George Bernard Shaw

“ It was a warm afternoon and the sky was cloudless.
"You would not suppose, seeing the world look so pleasant that it is such a rascally place as it is," said Jack, when they had walked some time in silence.
"It is not so very bad, though, after all, If you were a little of a painter, as I am, this sunlit sward and foliage would repay you for all the stupidities of people who have eyes, but cannot use them."
"Äye, And painters suppose that their art is an ennobling one. ”

“ How long does it take to go from here to Covent Garden Market now, for instance?"
"I am sorry I cannot tell you," said Mary calmly, looking at him with unflinching eyes: "I never go there."
"Indeed! I wonder at that. You can get tremendous bargains in flowers, I believe, if you go there early in the morning. Do you like flowers?"
"I do not share the fashionable mania for cut flowers. I like gardening."
"I quite agree with you, Miss Sutherland. I often think, when I see every little vase or knick-knack in a room stuffed with tulips and lilies and things, what a want of real taste it shews. ”

“ Mr Phipson winked at his wife, and laughed.
"I don't know about that," said Hoskyn; "but I am out-and-out struck with her. As to money, that needn't stand in the way, though I shan't object to take whatever is going."
"You are so particularly well suited to a girl who cares for nothing but fine art crazes of which you don't even know the names," said Mrs Phipson sourly, "that she will jump at your offer, no doubt. It is no wonder for her to be shortsighted, she reads so much. And she knows half the languages of Europe. "
"I should think so," said Hoskyn. "You can see intellect in her face. ”

“ Mrs Phipson sighed. Hoskyn sat down on the ottoman; leaned attentively forward; and smiled continuously until the song was over, when he cried with enthusiasm: "Bravo! Splendid, splendid! You are quite equal to any professional singer I ever heard, Miss Sutherland. There is nothing like real Italian music after all. Thank you very much: I cannot remember when I enjoyed anything half so well"
"It is not Italian music," said Mary, resuming her former attitude in the causeuse. "It is German music With Italian words." ”

“ He is the only good statue in London: that is why no one has the courage to say a word in his defence. His horse is like a real horse with real harness. He is not exposed bareheaded in the weather, but wears a hat as any other man in the street does. He is not a stupid imitation of an antique bas-relef. He is characteristic of the century that made him; and he is unique, as a work of art should be. He is picturesque too, The—Come, come, Miss Mary, You have no more cause to to be unhappy than those children swinging on the rail there. ”

“ Besides, the Modern Orpheus will try to snatch the work from us. The overture is actually in the hand the copyist, and the rest will be complete in a month at latest."
"Certainly you must have more money than you know what to do with, if you to pay five hundred pounds for a thing you have never seen," said Mrs Phipson.
"We shall pay it without the least mistrust," said Mr Phipson, pompously "Jack is a great composer; one whose rugged exterior conceals a wonderful gift, as pearl is protected by an oyster shell.
"But he cannot possibly have composed the whole work in a fortnight." said Mary. ”

“ Jack stood still and looked gloomily at her. She put on a pair of eye glasses; scrutinized him for a moment; and immediately shook them off her nose and stopped.
"You have finished work early to-day," she said, smiling.
"I have not finished it," he replied: "I have put them off. I want to go home and work: I cannot spend my life making money—not that I am likely to have the chance. Four lessons—five guineas—lost." ”

“ Well, are guineas wealth to a man who wants time and freedom from base people and base thoughts? No: I have starved out the first half of my life alone: I will fight through the second half on the same conditions. I get ten guineas a day at present for teaching female apes to scream, that they may be the better qualified for the marriage market. ”

“ Have you been here long?"
"It seems only half a minute, Miss Sutherland has been entertaining me so pleasantly." And he winked and frowned at Mrs Phipson, to intimate that he desired to be introduced.
"Then you know each other already," she said. "This is my brother, Mr Hoskyn. I hope you have not been bothering Mary with your electro business."
"Mr Hoskyn was giving me a most interesting account of it when you came in," said Mary.
"You can finish it some other time," said Mrs Phipson. "Inflict it on the next person who has the misfortune to get shut into a railway carriage with you. ”

