"I have telephoned all over Brussels for you." "What kind of a husband are you to do something like this?" "The kind that walks from the office by way of the park." "And while you walked in the park," "I had to send for Dr. Renee." "Because you're ill?" "No." "Mr. Dodd had a letter or something from the papers from London." "A border in our house gets a letter, so you send for the doctor?" "I thought he would go insane." "He threw his piano over on the floor, tore up his music... all of it, the work of a year." "Then good." "We shall not hear it again." "He shouted out loud to himself that he was no longer a composer." "I would have shouted it to him long before if boarders were easy to find." "He said he was no longer a composer, but a mechanic." "A mechanic, maybe." "I go up." "Tell me, my dear doctor, do you know the difference between a consonance and a dissonance?" "I am a doctor of medicine, not a doctor of music." "I don't like doctors." "I don't need doctors." "Then what do you need, Mr. Dodd?" "Nothing?" "What should I need, when I have everything?" "This is very inconvenient." "I have patients at the hospital." "Why am I here?" "Why are any of us here, doctor?" "I don't know why we're here now, but I know why you will not be here tomorrow." "Marie and I will require this room." "Georges, you will consult me about that." "I've decided." "The house is in my charge." "That is my bureau, and this is my chair!" "Is there any insanity in your family, monsieur Dodd?" "I have no family, so how could I have any insanity in it?" "My dear doctor, I'd like to pay you to thank you and say goodbye." "It is my opinion that you are much more than slightly mad." "Well, thank you, doctor." "Adieu." "Goodbye." "And before you put, uh, that money back, will you glance at this piano?" "It's broken." "Can no one be right but me?" "What would calm you, Mr. Dodd?" "I don't know." "Brandy will not calm you, and you are smoking all the time." "You received something from England, Marie said." "Oh, yes, yes." "From London." "As you know, my symphony was presented at regents hall in London last week." "Remember?" "Yes, we know." "It was very strange music." "Did you ever tell me it was strange, Georges?" "You heard it?" "We heard it so many times, Mr. Dodd." "I see." "And it made you uncomfortable." "Oh, no, no." "But, yes." "Why should we be afraid?" "Georges is right." "Listen to this." "This is the foremost music critic in London." ""It is inconceivable to this critic" ""that a program as delicately conceived as this" ""should be marred by the rude intrusion of uncomfortable dissonance."" "They were uncomfortable, Georges, and so were you." "It must be that I was not comfortable, and I conveyed it through my music." "Oh, but we tried to make you comfortable here." "You worked for a whole year." "That's right, a year, to become a mechanic." "Listen to this." ""However, it is to be considered that monsieur Dodd," ""the brilliant, young, Belgian modernist, has accomplished a series of total mechanics."" "Now you see, I am a mechanic!" "There was another foreign letter." "I didn't see it." "Yes, two of them." "One from London and one from Switzerland." "Switzerland?" "The Sangers!" "Well..." "What about dinner, Marie?" "What about dinner, Marie?" "Every Christmas, when you go to the Sangers, you come back so changed and so gay." "Well, I've known them since they were babies." "I've seen them grow up." "Your Dr. Renee should meet the Sangers." "There you would find insanity of the most enchanting kind." "Good place for you to go." "Oh, Georges, please." "Now." "What about dinner, Marie?" "Poor old Sanger." "Mr. Dodd?" "Hmm?" "You remember, you wrote a little song for the Sanger children?" "Little song?" "But you did not send it." "Oh, that." "Oh, no." "It was too sad." "They are so gay." "I threw it away." "No." "I found it in the rubbish." "Here it is." "You did." "Look." "Cello for Kate..." "she's the eldest." "Violin for Paula..." "little Paula." "She's the youngest." "Piano for Toni..." "And viola for Tessa, the pick of the bunch." "And the mother?" "Oh, they all had different mothers, except Paula and Tessa." "Yes, these two shared the same mother." "And what has Mr. Sanger besides children and all their mothers?" "A genius for music and a new Russian wife." "He's rich?" "Tremendously rich." "So much so, sometimes he hasn't got enough money to buy food." "And yet, they live in a chalet in Switzerland?" "Yes, a beautiful, dilapidated, old heaven of a spot." "I must go there tonight." "I cannot wait." "Give Georges a hug, give him a kiss, and tell him not to be angry, and ask him to send a telegram for me to Albert Sanger." "Here's the address." "Uh, "arriving Wednesday." ""Kill a pig, and buy some decent Brandy." "Lewis."" "Thank you, Marie." "What's the matter, Roberto?" "What is it?" ""Arrive there Wednesday." "Kill a pig, and buy some decent Brandy..." "Lewis"!" "Oh, dear, I've been swimming in the lake, and I've got my hair all wet!" "Oh!" "Kate!" "Kate!" "Kate!" "Oh, quiet." "You'll wake your father." "He's coming!" "He's coming!" "Lewis!" "Lewis is coming!" "Oh, Roberto." ""Kill a pig and buy some decent Brandy"!" "Senorita." "There!" "Yeah." "Brandy." "For Mr. Sanger." "Give it to me." "Don't you think we ought to get his room ready, some lovely flowers?" "No, no, no." "We have another guest coming, a mister..." "Mr. Trigorin." "He must have that room, and, uh, Lewis must go to the stable loft!" "Loft?" "Oh, dear." "I've gone and got my hair wet." "If I'd only known!" "It'll dry in the sun!" "Now go and get Paula." "You can both help me with the room." "Paula!" "Paula!" "Quiet, you'll wake your father." "Who cares?" "You've broken my spine." "I suppose you know that." "Lewis is coming." "When?" "Any minute." "That ribbon happens to belong to me." "Well, where's mine?" "I don't know." "Better hurry up and get dressed if you want to come to the village to meet Lewis." "He'll be here any minute!" "I don't want to stay here with you, you drunken pig!" "Drunken pig!" "He's a drunken pig!" "That's my father you're talking about." "My husband." "Kate?" "Kate!" "Any coffee is hot?" "Please, Lina." "Tessa, take this up to father, and tell him about Lewis and that other... that Mr. Trigorin." "Oh, lend me that ribbon, will you?" "Your hair's prettier without it." "You had a stomachache yesterday." "Give me that." "It's better today." "Here, fasten me up." "What's the matter with you, Tessa?" "Oh, Lewis is coming, I've got my hair wet, and I can't find my ribbon!" "Well, where is it?" "I don't know." "Well, here." "Take this one." "Oh, thank you, Kate." "I'll return it." "Now, take this, and don't drop it." "Well, what about Lewis' Brandy?" "I poured out half of it." "Go on!" "All right." "Who's there?" "Oh, it's Tessa, father." "I'm afraid you'll have to have a little water in it." "Roberto could only get one bottle." "We owe so much." "Anyway, Lewis Dodd's coming today." "He sent us a telegram." "Yes, Lewis Dodd." "Yes, I-i wrote to him." "Father, would you do me a favor?" "What?" "Would you let me get the scissors and cut your hair and trim your beard?" "Because Lewis will think no one takes care of you." "No!" "Oh, come on, please." "What are you going to call it?" "A little girl cutting her father's hair." "No!" "No!" "Father?" "Would you tell me something?" "Is Lewis Dodd a really very fine musician?" "Good technique." "He's like the weather." "Today it thunders." "Tomorrow it's sunny." "Children playing." "But there's no blood pulsing through his music... no heart!" "It's a new school that's coming in." "If he could only cry." "He never really laughs." "Now, I'm sure he couldn't cry." "He could fall in love, if some woman could disturb him." "I'm sure he's never known a woman." "Well, if he could suffer..." "that's what I mean." "What would make him suffer?" "I don't know." "That's something that happens to all of us." "Father, listen!" "It's Lewis!" "He's here!" "Paula!" "Paula, come on!" "Didn't you hear Lewis?" "Lewis, darling!" "Lewis!" "Ah!" "You're actually here!" "How are you, darling?" "Hello, Tessa." "I love you." "I-I've been swimming, and I've got my hair wet." "I wish you kids would stop growing." "You make me feel very old." "Look at you." "You're growing up like stinkweed." "Oh, that's not very nice of you, Lewis." "Oh." "What have you got there?" "Where did you get those beautiful bags?" "That is Mr. Trigorin." "The bags are his." "Where did you find him?" "He's come to visit your father." "Mr. Trigorin staged a ballet from one of your father's operas... "Akbar," I believe." "You are the so charming daughters of monsieur Sanger?" "This is Paula." "And this... this here is Tessa, the pick of the bunch." "Girls..." "Welcome your guest, please." "He looks like a flea trainer." "Welcome." "How long are you going to stay?" "See what I mean, Mr. Trigorin?" "They're charming, such little ladies." "Pick up those bags, will you?" "Oh, where's Toni?" "Toni was... no, Tessa, you can't tell it." "Of course I can." "Lewis is part of us." "Aren't you, darling Lewis?" "What are you talking about?" "Where is Toni?" "Well, Toni went to Zurich, and she wrote us a postcard." "Oh, keep quiet." "She's out on the tiles." "Yeah, she said she was staying with friends, only we don't believe it." "Father's furious, and he says he's going to beat her when she gets back." "Now, now, wait a minute." "One at a time." "You mean our mad little Toni has become a bad little Toni?" "Yes, and we think Fritz Bercovy's at the bottom of it." "We don't know." "We're very upset." "Fritz Bercovy?" "Oh, but Fritz Bercovy's very rich." "He owns 10 theaters now." "Little Fritz." "It's very disturbing, Lewis." "Yes, I know it is." "She'll be back." "Well, we hope so... oh, good morning, dear Lina." "Madam Sanger." "Oh, yes." "Sorry, madam Sanger." "Oh, I've got a gift for you." "A gift?" "A