hould
you let yourself be dragged about and beaten by Ariadne as a toy donkey
is dragged about and beaten by a child? What do you get by it? Are you
her lover?

RANDALL. You must not misunderstand me. In a higher sense--in a Platonic
sense--

HECTOR. Psha! Platonic sense! She makes you her servant; and when
pay-day comes round, she bilks you: that is what you mean.

RANDALL [feebly]. Well, if I don't mind, I don't see what business it is
of yours. Besides, I tell you I am going to punish her. You shall see:
I know how to deal with women. I'm really very sleepy. Say good-night to
Mrs Hushabye for me, will you, like a good chap. Good-night. [He hurries
out].

HECTOR. Poor wretch! Oh women! women! women! [He lifts his fists in
invocation to heaven]. Fall. Fall and crush. [He goes out into the
garden].

ACT III

In the garden, Hector, as he comes out through the glass door of the
poop, finds Lady Utterword lying voluptuously in the hammock on the east
side of the flagstaff, in the circle of light cast by the electric arc,
which is like a moon in its opal globe. Beneath the head of the hammock,
a campstool. On the other side of the flagstaff, on the long garden
seat, Captain Shotover is asleep, with Ellie beside him, leaning
affectionately against him on his right hand. On his left is a deck
chair. Behind them in the gloom, Hesione is strolling about with Mangan.
It is a fine still night, moonless.

LADY UTTERWORD. What a lovely night! It seems made for us.

HECTOR. The night takes no interest in us. What are we to the night? [He
sits down moodily in the deck chair].

ELLIE [dreamily, nestling against the captain]. Its beauty soaks into my
nerves. In the night there is peace for the old and hope for the young.

HECTOR. Is that remark your own?

ELLIE. No. Only the last thing the captain said before he went to sleep.

CAPTAIN SHOTOVER. I'm not asleep.

HECTOR. Randall is. Also Mr Mazzini Dunn. Mangan, too, probably.

MANGAN. No.

HECTOR. Oh, you are there. I thought Hesione would have sent you to bed
by this time.

MRS HUSHABYE [coming to the back of the garden seat, into the light,
with Mangan]. I think I shall. He keeps telling me he has a presentiment
that he is going to die. I never met a man so greedy for sympathy.

MANGAN [plaintively]. But I have a presentiment. I really have. And you
wouldn't listen.

MRS HUSHABYE. I was listening for something else. There was a sort of
splendid drumming