stage-land[1].(舞台)-第7章
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not for the heroine。 The adventuress makes the most complete
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STAGE…LAND。
arrangements for being noble and self…sacrificingthat is； for going away
and never coming back； and is just about to carry them out； when the
heroine； who has a perfect genius for being in the wrong place at the right
time； comes in and spoils it all。 No stage adventuress can be good while
the heroine is about。 The sight of the heroine rouses every bad feeling in
her breast。
We can sympathize with her in this respect。 The heroine often affects
ourselves in precisely the same way。
There is a good deal to be said in favor of the adventuress。 True； she
possesses rather too much sarcasm and repartee to make things quite
agreeable round the domestic hearth； and when she has got all her clothes
on there is not much room left in the place for anybody else； but taken on
the whole she is decidedly attractive。 She has grit and go in her。 She is
alive。 She can do something to help herself besides calling for 〃George。〃
She has not got a stage childif she ever had one； she has left it on
somebody else's doorstep which； presuming there was no water handy to
drown it in； seems to be about the most sensible thing she could have done
with it。 She is not oppressively good。
She never wants to be 〃unhanded〃 or 〃let to pass。〃
She is not always being shocked or insulted by people telling her that
they love her； she does not seem to mind it if they do。 She is not always
fainting； and crying； and sobbing； and wailing； and moaning； like the good
people in the play are。
Oh； they do have an unhappy time of itthe good people in plays！
Then she is the only person in the piece who can sit on the comic man。
We sometimes think it would be a fortunate thingfor himif they
allowed her to marry and settle down quietly with the hero。 She might
make a man of him in time。
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STAGE…LAND。
THE SERVANT…GIRL。
There are two types of servant…girl to be met with on the stage。 This
is an unusual allowance for one profession。
There is the lodging…house slavey。 She has a good heart and a smutty
face and is always dressed according to the latest fashion in scarecrows。
Her leading occupation is the cleaning of boots。 She cleans boots all
over the house； at all hours of the day。 She comes and sits down on the
hero's breakfast…table and cleans them over the poor fellow's food。 She
comes into the drawing…room cleaning boots。
She has her own method of cleaning them； too。 She rubs off the mud；
puts on the blacking； and polishes up all with the same brush。 They take
an enormous amount of polishing。 She seems to do nothing else all day
long but walk about shining one boot； and she breathes on it and rubs it till
you wonder there is any leather left； yet it never seems to get any brighter；
nor； indeed； can you expect it to； for when you look close you see it is a
patent…leather boot that she has been throwing herself away upon all this
time。
Somebody has been having a lark with the poor girl。
The lodging…house slavey brushes her hair with the boot brush and
blacks the end of her nose with it。
We were acquainted with a lodging…house slavey oncea real one； we
mean。 She was the handmaiden at a house in Bloomsbury where we
once hung out。 She was untidy in her dress； it is true； but she had not
quite that castaway and gone…to…sleep…in…a…dust…bin appearance that we； an
earnest student of the drama； felt she ought to present； and we questioned
her one day on the subject。
〃How is it； Sophronia；〃 we said； 〃that you distantly resemble a human
being instead of giving one the idea of an animated rag…shop？ Don't you
ever polish your nose with the blacking…brush； or rub coal into your head；
or wash your face in treacle； or put skewers into your hair； or anything of
that sort； like they do on the stage？〃
She said： 〃Lord love you； what should I want to go and be a bally
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STAGE…LAND。
idiot like that for？〃
And we have not liked to put the question elsewhere since then。
The other type of servant…girl on the stagethe villa servant…girlis a
very different personage。 She is a fetching little thing； dresses
bewitchingly； and is always clean。 Her duties are to dust the legs of the
chairs in the drawing…room。 That is the only work she ever has to do； but
it must be confessed she does that thoroughly。 She never comes into the
room without dusting the legs of these chairs； and she dusts them again
before she goes out。
If anything ought to be free from dust in a stage house； it should be the
legs of the drawing…room chairs。
