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Complete Plays of John Galsworthy Novel Chapters
List of most recent chapters published for the Complete Plays of John Galsworthy novel. A total of 379 chapters have been translated and the release date of the last chapter is Apr 02, 2024
Latest Release: Chapter 1 : The Project Gutenberg Plays of John Galsworthy.by John Galsworthy.FIRST SERIES: THE SILV
The Project Gutenberg Plays of John Galsworthy.by John Galsworthy.FIRST SERIES: THE SILVER BOX A COMEDY IN THREE ACTS
PERSONS OF THE PLAY JOHN BARTHWICK, M.P., a wealthy Liberal MRS. BARTHWICK, his wife JACK BARTHWICK, their son ROPER, their solicitor MR
- 301 MAYOR. Morning, Builder, morning.HARRIS. Good-morning, Sir.BUILDER. Sit down-sit down! Have a cigar!The MAYOR takes a cigar HARRIS a cigarette from his own case.BUILDER. Well, Mayor, what's gone wrong with the works? He and HARRIS exchange a look.MAY
- 302 BUILDER. [With discomfort] H'm!CAMILLE. [With a look] Too mooch in the family--like a rabbit in a 'utch.BUILDER. Oh! So that's your view of us! [His eyes rest on her, attracted but resentful].CAMILLE. Pardon, Monsieur, my tongue run away wi
- 303 BUILDER. Well, I can eat a good deal this morning. It's all nonsense!A family's a family.MAUD. [More and more disturbed, but hiding it] Father, if I were you, I wouldn't-really! It's not-dignified.BUILDER. You can leave me to judge of
- 304 TOPPING. Miss Builder live here?ANNIE. Oh! no, sir; Mrs Herringhame.TOPPING. Mrs Herringhame? Oh! young lady with dark hair and large expressive eyes?ANNIE. Oh! yes, sir.TOPPING. With an "A. B." on her linen? [Moves to table]. ANNIE. Yes, sir.TO
- 305 BUILDER. [With a short laugh] Odd if you hadn't, in twenty-three years.[Touching a canvas standing against the chair with his toe] Art! Just a pretext. We shall be having Maud wanting to cut loose next. She's very restive. Still, I oughtn't
- 306 MRS BUILDER. [To Guy] I think you had better go.BUILDER. Julia, will you leave me to manage this?MRS BUILDER. [To Guy] When do you expect my daughter in?GUY. Now--directly.MRS BUILDER. [Quietly] Are you married to her? GUY. Yes. That is--no--o; not altoge
- 307 BUILDER. Don't "dear" me! What have you noticed? D'you mean I'm not a good husband and father?ATHENE. Look at mother. I suppose you can't, now; you're too used to her.BUILDER. Of course I'm used to her. What else is
- 308 ATHENE. Would you have been firm with her?BUILDER. [Really sick at heart at this unwonted mockery which meets him at every turn] Be quiet, you----!ATHENE. Has mother never turned?BUILDER. You're an unnatural girl! Go your own way to h.e.l.l!ATHENE. I
- 309 ATHENE. Guy! All right, Annie.ANNIE. Oh! thank you, Miss. [She moves across in front of them].ATHENE. [Suddenly] Annie!ANNIE stops and turns to her.What are you afraid of? ANNIE. [With comparative boldness] I--I might catch it, Miss.ATHENE. From your peop
- 310 GUY. Be very careful of him.ANNIE. Oh! yes, sir, I will. Good-bye, sir. Goodbye, Miss.She goes.GUY. So her father has a firm hand too. But it takes her back to the nest. How's that, Athene?ATHENE. [Playing with a leathern b.u.t.ton on his coat] If yo
- 311 GUY. It's all right, Annie. There's only one more day's infection before you. We're to be married to-morrow morning.ANNIE. Oh! yes, sir. Won't Mr Builder be pleased?GUY. H'm! That's not exactly our reason.ANNIE. [Right]
- 312 In real life, which should I naturally do--put them in here [She touches her chest] or in my bag?TOPPING. [Touching his waistcoat--earnestly] Well! To put 'em in here, Miss, I should say is more--more pishchological.MAUD. [Subduing her lips] Yes; but
- 313 The door Left is opened and MRS BUILDER comes in.BUILDER. There's some coffee coming; do your head good. Look here, Julia. I'm sorry I beat on that door. I apologize. I was in a towering pa.s.sion. I wish I didn't get into these rages. But-
- 314 RALPH utters a sympathetic whistle.Jolly, isn't it?RALPH. To whom?BUILDER. A young flying bounder.RALPH. And why? BUILDER. Some crazy rubbish about family life, of all things.RALPH. Athene's a most interesting girl. All these young people are so