“ You should be a little careful. He is going to be married to Sczympliça. "
"You may believe as much of that as you please," said Mrs Phipson. "Even supposing that she really is done with Herbert, there is Jack. A nice chance you have Johnny, with the greatest lion in London for a rival."
"Annie," said Mr Phipson: "you are talking recklessly. There is no reason to suppose that there is anything between Mary and Jack. Jack is not—in that sense, at least—a ladies' man."
"As to that," said Hoskyn, "I will take my chance beside any artist that ever walked on two legs. ”

“ It seems as if marriage would he an impossible condescension on your part. That is only a fancy, I know. If you could find any woman worthy of you and able to make you happy, I think you ought to marry. ”

“ He added in a postscript that if they accepted the work, he should require strict fulfillment of the clause binding the Society to one public performance of it in London. The Society, which was old enough to have shelved certain works purchased from Beethoven for similar reasons those given to Jack, hesitated, quarreled internally, and at last resolved to hold a private rehearsal of the overture before deciding. Manlius made earnest efforts to comprehend and like this section of the work, which was to occupy half an hour in performance, and was, in fact, a symphony. ”

“ I am quite content to take my chance, if she is. She can't live on high art, and I expect she is sensible enough in everyday matters. Besides, I shall not interfere with her. The more she paints and sings, the better pleased I shall be."
"Hear, hear," said Mr Phipson. "Let us about a license at once. The season will be over in three weeks and, of course, you Would prefer to be married before then."
" Chaff away," said Hoskyn, rising. "I must be off now. ”

“ Why, the Conolly electro-motor, which will drive any machinery at half—aye, at a quarter of the cost of steam. You have heard of it, of course."
"I think so. I have met Mr. Conolly. He does not seem like a man who could do anything badly."
"Badly! I should think not. He's an amazing man. They talk of Seth Jones's motor; and Van Print claims to be the original inventor of Conolly's commutator. But they are a couple of thieves. I can shew you the report of Conolly versus the Pacific—"
"Johnny!" exclaimed Mrs. Phipson, entering. ”

“ Mary felt bound to be civil to Mrs Phipson's brother: else she might have lost patience with Mr Hoskyn. "My sketches are in that book," she said, pointing to a portfolio. "But they are not intended for show purposes, and if you have no real curiosity to see them, pray do not be at the trouble of turning them over. I do not paint for the sake of displaying an extra accomplishment. ”

“ Mary gathered that he had invested money in the Conolly Electro-Motor Company, and that he occupied himself in traveling to countries where the electro-motor was yet unknown, establishing companies for its exploitation; and making them pay for the right to use it. Mrs. Phipson was evidently tired of the subject, and made attempts to prevent his dwelling on it ”

“ To this Jack had replied that they should have Prometheus or nothing; that there was not a note in the score which was not practicable with a reasonable degree of trouble; that he could find no precedents on which to base the slightest regard for the sagacity of the Society; that he cared not one demi-semi-quaver whether they held to their bargain or not, as he would find no difficulty in disposing of his work ”

“ But you do not know how far you stand beyond other—"
"Yes, yes," he said soothingly. "I understand. You are right: I have no business in the domestic world, and must stick to music and Mrs Simpson to the end of the chapter. Come along; and think no more of it. I will put you into a cab and send you home."
She turned with him; and they went together towards the Marble Arch: he no longer moody, but placid and benevolent: she disturbed, silent, and afraid to meet his gaze. It was growing late. One of the religious congregations which hold their summer meetings in the park had assembled ”

“ On being pressed he admitted that he had induced the Antient Orpheus Society to make a doubtful bargain. The overture and two of the scenes had been completed and delivered to the society by Jack; and no one, said Mr Phipson, had been able to contradict Maclagan's verdict that "the music, most fortunately, was inexecutable." A letter had been carefully drawn up to inform Jack as gently as possible of the fate of his work. "So prodigious," it said, "were the technical difficulties of the work; so large and expensive the forces required to present it adequately ”

“ More: five years perhaps. The Americans can't resist a new thing as we do. But no matter, unless they look alive here, they will be driven out of the market by foreign manufacturers using our cheap power. ”