beautiful one." "A plump one." "He's waiting for you on the porch." "His name is Trigorin." "Oh, Trigorin." "I know him from St. Petersburg." "Uh, Trigorin!" "Oh, Trigorin!" "Ooh, she's driving Sanger mad." "I wouldn't be surprised if he'd be glad if she left him." "I don't know about that." "Oh, yes." "Now, now." "Children, please." "Where do I sleep?" "Oh, in the loft, I'm afraid." "Mr. Trigorin has the guest room... only if you'd like to sleep in the other bed there?" "With the flea trainer?" "On the loft!" "May we come?" "No, no, no, darling." "I'm sorry, but I'm dead." "I'm going to sleep." "Oh, if Sanger calls me, wake me... oh, thank you, darling..." "but gently." "Yes, I will." "Here, let me do your hair." "Sanger said today that Lewis was like the weather... that if he never really cried, he'd never be really great." "What do you think would make him cry?" "He must have been in love sometime and cried about that." "He's never been in love." "How do you know?" "Oh, he may know a lot of things, but he's never known real love any more than we have." "How do you know?" "Oh, I know." "There are things you know that nobody has to tell you about." "You just know." "The way you moon over him, it's enough to turn one's stomach." "I love Lewis." "He's mine." "Do you think he knows about it?" "No, I don't think he knows now, but one day, he'll look at me and he'll say," ""darling, darling Tessa."" "Then everything will be all right." "And you'll faint." "Into his arms." "That'll be quite probable." "And he'll be very glad when he knows, because he needs someone like me." "Will you keep house for him?" "Of course I will." "Nobody on earth could be more untidy than you." "Well, no one on earth can be more untidy than Lewis." "It'll be all right." "Shall you be engaged or just married?" "Oh, I'll be his very own wife and love him as long as I live." "Look, there's Toni!" "Where?" "!" "Come on!" "Toni!" "Toni!" "She's back!" "She's back!" "Toni!" "Toni!" "Toni!" "Where did you get the hat?" "Hello, Tessa." "Toni, you're..." "You're back!" "Well, of course I'm back." "Lewis is here." "Lewis?" "Where?" "In the loft." "Kate!" "Kate, Toni's back!" "Toni's back!" "Hello." "Hello, darling." "Kate, I'm back." "So I see." "Well, if everyone's going to look like that, I'm going." "Toni." "May I ask what is upon your head?" "The latest style, Zurich." "Zurich?" "Oh." "For a whole week." "Did you have a good time?" "Oh, I had a lovely time." "Anything I said I wanted, Fritz got for me." "Fritz?" "Fritz Bercovy?" "Fritz, yes." "We had lovely meals." "Not at Fritz's house." "Well, of course not." "At the splendid, the best hotel." "And last night, we had asparagus and lobsters and iced bomb and peaches... did it make you sick?" "And Fritz had a saddle of mutton, and we had champagne." "We had champagne every night." "Did he buy you that hat?" "No, I bought that with my own birthday money." "Do you like it, Lewis?" "Superb." "It's large but it suits you." "What have you done to your hair?" "I had it dressed." "Lovely." "Sanger says he's going to beat you." "What are you going to tell him?" "The truth." "What is the truth, Toni?" "Anything you prefer to think if it amuses you." "I know I did nothing to be ashamed of." "Well, we are quite sure of that." "Fritz bought me a dozen pairs of stockings... all silk, every shade." "Oh, you took clothes from him." "How come?" "You're quite wrong." "I threw them out the window." "I asked him what he took me for." "Good for you, Toni." "Yes, and they got caught in the telephone Wires." "People on the street looked so surprised." "It was windy, and they waved like little flags." "I laughed so hard I nearly fell out of the window myself!" "Fritz hated to see his money wasted." "You sound as though you hate him." "I don't hate him, but I made him understand he was completely mistaken about me." "I was so hurt." "Because I..." "I really thought he liked me decently." "Don't cry, Toni." "We knew nothing could happen to you." "But you're home now, and we love you." "Oh, Toni, darling." "No man is worth a single one of your tears." "Now, Toni." "Oh, Toni." "Don't cry." "Don't worry about Toni." "Are you sure she's all right?" "I'm sure she is." "Thanks." "Sanger's awake now, Lewis." "Oh, good." "I'll go to him." "Hey, Lewis!" "Don't tell us you've been working." "Ahh, for the little girls Sanger only." ""Little girls."" "When I make a promise, I keep a promise... composed especially for the Sanger circus." "Now, you see, I made it very simple so that you children would have no difficulty in playing it." "Isn't it rather sad?" "No comments from you." "Learn it." "I'm going to your father." ""Thou art dead, the birds will stop their singing."" "Well, it's not at all like Lewis." "It's a nice melody." ""When thou art dead," ""the birds will stop their singing." "No heart cold." "No sun will ever rise."" "Come on, let's learn it!" ""No more." "No more, the joyful days..."" "When thou art in the grave, the flowers..."" "Sanger?" "Where have you been?" "Waiting for you to wake up." "Well, pull that shutter to." "If that mountain could be moved, the sun wouldn't come blinding in here all day." "Where would you like it moved to?" "Over my grave." "I'd like a mountain for a monument." "What would I print for an epitaph?" "Pull up a chair." "Yes, about the epitaph, let's just say "Albert Sanger, a dirty old man."" "No, no, I would say," ""Albert Sanger, musician..." "And genius."" "And then, if you like, I could add," ""he was also a dirty old man."" "No, thanks." "Well, tell me, what about your concert in London?" "Oh, it didn't go." "As the English say, it flopped." "It made them uncomfortable." "Oh, by the way, your little daughter, Toni, is back." "Antonia?" "Oh, yes, yes." "She went to..." "did she tell you where she went?" "Yes, yes." "She was completely innocent," "I'm sure of that." "What's going to happen to the children when I'm gone?" "Lewis, I'm helpless." "I haven't got £20." "Didn't Paula's and Tessa's mother have people in England?" "Oh, yes." "When I ran off with their daughter..." "Evelyn Creighton, their mother... the Creighton family disowned her." "There was a time when the brother, Charles Creighton, hunted us all over Europe." "His idea was to shoot me on sight, American fashion, take his sister Evelyn back." "Then the children came, he gave up the hunt and forgot us." "But this brother Charles, still alive?" "He's the sort that would be, you know." "Good old Boston type." "Lewis, if anything happened to me, you might look up this Creighton family." "They're very rich." "Get 'em to do something for the children." "They should go to school or somewhere." "I know." "Oh, by the way, you've got a guest..." "Trigorin." "Keep him away from me!" "Little monkeys." "What is that music?" "Mine, I'm afraid." "Just a trifle I brought for the children." "You mean you wrote it?" "Mm." "It's nothing at all." "No, leave the door open." "I-i want to listen to it." "Sugar candy." "It's very nice." "Nice, yes." "Nice." "You're ashamed of melody, aren't you?" "No." "I have no gift for it." "Shut that door." "If you'd done that at the regents hall, you wouldn't have failed." "What?" "That is me?" "That is you." "Oh, if I could only make you understand." "What would I make of it?" "A love-sealed opera, a symphonic poem, what you will!" "Go, go on away!" "Bring me some more Brandy." "All right." "Mr. Bercovy, don't try to explain." "It's a disgrace." "Toni's a child!" "But, but, please, madam, try to understand me." "Madam, you're laboring on a misapprehension." "We know all about it, Fritz." "Lewis!" "Lewis Dodd." "Hello, Fritz." "You look very well." "Lewis, from man to man, I must see Antonia." "From man to man, I doubt that she will see you." "No?" "No, you see, I'm afraid she's a little hurt." "Fritzy, my boy, the next time you ask a young lady to Zurich, pick someone less sophisticated than the Sanger young ladies." "Fritzy, I'm surprised at you." "Oh, but Lewis, honestly, from man to man, I had no bad intentions." "I'm very fond of Toni." "So are we all." "Remember that, Mr. Bercovy." "Hey, hey, there!" "What's the matter?" "This is terrible." "You know, Sanger said it was a very nice little piece." "It is charming." "Really?" "What's he doing at the piano?" "Oh, he plays." "Yes, Trigorin plays very well for a flea trainer." "A flea trainer?" "Paula, please." "He knows." "We told him." "Oh, you did." "Very sad, Lewis, but quite playable." "Thank you, Kate." "Sanger said it would make a symphonic poem, but somehow I can't quite agree with him." "Father's instincts are usually right." "Well, let's try it." "Where's your viola, Tessa?" "Oh, I learned it all perfectly, and then I broke the strings." "Aww." "Come on, let's hear it." "Ready?" " No, no." "No, no." " Let's get together." "Nice and clean." "Hold on." "When thou art dead, the birds will stop their singing." "When thou art cold, no sun will ever rise." "No more, no more the joyful days of spring shall bless his eyes." "♪ I'll sing a song ♪" "Go ahead." "Sing it." "♪ When I am in my grave ♪" "♪ The flowers bloom ♪" "♪ To make thee garlands 20 times as sweet ♪" "Beauty within." "♪ Beauty within ♪" "♪ Oh, I must slee-e-e-e-ep ♪" "♪ Unknowing... ♪" "Beneath thy feet." "♪ Beneath thy feet ♪" "♪ Beneath thy feet ♪" "Very pretty, darling." "Tessa!" "Tessa!" "Why did you run away like that?" "Oh, I don't know." "It is quiet here, isn't it?" "Yes." "Do you hear things in this kind of silence?" "What do you hear?" "Oh, this is where I think up my words." "Oh, poetry?" "No, just thoughts." "Oh, I can't explain." "Well, just tell me one thought." "You'd laugh." "No, I wouldn't laugh." "Well, um, there's so many, but sad things like your music." "I have denied a quiet desire to die." "I have no tired or vexed note to leave." "Oh, in this moon-cut earth to lie, oh, if they would not grieve." "I have