The Second Mrs. Tanqueray Arthur W. Pinero (free children's online books txt) đ
- Author: Arthur W. Pinero
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By Arthur W. Pinero.
Table of Contents Titlepage Imprint The Persons of the Play The Second Mrs. Tanqueray Act I Act II Act III Act IV Colophon Uncopyright ImprintThis ebook is the product of many hours of hard work by volunteers for Standard Ebooks, and builds on the hard work of other literature lovers made possible by the public domain.
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The Persons of the PlayAubrey Tanqueray
Paula
Ellean
Cayley Drummle
Mrs. Cortelyon
Captain Hugh Ardale
Gordon Jayne, M.D.
Frank Misquith, Q.C., M.P.
Sir George Orreyed, Bart.
Lady Orreyed
Morse
The Present Day.
The Scene of the First Act is laid at Mr. Tanquerayâs rooms, No. 2x, The Albany, in the month of November; the occurrences of the succeeding Acts take place at his house, Highercoombe, near Willowmere, Surrey, during the early part of the following year.
The Second Mrs. Tanqueray Act IAubrey Tanquerayâs Chambers in the Albanyâ âa richly and tastefully decorated room, elegantly and luxuriously furnished: on the right a large pair of doors opening into another room, on the left at the further end of the room a small door leading to a bedchamber. A circular table is laid for a dinner for four persons which has now reached the stage of dessert and coffee. Everything in the apartment suggests wealth and refinement. The fire is burning brightly.
Aubrey Tanqueray, Misquith, and Jayne are seated at the dinner table. Aubrey is forty-two, handsome, winning in manner, his speech and bearing retaining some of the qualities of young-manhood. Misquith is about forty-seven, genial and portly. Jayne is a year or two Misquithâs senior; soft-speaking and preciseâ âin appearance a type of the prosperous town physician. Morse, Aubreyâs servant, places a little cabinet of cigars and the spirit-lamp on the table beside Aubrey, and goes out. Misquith Aubrey, it is a pleasant yet dreadful fact to contemplate, but itâs nearly fifteen years since I first dined with you. You lodged in Piccadilly in those days, over a hat-shop. Jayne, I met you at that dinner, and Cayley Drummle. Jayne Yes, yes. What a pity it is that Cayley isnât here tonight. Aubrey Confound the old gossip! His empty chair has been staring us in the face all through dinner. I ought to have told Morse to take it away. Misquith Odd, his sending no excuse. Aubrey Iâll walk round to his lodgings later on and ask after him. Misquith Iâll go with you. Jayne So will I. Aubrey Opening the cigar-cabinet. Doctor, itâs useless to tempt you, I know. Frankâ âMisquith and Aubrey smoke. I particularly wished Cayley Drummle to be one of us tonight. You two fellows and Cayley are my closest, my best friendsâ â Misquith My dear Aubrey! Jayne I rejoice to hear you say so. Aubrey And I wanted to see the three of you round this table. You canât guess the reason. Misquith You desired to give us a most excellent dinner. Jayne Obviously. Aubrey Hesitatingly. Wellâ âIâ âGlancing at the clockâ âCayley wonât turn up now. Jayne Hâm, hardly. Aubrey Then you two shall hear it. Doctor, Frank, this is the last time we are to meet in these rooms. Jayne The last time? Misquith Youâre going to leave the Albany? Aubrey Yes. Youâve heard me speak of a house I built in the country years ago, havenât you? Misquith In Surrey. Aubrey Well, when my wife died I cleared out of that house and let it. I think of trying the place again. Misquith But youâll go raving mad if ever you find yourself down there alone. Aubrey Ah, but I shanât be alone, and thatâs what I wanted to tell you. Iâm going to be married. Jayne Going to be married? Misquith Married? Aubrey Yesâ âtomorrow. Jayne Tomorrow? Misquith You take my breath away! My dear fellow, Iâ âIâ âof course, I congratulate you. Jayne Andâ âand so do Iâ âheartily. Aubrey Thanksâ âthanks. There is a moment or two of embarrassment. Misquith Erâ âahâ âthis is an excellent cigar. Jayne Ahâ âumâ âyour coffee is remarkable. Aubrey Look here; I daresay you two old friends think this treatment very strange, very unkind. So I want you to understand me. You know a marriage often cools friendships. Whatâs the usual course of things? A manâs engagement is given out, he is congratulated, complimented upon his choice; the church is filled with troops of friends, and he goes away happily to a chorus of good wishes. He comes back, sets up house in town or country, and thinks to resume the old associations, the old companionships. My dear Frank, my dear good doctor, itâs very seldom that it can be done. Generally, a worm has begun to eat its way into those hearty, unreserved, prenuptial friendships; a damnable constraint sets in and acts like a wasting disease; and so, believe me, in nine cases out of ten a manâs marriage severs for him more close ties than it forms. Misquith Well, my dear Aubrey, I earnestly hopeâ â Aubrey I know what youâre going to say, Frank. I hope so, too. In the meantime letâs face dangers. Iâve reminded you of the usual course of things, but my marriage isnât even the conventional sort of marriage likely to satisfy society. Now, Cayleyâs a bachelor, but you two men have wives. By the by, my love
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