- 315 RALPH. [Catching sight of her] Hallo! All well in your cosmogony, Maud?MAUD. What is a cosmogony, Uncle?RALPH. My dear, I--I don't know.He goes out, followed by BUILDER. MAUD goes quickly to the table, sits down and rests her elbows on it, her chin o
- 316 BUILDER. You disrespectful monkey! Will you be quiet?MAUD. No; you've got to hear things. You don't really love anybody but yourself, father. What's good for you has to be good for everybody.I've often heard you talk about independence
- 317 CAMILLE. Well, perhaps.BUILDER. What business had you to? I'm a family man.CAMILLE. Yes. What a pity! But does it matter?BUILDER. [Much beset] Look here, you know! This won't do! It won't do! I--I've got my reputation to think of!CAMIL
- 318 MRS BUILDER. Good-bye!BUILDER. D'you realise that you're encouraging me to go wrong? That's a pretty thing for a wife to do. You ought to keep your husband straight.MRS BUILDER. How beautifully put!BUILDER. [Almost pathetically] Don't
- 319 MAYOR. Whose?HARRIS. The constable's.CHANTREY. How did the police come into it?HARRIS. I don't know, sir. The worst of it is he's been at the police station since four o'clock yesterday. The Superintendent's away, and Martin never
- 320 MAUD. Yes; but I mean, my father saw red, and the constable saw red, and the stick flew up between them and hit him in the eye.CHANTREY. And then he saw black?MAYOR. [With corrective severity] But did 'e 'it 'im with the stick?MAUD. No--no.
- 321 GUY. [With an effort] At the moment, sir, I haven't one. I've just left my diggings, and haven't yet got any others.MAYOR. H'm! The Aerodrome. How did you come to be present?GUY. I--er BUILDER's eyes go round and rest on him for a
- 322 ATHENE. N--no, Mr Mayor, not of my father or mother.CHANTREY. An acquaintance of yours?ATHENE. Yes.MAYOR. Very good. [He clears his throat] As the defendant, wrongly, we think, refuses to offer his explanation of this matter, the Bench has to decide on th
- 323 There is the sound of a cab stopping.Wonder if that's him! [He goes towards the hall. CAMILLE watchfully s.h.i.+fts towards the diningroom door. MAUD enters.]MAUD. Is my father back, Topping?TOPPING. Not yet, Miss.MAUD. I've come for mother'
- 324 MAUD. [At the window] It is them.TOPPING goes out into the hall; ATHENE and RALPH enter Right.MAUD. Where's father, Uncle Ralph?RALPH. With his solicitor.ATHENE. We left Guy with mother at the studio. She still thinks she ought to come. She keeps on
- 325 BUILDER. What's that?RALPH. Let's boss our own natures before we boss those of other people.Have a sleep on it, John, before you do anything.BUILDER. Sleep? I hadn't a wink last night. If you'd pa.s.sed the night I had-- RALPH. I hadn&
- 326 With a lingering look at his brother, who has sat down sullenly at the writing table, he goes out into the hall.BUILDER remains staring in front of him. The dining-room door opens, and CAMILLE's head is thrust in. Seeing him, she draws back, but he c
- 327 TOPPING goes out, and BUILDER stands over by the fender, with his head a little down.TOPPING. [Re-entering] The Mayor, sir.He retires up Left. The MAYOR is overcoated, and carries, of all things, a top hat. He reaches the centre of the room before he spea
- 328 BUILDER. [Without turning his head] Good-night.TOPPING has gone. BUILDER sits drawing at his pipe between the firelight and the light from the standard lamp. He takes the pipe out of his mouth and a quiver pa.s.ses over his face. With a half angry gesture
- 329 WINSOR. Well, he can't exist on backing losers.LADY A. Isn't it just like him to get married now? He really is the most reckless person.WINSOR. Yes. He's a queer chap. I've always liked him, but I've never quite made him out. What
- 330 DE LEVIS. They may have heard something.WINSOR. Let's get them. But Dancy was down stairs when I came up. Get Morison, Adela! No. Look here! When was this exactly? Let's have as many alibis as we can.DE LEVIS. Within the last twenty minutes, cer
- 331 DE LEVIS. Yes.WINSOR. Run your mind over things, Treisure--has any stranger been about?TREISURE. No, Sir.WINSOR. This seems to have happened between 11.15 and 11.30. Is that right? [DE LEVIS nods] Any noise-anything outside-anything suspicious anywhere?TR
