第14章 THE SECOND ACT(7)

GEOFFREY [He interposes. His voice is very low, almost a whisper.] My wife will not sign.

ANNYS [She also speaks low, but there is no yielding in her voice.] I am not only your wife. I have a duty also to others.

GEOFFREY It is for you to choose. [He leaves the way open to her.]

[The silence can almost be felt. She moves to the table, takes up the paper. It contains but a few lines of writing. Having read it, she holds out her hand for the pen. PEEKIN puts it in her hand. With a firm hand she signs, folds the paper, and returns it to him. She remains standing by the table. With the removal of the tension there comes a rustle, a breaking of the silence.]

MISS RICKETTS [She seizes ANNYS's hand, hanging listlessly by her side, and, stooping, kisses it.]

MISS BORLASSE That is all, isn't it?

PEEKIN We thank you, Mrs. Chilvers. Good afternoon.

ANNYS [The natural reaction is asserting itself. She pulls herself together sufficiently to murmur her answer.] Good afternoon.

MRS. PEEKIN [The DEPUTATION is moving away; she takes from her waist a small bunch of flowers, and, turning, places them in ANNYS'S hand.]

ANNYS [She smiles, remains standing silent, the flowers in her hand.]

["Good afternoons" are exchanged with some of the others.

Finally:]

PEEKIN Good afternoon, Mr. Chilvers.

GEOFFREY [Who has moved away.] Good afternoon.

[The DEPUTATION joins SIGSBY by the door. He leads them out.]

ELIZABETH [To PHOEBE.] Are you going my way?

PHOEBE [She glances round at ANNYS.] Yes, I'll come with you.

ST. HERBERT I will put you into a bus, if you will let me. We don't sport many cabs in East Poplar. [He is helping ELIZABETHwith her cloak.]

ELIZABETH Thank you.

LAMB I've got to go up West. [To GEOFFREY.] Will you be at the House this evening?

GEOFFREY [He is standing by the desk pretending to look at some papers]. I shall look in about ten o'clock.

LAMB One or two things I want to say to you. Goodbye for the present.

GEOFFREY Goodbye!

PHOEBE Goodbye, old man. [She stretches out her hand.]

GEOFFREY Goodbye. [She shakes hands with a smile, exchanges a casual "goodbye" with ELIZABETH.]

[They go towards the door.]

[SIGSBY re-enters.]

SIGSBY [To LAMB.] Are you going?

LAMB Yes. I'll see you to-morrow morning. About ten o'clock.

SIGSBY I shall be here. [He exchanges a "good afternoon" with the others.]

[They go out. SIGSBY crosses and goes into the other room.]

ANNYS [She has let fall the flowers on the table. She crosses to where GEOFFREY still stands by the desk, his back towards her. She stretches out her hand, touches him. He does not move.] Geoffrey!

[But still he takes no notice.]

I am so sorry. We must talk it over quietly--at home.

GEOFFREY [He turns.] Home! I have no home. I have neither children nor wife. I KEEP a political opponent.

[ANNYS starts back with a cry. He crosses in front of her and seats himself at the table. The flowers are lying there; he throws them into the waste-paper basket.]

ANNYS [She puts on her cloak, moves towards the door. Half-way she pauses, makes a movement towards him. But he will not see.

Then a hard look comes into her eyes, and without another word she goes out, leaving the door open.]

[SIGSBY is heard moving in the other room.]

GEOFFREY [He is writing.] Sigsby.

SIGSBY Hallo!

GEOFFREY That poster I told young Gordon I wouldn't sanction, "The Woman spouting politics, the Man returning to a slattern's home."[SIGSBY enters.]

SIGSBY I have countermanded them.

GEOFFREY Countermand them again. We shall want a thousand.

SIGSBY [Can hardly believe his ears.]

GEOFFREY [With a gesture round the room.] All of them. "A Man for Men!" "Save the Children!" "Guard your Homes!" All the damned collection. Order as many as you want.

SIGSBY [His excitement rising.] I can go ahead. You mean it?

GEOFFREY [He looks at him.] It's got to be a fight! [A moment.

He returns to his writing.] Telephone Hake that I shall be dining at the Reform Club.

CURTAIN.