Waste Part 19

LUCY. He's very fond of me, if that's what you mean?

TREBELL _looks at her for the first time and changes his tone a little._

TREBELL. If it was what I meant ... I'm disposed to withdraw the suggestion.

LUCY. And, because I'm fond of his work as well, I shan't therefore ask him to tell me things ... secrets.

TREBELL. [_Reverting to his humour._] It'll be when you're a year or two married that danger may occur ... in his desperate effort to make conversation.

LUCY _considers this and him quite seriously._

LUCY. You're rather hard on women, aren't you ... just because they don't have the chances men do.

TREBELL. Do you want the chances?

LUCY. I think I'm as clever as most men I meet, though I know less, of course.

TREBELL. Perhaps I should have offered you the secretarys.h.i.+p instead.

LUCY. [_Readily._] Don't you think I'm taking it in a way ... by marrying Walter? That's fanciful of course. But marriage is a very general and complete sort of partners.h.i.+p, isn't it? At least, I'd like to make mine so.

TREBELL. He'll be more under your thumb in some things if you leave him free in others.

_She receives the sarcasm in all seriousness and then speaks to him as she would to a child._

LUCY. Oh ... I'm not explaining what I mean quite well perhaps. Walter has been everywhere and done everything. He speaks three languages ... which all makes him an ideal private secretary.

TREBELL. Quite.

LUCY. Do you think he'd develop into anything else ... but for me?

TREBELL. So I have provided just a first step, have I?

LUCY. [_With real enthusiasm._] Oh, Mr. Trebell, it's a great thing for us.

There isn't anyone worth working under but you. You'll make him think and give him ideas instead of expecting them from him. But just for that reason he'd get so attached to you and be quite content to grow old in your shadow ... if it wasn't for me.

TREBELL. True ... I should encourage him in nothingness. What's more, I want extra brains and hands. It's not altogether a pleasant thing, is it ... the selfishness of the hard worked man?

LUCY. If you don't grudge your own strength, why should you be tender of other people's?

_He looks at her curiously._

TREBELL. Your ambition is making for only second-hand satisfaction though.

LUCY. What's a woman to do? She must work through men, mustn't she?

TREBELL. I'm told that's degrading ... the influencing of husbands and brothers and sons.

LUCY. [_Only half humorously._] But what else is one to do with them? Of course, I've enough money to live on ... so I could take up some woman's profession ... What are you smiling at?

TREBELL. [_Who has smiled very broadly._] As you don't mean to ... don't stop while I tell you.

LUCY. But I'd sooner get married. I want to have children. [_The words catch him and hold him. He looks at her reverently this time. She remembers she has transgressed convention; then, remembering that it is only convention, proceeds quite simply._] I hope we shall have children.

TREBELL. I hope so.

LUCY. Thank you. That's the first kind thing you've said.

TREBELL. Oh ... you can do without compliments, can't you?

_She considers for a moment._

LUCY. Why have you been talking to me as if I were someone else?

TREBELL. [_Startled._] Who else?

LUCY. No one particular. But you've shaken a moral fist so to speak. I don't think I provoked it.

TREBELL. It's a bad parliamentary habit. I apologise.

_She gets up to go._

LUCY. Now I shan't keep you longer ... you're always busy. You've been so easy to talk to. Thank you very much.

TREBELL. Why ... I wonder?

LUCY. I knew you would be or I shouldn't have come. You think Life's an important thing, don't you? That's priggish, isn't it? Good-bye. We're coming to dinner ... Aunt Julia and I. Miss Trebell arrived to ask us just as I left.

TREBELL. I'll see you down.

LUCY. What waste of time for you. I know how the door opens.

_As she goes out_ WALTER KENT _is on the way to his room. The two nod to each other like old friends._ TREBELL _turns away with something of a sigh._

KENT. Just come?

LUCY. Just going.

KENT. I'll see you at dinner.

LUCY. Oh, are you to be here? ... that's nice.

LUCY _departs as purposefully as she came._ KENT _hurries to_ TREBELL, _whose thoughts are away again by now._

KENT. I haven't been long there and back, have I? The Bishop gave me these letters for you. He hasn't answered the last ... but I've his notes of what he means to say. He'd like them back to-night. He was just going out. I've one or two notes of what Evans said. Bit of a charlatan, don't you think?

TREBELL. Evans?