The Second Mrs. Tanqueray Arthur W. Pinero (free children's online books txt) š
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question. Finally, Ellean, understand meā āI have made up my mind.
Again going to the door.
Ellean
But waitā ālisten! I have made up my mind also.
Aubrey
Ah! I recognise your mother in you now!
Ellean
You need not speak against my mother because you are angry with me!
Aubrey
Iā āI hardly know what Iām saying to you. In the morningā āin the morningā ā
He goes out. She remains standing, and turns her head to listen. Then, after a momentās hesitation she goes softly to the window, and looks out under the verandah.
Ellean
In a whisper. Paula! Paula!
Paula appears outside the window and steps into the room; her face is white and drawn, her hair is a little disordered.
Paula
Huskily. Well?
Ellean
Have you been under the verandah all the whileā ālistening?
Paula
Nā āno.
Ellean
You have overheard usā āI see you have. And it is you who have been speaking to my father against Captain Ardale. Isnāt it? Paula, why donāt you own it or deny it?
Paula
Oh, Iā āI donāt mind owning it; why should I?
Ellean
Ah! You seem to have been very, very eager to tell your tale.
Paula
No, I wasnāt eager, Ellean. Iād have given something not to have had to do it. I wasnāt eager.
Ellean
Not! Oh, I think you might safely have spared us all for a little while.
Paula
But, Ellean, you forget Iā āI am your stepmother. It was myā āmy dutyā āto tell your father what Iā āwhat I knewā ā
Ellean
What you knew! Why, after all, what can you know! You can only speak from gossip, report, hearsay! How is it possible that youā ā! She stops abruptly. The two women stand staring at each other for a moment; then Ellean backs away from Paula slowly. Paula!
Paula
Whatā āwhatās the matter?
Ellean
Youā āyou knew Captain Ardale in London!
Paula
Whyā āwhat do you mean?
Ellean
Oh!
She makes for the door, but Paula catches her by the wrist.
Paula
You shall tell me what you mean!
Ellean
Ah! Suddenly looking fixedly in Paulaās face. You know what I mean.
Paula
You accuse me!
Ellean
Itās in your face!
Paula
Hoarsely. Youā āyou think Iāmā āthat sort of creature, do you?
Ellean
Let me go!
Paula
Answer me! Youāve always hated me! Shaking her. Out with it!
Ellean
You hurt me!
Paula
Youāve always hated me! You shall answer me!
Ellean
Well, then, I have alwaysā āalwaysā ā
Paula
What?
Ellean
I have always known what you were!
Paula
Ah! Whoā āwho told you?
Ellean
Nobody but yourself. From the first moment I saw you I knew you were altogether unlike the good women Iād left; directly I saw you I knew what my father had done. Youāve wondered why Iāve turned from you! Thereā āthatās the reason! Oh, but this is a horrible way for the truth to come home to everyone! Oh!
Paula
Itās a lie! Itās all a lie! Forcing Ellean down upon her knees. You shall beg my pardon for it. Ellean utters a loud shriek of terror. Ellean, Iām a good woman! I swear I am! Iāve always been a good woman! You dare to say Iāve ever been anything else! Itās a lie!
Throwing her off violently.
Aubrey re-enters.
Aubrey
Paula! Paula staggers back as Aubrey advances. Raising Ellean. Whatās this? Whatās this?
Ellean
Faintly. Nothing. Itā āitās my fault. Father, Iā āI donāt wish to see Captain Ardale again.
She goes out, Aubrey slowly following her to the door.
Paula
Aubrey, sheā āshe guesses.
Aubrey
Guesses?
Paula
About meā āand Ardale.
Aubrey
About youā āand Ardale?
Paula
She says she suspected my character from the beginningā āā ā¦ thatās why sheās always kept me at a distanceā āā ā¦ and now she sees throughā ā
She falters; he helps her to the ottoman, where she sits.
Aubrey
Bending over her. Paula, you must have said somethingā āadmitted somethingā ā
Paula
I donāt think so. Itā āitās in my face.
Aubrey
What?
Paula
She tells me so. Sheās right! Iām tainted through and through; anybody can see it, anybody can find it out. You said much the same to me tonight.
Aubrey
If she has got this idea into her head we must drive it out, thatās all. We must take steps toā āWhat shall we do? We had betterā ābetterā āWhatā āwhat?
Sitting and staring before him.
Paula
Ellean! So meek, so demure! Youāve often said she reminded you of her mother. Yes, I know now what your first marriage was like.
Aubrey
We must drive this idea out of her head. Weāll do something. What shall we do?
Paula
Sheās a regular woman too. She could forgive him easily enoughā ābut me! Thatās just a woman!
Aubrey
What can we do?
Paula
Why, nothing! Sheād have no difficulty in following up her suspicions. Suspicions! You should have seen how she looked at me! He buries his head in his hands. There is silence for a time, then she rises slowly, and goes and sits beside him. Aubrey!
Aubrey
Yes.
Paula
Iām very sorry.
Without meeting her eyes, he lays his hand on her arm for a moment.
Aubrey
Well, we must look things straight in the face. Glancing round. At any rate, weāve done with this.
Paula
I suppose so. After a brief pause. Of course, she and I canāt live under the same roof any more. You know she kissed me tonight, of her own accord.
Aubrey
I asked her to alter towards you.
Paula
That was it, then.
Aubrey
Iā āIām sorry I sent her away.
Paula
It was my fault; I made it necessary.
Aubrey
Perhaps now sheāll propose to return to the conventā āwell, she must.
Paula
Would you like to keep her with you andā āand leave me?
Aubrey
Paulaā ā!
Paula
You neednāt be afraid Iād go back toā āwhat I was. I couldnāt.
Aubrey
Sssh, for Godās sake! Weā āyou and Iā āweāll get out of this placeā āā ā¦ what a fool I was to come here again!
Paula
You lived here with your first wife!
Aubrey
Weāll get out of this place and go abroad again, and begin afresh.
Paula
Begin afresh?
Aubrey
Thereās no reason why the future shouldnāt be happy for usā āno reason that I can seeā ā
Paula
Aubrey!
Aubrey
Yes?
Paula
Youāll never forget this, you know.
Aubrey
This?
Paula
Tonight, and everything thatās led up to it. Our coming here, Ellean, our quarrelsā ācat and
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