Collection of Stories

London, Jack

• Publisher: pubOne.info
• Year: 2010
• Topic: Literature
• eBook ISBN:
  9782819933892
• Subtopic: Classics
• Index: Literature

A WICKED WOMAN

[Curtain rises on a conventional living room of a country house in California. It is the Hemingway house at Santa Clara. The room is remarkable for magnificent stone fireplace at rear centre. On either side of fireplace are generous, diamond-paned windows. Wide, curtained doorways to right and left. To left, front, table, with vase of flowers and chairs. To right, front, grand piano. ]

[Curtain discovers LORETTA seated at piano, not playing, her back to it, facing NED BASHFORD, who is standing. ]

LORETTA. [Petulantly, fanning herself with sheet of music. ] No, I won’t go fishing. It’s too warm. Besides, the fish won’t bite so early in the afternoon.

NED. Oh, come on. It’s not warm at all. And anyway, we won’t really fish. I want to tell you something.

LORETTA. [Still petulantly. ] You are always wanting to tell me something.

NED. Yes, but only in fun. This is different. This is serious. Our . . . my happiness depends upon it.

LORETTA. [Speaking eagerly, no longer petulant, looking, serious and delighted, divining a proposal. ] Then don’t wait. Tell me right here.

NED. [Almost threateningly. ] Shall I?

LORETTA. [Challenging. ] Yes.

[He looks around apprehensively as though fearing interruption, clears his throat, takes resolution, also takes LORETTA’s hand. ]

[LORETTA is startled, timid, yet willing to hear, naïvely unable to conceal her love for him. ]

NED. [Speaking softly. ] Loretta . . . I, . . . ever since I met you I have—

[JACK HEMINGWAY appears in the doorway to the left, just entering. ]

[NED suddenly drops LORETTA’s hand. He shows exasperation. ]

[LORETTA shows disappointment at interruption. ]

NED. Confound it

LORETTA. [Shocked. ] Ned! Why will you swear so?

NED. [Testily. ] That isn’t swearing.

LORETTA. What is it, pray?

NED. Displeasuring.

JACK HEMINGWAY. [Who is crossing over to right. ] Squabbling again?

LORETTA. [Indignantly and with dignity. ] No, we’re not.

NED. [Gruffly. ] What do you want now?

JACK HEMINGWAY. [Enthusiastically. ] Come on fishing.

NED. [Snappily. ] No. It’s too warm.

JACK HEMINGWAY. [Resignedly, going out right. ] You needn’t take a fellow’s head off.

LORETTA. I thought you wanted to go fishing.

NED. Not with Jack.

LORETTA. [Accusingly, fanning herself vigorously. ] And you told me it wasn’t warm at all.

NED. [Speaking softly. ] That isn’t what I wanted to tell you, Loretta. [He takes her hand. ] Dear Loretta—

[Enter abruptly ALICE HEMINGWAY from right. ]

[LORETTA sharply jerks her hand away, and looks put out. ]

[NED tries not to look awkward. ]

ALICE HEMINGWAY. Goodness! I thought you’d both gone fishing!

LORETTA. [Sweetly. ] Is there anything you want, Alice?

NED. [Trying to be courteous. ] Anything I can do?

ALICE HEMINGWAY. [Speaking quickly, and trying to withdraw. ] No, no. I only came to see if the mail had arrived.

LORETTA AND NED

[Speaking together. ] No, it hasn’t arrived.

LORETTA. [Suddenly moving toward door to right. ] I am going to see.

[NED looks at her reproachfully. ]

[LORETTA looks back tantalisingly from doorway and disappears. ]

[NED flings himself disgustedly into Morris chair. ]

ALICE HEMINGWAY. [Moving over and standing in front of him. Speaks accusingly. ] What have you been saying to her?

NED. [Disgruntled. ] Nothing.

ALICE HEMINGWAY. [Threateningly. ] Now listen to me, Ned.

