Уильям Моэм - The Circle

C.–C. My dear Arnold, we all hope that you have before you a distinguished political career. You can't learn too soon that the most useful thing about a principle is that it can always be sacrificed to expediency.

ARNOLD. But supposing it doesn't come off? Women are incalculable.

C.–C. Nonsense! Men are romantic. A woman will always sacrifice herself if you give her the opportunity. It is her favourite form of self–indulgence.

ARNOLD. I never know whether you're a humorist or a cynic, father.

C.–C. I'm neither, my dear boy; I'm merely a very truthful man. But people are so unused to the truth that they're apt to mistake it for a joke or a sneer.

ARNOLD. [ Irritably. ] It seems so unfair that this should happen to me.

C.–C. Keep your head, my boy, and do what I tell you.

[ LADY KITTY and ELIZABETH come in. LADY KITTY is in a gorgeous evening gown.

ELIZABETH. Where is Lord Porteous?

C.–C. He's on the terrace. He's smoking a cigar. [ Going to window. ] Hughie!

[ PORTEOUS comes in.

PORTEOUS. [ With a grunt. ] Yes? Where's Mrs. Shenstone?

ELIZABETH. Oh, she had a headache. She's gone to bed.

[ When PORTEOUS comes in LADY KITTY with a very haughty air purses her lips and takes up an illustrated paper. PORTEOUS gives her an irritated look, takes another illustrated paper and sits himself down at the other end of the room. They are not on speaking terms.

C.–C. Arnold and I have just been down to my cottage.

ELIZABETH. I wondered where you'd gone.

C.–C. I came across an old photograph album this afternoon. I meant to bring it along before dinner, but I forgot, so we went and fetched it.

ELIZABETH. Oh, do let me see it! I love old photographs.

[ He gives her the album, and she, sitting down, puts it on her knees and begins to turn over the pages. He stands over her. LADY KITTY and PORTEOUS take surreptitious glances at one another.

C.–C. I thought it might amuse you to see what pretty women looked like five–and–thirty years ago. That was the day of beautiful women.

ELIZABETH. Do you think they were more beautiful then than they are now?

C.–C. Oh, much. Now you see lots of pretty little things, but very few beautiful women.

ELIZABETH. Aren't their clothes funny?

C.–C. [ Pointing to a photograph. ] That's Mrs. Langtry.

ELIZABETH. She has a lovely nose.

C.–C. She was the most wonderful thing you ever saw. Dowagers used to jump on chairs in order to get a good look at her when she came into a drawing–room. I was riding with her once, and we had to have the gates of the livery stable closed when she was getting on her horse because the crowd was so great.

ELIZABETH. And who's that?

C.–C. Lady Lonsdale. That's Lady Dudley.

ELIZABETH. This is an actress, isn't it?

C.–C. It is, indeed. Ellen Terry. By George! how I loved that woman!

ELIZABETH. [ With a smile. ] Dear Ellen Terry!

C.–C. That's Bwabs. I never saw a smarter man in my life. And Oliver Montagu. Henry Manners with his eye–glass.

ELIZABETH. Nice–looking, isn't he? And this?

C.–C. That's Mary Anderson. I wish you could have seen her in "A Winter's Tale." Her beauty just took your breath away. And look! There's Lady Randolph. Bernal Osborne—the wittiest man I ever knew.

ELIZABETH. I think it's too sweet. I love their absurd bustles and those tight sleeves.

C.–C. What figures they had! In those days a woman wasn't supposed to be as thin as a rail and as flat as a pancake.

ELIZABETH. Oh, but aren't they laced in? How could they bear it?

C.–C. They didn't play golf then, and nonsense like that, you know. They hunted, in a tall hat and a long black habit, and they were very gracious and charitable to the poor in the village.

ELIZABETH. Did the poor like it?

C.–C. They had a very thin time if they didn't. When they were in London they drove in the Park every afternoon, and they went to ten–course dinners, where they never met anybody they didn't know. And they had their box at the opera when Patti was singing or Madame Albani.

ELIZABETH. Oh, what a lovely little thing! Who on earth is that?

C.–C. That?

ELIZABETH. She looks so fragile, like a piece of exquisite china, with all those furs on and her face up against her muff, and the snow falling.

C.–C. Yes, there was quite a rage at that time for being taken in an artificial snowstorm.

ELIZABETH. What a sweet smile, so roguish and frank, and debonair! Oh, I wish I looked like that! Do tell me who it is!

C.–C. Don't you know?

ELIZABETH. No.

C.–C. Why—it's Kitty.

ELIZABETH. Lady Kitty! [ To LADY KITTY. ] Oh, my dear, do look! It's too ravishing. [ She takes the album over to her impulsively. ] Why didn't you tell me you looked like that? Everybody must have been in love with you.

[ LADY KITTY takes the album and looks at it. Then she lets it slip from her hands and covers her face with her hands. She is crying.

[ In consternation. ] My dear, what's the matter? Oh, what have I done? I'm so sorry.

LADY KITTY. Don't, don't talk to me. Leave me alone. It's stupid of me.

[ ELIZABETH looks at her for a moment perplexed, then, turning round, slips her arm in CHAMPION–CHENEY's and leads him out on to the terrace.

ELIZABETH. [ As they are going, in a whisper. ] Did you do that on purpose?

[ PORTEOUS gets up and goes over to LADY KITTY. He puts his hand on her shoulder. They remain thus for a little while.

PORTEOUS. I'm afraid I was very rude to you before dinner, Kitty.

LADY KITTY. [ Taking his hand which is on her shoulder. ] It doesn't matter. I'm sure I was very exasperating.

PORTEOUS. I didn't mean what I said, you know.

LADY KITTY. Neither did I.

PORTEOUS. Of course I know that I'd never have been Prime Minister.

LADY KITTY. How can you talk such nonsense, Hughie? No one would have had a chance if you'd remained in politics.

PORTEOUS. I haven't the character.

LADY KITTY. You have more character than anyone I've ever met.

PORTEOUS. Besides, I don't know that I much wanted to be Prime Minister.

LADY KITTY. Oh, but I should have been so proud of you. Of course you'd have been Prime Minister.

PORTEOUS. I'd have given you India, you know. I think it would have been a very popular appointment.

LADY KITTY. I don't care twopence about India. I'd have been quite content with Western Australia.

PORTEOUS. My dear, you don't think I'd have let you bury yourself in Western Australia?

LADY KITTY. Or Barbadoes.

PORTEOUS. Never. It sounds like a cure for flat feet. I'd have kept you in London.

[ He picks up the album and is about to look at the photograph of LADY KITTY. She puts her hand over it.

LADY KITTY. No, don't look.

[ He takes her hand away.

PORTEOUS. Don't be so silly.

LADY KITTY. Isn't it hateful to grow old?

PORTEOUS. You know, you haven't changed much.

LADY KITTY. [ Enchanted. ] Oh, Hughie, how can you talk such nonsense?

PORTEOUS. Of course you're a little more mature, but that's all. A woman's all the better for being rather mature.

LADY KITTY. Do you really think that?

PORTEOUS. Upon my soul I do.

LADY KITTY. You're not saying it just to please me?

PORTEOUS. No, no.

LADY KITTY. Let me look at the photograph again.

[ She takes the album and looks at the photograph complacently.

The fact is, if your bones are good, age doesn't really matter. You'll always be beautiful.

PORTEOUS. [ With a little smile, almost as if he were talking to a child. ] It was silly of you to cry.