Major Barbara - George Bernard Shaw (best e book reader .TXT) 📗

notion of gratitude, or some vow or something, he adopted another foundling, and left the business to him. And that foundling did the same. Ever since that, the cannon business has always been left to an adopted foundling named Andrew Undershaft. Stephen But did they never marry? Were there no legitimate sons? Lady Britomart Oh yes: they married just as your father did; and they were rich enough to buy land for their own children and leave them well provided for. But they always adopted and trained some foundling to succeed them in the business; and of course they always quarrelled with their wives furiously over it. Your father was adopted in that way; and he pretends to consider himself bound to keep up the tradition and adopt somebody to leave the business to. Of course I was not going to stand that. There may have been some reason for it when the Undershafts could only marry women in their own class, whose sons were not fit to govern great estates. But there could be no excuse for passing over my son. Stephen Dubiously. I am afraid I should make a poor hand of managing a cannon foundry. Lady Britomart Nonsense! you could easily get a manager and pay him a salary. Stephen My father evidently had no great opinion of my capacity. Lady Britomart Stuff, child! you were only a baby: it had nothing to do with your capacity. Andrew did it on principle, just as he did every perverse and wicked thing on principle. When my father remonstrated, Andrew actually told him to his face that history tells us of only two successful institutions: one the Undershaft firm, and the other the Roman Empire under the Antonines. That was because the Antonine emperors all adopted their successors. Such rubbish! The Stevenages are as good as the Antonines, I hope; and you are a Stevenage. But that was Andrew all over. There you have the man! Always clever and unanswerable when he was defending nonsense and wickedness: always awkward and sullen when he had to behave sensibly and decently! Stephen Then it was on my account that your home life was broken up, mother. I am sorry. Lady Britomart Well, dear, there were other differences. I really cannot bear an immoral man. I am not a Pharisee, I hope; and I should not have minded his merely doing wrong things: we are none of us perfect. But your father didn’t exactly do wrong things: he said them and thought them: that was what was so dreadful. He really had a sort of religion of wrongness just as one doesn’t mind men practising immorality so long as they own that they are in the wrong by preaching morality; so I couldn’t forgive Andrew for preaching immorality while he practised morality. You would all have grown up without principles, without any knowledge of right and wrong, if he had been in the house. You know, my dear, your father was a very attractive man in some ways. Children did not dislike him; and he took advantage of it to put the wickedest ideas into their heads, and make them quite unmanageable. I did not dislike him myself: very far from it; but nothing can bridge over moral disagreement. Stephen All this simply bewilders me, mother. People may differ about matters of opinion, or even about religion; but how can they differ about right and wrong? Right is right; and wrong is wrong; and if a man cannot distinguish them properly, he is either a fool or a rascal: that’s all. Lady Britomart Touched. That’s my own boy! She pats his cheek. Your father never could answer that: he used to laugh and get out of it under cover of some affectionate nonsense. And now that you understand the situation, what do you advise me to do? Stephen Well, what can you do? Lady Britomart I must get the money somehow. Stephen We cannot take money from him. I had rather go and live in some cheap place like Bedford Square or even Hampstead than take a farthing of his money. Lady Britomart But after all, Stephen, our present income comes from Andrew. Stephen Shocked. I never knew that. Lady Britomart Well, you surely didn’t suppose your grandfather had anything to give me. The Stevenages could not do everything for you. We gave you social position. Andrew had to contribute something. He had a very good bargain, I think. Stephen Bitterly. We are utterly dependent on him and his cannons, then! Lady Britomart Certainly not: the money is settled. But he provided it. So you see it is not a question of taking money from him or not: it is simply a question of how much. I don’t want any more for myself. Stephen Nor do I. Lady Britomart But Sarah does; and Barbara does. That is, Charles Lomax and Adolphus Cusins will cost them more. So I must put my pride in my pocket and ask for it, I suppose. That is your advice, Stephen, is it not? Stephen No. Lady Britomart Sharply. Stephen! Stephen Of course if you are determined⁠— Lady Britomart I am not determined: I ask your advice; and I am waiting for it. I will not have all the responsibility thrown on my shoulders. Stephen Obstinately. I would die sooner than ask him for another penny. Lady Britomart Resignedly. You mean that I must ask him. Very well, Stephen: It shall be as you wish. You will be glad to know that your grandfather concurs. But he thinks I ought to ask Andrew to come here and see the girls. After all, he must have some natural affection for them. Stephen Ask him here!!! Lady Britomart Do not repeat my words, Stephen. Where else can I ask him? Stephen I never expected you to ask him at all. Lady Britomart Now don’t tease, Stephen. Come! you see that it is necessary that he should pay us a visit, don’t you? Stephen Reluctantly. I suppose so, if the girls cannot do without his money. Lady Britomart Thank you, Stephen: I knew