- 332 MARGARET. Only little Ferdy splas.h.i.+ng.WINSOR. And saw nothing?MARGARET. Not even that, alas!LADY A. [With a finger held up] Leste! Un peu leste! Oh! Here are the Dancys. Come in, you two!MABEL and RONALD DANCY enter. She is a pretty young woman with b
- 333 CANYNGE. You and I had better see the Inspector in De Levis's room, WINSOR. [To the others] If you'll all be handy, in case he wants to put questions for himself.MARGARET. I hope he'll want me; it's just too thrilling.DANCY. I hope he
- 334 INSPECTOR. Shutting the window?DE LEVIS. No. I got into bed, felt for my watch to see the time. My hand struck the pocket-book, and somehow it felt thinner. I took it out, looked into it, and found the notes gone, and these shaving papers instead.INSPECTO
- 335 INSPECTOR. Where is your room?ROBERT. On the ground floor, at the other end of the right wing, sir.WINSOR. It's the extreme end of the house from this, Inspector. He's with the other two footmen.INSPECTOR. Were you there alone?ROBERT. No, Sir. T
- 336 WINSOR. We don't want a Meldon Court scandal, Inspector.INSPECTOR. Well, Mr WINSOR, I've formed my theory.As he speaks, DE LEVIS comes in from the balcony.And I don't say to try the keys is necessary to it; but strictly, I ought to exhaust
- 337 WINSOR. Really, De Levis, if this is the way you repay hospitality-- DE LEVIS. Hospitality that skins my feelings and costs me a thousand pounds!CANYNGE. Go and get Dancy, WINSOR; but don't say anything to him.WINSOR goes out.CANYNGE. Perhaps you wil
- 338 WINSOR. Against the wall, perhaps. There may be a dozen explanations.[Very low and with great concentration] I entirely and absolutely refuse to believe anything of the sort against Ronald Dancy in my house. Dash it, General, we must do as we'd be do
- 339 WINSOR. You and I, Borring.He sits down in CANYNGE'S chair, and the GENERAL takes his place by the fire.BORRING. Phew! Won't Dancy be mad! He gave that filly away to save her keep. He was rather pleased to find somebody who'd take her. Bent
- 340 CANYNGE. [Nodding towards the billiard-room] Are those fellows still in there, Colford?COLFORD. Yes.CANYNGE. Then bring Dancy up, will you? But don't say anything to him.COLFORD. [To DE LEVIS] You may think yourself d.a.m.ned lucky if he doesn't
- 341 DANCY. If the brute won't fight, what am I to do, sir?ST ERTH. We've told you--take action, to clear your name.DANCY. Colford, you saw me in the hall writing letters after our game.COLFORD. Certainly I did; you were there when I went to the smok
- 342 SCENE II [NOTE.--This should be a small set capable of being set quickly within that of the previous scene.]Morning of the following day. The DANCYS' flat. In the sitting-room of this small abode MABEL DANCY and MARGARET ORME are sitting full face to
- 343 LADY A. Couldn't--what?MARGARET. Stand for De Levis against one of ourselves?LADY A. That's very narrow, Meg.MARGARET. Oh! I know lots of splendid Jews, and I rather liked little Ferdy; but when it comes to the point--! They all stick together;
- 344 MABEL. I'm almost sure.DANCY. Yes. But you're my wife.MABEL. [Bewildered] Ronny, I don't understand--suppose I'd been accused of stealing pearls!DANCY. [Wincing] I can't.MABEL. But I might--just as easily. What would you think of
- 345 MABEL. Don't, Ronny. It's undignified! He isn't worth it.DANCY suddenly tears the paper in two, and flings it into the fire.DANCY. Get out of here, you swine!DE LEVIS stands a moment irresolute, then, turning to the door, he opens it, stand
- 346 GILMAN. Well, my business here--No, if you'll excuse me, I'd rather wait and see old Mr Jacob Twisden. It's delicate, and I'd like his experience.GRAVITER. [With a shrug] Very well; then, perhaps, you'll go in there.[He moves towa
- 347 TWISDEN. Sit down; sit down, my dear.And he himself sits behind the table, as a cup of tea is brought in to him by the YOUNG CLERK, with two Marie biscuits in the saucer.Will you have some, Margaret?MARGARET. No, dear Mr Jacob.TWISDEN. Charles? WINSOR. No
- 348 As he speaks, GRAVITER comes in by the door Left Forward.TWISDEN. [Pointing to the newspaper and the note] Mr Gilman has brought this, of which he is holder for value. His customer, who changed it three days ago, is coming up.GRAVITER. The fifty-pounder.
