Complete Poems and Plays (93 page)

Without the protection of that prudent devil

Of yours, to tell him not to go too far.

Well, now, I’m beginning to be thirsty again.

[
Pours
himself
whisky
]

L
ORD
C
LAVERTON
.
An interesting historical epitome.

Though I cannot accept it as altogether accurate.

The only thing I find surprising

In the respected citizen of San Marco

Is that in the midst of the engrossing business

Of the nature of which dark hints have been given,

He’s informed himself so carefully about my career.

G
OMEZ
.
I don’t propose to give you a detailed account

Of my own career. I’ve been very successful.

What would have happened to me, I wonder,

If I had never met you? I should have got my First,

And I might have become the history master

In a school like that from which I went to Oxford.

As it is, I’m somebody — a more important man

In San Marco than I should ever have been in England.

L
ORD
C
LAVERTON
.
So, as you consider yourself a success …

G
OMEZ
.
A worldly success, Dick. In another sense

We’re both of us failures. But even so,

I’d rather be my kind of failure than yours.

L
ORD
C
LAVERTON
.
And what do you call failure?

G
OMEZ
.
                                                                    What do I call failure?

The worst kind of failure, in my opinion,

Is the man who has to keep on pretending to himself

That he’s a success — the man who in the morning

Has to make up his face before he looks in the mirror.

L
ORD
C
LAVERTON
.
Isn’t that the kind of pretence that you’re maintaining

In trying to persuade me of your … worldly success?

G
OMEZ
.
No, because I know the value of the coinage

I pay myself in.

L
ORD
C
LAVERTON
.
Indeed! How interesting!

I still don’t know why you’ve come to see me

Or what you mean by saying you can trust me.

G
OMEZ
.
Dick, do you remember the moonlight night

We drove back to Oxford?
You
were driving.

L
ORD
C
LAVERTON
.
That happened several times.

G
OMEZ
.
                                                                 One time in particular.

You know quite well to which occasion I’m referring —

A summer night of moonlight and shadows —

The night you ran over the old man in the road.

L
ORD
C
LAVERTON
.
You
said
I ran over an old man in the road.

G
OMEZ
.
You knew it too. If you had been surprised

When I said ‘Dick, you’ve run over somebody’

Wouldn’t you have shown it, if only for a second?

You never lifted your foot from the accelerator.

L
ORD
C
LAVERTON
.
We were in a hurry.

G
OMEZ
.
                                                    More than in a hurry.

You didn’t want it to be known where we’d been.

The girls who were with us (what were their names?

I’ve completely forgotten them) you didn’t want
them

To be called to give evidence. You just couldn’t face it.

Do you see now, Dick, why I say I can trust you?

L
ORD
C
LAVERTON
.
If you think that this story would interest the public

Why not sell your version to a Sunday newspaper?

G
OMEZ
.
My dear Dick, what a preposterous suggestion!

Who’s going to accept the unsupported statement

Of Federico Gomez of San Marco

About something that happened so many years ago?

What damages you’d get! The Press wouldn’t look at it.

Besides, you can’t think I’ve any desire

To appear in public as Frederick Culverwell?

No, Dick, your secret’s safe with me.

Of course, I might give it to a few friends, in confidence.

It might even reach the ears of some of your acquaintance —

But you’d never know to whom I’d told it,

Or who knew the story and who didn’t. I promise you.

Rely upon me as the soul of discretion.

L
ORD
C
LAVERTON
.
What do you want then? Do you need money?

G
OMEZ
.
My dear chap, you are obtuse!

I said: ‘Your secret is safe with me’,

And then you … well, I’d never have believed

That you would accuse an old friend of … blackmail!

On the contrary, I dare say I could buy you out

Several times over. San Marco’s a good place

To make money in — though not to
keep
it in.

My investments — not all in my own name either —

Are pretty well spread. For the matter of that,

My current account in Stockholm or Zürich

Would keep me in comfort for the rest of my life.

Really, Dick, you owe me an apology.

Blackmail! On the contrary

Any time you’re in a tight corner

My entire resources are at your disposal.

You were a generous friend to me once

As you pointedly reminded me a moment ago.

Now it’s my turn, perhaps, to do you a kindness.

[
Enter
L
AMBERT
]

L
AMBERT
.
Excuse me, my Lord, but Miss Monica asked me

To remind you there’s a trunk call coming through for you

In five minutes’ time.

L
ORD
C
LAVERTON
.
           I’ll be ready to take it.

[
Exit
L
AMBERT
]

G
OMEZ
.
Ah, the pre-arranged interruption

To terminate the unwelcome intrusion

Of the visitor in financial distress.

Well, I shan’t keep you long, though I dare say your caller

Could hang on for another quarter of an hour.

L
ORD
C
LAVERTON
.
Before you go — what is it that you want?

G
OMEZ
.
I’ve been trying to make clear that I only want your friendship!

Just as it used to be in the old days

When you taught me expensive tastes. Now it’s my turn.

I can have cigars sent direct to you from Cuba

If your doctors allow you a smoke now and then.

I’m a lonely man, Dick, with a craving for affection.

All I want is as much of your company,

So long as I stay here, as I can get.

And the more I get, the longer I may stay.

L
ORD
C
LAVERTON
.
                                           This is preposterous!

Do you call it friendship to impose your company

On a man by threats? Why keep up the pretence?

G
OMEZ
.
Threats, Dick! How can you speak of threats?

It’s most unkind of you. My only aim

Is to renew our friendship. Don’t you understand?

L
ORD
C
LAVERTON
.
I see that when I gave you my friendship

So many years ago, I only gained in return

Your envy, spite and hatred. That is why you attribute

Your downfall to me. But how was I responsible?

We were the same age. You were a free moral agent.

You pretend that I taught you expensive tastes:

If you had not had those tastes already

You would hardly have welcomed my companionship.

G
OMEZ
.
Neatly argued, and almost convincing:

Don’t you wish you could believe it?

L
ORD
C
LAVERTON
.
                                   And what if I decline

To give you the pleasure of my company?

G
OMEZ
.
Oh, I can wait, Dick. You’ll relent at last.

You’ll come to feel easier when I’m with you

Than when I’m out of sight. You’ll be afraid of whispers,

The reflection in the mirror of the face behind you.

The ambiguous smile, the distant salutation,

The sudden silence when you enter the smoking room.

                  Don’t forget, Dick:

You
didn’t
stop
! Well, I’d better be going.

I hope I haven’t outstayed my welcome?

Your telephone pal may be getting impatient.

I’ll see you soon again.

L
ORD
C
LAVERTON.
             Not very soon, I think.

I am going away.

G
OMEZ
.
                     So I’ve been informed.

I have friends in the press — if not in the peerage.

Goodbye for the present. It’s been an elixir

To see you again, and assure myself

That we can begin just where we left off.

[
Exit
G
OMEZ
]

[L
ORD
C
LAVERTON
sits
for
a
few
minutes
brooding.
A
knock.
Enter
M
ONICA
.]

M
ONICA
.
Who was it, Father?

L
ORD
C
LAVERTON
.
                  A man I used to know.

M
ONICA
.
Oh, so you knew him?