denied a quiet desire." "Do you like that?" "Oh, it's very pretty." "Did you want to die?" "I'm not in the least anxious to die." "When I see dark things and trouble," "I always want to run away from them." "Then you better run away from me." "Oh, I'd never run away from you." "Really?" "You're such a graceless little baggage." "Strangely innocent." "I've got to talk to you." "Why?" "Too many Fritzes around." "You know, you've got to be protected." "Protected?" "But my heart's a very simple heart." "Isn't that some protection?" "If you were my little girl," "I would put you in a convent or a school." "I've seen girls in school." "They all have faces like plum pudding." "I know I'm not a raving beauty, Lewis, but you wouldn't like me with a face like a plum pudding, would you?" "I'm thinking for your good." "Oh, well, you don't shut people up in schools for their good." "Supposing I..." "Well, I wanted to gaze at the moon one night, and then I found myself shut up in a dormitory full of pudding faces." "Well, you shouldn't go moon gazing." "Well, uh..." "well, when I got out of school." "Well, you'd be a perfect lady." "And would you like me as a perfect lady?" "You won't even look at us, my pretty one." "Well, I may go to school." "I'm beginning to see points in it, but I shall always be thinking of you." "Now, you must learn very quickly to disapprove of me." "I happen to be very fond of you." "Well, which is a very grave mistake, to be fond of anyone." "Why?" "Mm!" "Before you know it, you become unselfish, considerate, self-sacrificing... all those tiresome things." "Will you remember that?" "Yes, I will." "And don't go getting fond of any unnecessary people." "You can be as fond of us as you like." "Oh, but please don't..." "Don't..." "Don't what?" "Well, don't go getting married or..." "In jail or die or anything, please." "I'll try not to." "Say "cross my heart and hope to die."" "Cross my heart and hope to die." "Dear Lewis..." "Tessa!" "Tessa!" "Lewis!" "Lewis, quickly!" "What is it, Kate?" "Come up here!" "It's been coming on for days." "He was angry with me." "Give him a minute." "He..." "He started to cry." "He asked me to hold his hand." "And then he fell on the floor on his face." "He got him killed." "He's dead!" "He got him killed." "He got him killed." "He's dead." "Don't you dare touch him!" "Lina!" "Look." ""To remind Lewis Dodd of his nice little tune, a symphonic poem which could be entitled 'tomorrow.'"" "Poor father." "We don't have enough." "Here comes Tessa with more." "Is it one of those things coming on?" "Is it your heart?" "No." "I'm just a bit winded." "That's all." "You shouldn't run up hills." "I know." "Who's that?" "It's Fritzie!" "He must have come on the early train." "No, that's his own motor." "Fritzie!" "Come on." "No." "You go." "Why?" "I don't want to see the dirty, money-grubbing little ant." "Send my breakfast up here while I finish the border for you." "Oh, Mr. Fritz." "Roberto." "So, the master is gone." "Yes, Mr. Fritz." "And not only the master is gone, but the madame..." "She is gone." "Really?" "Dead?" "Unfortunately, no." "She is just gone." "She went with Mr. Trigorin, you remember?" "Oh, yes." "And miss Kate..." "she is gone to Milano to study." "So there are only three left." "Fritz!" "Fritz!" "Hello, girls." "I read about it in the papers in Zurich after the funeral." "My heart is broken for you." "Oh, well, thank you very much, Fritz." "And we can all feel Napoleon Brandy, scotch, whiskey, and port." "Yes, and then steak and kidney pie." "And Yorkshire pudding." "We have company." "It's our mother's brother," "Mr. Charles Creighton, from England... our uncle." "And his daughter, miss Florence Creighton." "They're very rich, and Lewis sent them a letter in England and said that we were penniless and were destined to lead a shameful life." "And since his sister was our mother, why, over they came!" "They've been here for a week." "Our cousin Florence is very swish." "She has a personal maid with her." "Come here." "Her name is Hamilton." "Yes, miss?" "Oh, uh, miss Hamilton, would you be so kind as to take Mr. Bercovy's hat and scarf?" "No, please don't trouble." "Thank you very much." "Wonderful." "Uh, tell me." "Lewis Dodd, is he here?" "Oh, he's gone." "Swimming." "Yes, with our cousin Florence." "Oh, she's musical, huh?" "No." "She's very beautiful." "And tell me, where is Toni?" "Oh, Toni... she won't go to England or school, either." "She says she wants to get a job in a cabaret or something in Paris." "What?" "Mm-hmm." "And do nothing but drink a lot of champagne and eat a great deal of food and listen to all the latest music." "And I tell you, she will not!" "I am going to marry her." "That will be lovely, Fritz." "Oh, yes." "Toni would love money." "Good morning, uncle Charles." "What?" "I missed him." "Oh, who have you missed?" "Some kind of crow outside my window." "Awful fellow." "5:00 this morning, he started." ""Caw, caw, caw!" Same yesterday." "I'm going to take a pot at him." "Oh, oh, please don't shoot anything today, uncle Charles." "What are you doing?" "Oh, all right, then." "If you say so." "You're like your mother..." "my sister, Evelyn." "We never could get her up to Scotland for the shooting." "Well, good morning, my dears." "Good morning." "You keep looking at me." "I don't know who you are." "Strange morning." "Everywhere I look, I find something looking at me." "First that crow, then you." "Well, that's our great friend." "Friend?" "Oh, he's one of our greatest friends." "Fritz Bercovy." "What do you play?" "Oh, billiards, rummy." "Anything you wish." "Oh, not a musical chap?" "He owns 10 theatres." "In the 10 most important cities." "You look like the kind of chap that's after something." "Are you?" "Just what are you doing here?" "Forgive me, but I came to assist in a financial predicament of the Sanger family." "It's all done, my boy..." "all done." "They're going to England and to school." "Thank you very much..." "Sir." "Well, how about breakfast?" "Where's Florence?" "She's gone swimming." "Ooh." "Not really." "Robert!" "Oh, it's Roberto." "Why the "o"?" "Well, it's Italian." "Robert-o!" "Breakfast-o!" "Florence told me to go and pick some flowers." "Well, go and pick them, then." "Well, come on with me." "Oh, stop brooding." "Come on." "I'm not brooding." "You are." "I am not." "Come on!" "What's that?" "For your father's grave." "Where is it?" "The grave?" "Oh, it's up the hill." "Where's Toni?" "I don't know." "Find her." "Toni, Fritz is going to marry you!" "Florence is very beautiful." "She is beautiful, but she's so sure about everything." "Do you think she's sure of Lewis?" "Wouldn't be surprised if she bewitched him." "Poor Tess." "When you love someone as I love Lewis, you've just got to understand things." "You've got to understand them." "Florence is only beautiful, and she just happens to be he..." "Secrets?" "Oh, hello, Florence." "Did you find any primula?" "Well, no." "They grow over by the lake, and we didn't have time to get any before breakfast." "Well, we'll get Lewis to row us over later." "I can't wait to take you children back to England and buy you some decent clothes." "Well, I'm afraid, Florence, we don't yet know whether we're sure we want to go to England." "And I'm not so sure that you aren't too young to know what's good for you." "Well, you see, Florence, we're too young for some things, and we're too old for others." "It just happens that we're in between, you know." "I know." "I've been through that stage." "Hi." "Have you been behaving, girls?" "Really, Lewis, sometimes you can be very pompous." "I hope that's put you in your place, Mr. Dodd." "I think we should go and get the flowers." "Get plenty of flowers, and put them in some moss in the middle of the table." "Yes." "We know." "Come on." "Come on." "What's the matter?" "You have a funny look on your face." "Funny?" "You're a fool." "The fool is wondering." "You look like a man who's wondered a lot." "Mm-hmm." "A little hopelessly, I'm afraid." "Well, from what I've heard of musicians, you're all the same... strange and a little off the earth." "I've come to the earth suddenly." "Do you like it?" "Do I like you?" "Of course not." "I didn't mean that." "I meant being on the earth, out of your clouds." "Oh, I do." "I do like it very much." "But I would like to take you back to my clouds with me." "When do you leave, sir?" "At your word." "This is becoming very pretty and very gallant." "I mean it, very much." "You must have had a great success with this method of approach." "No." "I've had no success whatever, ever." "Poor Mr. Dodd," "I'm not going to attempt to believe you." "What woman could resist a trip to the clouds with someone as..." "I'm stumped." "Oh, you mean someone who wanted to kiss you the minute you got off that train?" "To kiss?" "Uh-huh." "A beautiful woman gets off the train to rescue some little girls, and a poor musician wants to take her into his arms..." "And kiss her." "And they lived happily ever after." "You know they could." "I swear they could." "They will, I think." "What?" "Live happily." "Florence." "Why do you think I stayed up here this whole week?" "I don't know." "Why?" "Tell me." "I want to hear." "I wanted to find my way up to you in your clouds." "I feel I'm not exactly the cloudy type." "I didn't know my way until you told me." "You're so you..." "So definite." "Is that what you like?" "It's what I love." "Oh, Paula, darling." "Lewis, I-I'm sorry, but..." "Huh?" "Come here!" "Breakfast is ready, and uncle Charles is screaming for everyone." "Hmm, he is?" "Paula, my lamb, I have news for you." "Florence and I are going to get married." "Are you?" "Yes." "But you scarcely know each other." "Don't be such a little woman of the world." "Do I sense competition here?" "Quite possibly, from these imps." "Well, suppose you run along, young lady, and