CAPTGForeverandever。
MRSGThat’salongtime。
CAPTG’Thinkso？It’stheshortestIcandowith。
MRSGYou’regettingquiteclever。
CAPTGI’mtalkingtoyou。
MRSGPrettilyturnedHoldupyourstupidoldheadandI’llpayyouforit。
CAPTGAffectingsupremecontempt。Takeityourselfifyouwantit。
MRSGI’veagreatmindto-andIwill！Takesitandisrepaidwithinterest。
CAPTG，LittleFeatherweight，it’smyopinionthatweareacoupleofidiots。
MRSGWe’retheonlytwosensiblepeopleintheworldAsktheeagleHe’scomingby。
CAPTGAh！Idaresayhe’sseenagoodmanysensiblepeopleatMahasuTheysaythatthosebirdsliveforeversolong。
MRSGHowlong？
CAPTGAhundredandtwentyyears。
MRSGAhundredandtwentyyears！O-oh！Andinahundredandtwentyyearswherewillthesetwosensiblepeoplebe？
CAPTGWhatdoesitmattersolongaswearetogethernow？
MRSGLookingroundthehorizon。YesOnlyyouandI-Iandyou-inthewholewide，wideworlduntiltheendSeesthelineoftheSnows。Howbigandquietthehillslook！D’youthinktheycareforus？
CAPTG’Can’tsayI’veconsultedemparticularlyIcare，andthat’senoughforme。
MRSGDrawingnearertohim。Yes，now-butafterward。
What’sthatlittleblackblurontheSnows？
CAPTGAsnowstorm，fortymilesawayYou’llseeitmove，asthewindcarriesitacrossthefaceofthatspurandthenitwillbeallgone。
MRSGAndthenitwillbeallgoneShivers。
CAPTGAnriously。’Notchilled，pet，areyou？’Betterletmegetyourcloak。
MRSGNoDon’tleaveme，PhilStayhereIbelieveIamafraid。
Oh，whyarethehillssohorrid！Phil，promisemethatyou’llalwaysloveme。
CAPTGWhat’sthetrouble，darling？Ican’tpromiseanymorethanIhave；butI’llpromisethatagainandagainifyoulike。
MRsGHerheadonhisshoulder。Sayit，then-sayit！N-no-
don’t！The-the-eagleswouldlaughRecovering。Myhusband，you’vemarriedalittlegoose。
CAPTGVerytenderly。HaveI？Iamcontentwhateversheis，solongassheismine。
MRSGQuickly。Becausesheisyoursorbecausesheismemineself？
CAPTGBecausesheisbothPiteously。I’mnotclever，dear，andIdon’tthinkIcanmakemyselfunderstoodproperly。
MRSGIunderstandPip，willyoutellmesomething？
CAPTGAnythingyoulikeAside。Iwonderwhat’scomingnow。
MRSGHaltingly，hereyes’owered。Youtoldmeonceintheolddays-centunesandcenturiesago-thatyouhadbeenengagedbeforeIdidn’tsayanything-then。
CAPTGInnocently。Whynot？
MRSGRaisinghereyestohis。Because-becauseIwasafraidoflosingyou，myheartButnow-tellaboutit-please。
CAPTGThere’snothingtotellIwasawf’lyoldthen-nearlytwoandtwenty-andshewasquitethat。
MRSGThatmeansshewasolderthanyouIshouldn’tlikehertohavebeenyoungerWell？
CAPTGWell，Ifanciedmyselfinloveandravedaboutabit，and-oh，yes，byJove！ImadeuppoetryHa！Ha！
MRSGYouneverwroteanyforme！Whathappened？
CAPTGIcameouthere，andthewholethingwentphutShewrotetosaythattherehadbeenamistake，andthenshemarried。
MasGDidshecareforyoumuch？
CAPTGNoAtleastshedidn’tshowitasfarasIremember。
MRSGAsfarasyourememberlDoyourememberhername？
Hearsitandbowsherhead。Thankyou，myhusband。
CAPTGWhobutyouhadtheright？Now，LittleFeatherweight，haveyoueverbeenmixedupinanydarkanddismaltragedy？
