William Maugham - Plays - Lady Frederick, The Explorer, A Man of Honour

[ With a little laugh. ] I must say it amuses me that Lady Frederick should have had both my brother and my son dangling at her skirts. Your respective passions are separated by quite a number of years.

Lady Frederick has already told me of that incident.

With the usual indiscretion of her sex.

It appears that she was very unhappy and you, with questionable taste, made love to her.

Do your best not to preach at me, dear boy. It reminds me of your lamented father.

And at last she promised to go away with you. You were to meet at Waterloo Station.

Such a draughty place for an assignation.

Your train was to start at nine, and you were going to take the boat over to the Channel Isles.

Lady Frederick has a very remarkable memory. I remember hoping the sea wouldn't be rough.

And just as the train was starting her eye fell on the clock. At that moment her child was coming down to breakfast and would ask for her. Before you could stop her she'd jumped out of the carriage. The train was moving, and you couldn't get out, so you were taken on to Weymouth – alone.

You must have felt a quite egregious ass, Paradine.

I did, but you need not rub it in.

Doesn't it occur to you, Charlie, that a woman who loves so easily can't be very worthy of your affection?

But, my dear mother, d'you think she cared for my uncle?

What the dickens d'you mean?

D'you suppose if she loved you she would have hesitated to come? D'you know her so little as that? She thought of her child only because she was quite indifferent to you.

[ Crossly. ] You know nothing about it, and you're an impertinent young jackanapes.

My dear Paradine, what can it matter if Lady Frederick was in love with you or not?

[ Calming down. ] Of course it doesn't matter a bit.

I have no doubt you mistook wounded vanity for a broken heart.

[ Acidly. ] My dear, you sometimes say things which explain to me why my brother-in-law so frequently abandoned his own fireside for the platform of Exeter Hall.

It may also interest you to learn that I am perfectly aware of Lady Frederick's financial difficulties. I know she has two bills falling due to-morrow.

She's a very clever woman.

I've implored her to let me lend her the money, and she absolutely refuses. You see, she's kept nothing from me at all.

My dear Charlie, it's a very old dodge to confess what doesn't matter in order to conceal what does.

What do you mean, mother?

Lady Frederick has told you nothing of the Bellingham affair?

Why should she?

It is surely expedient you should know that the woman you have some idea of marrying escaped the divorce court only by the skin of her teeth.

I don't believe that, mother.

Remember that you're talking to your respected parent, my boy.

I'm sorry that my mother should utter base and contemptible libels on – my greatest friend.

You may be quite sure that I say nothing which I can't prove.

I won't listen to anything against Lady Frederick.

But you must.

Are you quite indifferent to the great pain you cause me?

I can't allow you to marry a woman who's hopelessly immoral.

Mother, how dare you say that?

This isn't the sort of thing I much like, but hadn't you better hear the worst at once?

Very well. But if my mother insists on saying things, she must say them in Lady Frederick's presence.

That I'm quite willing to do.

Good.

You'd better take care, Maudie. Lady Frederick's a dangerous woman to play the fool with.

[ To the servant. ] Go to Lady Frederick Berolles and say Lord Mereston is extremely sorry to trouble her ladyship, but would be very much obliged if she'd come to the drawing-room for two minutes.

Very well, my lord.

What are you going to do, Maud?

I knew there was a letter in existence in Lady Frederick's handwriting which proved all I've said about her. I've moved heaven and earth to get hold of it, and it came this morning.

Don't be such a fool. You're not going to use that?

I am indeed.

Your blood be upon your own head. Unless I'm vastly mistaken you'll suffer the greatest humiliation that you can imagine.

That's absurd. I have nothing to fear.

I'm so sorry to disturb you. I hope you don't mind?

Not at all. I knew you wouldn't have sent for me in that fashion without good cause.

I'm afraid you'll think me dreadfully impertinent.

Really you need not apologise so much, Charlie.

My mother has something to say against you, and I think it right that she should say it in your presence.

That's very nice of you, Charlie – though I confess I prefer people to say horrid things of me only behind my back. Especially if they're true.

Look here, I think all this is rather nonsense. We've most of us got something in our past history that we don't want raked up, and we'd all better let bygones be bygones.

I'm waiting, Lady Mereston.

It's merely that I thought my son should know that Lady Frederick had been the mistress of Roger Bellingham. [Lady Frederick turns quickly and looks at her ; then bursts into a peal of laughter . Lady Mereston springs up angrily and hands her a letter .] Is this in your handwriting?

[ Not at all disconcerted. ] Dear me, how did you get hold of this?

You see that I have ample proof, Lady Frederick.

[ Handing the letter to Mereston.] Would you like to read it? You know my writing well enough to be able to answer Lady Mereston's question.