have those hands washed." "Certainly!" "Tessa!" "Tessa!" "Uncle Charles, have you seen Tessa?" "Tessa!" "Oh, Tessa." "Well, she was here a moment ago, messing about with some flowers." "I'm famished!" "Where are the others?" "Robert-o!" "Tessa!" "Tessa?" "Hey!" "I deserve my breakfast now!" "Have you seen Tessa?" "Young lady was here just now, miss." "Roberto, have you seen her?" "Signora Tessa's going to find miss Toni." "Here they are now." "Tessa!" "Tessa!" "She's fainted." "She's quite pale." "Bring her into the house." "You told her?" "Yes." "Poor Tessa." "What's happened?" "Told her what?" "Poor little Tessa." "She often does this." "It's when she runs too hard." "Take her into our bed, Lewis." "I know how to take care of her." "She's all right, Florence." "I can take care of her." "All right." "They're excitable little things, aren't they?" "It's just a faint." "There is always something silly happening up here." "How right you are, father, dear." "Well, what are you laughing at?" "When you hear my news, you're going to faint." "I'll faint if I don't get my breakfast." "Robert-o!" " Shh!" " Si, Si, signore." "Well, well, what's the joke?" "The joke will wait till after breakfast." "Well, have you gone barmy, too?" "Yes, I'm afraid I have, darling." "Hello." "She has fainted before." "Oh, please." "Please go, Roberto." "Poor little Tessa." "Go and have your breakfast, Lewis." "Why do you run so fast?" "Don't talk to her, Lewis." "Please go." "She's all right now." "If you need anything, call me, would you?" "Isn't that lady Longborough's man?" "Yes, sir." "Hello, Charles." "Oh, there you are." "Hello." "Hello, Charles." "My dear Constance." "It's a nice drop of silk, this." "I've been behind you all the way around the park." "Couldn't mistake that fat back of yours." "When did you get back to London?" "Oh, we've been back about two weeks." "What's all this about Florence?" "My girls tell me that she's hidden that beautiful husband of hers away." "Can't wait to know what's wrong." "What's wrong with him?" "Well, it's a long story." "You're coming tonight, of course." "Oh, yes." "Called up Florence and accepted at once." "Can't wait to see this man, this Mr. Dodd." "Who was he?" "It's still a matter of conjecture." "Oh, I see." "Not a bad-looking sort of bloke." "Bangs away all day on a piano." "No!" "Oh, nothing wrong, really." "It's all quite beyond me, but as long as he keeps Florence happy." "Well, she's all I've got left, you know." "Is she happy?" "Well, it's something new for her, a chap like this." "We Creightons have always been on the exploring side." "Mm-hmm, I remember." "That nice sister of yours, Evelyn, that was a sort of musician fellow, too, wasn't it?" "Yes." "Well, that's still another story." "Well, we'll see you tonight, right?" "All right." "Goodbye." "Goodbye." "Take care of yourself." " Driver." " All right." "What's all this about?" "Mrs. Dodd's orders, sir." "The reception tonight." "The second piano, sir." "Be careful." "Be careful." "Where do you want it, governor?" "I'll let you know." "Hat, sir?" "I would like to know how you got it into your head that I am a pianist, which I'm not." "That's a pose, darling." "We're married." "Why pose to me?" "I've heard you play your composition together with Caroli, so I have Caroli coming to play the piece with you." "The other piano is coming in now." "Then let him play alone!" "Why stick me out there on exhibition?" "I've promised myself that you'll play." "I've promised lots of my friends." "I will not be told what I must or must not do!" "I've never permitted myself to be bullied, and I'm not going to start now." "I'm not a child." "Aren't you behaving like one?" "If there's one thing in the world I hate, it is your class of upper class... pompous, hardheaded, domineering." "Now you're becoming rude." "If you hated my class, why did you..." "I know." "I know." "Why did I marry you?" "Well..." "You've said that before, and each time you ask, I find it more difficult to answer." "Darling, you'll not dare say such a thing to me." "I do dare!" "I have dared!" "And it is the blunt truth." "Whatever you feel, it's most ungallant and cruel of you to say such a thing to my face." "Well, you dislike the truth." "I'm sorry I haven't got the gift for that mental sleight of hand you people call manners." "I'll not allow you to say such things to me." "Well, then, stop me or leave me alone." "What?" "The other piano, ma'am." "Oh, yes." "Bring it in here with the other one, will you?" "Come along, boys." "Good morning, Lewis." "Good morning, Charles." "I-I-I'm very angry." "You're very wet." "Well..." "Nevertheless, I-i-I've never felt less like talking to anyone in my life." "You two people, between you, are turning this house into a taproom." "If this sort of brawling seems to give you such sport, why don't you go out in the park and shout it out?" "Was I very noisy?" "I thought you were in earnest, and I'm sure the servants and the workmen about, even the policeman at the corner, shared my impression." "Where ever did you learn to behave like this, Dodd?" "Where did Florence learn to believe that she was such a superior being?" "Oh, Florence has no such illusions." "Whatever minor differences arise between you, you could have the decency to keep it between yourselves." "Yes, Charles." "Oh, I-i realize that you're a different sort of chap." "You have your ideas about things and we have ours, and there you are." "It's love's young dream, and I can readily see that it could easily go on the rocks." "I don't care for you, but Florence, well, naturally, she's of great concern to me, and let me tell you, Dodd," "I think, well, you seem to take a certain satisfaction in upsetting her." "No, no." "Well, now, look." "Those people we had to lunch last Thursday... you lunched in the park on a sandwich." "Told her you'd rather eat with the birds... share their luncheon with them." "Well, now, after all, that is a... well, it seems to me, I'm sure, that if I cared for a woman" "Well, you know what I mean." "My dear Charles," "I will not be run by Florence or anyone else." "Oh, now." "Come, come, my dear chap." "How is she trying to run you?" "Well, she wants me to become a concert pianist overnight and perform at a party." "Oh, but the poor girl's got her heart set on that." "I know." "I dislike this piano business intensely, myself." "But she's got quite a lot of friends, and you've been something of a sort of mystery chap to them all." "Well, there you are." "You know Florence." "I wonder." "Have you had any doings with horses?" "Horses." "Horses?" "I'm afraid not." "Well, if you'd had any doings with horses, you'd know that a strong, light hand works wonders." "Oh, you mean, a slap?" "No!" "What, with Florence?" "Oh, dear, not on your life." "Then you would have fireworks." "But a light rein, Lewis, my boy." "She's got plenty of spirit." "You wouldn't have her otherwise, now, would you?" "And she's really devoted to you." "I know that." "You are the first and only one, and she's a woman." "And a very charming one." "I do see clearly what you mean." "It might easily be that I'm the one that's wrong." "We must do something about it either way." "Ah, good boy." "I'm really very sorry about all this." "Now, don't you lean over too much the other way." "She'll take the bit in her teeth if you give her too much hand." "Oh, I see." "Thank you very much, Charles." "Oh, not at all." "Not at all." "Hello." "Well, here's your piano." "I hope it's in tune." "Very nice." "You're nice." "Do I always seem to get my own way?" "Well, I see no reason why you shouldn't." "I'm afraid my way is a little on the selfish side sometimes, isn't it?" "But, in this instance, it's as much for you as for me." "For me?" "I want them to know you, like you." "In other words, I want to show you off." "I'm really very proud of you." "You can't blame me, can you?" "In that case, I shall play from the heart." "You're a strange man." "Who is that letter from?" "Paula." "Oh, Paula!" "The girls." "Let me see it." "No." "It's for me, and private." "There can be nothing private about those kids." "It's addressed to me." "It was addressed to both of us." "Lewis, I'm losing my Patience with them." "Why?" "Well, they're thoroughly spoiled... both of them." ""When Florence wrote that letter to say we must stay," ""our hearts were broken." ""It is probable that we shall hang ourselves," ""but Tessa insists that it is a coward's game... hanging, I mean."" "The girls here are hateful." "They say we don't wash." ""We don't wash."" ""Because of Tessa's heart," ""she does not have to play hockey." ""I do, while she goes off and thinks of so many things." ""One thing I know she wonders is" ""whether you are having a nice time..." "And like being married."" "Well, they should be the ones to lose their Patience." "It sounds like a horrid school." "They have been there four months." "Darling, how can you say "that horrid school"?" "I was there myself." "Well, the girls say it..." "both of them." "They're not liars." "Lewis, didn't you, yourself, originally want them to go?" "Didn't you write to father to come to their aid?" "Yes, I know." "And didn't I voluntarily constitute myself their guardian?" "I know you did, darling." "What are we going to do with them now?" "Well, let them stay where they are." "Well, there's Tessa with a bad heart." "Darling, I'm assured it's not serious." "It's called a valvular lesion." "I went into the matter thoroughly." "Valvular what?" "Sounds ugly." "I don't like it." "No, we must take Tessa away." "And send her where?" "Well, wherever she can stay just as she is." "We'll go down to the school and see what it's all about." "Oh, darling, I know what it's all about." "Tonight, we have the party." "I'll go down with you tomorrow." "All right." "We'll surprise them." "Nothing would surprise those imps." "Darling, you