Joy [17]
man that you ought to have nothing to do with. Do you want that?
[MRS. GWYN, giving her lover a long look, touches his sleeve. JOY, slipping behind the hollow tree, has gone.]
You can't act in a case like this as if you 'd only a principle to consider. It 's the--the special circumstances.
MRS. GWYN. [With a faint smile.] But you'll be glad to get the money won't you?
LEVER. By George! if you're going to take it like this, Molly
MRS. GWYN. Don't!
LEVER. We may not sell after all, dear, we may find it turn out trumps.
MRS. GWYN. [With a shiver.] I don't want to hear any more. I know women don't understand. [Impulsively.] It's only that I can't bear any one should think that you----
LEVER. [Distressed.] For goodness sake don't look like that, Molly! Of course, I'll speak to your Uncle. I'll stop him somehow, even if I have to make a fool of myself. I 'll do anything you want----
MRS. GWYN. I feel as if I were being smothered here.
LEVER. It 's only for one day.
MRS. GWYN. [With sudden tenderness.] It's not your fault, dear. I ought to have known how it would be. Well, let's go in!
[She sets her lips, and walks towards the house with LEVER following. But no sooner has she disappeared than JOY comes running after; she stops, as though throwing down a challenge. Her cheeks and ears are burning.]
JOY. Mother!
[After a moment MRS. GWYN reappears in the opening of the wall.]
MRS. GWYN. Oh! here you are!
JOY. [Breathlessly.] Yes.
MRS. GWYN. [Uncertainly.] Where--have you been ? You look dreadfully hot; have you been running?
JOY. Yes----no.
MRS. GWYN. [Looking at her fixedly.] What's the matter--you 're trembling! [Softly.] Are n't you well, dear?
JOY. Yes--I don't know.
MRS. GWYN. What is it, darling?
JOY. [Suddenly clinging to her.] Oh! Mother!
MRS. GWYN. I don't understand.
JOY. [Breathlessly.] Oh, Mother, let me go back home with you now at once---- MRS. GWYN. [Her face hardening.] Why? What on earth----
JOY. I can't stay here.
MRS. GWYN. But why?
JOY. I want to be with you--Oh! Mother, don't you love me?
MRS. GWYN. [With a faint smile.] Of course I love you, Joy.
JOY. Ah! but you love him more.
MRS. GWYN. Love him--whom?
JOY. Oh! Mother, I did n't--[She tries to take her Mother's hand, but fails.] Oh! don't.
MRS. GWYN. You'd better explain what you mean, I think.
JOY. I want to get you to--he--he 's--he 'snot----!
MRS. GWYN. [Frigidly.] Really, Joy!
JOY. [Passionately.] I'll fight against him, and I know there's something wrong about----
[She stops.]
MRS. GWYN. About what?
JOY. Let's tell Uncle Tom, Mother, and go away.
MRS. GWYN. Tell Uncle--Tom--what?
JOY. [Looking down and almost whispering.] About--about--the mine.
MRS. GWYN. What about the mine? What do you mean? [Fiercely.] Have you been spying on me?
JOY. [Shrinking.] No! oh, no!
MRS. GWYN. Where were you?
JOY. [Just above her breath.] I--I heard something.
MRS. GWYN. [Bitterly.) But you were not spying?
JOY. I was n't--I wasn't! I didn't want--to hear. I only heard a little. I couldn't help listening, Mother.
MRS. GWYN. [With a little laugh. Couldn't help listening?
JOY. [Through her teeth.] I hate him. I didn't mean to listen, but I hate him.
MRS. GWYN. I see. Why do you hate him?
[There is a silence.]
JOY. He--he---- [She stops.]
MRS. GWYN. Yes?
JOY. [With a sort of despair.] I don't know. Oh! I don't know! But I feel----
MRS. GWYN. I can't reason with you. As to what you heard, it 's-- ridiculous.
JOY. It 's not that. It 's--it 's you!
MRS. GWYN. [Stonily.] I don't know what you mean.
JOY. [Passionately.] I wish Dad were here!
MRS. GWYN. Do you love your Father as much as me?
JOY. Oh! Mother, no-you know I don't.
MRS. GWYN. [Resentfully.] Then why do you want him?
JOY. [Almost under her breath.] Because of that man.
MRS. GWYN.
[MRS. GWYN, giving her lover a long look, touches his sleeve. JOY, slipping behind the hollow tree, has gone.]
You can't act in a case like this as if you 'd only a principle to consider. It 's the--the special circumstances.
MRS. GWYN. [With a faint smile.] But you'll be glad to get the money won't you?
LEVER. By George! if you're going to take it like this, Molly
MRS. GWYN. Don't!
LEVER. We may not sell after all, dear, we may find it turn out trumps.
MRS. GWYN. [With a shiver.] I don't want to hear any more. I know women don't understand. [Impulsively.] It's only that I can't bear any one should think that you----
LEVER. [Distressed.] For goodness sake don't look like that, Molly! Of course, I'll speak to your Uncle. I'll stop him somehow, even if I have to make a fool of myself. I 'll do anything you want----
MRS. GWYN. I feel as if I were being smothered here.
LEVER. It 's only for one day.
MRS. GWYN. [With sudden tenderness.] It's not your fault, dear. I ought to have known how it would be. Well, let's go in!
[She sets her lips, and walks towards the house with LEVER following. But no sooner has she disappeared than JOY comes running after; she stops, as though throwing down a challenge. Her cheeks and ears are burning.]
JOY. Mother!
[After a moment MRS. GWYN reappears in the opening of the wall.]
MRS. GWYN. Oh! here you are!
JOY. [Breathlessly.] Yes.
MRS. GWYN. [Uncertainly.] Where--have you been ? You look dreadfully hot; have you been running?
JOY. Yes----no.
MRS. GWYN. [Looking at her fixedly.] What's the matter--you 're trembling! [Softly.] Are n't you well, dear?
JOY. Yes--I don't know.
MRS. GWYN. What is it, darling?
JOY. [Suddenly clinging to her.] Oh! Mother!
MRS. GWYN. I don't understand.
JOY. [Breathlessly.] Oh, Mother, let me go back home with you now at once---- MRS. GWYN. [Her face hardening.] Why? What on earth----
JOY. I can't stay here.
MRS. GWYN. But why?
JOY. I want to be with you--Oh! Mother, don't you love me?
MRS. GWYN. [With a faint smile.] Of course I love you, Joy.
JOY. Ah! but you love him more.
MRS. GWYN. Love him--whom?
JOY. Oh! Mother, I did n't--[She tries to take her Mother's hand, but fails.] Oh! don't.
MRS. GWYN. You'd better explain what you mean, I think.
JOY. I want to get you to--he--he 's--he 'snot----!
MRS. GWYN. [Frigidly.] Really, Joy!
JOY. [Passionately.] I'll fight against him, and I know there's something wrong about----
[She stops.]
MRS. GWYN. About what?
JOY. Let's tell Uncle Tom, Mother, and go away.
MRS. GWYN. Tell Uncle--Tom--what?
JOY. [Looking down and almost whispering.] About--about--the mine.
MRS. GWYN. What about the mine? What do you mean? [Fiercely.] Have you been spying on me?
JOY. [Shrinking.] No! oh, no!
MRS. GWYN. Where were you?
JOY. [Just above her breath.] I--I heard something.
MRS. GWYN. [Bitterly.) But you were not spying?
JOY. I was n't--I wasn't! I didn't want--to hear. I only heard a little. I couldn't help listening, Mother.
MRS. GWYN. [With a little laugh. Couldn't help listening?
JOY. [Through her teeth.] I hate him. I didn't mean to listen, but I hate him.
MRS. GWYN. I see. Why do you hate him?
[There is a silence.]
JOY. He--he---- [She stops.]
MRS. GWYN. Yes?
JOY. [With a sort of despair.] I don't know. Oh! I don't know! But I feel----
MRS. GWYN. I can't reason with you. As to what you heard, it 's-- ridiculous.
JOY. It 's not that. It 's--it 's you!
MRS. GWYN. [Stonily.] I don't know what you mean.
JOY. [Passionately.] I wish Dad were here!
MRS. GWYN. Do you love your Father as much as me?
JOY. Oh! Mother, no-you know I don't.
MRS. GWYN. [Resentfully.] Then why do you want him?
JOY. [Almost under her breath.] Because of that man.
MRS. GWYN.