MRSGIfyoucallmeMrsGadsby，p’rapsI’lltell。
CAPTGThrowingParaderaspintohisvoice。MrsGadsby，confesslMRSGGoodHeavens，Phil！Ineverknewthatyoucouldspeakinthatterriblevoice。
CAPTGYoudon’tknowhalfmyaccomplishmentsyetWaittillwearesettledinthePlains，andI’llshowyouhowIbarkatmytroopYouweregoingtosay，darling？
MRSGI-Idon’tliketo，afterthatvoiceTremulously。Phil，neveryoudaretospeaktomeinthattone，whateverImaydo！
CAPTGMypoorlittlelove！Why，you’reshakingalloverIamsosorryOfcourseInevermeanttoupsetyouDon’ttellmeanything，I’mabrute。
MRSGNo，youaren’t，andIwilltell-Therewasaman。
CAPTGLightly。Wasthere？Luckyman！
MRSGInawhisper。AndIthougbtIcaredforhim。
CAPTGStillluckierman！Well？
MRSGAndIthoughtIcaredforhim-andIdidn’t-andthenyoucame-andIcaredforyouvery，verymuchindeedThat’sall。
Facehidden。Youaren’tangry，areyou？
CAPTGAngry？NotintheleastAside。GoodLord，whathaveI
donetodeservethisangel？
MRSGAside。Andheneveraskedforthename！Howfunnymenare！Butperhapsit’saswell。
CAPTGThatmanwillgotoheavenbecauseyouoncethoughtyoucaredforhim’Wonderifyou’lleverdragmeupthere？
MRSGFirmly。’Sha’n’tgoifyoudon’t。
CAPTGThanksIsay，Pussy，Idon’tknowmuchaboutyourreligiousbeliefsYouwerebroughtuptobelieveinaheavenandallthat，weren’tyou？
MRSGYesButitwasapincushionheaven，withhymn-booksinallthepews。
CAPTGWagginghisheadwithintenseconviction。Nevermind。
Thereisapukkaheaven。
MRSGWheredoyoubringthatmessagefrom，myprophet？
CAPTGHere！BecausewecareforeachotherSoit’sallright。
MrsGAsatroopoflangurscrashthroughthebranches。Soit’sallrightButDarwinsaysthatwecamefromthose！
CAPTGPlacidly。Ah！Darwinwasneverinlovewithanangel。
ThatsettlesitSstt，youbrutes！Monkeys，indeed！Youshouldn’treadthosebooks。
MRSGFoldingherhands。IfitpleasesmyLordtheKingtoissueproclamation。
CAPTGDon’t，dearoneTherearenoordersbetweenusOnlyI’dratheryoudidn’tTheyleadtonothing，andbotherpeople’sheads。
MRSGLikeyourfirstengagement。
CAPTGWithanimmensecalm。ThatwasanecessaryevilandledtoyouAreyounothing？
MRSGNotsoverymuch，amI？
CAPTGAllthisworldandthenexttome。
MRSGVerysoftly。Myboyofboys！ShallItellyousomething？
CAPTGYes，ifit’snotdreadful-aboutothermen。
MRSGIt’saboutmyownbadlittleself。
CAPTGThenitmustbegoodGoon，dear。
MRSGSlowly。Idon’tknowwhyI’mtellingyou，Pip；butifeveryoumarryagain-Interlude。TakeyourhandfrommymouthorI’llbite！Inthefuture，thenremember-Idon’tknowquitehowtoputit！
CAPTGSnortingindignantly。Don’ttry“Marryagain。”
indeed！
MRSGImustListen，myhusbandNever，never，nevertellyourwifeanythingthatyoudonotwishhertorememberandthinkoverallherlifeBecauseawoman-yes，Iamawoman-can’tforget。
CAPTGByJove，howdoyouknowthat？
MRSGConfusedly。Idon’tI’monlyguessingIam-Iwas-asillylittlegirl；butIfeelthatIknowsomuch，oh，soverymuchmorethanyou，dearestTobeginwith，I’myourwife。
CAPTGSoIhavebeenledtobelieve。
MRSGAndIshallwanttoknoweveryoneofyoursecrets-toshareeverythingyouknowwithyouStaresrounddesperately。