always seem to be digging at them." "Do I?" "Yes." "You should bring this on a tray, Roberto." "Si, signora." ""Sanger sister disappeared this morning." ""Last seen at about 11:00." "Are they with you?" "I will not inform police until I hear from you."" "There, you see?" "I do see." "I'm just going to wash my hands of them." "That's all." "All right." "While you're washing your hands, I'm going to find them." "Where?" "Uh, Roberto." "Si, signore?" "Uh, first I'll go to the school." "Darling, will you be kind enough to phone them there and tell them to advise the police?" "Lewis..." "I'm almost afraid to remind you that we have guests coming tonight." "Guests?" "Our party." "Oh, well, if I find them, I'll be here." "You're not going to humiliate me by being among those missing, are you?" "Don't be absurd." "I'm certainly going to find those children." "Tell the florist we would like the festoons in the drawing room." "I don't care." "Hello, Florence." "Hello, Constance." "Hello, Alicia." "What on earth are you doing out here?" "Well, you go along in, darling." "I'll be there in a moment." "You'll catch your death of cold." "Good evening." "Ah, there you are, Charles." "Oh, hello, Constance." "Alicia." "How are you, turtle?" "Hello, sir." "Any woman's voice singing gives me a toothache." "A nerve, I suppose." "You should hold a drop of whiskey in your mouth over the tooth." "Oh, I can't do that." "I've been drinking Brandy, and they don't mix." "Wouldn't Brandy do, as well, mother?" "Yes, I suppose so." "Your Florence will have more than a toothache if she doesn't come away from that drafty door." "Really?" "Come on." "Let's go in." "What were you doing at that door?" "You'll catch your death of cold." "It's humiliating." "I don't even know where he is." "It would be like him to follow those wretched children onto the continent." "Yes, and never come back, any of them." "Don't say that." "Now, take that look off your face." "It's an excellent party, in spite of that dreadful woman in there, warbling her head off." "Good heavens." "What?" "There's that Mr. Fritzie chap." "Did you ask him?" "Lewis wanted them asked." "I didn't think they'd come all the way from France." "Hello, there." "I didn't see you come in." "Well, you were very preoccupied, madame." "At the door, yes." "Well, I'm glad you're here." "Oh, I love parties, and Fritz loves moving in higher circles, so we came." "I was frightfully sick on the boat." "Well, aren't you looking awfully well?" "You know the children have run away from school, and we're in a panic." "Lewis is out, searching for them..." "Fritz and I thought they would from their letters." "By the way, I'm going to have a baby." "Florence, did you hear anything since I telephoned?" "No." "Hello, Lewis." "Hello, Fritz." "Lewis, darling!" "And did you find them?" "No, no." "I'm worried to death." "What did you do?" "Well, I was going up to sevenoaks from that school, and I knew you wanted me back for..." "For this thing." "I've got Scotland yard after them." "Darling, will you hurry and change now?" "Roberto's waiting for you." "Hmm?" "Oh, yes." "I must." "You two come up with me." "We can talk." "Yes." "Careful, darling." "Hurry!" "Roberto!" "I'm going to have a baby." "Hello, Roberto." "Listen, Lewis." "They are here." "Signora Paula, signora Tessa." "Here?" "!" "Yes." "They arrived two hours ago." "Did you tell madame?" "Oh, no." "The girls will not have it." "They see the people in the party, they are afraid, so they wait in the stables." "Well, go and get there, pronto!" "That's a load off my mind." "In the stables?" "Yes." "The studio where I work is over the stables." "Florence fixed it up for me." "Lewis, Fritz and I have been talking." "As I'm going to have a baby, I'll need company, and..." "Little Toni is going to have a baby." "Lewis, don't embarrass me." "Oh, I've got to dress." "Paula could come with us to Paris." "She'd be very happy with us, and she could go on with her dancing." "And we could leave Tessa to your tender mercies." "Yes." "When is the big performance?" "Four weeks." "Regents hall." "Come along, Fritz." "He wants to dress." "I'll be down." "This is Toni, and this is Mr. Bercovy." "Lady Longborough." "The husband." "Are you hiding a family, as well as a husband?" "Will you excuse me, please?" "Who were those little girls?" "My little sisters." "The police were after you." "The police?" "Oh, Lewis, you didn't!" "Of course I did." "What was I to do?" "Tessa, did you know the police were after us?" "Lewis!" "Whee!" "They're back." "So we all heard." "Hello, Florence." "We do hope we're not in the way." "Of course not." "Hello, Tessa." "Good evening, Florence." "Lewis..." "What are you so shy about?" "I'm not shy." "I've come to lay my bones among you." "Darling, it's been so long." "Longer than the longest book." "Yes." "Now, come along." "You're like a little boy." "You're younger than they are." "What a beautiful suit." "Thank you, darling." "I'm really sorry about all this." "About us coming back?" "No." "Here we go." "Now, you kids behave." "Please don't be angry, Florence." "We couldn't bear that school a moment longer." "Now, why didn't you let us know you were running away?" "We've been off our heads all day." "Haven't we, Florence?" "I imagined you dead under trains, hanging from trees." "I could not bear it!" "We'll go down now." "I'll send you children up something to eat." "Oh, thank you so much, Florence." "We're starved." "Oh, you mean you haven't had anything to eat?" "Aww." "When did you get here?" "Hours ago." "Why didn't I know?" "Oh, darling, you were having a party." "Naturally, they were afraid you would be upset." "You can see that, can't you?" "Anyone would think I was an old ogress." "Oh, come on." "I shall play for you, sweet Florence, as I've never played before." "What are you going to play?" "Oh, the Sanger symphony." "Oh, Lewis, are you?" "It's called "tomorrow."" "A symphonic poem." "Even you will like it." "Come along, darling." "C-can we listen, do you think?" "I shall be most hurt if you don't." "From up there, though." "Naturally, Florence." "Florence, where have you been?" "Lewis, my boy." "I want to introduce you to one of my oldest friends." "May I present my son-in-law," "Mr. Lewis Dodd, lady Longborough?" "How do you do, Mr. Dodd?" "How do you do?" "At long last." "Here he is, Alicia." "This is my daughter, Alicia." "How do you do?" "How do you do?" "Captain turtle." "How do you do?" "Turtle?" "Uh, turtle." "Yes, sir." "I will buzz along, then." "You know, a little bubbly water." "Yes, yes." "Run along." "Excuse us." "Yes, mother." "Is his name really turtle?" "Yes... turtle." "Archie turtle." "Yes, why?" "I don't know." "Well, what's the joke?" "He's no joke, Charles." "What's no joke?" "Captain turtle." "Isn't there a fable about a fox and a turtle?" "Oh, no." "You mean the hare and the turtle." "Oh, Archie turtle has a very fine pack of foxhounds, if that's what you mean." "Yes." "That's exactly what we mean, Charles." "You two seem to have clicked." "Have you met before?" "No, no." "Very unfortunately." "Dodd's very well-mannered, and he couldn't look less like a musician." "Well, you should live in this house and hear him musician-ing every morning." "Oh, my husband used to sing in the bath every morning, regularly." "I'm sure he did." "He had good cause to be happy." "I could beat Florence for hiding you away from me." "Florence!" "Come here!" "Constance is stealing your husband." "Oh ho ho, to the piano with you, my boy." "Mr. Caroli's waiting for you." "And besides, you're making too much of a success with the women." "If you take him away, I shall go." "Oh, really?" "I'm 72 years old," "I don't like music, and I have an appointment with a horse." "Tonight?" "No." "In the morning..." "Early." "Sylvia, my mare, gets fretty if I'm late." "Mr. Caroli's getting fretty about your music." "Come along, darling." "I'll have a drink." "You can have one later." "Please, stay." "He's going to play now." "Yes." "I'll stay." "Get me a straight chair." "It was very kind of you to come, Mr. Caroli." "You know, I'm not a concert pianist." "You'll have to do most of it." "You have written a mouthful." "A lot of people don't like music." "Quiet, father." "Please." "That wretched woman warbling did them all in." "On your own head, be it." "It's a wonder to me any reasonable piano can stand up under such a pounding." "Maybe that's why they have two pianos." "Quiet, uncle Charles." "What's the matter with you?" "That's not what he said he'd play." "The first opening chords were the ones" "Sanger wrote down that day, but the main theme of the song, it's so dissonant." "There's no melodic line." "There's no feeling of it." "It's just rhythm." "It's very modern." "It's a long way from tears." "What do you mean?" "Sanger said Lewis would be great if he could only cry or..." "or suffer." "I suppose this is a form of suffering." "Oh, don't joke!" "Listen to it." "I am, and he's forgotten his heart again." "He did remember it once." "Remember?" "And then Florence came along, and he lost it again, and they lived happily ever after." "That's not what I mean." "It's his music." "Well, what can you do about it?" "Lewis is gone from us." "How else could it ever be now?" "Morning." "Good morning, miss Tessa." "Nice party last night?" "Yes, miss." "Good morning." "Good morning, miss." "Good morning, Tessa." "Good morning, Florence." "Very nice last night, Thorpe." "Thank you, ma'am." "There will be six for lunch, and tell cook I'll come down and see her." "Thank you." "Morning, Hamilton!" "Morning, miss Tessa." "Oh, Florence." "Yes?" "Must have been a lovely party last night." "Yes, it was." "I'm really awfully sorry about us." "Yes." "We must talk about that." "Well, at least you've got one of us off your hands." "I just saw Paula off at the station with Toni and Fritz, and she looked very