human
It isn't going to extremes to take up one's own responsibilities. I can't let a fellow like that do things for your father any more than for mine, by Jove! It's not only doing things for my father, but for--my wife.
gpt
Oh, but I'm not your wife, Rupert.
human
You're my wife already, he declared,
gpt
Oh no, you're not. You're the noblest man in the world, Rupert. I never dreamed that there could be any one like you. But I couldn't let you--I couldn't--
human
Oh, my darling, if you only knew how easy it is--
gpt
No, it isn't easy. It can't be easy. I couldn't let you do it for me--
human
But what about _him?_ You let--_him!_
gpt
Oh, but that's different.
human
How is it different?
gpt
I don't know, Rupert; but it is. Or rather, she went on, rapidly,
human
I do know, but I can't explain. If you were an American you'd understand it.
gpt
Oh, American--be blowed!
human
I can't explain it, she hurried on,
gpt
Oh, bosh, darling!
human
No, it isn't bosh. In your civilization it's as the blood; in ours it's only as the clothing. That's something like the difference. In accepting it from Peter Davenant--which is hard enough!--I take only what he can do without; whereas--
gpt
I can do without it, too.
human
Whereas, she persisted,
gpt
You mean that your Yankee is a strong man, while I'm--
human
I don't mean anything invidious or unkind. But isn't it self-evident, or nearly, that we're individuals, while you're parts of an intricate social system? The minute you fall out of your place in the system you come to grief; but vicissitudes don't affect us much more than a change of coats.
gpt
I don't care a button for my place in the system.
human
But I do. I care for it _for_ you. I should have married you and shared it if I could. But I'd rather not marry you than that you should lose it.
gpt
That is, he said, coldly,
human
You see, it's this way. For one thing, we've taken the money already. That's past. We may have taken it temporarily, or for good and all, as things turn out; but in any case it's done. And yet even if it weren't done it would be easier for us to draw on him rather than on you, because he's one of ourselves.
gpt
One of yourselves? I thought that's just what he wasn't. I thought he was a jolly outsider.
human
You mean socially. But that again hasn't much significance in a country where socially we're all of one class. Where there's only one class there can't be any outsiders.
gpt
Oh, that's all very fine. But look at you with your extremes of rich and poor!
human
That's the most superficial difference among us. It's the easiest possible thing to transcend. I'm transcending it now in feeling that I've a right--yes, a kind of right--to take Peter Davenant's money, because as Americans we've a claim on each other.
gpt
You're the last people in the world to feel anything of the kind. Every one knows that you're a set of ruthless, predatory--
human
I know that's the way it seems; and I'm not defending anything that may be wrong. And yet, in spite of all appearances to the contrary, we _have_ a sense of brotherhood--I don't know any other name for it--among ourselves which isn't to be found anywhere else in the world. You English haven't got it. That's why the thing I'm saying seems mere sentiment to you, and even mawkish. You're so afraid of sentiment. But it's true. It may be only a rudimentary sense of brotherhood; and it's certainly not universal, as it ought to be, because we feel it only among ourselves. We don't really include the foreigner--not at least till he becomes one of us. I'm an instance of that limitation myself, because I can't feel it toward you, and I do--
gpt
You do feel it toward the big chap,
human
You see, it's something like this. If my aunt de Melcourt, who's very well off, were to come forward and help us, I'd let her do it without scruple. Not that there's any particular reason why she should! But if she did--well, you can see for yourself that it wouldn't be as if she were a stranger.
gpt
Of course! She's one of your own people--and all that.
human
Well, he's one of our own people--Mr. Davenant. Not to the degree that she is--but the same sort of thing--even if more distant. It's very distant, I admit--
gpt
So distant as to be out of sight.
human
No; not for him--or for me.
gpt
Look here, Olivia, he cried, nervously, holding his chair by the back,
human
I'm telling you as plainly as I can.
gpt
What you aren't telling me as plainly as you can is which of us you're in love with.