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diff --git a/4024-h/4024-h.htm b/4024-h/4024-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a43ae7a --- /dev/null +++ b/4024-h/4024-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,3458 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<HTML> +<HEAD> + +<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<TITLE> +The Project Gutenberg E-text of The Man of Destiny, by George Bernard Shaw +</TITLE> + +<STYLE TYPE="text/css"> +BODY { color: Black; + background: White; + margin-right: 10%; + margin-left: 10%; + font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; + text-align: justify } + +P {text-indent: 4% } + +P.noindent {text-indent: 0% } + +P.poem {text-indent: 0%; + margin-left: 10%; + font-size: small } + +P.letter {text-indent: 0%; + font-size: small ; + margin-left: 10% ; + margin-right: 10% } + +P.stage {text-indent: 0%; + font-size: small ; + margin-left: 10% ; + margin-right: 10% } + +P.dialog {text-indent: -5%; + font-size: small ; + margin-left: 5% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +P.dialog2 {text-indent: 0%; + font-size: small ; + margin-left: 5% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +P.finis { font-size: larger ; + text-align: center ; + text-indent: 0% ; + margin-left: 0% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +</STYLE> + +</HEAD> + +<BODY> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Man of Destiny, by George Bernard Shaw + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Man of Destiny + +Author: George Bernard Shaw + +Posting Date: June 4, 2009 [EBook #4024] +Release Date: May, 2003 +First Posted: October 12, 2001 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MAN OF DESTINY *** + + + + +Produced by Eve Sobol. HTML version by Al Haines. + + + + + +</pre> + + +<BR><BR> + +<H1 ALIGN="center"> +THE MAN OF DESTINY +</H1> + +<H2 ALIGN="center"> +BERNARD SHAW +</H2> + +<H4 ALIGN="center"> +1898 +</H4> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +The twelfth of May, 1796, in north Italy, at Tavazzano, on the road +from Lodi to Milan. The afternoon sun is blazing serenely over the +plains of Lombardy, treating the Alps with respect and the anthills +with indulgence, not incommoded by the basking of the swine and oxen in +the villages nor hurt by its cool reception in the churches, but +fiercely disdainful of two hordes of mischievous insects which are the +French and Austrian armies. Two days before, at Lodi, the Austrians +tried to prevent the French from crossing the river by the narrow +bridge there; but the French, commanded by a general aged 27, Napoleon +Bonaparte, who does not understand the art of war, rushed the fireswept +bridge, supported by a tremendous cannonade in which the young general +assisted with his own hands. Cannonading is his technical specialty; he +has been trained in the artillery under the old regime, and made +perfect in the military arts of shirking his duties, swindling the +paymaster over travelling expenses, and dignifying war with the noise +and smoke of cannon, as depicted in all military portraits. He is, +however, an original observer, and has perceived, for the first time +since the invention of gunpowder, that a cannon ball, if it strikes a +man, will kill him. To a thorough grasp of this remarkable discovery, +he adds a highly evolved faculty for physical geography and for the +calculation of times and distances. He has prodigious powers of work, +and a clear, realistic knowledge of human nature in public affairs, +having seen it exhaustively tested in that department during the French +Revolution. He is imaginative without illusions, and creative without +religion, loyalty, patriotism or any of the common ideals. Not that he +is incapable of these ideals: on the contrary, he has swallowed them +all in his boyhood, and now, having a keen dramatic faculty, is +extremely clever at playing upon them by the arts of the actor and +stage manager. Withal, he is no spoiled child. Poverty, ill-luck, the +shifts of impecunious shabby-gentility, repeated failure as a would-be +author, humiliation as a rebuffed time server, reproof and punishment +as an incompetent and dishonest officer, an escape from dismissal from +the service so narrow that if the emigration of the nobles had not +raised the value of even the most rascally lieutenant to the famine +price of a general he would have been swept contemptuously from the +army: these trials have ground the conceit out of him, and forced him +to be self-sufficient and to understand that to such men as he is the +world will give nothing that he cannot take from it by force. In this +the world is not free from cowardice and folly; for Napoleon, as a +merciless cannonader of political rubbish, is making himself useful. +indeed, it is even now impossible to live in England without sometimes +feeling how much that country lost in not being conquered by him as +well as by Julius Caesar. +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +However, on this May afternoon in 1796, it is early days with him. He +is only 26, and has but recently become a general, partly by using his +wife to seduce the Directory (then governing France) partly by the +scarcity of officers caused by the emigration as aforesaid; partly by +his faculty of knowing a country, with all its roads, rivers, hills and +valleys, as he knows the palm of his hand; and largely by that new +faith of his in the efficacy of firing cannons at people. His army is, +as to discipline, in a state which has so greatly shocked some modern +writers before whom the following story has been enacted, that they, +impressed with the later glory of "L'Empereur," have altogether refused +to credit it. But Napoleon is not "L'Empereur" yet: he has only just +been dubbed "Le Petit Caporal," and is in the stage of gaining +influence over his men by displays of pluck. He is not in a position to +force his will on them, in orthodox military fashion, by the cat o' +nine tails. The French Revolution, which has escaped suppression solely +through the monarchy's habit of being at least four years in arrear +with its soldiers in the matter of pay, has substituted for that habit, +as far as possible, the habit of not paying at all, except in promises +and patriotic flatteries which are not compatible with martial law of +the Prussian type. Napoleon has therefore approached the Alps in +command of men without money, in rags, and consequently indisposed to +stand much discipline, especially from upstart generals. This +circumstance, which would have embarrassed an idealist soldier, has +been worth a thousand cannon to Napoleon. He has said to his army, "You +have patriotism and courage; but you have no money, no clothes, and +deplorably indifferent food. In Italy there are all these things, and +glory as well, to be gained by a devoted army led by a general who +regards loot as the natural right of the soldier. I am such a general. +En avant, mes enfants!" The result has entirely justified him. The army +conquers Italy as the locusts conquered Cyprus. They fight all day and +march all night, covering impossible distances and appearing in +incredible places, not because every soldier carries a field marshal's +baton in his knapsack, but because he hopes to carry at least half a +dozen silver forks there next day. +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +It must be understood, by the way, that the French army does not make +war on the Italians. It is there to rescue them from the tyranny of +their Austrian conquerors, and confer republican institutions on them; +so that in incidentally looting them, it merely makes free with the +property of its friends, who ought to be grateful to it, and perhaps +would be if ingratitude were not the proverbial failing of their +country. The Austrians, whom it fights, are a thoroughly respectable +regular army, well disciplined, commanded by gentlemen trained and +versed in the art of war: at the head of them Beaulieu, practising the +classic art of war under orders from Vienna, and getting horribly +beaten by Napoleon, who acts on his own responsibility in defiance of +professional precedents or orders from Paris. Even when the Austrians +win a battle, all that is necessary is to wait until their routine +obliges them to return to their quarters for afternoon tea, so to +speak, and win it back again from them: a course pursued later on with +brilliant success at Marengo. On the whole, with his foe handicapped by +Austrian statesmanship, classic generalship, and the exigencies of the +aristocratic social structure of Viennese society, Napoleon finds it +possible to be irresistible without working heroic miracles. The world, +however, likes miracles and heroes, and is quite incapable of +conceiving the action of such forces as academic militarism or Viennese +drawing-roomism. Hence it has already begun to manufacture +"L'Empereur," and thus to make it difficult for the romanticists of a +hundred years later to credit the little scene now in question at +Tavazzano as aforesaid. +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +The best quarters at Tavazzano are at a little inn, the first house +reached by travellers passing through the place from Milan to Lodi. It +stands in a vineyard; and its principal room, a pleasant refuge from +the summer heat, is open so widely at the back to this vineyard that it +is almost a large veranda. The bolder children, much excited by the +alarums and excursions of the past few days, and by an irruption of +French troops at six o'clock, know that the French commander has +quartered himself in this room, and are divided between a craving to +peep in at the front windows and a mortal terror of the sentinel, a +young gentleman-soldier, who, having no natural moustache, has had a +most ferocious one painted on his face with boot blacking by his +sergeant. As his heavy uniform, like all the uniforms of that day, is +designed for parade without the least reference to his health or +comfort, he perspires profusely in the sun; and his painted moustache +has run in little streaks down his chin and round his neck except where +it has dried in stiff japanned flakes, and had its sweeping outline +chipped off in grotesque little bays and headlands, making him +unspeakably ridiculous in the eye of History a hundred years later, but +monstrous and horrible to the contemporary north Italian infant, to +whom nothing would seem more natural than that he should relieve the +monotony of his guard by pitchforking a stray child up on his bayonet, +and eating it uncooked. Nevertheless one girl of bad character, in whom +an instinct of privilege with soldiers is already dawning, does peep in +at the safest window for a moment, before a glance and a clink from the +sentinel sends her flying. Most of what she sees she has seen before: +the vineyard at the back, with the old winepress and a cart among the +vines; the door close down on her right leading to the inn entry; the +landlord's best sideboard, now in full action for dinner, further back +on the same side; the fireplace on the other side, with a couch near +it, and another door, leading to the inner rooms, between it and the +vineyard; and the table in the middle with its repast of Milanese +risotto, cheese, grapes, bread, olives, and a big wickered flask of red +wine. +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +The landlord, Giuseppe Grandi, is also no novelty. He is a swarthy, +vivacious, shrewdly cheerful, black-curled, bullet headed, grinning +little man of 40. Naturally an excellent host, he is in quite special +spirits this evening at his good fortune in having the French commander +as his guest to protect him against the license of the troops, and +actually sports a pair of gold earrings which he would otherwise have +hidden carefully under the winepress with his little equipment of +silver plate. +</P> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +Napoleon, sitting facing her on the further side of the table, and +Napoleon's hat, sword and riding whip lying on the couch, she sees for +the first time. He is working hard, partly at his meal, which he has +discovered how to dispatch, by attacking all the courses +simultaneously, in ten minutes (this practice is the beginning of his +downfall), and partly at a map which he is correcting from memory, +occasionally marking the position of the forces by taking a grapeskin +from his mouth and planting it on the map with his thumb like a wafer. +He has a supply of writing materials before him mixed up in disorder +with the dishes and cruets; and his long hair gets sometimes into the +risotto gravy and sometimes into the ink. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. Will your excellency— +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (intent on his map, but cramming himself mechanically with his +left hand). Don't talk. I'm busy. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (with perfect goodhumor). Excellency: I obey. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Some red ink. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. Alas! excellency, there is none. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (with Corsican facetiousness). Kill something and bring me its +blood. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (grinning). There is nothing but your excellency's horse, the +sentinel, the lady upstairs, and my wife. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Kill your wife. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. Willingly, your excellency; but unhappily I am not strong +enough. She would kill me. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. That will do equally well. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. Your excellency does me too much honor. (Stretching his hand +toward the flask.) Perhaps some wine will answer your excellency's +purpose. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (hastily protecting the flask, and becoming quite serious). +Wine! No: that would be waste. You are all the same: waste! waste! +waste! (He marks the map with gravy, using his fork as a pen.) Clear +away. (He finishes his wine; pushes back his chair; and uses his +napkin, stretching his legs and leaning back, but still frowning and +thinking.