happy." "Now we only have one little problem." "Well, speaking of problems, where's Lewis?" "At work in his studio." "Oh, thank you." "He's working." "Yes, I know." "Good morning, Robert-o!" "If you have a bad heart, why do you dash upstairs like that?" "Well, here I am, the last of the brood." "And the pick of the bunch." "Well, I'm glad about one thing." "What's that?" "You haven't been turned into a lady." "I thought that's what you wanted me to become." "No." "Promise me you won't change." "You're perfect as you are." "Think so?" "I know so." "Here." "Is your concert really on the 28th?" "Uh-huh." "28th." "Regents hall." "Are you very excited about it?" "Not a bit." "I wouldn't blame you." "Why?" "Oh, it's only my opinion." "Of what?" "Of what Sanger's opinion would be if he'd come to your very nice party last night." "Well, in the first place, it was not my very nice party." "It was Florence's very nice party." "Sounded a bit like it." "Tessa." "Are you being ungracious?" "Hmm?" "Of course not." "I only meant that, uh..." "What?" "What?" "What do you mean?" "You know what I mean." "You mean this?" "Don't stop." "It's so exciting." "What's exciting?" "You really took them by storm last night." "They were thrilled." "They were amateurs." "Ask Tessa what she thinks of it." "Why should I?" "She's a musician." "And what is your opinion, Tessa?" "Well, it was very loud, and it was very defiant, and it was very aggressive, and I suppose some people would pretend to like it even if they didn't understand it." "And did you understand it, Tessa?" "Thank you, Florence." "Unfortunately, no, and I don't think Lewis did, either." "That is, if he's as honest about his work as he always has been." "What are you talking about?" "A symphonic poem, entitled "tomorrow,"" "by Lewis Dodd, remember?" "That's what she's talking about." "And it was very beautiful once, and you had a melodic line, and you were going to develop it." "And I haven't developed it, I suppose." "You know you haven't." "Oh, what's the matter with you, darling Lewis?" "I don't know." "I'm bewildered." "You aren't taking her seriously, are you?" "Why do you argue with her?" "Lewis had something very worthwhile once." "Sanger said so, and at the time, Lewis agreed." "Then he must have become ashamed of it and hid it under a lot of..." "A lot of what?" "Mathematics." "Lewis is in deathly terror of sentiment, about his work, I mean." "Aren't you, Lewis?" "The melody is here." "Oboes." "Listen." "I did listen last night." "Eight measly little bars, and then suddenly, off you go." "You sound like a railway engine." "Bangity-bangity-bang!" "Bangity-bangity-bang?" "What do you mean?" "Really, Lewis." "I wonder you have the Patience." "Of course I have Patience." "She's a Sanger." "Sanger or not, I hope you won't change it." "I must say, all you Sanger people are so talented." "It's a wonder to me you don't write something of your own." "I wish I could, but, you see, I have no talent or... or vocation for anything." "Well, let's change the subject." "Oh, I've spoken to miss butterfield on the telephone, and she absolutely refuses to have you back, so I've decided upon a new school for you, that is, if they'll have you." "No, no." "School for Tessa is out of the question." "She can't play games, and she doesn't like girls, and girls don't like her." "What are we to do with her?" "Well, the first thing is to find out whether her instinct is really right about this piece." "You wouldn't think of changing it." "Why not?" "What's wrong?" "Well, your concert's in four weeks." "Well, you don't think I would perform, knowing I've missed?" "But you haven't missed." "You're caught up in all this mad Sanger nonsense again, and after you've worked so steadily and so seriously." "Perhaps too steadily and too seriously." "Tessa, will you speak when you're spoken to?" "Would you please not lose your temper?" "!" "Oh, I started this." "I'm sorry." "All right." "All right." "Eh, let's stop all this, Florence." "If you don't mind, I'd like to think a little." "Of course." "Uh, we'll go for a walk in the park, Tessa, and talk about you and what to do." "Come along." "No." "As a matter of fact," "I'd like Tessa to stay here and talk about it." "Obviously, she remembers the original plan." "Oh, of course I'll stay, Lewis, if you really want me to." "Would that be all right, Florence?" "Certainly." "Lewis, that's it!" "All right." "It will be four dozen of these to Mrs. Lewis Dodd." "200 Grosvenor square." "Four dozen of these." "Mrs. Lewis Dodd." "Grosvenor square." "I think I'll take the large one." "Would you wrap it up nicely?" "I'd like to take it with me." "Oh, excuse me." "Do you think that's too large for Lewis?" "No." "It's beautiful, but I don't think he'll wear it." "Oh, I think he will." "Um, do you, by any chance, send bouquets to male composers?" "I've never heard of it, miss." "No, but I am sending flowers to Florence." "Oh, are you?" "What are you sending?" "Roses... four dozen." "Oh, Fritzie." "Wouldn't it be fun if you sent the flowers to Florence from Lewis?" "Lewis has never, ever sent her flowers, and I don't blame him, because he's been working so hard, but, oh, she'd be so pleased." "All right." "Then I'll send some more from Toni and me." "Oh, no, no." "That would take all the gloss off the gingerbread." "There'd be nothing but roses." "Oh, let's just send these from Lewis." "All right." "And what shall I write on the card?" "She knows your handwriting." "Oh, he can write it." "Um, the cards, please." "Thank you." "Um, would you be kind enough to write in a kind of untidy handwriting?" "Uh, "to dear, kind Florence."" "No, "kind" isn't right." "That's not enough." "What is she?" "Oh, "to dear, dear, patient Florence." "To dear, dear, patient Florence, with all my love, Lewis."" "No." "Just say "love."" ""Dear, dear, patient Florence." "Your Lewis."" "Thank you." "No, he wouldn't say that." "Um, leave out the "your." Just say "Lewis."" ""To dear, patient Florence." "Lewis."" "Thank you very much." "You'll send them over right away." "You know the address." "Thank you." "Come on, Fritzie." "Thank you." "You'll write it very untidily, won't you?" "Yes." "Oh, look." "They're all over." "They're all over London." "Oh, I'm so excited, I can hardly breathe." "Would you stand still just a minute?" "Thank you." ""Regents hall, first performance." ""A symphonic poem for voice and orchestra." "'Tomorrow' by Lewis Dodd."" "Oh, I-i wish..." "Toni and Paula were here to see it all." "We'll be over in spring to stay, after the baby." "Oh, isn't Toni excited?" "It's such fun, creating things, isn't it?" "Good evening, sir." " Is tea ready?" " Oh, yes, miss." "Now, you're going to see Lewis if I have to carry you." "May I take your box now?" "May I have my dress?" "Come on." "Hello, my darling uncle." "Hello." "You remember Fritzie, don't you?" "How do you do, sir?" "I have to go to the hotel now." "No, no, no." "Mr. Fritzie." "I shall never forget him." "How do you do, sir?" "Well, you look nice and warm and comfy." "I have to go back." "You're going to say hello to Lewis!" "But I have an appointment!" "Dear, now, you come and pour me a cup of tea." "This place is like the Sahara desert... not a soul in sight, and it's after 5:00." "All right." "I will." "Goodbye, sir." "Now, Fritzie, you go through there and up those stairs, and don't forget to tell Lewis about the flowers for Florence, so he knows." "Oh, yes." "The flowers." "Ooh, nice." "Ohh." "What?" "I've got a stitch." "It's all right." "It's nothing." "Oh, I'm so excited." "It's tonight." "Our Lewis' name is advertised on all the sandwich boards." "Oh, well..." "Look." "What is it?" "It's my dress." "Toni sent it." "Fritz bought it." "I won't look such a child in this, will I?" "Well, you don't call yourself a child, young woman." "Well..." "It's fresh." "If I'm not a child, then why does your sweet daughter, Florence, insist on bundling me away to that finishing school in harrogate?" "I can assure you, if it doesn't finish me," "I shall be here at home on and off until I die." "That is, of course, if Florence invites me." "Oh, my darling uncle." "Can't I marry you?" "And then I'll be sure of having someplace to stay on my holidays." "You'll have me whacking away at that silly piano all day, just as you do with that extraordinary son-in-law of mine." "Yes, you're right." "He is extraordinary..." "And very, very tired." "Oh." "Hello, Florence." "Who's tired?" "Uh, Lewis." "He was working until 2:00 this morning and then rehearsed at 11:00." "Oh, you have your tea, father." "Yes..." "All arranged for tonight?" "Yes." "We're going to the savoy." "Oh, Florence?" "Yes?" "Speaking of the savoy," "I..." "I was wondering how you like this dress." "Toni sent it." "Fritz bought it." "Fritz?" "Oh, I thought I heard his voice in the studio." "Well, if they want their tea, they better come now." "It's getting late." "I've sent for Lewis twice." "I'll get him." "Toot sweet." "She'll get him." "If she hasn't already!" "My dear girl, what are you talking about?" "You know, Florence, I'm not quite such a fool that I don't see what's going on." "It's obvious." "A blind man could see it." "No, no, no, no." "I mean, what's going on with you, not with anyone else." "You are the one that's heaping coals of fire." "And let me tell you, if you care anything about this husband of yours, you'd better pull yourself together." "Stop mooning about like a woman in a novel." "You have little Tessa on the defensive for him." "I heard it just now." "I dislike her intensely." "Yes, and you've made that quite obvious to all and sundry." "I saw my sister, Evelyn, get herself into just such a mess, and it killed her." "Lewis has been very happy here, and so have I, until these wretched Sanger children came storming back." "They're like a drug to him." "There's some sort of language between them