She is going to marry the man…servant； is the stage servant…girl； as
soon as they have saved up sufficient out of their wages to buy a hotel。
They think they will like to keep a hotel。 They don't understand a bit
about the business； which we believe is a complicated one； but this does
not trouble them in the least。
They quarrel a good deal over their love…making； do the stage servant…
girl and her young man； and they always come into the drawing…room to
do it。 They have got the kitchen； and there is the garden （with a fountain
and mountains in the backgroundyou can see it through the window）； but
no！ no place in or about the house is good enough for them to quarrel in
except the drawing…room。 They quarrel there so vigorously that it even
interferes with the dusting of the chair…legs。
She ought not to be long in saving up sufficient to marry on； for the
generosity of people on the stage to the servants there makes one seriously
consider the advisability of ignoring the unremunerative professions of
ordinary life and starting a new and more promising career as a stage
servant。
No one ever dreams of tipping the stage servant with less than a
sovereign when they ask her if her mistress is at home or give her a letter
to post； and there is quite a rush at the end of the piece to stuff five…pound
notes into her hand。 The good old man gives her ten。
The stage servant is very impudent to her mistress； and the masterhe
falls in love with her and it does upset the house so。
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STAGE…LAND。
Sometimes the servant…girl is good and faithful； and then she is Irish。
All good servant…girls on the stage are Irish。
All the male visitors are expected to kiss the stage servant…girl when
they come into the house； and to dig her in the ribs and to say： 〃Do you
know； Jane； I think you're an uncommonly nice girlclick。〃 They always
say this； and she likes it。
Many years ago； when we were young； we thought we would see if
things were the same off the stage； and the next time we called at a certain
friend's house we tried this business on。
She wasn't quite so dazzlingly beautiful as they are on the stage； but
we passed that。 She showed us up into the drawing…room； and then said
she would go and tell her mistress we were there。
We felt this was the time to begin。 We skipped between her and the
door。 We held our hat in front of us； cocked our head on one side； and
said： 〃Don't go！ don't go！〃
The girl seemed alarmed。 We began to get a little nervous ourselves；
but we had begun it and we meant to go through with it。
We said； 〃Do you know； Jane〃 （her name wasn't Jane； but that wasn't
our fault）； 〃do you know； Jane； I think you're an uncommonly nice girl；〃
and we said 〃click；〃 and dug her in the ribs with our elbow； and then
chucked her under the chin。 The whole thing seemed to fall flat。 There
was nobody there to laugh or applaud。 We wished we hadn't done it。 It
seemed stupid when you came to think of it。 We began to feel frightened。
The business wasn't going as we expected； but we screwed up our courage
and went on。
We put on the customary expression of comic imbecility and beckoned
the girl to us。 We have never seen this fail on the stage。
But this girl seemed made wrong。 She got behind the sofa and
screamed 〃Help！〃
We have never known them to do this on the stage； and it threw us out
in our plans。 We did not know exactly what to do。 We regretted that we
had ever begun this job and heartily wished ourselves out of it。 But it
appeared foolish to pause then； when we were more than half…way through；
and we made a rush to get it over。
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STAGE…LAND。
We chivvied the girl round the sofa and caught her near the door and
kissed her。 She scratched our face； yelled police； murder； and fire； and
fled from the room。
Our friend came in almost immediately。 He said：
〃I say； J。； old man； are you drunk？〃
We told him no； that we were only a student of the drama。 His wife
then entered in a towering passion。 She didn't ask us if we were drunk。
She said：
〃How dare you come here in this state！〃
We endeavored unsuccessfully to induce her to believe that we were
sober； and we explained that our course of conduct was what was always
pursued on the stage。
She said she didn't care what was done on the stage； it wasn't going to
be pursued in her house； and that if her husband's friends couldn't behave
as gentlemen they had better stop away。
The following morning we received a letter from a firm of solicitors in
Lincoln's Inn with reference； so they put it； to the brutal and unprovoked
assault committed by us on the previous afternoon upon the person of their
client； Mi
