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The Skin Game
by John Galsworthy
A TRAGI…COMEDY
〃Who touches pitch shall be defiled〃
CHARACTERS
HILLCRIST 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。A Country Gentleman
AMY 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。His Wife
JILL 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。His Daughter
DAWKER 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。His Agent
HORNBLOWER 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。A Man Newly…Rich
CHARLES 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。His Elder Son
CHLOE 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。Wife to Charles
ROLF 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。His Younger Son
FELLOWS 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。Hillcrist's Butler
ANNA 。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。Chloe's Maid
THE JACKMANS 。。。。。。。。。。。。Man and Wife
AN AUCTIONEER
A SOLICITOR
TWO STRANGERS
ACT I。 HILLCRIST'S Study
ACT II。
SCENE I。 A month later。 An Auction Room。
SCENE II。 The same evening。 CHLOE'S Boudoir。
ACT III
SCENE I。 The following day。 HILLCRIST'S Study。 Morning。
SCENE II。 The Same。 Evening。
ACT I
HILLCRIST'S study。 A pleasant room； with books in calf
bindings； and signs that the HILLCRIST'S have travelled； such
as a large photograph of the Taj Mahal； of Table Mountain； and
the Pyramids of Egypt。 A large bureau ＇stage Right＇； devoted
to the business of a country estate。 Two foxes' masks。
Flowers in bowls。 Deep armchairs。 A large French window open
＇at Back＇； with a lovely view of a slight rise of fields and
trees in August sunlight。 A fine stone fireplace ＇stage Left＇。
A door ＇Left＇。 A door opposite ＇Right＇。 General colour
effectstone； and cigar…leaf brown； with spots of bright
colour。
＇HILLCRIST sits in a swivel chair at the bureau； busy with
papers。 He has gout； and his left foot is encased accord： He
is a thin； dried…up man of about fifty…five； with a rather
refined； rather kindly； and rather cranky countenance。 Close
to him stands his very upstanding nineteen…year…old daughter
JILL； with clubbed hair round a pretty； manly face。＇
JILL。 You know； Dodo； it's all pretty good rot in these days。
HILLCRIST。 Cads are cads； Jill； even in these days。
JILL。 What is a cad？
HILLCRIST。 A self…assertive fellow； without a sense of other
people。
JILL。 Well； Old Hornblower I'll give you。
HILLCRIST。 I wouldn't take him。
JILL。 Well； you've got him。 Now； CharlieChearlieI saythe
importance of not being Charlie
HILLCRIST。 Good heavens！ do you know their Christian names？
JILL。 My dear father； they've been here seven years。
HILLCRIST。 In old days we only knew their Christian names from
their tombstones。
JILL。 Charlie Hornblower isn't really half a bad sport。
HILLCRIST。 About a quarter of a bad sport I've always thought out
hunting。
JILL。 ＇Pulling his hair＇ Now； his wifeChloe…
HILLCRIST。 ＇Whimsical＇ Gad！ your mother'd have a fit if she knew
you called her Chloe。
JILL。 It's a ripping name。
HILLCRIST。 Chloe！ H'm！ I had a spaniel once
JILL。 Dodo； you're narrow。 Buck up； old darling； it won't do。
Chloe has seen life； I'm pretty sure； THAT'S attractive； anyway。
No； mother's not in the room； don't turn your uneasy eyes。
HILLCRIST。 Really； my dear； you are getting
JILL。 The limit。 Now； Rolf
HILLCRIST。 What's Rolf？ Another dog？
JILL。 Rolf Hornblower's a topper； he really is a nice boy。
HILLCRIST。 ＇With a sharp look＇ Oh！ He's a nice boy？
JILL。 Yes； darling。 You know what a nice boy is； don't you？
HILLCRIST。 Not in these days。
