame, the mockery of the world, a lonely dishonoured life, a lonely dishonoured death, information technology may exist, some day? Allow women make no more ethics of men! let them not put them on alters and bow before them, or they may ruin other lives equally completely as you- yous whom I have then wildly loved- take ruined mine!
Lady Chiltern says
Robert, that is all very well for other men, for men who treat life simply as a sordid speculation; but not for you, Robert, not for you. You are unlike. All your life yous take stood autonomously from others. You take never let the world soil you. To the earth, as to myself, you have been an ideal e'er. Oh! be that ideal still. That great inheritance throw not away -that belfry of ivory practise not destroy. Robert, men tin can love what is beneath them -things unworthy, stained, dishonoured. Nosotros women worship when we dear; and when we lose our worship, we lose everything. Oh! don't kill my dearest for you, don't kill that! I know that there are men with horrible secrets in their lives -men who have done some shameful thing, and who in some critical moment have to pay for information technology, doing another act of shame -oh! don't tell me yous are such as they are! Robert, is there in your life any hugger-mugger dishonour or disgrace? Tell me, tell me at one time, that –
(Speaking very slowly.)
That our lives may drift autonomously.
Lord Goring says
Lady Chiltern, allow me. You wrote me a letter terminal nighttime in which you said you trusted me and wanted my assist. Now is the moment when you actually want my assistance, now is the time when you accept got to trust me, to trust in my counsel and judgment. Y'all love Robert. Do you want to kill his beloved for yous? What sort of beingness will he have if you rob him of the fruits of his ambition, if you take him from the splendour of a great political career, if you shut the doors of public life confronting him, if you condemn him to sterile failure, he who was fabricated for triumph and success? Women are not meant to approximate us, only to forgive united states of america when we need forgiveness. Pardon, not penalization, is their mission. Why should y'all scourge him with rods for a sin washed in his youth, before he knew you lot, before he knew himself? A man's life is of more than value than a woman's. Information technology has larger issues, wider scope, greater ambitions. A woman's life revolves in curves of emotions. It is upon lines of intellect that a man'south life progresses. Don't make whatever terrible fault, Lady Chiltern. A adult female who can continue a man's beloved, and dearest him in render, has done all the globe wants of women, or should want of them.
Mabel Chiltern says
Well, Tommy has proposed to me again. Tommy really does zilch but suggest to me. He proposed to me final nighttime in the music-room, when I was quite unprotected, as there was an elaborate trio going on. I didn't dare to make the smallest repartee, I demand hardly tell you. If I had, it would have stopped the music at once. Musical people are so absurdly unreasonable. They always desire ane to be perfectly dumb at the very moment when 1 is longing to be absolutely deafened. Then he proposed to me in broad daylight this morning, in front of that dreadful statue of Achilles. Really, the things that go on in front of that work of art are quite bloodcurdling. The police should interfere. At luncheon I saw the glare in his eye that he was going to advise once again, and I just managed to bank check him in time assuring him that I was a bimetallist. Fortunately I don't know what bimetallism means. And I don't believe anybody else does either. But the observation crushed Tommy for 10 minutes. He looked quite shocked. So Tommy is then annoying in the way he proposes. If he proposed at the top of his voice, I should not mind so much. That might produce some effect on the public. But he does information technology in a horrid confidential way. When Tommy wants to be romantic he talks to 1 just similar a doctor. I am very fond of Tommy, just his methods of proposing are quite out of date. I wish, Gertrude, y'all would speak to him, and tell him that one time a calendar week is quite often plenty to propose to whatever ane, and that information technology should always exist washed in a manner that attracts some attention.