- 349 RICARDOS. I did think it my duty to my daughter to ask that he make compensation to her.TWISDEN. With threats that you would tell his wife?RICARDOS. [With a shrug] Captain Dancy was a man of honour. He said: "Of course I will do this." I trusted
- 350 GRAVITER. Good night, Mrs Dancy.MABEL goes.GRAVITER. D'you know, I believe she knows.TWISDEN. No, no! She believes in him implicitly. A staunch little woman. Poor thing!GRAVITER. Hasn't that shaken you, sir? It has me. TWISDEN. No, no! I--I can&
- 351 TWISDEN. I have very serious news for you.DANCY. [Wincing and collecting himself] Oh!TWISDEN. These two notes. [He uncovers the notes] After the Court rose yesterday we had a man called Ricardos here. [A pause] Is there any need for me to say more?DANCY.
- 352 COLFORD. Guilty or not, you ought to have stuck to him--it's not playing the game, Mr Twisden.TWISDEN. You must allow me to judge where my duty lay, in a very hard case.COLFORD. I thought a man was safe with his solicitor.CANYNGE. Colford, you don�
- 353 DANCY. Spun.MABEL. [Blank] Spun? What do you mean? What's spun?DANCY. The case. They've found out through those notes.MABEL. Oh! [Staring at his face] Who?DANCY. Me! MABEL. [After a moment of horrified stillness] Don't, Ronny! Oh! No!Don�
- 354 MABEL. No, no! Kiss me!A long kiss, till the bell again startles them apart, and there is a loud knock.DANCY. They'll break the door in. It's no good--we must open. Hold them in check a little. I want a minute or two.MABEL. [Clasping him] Ronny!
- 355 COLFORD. Hara-kiri.INSPECTOR. Beg pardon?COLFORD. [He points with the letter to MABEL] For her sake, and his own.INSPECTOR. [Putting out his hand] I'll want that, sir.COLFORD. [Grimly] You shall have it read at the inquest. Till then-- it's addr
- 356 MR MARCH. This is absolutely Prussian!MRS MARCH. Soup, lobster, chicken salad. Go to Mrs Hunt's.MR MARCH. And this fellow hasn't the nous to see that if ever there were a moment when it would pay us to take risks, and be generous--My hat!He ough
- 357 MARY. Here you are, Dad! I've filled up the ink pot. Do be careful!Come on, Johnny!She looks curiously at MR BLY, who has begun operations at the bottom of the left-hand window, and goes, followed by JOHNNY.MR MARCH. [Relighting his pipe and preparin
- 358 MR MARCH. Balance! Not much balance about us. We just run about and jump Jim Crow.BLY. [With a perfunctory wipe] That's right; we 'aven't got a faith these days. But what's the use of tellin' the Englishman to act like an angel. H
- 359 So you want to be our parlour-maid?FAITH. Yes, please.MR MARCH. Well, Faith can remove mountains; but--er--I don't know if she can clear tables.BLY. I've been tellin' Mr March and the young lady what you're capable of. Show 'em wh
- 360 MR MARCH. Well, what luck?MRS MARCH. None.MR MARCH. [Unguardedly] Good!MRS MARCH. What?MRS MARCH. [Cheerfully] Well, the fact is, Mary and I have caught one for 'you; Mr Bly's daughter-- MRS MARCH. Are you out of your senses? Don't you know that she'
- 361 COOK. Ask Master Johnny, sir; he's been in the war.MR MARCH. [To MARY] Get Johnny.MARY goes out.MRS MARCH. What on earth has the war to do with it?COOK. The things he tells me, ma'am, is too wonderful for words. He's 'ad to do with prisoners and gener
- 362 MARY. We can't tell till we've tried, Mother.COOK. It's wonderful the difference good food'll make, ma'am.MRS MARCH. Well, you're all against me. Have it your own way, and when you regret it--remember me!MR MARCH. We will--we will! That's settled,
- 363 FAITH. Never saw a man--only a chaplain.COOK. Dear, dear! They must be quite fresh to you, then! How long was it?FAITH. Two years.COOK. And never a day out? What did you do all the time? Did they learn you anything?FAITH. Weaving. That's why I hate it. C