that only they themselves can understand." "Oh, I feel like a stranger in my own house." "He said quite casually to me today that he might go off, away, alone, after the concert." "What?" "Go away." "There you are." "He's like a weather vane, this fellow." "I..." "I hardly see him anymore." "Lewis is the only man I ever truly cared for or I ever will care for." "It's some sort of a strange, slow process of defeat." "They're either very innocent..." "Or very clever." "If you don't stop hammering away at it, you'll force them to make a bolt for it." "You'll see." "You don't want them to bolt, do you?" "That's my nightmare." "I'm so afraid of it." "I couldn't stand it." "Poor little Florence." "Come on." "Get your chin up." "You've always had your own way." "You want everything you wanted all along the line." "Now, if you have to be a loser, well..." "Don't worry." "I won't lose." "I-I think I'll toddle off." "They're advertising your name on the sandwich boards everywhere." "My dear sir." "Oh, I'm just going to get 40 winks before the show." "It isn't a show, and don't you fall asleep tonight, either." "Don't you think you ought to get 40 winks?" "Oh, but by that time, I don't even want 20 winks." "I'm wide awake." "Florence, darling, sorry I am late." "Blame it on Fritzie." "So you're the culprit, Mr. Fritz." "How's Toni?" "Well, she was fine when I left her." "I'm going to telephone her now." "It's my dress." "Toni sent it." "Do you like it?" "Very pretty." "Why, thank you." "Oh, tea, Mr. Fritz?" "No, no, no." "Thank you." "I have to go." "We'll be seeing you tonight, Fritzie?" "Yes, of course." "Good." "Tea, Lewis?" "No, thank you, darling." "A little later on," "I might be persuaded to have a small Brandy and soda." "Oh, I'll get it for you." "He said later!" "I'm sorry." "Well, uh, I might just as well have it now." "Here is Thorpe." "Bring the decanter of Brandy and some soda, will you?" "I forgot to tell Lewis about the flowers." "You know, I'm very jealous." "Who's been sending you flowers?" "Lewis." "Come, come." "No secrets." "Let me see the card." "Oh, Lewis, I forgot." "What did you forget?" "Madame, I have to explain to you..." "Well, it was really my fault, you see." "We were at the florist..." "Oh, Fritzie, now you've gone and spoiled it all." "What is this for?" "Well, Florence, you see, I bought some flowers for Lewis to give to you, and then Fritzie forgot to tell Lewis..." "Yes, of course." "Of course." "I did ask Fritz if he would be kind enough to..." "Lewis." "Thorpe, just put these flowers in Mr. Dodd's studio, will you?" "Yes, madame." "Oh, darling." "You're not cross, are you?" "Of course not." "Why discuss it?" "Although I don't think it's important enough to lie about." "You know, I am a thoughtless brute." "I should have done something like that on my own." "I'm sorry, darling." "It is the nature of the beast, I'm afraid." "I wouldn't have any regrets." "Anyway, you have Tessa to think for you." "Florence, truthfully, it was only an idea, a thought, and it went wrong." "Well, see you tonight, Fritzie." "Why, yes." "Did Mr. Fritz think up the words "patient Florence"?" "Oh, darling, you are patient." "And you are altogether too nice to be upset, today of all days." "You won't recognize the music tonight, Fritzie." "Has it been changed?" "Got a little heart in it now." "And you're familiar with Lewis' heart?" "I appreciate it, if that's what you mean." "But I suppose I always have." "Good night." "Oh, good night." "Good night." "We'll see you tonight." "Come and take the weight off your feet." "What do you think it is with Florence?" "I don't know." "She's quite unaccountable." "Well, what do you think it is?" "I don't know!" "Today, I told her that I thought" "I would go away somewhere, alone, after the concert." "Oh, I see." "Well, that could easily be it." "Was she very angry?" "I don't know." "I can't tell." "She was very quiet." "Oh, I..." "I feel sorry for her." "But we shouldn't be talking about these private things, should we?" "I..." "Suddenly feel ashamed." "I've felt ashamed for so long." "No, don't say it." "I don't want to hear." "Then you know what I mean?" "No, I don't." "I won't." "I don't want to know." "Are you disturbed about me?" "Of course I am!" "Little Tessa." "Such a little Tessa." "Such an insignificant, nuisance little Tessa." "I think I've known it always." "And yet, why didn't I know?" "Lewis, whatever you think you know, you must forget." "You must forget it now." "I love you, Tessa." "No." "I know I always have." "Once, a long time ago, when I kept a diary," "I wrote something down." "Did you?" ""One day, Lewis will look at me, and then everything will be all right."" "And I did look." "There were other things to see." "That was all." "Please don't talk about it." "It's too late now." "Please." "No, it isn't." "You're coming away with me." "Why did you marry Florence?" "I don't know..." "Now." "You couldn't have thought anything about me." "Tessa, I always have, really." "Then it was unfair to both of us for you to marry her." "You were so mad to get her that you forgot all about me!" "Oh, if only you'd waited a bit." "It was something I didn't realize." "Can you understand that?" "How can I not understand you?" "You've been in my mind all the time." "You've never really been away from me." "Oh, Tessa." "I promised myself to you such a long time ago." "My darling." "No!" "There's Florence." "She's my cousin." "I've been living in her house." "She's been very kind." "And, anyway, you belong to her." "But if it weren't for that," "I'd rather go away with you than anything else in the world." "But as things stand, I can't." "I can't." "They'd say we've been carrying on behind Florence's back." "I'd be a traitor." "I can't." "One must do as one thinks right, mustn't one?" "I've said my say." "Oh, Robert-o!" "Scusi, signore, but all the servants go to the concert but me." "Oh, poor souls." "Well, if you must hear it, there's a wireless radio down in my study." "You can switch it on down there." "Grazie, signore." "All right, Robert-o." "Florence?" "Are we going to be late as usual?" "It's half past." "Very beautiful, my dear." "Thank you, father." "I don't know about Lewis." "Oh." "Lewis, huh?" "Well..." "Go along, father." "Well, now, hurry." "There's a good girl." "I couldn't face this thing without a bite and a glass or two of something or other." "I'll be down." "Well, hurry, now." "There's a good girl." "You look lovely, my dear." "No white tie, dear?" "I'm not conducting tonight." "I prefer to wear this." "I see you've packed." "Oh, yes." "Take me with you." "Oh, Florence, don't you think it is much wiser for us..." "I'm very sorry about this afternoon, but I thought you'd sent me some flowers." "Oh, darling." "I can understand so well how you felt." "Can you understand how I feel now that you're going away?" "Lewis, I'd do anything in the world that you asked me to... go anywhere, be anything, do anything." "Florence, I can't let you say things like this." "I mean, you can't put yourself in this position." "After all, that's..." "I'm the one." "Oh, I don't care." "I mean it." "I'm honest, we're married, and I love you." "The fact that I haven't completely understood you hasn't been all my fault, because I've tried." "And all the time," "I've had the feeling that I was succeeding bit by bit." "This is humiliating, really." "For you?" "No, of course not." "For you." "You're attractive and young." "You deserve so much more than I can ever be to you." "You're giving me up?" "Please." "You can't put it that way." "All right." "But you don't want me anymore?" "Give me another chance." "I'm begging you." "Look at me." "Don't tell me what's in your mind just now." "I don't think I could stand it." "I'm sure I couldn't." "You're going away for a while." "I'll wait for you." "You might miss me." "I hope you will a little." "Will you do me a favor while I'm gone?" "Anything." "It's about Tessa." "What has Tessa to do with us?" "You were speaking of understanding just now." "If you could just try to understand her." "But what does Tessa matter just now?" "Well, only that I won't be here, and..." "And what?" "Well, if I could only be sure that you two are good friends and that you understand her." "Yes?" "Don't look like that." "Go on." "Well, you know Tessa." "She's tender and loyal, and she deserves to be loved." "Since when have you loved her so deeply?" "Always, I think." "Then why did you marry me?" "I-I saw no one but you then." "Have you told her?" "Does she know?" "Yes, and she will have none of me." "She spoke of you immediately." "That's why I'm asking you to try and understand what she's really like." "Don't ask me to try and understand." "I do." "Don't you dare suggest..." "I do dare!" "I told you, she will have nothing to do with me, ever!" "Because of you." "I don't believe it!" "I've seen enough of the whole pack of them to know that they can't be trusted!" "And in this house!" "How could you?" "What else could it have been?" "You could even think such a thing about that child." "Don't call her a child!" "It makes it even more contemptible." "I've put the thought away again and again because it was so horrible, because I felt that, no matter what she was," "You... you, at least, were decent." "I told you to go to the concert." "I was getting the smelling salts, ma'am." "I don't need them." "They're for miss Tessa, ma'am." "Miss Tessa?" "She came on faint." "One of them spells she has." "Where?" "In her room." "I'll take them." "Come in." "Hello, Florence." "I thought you were ill." "Hamilton said you were." "Well, it's... it's just one of those silly dizzy spells." "I'm all right, really." "Please don't bother." "I... it's the excitement of tonight." "Yes, the excitement of so many things." "You better rest quietly here." "You could easily have palpitations during the performance." "Oh, no, I