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (clearing the table and removing the things to a tray on the +sideboard). Every man to his trade, excellency. We innkeepers have +plenty of cheap wine: we think nothing of spilling it. You great +generals have plenty of cheap blood: you think nothing of spilling it. +Is it not so, excellency? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Blood costs nothing: wine costs money. (He rises and goes to +the fireplace. ) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. They say you are careful of everything except human life, +excellency. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Human life, my friend, is the only thing that takes care of +itself. (He throws himself at his ease on the couch.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (admiring him). Ah, excellency, what fools we all are beside +you! If I could only find out the secret of your success! +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. You would make yourself Emperor of Italy, eh? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. Too troublesome, excellency: I leave all that to you. +Besides, what would become of my inn if I were Emperor? See how you +enjoy looking on at me whilst I keep the inn for you and wait on you! +Well, I shall enjoy looking on at you whilst you become Emperor of +Europe, and govern the country for me. (Whilst he chatters, he takes +the cloth off without removing the map and inkstand, and takes the +corners in his hands and the middle of the edge in his mouth, to fold +it up.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Emperor of Europe, eh? Why only Europe? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. Why, indeed? Emperor of the world, excellency! Why not? (He +folds and rolls up the cloth, emphasizing his phrases by the steps of +the process.) One man is like another (fold): one country is like +another (fold): one battle is like another. (At the last fold, he slaps +the cloth on the table and deftly rolls it up, adding, by way of +peroration) Conquer one: conquer all. (He takes the cloth to the +sideboard, and puts it in a drawer.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. And govern for all; fight for all; be everybody's servant +under cover of being everybody's master: Giuseppe. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (at the sideboard). Excellency. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. I forbid you to talk to me about myself. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (coming to the foot of the couch). Pardon. Your excellency is +so unlike other great men. It is the subject they like best. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Well, talk to me about the subject they like next best, +whatever that may be. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (unabashed). Willingly, your excellency. Has your excellency +by any chance caught a glimpse of the lady upstairs? +</P> + +<P CLASS="stage"> +(Napoleon promptly sits up and looks at him with an interest which +entirely justifies the implied epigram.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. How old is she? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. The right age, excellency. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Do you mean seventeen or thirty? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. Thirty, excellency. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Goodlooking? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. I cannot see with your excellency's eyes: every man must +judge that for himself. In my opinion, excellency, a fine figure of a +lady. (Slyly.) Shall I lay the table for her collation here? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (brusquely, rising). No: lay nothing here until the officer +for whom I am waiting comes back. (He looks at his watch, and takes to +walking to and fro between the fireplace and the vineyard.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (with conviction). Excellency: believe me, he has been +captured by the accursed Austrians. He dare not keep you waiting if he +were at liberty. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (turning at the edge of the shadow of the veranda). Giuseppe: +if that turns out to be true, it will put me into such a temper that +nothing short of hanging you and your whole household, including the +lady upstairs, will satisfy me. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. We are all cheerfully at your excellency's disposal, except +the lady. I cannot answer for her; but no lady could resist you, +General. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (sourly, resuming his march). Hm! You will never be hanged. +There is no satisfaction in hanging a man who does not object to it. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (sympathetically). Not the least in the world, excellency: is +there? (Napoleon again looks at his watch, evidently growing anxious.) +Ah, one can see that you are a great man, General: you know how to +wait. If it were a corporal now, or a sub-lieutenant, at the end of +three minutes he would be swearing, fuming, threatening, pulling the +house about our ears. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Giuseppe: your flatteries are insufferable. Go and talk +outside. (He sits down again at the table, with his jaws in his hands, +and his elbows propped on the map, poring over it with a troubled +expression.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. Willingly, your excellency. You shall not be disturbed. (He +takes up the tray and prepares to withdraw.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. The moment he comes back, send him to me. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. Instantaneously, your excellency. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +A LADY'S VOICE (calling from some distant part of the inn). Giusep-pe! +(The voice is very musical, and the two final notes make an ascending +interval.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (startled). What's that? What's that? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (resting the end of his tray on the table and leaning over to +speak the more confidentially). The lady, excellency. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (absently). Yes. What lady? Whose lady? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. The strange lady, excellency. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. What strange lady? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (with a shrug). Who knows? She arrived here half an hour +before you in a hired carriage belonging to the Golden Eagle at +Borghetto. Actually by herself, excellency. No servants. A dressing bag +and a trunk: that is all. The postillion says she left a horse—a +charger, with military trappings, at the Golden Eagle. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. A woman with a charger! That's extraordinary. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +THE LADY'S VOICE (the two final notes now making a peremptory +descending interval). Giuseppe! +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (rising to listen). That's an interesting voice. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. She is an interesting lady, excellency. (Calling.) Coming, +lady, coming. (He makes for the inner door.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (arresting him with a strong hand on his shoulder). Stop. Let +her come. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +VOICE. Giuseppe!! (Impatiently.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (pleadingly). Let me go, excellency. It is my point of honor +as an innkeeper to come when I am called. I appeal to you as a soldier. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +A MAN's VOICE (outside, at the inn door, shouting). Here, someone. +Hello! Landlord. Where are you? (Somebody raps vigorously with a whip +handle on a bench in the passage.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (suddenly becoming the commanding officer again and throwing +Giuseppe off). There he is at last. (Pointing to the inner door.) Go. +Attend to your business: the lady is calling you. (He goes to the +fireplace and stands with his back to it with a determined military +air.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (with bated breath, snatching up his tray). Certainly, +excellency. (He hurries out by the inner door.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +THE MAN's VOICE (impatiently). Are you all asleep here? (The door +opposite the fireplace is kicked rudely open; and a dusty +sub-lieutenant bursts into the room. He is a chuckle-headed young man +of 24, with the fair, delicate, clear skin of a man of rank, and a +self-assurance on that ground which the French Revolution has failed to +shake in the smallest degree. He has a thick silly lip, an eager +credulous eye, an obstinate nose, and a loud confident voice. A young +man without fear, without reverence, without imagination, without +sense, hopelessly insusceptible to the Napoleonic or any other idea, +stupendously egotistical, eminently qualified to rush in where angels +fear to tread, yet of a vigorous babbling vitality which bustles him +into the thick of things. He is just now boiling with vexation, +attributable by a superficial observer to his impatience at not being +promptly attended to by the staff of the inn, but in which a more +discerning eye can perceive a certain moral depth, indicating a more +permanent and momentous grievance. On seeing Napoleon, he is +sufficiently taken aback to check himself and salute; but he does not +betray by his manner any of that prophetic consciousness of Marengo and +Austerlitz, Waterloo and St. Helena, or the Napoleonic pictures of +Delaroche and Meissonier, which modern culture will instinctively +expect from him.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (sharply). Well, sir, here you are at last. Your instructions +were that I should arrive here at six, and that I was to find you +waiting for me with my mail from Paris and with despatches. It is now +twenty minutes to eight. You were sent on this service as a hard rider +with the fastest horse in the camp. You arrive a hundred minutes late, +on foot. Where is your horse! +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +THE LIEUTENANT (moodily pulling off his gloves and dashing them with +his cap and whip on the table). Ah! where indeed? That's just what I +should like to know, General. (With emotion.) You don't know how fond I +was of that horse. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (angrily sarcastic). Indeed! (With sudden misgiving.) Where +are the letters and despatches? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +THE LIEUTENANT (importantly, rather pleased than otherwise at having +some remarkable news). I don't know. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (unable to believe his ears). You don't know! +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. No more than you do, General. Now I suppose I shall be +court-martialled. Well, I don't mind being court-martialled; but (with +solemn determination) I tell you, General, if ever I catch that +innocent looking youth, I'll spoil his beauty, the slimy little liar! +I'll make a picture of him. I'll— +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (advancing from the hearth to the table). What innocent +looking youth? Pull yourself together, sir, will you; and give an +account of yourself. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (facing him at the opposite side of the table, leaning on it +with his fists). Oh, I'm all right, General: I'm perfectly ready to +give an account of myself. I shall make the court-martial thoroughly +understand that the fault was not mine. Advantage has been taken of the +better side of my nature; and I'm not ashamed of it. But with all +respect to you as my commanding officer, General, I say again that if +ever I set eyes on that son of Satan, I'll— +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (angrily). So you said before. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (drawing himself upright). I say it again, just wait until I +catch him. Just wait: that's all. (He folds his arms resolutely, and +breathes hard, with compressed lips.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. I AM waiting, sir—for your explanation. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (confidently). You'll change your tone, General, when you +hear what has happened to me. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Nothing has happened to you, sir: you are alive and not +disabled. Where are the papers entrusted to you? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. Nothing! Nothing!! Oho! Well, we'll see. (Posing himself to +overwhelm Napoleon with his news.) He swore eternal brotherhood with +me. Was that nothing? He said my eyes reminded him of his sister's +eyes. Was that nothing? He cried—actually cried—over the story of my +separation from Angelica. Was that nothing? He paid for both bottles of +wine, though he only ate bread and grapes himself. Perhaps you call +that nothing! He gave me his pistols and his horse and his +despatches—most important despatches—and let me go away with them. +(Triumphantly, seeing that he has reduced Napoleon to blank +stupefaction.) Was THAT nothing? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (enfeebled by astonishment). What did he do that for? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (as if the reason were obvious). To show his confidence in +me. (Napoleon's jaw does not exactly drop; but its hinges become +nerveless. The Lieutenant proceeds with honest indignation.) And I was +worthy of his confidence: I brought them all back honorably. But would +you believe it?—when I trusted him with MY pistols, and MY horse, and +MY despatches— +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (enraged). What the devil did you do that for? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. Why, to show my confidence in him, of course. And he +betrayed it—abused it—never came back. The thief! the swindler! the +heartless, treacherous little blackguard! You call that nothing, I +suppose. But look here, General: (again resorting to the table with his +fist for greater emphasis) YOU may put up with this outrage from the +Austrians if you like; but speaking for myself personally, I tell you +that if ever I catch— +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (turning on his heel in disgust and irritably resuming his +march to and fro). Yes: you have said that more than once already. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (excitedly). More than once! I'll say it fifty times; and +what's more, I'll do it. You'll see, General. I'll show my confidence +in him, so I will. I'll— +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Yes, yes, sir: no doubt you will. What kind of man was he? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. Well, I should think you ought to be able to tell from his +conduct the sort of man he was. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Psh! What was he like? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. Like! He's like—well, you ought to have just seen the +fellow: that will give you a notion of what he was like. He won't be +like it five minutes after I catch him; for I tell you that if ever— +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (shouting furiously for the innkeeper). Giuseppe! (To the +Lieutenant, out of all patience.) Hold your tongue, sir, if you can. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. I warn you it's no use to try to put the blame on me. +(Plaintively.) How was I to know the sort of fellow he was? (He takes a +chair from between the sideboard and the outer door; places it near the +table; and sits down.) If you only knew how hungry and tired I am, +you'd have more consideration. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (returning). What is it, excellency? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (struggling with his temper). Take this—this officer. Feed +him; and put him to bed, if necessary. When he is in his right mind +again, find out what has happened to him and bring me word. (To the +Lieutenant.) Consider yourself under arrest, sir. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (with sulky stiffness). I was prepared for that. It takes a +gentleman to understand a gentleman. (He throws his sword on the table. +Giuseppe takes it up and politely offers it to Napoleon, who throws it +violently on the couch.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (with sympathetic concern). Have you been attacked by the +Austrians, lieutenant? Dear, dear, dear! +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (contemptuously). Attacked! I could have broken his back +between my finger and thumb. I wish I had, now. No: it was by appealing +to the better side of my nature: that's what I can't get over. He said +he'd never met a man he liked so much as me. He put his handkerchief +round my neck because a gnat bit me, and my stock was chafing it. Look! +(He pulls a handkerchief from his stock. Giuseppe takes it and examines +it.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (to Napoleon). A lady's handkerchief, excellency. (He smells +it.) Perfumed! +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Eh? (He takes it and looks at it attentively.) Hm! (He smells +it.) Ha! (He walks thoughtfully across the room, looking at the +handkerchief, which he finally sticks in the breast of his coat.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. Good enough for him, anyhow. I noticed that he had a +woman's hands when he touched my neck, with his coaxing, fawning ways, +the mean, effeminate little hound. (Lowering his voice with thrilling +intensity.) But mark my words, General. If ever— +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +THE LADY'S VOICE (outside, as before). Giuseppe! +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (petrified). What was that? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. Only a lady upstairs, lieutenant, calling me. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. Lady! +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +VOICE. Giuseppe, Giuseppe: where ARE you? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (murderously). Give me that sword. (He strides to the couch; +snatches the sword; and draws it.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (rushing forward and seizing his right arm.) What are you +thinking of, lieutenant? It's a lady: don't you hear that it's a +woman's voice? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. It's HIS voice, I tell you. Let me go. (He breaks away, and +rushes to the inner door. It opens in his face; and the Strange Lady +steps in. She is a very attractive lady, tall and extraordinarily +graceful, with a delicately intelligent, apprehensive, questioning +face—perception in the brow, sensitiveness in the nostrils, character +in the chin: all keen, refined, and original. She is very feminine, but +by no means weak: the lithe, tender figure is hung on a strong frame: +the hands and feet, neck and shoulders, are no fragile ornaments, but +of full size in proportion to her stature, which considerably exceeds +that of Napoleon and the innkeeper, and leaves her at no disadvantage +with the lieutenant. Only her elegance and radiant charm keep the +secret of her size and strength. She is not, judging by her dress, an +admirer of the latest fashions of the Directory; or perhaps she uses up +her old dresses for travelling. At all events she wears no jacket with +extravagant lappels, no Greco-Tallien sham chiton, nothing, indeed, +that the Princesse de Lamballe might not have worn. Her dress of +flowered silk is long waisted, with a Watteau pleat behind, but with +the paniers reduced to mere rudiments, as she is too tall for them. It +is cut low in the neck, where it is eked out by a creamy fichu. She is +fair, with golden brown hair and grey eyes.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="stage"> +(She enters with the self-possession of a woman accustomed to the +privileges of rank and beauty. The innkeeper, who has excellent natural +manners, is highly appreciative of her. Napoleon, on whom her eyes +first fall, is instantly smitten self-conscious. His color deepens: he +becomes stiffer and less at ease than before. She perceives this +instantly, and, not to embarrass him, turns in an infinitely well bred +manner to pay the respect of a glance to the other gentleman, who is +staring at her dress, as at the earth's final masterpiece of +treacherous dissimulation, with feelings altogether inexpressible and +indescribable. As she looks at him, she becomes deadly pale. There is +no mistaking her expression: a revelation of some fatal error utterly +unexpected, has suddenly appalled her in the midst of tranquillity, +security and victory. The next moment a wave of color rushes up from +beneath the creamy fichu and drowns her whole face. One can see that +she is blushing all over her body. Even the lieutenant, ordinarily +incapable of observation, and just now lost in the tumult of his wrath, +can see a thing when it is painted red for him. Interpreting the blush +as the involuntary confession of black deceit confronted with its +victim, he points to it with a loud crow of retributive triumph, and +then, seizing her by the wrist, pulls her past him into the room as he +claps the door to, and plants himself with his back to it.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. So I've got you, my lad. So you've disguised yourself, have +you? (In a voice of thunder.) Take off that skirt. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (remonstrating). Oh, lieutenant! +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (affrighted, but highly indignant at his having dared to touch +her). Gentlemen: I appeal to you. Giuseppe. (Making a movement as if to +run to Giuseppe.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (interposing, sword in hand). No you don't. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (taking refuge with Napoleon). Ah, sir, you are an officer—a +general. You will protect me, will you not? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. Never you mind him, General. Leave me to deal with him. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. With him! With whom, sir? Why do you treat this lady in such +a fashion? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. Lady! He's a man! the man I showed my confidence in. +(Advancing threateningly.) Here you— +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (running behind Napoleon and in her agitation embracing the arm +which he instinctively extends before her as a fortification). Oh, +thank you, General. Keep him away. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Nonsense, sir. This is certainly a lady (she suddenly drops +his arm and blushes again); and you are under arrest. Put down your +sword, sir, instantly. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. General: I tell you he's an Austrian spy. He passed himself +off on me as one of General Massena's staff this afternoon; and now +he's passing himself off on you as a woman. Am I to believe my own eyes +or not? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. General: it must be my brother. He is on General Massena's staff. +He is very like me. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (his mind giving way). Do you mean to say that you're not +your brother, but your sister?—the sister who was so like me?—who had +my beautiful blue eyes? It was a lie: your eyes are not like mine: +they're exactly like your own. What perfidy! +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Lieutenant: will you obey my orders and leave the room, since +you are convinced at last that this is no gentleman? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. Gentleman! I should think not. No gentleman would have +abused my confi— +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (out of all patience). Enough, sir, enough. Will you leave the +room. I order you to leave the room. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Oh, pray let ME go instead. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (drily). Excuse me, madame. With all respect to your brother, +I do not yet understand what an officer on General Massena's staff +wants with my letters. I have some questions to put to you. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (discreetly). Come, lieutenant. (He opens the door.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. I'm off. General: take warning by me: be on your guard +against the better side of your nature. (To the lady.) Madame: my +apologies. I thought you were the same person, only of the opposite +sex; and that naturally misled me. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (sweetly). It was not your fault, was it? I'm so glad you're not +angry with me any longer, lieutenant. (She offers her hand.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (bending gallantly to kiss it). Oh, madam, not the lea— +(Checking himself and looking at it.) You have your brother's hand. And +the same sort of ring. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (sweetly). We are twins. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. That accounts for it. (He kisses her hand.) A thousand +pardons. I didn't mind about the despatches at all: that's more the +General's affair than mine: it was the abuse of my confidence through +the better side of my nature. (Taking his cap, gloves, and whip from +the table and going.) You'll excuse my leaving you, General, I hope. +Very sorry, I'm sure. (He talks himself out of the room. Giuseppe +follows him and shuts the door.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (looking after them with concentrated irritation). Idiot! (The +Strange Lady smiles sympathetically. He comes frowning down the room +between the table and the fireplace, all his awkwardness gone now that +he is alone with her.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. How can I thank you, General, for your protection? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (turning on her suddenly). My despatches: come! (He puts out +his hand for them.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. General! (She involuntarily puts her hands on her fichu as if to +protect something there.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. You tricked that blockhead out of them. You disguised +yourself as a man. I want my despatches. They are there in the bosom of +your dress, under your hands. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (quickly removing her hands). Oh, how unkindly you are speaking to +me! (She takes her handkerchief from her fichu.) You frighten me. (She +touches her eyes as if to wipe away a tear.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. I see you don't know me madam, or you would save yourself the +trouble of pretending to cry. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (producing an effect of smiling through her tears). Yes, I do know +you. You are the famous General Buonaparte. (She gives the name a +marked Italian pronunciation Bwaw-na-parr-te.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (angrily, with the French pronunciation). Bonaparte, madame, +Bonaparte. The papers, if you please. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. But I assure you— (He snatches the handkerchief rudely from +her.) General! (Indignantly.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (taking the other handkerchief from his breast). You were good +enough to lend one of your handkerchiefs to my lieutenant when you +robbed him. (He looks at the two handkerchiefs.) They match one +another. (He smells them.) The same scent. (He flings them down on the +table.) I am waiting for the despatches. I shall take them, if +necessary, with as little ceremony as the handkerchief. (This +historical incident was used eighty years later, by M. Victorien +Sardou, in his drama entitled "Dora.") +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (in dignified reproof). General: do you threaten women? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (bluntly). Yes. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (disconcerted, trying to gain time). But I don't understand. I— +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. You understand perfectly. You came here because your Austrian +employers calculated that I was six leagues away. I am always to be +found where my enemies don't expect me. You have walked into the lion's +den. Come: you are a brave woman. Be a sensible one: I have no time to +waste. The papers. (He advances a step ominously). +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (breaking down in the childish rage of impotence, and throwing +herself in tears on the chair left beside the table by the lieutenant). +I brave! How little you know! I have spent the day in an agony of fear. +I have a pain here from the tightening of my heart at every suspicious +look, every threatening movement. Do you think every one is as brave as +you? Oh, why will not you brave people do the brave things? Why do you +leave them to us, who have no courage at all? I'm not brave: I shrink +from violence: danger makes me miserable. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (interested). Then why have you thrust yourself into danger? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Because there is no other way: I can trust nobody else. And now +it is all useless—all because of you, who have no fear, because you +have no heart, no feeling, no— (She breaks off, and throws herself on +her knees.) Ah, General, let me go: let me go without asking any +questions. You shall have your despatches and letters: I swear it. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (holding out his hand). Yes: I am waiting for them. (She +gasps, daunted by his ruthless promptitude into despair of moving him +by cajolery; but as she looks up perplexedly at him, it is plain that +she is racking her brains for some device to outwit him. He meets her +regard inflexibly.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (rising at last with a quiet little sigh). I will get them for +you. They are in my room. (She turns to the door.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. I shall accompany you, madame. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (drawing herself up with a noble air of offended delicacy).I +cannot permit you, General, to enter my chamber. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Then you shall stay here, madame, whilst I have your chamber +searched for my papers. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (spitefully, openly giving up her plan). You may save yourself the +trouble. They are not there. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. No: I have already told you where they are. (Pointing to her +breast.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (with pretty piteousness). General: I only want to keep one little +private letter. Only one. Let me have it. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (cold and stern). Is that a reasonable demand, madam? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (encouraged by his not refusing point blank). No; but that is why +you must grant it. Are your own demands reasonable? thousands of lives +for the sake of your victories, your ambitions, your destiny! And what +I ask is such a little thing. And I am only a weak woman, and you a +brave man. (She looks at him with her eyes full of tender pleading and +is about to kneel to him again.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (brusquely). Get up, get up. (He turns moodily away and takes +a turn across the room, pausing for a moment to say, over his shoulder) +You're talking nonsense; and you know it. (She gets up and sits down in +almost listless despair on the couch. When he turns and sees her there, +he feels that his victory is complete, and that he may now indulge in a +little play with his victim. He comes back and sits beside her. She +looks alarmed and moves a little away from him; but a ray of rallying +hope beams from her eye. He begins like a man enjoying some secret +joke.) How do you know I am a brave man? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (amazed). You! General Buonaparte. (Italian pronunciation.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Yes, I, General Bonaparte (emphasizing the French +pronunciation). +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Oh, how can you ask such a question? you! who stood only two days +ago at the bridge at Lodi, with the air full of death, fighting a duel +with cannons across the river! (Shuddering.) Oh, you DO brave things. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. So do you. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. I! (With a sudden odd thought.) Oh! Are you a coward? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (laughing grimly and pinching her cheek). That is the one +question you must never ask a soldier. The sergeant asks after the +recruit's height, his age, his wind, his limb, but never after his +courage. (He gets up and walks about with his hands behind him and his +head bowed, chuckling to himself.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (as if she had found it no laughing matter). Ah, you can laugh at +fear. Then you don't know what fear is. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (coming behind the couch). Tell me this. Suppose you could +have got that letter by coming to me over the bridge at Lodi the day +before yesterday! Suppose there had been no other way, and that this +was a sure way—if only you escaped the cannon! (She shudders and +covers her eyes for a moment with her hands.) Would you have been +afraid? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Oh, horribly afraid, agonizingly afraid. (She presses her hands +on her heart.) It hurts only to imagine it. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (inflexibly). Would you have come for the despatches? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (overcome by the imagined horror). Don't ask me. I must have come. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Why? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Because I must. Because there would have been no other way. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (with conviction). Because you would have wanted my letter +enough to bear your fear. There is only one universal passion: fear. Of +all the thousand qualities a man may have, the only one you will find +as certainly in the youngest drummer boy in my army as in me, is fear. +It is fear that makes men fight: it is indifference that makes them run +away: fear is the mainspring of war. Fear! I know fear well, better +than you, better than any woman. I once saw a regiment of good Swiss +soldiers massacred by a mob in Paris because I was afraid to interfere: +I felt myself a coward to the tips of my toes as I looked on at it. +Seven months ago I revenged my shame by pounding that mob to death with +cannon balls. Well, what of that? Has fear ever held a man back from +anything he really wanted—or a woman either? Never. Come with me; and +I will show you twenty thousand cowards who will risk death every day +for the price of a glass of brandy. And do you think there are no women +in the army, braver than the men, because their lives are worth less? +Psha! I think nothing of your fear or your bravery. If you had had to +come across to me at Lodi, you would not have been afraid: once on the +bridge, every other feeling would have gone down before the +necessity—the necessity—for making your way to my side and getting +what you wanted. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog2"> +And now, suppose you had done all this—suppose you had come safely out +with that letter in your hand, knowing that when the hour came, your +fear had tightened, not your heart, but your grip of your own +purpose—that it had ceased to be fear, and had become strength, +penetration, vigilance, iron resolution—how would you answer then if +you were asked whether you were a coward? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (rising). Ah, you are a hero, a real hero. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Pooh! there's no such thing as a real hero. (He strolls down +the room, making light of her enthusiasm, but by no means displeased +with himself for having evoked it.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Ah, yes, there is. There is a difference between what you call my +bravery and yours. You wanted to win the battle of Lodi for yourself +and not for anyone else, didn't you? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Of course. (Suddenly recollecting himself.) Stop: no. (He +pulls himself piously together, and says, like a man conducting a +religious service) I am only the servant of the French republic, +following humbly in the footsteps of the heroes of classical antiquity. +I win battles for humanity—for my country, not for myself. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (disappointed). Oh, then you are only a womanish hero, after all. +(She sits down again, all her enthusiasm gone, her elbow on the end of +the couch, and her cheek propped on her hand.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (greatly astonished). Womanish! +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (listlessly). Yes, like me. (With deep melancholy.) Do you think +that if I only wanted those despatches for myself, I dare venture into +a battle for them? No: if that were all, I should not have the courage +to ask to see you at your hotel, even. My courage is mere slavishness: +it is of no use to me for my own purposes. It is only through love, +through pity, through the instinct to save and protect someone else, +that I can do the things that terrify me. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (contemptuously). Pshaw! (He turns slightingly away from her.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Aha! now you see that I'm not really brave. (Relapsing into +petulant listlessness.) But what right have you to despise me if you +only win your battles for others? for your country! through patriotism! +That is what I call womanish: it is so like a Frenchman! +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (furiously). I am no Frenchman. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (innocently). I thought you said you won the battle of Lodi for +your country, General Bu— shall I pronounce it in Italian or French? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. You are presuming on my patience, madam. I was born a French +subject, but not in France. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (folding her arms on the end of the couch, and leaning on them +with a marked access of interest in him). You were not born a subject +at all, I think. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (greatly pleased, starting on a fresh march). Eh? Eh? You +think not. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. I am sure of it. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Well, well, perhaps not. (The self-complacency of his assent +catches his own ear. He stops short, reddening. Then, composing himself +into a solemn attitude, modelled on the heroes of classical antiquity, +he takes a high moral tone.) But we must not live for ourselves alone, +little one. Never forget that we should always think of others, and +work for others, and lead and govern them for their own good. +Self-sacrifice is the foundation of all true nobility of character. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (again relaxing her attitude with a sigh). Ah, it is easy to see +that you have never tried it, General. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (indignantly, forgetting all about Brutus and Scipio). What do +you mean by that speech, madam? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Haven't you noticed that people always exaggerate the value of +the things they haven't got? The poor think they only need riches to be +quite happy and good. Everybody worships truth, purity, unselfishness, +for the same reason—because they have no experience of them. Oh, if +they only knew! +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (with angry derision). If they only knew! Pray, do you know? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (with her arms stretched down and her hands clasped on her knees, +looking straight before her). Yes. I had the misfortune to be born +good. (Glancing up at him for a moment.) And it is a misfortune, I can +tell you, General. I really am truthful and unselfish and all the rest +of it; and it's nothing but cowardice; want of character; want of being +really, strongly, positively oneself. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Ha? (Turning to her quickly with a flash of strong interest.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (earnestly, with rising enthusiasm). What is the secret of your +power? Only that you believe in yourself. You can fight and conquer for +yourself and for nobody else. You are not afraid of your own destiny. +You teach us what we all might be if we had the will and courage; and +that (suddenly sinking on her knees before him) is why we all begin to +worship you. (She kisses his hands.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (embarrassed). Tut, tut! Pray rise, madam. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Do not refuse my homage: it is your right. You will be emperor of +France. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (hurriedly). Take care. Treason! +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (insisting). Yes, emperor of France; then of Europe; perhaps of +the world. I am only the first subject to swear allegiance. (Again +kissing his hand.) My Emperor! +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (overcome, raising her). Pray, pray. No, no, little one: this +is folly. Come: be calm, be calm. (Petting her.) There, there, my girl. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (struggling with happy tears). Yes, I know it is an impertinence +in me to tell you what you must know far better than I do. But you are +not angry with me, are you? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Angry! No, no: not a bit, not a bit. Come: you are a very +clever and sensible and interesting little woman. (He pats her on the +cheek.) Shall we be friends? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (enraptured). Your friend! You will let me be your friend! Oh! +(She offers him both her hands with a radiant smile.) You see: I show +my confidence in you. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (with a yell of rage, his eyes flashing). What! +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. What's the matter? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Show your confidence in me! So that I may show my confidence +in you in return by letting you give me the slip with the despatches, +eh? Ah, Dalila, Dalila, you have been trying your tricks on me; and I +have been as great a gull as my jackass of a lieutenant. (He advances +threateningly on her.) Come: the despatches. Quick: I am not to be +trifled with now. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (flying round the couch). General— +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Quick, I tell you. (He passes swiftly up the middle of the +room and intercepts her as she makes for the vineyard.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (at bay, confronting him). You dare address me in that tone. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Dare! +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Yes, dare. Who are you that you should presume to speak to me in +that coarse way? Oh, the vile, vulgar Corsican adventurer comes out in +you very easily. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (beside himself). You she devil! (Savagely.) Once more, and +only once, will you give me those papers or shall I tear them from +you—by force? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (letting her hands fall ). Tear them from me—by force! (As he +glares at her like a tiger about to spring, she crosses her arms on her +breast in the attitude of a martyr. The gesture and pose instantly +awaken his theatrical instinct: he forgets his rage in the desire to +show her that in acting, too, she has met her match. He keeps her a +moment in suspense; then suddenly clears up his countenance; puts his +hands behind him with provoking coolness; looks at her up and down a +couple of times; takes a pinch of snuff; wipes his fingers carefully +and puts up his handkerchief, her heroic pose becoming more and more +ridiculous all the time.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (at last). Well? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (disconcerted, but with her arms still crossed devotedly). Well: +what are you going to do? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Spoil your attitude. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. You brute! (abandoning the attitude, she comes to the end of the +couch, where she turns with her back to it, leaning against it and +facing him with her hands behind her.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Ah, that's better. Now listen to me. I like you. What's +more, I value your respect. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. You value what you have not got, then. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. I shall have it presently. Now attend to me. Suppose I were +to allow myself to be abashed by the respect due to your sex, your +beauty, your heroism and all the rest of it? Suppose I, with nothing +but such sentimental stuff to stand between these muscles of mine and +those papers which you have about you, and which I want and mean to +have: suppose I, with the prize within my grasp, were to falter and +sneak away with my hands empty; or, what would be worse, cover up my +weakness by playing the magnanimous hero, and sparing you the violence +I dared not use, would you not despise me from the depths of your +woman's soul? Would any woman be such a fool? Well, Bonaparte can rise +to the situation and act like a woman when it is necessary. Do you +understand? +</P> + +<P CLASS="stage"> +The lady, without speaking, stands upright, and takes a packet of +papers from her bosom. For a moment she has an intense impulse to dash +them in his face. But her good breeding cuts her off from any vulgar +method of relief. She hands them to him politely, only averting her +head. The moment he takes them, she hurries across to the other side of +the room; covers her face with her hands; and sits down, with her body +turned away to the back of the chair. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (gloating over the papers). Aha! That's right. That's right. +(Before opening them he looks at her and says) Excuse me. (He sees that +she is hiding her face.) Very angry with me, eh? (He unties the packet, +the seal of which is already broken, and puts it on the table to +examine its contents.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (quietly, taking down her hands and showing that she is not +crying, but only thinking). No. You were right. But I am sorry for you. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (pausing in the act of taking the uppermost paper from the +packet). Sorry for me! Why? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. I am going to see you lose your honor. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Hm! Nothing worse than that? (He takes up the paper.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. And your happiness. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Happiness, little woman, is the most tedious thing in the +world to me. Should I be what I am if I cared for happiness? Anything +else? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Nothing— (He interrupts her with an exclamation of satisfaction. +She proceeds quietly) except that you will cut a very foolish figure in +the eyes of France. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (quickly). What? (The hand holding the paper involuntarily +drops. The lady looks at him enigmatically in tranquil silence. He +throws the letter down and breaks out into a torrent of scolding.) What +do you mean? Eh? Are you at your tricks again? Do you think I don't +know what these papers contain? I'll tell you. First, my information as +to Beaulieu's retreat. There are only two things he can +do—leatherbrained idiot that he is!—shut himself up in Mantua or +violate the neutrality of Venice by taking Peschiera. You are one of +old Leatherbrain's spies: he has discovered that he has been betrayed, +and has sent you to intercept the information at all hazards—as if +that could save him from ME, the old fool! The other papers are only my +usual correspondence from Paris, of which you know nothing. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (prompt and businesslike). General: let us make a fair division. +Take the information your spies have sent you about the Austrian army; +and give me the Paris correspondence. That will content me. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (his breath taken away by the coolness of the proposal). A +fair di— (He gasps.) It seems to me, madame, that you have come to +regard my letters as your own property, of which I am trying to rob you. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (earnestly). No: on my honor I ask for no letter of yours—not a +word that has been written by you or to you. That packet contains a +stolen letter: a letter written by a woman to a man—a man not her +husband—a letter that means disgrace, infamy— +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. A love letter? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (bitter-sweetly). What else but a love letter could stir up so +much hate? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Why is it sent to me? To put the husband in my power, eh? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. No, no: it can be of no use to you: I swear that it will cost you +nothing to give it to me. It has been sent to you out of sheer +malice—solely to injure the woman who wrote it. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Then why not send it to her husband instead of to me? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (completely taken aback). Oh! (Sinking back into the chair.) I—I +don't know. (She breaks down.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Aha! I thought so: a little romance to get the papers back. +(He throws the packet on the table and confronts her with cynical +goodhumor.) Per Bacco, little woman, I can't help admiring you. If I +could lie like that, it would save me a great deal of trouble. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (wringing her hands). Oh, how I wish I really had told you some +lie! You would have believed me then. The truth is the one thing that +nobody will believe. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (with coarse familiarity, treating her as if she were a +vivandiere). Capital! Capital! (He puts his hands behind him on the +table, and lifts himself on to it, sitting with his arms akimbo and his +legs wide apart.) Come: I am a true Corsican in my love for stories. +But I could tell them better than you if I set my mind to it. Next time +you are asked why a letter compromising a wife should not be sent to +her husband, answer simply that the husband would not read it. Do you +suppose, little innocent, that a man wants to be compelled by public +opinion to make a scene, to fight a duel, to break up his household, to +injure his career by a scandal, when he can avoid it all by taking care +not to know? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (revolted). Suppose that packet contained a letter about your own +wife? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (offended, coming off the table). You are impertinent, madame. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (humbly). I beg your above suspicion. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (with a deliberate assumption of superiority). You have +committed an indiscretion. I pardon you. In future, do not permit +yourself to introduce real persons in your romances. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (politely ignoring a speech which is to her only a breach of good +manners, and rising to move towards the table). General: there really +is a woman's letter there. (Pointing to the packet.) Give it to me. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (with brute conciseness, moving so as to prevent her getting +too near the letters). Why? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. She is an old friend: we were at school together. She has written +to me imploring me to prevent the letter falling into your hands. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Why has it been sent to me? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Because it compromises the director Barras. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (frowning, evidently startled). Barras! (Haughtily.) Take +care, madame. The director Barras is my attached personal friend. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (nodding placidly). Yes. You became friends through your wife. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Again! Have I not forbidden you to speak of my wife? (She +keeps looking curiously at him, taking no account of the rebuke. More +and more irritated, he drops his haughty manner, of which he is himself +somewhat impatient, and says suspiciously, lowering his voice) Who is +this woman with whom you sympathize so deeply? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Oh, General! How could I tell you that? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (ill-humoredly, beginning to walk about again in angry +perplexity). Ay, ay: stand by one another. You are all the same, you +women. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (indignantly). We are not all the same, any more than you are. Do +you think that if <I>I</I> loved another man, I should pretend to go on +loving my husband, or be afraid to tell him or all the world? But this +woman is not made that way. She governs men by cheating them; and (with +disdain) they like it, and let her govern them. (She sits down again, +with her back to him.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (not attending to her). Barras, Barras I— (Turning very +threateningly to her, his face darkening.) Take care, take care: do you +hear? You may go too far. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (innocently turning her face to him). What's the matter? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. What are you hinting at? Who is this woman? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (meeting his angry searching gaze with tranquil indifference as +she sits looking up at him with her right arm resting lightly along the +back of her chair, and one knee crossed over the other). A vain, silly, +extravagant creature, with a very able and ambitious husband who knows +her through and through—knows that she has lied to him about her age, +her income, her social position, about everything that silly women lie +about—knows that she is incapable of fidelity to any principle or any +person; and yet could not help loving her—could not help his man's +instinct to make use of her for his own advancement with Barras. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (in a stealthy, coldly furious whisper). This is your revenge, +you she cat, for having had to give me the letters. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Nonsense! Or do you mean that YOU are that sort of man? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (exasperated, clasps his hands behind him, his fingers +twitching, and says, as he walks irritably away from her to the +fireplace). This woman will drive me out of my senses. (To her.) Begone. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (seated immovably). Not without that letter. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Begone, I tell you. (Walking from the fireplace to the +vineyard and back to the table.) You shall have no letter. I don't like +you. You're a detestable woman, and as ugly as Satan. I don't choose to +be pestered by strange women. Be off. (He turns his back on her. In +quiet amusement, she leans her cheek on her hand and laughs at him. He +turns again, angrily mocking her.) Ha! ha! ha! What are you laughing at? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. At you, General. I have often seen persons of your sex getting +into a pet and behaving like children; but I never saw a really great +man do it before. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (brutally, flinging the words in her face). Pooh: flattery! +flattery! coarse, impudent flattery! +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (springing up with a bright flush in her cheeks). Oh, you are too +bad. Keep your letters. Read the story of your own dishonor in them; +and much good may they do you. Good-bye. (She goes indignantly towards +the inner door.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. My own—! Stop. Come back. Come back, I order you. (She +proudly disregards his savagely peremptory tone and continues on her +way to the door. He rushes at her; seizes her by the wrist; and drags +her back.) Now, what do you mean? Explain. Explain, I tell you, +or—(Threatening her. She looks at him with unflinching defiance.) +Rrrr! you obstinate devil, you. Why can't you answer a civil question? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (deeply offended by his violence). Why do you ask me? You have the +explanation. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Where? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (pointing to the letters on the table). There. You have only to +read it. (He snatches the packet up, hesitates; looks at her +suspiciously; and throws it down again.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. You seem to have forgotten your solicitude for the honor of +your old friend. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. She runs no risk now: she does not quite understand her husband. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. I am to read the letter, then? (He stretches out his hand as +if to take up the packet again, with his eye on her.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. I do not see how you can very well avoid doing so now. (He +instantly withdraws his hand.) Oh, don't be afraid. You will find many +interesting things in it. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. For instance? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. For instance, a duel—with Barras, a domestic scene, a broken +household, a public scandal, a checked career, all sorts of things. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Hm! (He looks at her, takes up the packet and looks at it, +pursing his lips and balancing it in his hand; looks at her again; +passes the packet into his left hand and puts it behind his back, +raising his right to scratch the back of his head as he turns and goes +up to the edge of the vineyard, where he stands for a moment looking +out into the vines, deep in thought. The Lady watches him in silence, +somewhat slightingly. Suddenly he turns and comes back again, full of +force and decision.) I grant your request, madame. Your courage and +resolution deserve to succeed. Take the letters for which you have +fought so well; and remember henceforth that you found the vile, vulgar +Corsican adventurer as generous to the vanquished after the battle as +he was resolute in the face of the enemy before it. (He offers her the +packet.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (without taking it, looking hard at him). What are you at now, I +wonder? (He dashes the packet furiously to the floor.) Aha! I've +spoiled that attitude, I think. (She makes him a pretty mocking +curtsey.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (snatching it up again). Will you take the letters and begone +(advancing and thrusting them upon her)? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (escaping round the table). No: I don't want letters. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Ten minutes ago, nothing else would satisfy you. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (keeping the table carefully between them). Ten minutes ago you +had not insulted me past all bearing. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. I— (swallowing his spleen) I apologize. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (coolly). Thanks. (With forced politeness he offers her the packet +across the table. She retreats a step out of its reach and says) But +don't you want to know whether the Austrians are at Mantua or Peschiera? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. I have already told you that I can conquer my enemies without +the aid of spies, madame. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. And the letter! don't you want to read that? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. You have said that it is not addressed to me. I am not in the +habit of reading other people's letters. (He again offers the packet.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. In that case there can be no objection to your keeping it. All I +wanted was to prevent your reading it. (Cheerfully.) Good afternoon, +General. (She turns coolly towards the inner door.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (furiously flinging the packet on the couch). Heaven grant me +patience! (He goes up determinedly and places himself before the door.) +Have you any sense of personal danger? Or are you one of those women +who like to be beaten black and blue? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Thank you, General: I have no doubt the sensation is very +voluptuous; but I had rather not. I simply want to go home: that's all. +I was wicked enough to steal your despatches; but you have got them +back; and you have forgiven me, because (delicately reproducing his +rhetorical cadence) you are as generous to the vanquished after the +battle as you are resolute in the face of the enemy before it. Won't +you say good-bye to me? (She offers her hand sweetly.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (repulsing the advance with a gesture of concentrated rage, +and opening the door to call fiercely). Giuseppe! (Louder.) Giuseppe! +(He bangs the door to, and comes to the middle of the room. The lady +goes a little way into the vineyard to avoid him.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (appearing at the door). Excellency? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Where is that fool? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. He has had a good dinner, according to your instructions, +excellency, and is now doing me the honor to gamble with me to pass the +time. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Send him here. Bring him here. Come with him. (Giuseppe, with +unruffled readiness, hurries off. Napoleon turns curtly to the lady, +saying) I must trouble you to remain some moments longer, madame. (He +comes to the couch. She comes from the vineyard down the opposite side +of the room to the sideboard, and posts herself there, leaning against +it, watching him. He takes the packet from the couch and deliberately +buttons it carefully into his breast pocket, looking at her meanwhile +with an expression which suggests that she will soon find out the +meaning of his proceedings, and will not like it. Nothing more is said +until the lieutenant arrives followed by Giuseppe, who stands modestly +in attendance at the table. The lieutenant, without cap, sword or +gloves, and much improved in temper and spirits by his meal, chooses +the Lady's side of the room, and waits, much at his ease, for Napoleon +to begin.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Lieutenant. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (encouragingly). General. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. I cannot persuade this lady to give me much information; but +there can be no doubt that the man who tricked you out of your charge +was, as she admitted to you, her brother. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (triumphantly). What did I tell you, General! What did I +tell you! +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. You must find that man. Your honor is at stake; and the fate +of the campaign, the destiny of France, of Europe, of humanity, +perhaps, may depend on the information those despatches contain. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. Yes, I suppose they really are rather serious (as if this +had hardly occurred to him before). +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (energetically). They are so serious, sir, that if you do not +recover them, you will be degraded in the presence of your regiment. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. Whew! The regiment won't like that, I can tell you. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Personally, I am sorry for you. I would willingly conceal the +affair if it were possible. But I shall be called to account for not +acting on the despatches. I shall have to prove to all the world that I +never received them, no matter what the consequences may be to you. I +am sorry; but you see that I cannot help myself. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (goodnaturedly). Oh, don't take it to heart, General: it's +really very good of you. Never mind what happens to me: I shall scrape +through somehow; and we'll beat the Austrians for you, despatches or no +despatches. I hope you won't insist on my starting off on a wild goose +chase after the fellow now. I haven't a notion where to look for him. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (deferentially). You forget, Lieutenant: he has your horse. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (starting). I forgot that. (Resolutely.) I'll go after him, +General: I'll find that horse if it's alive anywhere in Italy. And I +shan't forget the despatches: never fear. Giuseppe: go and saddle one +of those mangy old posthorses of yours, while I get my cap and sword +and things. Quick march. Off with you (bustling him). +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. Instantly, Lieutenant, instantly. (He disappears in the +vineyard, where the light is now reddening with the sunset.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (looking about him on his way to the inner door). By the +way, General, did I give you my sword or did I not? Oh, I remember now. +(Fretfully.) It's all that nonsense about putting a man under arrest: +one never knows where to find— (Talks himself out of the room.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (still at the sideboard). What does all this mean, General? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. He will not find your brother. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Of course not. There's no such person. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. The despatches will be irrecoverably lost. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Nonsense! They are inside your coat. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. You will find it hard, I think, to prove that wild statement. +(The Lady starts. He adds, with clinching emphasis) Those papers are +lost. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (anxiously, advancing to the corner of the table). And that +unfortunate young man's career will be sacrificed. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. HIS career! The fellow is not worth the gunpowder it would +cost to have him shot. (He turns contemptuously and goes to the hearth, +where he stands with his back to her.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (wistfully). You are very hard. Men and women are nothing to you +but things to be used, even if they are broken in the use. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (turning on her). Which of us has broken this fellow—I or +you? Who tricked him out of the despatches? Did you think of his career +then? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (naively concerned about him). Oh, I never thought of that. It was +brutal of me; but I couldn't help it, could I? How else could I have +got the papers? (Supplicating.) General: you will save him from +disgrace. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (laughing sourly). Save him yourself, since you are so clever: +it was you who ruined him. (With savage intensity.) I HATE a bad +soldier. +</P> + +<P CLASS="stage"> +He goes out determinedly through the vineyard. She follows him a few +steps with an appealing gesture, but is interrupted by the return of +the lieutenant, gloved and capped, with his sword on, ready for the +road. He is crossing to the outer door when she intercepts him. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Lieutenant. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (importantly). You mustn't delay me, you know. Duty, madame, +duty. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (imploringly). Oh, sir, what are you going to do to my poor +brother? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. Are you very fond of him? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. I should die if anything happened to him. You must spare him. +(The lieutenant shakes his head gloomily.) Yes, yes: you must: you +shall: he is not fit to die. Listen to me. If I tell you where to find +him—if I undertake to place him in your hands a prisoner, to be +delivered up by you to General Bonaparte—will you promise me on your +honor as an officer and a gentleman not to fight with him or treat him +unkindly in any way? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. But suppose he attacks me. He has my pistols. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. He is too great a coward. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. I don't feel so sure about that. He's capable of anything. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. If he attacks you, or resists you in any way, I release you from +your promise. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. My promise! I didn't mean to promise. Look here: you're as +bad as he is: you've taken an advantage of me through the better side +of my nature. What about my horse? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. It is part of the bargain that you are to have your horse and +pistols back. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. Honor bright? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Honor bright. (She offers her hand.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (taking it and holding it). All right: I'll be as gentle as +a lamb with him. His sister's a very pretty woman. (He attempts to kiss +her.