Ah; but I'm not an aristocrat,you see. And like most
poor men, I'm proud. I don't like being patronized.
LADY CICELY. What is the use of saying that? In my world, which is
now your world--OUR world--getting patronage is the whole art of
life. A man can't have a career without it.
BRASSBOUND. In my world a man can navigate a ship and get his
living by it.
LADY CICELY. Oh, I see you're one of the Idealists--the
Impossibilists! We have them, too, occasionally, in our world.
There's only one thing to be done with them.
BRASSBOUND. What's that?
LADY CICELY. Marry them straight off to some girl with enough
money for them, and plenty of sentiment. That's their fate.
BRASSBOUND. You've spoiled even that chance for me. Do you think I
could look at any ordinary woman after you? You seem to be able to
make me do pretty well what you like; but you can't make me marry
anybody but yourself.
LADY CICELY. Do you know, Captain Paquito, that I've married no
less than seventeen men (Brassbound stares) to other women. And
they all opened the subject by saying that they would never marry
anybody but me.
BRASSBOUND. Then I shall be the first man you ever found to stand
to his word.
LADY CICELY (part pleased, part amused, part sympathetic). Do you
really want a wife?
BRASSBOUND. I want a commander. Don't undervalue me: I am a good
man when I have a good leader. I have courage: I have
determination: I'm not a drinker: I can command a schooner and a
shore party if I can't command a ship or an army.
Pages:
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120