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25 pages

English

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pubOne.info present you this new edition. MISS ETHEL REED, from within: "What in the world are you doing,

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Publié par	Pub One Info
Date de parution	06 novembre 2010
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9782819948230
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0050€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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I.
SCENE: In an upper chamber of a boarding-housein Melanchthon Place, Boston, a mature, plain young lady, withevery appearance of establishing herself in the room for the firsttime, moves about, bestowing little touches of decoration here andthere, and talking with another young lady, whose voice comesthrough the open doorway of an inner room.
MISS ETHEL REED, from within: "What in the world areyou doing,
Nettie? "
MISS HENRIETTA SPAULDING: "Oh, sticking up ahousehold god or two.
What are you doing? "
MISS REED: “Despairing. ”
MISS SPAULDING: “Still? ”
MISS REED, tragically: “Still! How soon did youexpect me to stop? I am here on the sofa, where I flung myself twohours ago, and I don't think I shall ever get up. There is noreason WHY I ever should. ”
MISS SPAULDING, suggestively: “Dinner. ”
MISS REED: “Oh, dinner! Dinner, to a broken heart!”
MISS SPAULDING: “I don't believe your heart isbroken. ”
MISS REED: “But I tell you it is! I ought to knowwhen my own heart is broken, I should hope. What makes you think itisn't? ”
MISS SPAULDING: “Oh, it's happened so often! ”
MISS REED: "But this is a real case. You ought tofeel my forehead.
It's as hot! "
MISS SPAULDING: “You ought to get up and help me putthis room to rights, and then you would feel better. ”
MISS REED: “No; I should feel worse. The idea ofhousehold gods makes me sick. Sylvan deities are what I want; thegreat god Pan among the cat-tails and arrow-heads in the 'ma'sh' atPonkwasset; the dryads of the birch woods— there are no oaks; thenymphs that haunt the heights and hollows of the dear old mountain;the” -
MISS SPAULDING: “Wha-a-at? I can't hear a word yousay. ”
MISS REED: “That's because you keep fussing aboutso. Why don't you be quiet, if you want to hear? ” She lifts hervoice to its highest pitch, with a pause for distinctness betweenthe words: “I'm heart- broken for— Ponkwasset. The dryads— of the—birch woods. The nymphs— and the great— god— Pan— in the reeds— bythe river. And all— that— sort of— thing! ”
MISS SPAULDING: “You know very well you're not.”
MISS REED: “I'm not? What's the reason I'm not?Then, what am I heart-broken for? ”
MISS SPAULDING: “You're not heart-broken at all. Youknow very well that he'll call before we've been here twenty-fourhours. ”
MISS REED: “Who? ”
MISS SPAULDING: “The great god Pan. ”
MISS REED: “Oh, how cruel you are, to mock me so!Come in here, and sympathize a little! Do, Nettie. ”
MISS SPAULDING: “No; you come out here and utilize alittle. I'm acting for your best good, as they say at Ponkwasset.”
MISS REED: “When they want to be disagreeable! ”
MISS SPAULDING: “If this room isn't in order by thetime he calls, you'll be everlastingly disgraced. ”
MISS REED: "I'm that now. I can't be more so—there's that comfort.
What makes you think he'll call? "
MISS SPAULDING: “Because he's a gentleman, and willwant to apologize. He behaved very rudely to you. ”
MISS REED: “No, Nettie; I behaved rudely toHIM. Yes! Besides, if he behaved rudely, he was no gentleman. It'sa contradiction in terms, don't you see? But I'll tell you what I'mgoing to do if he comes. I'm going to show a proper spirit for oncein my life. I'm going to refuse to see him. You've got to see him.”
MISS SPAULDING: “Nonsense! ”
MISS REED: “Why nonsense? Oh, why? Expound! ”
MISS SPAULDING: “Because he wasn't rude to me, andhe doesn't want to see me. Because I'm plain, and you're pretty.”
MISS REED: “I'm NOT! You know it perfectly well. I'mhideous. ”
MISS SPAULDING: “Because I'm poor, and you're aperson of independent property. ”
MISS REED: “DEPENDENT property, I should call it:just enough to be useless on! But that's insulting to HIM. How canyou say it's because I have a little money? ”
MISS SPAULDING: “Well, then, I won't. I take itback. I'll say it's because you're young, and I'm old. ”
MISS REED: “You're NOT old. You're as young asanybody, Nettie Spaulding. And you know I'm not young; I'mtwenty-seven, if I'm a day. I'm just dropping into the grave. But Ican't argue with you, miles off so, any longer. ” Miss Reed appearsat the open door, dragging languidly after her the shawl which shehad evidently drawn round her on the sofa; her fair hair is alittle disordered, and she presses it into shape with one hand asshe comes forward; a lovely flush vies with a heavenly pallor inher cheeks; she looks a little pensive in the arching eyebrows, anda little humorous about the dimpled mouth. “Now I can prove thatyou are entirely wrong. Where- -were you? — This room is rather animprovement over the one we had last winter. There is more of aview”— she goes to the window— “of the houses across the Place; andI always think the swell front gives a pretty shape to a room. I'msorry they've stopped building them. Your piano goes very nicelyinto that little alcove. Yes, we're quite palatial. And, on thewhole, I'm glad there's no fireplace. It's a pleasure at times; butfor the most part it's a vanity and a vexation, getting dust andashes over everything. Yes; after all, give me the goodold-fashioned, clean, convenient register! Ugh! My feet are likeice. ” She pulls an easy-chair up to the register in the corner ofthe room, and pushes open its valves with the toe of her slipper.As she settles herself luxuriously in the chair, and poises herfeet daintily over the register: “Ah, this is something like!Henrietta Spaulding, ma'am! Did I ever tell you that you were thebest friend I have in the world? ”
MISS SPAULDING, who continues her work of arrangingthe room:
“Often. ”
MISS REED: “Did you ever believe it? ”
MISS SPAULDING: “Never. ”
MISS REED: “Why? ”
MISS SPAULDING, thoughtfully regarding a vase whichshe holds in her hand, after several times shifting it from abracket to the corner of her piano and back: “I wish I could tellwhere you do look best! ”
MISS REED, leaning forward wistfully, with her handsclasped and resting on her knees: “I wish you would tell me WHY youdon't believe you're the best friend I have in the world. ”
MISS SPAULDING, finally placing the vase on thebracket: “Because you've said so too often. ”
MISS REED: “Oh, that's no reason! I can prove to youthat you are. Who else but you would have taken in a homeless andfriendless creature like me, and let her stay bothering round indemoralizing idleness, while you were seriously teaching the youngidea how to drub the piano? ”
MISS SPAULDING: “Anybody who wanted a room-mate asmuch as I did, and could have found one willing to pay more thanher share of the lodging. ”
MISS REED, thoughtfully: “Do you think so,Henrietta? ”
MISS SPAULDING: “I know so. ”
MISS REED: “And you're not afraid that you wrongyourself? ”
MISS SPAULDING: “Not the least. ”
MISS REED: “Well, be it so— as they say in novels. Iwill not contradict you; I will not say you are my BEST friend; Iwill merely say that you are my ONLY friend. Come here, Henrietta.Draw up your chair, and put your little hand in mine. ”
MISS SPAULDING, with severe distrust: "What do youwant, Ethel
Reed? "
MISS REED: “I want— I want— to talk it over withyou. ”
MISS SPAULDING, recoiling: “I knew it! Well, now,we've talked it over enough; we've talked it over till there'snothing left of it. ”
MISS REED: “Oh, there's everything left! It remainsin all its original enormity. Perhaps we shall get some new lightupon it. ” She extends a pleading hand towards Miss Spaulding.“Come, Henrietta, my only friend, shake! — as the 'good Indians'say. Let your Ethel pour her hackneyed sorrows into your bosom.Such an uncomfortable image, it always seems, doesn't it, pouringsorrows into bosoms! Come! ”
MISS SPAULDING, decidedly: “No, I won't! And youneedn't try wheedling any longer. I won't sympathize with you onthat basis at all. ”
MISS REED: “What shall I try, then, if you won't letme try wheedling? ”
MISS SPAULDING, going to the piano and opening it:“Try courage; try self-respect. ”
MISS REED: “Oh, dear! when I haven't a morsel ofeither. Are you going to practise, you cruel maid? ”
MISS SPAULDING: “Of course I am. It's half-pastfour, and if I don't do it now I sha'n't be prepared to-morrow forMiss Robins: she takes this piece.