BLY. [With a big wipe, following his thought] He said to me once: "Joe," he said, "if I was to hold meself in, I should be a devil."
There"s where you get it. Policemen, priests, prisoners. Cab"net Ministers, any one who leads an unnatural life, see how it twists "em.
You can"t suppress a thing without it swellin" you up in another place.
MR MARCH. And the moral of that is--?
BLY. Follow your instincts. You see--if I"m not keepin" you--now that we ain"t got no faith, as we were sayin" the other day, no Ten Commandments in black an" white--we"ve just got to be "uman bein"s-- raisin" Cain, and havin" feelin" hearts. What"s the use of all these lofty ideas that you can"t live up to? Liberty, Fraternity, Equality, Democracy--see what comes o" fightin" for "em! "Ere we are-wipin" out the lot. We thought they was fixed stars; they was only comets--hot air.
No; trust "uman nature, I say, and follow your instincts.
MR MARCH. We were talking of your daughter--I--I--
BLY. There"s a case in point. Her instincts was starved goin" on for three years, because, mind you, they kept her hangin" about in prison months before they tried her. I read your article, and I thought to meself after I"d finished: Which would I feel smallest--if I was--the Judge, the Jury, or the "Ome Secretary? It was a treat, that article!
They ought to abolish that in"uman "To be hanged by the neck until she is dead." It"s my belief they only keep it because it"s poetry; that and the wigs--they"re hard up for a bit of beauty in the Courts of Law.
Excuse my "and, sir; I do thank you for that article.
He extends his wiped hand, which MR MARCH shakes with the feeling that he is always shaking Mr. BLY"s hand.
MR MARCH. But, apropos of your daughter, Mr Bly. I suppose none of us ever change our natures.
BLY. [Again responding to the appeal that he senses to his philosophical vein] Ah! but "oo can see what our natures are? Why, I"ve known people that could see nothin" but theirselves and their own families, unless they was drunk. At my daughter"s trial, I see right into the lawyers, judge and all. There she was, hub of the whole thing, and all they could see of her was "ow far she affected "em personally--one tryin" to get "er guilty, the other tryin" to get "er off, and the judge summin" "er up cold-blooded.
MR MARCH. But that"s what they"re paid for, Mr Bly.
BLY. Ah! But which of "em was thinkin" ""Ere"s a little bit o" warm life on its own. "Ere"s a little dancin" creature. What"s she feelin", wot"s "er complaint?"--impersonal-like. I like to see a man do a bit of speculatin", with his mind off of "imself, for once.
MR MARCH. "The man that hath not speculation in his soul."
BLY. That"s right, sir. When I see a mangy cat or a dog that"s lost, or a fellow-creature down on his luck, I always try to put meself in his place. It"s a weakness I"ve got.
MR MARCH. [Warmly] A deuced good one. Shake--
He checks himself, but MR BLY has wiped his hand and extended it.
While the shake is in progress MARY returns, and, having seen it to a safe conclusion, speaks.
MARY. Coming, Dad?
MR MARCH. Excuse me, Mr Bly, I must away.
He goes towards the door, and BLY dips his sponge.
MARY. [In a low voice] Well?
MR MARCH. Mr Bly is like all the greater men I know--he can"t listen.
MARY. But you were shaking--
MR MARCH. Yes; it"s a weakness we have--every three minutes.
MARY. [Bubbling] Dad--Silly!
MR MARCH. Very!
As they go out MR BLY pauses in his labours to catch, as it were, a philosophical reflection. He resumes the wiping of a pane, while quietly, behind him, FAITH comes in with a tray. She is dressed now in lilac-coloured linen, without a cap, and looks prettier than ever. She puts the tray down on the sideboard with a clap that attracts her father"s attention, and stands contemplating the debris on the table.
BLY. Winders! There they are! Clean, dirty! All sorts--All round yer!
Winders!
FAITH. [With disgust] Food!
BLY. Ah! Food and winders! That"s life!
FAITH. Eight times a day four times for them and four times for us.
I hate food!
She puts a chocolate into her mouth.
BLY. "Ave some philosophy. I might just as well hate me winders.
FAITH. Well!
She begins to clear.
BLY. [Regarding her] Look "ere, my girl! Don"t you forget that there ain"t many winders in London out o" which they look as philosophical as these here. Beggars can"t be choosers.
FAITH. [Sullenly] Oh! Don"t go on at me!
BLY. They spoiled your disposition in that place, I"m afraid.
FAITH. Try it, and see what they do with yours.
BLY. Well, I may come to it yet.
FAITH. You"ll get no windows to look out of there; a little bit of a thing with bars to it, and lucky if it"s not thick gla.s.s. [Standing still and gazing past MR BLY] No sun, no trees, no faces--people don"t pa.s.s in the sky, not even angels.
BLY. Ah! But you shouldn"t brood over it. I knew a man in Valpiraso that "ad spent "arf "is life in prison-a jolly feller; I forget what "e"d done, somethin" b.l.o.o.d.y. I want to see you like him. Aren"t you happy here?
FAITH. It"s right enough, so long as I get out.
BLY. This Mr March--he"s like all these novel-writers--thinks "e knows "uman nature, but of course "e don"t. Still, I can talk to "im--got an open mind, and hates the Gover"ment. That"s the two great things. Mrs March, so far as I see, "as got her head screwed on much tighter.
FAITH. She has.
BLY. What"s the young man like? He"s a long feller.
FAITH. Johnny? [With a shrug and a little smile] Johnny.
BLY. Well, that gives a very good idea of him. They say "es a poet; does "e leave "em about?