Well, Tommy has proposed to me over again. Tommy really does nothing but propose to me. He proposed to me last night in the music-room, when I was quite unprotected, as in that location was an elaborate trio going on. I didn't dare to make the smallest repartee, I need hardly tell you. If I had, it would have stopped the music at in one case. Musical people are so absurdly unreasonable. They always want one to be perfectly impaired at the very moment when one is longing to exist absolutely deafened. Then he proposed to me in broad daylight this morning, in forepart of that dreadful statue of Achilles. Actually, the things that get on in front of that work of art are quite appalling. The police should interfere. At tiffin I saw by the glare in his eye that he was going to propose again, and I simply managed to cheque him in time by assuring him that I was a bimetallist. Fortunately I don't know what bimetallism means. And I don't believe anybody else does either. But the observation crushed Tommy for x minutes. He looked quite shocked. And and then Tommy is so annoying in the fashion he proposes. If he proposed at the top of his voice, I should non mind so much. That might produce some result on the public. Just he does it in a horrid confidential style. When Tommy wants to be romantic he talks to ane just like a doctor. I am very fond of Tommy, but his methods of proposing are quite out of date. I wish, Gertrude, yous would speak to him, and tell him that one time a week is quite often enough to suggest to whatsoever one, and that it should always exist done in a manner that attracts some attention.
Mrs. Cheveley says
My honey Sir Robert, what then? You are ruined, that is all! Remember to what a point your Puritanism in England has brought yous. In quondam days nobody pretended to be a bit better than his neighbours. In fact, to be a bit meliorate than one'due south neighbour was considered excessively vulgar and middle-class. Nowadays, with our modern mania for morality, every ane has to pose as a paragon of purity, incorruptibility, and all the other vii deadly virtues- and what is the outcome? You all go over like ninepins- one after the other. Not a year passes in England without somebody disappearing. Scandals used to lend charm, or at least interest, to a homo- at present they crush him. And yours is a very nasty scandal. You couldn't survive it. If it were known that as a young human, secretary to a groovy and important minister, you lot sold a Cabinet hush-hush for a big sum of money, and that that was the origin of your wealth and career, you would be hounded out of public life, y'all would disappear completely. And afterward all, Sir Robert, why should you lot sacrifice your unabridged future rather than deal diplomatically with your enemy? For the moment I am your enemy. I admit information technology! And I am much stronger than you lot are. The big battalions are on my side. You have a splendid position, merely it is your splendid position that makes you lot so vulnerable. You can't defend it! And I am in attack. Of grade I accept not talked morality to you. Y'all must acknowledge in fairness that I take spared you that. Years agone you lot did a clever, unscrupulous thing; it turned out a great success. Y'all owe to information technology your fortune and position. And now y'all take got to pay for it. Sooner or after we accept all to pay for what nosotros practice. You have to pay now. Before I leave yous to-night, you have got to promise me to suppress your report, and to speak in the Firm in favour of this scheme.
Mrs. Cheveley says
Poor quondam Lord Mortlake, who had only two topics of conversation, his gout and his wife! I never could quite make out which of the two he was talking about. He used the most horrible language near them both. Well, yous were light-headed, Arthur. Why, Lord Mortlake was never anything more to me than an amusement. One of those utterly tiresome amusements one only finds at an English state house on an English country Sun. I don't call up any one at all morally responsible for what he or she does at an English country house. I loved you, Arthur. I did dearest you lot. And yous loved me. You know you loved me; and love is a very wonderful thing. I suppose that when a man has in one case loved a woman, he will practise anything for her, except continue to dear her?
(After a break.)
I am tired of living away. I want to come back to London. I want to have a charming house here. I want to have a salon. If one could only teach the English how to talk, and the Irish how to listen, society hither would exist quite civilised. Besides, I have arrived at the romantic phase. When I saw you last dark at the Chilterns', I knew yous were the merely person I had ever cared for, if I always have cared for anybody, Arthur. So, on the morning time of the mean solar day you marry me, I will requite you lot Robert Chiltern's letter of the alphabet. That is my offer. I will give it to y'all now, if yous promise to marry me.
Source: https://www.openingmonologue.com/from/an-ideal-husband/
0 Response to "Well Tommy Has Proposed to Me Again He Really Does Nothing but Propose to Me"
Post a Comment