The Second Mrs. Tanqueray Arthur W. Pinero (free children's online books txt) š
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epub:type="z3998:persona">Paula
Has he left The Warren, I wonder, already?
Aubrey
That doesnāt matter.
Paula
No, but I can picture him going quietly off. Very likely heās walking on to Bridgeford or Cottering tonight, to get the first train in the morning. A pleasant stroll for him.
Aubrey
Weāll reckon heās gone, thatās enough.
Paula
That isnāt to be answered in any way?
Aubrey
Silence will answer that.
Paula
Heāll soon recover his spirits, I know.
Aubrey
You know. Offering her the letter. You donāt want this, I suppose?
Paula
No.
Aubrey
Itās done withā ādone with.
He tears the letter into small pieces. She has dropped the envelope; she searches for it, finds it, and gives it to him.
Paula
Here!
Aubrey
Looking at the remnants of the letter. This is no good; I must burn it.
Paula
Burn it in your room.
Aubrey
Yes.
Paula
Put it in your pocket for now.
Aubrey
Yes.
He does so. Ellean enters and they both turn, guiltily, and stare at her.
Ellean
After a short silence, wonderingly. Papaā ā
Aubrey
What do you want, Ellean?
Ellean
I heard from Willis that you had come in; I only want to wish you good night. Paula steals away, without looking back. Whatās the matter? Ah! Of course, Paula has told you about Captain Ardale?
Aubrey
Well?
Ellean
Have you and he met?
Aubrey
No.
Ellean
You are angry with him; so was I. But tomorrow when he calls and expresses his regretā ātomorrowā ā
Aubrey
Elleanā āEllean!
Ellean
Yes, papa?
Aubrey
Iā āI canāt let you see this man again. He walks away from her in a paroxysm of distress, then, after a moment or two, he returns to her and takes her to his arms. Ellean! my child!
Ellean
Releasing herself. What has happened, papa? What is it?
Aubrey
Thinking out his words deliberately. Something has occurred, something has come to my knowledge, in relation to Captain Ardale, which puts any further acquaintanceship between you two out of the question.
Ellean
Any further acquaintanceshipā āā ā¦ out of the question?
Aubrey
Yes.
Advancing to her quickly, but she shrinks from him.
Ellean
No, noā āI am quite well. After a short pause. Itās not an hour ago since Mrs. Cortelyon left you and me together here; you had nothing to urge against Captain Ardale then.
Aubrey
No.
Ellean
You donāt know each other; you havenāt even seen him this evening. Father!
Aubrey
I have told you he and I have not met.
Ellean
Mrs. Cortelyon couldnāt have spoken against him to you just now. No, no, no; sheās too good a friend to both of us. Arenāt you going to give me some explanation? You canāt take this position towards meā ātowards Captain Ardaleā āwithout affording me the fullest explanation.
Aubrey
Ellean, there are circumstances connected with Captain Ardaleās career which you had better remain ignorant of. It must be sufficient for you that I consider these circumstances render him unfit to be your husband.
Ellean
Father!
Aubrey
You must trust me, Ellean; you must try to understand the depth of my love for you and theā āthe agony it gives me to hurt you. You must trust me.
Ellean
I will, father; but you must trust me a little too. Circumstances connected with Captain Ardaleās career?
Aubrey
Yes.
Ellean
When he presents himself here tomorrow of course you will see him and let him defend himself?
Aubrey
Captain Ardale will not be here tomorrow.
Ellean
Not! You have stopped his coming here?
Aubrey
Indirectlyā āyes.
Ellean
But just now he was talking to me at that window! Nothing had taken place then! And since then nothing can haveā ā! Oh! Whyā āyou have heard something against him from Paula.
Aubrey
Fromā āPaula!
Ellean
She knows him.
Aubrey
She has told you so?
Ellean
When I introduced Captain Ardale to her she said she had met him in London. Of course! It is Paula who has done this!
Aubrey
In a hard voice. Iā āI hope youā āyouāll refrain from rushing at conclusions. Thereās nothing to be gained by trying to avoid the main point, which is that you must drive Captain Ardale out of your thoughts. Understand that! Youāre able to obtain comfort from your religion, arenāt you? Iām glad to think thatās so. I talk to you in a harsh way, Ellean, but I feel your pain almost as acutely as you do. Going to the door. Iā āI canāt say anything more to you tonight.
Ellean
Father! He pauses at the door. Father, Iām obliged to ask you this; thereās no help for itā āIāve no mother to go to. Does what you have heard about Captain Ardale concern the time when he led a wild, a dissolute life in London?
Aubrey
Returning to her slowly and staring at her. Explain yourself!
Ellean
He has been quite honest with me. One dayā āin Parisā āhe confessed to meā āwhat a manās life isā āwhat his life had been.
Aubrey
Under his breath. Oh!
Ellean
He offered to go away, not to approach me again.
Aubrey
And youā āyou accepted his view of what a manās life is!
Ellean
As far as I could forgive him, I forgave him.
Aubrey
With a groan. Why, when was it you left us? It hasnāt taken you long to get your robe ājust a little dusty at the hem!ā
Ellean
What do you mean?
Aubrey
Hah! A few weeks ago my one great desire was to keep you ignorant of evil.
Ellean
Father, it is impossible to be ignorant of evil. Instinct, common instinct, teaches us what is good and bad. Surely I am none the worse for knowing what is wicked and detesting it!
Aubrey
Detesting it! Why, you love this fellow!
Ellean
Ah, you donāt understand! I have simply judged Captain Ardale as we all pray to be judged. I have lived in imagination through that one week in India when he deliberately offered his life back to God to save those wretched, desperate people. In his whole career I see now nothing but that one week; those few hours bring him nearer the Saints, I believe, than fifty uneventful years of mere blamelessness would have done! And so, father, if Paula has reported anything to Captain Ardaleās discreditā ā
Aubrey
Paulaā ā!
Ellean
It must be Paula; it canāt be anybody else.
Aubrey
Youā āyouāll please keep Paula out of the
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