Complete Poems and Plays (39 page)

C
HARLES
.
All the same, there’s a question or two

[
Rings
the
bell
]

That I’d like to ask Downing.

He shan’t know why I’m asking.

[
Enter
D
ENMAN
]

Denman, where is Downing? Is he up with his Lordship?

D
ENMAN
.
He’s out in the garage, Sir, with his Lordship’s car.

C
HARLES
.
Tell him I’d like to have a word with him, please.

[
Exit
D
ENMAN
]

V
IOLET
.
Charles, if you are determined upon this investigation.

Which I am convinced is going to lead us nowhere,

And which I am sure Amy would disapprove of —

I only wish to express my emphatic protest

Both against your purpose and the means you are employing.

C
HARLES
.
My purpose is, to find out what’s wrong with Harry:

Until we know that, we can do nothing for him.

And as for my means, we can’t afford to be squeamish

In taking hold of anything that comes to hand.

If you are interested in helping Harry

You can hardly object to the means.

V
IOLET
.
                                                  I do object.

I
VY
.
And I wish to associate myself with my sister

In her objections —

A
GATHA
.
                    I have no objection,

Any more than I object to asking Dr. Warburton:

I only see that this is all quite irrelevant;

We had better leave Charles to talk to Downing

And pursue his own methods.

[
Rises
]

V
IOLET
.
                                         I do not agree.

I think there should be witnesses. I intend to remain.

And I wish to be present to hear what Downing says.

I want to know at once, not be told about it later.

I
VY
.
And I shall stay with Violet.

A
GATHA
.
                                           I shall return

When Downing has left you.

[
Exit
]

C
HARLES
.
                                     Well, I’m very sorry

You all see it like this: but there simply are times

When there’s nothing to do but take the bull by the horns,

And this is one.

[
Knock:
and
enter
D
OWNING
]

C
HARLES
.
               Good evening, Downing.

It’s good to see you again, after all these years.

You’re well, I hope?

D
OWNING
.
                     Thank you, very well indeed, Sir.

C
HARLES
.
I’m sorry to send for you so abruptly,

But I’ve a question I’d like to put to you,

I’m sure you won’t mind, it’s about his Lordship.

You’ve looked after his Lordship for over ten years …

D
OWNING
.
Eleven years, Sir, next Lady Day.

C
HARLES
.
Eleven years, and you know him pretty well.

And I’m sure that you’ve been a good friend to him, too.

We
haven’t seen him for nearly eight years;

And to tell the truth, now that we’ve seen him,

We’re a little worried about his health.

He doesn’t seem to be … quite himself.

D
OWNING
.
Quite natural, if I may say so, Sir,

After what happened.

C
HARLES
.
                        Quite so, quite.

Downing, you were with them on the voyage from New York —

We didn’t learn very much about the circumstances;

We only knew what we read in the papers —

Of course, there was a great deal too much in the papers.

Downing, do you think that it might have been suicide,

And that his Lordship knew it?

D
OWNING
.
Unlikely, Sir, if I may say so.

Much more likely to have been an accident.

I mean, knowing her Ladyship,

I don’t think she had the courage.

C
HARLES
.
Did she ever talk of suicide?

D
OWNING
.
Oh yes, she did, every now and again.

But in my opinion, it is those that talk

That are the least likely. To my way of thinking

She only did it to frighten people.

If you take my meaning — just for the effect.

C
HARLES
.
I understand, Downing. Was she in good spirits?

D
OWNING
.
Well, always about the same, Sir.

What I mean is, always up and down.

Down in the morning, and up in the evening,

And
then
she used to get rather excited,

And, in a way, irresponsible, Sir.

If I may make so bold, Sir,

I always thought that a very few cocktails

Went a long way with her Ladyship.

She wasn’t one of those that are
designed
for drinking:

It’s natural for some and unnatural for others.

C
HARLES
.
And how was his Lordship, during the voyage?

D
OWNING
.
Well, you might say depressed, Sir.

But you know his Lordship was always very quiet:

Very uncommon that I saw him in high spirits.

For what my judgment’s worth, I always said his Lordship

Suffered from what they call a kind of repression.

But what struck me … more nervous than usual;

I mean to say, you could see that he was nervous.

He behaved as if he thought something might happen.

C
HARLES
.
What sort of thing?

D
OWNING
.
                                 Well, I don’t know, Sir.

But he seemed very anxious about my Lady.

Tried to keep her in when the weather was rough,

Didn’t like to see her lean over the rail.

He was in a rare fright, once or twice.

But you know, it is just my opinion, Sir,

That his Lordship is rather psychic, as they say.

C
HARLES
.
Were they always together?

D
OWNING
.
                                              Always, Sir.

That was just my complaint against my Lady.

It’s my opinion that man and wife

Shouldn’t see too much of each other, Sir.

Quite the contrary of the usual opinion,

I dare say. She wouldn’t leave him alone.

And there’s my complaint against these ocean liners

With all their swimming baths and gymnasiums

There’s not even a place where a man can go

For a quiet smoke, where the women can’t follow him.

She wouldn’t leave him out of her sight.

C
HARLES
.
During that evening, did you see him?

D
OWNING
.
Oh yes, Sir, I’m sure I saw him.

I don’t mean to say that he had any orders —

His Lordship is always most considerate

About keeping me up. But when I say I saw him,

I mean that I saw him accidental.

You see, Sir, I was down in the Tourist,

And I took a bit of air before I went to bed,

And you could see the corner of the upper deck.

And I remember, there I saw his Lordship

Leaning over the rail, looking at the water —

There wasn’t a moon, but I was sure it was him.

While I took my turn about, for near half an hour

He stayed there alone, looking over the rail.

Her Ladyship must have been all right then,

Mustn’t she, Sir? or else he’d have known it.

C
HARLES
.
Oh yes … quite so. Thank you, Downing,

I don’t think we need you any more.

G
ERALD
.
                                                 Oh, Downing,

Is there anything wrong with his Lordship’s car?

D
OWNING
.
Oh no, Sir, she’s in good running order:

I see to that.

G
ERALD
.
          I only wondered

Why you’ve been busy about it tonight.

D
OWNING
.
Nothing wrong, Sir:

Only I like to have her always ready.

Would there be anything more, Sir?

G
ERALD
.
                                                Thank you, Downing;

Nothing more.

[
Exit
D
OWNING
]

V
IOLET
.
Well, Charles, I must say, with your investigations,

You seem to have left matters much as they were —

Except for having brought Downing into it:

Of which I disapprove.

C
HARLES
.
                          Of which you disapprove.

But I believe that an unconscious accomplice is desirable.

C
HORUS
.
Why should we stand here like guilty conspirators, waiting for some revelation

When the hidden shall be exposed, and the newsboy shall shout in the street?

When the private shall be made public, the common photographer

Flashlight for the picture papers: why do we huddle together

In a horrid amity of misfortune? why should we be implicated, brought in and brought together?

I
VY
.
I do not trust Charles with his confident vulgarity, acquired from worldly associates.

G
ERALD
.
Ivy is only concerned for herself, and her credit among her shabby genteel acquaintance.