- 364 JOHNNY. [Gloomily] What about the other eleven?MR MARCH. [Tentatively] Well--old man, I--er--think perhaps it'd be stronger if they were out.JOHNNY. Good G.o.d!He takes back the sheet of paper, clutches his brow, and crosses to the door. As he pa.s.ses F
- 365 BLY. [With a big wipe, following his thought] He said to me once: "Joe," he said, "if I was to hold meself in, I should be a devil."There's where you get it. Policemen, priests, prisoners. Cab'net Ministers, any one who leads an unnatural life, see
- 366 FAITH. I've seen one or two.BLY. What's their tone?FAITH. All about the condition of the world; and the moon.BLY. Ah! Depressin'. And the young lady?FAITH shrugs her shoulders. Um--'ts what I thought. She 'asn't moved much with the times. She thinks
- 367 FAITH. Have you been in a prison, ever?JOHNNY. No, thank G.o.d!FAITH. It's awfully clean.JOHNNY. You bet.FAITH. And it's stone cold. It turns your heart. JOHNNY. Ah! Did you ever see a stalact.i.te?FAITH. What's that?JOHNNY. In caves. The water drops l
- 368 They stand dose together, unaware that COOK has thrown up the service shutter, to see why the clearing takes so long. Her astounded head and shoulders pa.s.s into view just as FAITH suddenly puts up her face. JOHNNY'S lips hesitate, then move towards her
- 369 MR MARCH'S hands instinctively go up to it.MR MARCH. You mightn't think it, but I'm talking to you seriously.FAITH. I was, too.MR MARCH. [Out of his depth] Well! I got wet; I must go and change.FAITH follows him with her eyes as he goes out, and resume
- 370 COOK. Oh! dear, he will be angry with me. If you hadn't been in the kitchen and heard me, ma'am, I'd ha' let it pa.s.s.MRS MARCH. That would have been very wrong of you.COOK. Ah! But I'd do a lot of wrong things for Master Johnny.
- 371 MRS MARCH looks at him from across the dining-table, for he has marched up to it, till they are staring at each other across the now cleared rosewood.MRS MARCH. How are you going to stop her?JOHNNY. Oh, I'll stop her right enough. If I stuck it out i
- 372 JOHNNY. [From the door, grimly] If I am, I'll have the right to be!MRS MARCH. Johnny! [But he is gone.]MRS MARCH follows to call him back, but is met by MARY.MARY. So you've tumbled, Mother?MRS MARCH. I should think I have! Johnny is making an i
- 373 MR MARCH. Good Lord! Direct action!MARY. He's got his pipe, a pound of chocolate, three volumes of "Monte Cristo," and his old concertina. He says it's better than the trenches.MR MARCH. My hat! Johnny's made a joke. This is serio
- 374 MARY re-enters.MARY. He's been digging himself in. He's put a screen across the head of the stairs, and got Cook's blankets. He's going to sleep there.MRS MARCH. Did he take the walnuts?MARY. No; he pa.s.sed them in to her. He says he&
- 375 MRS MARCH. I thought we'd met to get at the truth.MARY. But do they ever?FAITH. I will go out!JOHNNY. No! [And, as his back is against the door, she can't] I'll see that you're not insulted any more.MR MARCH. Johnny, I know you have th
- 376 MR MARCH. We have a certain sympathy with you, Mr Bly.BLY. [Gazing at his daughter] I don't want that one. I'll take the other.MARY. Don't repeat yourself, Mr Bly.BLY. [With a flash of muddled insight] Well! There's two of everybody; t
- 377 JOHNNY. [To the YOUNG MAN] You haven't, I'll bet.YOUNG M. I didn't come here to be slanged.JOHNNY. This poor girl is going to have a fair deal, and you're not going to give it her. I can see that with half an eye.YOUNG M. You'll s
- 378 P. C. MAN. [Sharply] None of your lip, now!At the new tone in his voice FAITH turns and visibly quails, like a dog that has been shown a whip.MR MARCH. Inexpressibly painful!YOUNG M. Ah! How would you like to be insulted in front of your girl?If you're a
- 379 FAITH. He won't hurt me.MARY. You'd better stay. Mother, she can stay, can't she?MRS MARCH nods.FAITH. No!MARY. Why not? We're all sorry. Do! You'd better. FAITH. Father'll come over for my things tomorrow.MARY. What are you