THE YOUNG LADY. My name is Ellie Dunn.
THE CAPTAIN. Dunn! I had a boatswain whose name was Dunn. He was
originally a pirate in China. He set up as a ship's chandler with
stores which I have every reason to believe he stole from me. No
doubt he became rich. Are you his daughter?
ELLIE [indignant]. No, certainly not. I am proud to be able to
say that though my father has not been a successful man, nobody
has ever had one word to say against him. I think my father is
the best man I have ever known.
THE CAPTAIN. He must be greatly changed. Has he attained the
seventh degree of concentration?
ELLIE. I don't understand.
THE CAPTAIN. But how could he, with a daughter? I, madam, have
two daughters. One of them is Hesione Hushabye, who invited you
here. I keep this house: she upsets it. I desire to attain the
seventh degree of concentration: she invites visitors and leaves
me to entertain them. [Nurse Guinness returns with the tea-tray,
which she places on the teak table]. I have a second daughter who
is, thank God, in a remote part of the Empire with her numskull
of a husband. As a child she thought the figure-head of my ship,
the Dauntless, the most beautiful thing on earth. He resembled
it. He had the same expression: wooden yet enterprising.
Pages:
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83