"She was Lo." "Plain Lo in the morning." "Standing four feet ten in one sock." "She was Lola in slacks." "She was Dolly at school." "She was Dolores on the dotted line." "In my arms, she was always... ..Lolita." "Light ofmy life." "Fire ofmy loins." "My sin." "My soul." "Lolita." "But there might have been no Lolita at all... ..had I not first metAnnabel." "We were both 14." "Whatever happens to a boy during the summer he's 14... ..can mark him for life." "That hotel you see, the Mirana,... ..that belonged to us." "She wanted to be a nurse." "I wanted to be a spy." "All at once we were madly, hopelessly in love." "Four months later, she died oftyphus." "The shock ofher death froze something in me." "The child I loved was gone." "But I kept looking for her... ..long after I'd left my own childhood behind." "The poison was in the wound, you see." "And the wound wouldn't heal." "I probably should have joined the priesthood." "Instead, I accepted a teaching post at Beardsley College in America." "I had a summer free before the Fall semester." "I thought I'd finish a textbook I was working on." "A survey ofFrench literature for American students." "I took my advance... ..and went to live at the house offriends of my late uncle's, the McCoos,... ..in the New England town ofRamsdale." "But on arriving, I found that it was no longer there." "But a friend ofMrs McCoo,... ..a widow, Mrs Charlotte Haze,... ..agreed to accommodate me." " Goddamn dog!" "One minute." "Something's burnin'." "Lord have mercy!" "Mrs Haze'll be down in one." "ls that Professor Humbert, Louise?" "Tell him I'll be down in one." "She'll be down in one!" "Monsieur Humbert." "Uh, yes." "Mrs Haze, is it?" "Charlotte." "I am so pleased to make your acquaintance." "Frank McCoo told me all about your scholarly pursuits." "I myself just cherish the French tongue." "Um..." "I wonder, could I..." "Mm." "Come in." "Harold and I, the late Mr Haze,... ..we simply adored Mexico." "The whole idea of a culture that sophisticated." "And we think of them as primitive." "I mean, look at us!" "Indeed, yes." "Upstairs." "I and Lo have our rooms just there." "And this is your room." "Space for a desk, anything you want." "And at $20 a month, you can't beat the price." "And here's the bathroom." "It's a bit of a mess." "And this is the kitchen." "Now, if you have any special food needs, you just say." "I don't know if Ramsdale can provide you with foie grass, like you're used to." "What's that?" "Uh... timetable." "For when I um..." "I was hoping I wouldn't have to, but I think I've got to go back to New York." " Oh, you're not too favourably impressed." " No..." "There's a Baudelaire conference..." "This is not a neat household, but you would be very comfortable here." "Very comfortable indeed." "Don't say no until you've seen the piazza." "Come." "Well, I call it the piazza." "It's so much work to keep it healthy and green." "It's a life's work." "That's my Lo." "And these are my lilies." "I love lilies." " Lily's a nice name, don't you think?" " Beautiful." "Beautiful!" "How much did you say the room was?" "A normal man,... ..given a group photograph of schoolgirls... ..and asked to point out the loveliest one,... ..will not necessarily choose the nymphet among them." "You have to be an artist,... ..a madman, full ofshame and melancholy and despair,... ..in order to recognise the little deadly demon among the others." "She stands... ..unrecognised by them,... ..unconscious herself of her fantastic power." " See you later, alligator." " After a while, crocodile!" " Real soon, Daniel Boone." " Get fucked, Daffy Duck." "# Don't know why..." "there's no sun up in the sky" "# Stormy weather" "# Since my man and I ain't together..." "You woke me up." " Sorry." "I'll stop." "Dolores!" "Have you made your bed?" "No, I have not made my bed." "I asked you to make your bed, didn't I?" "No." "You asked me if I'd made my bed." "Make your bed." " Now!" "I long for some terrific disaster." "Earthquake." "Spectacular explosion." "Make your bed!" "Her mother instantly eliminated." "Along with everybody else for miles around." "Lolita... ..in my arms." "I'm sleepy today." "Me too." "Have you been having trouble sleeping?" "You can't imagine." "Am I getting a zit?" "What?" "Do you see a pimple on my chin?" "You look absolutely perfect to me." "Wanna see my chin wobble?" "OK." "Humbert!" "Humbert..." "Is she keeping you up?" "I beg your pardon?" "No!" "No." "No, I'm..." "No." "Well, it's