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speaks； he fumes down to Herbert Spencer； who receives him still
more coldly＇ Excuse me； Octavius； but there are limits to social
toleration。 You know that I am not a bigoted or prejudiced man。
You know that I am plain Roebuck Ramsden when other men who have
done less have got handles to their names； because I have stood
for equality and liberty of conscience while they were truckling
to the Church and to the aristocracy。 Whitefield and I lost
chance after chance through our advanced opinions。 But I draw the
line at Anarchism and Free Love and that sort of thing。 If I am
to be Annie's guardian； she will have to learn that she has a
duty to me。 I won't have it： I will not have it。 She must forbid
John Tanner the house； and so must you。
The parlormaid returns。
OCTAVIUS。 But
RAMSDEN。 ＇calling his attention to the servant＇ Ssh！ Well？
THE MAID。 Mr Tanner wishes to see you； sir。
RAMSDEN。 Mr Tanner！
OCTAVIUS。 Jack！
RAMSDEN。 How dare Mr Tanner call on me！ Say I cannot see him。
OCTAVIUS。 ＇hurt＇ I am sorry you are turning my friend from your
door like that。
THE MAID。 ＇calmly＇ He's not at the door； sir。 He's upstairs in
the drawingroom with Miss Ramsden。 He came with Mrs Whitefield
and Miss Ann and Miss Robinson； sir。
Ramsden's feelings are beyond words。
OCTAVIUS。 ＇grinning＇ That's very like Jack； Mr Ramsden。 You must
see him； even if it's only to turn him out。
RAMSDEN。 ＇hammering out his words with suppressed fury＇ Go
upstairs and ask Mr Tanner to be good enough to step down here。
＇The parlormaid goes out； and Ramsden returns to the fireplace；
as to a fortified position＇。 I must say that of all the
confounded pieces of impertinencewell； if these are Anarchist
manners I hope you like them。 And Annie with him！ Annie！ A ＇he
chokes＇。
OCTAVIUS。 Yes： that's what surprises me。 He's so desperately
afraid of Ann。 There must be something the matter。
Mr John Tanner suddenly opens the door and enters。 He is too
young to be described simply as a big man with a beard。 But it is
already plain that middle life will find him in that category。 He
has still some of the slimness of youth； but youthfulness is not
the effect he aims at： his frock coat would befit a prime
minister； and a certain high chested carriage of the shoulders； a
lofty pose of the head； and the Olympian majesty with which a
mane； or rather a huge wisp； of hazel colored hair is thrown back
from an imposing brow； suggest Jupiter rather than Apollo。 He is
prodigiously fluent of speech； restless； excitable （mark the
snorting nostril and the restless blue eye； just the
thirty…secondth of an inch too wide open）； possibly a little mad。
He is carefully dressed； not from the vanity that cannot resist
finery； but from a sense of the importance of everything he does
which leads him to make as much of paying a call as other men do
of getting married or laying a foundation stone。 A sensitive；
susceptible； exaggerative； earnest man： a megalomaniac； who would
be lost without a sense of humor。
Just at present the sense of humor is in abeyance。 To say that he
is excited is nothing： all his moods are phases of excitement。 He
is now in the panic…stricken phase； and he walks straight up to
Ramsden as if with the fixed intention of shooting him on his own
hearthrug。 But what he pulls from his breast pocket is not a
pistol； but a foolscap document which he thrusts under the
indignant nose of Ramsden as he exclaims
TANNER。 Ramsden： do you know what that is？
RAMSDEN。 ＇loftily＇ No； Sir。
TANNER。 It's a copy of Whitefield's will。 Ann got it this
morning。
RAMSDEN。 When you say Ann； you mean； I presume； Miss Whitefield。
TANNER。 I mean our Ann； your Ann； Tavy's Ann； and now； Heaven
help me； my Ann！
OCTAVIUS。 ＇rising； very pale＇ What do you mean？
TANNER。 Mean！ ＇He holds up the will＇。 Do you know who is
appointed Ann's guardian by this will？
RAMSDEN。 ＇coolly＇ I believe I am。
TANNER。 You！ You and I； man。 I！ I！！ I！！！ Both of us！ ＇He flings
the will down on the writing table＇。
RAMSDEN。 You！ Impossible。
TANNER。 It's only too hideously true。 ＇He throws himself into
Octavius's chair＇。 Ramsden： get me out of it somehow。 You don't
know Ann as well as I do。 She'll commit every crime a respectable
woman can； and she'll justify every one of them by saying that it
was the wish of her guardians。 She'll put everything on us； and
we shall have no more control over her than a couple of mice over
a cat。
OCTAVIUS。 Jack： I wish you wouldn't talk like that about Ann。
TANNER。 This chap's in love with her： that's another
complication。 Well； she'll either jilt him and say I didn't
approve of him； or marry him and say you ordered her to。 I tell
you； this is the most staggering blow that has ever fallen on a
man of my age and temperament。
RAMSDEN。 Let me see that will； sir。 ＇He goes to the writing table
and picks it up＇。 I cannot believe that my old friend Whitefield
would have shown such a want of confidence in me as to associate
me with ＇His countenance falls as he reads＇。
TANNER。 It's all my own doing： that's the horrible irony of it。
He told me one day that you were to be Ann's guardian； and like a
fool I began arguing with him about the folly of leaving a young
woman under the control of an old man with obsolete ideas。
RAMSDEN。 ＇stupended＇ My ideas obsolete！！！！！
TANNER。 Totally。 I had just finished an essay called Down with
Government by the Greyhaired； and I was full of arguments and
illustrations。 I said the proper thing was to combine the
experience of an old hand with the vitality of a young one。 Hang
me if he didn't take me at my word and alter his willit's
dated only a fortnight after that conversationappointing me as
joint guardian with you！
RAMSDEN。 ＇pale and determined＇ I shall refuse to act。
TANNER。 What's the good of that？ I've been refusing all the way
from Richmond； but Ann keeps on saying that of course she's only
an orphan； and that she can't expect the people who were glad to
come to the house in her father's time to trouble much about her
now。 That's the latest game。 An orphan！ It's like hearing an
ironclad talk about being at the mercy of the winds and waves。
OCTAVIUS。 This is not fair； Jack。 She is an orphan。 And you ought
to stand by her。
TANNER。 Stand by her！ What danger is she in？ She has the law on
her side； she has popular sentiment on her side； she has plenty
of money and no conscience。 All she wants with me is to load up
all her moral responsibilities on me； and do as she likes at the
expense of my character。 I can't control her； and she can
compromise me as much as she likes。 I might as well be her
husband。
RAMSDEN。 You can refuse to accept the guardianship。 I shall
certainly refuse to hold it jointly with you。
TANNER。 Yes； and what will she say to that？ what does she say
to it？ Just that her father's wishes are sacred to her； and that
she shall always look up to me as her guardian whether I care to
face the responsibility or not。 Refuse！ You might as well refuse
to accept the embraces of a boa constrictor when once it gets
round your neck。
OCTAVIUS。 This sort of talk is not kind to me； Jack。
TANNER。 ＇rising