JILL。 Well； I'll tell you。 In the first place； he's not amorous。
HILLCRIST。 What！ Well； that's some comfort。
JILL。 Just a jolly good companion。
HILLCRIST。 To whom？
JILL。 Well； to anyoneme。
HILLCRIST。 Where？
JILL。 Anywhere。 You don't suppose I confine myself to the home
paddocks； do you？ I'm naturally rangey； Father。
HILLCRIST。 ＇Ironically＇ You don't say so！
JILL。 In the second place； he doesn't like discipline。
HILLCRIST。 Jupiter！ He does seem attractive。
JILL。 In the third place； he bars his father。
HILLCRIST。 Is that essential to nice girls too？
JILL。 ＇With a twirl of his hair＇ Fish not！ Fourthly； he's got
ideas。
HILLCRIST。 I knew it！
JILL。 For instance； he thinksas I do
HILLCRIST。 Ah！ Good ideas。
JILL。 ＇Pulling gently＇ Careful！ He thinks old people run the show
too much。 He says they oughtn't to； because they're so damtouchy。
Are you damtouchy； darling？
HILLCRIST。 Well； I'm！ I don't know about touchy。
JILL。 He says there'll be no world fit to live in till we get rid
of the old。 We must make them climb a tall tree； and shake them off
it。
HILLCRIST。 ＇Drily＇ Oh！ he says that！
JILL。 Otherwise； with the way they stand on each other's rights；
they'll spoil the garden for the young。
HILLCRIST。 Does his father agree？
JILL。 Oh！ Rolf doesn't talk to him； his mouth's too large。 Have
you ever seen it； Dodo？
HILLCRIST。 Of course。
JILL。 It's considerable； isn't it？ Now yours isreticent；
darling。 ＇Rumpling his hair。＇
HILLCRIST。 It won't be in a minute。 Do you realise that I've got
gout？
JILL。 Poor ducky！ How long have we been here； Dodo？
HILLCRIST。 Since Elizabeth； anyway。
JILL。 ＇Looking at his foot＇ It has its drawbacks。 D'you think
Hornblower had a father？ I believe he was spontaneous。 But； Dodo；
why all thisthis attitude to the Hornblowers？
＇She purses her lips and makes a gesture as of pushing persons
away。＇
HILLCRIST。 Because they're pushing。
JILL。 That's only because we are； as mother would say； and they're
notyet。 But why not let them be？
HILLCRIST。 You can't。
JILL。 Why？
HILLCRIST。 It takes generations to learn to live and let live；
Jill。 People like that take an ell when you give them an inch。
JILL。 But if you gave them the ell； they wouldn't want the inch。
Why should it all be such a skin game？
HILLCRIST。 Skin game？ Where do you get your lingo？
JILL。 Keep to the point； Dodo。
HILLCRIST。 Well； Jill； all life's a struggle between people at
different stages of development； in different positions； with
different amounts of social influence and property。 And the only
thing is to have rules of the game and keep them。 New people like
the Hornblowers haven't learnt those rules； their only rule is to
get all they can。
JILL。 Darling； don't prose。 They're not half as bad as you think。
HILLCRIST。 Well； when I sold Hornblower Longmeadow and the
cottages； I certainly found him all right。 All the same； he's got
the cloven hoof。 ＇Warming up＇ His influence in Deepwater is
thoroughly bad； those potteries of his are demoralisingthe whole
atmosphere of the place is changing。 It was a thousand pities he
ever came here and discovered that clay。 He's brought in the modern
cutthroat spirit。
JILL。 Cut our throat spirit； you mean。 What's your definition of a
gentleman； Dodo？
HILLCRIST。 ＇Uneasily＇ Can't describeonly feel it。
JILL。 Oh！ Try！
HILLCRIST。 WellerI suppose you might saya man who keeps his
form and doesn't let life scupper him out of his standards。
JILL。 But suppose his standards are low？
HILLCRIST。 ＇With some earnestness＇ I assume； of course； that he's
honest and tolerant； g