shook him. He struggled to get free of her, but she was strong and violent.
'Stop it. Stop it.'
'You devil, you swine, you filthy low-down cad.'
He took a swing and with his open hand gave her a great smack on the face. She instinctively loosened her grip on him and put her own hand up to her cheek, for he had hurt her. She burst out crying.
'You brute. You rotten hound to hit a woman.'
'You put that where the monkey put the nuts, dearie. Didn't you know that when a woman hits me I always hit back?'
'I didn't hit you.'
'You damned near throttled me.'
'You deserved it. Oh, my God, I'd like to kill you.'
'Now sit down, duckie, and I'll give you a drop of Scotch to pull you together. And then you can tell me all about it.'
Julia looked round for a big chair into which she could conveniently sink.
'Christ, the place is like a pig-sty. Why the hell don't you get a charwoman in?'
With an angry gesture she swept the books on to the floor from an armchair, threw herself in it, and began to cry in earnest. He poured her out a stiff dose of whisky, added a drop of soda, and made her drink it.
'Now what's all this Tosca stuff about?'
'Michael's going to America.'
'Is he?'
She wrenched herself away from the arm he had round her shoulder.
'How could you? How could you?'
'I had nothing to do with it.'
'That's a lie. I suppose you didn't even know that filthy American manager was in Middlepool. Of course it's your doing. You did it deliberately to separate us.'
'Oh, dearie, you're doing me an injustice. In point of fact I don't mind telling you that I said to him he could have anyone in the company he liked with the one exception of Michael Gosselyn.'
Julia did not see the look in Jimmie's eyes when he told her this, but if she had would have wondered why he was looking as pleased as if he had pulled off a very clever little trick.
'Even me?' she said.
'I knew he didn't want women. They've got plenty of their own. It's men they want who know how to wear their clothes and don't spit in the drawing room.'
'Oh, Jimmie, don't let Michael go. I can't bear it.'
'How can I prevent it? His contract's up at the end of the season. It's a wonderful chance for him.'
'But I love him. I want him. Supposing he sees someone else in America. Supposing some American heiress falls in love with him.'
'If he doesn't love you any more than that I should have thought you'd be well rid of him.'
The remark revived Julia's fury.
'You rotten old eunuch, what do you know about love?'
'These women,' Jimmie sighed. 'If you try to go to bed with them they say you're a dirty old man, and if you don't they say you're a rotten old eunuch.'
'Oh, you don't understand. He's so frightfully handsome, they'll fall for him like a row of ninepins, and poor lamb, he's so susceptible to flattery. Anything can happen in two years.'
'What's this about two years?'
'If he's a success he's to stay another year.'
'Well, don't worry your head about that. He'll be back at the end of the season and back for good. That manager only saw him in "Candida". It's the only part he's halfway decent in. Take my word for it, it won't be long before they find out they've been sold a pup. He's going to be a flop.'
'What do you know about acting?'
'Everything.'
'I'd like to scratch your eyes out.'
'I warn you that if you attempt to touch me I shan't give you a little bit of a slap, I shall give you such a biff on the jaw that you won't be able to eat in comfort for a week.'
'By God, I believe you'd do it. Do you call yourself a gentleman?'
'Not even when I'm drunk.'
Julia giggled, and Jimmie felt the worst of the scene was over.
'Now you know just as well as I do that you can act him off his head. I tell you, you're going to be the greatest actress since Mrs Kendal. What do you want to go and hamper yourself with a man who'll always be a millstone round your neck? You want to go into management; he'll want to play opposite you. He'll never be good enough, my
'Stop it. Stop it.'
'You devil, you swine, you filthy low-down cad.'
He took a swing and with his open hand gave her a great smack on the face. She instinctively loosened her grip on him and put her own hand up to her cheek, for he had hurt her. She burst out crying.
'You brute. You rotten hound to hit a woman.'
'You put that where the monkey put the nuts, dearie. Didn't you know that when a woman hits me I always hit back?'
'I didn't hit you.'
'You damned near throttled me.'
'You deserved it. Oh, my God, I'd like to kill you.'
'Now sit down, duckie, and I'll give you a drop of Scotch to pull you together. And then you can tell me all about it.'
Julia looked round for a big chair into which she could conveniently sink.
'Christ, the place is like a pig-sty. Why the hell don't you get a charwoman in?'
With an angry gesture she swept the books on to the floor from an armchair, threw herself in it, and began to cry in earnest. He poured her out a stiff dose of whisky, added a drop of soda, and made her drink it.
'Now what's all this Tosca stuff about?'
'Michael's going to America.'
'Is he?'
She wrenched herself away from the arm he had round her shoulder.
'How could you? How could you?'
'I had nothing to do with it.'
'That's a lie. I suppose you didn't even know that filthy American manager was in Middlepool. Of course it's your doing. You did it deliberately to separate us.'
'Oh, dearie, you're doing me an injustice. In point of fact I don't mind telling you that I said to him he could have anyone in the company he liked with the one exception of Michael Gosselyn.'
Julia did not see the look in Jimmie's eyes when he told her this, but if she had would have wondered why he was looking as pleased as if he had pulled off a very clever little trick.
'Even me?' she said.
'I knew he didn't want women. They've got plenty of their own. It's men they want who know how to wear their clothes and don't spit in the drawing room.'
'Oh, Jimmie, don't let Michael go. I can't bear it.'
'How can I prevent it? His contract's up at the end of the season. It's a wonderful chance for him.'
'But I love him. I want him. Supposing he sees someone else in America. Supposing some American heiress falls in love with him.'
'If he doesn't love you any more than that I should have thought you'd be well rid of him.'
The remark revived Julia's fury.
'You rotten old eunuch, what do you know about love?'
'These women,' Jimmie sighed. 'If you try to go to bed with them they say you're a dirty old man, and if you don't they say you're a rotten old eunuch.'
'Oh, you don't understand. He's so frightfully handsome, they'll fall for him like a row of ninepins, and poor lamb, he's so susceptible to flattery. Anything can happen in two years.'
'What's this about two years?'
'If he's a success he's to stay another year.'
'Well, don't worry your head about that. He'll be back at the end of the season and back for good. That manager only saw him in "Candida". It's the only part he's halfway decent in. Take my word for it, it won't be long before they find out they've been sold a pup. He's going to be a flop.'
'What do you know about acting?'
'Everything.'
'I'd like to scratch your eyes out.'
'I warn you that if you attempt to touch me I shan't give you a little bit of a slap, I shall give you such a biff on the jaw that you won't be able to eat in comfort for a week.'
'By God, I believe you'd do it. Do you call yourself a gentleman?'
'Not even when I'm drunk.'
Julia giggled, and Jimmie felt the worst of the scene was over.
'Now you know just as well as I do that you can act him off his head. I tell you, you're going to be the greatest actress since Mrs Kendal. What do you want to go and hamper yourself with a man who'll always be a millstone round your neck? You want to go into management; he'll want to play opposite you. He'll never be good enough, my
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