NED. [Earnestly. ] On my word, Alice, I’ve been saying nothing to her.

ALICE HEMINGWAY. [With sudden change of front. ] Then you ought to have been saying something to her.

NED. [Irritably. Getting chair for her, seating her, and seating himself again. ] Look here, Alice, I know your game. You invited me down here to make a fool of me.

ALICE HEMINGWAY. Nothing of the sort, sir. I asked you down to meet a sweet and unsullied girl— the sweetest, most innocent and ingenuous girl in the world.

NED. [Dryly. ] That’s what you said in your letter.

ALICE HEMINGWAY. And that’s why you came. Jack had been trying for a year to get you to come. He did not know what kind of a letter to write.

NED. If you think I came because of a line in a letter about a girl I’d never seen—

ALICE HEMINGWAY. [Mockingly. ] The poor, jaded, world-worn man, who is no longer interested in women . . . and girls! The poor, tired pessimist who has lost all faith in the goodness of women—

NED. For which you are responsible.

ALICE HEMINGWAY. [Incredulously. ] I?

NED. You are responsible. Why did you throw me over and marry Jack?

ALICE HEMINGWAY. Do you want to know?

NED. Yes.

ALICE HEMINGWAY. [Judiciously. ] First, because I did not love you. Second, because you did not love me. [She smiles at his protesting hand and at the protesting expression on his face. ] And third, because there were just about twenty-seven other women at that time that you loved, or thought you loved. That is why I married Jack. And that is why you lost faith in the goodness of women. You have only yourself to blame.

NED. [Admiringly. ] You talk so convincingly. I almost believe you as I listen to you. And yet I know all the time that you are like all the rest of your sex— faithless, unveracious, and . . .

[He glares at her, but does not proceed. ]

ALICE HEMINGWAY. Go on. I’m not afraid.

NED. [With finality. ] And immoral.

ALICE HEMINGWAY. Oh! You wretch!

NED. [Gloatingly. ] That’s right. Get angry. You may break the furniture if you wish. I don’t mind.

ALICE HEMINGWAY. [With sudden change of front, softly. ] And how about Loretta?

[NED gasps and remains silent. ]

ALICE HEMINGWAY. The depths of duplicity that must lurk under that sweet and innocent exterior . . . according to your philosophy!

NED. [Earnestly. ] Loretta is an exception, I confess. She is all that you said in your letter. She is a little fairy, an angel. I never dreamed of anything like her. It is remarkable to find such a woman in this age.

ALICE HEMINGWAY. [Encouragingly. ] She is so naive.

NED. [Taking the bait. ] Yes, isn’t she? Her face and her tongue betray all her secrets.

ALICE HEMINGWAY. [Nodding her head. ] Yes, I have noticed it.

NED. [Delightedly. ] Have you?

ALICE HEMINGWAY. She cannot conceal anything. Do you know that she loves you?

NED. [Falling into the trap, eagerly. ] Do you think so?

ALICE HEMINGWAY. [Laughing and rising. ] And to think I once permitted you to make love to me for three weeks!

[NED rises. ]

[MAID enters from left with letters, which she brings to ALICE HEMINGWAY. ]

ALICE HEMINGWAY. [Running over letters. ] None for you, Ned. [Selecting two letters for herself. ] Tradesmen. [Handing remainder of letters to MAID. ] And three for Loretta. [Speaking to MAID. ] Put them on the table, Josie.

[MAID puts letters on table to left front, and makes exit to left. ]

NED. [With shade of jealousy. ] Loretta seems to ...

Table of contents

• THE HUMAN DRIFT
• SMALL-BOAT SAILING
• FOUR HORSES AND A SAILOR
• NOTHING THAT EVER CAME TO ANYTHING
• THAT DEAD MEN RISE UP NEVER
• A CLASSIC OF THE SEA
• A WICKED WOMAN
• A WICKED WOMAN
• THE BIRTH MARK
• Copyright