Soldiers Three - Penn State University

MRS. G. How? He’s such a lazy man, I don’t believe he did.
CAPT. G. Don’t you? I don’t think the man had much doubt
about it. Jack cut his head off.
MRS. G. Cut—his—head—off! ‘With one blow,’ as they
say in the books?
CAPT. G. I’m not sure. I was too interested in myself to
know much about it. Anyhow, the head was off, and Jack
was punching old Van Loo in the ribs to make him get up.
Now you know all about it, dear, and now—
MRS. G. You want me to go, of course. You never told me
about this, though I’ve been married to you for ever so long;
and you never would have told me if I hadn’t found out; and
you never do tell me anything about yourself, or what you
do, or what you take an interest in.
CAPT. G. Darling, I’m always with you, aren’t I?
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MRS. G. Always in my pocket, you were going to say. I
know you are; but you are always thinking away from me.
CAPT. G. (Trying to hide a smile.) Am I? I wasn’t aware of it.
I’m awf’ly sorry.
MRS. G. (Piteously.) Oh, don’t make fun of me! Pip, you
know what I mean. When you are reading one of those things
about Cavalry, by that idiotic Prince—why doesn’t he be a
Prince instead of a stable-boy?
CAPT. G. Prince Kraft a stable-boy—Oh, my Aunt! Never
mind, dear. You were going to say?
MRS. G. It doesn’t matter; you don’t care for what I say.
Only—only you get up and walk about the room, staring in
front of you, and then Mafflin comes in to dinner, and after
I’m in the drawing-room I can hear you and him talking,
and talking, and talking, about things I can’t understand,
and—oh, I get so tired and feel so lonely!—I don’t want to
complain and be a trouble, Pip; but I do—indeed I do!