probably just a 24-hour bug." "He was looking forward to meeting you." "Has anybody seen my other sneaker?" "!" "Your breakfast, Professor Humbert." "Don't tell Mother, but I ate all your bacon." " Dolores, that was Mrs Farlow." " So?" "Rose has a temperature and can't go to Hourglass Lake." " Oh, yeah?" " Do not use that tone with me!" "Are you ready for church?" "I'm not going to that disgusting church." " Young lady..." " No picnic, no church." "That is fine with me." "It is your conscience." "I want your room spick-and-span when I get home." " And wash your hair, young lady." " I did wash it!" " When?" " A couple of months ago." "I could be a dancer." "That's a major option." "Cos I do have a natural grace." " You know." "A kind of sad beauty." " Sort of sad is right." "I'd like to see you dance sometime." "Little girls always want to be ballerinas, don't they?" "I know I did." "But I was - how should I put it?" " a tad too... plump?" " Is that the right word?" " Yes." "I'll get more Vouvray." "Make her take us to Hourglass Lake tomorrow." " Me?" " Mm-hm." "She'll do anything you say." "She's getting a thing about you." "Whisper, whisper." "What are you two so cosy about?" "Um..." "Did I ever tell you both that... ..l was once a... ..that I was once a... um..." "Uh... that I..." "I was once a cook in the North Pole?" " A cook?" " Well, not exactly a cook." "I opened a few cans." "It was a weather expedition." "And I shot a polar bear." " No!" " Well, I didn't hit it." "Why shoot a polar bear?" "That's a lousy thing to do." "Because I found it... ..with its face" " listen to this - in the ice-cream mixer." "I couldn't let that pass because we lived off ice cream." "You're out of your gourd, Humpy." "Will you stop fidgeting with the doll?" "And now we all think that Lo should go to bed." "Lo?" "What do you mean "we", paleface?" "So, as I was saying, there I was with my white polar-bear gun..." " ..to blend in." "It's for me!" "Hello?" " No, I'm sorry." "She's busy." " I hope you will forgive her bad manners." " Now what?" "!" "Look!" "It's my modern dance creation!" "Dolores Haze, turn that music down!" "She is a pest." "Just slap her hard if she interferes with your meditations." "Psst!" "Hum..." "Hum, do you know that I have one most ambitious dream?" "To get a hold of a real trained maid... ..like that German girl that the Talbots spoke of... ..and have her live in the house." " No room." " Oh, chéri, chéri." "You underestimate the possibilities of our humble household." "We'd put her in Lo's room." "I intended to turn that hole into a guest room anyway." "But where would Lo sleep?" "Little Lo does not enter the picture at all." "Little Lo goes straight from camp to a good boarding school... ..with strict discipline and some sound religious training." "I won't go!" "I want all of these name tags sewn on your clothes by tomorrow." "I don't want to go." "I didn't ask your opinion!" "I don't want to go and you can't make me." "Look, we all think it's a good idea." "Professor Humbert thinks it's a good idea, I think it's a good idea, and you are going!" "Double-crosser!" "Ow!" "I asked you to put that suitcase in the car an hour ago!" "Louise, thank you so much for helping the poor child." "Goddamn it!" "Dolores, I told you to put this lunch basket in the back seat!" "Why always tell me to do everything?" "I'm the one that won't be eating it." "Louise!" "Brussels sprouts and meat loaf for dinner." " All right." "Drive careful." " Thank you." "Let's go!" " Bye, my baby." " Bye, Louise." " You be good." "I'm gonna miss you." " Agh!" "Dolores!" "Let's go!" "Speed it up!" "Get in the car!" "Now what?" "!" "That child!" " Louise, maybe tenderloin." " That'd be good." "I'm waiting!" "If I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times... ..not to make me wait in the car." "If you weren't going to camp, I would ground you." "Mr Humble!" "These damn stairs are gonna be the death of me." "Mr Humble!" "Mr Humble!" "Mr Humble?" "I have something for you." "Oh, yes." "I'm leaving, but I'll be back later." "What the hell he doin' in there?" "This is a confession." "I love you." "I'm a passionate and lonely woman... ..and you are the love ofmy life." "Now you know." "So please, destroy this letter and go." "I shall return by dinner time and you must be gone by then." "You see, chéri, ifl found you at home,... ..the fact ofyour remaining would mean only one thing." "That