Complete Poems and Plays (70 page)

Then I might not have misunderstood Celia.

R
EILLY
.
You will have to live with these memories and make them

Into something new. Only by acceptance

Of the past will you alter its meaning.

J
ULIA
.
Henry, I think it is time that
I
said something:

Everyone makes a choice, of one kind or another,

And then must take the consequences. Celia chose

A way of which the consequence was Kinkanja.

Peter chose a way that leads him to Boltwell:

And he’s got to go there …

P
ETER
.
                                       I see what you mean.

I wish I didn’t have to. But the car will be waiting,

And the experts — I’d almost forgotten them.

I realise that I can’t get out of it —

And what else can I do?

A
LEX
.
                                 It is your film.

And I know that Bela expects great things of it.

P
ETER
.
So now I’ll be going.

E
DWARD
.
                                Shall we see you again, Peter,

Before you leave England?

L
AVINIA
.
                                  Do try to come to see us.

You know, I think it would do us all good —

You and me and Edward … to talk about Celia.

P
ETER
.
Thanks very much. But not this time —

I simply shan’t be able to.

E
DWARD
.
                                But on your next visit?

P
ETER
.
The next time I come to England, I promise you.

I really do want to see you both, very much.

Good-bye, Julia. Good-bye, Alex. Good-bye, Sir Henry.            
[
Exit
]

J
ULIA
.
… And now the consequence of the Chamberlaynes’ choice

Is a cocktail party. They must be ready for it.

Their guests may be arriving at any moment.

R
EILLY
.
Julia, you are right. It is also right

That the Chamberlaynes should now be giving a party.

L
AVINIA
.
And I have been thinking, for these last five minutes,

How I could face my guests. I wish it was over.

I mean … I am glad you came … I am glad Alex told us …

And Peter had to know …

E
DWARD
.
                              Now I think I understand …

L
AVINIA
.
Then I hope you will explain it to me!

E
DWARD
.
                                                               Oh, it isn’t much

That I understand yet! But Sir Henry has been saying,

I think, that every moment is a fresh beginning;

And Julia, that life is only keeping on;

And somehow, the two ideas seem to fit together.

L
AVINIA
.
But all the same … I don’t want to see these people.

R
EILLY
.
It is your appointed burden. And as for the party,

I am sure it will be a success.

J
ULIA
.
                                          And I think, Henry,

That we should leave before the party begins.

They will get on better without us. You too, Alex.

L
AVINIA
.
We don’t
want
you to go!

A
LEX
.
                                                  We have another engagement.

R
EILLY
.
And on this occasion I shall not be unexpected.

J
ULIA
.
Now, Henry. Now, Alex. We’re going to the Gunnings.

[
Exeunt
J
ULIA,
R
EILLY
and
A
LEX
]

L
AVINIA
.
Edward, how am I looking?

E
DWARD
.
                                              Very well.

I might almost say, your best. But you always look your best.

L
AVINIA
.
Oh, Edward, that spoils it. No woman can believe

That she always looks her best. You’re rather transparent,

You know, when you’re trying to cheer me up.

To say I always look my best can only mean the worst.

E
DWARD
.
I never shall learn how to pay a compliment.

L
AVINIA
.
What you should have done was to admire my dress.

E
DWARD
.
But I’ve already told you how much I like it.

L
AVINIA
.
But so much has happened since then. And besides,

One sometimes likes to hear the same compliment twice.

E
DWARD
.
And now for the party.

L
AVINIA
.
                                        Now for the party.

E
DWARD
.
It will soon be over.

L
AVINIA
.
                                    I wish it would begin.

E
DWARD
.
There’s the doorbell.

L
AVINIA
.
                                     Oh, I’m glad. It’s begun.

CURTAIN

The
Business
Room
on
the
first
floor
of
S
IR
C
LAUDE
M
ULHAMMER’S
London
house.
Early
afternoon.
S
IR
C
LAUDE
writing
at
desk.
Enter
E
GGERSON
.

S
IR
C
LAUDE
.
Ah, there you are, Eggerson! Punctual as always.

I’m sorry to have to bring you up to London

All the way from Joshua Park, on an errand like this.

But you know my wife wouldn’t like anyone to meet her

At Northolt, but you. And I couldn’t send Colby.

That’s not the way to arrange their first meeting,

On her return from Switzerland.

E
GGERSON
.
                                         Impossible, Sir Claude!

A very delicate situation —

Her first meeting with Mr. Simpkins.

But I was glad of the excuse for coming up to London:

I’ve spent the morning shopping! Gardening tools.

The number of things one needs for a garden!

And I thought, now’s the moment to buy some new tools

So as not to lose a moment at the end of the winter

And I matched some material for Mrs. E.,

Which she’s been wanting. So
she
’ll
be pleased.

Then I lunched at the store — they have a restaurant;

An excellent lunch, and cheap, for nowadays.

But where’s Mr. Simpkins? Will he be here?

S
IR
C
LAUDE
.
I had to send him to the City this morning,

But he’ll be back, I hope, before you leave.

E
GGERSON
.
And how’s he getting on? Swimmingly, I’m sure,

As I’ve heard nothing since the last time I came.

S
IR
C
LAUDE
.
Well, of course, Eggerson, you’re irreplaceable …

E
GGERSON
.
Oh, Sir Claude, you shouldn’t say that!

Mr. Simpkins is far better qualified than I was

To be your confidential clerk.

He was finding his feet, very quickly,

During the time we worked together.

All he needs is confidence.

S
IR
C
LAUDE
.
                            And experience.

With a young man, some readjustment is necessary.

