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The Philanderer By: Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) |
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ACT I
A lady and gentleman are making love to one another in
the drawing room of a flat in Ashly Gardens in the
Victoria district of London. It is past ten at night.
The walls are hung with theatrical engravings and
photographs Kemble as Hamlet, Mrs. Siddons as Queen
Katharine pleading in court, Macready as Werner (after
Maclise), Sir Henry Irving as Richard III (after Long),
Miss Ellen Terry, Mrs. Kendal, Miss Ada Rehan, Madame
Sarah Bernhardt, Mr. Henry Arthur Jones, Mr. A. W.
Pinero, Mr. Sydney Grundy, and so on, but not the
Signora Duse or anyone connected with Ibsen. The room
is not a perfect square, the right hand corner at the
back being cut off diagonally by the doorway, and the
opposite corner rounded by a turret window filled up
with a stand of flowers surrounding a statue of
Shakespear. The fireplace is on the right, with an
armchair near it. A small round table, further forward
on the same side, with a chair beside it, has a
yellow backed French novel lying open on it. The piano,
a grand, is on the left, open, with the keyboard in
full view at right angles to the wall. The piece of
music on the desk is "When other lips." Incandescent
lights, well shaded, are on the piano and mantelpiece.
Near the piano is a sofa, on which the lady and
gentleman are seated affectionately side by side, in
one another's arms. The lady, Grace Tranfield, is about 32, slight of
build, delicate of feature, and sensitive in
expression. She is just now given up to the emotion of
the moment; but her well closed mouth, proudly set
brows, firm chin, and elegant carriage show plenty of
determination and self respect. She is in evening
dress. The gentleman, Leonard Charteris, a few years older, is
unconventionally but smartly dressed in a velvet jacket
and cashmere trousers. His collar, dyed Wotan blue, is
part of his shirt, and turns over a garnet coloured
scarf of Indian silk, secured by a turquoise ring. He
wears blue socks and leather sandals. The arrangement
of his tawny hair, and of his moustaches and short
beard, is apparently left to Nature; but he has taken
care that Nature shall do him the fullest justice. His
amative enthusiasm, at which he is himself laughing,
and his clever, imaginative, humorous ways, contrast
strongly with the sincere tenderness and dignified
quietness of the woman. CHARTERIS (impulsively clasping Grace). My dearest love. GRACE (responding affectionately). My darling. Are you happy? CHARTERIS. In Heaven. GRACE. My own. CHARTERIS. My heart's love. (He sighs happily, and takes her hands in
his, looking quaintly at her.) That must positively be my last kiss,
Grace, or I shall become downright silly. Let us talk. (Releases her
and sits a little apart from her.) Grace: is this your first love
affair? GRACE. Have you forgotten that I am a widow? Do you think I married
Tranfield for money? CHARTERIS. How do I know? Besides, you might have married him not
because you loved him, but because you didn't love anybody else. When
one is young, one marries out of mere curiosity, just to see what it's
like. GRACE. Well, since you ask me, I never was in love with Tranfield,
though I only found that out when I fell in love with you. But I used
to like him for being in love with me. It brought out all the good in
him so much that I have wanted to be in love with some one ever since.
I hope, now that I am in love with you, you will like me for it just
as I liked Tranfield. CHARTERIS. My dear, it is because I like you that I want to marry you.
I could love anybody any pretty woman, that is. GRACE. Do you really mean that, Leonard? CHARTERIS. Of course. Why not? GRACE (reflecting). Never mind why. Now tell me, is this your first
love affair? CHARTERIS (amazed at the simplicity of the question). No, bless my
soul. No nor my second, nor my third. GRACE. But I mean your first serious one. CHARTERIS (with a certain hesitation). Yes. (There is a pause. She is
not convinced. He adds, with a very perceptible load on his
conscience... Continue reading book >>
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