you want me as much as I do you, as a lifelong mate,... ..and that you are ready to link up your life with mine for ever and ever... ..and be a father to my little girl." "Two weeks later, we were married in a simple ceremony." "Big Haze made sure little Haze was not in attendance." "Mm." "This is bliss." "This is heaven on earth." "Isn't it, Hump?" "Mm." "Are you working on your book?" "Yes." "Oh, a secret drawer." "What's in there?" "Locked-up love letters." "Where's the key?" "Hidden." ""I'm in the Mood for Love")" "During the six weeks we'd been married,... ..l successfully avoided most ofmy husbandly duties." "Throughout July, I'd been offering Charlotte various sleeping tablets,... ..which she gobbled down happily." "She was a great taker ofpills." "# I'm in the mood for love" "# Simply because you're near me" "# Funny, but when you're near me" "# I'm in the mood for love" "# Heaven is in your eyes" "# Bright as the stars we're under" "# Oh, is it any wonder..." "The last dose I had tried had knocked her out for four hours." "But that was not enough to guarantee me an undisturbed night." "Hum..." "At last!" "Mm." "I think I must be immune." "Wh..." "What would you give me if you wanted to uh... ..to knock out... ..say, a cow?" "J-Just for... seven or eight hours." "So that... ..you know, the cow... would stay asleep?" "Even if you were tossing and turning next to it." "Well..." "Why don't you... ..try these?" "They're new." "My wife takes them and... ..l don't hear a peep out of her all night long." "Sounds like just the thing." "I'm home!" "Hello?" "Hello?" "Hello?" ""The Haze woman."" ""The fat cow"?" ""The obnoxious mamma"?" "Well, the "old stupid Haze woman" is no longer your dupe." "Charlotte!" "You're a monster." " You're a despicable, criminal monster." " Now..." " If you come near me I'll scream!" " Let me just..." " Get away from me!" "I'm leaving tonight." "You can keep this house." "I don't care." "But you will never see that miserable brat ever again." "Now get out of my sight!" "Charlotte, you mustn't..." "You mustn't ruin our lives." "That's..." "That's just..." "That's just a fragment of... ..a novel I'm writing." "I used your name on those... ..just for... convenience." "I'll get us a drink." "A nice stiff drink will clear both our heads." "Charlotte, I made us a nice stiff drink!" "Yes?" "But that's ridiculous." "There's this man on the phone saying you've been killed, Charlotte." "Charlotte?" "I'm..." "I'm sorry." "Stand back, please." "Where's my wife?" " Are you Mr Humbert?" " I am." "She ran right in front of me." "I..." "I didn't even see her." "Sir?" "I'm sorry, sir." "Is this Mrs Humbert?" "Sir,... ..is this Mrs Humbert?" "Oh, God..." "Oh, God..." "Oh, God!" "She was walking to the mailbox." "She was going to mail these letters." "I'm sorry." "Thank you." "I'll go and..." "Iie down, officer." " Will that be all right?" " You go right ahead, sir." "I'll just be across in the house if you..." "Is that the Enchanted Hunters Hotel?" "Yes." "This is Mr Humbert." "Tomorrow night." "Just the one night, please." "Yes, a room with twin beds." "For two." "Well, one and a half people, really." "It's just for me and my... ..my short... my small daughter." "She should be here any minute." "I sent Charlie for her over at the barn." " Who's Charlie?" " Come on, come on." "It's such a pleasure to watch our young people make friends." " So uh... who is this Charlie?" " Here she is." "Hi, Dad!" "# Hum and Mum, Mum and Hum" "# Hum and Mum, Mum and Hum" "# Hum and Mum, Mum and Hum..." " How's Mum?" " Well..." "The doctors aren't quite sure." "It's something abdominal." "Abominable?" "Abdominal." "She's in a special hospital over in Lepingville." "So..." "I thought we'd... we'd... ..go over to Briceland,... ..spend the night there and..." "visit the hospital tomorrow." "Or the next day." "So, did you have a good time at camp?" "Mm-hm." "You know, I missed you." "I missed you a lot." "Well, I didn't miss you." "In fact, I've been revoltingly unfaithful to you." "But so what?" "Cos you don't care about me any more anyway." "Why do you think I don't care about you?" "Well, you haven't kissed me yet, have you?" "Oh!" " Uh, I'm sorry, officer." " See a blue sedan, same make as yours?" " They might have passed you at the turn." " Blue sedan?" "No, I don't think... agh!" " We didn't see a blue sedan." " No, I don't think we did." "Are you sure it was blue?" "I saw one that was more purple." "Or maybe it was more red." "All right, OK." "Thank you." " Thank you!" "Don't shoot, don't shoot!" "Wow!" "Looks swank!" "# No, I will never tell lies" "# But still I'm called Buttercup..." "Good evening." "I have a reservation in the name of Humbert." "Twin-bedded room." "I called last night." " Two people." " Oh!" "I'm sorry, Mr Humbug." "I held the room with the twin beds for you till 6.30, but I didn't hear from you." "We hold till 6.30." "And with the flower show and Glory of Christ convention..." "My name is not Humbug." "It's Herbert." "Humbert." "Just put us in any room." "Put a cot in for my daughter." "She's very tired." "Perhaps I could put you in room 342." "It has a double bed." "I expect we'll manage." "My wife may be turning up later." "Please sign here, mister." "It's a nice dog, huh?" "I love dogs." "Well, that's my dog." "He likes you." "Doesn't like everybody." "Who does he like?" "He can smell when people are sweet." "He likes sweet people." "Nice young people." "Like you." "Here we are." "Thanks very much." "Wait a sec." "You mean we're sleeping in one room?" "With one bed?" "I've asked them to send up a cot,... ..which I'll use, if you like." "You're crazy." "Why, my darling?" "Because, my darling,... ..when my darling mother finds out, she'll divorce you and strangle me." "Lo,... ..listen to me a moment." "For all practical purposes, I am your father,... ..and I'm responsible for your welfare." "Now, we're not rich." "So when we travel, we-we're sure to be..." "I mean, we'll be thrown together." "Sometimes." "Two people sharing the same hotel room... ..are bound to... enter into a..." "How can I put it?" "into a kind of um..." "The word is "incest"." "I feel like we're grown-ups." "Me too." "We get to do whatever we want, right?" "Whatever we want." "Well, now." "Who had the pie?" "Me." "Whaddaya think?" "Are they me?" " Don't look now." " Why?" "The guy over in the corner." "Don't look!" "He was staring at us." "Don't you think that guy looks exactly like Quilty?" "What, the dentist?" "Of course not." "His brother." "The writer Quilty." "You know, he writes the plays." "The smoking guy." "He smokes the Dromes in the ad." "We saw him in the lobby with his dog." "If I tell you how naughty I was at camp,... ..you promise you won't be mad?" "Tell me later." "I want you to go to bed." "I'll go downstairs while you..." "When I come up, I want you to be asleep." "All right?" "I've been such a disgusting girl." "Just let me tell you." "Tell me tomorrow." "I'm going to go now." "All right?" "Good night, Dad." "Night-night." "Gentlewomen ofthejury,... ..if my happiness could have talked,... ..it would have filled that hotel with a deafening roar." "My only regret... ..is that I did not immediately deposit key number 342 at the office... ..and leave the town, the country, the planet, that very night." "The Lord knows all, the Lord sees all, the Lord forgives all." "Where the devil did you get her?" " I beg your pardon?" " I said the weather's getting better." "It seems so." "Who's the lassie?" "Um..." "It's my daughter." "You lie." "She's not." "What?" "I said July was hot." "Where's her mother?" "Dead." "Oh." "Sorry." "Why don't you two lunch with me tomorrow?" "That clerical crowd will be gone soon." "Um..." "We'll be gone too, thanks." "Good night." "Sorry." "I'm very drunk." "Good night." "That child of yours needs a lot of sleep." ""Sleep is a rose" the Persians say." "Smoke?" "Not just now, thanks." "Good night." "Enjoy." "Get back in the boat with Charlie." "You don't have to do that." "Back in the boat." "I'm thirsty." "I'll bring you something." "You..." "You played that with Charlie?" "At camp?" "Don't tell me you never tried it when you were a kid." "Never." "I guess I'm gonna have to show you everything." "Gentlewomen ofthejury,... ..l was not even her first lover." "What are you reading?" "Nothing." "What's the matter?" "Nothing." "Lo..." "You know that friend of yours" " Charlie - at camp?" "Was he the first one?" "Can we please get off the subject?" "I felt more and more uncomfortable." "It was something quite special, that feeling." "An oppressive, hideous constraint,... ..as ifl were sitting with the small ghost of somebody I hadjust killed." "Jesus!" "What?" "Can we stop at a gas station?" "We can go anywhere you like." "Well, I need a gas station." "I hurt inside." "Well, what do you expect?" "I was a daisy-fresh girl, and look what you've done to me." "I should call the police and tell them that you raped me, you dirty old man." " Just wash the windscreen, would you?" " Yes, sir." "Got some cookies." "I want to call Mother in hospital." "What's the number?" "Get in." "You can't call the hospital." "Why not?" "Just get in the car." "Slam the door." "Why can't I call my own mother if I want to?" "Because your mother's dead." "Shh..." "Shh..." "We made up very gently that night." "You see, she had nowhere else to go." "It was then that we began our extensive travels... ..all over the United States." "# Now the native population and civilisation is fine" "# That civilisation is the thing for me to see" "# Whoa, bongo, bongo, bongo" "# I don't wanna leave the Congo, no, no, no, no, no, no" " When's the best time to buy a bird?" " I don't know." "When's the best time?" "When it's going "cheep!"" "Don't say I never gave you anything." "Ow!" "Don't!" "I'm trying to drive!" "Don't do that!" "Oh, no!" "If it goes out the window, I won't stop." "Don't!" "What are these?" "Hair grips?" "# Civilisation" "# No, no, no, no" "# I'll stay right here" "Look!" "They have Magic Fingers." "Good." "I need to shower." "Give me a quarter and a dime." "What for?" "For the Magic Fingers." "My magic fingers aren't enough?" "# Amor-r-r, amor-r-r, amor-r-r-r-r" "# This w-word s-so s-sweet that I r-repeat" "# Means I adore you-u-u-u-u" "# Amor-r-r-r-r, amor-r-r-r-r, amor-r-r-r-r..." "Good shower for once, Lo!" "First-rate temperature control!" "Ow!" "Argh!" " Agh!" "Lo!" " Hmm?" "My God, Lo!" "Don't flush when I'm in here!" "What is that?" "What's what?" "That thing in your mouth." "It's a jawbreaker." "It's supposed to break your jaw." "Want one?" "Just give it to me." "I've had it with that noise." " Come on, spit it out." "I've got a headache." " It's good!" "Look, just give it to me, will you?" "Spit it out." "You look a hundred per cent better when I can't see you." "We took a circuitous route - to put it mildly." "In the back ofmy mind was our eventual destination." "Beardsley College, where I would finally take up my teaching position." "But in the front ofmy mind was the need to keep going, keep driving." "Lo, that's the last time I let you drive this car." "Serve into this square." "And, despite our tiffs,..." "In the square, Lo." "Try and get it in the square." "..despite the fuss she made, and the danger and hopelessness ofit all,..." "Aim for my head." "..despite all that, I was in paradise." "A paradise whose skies were the colour ofhell flames,... ..but a paradise still." "I know you have accepted a post at Beardsley College,... ..and I know that there, academics are first, last and always." "Well, that's not us, Mr Himmler." "Uh..." "Here at Beardsley Prep,... ..what we stress are the three Ds." "Dramatics, dancing and dating." "Now, I know that the Reverend Rigger is behind us on this." "Aren't you, Reverend?" " All the way, Miss Pratt." "Every inch." " So you see, Mr Humper,... ..for the modern preadolescent, medieval dates are less vital than weekend ones." " What?" "Weekend what?" " Dates, Mr Humping." "Uh... boys." "# By myselfalone at home" "# Feelin' blue" "I was not quite prepared for the reality ofmy dual role." "On the one hand, the willing corrupter ofan innocent,... ..and on the other, Humbert the happy housewife." "Where's the river Rhine?" "I don't know." "You should know that." " Why?" " Big battles there in the Great War." "Where's the river Seine?" "I don't know." "I thought you were supposed to have learnt these." "It's not what I'm on." "It seems to be pretty relaxed, this school of yours." "# When I was a kid about halfpast three" "# My ma said "Daughter, come here to me"" "# Says "Things may come and things may go"" "# "But this is one thing you ought to know"" "# "Oh, t'ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it"" "# "T'ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it"" "# "T'ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it"" "# "That's what..." "I'm supposed to be in a play." " What play?" " I don't know." "Some play." "At school." "With the boys from Butler's Academy?" "I don't know." "Maybe." "I don't think it's a good idea." "You're depriving me of my civil rights." "Where did you learn that language?" "I'm intelligent." "I have a right to be in a play if I want." "Not if I say you don't." "D'you like that?" "You want more, don't you?" "I want things, too." "What?" "Things." "You know how