CAPTGSoyoushall，dear，soyoushall-butdon’tlooklikethat。
MRSGForyourownsakedon’tstopme，PhilIshallnevertalktoyouinthiswayagainYoumustnottellme！Atleast，notnow。
Lateron，whenI’manoldmatronitwon’tmatter，butifyouloveme，beverygoodtomenow；forthispartofmylifeIshallneverforget！HaveImadeyouunderstand？
CAPTGIthinkso，childHaveIsaidanythingyetthatyoudisapproveof？
MRSGWillyoubeveryangry？That-thatvoice，andwhatyousaidabouttheengagement-
CAPTGButyouaskedtobetoldthat，darling。
MRSGAndthat’swhyyoushouldn’thavetoldme！YoumustbetheJudge，and，oh，Pip，dearlyasIloveyou，Ishan’tbeabletohelpyou！Ishallhinderyou，andyoumustjudgeinspiteofme！
CAPTGMeditatively。Wehaveagreatmanythingstofindouttogether，Godhelpusboth-sayso，Pussy-butweshallunderstandeachotherbettereveryday；andIthinkI’mbeginningtoseenow。
Howintheworlddidyoucometoknowjusttheimportanceofgivingmejustthatlead？
MRSGI’vetoldyouthatIdon’tknowOnlysomehowitseemedthat，inallthisnewlife，Iwasbeingguidedforyoursakeaswellasmyown。
CAPTGAside。ThenMafilinwasright！Theyknow，andwe-we’reblindallofusLightly。’Gettingalittlebeyondourdepth，dear，aren’twe？I’llremember，and，ifIfail，letmebepunishedasIdeserve。
MRSGThereshallbenopunishmentWe’llstartintolifetogetherfromhere-youandI-andnooneelse。
CAPTGAndnooneelseApause。Youreyelashesareallwet，Sweet？WasthereeversuchaquaintlittleAbsurdity？
MasGWasthereeversuchnonsensetalkedbefore？
CAPTGKnockingtheashesoutofhispipe。’Tisn’twhatwesay，it’swhatwedon’tsay，thathelpsAndit’salltheprofoundestphilosophyButnoonewouldunderstand-evenifitwereputintoabook。
MRSGTheidea！No-onlyweourselves，orpeoplelikeourselves-ifthereareanypeoplelikeus。
CAPTGMagisterially。Allpeople，notlikeourselves，areblindidiots。
MRSGWipinghereyes。Doyouthink，then，thatthereareanypeopleashappyasweare？
CAPTG’Mustbe-unlesswe’veappropriatedallthehappinessintheworld。
MRSG’LookingtowardSimla。Poordears！Justfancyifwehave！
CAPTGThenwe’llhangontothewholeshow，forit’sagreatdealtoojollytolose-eh，wifeo’mine？
MRSGOPip！Pip！Howmuchofyouisasolemn，marriedmanandhowmuchahorridslangyschoolboy？
CAPTGWhenyoutellmehowmuchofyouwaseighteenlastbirthdayandhowmuchisasoldastheSphinxandtwiceasmysterious，perhapsI’llattendtoyouLendmethatbanjoThespiritmovethmetojowlatthesunset。
MRSGMind！It’snottunedAh！Howthatjars！
CAPTGTurningpegs。It’samazinglydifferenttokeepabanjotoproperpitch。
MRSGIt’sthesamewithallmusicalinstruments，Whatshallitbe？
CAPTG“Vanity。”andletthehillshearSingsthroughthefirstandhal’ofthesecondverseTurningtoMRSG。Now，chorus！
Sing，Pussy！
BOTHTOGETHRRConbrio，tothehorrorofthemonkeyswhoaresettlingforthenight。-
“Vanity，allisVanity。”saidWisdomscorningme-
IclaspedmytrueLove’stenderhandandansweredfrankandfree-ee“IfthisbeVanitywho’dbewise？
IfthisbeVanitywho’dbewise？
IfthisbeVanitywho’dbewi-iseCrescendo。Vanityletitbe！”
MRSGDefiantlytothegreyoftheeveningsky。“Vanityletitbe！”
ECHOPromtheFagoospur。Letitbe！