But I’m satisfied that he’s getting the hang of things,

And I think he’s beginning to take a keen interest.

E
GGERSON
.
And getting over his disappointment?

Of course, I never mentioned that:

It’s only what you told me.

S
IR
C
LAUDE
.
                            About his music.

Yes, I think so. I understand his feelings.

He’s like me, Eggerson. The same disappointment

In a different form. He won’t forget

That his great ambition was to be an organist,

Just as I can’t forget … no matter.

The great thing was to find something else

He could do, and do well. And I think he’s found it,

Just as I did. I shall tell him about myself.

But so far, I’ve left him to his own devices:

I thought he would fall into this way of life more quickly

If we started on a purely business basis.

E
GGERSON
.
No doubt that’s best. While he’s still living

With his aunt in Teddington, and coming up daily

Just as I used to. And the flat in the mews?

How soon will that be ready for him?

S
IR
C
LAUDE
.
They have still to do the walls. And then it must be furnished.

I’m trying to find him a really good piano.

E
GGERSON
.
A piano? Yes, I’m sure he’ll feel at home

When he has a piano. You think of everything.

But if I might make a suggestion: window boxes!

He’s expressed such an interest in my garden

That I think he ought to have window boxes.

Some day, he’ll want a garden of his own. And yes, a bird bath!

S
IR
C
LAUDE
.
A bird bath? In the mews? What’s the point of that?

E
GGERSON
.
He told me he was very fond of bird watching.

S
IR
C
LAUDE
.
But there won’t be any birds — none worth watching.

E
GGERSON
.
I don’t know, Sir Claude. Only the other day

I read a letter in
The
Times
about wild birds seen in London:

And I’m sure Mr. Simpkins will find them if anybody.

S
IR
C
LAUDE
.
Well, we’ll leave that for the present. As we have a little time

Before you start for Northolt — the car will be ready —

Let’s think what you’re to say to Lady Elizabeth,

Coming back from the airport, about Colby.

I think, you ought to give her warning

Of whom she is to meet on her arrival.

E
GGERSON
.
How would you like me to approach the subject?

S
IR
C
LAUDE
.
Of course, she knows you were wanting to retire,

As we had some discussion about replacing you.

But you know she regards you — well, completely

As one of the household.

E
GGERSON
.
                            That’s a great compliment.

S
IR
C
LAUDE
.
And well deserved; but rather inconvenient

When it comes to appointing a successor.

Makes it very difficult to replace you.

She thinks she ought to have a hand in the choosing;

And besides, she is convinced that she, of all people,

Is a better judge of character than I am.

E
GGERSON
.
Oh, I wouldn’t say that, Sir Claude!

She has too much respect for your business genius.

But it’s true she believes she has what she calls ‘guidance’.

S
IR
C
LAUDE.
Guidance. That’s worse than believing in her judgment:

We could argue about that. You can’t argue with guidance.

But if she appears to be puzzled, or annoyed

At my making the appointment during her absence,

You must say you had to leave under medical orders.

She’s always been concerned about your state of health,

So she’ll be sympathetic. And as for Colby —

Say that Mr. Simpkins was highly recommended,

And say that I had to make a quick decision

Because he’d had another very tempting offer.

Something like that. Don’t make too much of it.

And I rather hope that she will take to him at once:

If so, she is certain to come to believe

That she chose him herself. By the way, don’t forget

To let her know that he’s very musical.

She can take him to concerts. But don’t overdo it!

E
GGERSON
.
I’ll remember that. Music.

S
IR
C
LAUDE
.
                                            And by the way,

How much have you actually told him about her?

You remember,1 asked you to prepare him a little;

There are some things you could say better than I could,

And ways in which you could reassure him

Better than I. He’s more at ease with you

Than he is with me.

E
GGERSON
.
                    Oh, you mustn’t say that!

Though I’ve done my best to gain his confidence.

I did mention her interest in Light from the East.

S
IR
C
LAUDE
.
And the Book of Revelation? And the Wisdom of Atlantis?

E
GGERSON
.
Well, to tell the truth, Sir Claude, I only touched on these matters,

They’re much too deep for me. And I thought, Mr. Simpkins,

He’s highly educated. He’ll soon begin to grasp them.

No, I haven’t told him much about Lady Elizabeth.

But there’s one thing I should like to know —

If you don’t mind — before I go to meet her.

How soon do you propose to …
explain
Mr. Simpkins?

Regularize his position in the household?

You told me that was your eventual intention.

S
IR
C
LAUDE
.
When — or indeed whether — I reveal his identity

Depends on how she takes to him. This afternoon

She will only learn that you have finally retired

And that you have a young successor,

A Mr. Colby Simpkins.

E
GGERSON
.
                          Merely Mr. Simpkins.

S
IR
C
LAUDE
.
The reasons for starting him during her absence

Are perfectly clear. But beyond that point

I haven’t yet explained my plans to you.

Why I’ve never told her about him,

The reason for meeting him as merely Mr. Simpkins,

Is, that she has a strong maternal instinct …

E
GGERSON
.
I realise that.

S
IR
C
LAUDE
.
                      Which has always been thwarted.

E
GGERSON
.
I’m sure it’s been a grief to both of you

That you’ve never had children.

S
IR
C
LAUDE
.
                                     No worse, Eggerson,

Than for you and your wife, to have had a son

Lost in action, and his grave unknown.

E
GGERSON.
And you’re thinking no doubt that Lady Elizabeth

Would be put in mind of the child
she
lost.

S
IR
C
LAUDE
.
In a very different way, yes. You might say
mislaid,

Since the father is dead, and there’s no way of tracing it.

Yes, I was thinking of her missing child: