解説　場面 37「経緯をたどる」

"The man married a woman very much older than himself for her money," said he, "and he enjoyed the use of the money of the daughter as long as she lived with them. It was a considerable sum, for people in their position, and the loss of it would have made a serious difference. It was worth an effort to preserve it. The daughter was of a good, amiable disposition, but affectionate and warm-hearted in her ways, so that it was evident that with her fair personal advantages, and her little income, she would not be allowed to remain single long. Now her marriage would mean, of course, the loss of a hundred a year, so what does her stepfather do to prevent it? He takes the obvious course of keeping her at home and forbidding her to seek the company of people of her own age. But soon he found that that would not answer forever. She became restive, insisted upon her rights, and finally announced her positive intention of going to a certain ball. What does her clever stepfather do then? He conceives an idea more creditable to his head than to his heart. With the connivance and assistance of his wife he disguised himself, covered those keen eyes with tinted glasses, masked the face with a moustache and a pair of bushy whiskers, sunk that clear voice into an insinuating whisper, and doubly secure on account of the girl's short sight, he appears as Mr. Hosmer Angel, and keeps off other lovers by making love himself."

「この男は金を目当てに、自分よりずっと年上の女性と結婚しました」と彼は言った。「そして、娘が一緒に暮らしている限り、その娘のお金を自由に使っていました。彼らの立場にある人々にとって、それはかなりの額で、失えば暮らしに大きな違いが生じたでしょう。維持するために骨を折るだけの価値がありました。娘は人のよい優しい気質でしたが、情愛が深く、心の温かい人でもありました。容姿にも恵まれ、いくらかの収入もあるのですから、周りが長く独身のままにしておかないのは明らかでした。さて、娘が結婚すれば、もちろん年に百ポンドを失います。それを防ぐために継父は何をしたのでしょう。分かりきった手段を取りました。娘を家にとどめ、同じ年頃の人々と付き合うのを禁じたのです。ですが、それではいつまでも通用しないと、ほどなく気づきました。娘は反抗的になり、自分の権利を主張し、ついに、ある舞踏会へ必ず行くと言い出しました。そこで利口な継父は何をしたのでしょう。心の善良さより頭の良さを評価されるような考えを思いつきました。妻の黙認と協力のもとで変装し、鋭い目を色付き眼鏡で隠し、口ひげとふさふさした頬ひげで顔を覆い、はっきりした声を取り入るようなささやき声に落としました。娘が近視なのでなお安全だと踏んで、ホズマー・エンジェルとして現れ、自分で求愛することによって、ほかの求婚者たちを近づけなかったのです」