won't." "Lie down quietly, and I'll have Dr. Tomlin come in and see you." "Oh, please, no." "These things pass off." "They always do." "You will do as you're told." "What's the matter, Florence?" "You know, I should never have come here, really." "I'm only a nuisance." "Don't you think that if I... if I packed my bag and went away with Fritz and stayed with Toni and Paula for a little while in Paris and got some sort of job and were out of the way," "don't you think that that would be better?" "Did you know that Lewis was leaving for the continent immediately after the concert?" "Yes, but not to Paris." "You know his plans!" "Florence, don't have those thoughts, please!" "All he said was that he was going away!" "And you promptly had palpitations!" "Go away." "Why did you run away from school?" "To be near Lewis?" "Why did you unsettle him about his work?" "You know quite well what I'm talking about, and you succeeded, didn't you?" "Didn't you?" "With Lewis?" "Me?" "Of course." "Oh, you're making a horrible mistake." "Such a little girl, so innocent." "I'm talking to you now as one woman to another." "I'm accusing you directly into your face." "You flung yourself at my husband in this house, and you succeeded!" "I can't help it if I love Lewis!" "I did long before you came to Switzerland, and it's not a happy thing." "It's brought nothing but sadness into my life, and yet, it's so much all of me," "I wouldn't want it to be different." "But I have come to understand that he's your husband, and I'm not going to see him anymore." "That's the reason I want to go away." "But, as for your thinking that we..." "Or anything else." "It's horrible, and it's shocking, and I wouldn't even lower myself to deny it." "But I've told you that I love Lewis, and I can't help it." "You talk of love!" "You don't even know what it means!" "Oh, yes, I do." "I know all about it." "What do you mean by that?" "What do you mean?" "!" "Florence, please!" "Tessa!" "Tessa." "Come along." "Tessa." "Tessa." "Shouldn't you be going?" "It's getting late." "I do think I'd lie down." "Yes, I will." "Please don't be late." "I'm all right." "Here are the smelling salts." "Thank you." "Come in." "Oh, what a pretty dress." "Think so?" "Ready?" "No." "What's the matter?" "Oh, well, I..." "What happened?" "I had a few flutters..." "flutterings inside." "It's nothing for you to think about." "Now, you'd better hurry." "What caused it?" "Oh, the excitement of the concert." "Have they sent for the doctor?" "Of course not." "I-I'm used to them." "I know all about my valvular "lessons."" "What?" "My..." "Lesions." "They go as quickly as they come." "Sure you're all right now?" "Well, of course." "I wouldn't lie to you." "All right." "Hurry up and finish dressing." "I'll tie that up for you." "Well, I-i wonder if I should." "Why?" "Well, these spells behave in the most embarrassing way sometimes." "I wouldn't want to go all fluttery in the middle of the performance." "They come rather quickly... sort of a clumpy feeling here, and then things are apt to go a little blurred, and then we'd have me slithering down on the floor, and considerate old gentlemen would break their poor old backs" "trying to help me up." "Then the critics would come out tomorrow and say that you stunned your audience, or at least one of them." "So, I think I'll stay here quietly and concentrate." "I may possibly be going away." "I think I'll think about it now." "Where would you go?" "Anywhere." "Away from my situation." "It's getting late." "You'd better be going." "No." "Our piece is not played until last." ""Our piece." Oh, sweet, generous Lewis." ""Our piece."" "There's no one like you in all the world." "I've always known that, but you haven't." "You haven't known yourself at all." "No, I did today, I think." "You mustn't." "To say, you know," "I've lived so much longer in this hard world than you have, but you have such wisdom about things." "Have I?" "Yes." "You said downstairs so truly that ours was an impossible situation." "I wonder if you know how many things have made it so." "It isn't that I am married to Florence." "It isn't that there are so many years dividing you and me." "No, it's something that has been with me ever since I was a little boy, hearing strange music in almost anything, you know." "Yes." "Everything." "Anything that came into my mind was never quite of this earth." "Really?" "Poor, poor, dear Lewis." "You've never really possessed happiness, have you?" "I have no way to find it." "I've never had the power to sense it or take it." "Oh, I've been very fortunate." "I've always had it, as long I can remember." "Why, I've been very fortunate, thanks so much to you." "You know, I've never thought of you as either older or younger." "Tell me, did you ever suspect and then brush me away as a child?" "Did you?" "No." "Truthfully, no." "Although the other day, when I thought you were lost," "I nearly went out of my mind." "No, it's just this evening, downstairs." "When I looked at you, everything that I ever longed for seemed to be there for me." "Really?" "You must go to your music now." "I'll be thinking of you." "Please go, dear, sweet Lewis." "Please." "I want you to." "I don't want to leave you a bit." "Even if I ask you very nicely?" "I'll come straight back." "Aren't you going away?" "You said you were." "I'm coming back." "Hurry." "Bless you." "You always kiss my forehead." "Even when I'm thinking about you, my forehead Bobs itself up to be kissed, naturally." "Beloved." "That's a very beautiful word." "You can feel it, but it sounds hard to say." "What?" "Beloved." "I forgot to give you your flower." "I don't know when I'll see you again to give it to you..." "Because I'm going away." "I must." "Lewis!" "Your Florence is having fits." "We... we gave you up." "Come along, old boy." "The horses are just leaving the paddock." "Sorry." "Are you really a shrinking Violet?" "We thought you'd deserted us." "Due respect to dear Beethoven, the thing's given me a slight head." "Oh, Constance." "It was his fifth." "Here's Lewis." "Lady Saunders." "General Saunders." "Hello again." "This is your place." "No, no, no." "Please, please." "The place is packed." "Where were you?" "I walked." "He hasn't missed a thing." "The whole thing was very loud and harsh." "Your hands are like ice." "I don't wonder." "Even I'm nervous." "Success, Lewis." "Oh, I forgot." "Good luck." "Same here!" "Thank you very much." "That's regents hall coming through." "Yes." "Where do you go?" "With Fritz to Toni in Paris." "I'll get you something to eat." "All right." "Shh!" "I've been calling you." "Yes, Lewis." "You wanted me to call you, didn't you?" "Oh, yes." "I've waited so long to hear you call me." "You're not going to school or anywhere else." "Then I'll never be a great lady." "You are to me." "No, no." "I want to be growing up like stinkweeds." "That doesn't sound very nice, Lewis." "You want to be with me always, don't you?" "Yes, always." "Forever and ever." "It's all of that that frightens me." "You must never be afraid." "You must be protected." "Protected?" "Yes." "But my heart's a very simple heart." "Isn't that some protection?" "Yes." "May I protect you or try to?" "There are so many years between us." "But you belong to me." "You always have, even before I was born." "When you were a little boy, you must have longed inside of you for me... for me to take care of you." "I was on my way to you then." "I'm late, but I'm here." "I've been waiting for you." "Sanger said if Lewis could ever suffer or cry..." "Lewis... ♪ when I am dead ♪" "♪ Another love will cheer thee ♪" "♪ The sun will rise ♪" "♪ A bright tomorrow morn ♪" "I'm afraid!" "The words frighten me!" "♪ The birds will sing ♪" "♪ Though I no longer near thee ♪" "♪ Must lie forlorn ♪" "♪ Lie forlorn ♪" "♪ When I am in my grave ♪" "♪ The flowers blowing ♪" "♪ Shall make thee garlands 20 times as sweet ♪" "♪ Beauty will live ♪" "♪ Though I must sleep unknowing ♪" "♪ Beneath thy feet ♪" "♪ Must sleep beneath thy feet ♪" "Where's Mr. Dodd?" "Oh, where is he?" "He left." "Where's Dodd?" "He went before it finished." "Did Florence go with him?" "I didn't see her." "Well, she left just after." "Well, we'll stop by our house for a nightcap." "Your cab was just driving away." "Lewis..." "Roberto, where is miss Tessa?" "Darling, I must talk to you for a moment." "I can't go on another moment with your hating me." "How can I possibly hate you?" "How can you not hate me?" "I've said unkind things..." "wicked things." "I was jealous." "I couldn't help it." "Can you understand?" "Of course I can understand." "I'm not going to stand in your way another moment, and I want to tell her so myself." "May I?" "Why the sudden change?" "Because I love you and I want you to be happy." "This is all my fault, Florence." "I'm the guilty one." "How can you possibly be guilty?" "People don't arrange these things." "Something else does." "I'm sure of that." "I realized it tonight, watching you in the box, hearing it in the music." "Anyone else would have been..." "would have... well, you've been gentle and very honest, but that's because you're you." "My dear Florence, don't think for one moment that I haven't been conscious of your... your quality, your... no, I just happen to exist outside your inner world and Tessa's." "I understand it very clearly." "You must never be sorry for me." "We're friends, all of us, aren't we, always?" "Always." "Yes." "Here they are." "Florence sent them all off to the show." "Poor darling." "Go on with your story, sir." "No, no, no, Charles." "You're incorrigible." "Well, I never saw the girl again." "All these guests." "Don't you think so, sir?" "What?" "About 30." "Olympia's 38, not a day more." "Is she asleep?" "Yes." "Is that her bag?" "Yes." "She's gone away?" "Yes." "Did she have the concert on the radio?" "Yes." "Tessa." "Tessa!" "Look at Tessa."