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (slipping away from him). Oh, Lieutenant! You forget: your career +is at stake—the destiny of Europe—of humanity. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. Oh, bother the destiny of humanity (Making for her.) Only a +kiss. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (retreating round the table). Not until you have regained your +honor as an officer. Remember: you have not captured my brother yet. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (seductively). You'll tell me where he is, won't you? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. I have only to send him a certain signal; and he will be here in +quarter of an hour. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. He's not far off, then. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. No: quite close. Wait here for him: when he gets my message he +will come here at once and surrender himself to you. You understand? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (intellectually overtaxed). Well, it's a little complicated; +but I daresay it will be all right. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. And now, whilst you're waiting, don't you think you had better +make terms with the General? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. Oh, look here, this is getting frightfully complicated. +What terms? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Make him promise that if you catch my brother he will consider +that you have cleared your character as a soldier. He will promise +anything you ask on that condition. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. That's not a bad idea. Thank you: I think I'll try it. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Do. And mind, above all things, don't let him see how clever you +are. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. I understand. He'd be jealous. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Don't tell him anything except that you are resolved to capture +my brother or perish in the attempt. He won't believe you. Then you +will produce my brother— +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (interrupting as he masters the plot). And have the laugh at +him! I say: what a clever little woman you are! (Shouting.) Giuseppe! +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Sh! Not a word to Giuseppe about me. (She puts her finger on her +lips. He does the same. They look at one another warningly. Then, with +a ravishing smile, she changes the gesture into wafting him a kiss, and +runs out through the inner door. Electrified, he bursts into a volley +of chuckles. Giuseppe comes back by the outer door.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. The horse is ready, Lieutenant. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. I'm not going just yet. Go and find the General, and tell +him I want to speak to him. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (shaking his head). That will never do, Lieutenant. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. Why not? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. In this wicked world a general may send for a lieutenant; but +a lieutenant must not send for a general. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. Oh, you think he wouldn't like it. Well, perhaps you're +right: one has to be awfully particular about that sort of thing now +we've got a republic. +</P> + +<P CLASS="stage"> +Napoleon reappears, advancing from the vineyard, buttoning the breast +of his coat, pale and full of gnawing thoughts. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (unconscious of Napoleon's approach). Quite true, Lieutenant, +quite true. You are all like innkeepers now in France: you have to be +polite to everybody. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (putting his hand on Giuseppe's shoulder). And that destroys +the whole value of politeness, eh? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. The very man I wanted! See here, General: suppose I catch +that fellow for you! +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (with ironical gravity). You will not catch him, my friend. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. Aha! you think so; but you'll see. Just wait. Only, if I do +catch him and hand him over to you, will you cry quits? Will you drop +all this about degrading me in the presence of my regiment? Not that I +mind, you know; but still no regiment likes to have all the other +regiments laughing at it. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. (a cold ray of humor striking pallidly across his gloom). +What shall we do with this officer, Giuseppe? Everything he says is +wrong. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (promptly). Make him a general, excellency; and then +everything he says will be right. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (crowing). Haw-aw! (He throws himself ecstatically on the +couch to enjoy the joke.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (laughing and pinching Giuseppe's ear). You are thrown away in +this inn, Giuseppe. (He sits down and places Giuseppe before him like a +schoolmaster with a pupil.) Shall I take you away with me and make a +man of you? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (shaking his head rapidly and repeatedly). No, thank you, +General. All my life long people have wanted to make a man of me. When +I was a boy, our good priest wanted to make a man of me by teaching me +to read and write. Then the organist at Melegnano wanted to make a man +of me by teaching me to read music. The recruiting sergeant would have +made a man of me if I had been a few inches taller. But it always meant +making me work; and I am too lazy for that, thank Heaven! So I taught +myself to cook and became an innkeeper; and now I keep servants to do +the work, and have nothing to do myself except talk, which suits me +perfectly. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (looking at him thoughtfully). You are satisfied? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (with cheerful conviction). Quite, excellency. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. And you have no devouring devil inside you who must be fed +with action and victory—gorged with them night and day—who makes you +pay, with the sweat of your brain and body, weeks of Herculean toil for +ten minutes of enjoyment—who is at once your slave and your tyrant, +your genius and your doom—who brings you a crown in one hand and the +oar of a galley slave in the other—who shows you all the kingdoms of +the earth and offers to make you their master on condition that you +become their servant!—have you nothing of that in you? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. Nothing of it! Oh, I assure you, excellency, MY devouring +devil is far worse than that. He offers me no crowns and kingdoms: he +expects to get everything for nothing—sausages, omelettes, grapes, +cheese, polenta, wine—three times a day, excellency: nothing less will +content him. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. Come, drop it, Giuseppe: you're making me feel hungry again. +</P> + +<P CLASS="stage"> +(Giuseppe, with an apologetic shrug, retires from the conversation, and +busies himself at the table, dusting it, setting the map straight, and +replacing Napoleon's chair, which the lady has pushed back.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (turning to the lieutenant with sardonic ceremony). I hope <I>I</I> +have not been making you feel ambitious. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. Not at all: I don't fly so high. Besides: I'm better as I +am: men like me are wanted in the army just now. The fact is, the +Revolution was all very well for civilians; but it won't work in the +army. You know what soldiers are, General: they WILL have men of family +for their officers. A subaltern must be a gentleman, because he's so +much in contact with the men. But a general, or even a colonel, may be +any sort of riff-raff if he understands the shop well enough. A +lieutenant is a gentleman: all the rest is chance. Why, who do you +suppose won the battle of Lodi? I'll tell you. My horse did. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (rising) Your folly is carrying you too far, sir. Take care. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. Not a bit of it. You remember all that red-hot cannonade +across the river: the Austrians blazing away at you to keep you from +crossing, and you blazing away at them to keep them from setting the +bridge on fire? Did you notice where I was then? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (with menacing politeness). I am sorry. I am afraid I was +rather occupied at the moment. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (with eager admiration). They say you jumped off your horse +and worked the big guns with your own hands, General. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. That was a mistake: an officer should never let himself +down to the level of his men. (Napoleon looks at him dangerously, and +begins to walk tigerishly to and fro.) But you might have been firing +away at the Austrians still, if we cavalry fellows hadn't found the +ford and got across and turned old Beaulieu's flank for you. You know +you daren't have given the order to charge the bridge if you hadn't +seen us on the other side. Consequently, I say that whoever found that +ford won the battle of Lodi. Well, who found it? I was the first man to +cross: and I know. It was my horse that found it. (With conviction, as +he rises from the couch.) That horse is the true conqueror of the +Austrians. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (passionately). You idiot: I'll have you shot for losing those +despatches: I'll have you blown from the mouth of a cannon: nothing +less could make any impression on you. (Baying at him.) Do you hear? Do +you understand? +</P> + +<P CLASS="stage"> +A French officer enters unobserved, carrying his sheathed sabre in his +hand. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (unabashed). IF I don't capture him, General. Remember the +if. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. If! If!! Ass: there is no such man. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +THE OFFICER (suddenly stepping between them and speaking in the +unmistakable voice of the Strange Lady). Lieutenant: I am your +prisoner. (She offers him her sabre. They are amazed. Napoleon gazes at +her for a moment thunderstruck; then seizes her by the wrist and drags +her roughly to him, looking closely and fiercely at her to satisfy +himself as to her identity; for it now begins to darken rapidly into +night, the red glow over the vineyard giving way to clear starlight.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Pah! (He flings her hand away with an exclamation of disgust, +and turns his back on her with his hand in his breast and his brow +lowering.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (triumphantly, taking the sabre). No such man: eh, General? +(To the Lady.) I say: where's my horse? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Safe at Borghetto, waiting for you, Lieutenant. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (turning on them). Where are the despatches? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. You would never guess. They are in the most unlikely place in the +world. Did you meet my sister here, any of you? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. Yes. Very nice woman. She's wonderfully like you; but of +course she's better looking. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (mysteriously). Well, do you know that she is a witch? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (running down to them in terror, crossing himself). Oh, no, +no, no. It is not safe to jest about such things. I cannot have it in +my house, excellency. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. Yes, drop it. You're my prisoner, you know. Of course I +don't believe in any such rubbish; but still it's not a proper subject +for joking. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. But this is very serious. My sister has bewitched the General. +(Giuseppe and the Lieutenant recoil from Napoleon.) General: open your +coat: you will find the despatches in the breast of it. (She puts her +hand quickly on his breast.) Yes: there they are: I can feel them. Eh? +(She looks up into his face half coaxingly, half mockingly.) Will you +allow me, General? (She takes a button as if to unbutton his coat, and +pauses for permission.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (inscrutably). If you dare. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Thank you. (She opens his coat and takes out the despatches.) +There! (To Giuseppe, showing him the despatches.) See! +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (flying to the outer door). No, in heaven's name! They're +bewitched. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (turning to the Lieutenant). Here, Lieutenant: YOU'RE not afraid +of them. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (retreating). Keep off. (Seizing the hilt of the sabre.) +Keep off, I tell you. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (to Napoleon). They belong to you, General. Take them. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. Don't touch them, excellency. Have nothing to do with them. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. Be careful, General: be careful. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. Burn them. And burn the witch, too. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (to Napoleon). Shall I burn them? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (thoughtfully). Yes, burn them. Giuseppe: go and fetch a light. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (trembling and stammering). Do you mean go alone—in the +dark—with a witch in the house? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Psha! You're a poltroon. (To the Lieutenant.) Oblige me by +going, Lieutenant. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (remonstrating). Oh, I say, General! No, look here, you +know: nobody can say I'm a coward after Lodi. But to ask me to go into +the dark by myself without a candle after such an awful conversation is +a little too much. How would you like to do it yourself? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (irritably). You refuse to obey my order? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT (resolutely). Yes, I do. It's not reasonable. But I'll tell +you what I'll do. If Giuseppe goes, I'll go with him and protect him. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (to Giuseppe). There! will that satisfy you? Be off, both of +you. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (humbly, his lips trembling). W—willingly, your excellency. +(He goes reluctantly towards the inner door.) Heaven protect me! (To +the lieutenant.) After you, Lieutenant. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. You'd better go first: I don't know the way. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. You can't miss it. Besides (imploringly, laying his hand on +his sleeve), I am only a poor innkeeper; and you are a man of family. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LIEUTENANT. There's something in that. Here: you needn't be in such a +fright. Take my arm. (Giuseppe does so.) That's the way.(They go out, +arm in arm. It is now starry night. The lady throws the packet on the +table and seats herself at her ease on the couch enjoying the sensation +of freedom from petticoats.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Well, General: I've beaten you. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (walking about). You have been guilty of indelicacy—of +unwomanliness. Do you consider that costume a proper one to wear? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. It seems to me much the same as yours. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Psha! I blush for you. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (naively). Yes: soldiers blush so easily! (He growls and turns +away. She looks mischievously at him, balancing the despatches in her +hand.) Wouldn't you like to read these before they're burnt, General? +You must be dying with curiosity. Take a peep. (She throws the packet +on the table, and turns her face away from it.) I won't look. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. I have no curiosity whatever, madame. But since you are +evidently burning to read them, I give you leave to do so. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Oh, I've read them already. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (starting). What! +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. I read them the first thing after I rode away on that poor +lieutenant's horse. So you see I know what's in them; and you don't. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Excuse me: I read them there in the vineyard ten minutes ago. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Oh! (Jumping up.) Oh, General I've not beaten you. I do admire +you so. (He laughs and pats her cheek.) This time really and truly +without shamming, I do you homage (kissing his hand). +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (quickly withdrawing it). Brr! Don't do that. No more +witchcraft. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. I want to say something to you—only you would misunderstand it. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Need that stop you? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Well, it is this. I adore a man who is not afraid to be mean and +selfish. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (indignantly). I am neither mean nor selfish. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Oh, you don't appreciate yourself. Besides, I don't really mean +meanness and selfishness. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Thank you. I thought perhaps you did. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Well, of course I do. But what I mean is a certain strong +simplicity about you. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. That's better. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. You didn't want to read the letters; but you were curious about +what was in them. So you went into the garden and read them when no one +was looking, and then came back and pretended you hadn't. That's the +meanest thing I ever knew any man do; but it exactly fulfilled your +purpose; and so you weren't a bit afraid or ashamed to do it. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (abruptly). Where did you pick up all these vulgar +scruples—this (with contemptuous emphasis) conscience of yours? I took +you for a lady—an aristocrat. Was your grandfather a shopkeeper, pray? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. No: he was an Englishman. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. That accounts for it. The English are a nation of +shopkeepers. Now I understand why you've beaten me. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Oh, I haven't beaten you. And I'm not English. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Yes, you are—English to the backbone. Listen to me: I will +explain the English to you. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (eagerly). Do. (With a lively air of anticipating an intellectual +treat, she sits down on the couch and composes herself to listen to +him. Secure of his audience, he at once nerves himself for a +performance. He considers a little before he begins; so as to fix her +attention by a moment of suspense. His style is at first modelled on +Talma's in Corneille's "Cinna;" but it is somewhat lost in the +darkness, and Talma presently gives way to Napoleon, the voice coming +through the gloom with startling intensity.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. There are three sorts of people in the world, the low people, +the middle people, and the high people. The low people and the high +people are alike in one thing: they have no scruples, no morality. The +low are beneath morality, the high above it. I am not afraid of either +of them: for the low are unscrupulous without knowledge, so that they +make an idol of me; whilst the high are unscrupulous without purpose, +so that they go down before my will. Look you: I shall go over all the +mobs and all the courts of Europe as a plough goes over a field. It is +the middle people who are dangerous: they have both knowledge and +purpose. But they, too, have their weak point. They are full of +scruples—chained hand and foot by their morality and respectability. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Then you will beat the English; for all shopkeepers are middle +people. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. No, because the English are a race apart. No Englishman is +too low to have scruples: no Englishman is high enough to be free from +their tyranny. But every Englishman is born with a certain miraculous +power that makes him master of the world. When he wants a thing, he +never tells himself that he wants it. He waits patiently until there +comes into his mind, no one knows how, a burning conviction that it is +his moral and religious duty to conquer those who have got the thing he +wants. Then he becomes irresistible. Like the aristocrat, he does what +pleases him and grabs what he wants: like the shopkeeper, he pursues +his purpose with the industry and steadfastness that come from strong +religious conviction and deep sense of moral responsibility. He is +never at a loss for an effective moral attitude. As the great champion +of freedom and national independence, he conquers and annexes half the +world, and calls it Colonization. When he wants a new market for his +adulterated Manchester goods, he sends a missionary to teach the +natives the gospel of peace. The natives kill the missionary: he flies +to arms in defence of Christianity; fights for it; conquers for it; and +takes the market as a reward from heaven. In defence of his island +shores, he puts a chaplain on board his ship; nails a flag with a cross +on it to his top-gallant mast; and sails to the ends of the earth, +sinking, burning and destroying all who dispute the empire of the seas +with him. He boasts that a slave is free the moment his foot touches +British soil; and he sells the children of his poor at six years of age +to work under the lash in his factories for sixteen hours a day. He +makes two revolutions, and then declares war on our one in the name of +law and order. There is nothing so bad or so good that you will not +find Englishmen doing it; but you will never find an Englishman in the +wrong. He does everything on principle. He fights you on patriotic +principles; he robs you on business principles; he enslaves you on +imperial principles; he bullies you on manly principles; he supports +his king on loyal principles, and cuts off his king's head on +republican principles. His watchword is always duty; and he never +forgets that the nation which lets its duty get on the opposite side to +its interest is lost. He— +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. W-w-w-w-w-wh! Do stop a moment. I want to know how you make me +out to be English at this rate. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (dropping his rhetorical style). It's plain enough. You wanted +some letters that belonged to me. You have spent the morning in +stealing them—yes, stealing them, by highway robbery. And you have +spent the afternoon in putting me in the wrong about them—in assuming +that it was I who wanted to steal YOUR letters—in explaining that it +all came about through my meanness and selfishness, and your goodness, +your devotion, your self-sacrifice. That's English. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Nonsense. I am sure I am not a bit English. The English are a +very stupid people. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Yes, too stupid sometimes to know when they're beaten. But I +grant that your brains are not English. You see, though your +grandfather was an Englishman, your grandmother was—what? A +Frenchwoman? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Oh, no. An Irishwoman. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (quickly). Irish! (Thoughtfully.) Yes: I forgot the Irish. An +English army led by an Irish general: that might be a match for a +French army led by an Italian general. (He pauses, and adds, half +jestingly, half moodily) At all events, YOU have beaten me; and what +beats a man first will beat him last. (He goes meditatively into the +moonlit vineyard and looks up. She steals out after him. She ventures +to rest her hand on his shoulder, overcome by the beauty of the night +and emboldened by its obscurity.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (softly). What are you looking at? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (pointing up). My star. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. You believe in that? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. I do. (They look at it for a moment, she leaning a little on +his shoulder.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Do you know that the English say that a man's star is not +complete without a woman's garter? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (scandalized—abruptly shaking her off and coming back into +the room). Pah! The hypocrites! If the French said that, how they would +hold up their hands in pious horror! (He goes to the inner door and +holds it open, shouting) Hallo! Giuseppe. Where's that light, man. (He +comes between the table and the sideboard, and moves the chair to the +table, beside his own.) We have still to burn the letter. (He takes up +the packet. Giuseppe comes back, pale and still trembling, carrying a +branched candlestick with a couple of candles alight, in one hand, and +a broad snuffers tray in the other.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (piteously, as he places the light on the table). Excellency: +what were you looking up at just now—out there? (He points across his +shoulder to the vineyard, but is afraid to look round.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (unfolding the packet). What is that to you? +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE (stammering). Because the witch is gone—vanished; and no one +saw her go out. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (coming behind him from the vineyard). We were watching her riding +up to the moon on your broomstick, Giuseppe. You will never see her +again. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +GIUSEPPE. Gesu Maria! (He crosses himself and hurries out.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (throwing down the letters in a heap on the table). Now. (He +sits down at the table in the chair which he has just placed.) +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY. Yes; but you know you have THE letter in your pocket. (He smiles; +takes a letter from his pocket; and tosses it on the top of the heap. +She holds it up and looks at him, saying) About Caesar's wife. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON. Caesar's wife is above suspicion. Burn it. +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +LADY (taking up the snuffers and holding the letter to the candle flame +with it). I wonder would Caesar's wife be above suspicion if she saw us +here together! +</P> + +<P CLASS="dialog"> +NAPOLEON (echoing her, with his elbows on the table and his cheeks on +his hands, looking at the letter). I wonder! (The Strange Lady puts the +letter down alight on the snuffers tray, and sits down beside Napoleon, +in the same attitude, elbows on table, cheeks on hands, watching it +burn. When it is burnt, they simultaneously turn their eyes and look at +one another. The curtain steals down and hides them.) +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR><BR> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Man of Destiny, by George Bernard Shaw + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MAN OF DESTINY *** + +***** This file should be named 4024-h.htm or 4024-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/4/0/2/4024/ + +Produced by Eve Sobol. 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