my allowance is a dollar a week?" "Yes, I know." "Well, I think it should be two dollars." "I said, I think it should be two dollars." "A dollar fifty." "I really do think it should be two dollars." "Am I right?" "Am I right?" "God, yes." "Two dollars." "And I get to be in the play." "Oh, rosy mistress of the night." "You have enchanted many a hunter's heart." "But this time, my temptress,... ..you have met your match." "For far more than a hunter,... ..l..." "..am a poet." " The night has fallen, Rodrigo." " The..." "Hold it!" "Hold it!" "Mona..." "Give us a moment." "I'd like a word with Dolores." "When you say "your larking charms", use your charms for the hunter." "Because you're the witch." "You're bringing the hunter to your lair." " Hi, Mr Humbert." " Hello, Mona." "Some play, huh?" "You're nymphs." "Use your nymph's charms." "Seduce the hunter." "Look." "See right there?" "That's the actual playwright, Clare Quilty." "Can you believe it?" "Let the music transform you." "You'll feel that you've become a witch." " You're a witch!" " This play any good, Mona?" " Yeah." "It's very political." "Witch!" "Witch!" "More wind!" "More wind!" "You're a witch!" "Aren't you?" "More wind!" "I need more wind!" "The witches now!" "The witches' dance!" "In the wind!" "As she grew cooler towards my advances,... ..l became accustomed to purchasing her favours." "Where she hid the money, I never knew." "Stop it!" "I was convinced she was storing it away in order to finance her escape from me." "You can't expect me to pay extra in the middle!" "Ow!" "Argh!" "She's a lovely child, Mr Haze,... ..but the onset of sexual maturing seems to be giving her trouble." " Isn't that your observation, Reverend?" " To the tee, Miss Pratt." "So, you see, it is the general impression that 14-year-old Dolores... ..is morbidly disinterested in sexual matters." "Does she never speak about these... matters?" "Well..." "That's just it." "What's just it?" "That's... just it." "She hasn't said anything." "She hasn't breathed a word." "Uh..." "But who has?" "Are..." "Are you saying that I've..." "Exactly." "This is a very serious matter." "What we're trying to say to you... ..is that someone in the family,... ..maybe you,..." "This is very difficult for me." "Well, let me put it this way." "Someone in the family ought to instruct that dear child... ..in the process of human reproduction." "I'm so sorry." " I'm so sorry." " I see that I've embarrassed you." "Yet you, as her father, ought to take the matter well in hand." "Yes." "Worry not, Miss Pratt." "I... um..." "I have... this matter in hand." "Oh, well,... ..that's all I need to say." "Yes?" "Oh, yes?" "She missed?" "Oh." "Bye." "How are the piano lessons going?" "Fine." "Great." "Excellent." "Wonderful." "Terrif." "Perfect." "Especially since you missed the last two." "Where were you?" "Where was I?" "I should have told you before." "I was in the park." "I was rehearsing the play with Mona." "That's your story?" "That's what I was doing." "OK." "Give me Mona's phone number." " Mona's phone number?" " Just give me Mona's phone number." "Klausen 57241 ." "Is Mona there, please?" " Mona, this is Dolores's father." " Oh, hello, sir." "Mona, were you and Dolores... ..rehearsing the play in the park for the past two Tuesday afternoons?" "Um..." "Let's see." "The last two Tuesdays?" "One of them, Mona, was yesterday." "You know, sir, that's... absolutely right." "I feel awfully bad about it." "I alone am to blame, sir." "The whole rehearsing in the park thing was my idea." "We did it cos we didn't want to get on your nerves." "Well?" "Did she confirm?" "She did." "And I've no doubt she'd been well instructed by you." "In fact, I've no doubt you've told her all about us." "Look, Lo, this has got to stop." "I don't know what you're up to, but whatever it is,... ..l'll yank you out of Beardsley as fast as I can pack a suitcase unless this stops!" "Unless what stops?" " You know what!" " Take it easy, mister!" " Show me every penny..." " Leave me alone, you pervert!" " You're running away from me, I know." " Yes, I am!" "Anyone'd run away from you!" " Show me what you hid!" " I earned that money!" "Go ahead, murder me." "Like you murdered my mother." "I'm sorry." "Murder me like you murdered my mother!" "Shut up." "Shut up!" "Murder me like you murdered my mother!" " Stop that!" " Go ahead!" "Murder me!" "Go on, murder me!" "I'm asking you to murder me!" " Shut up!" " Murder me!" "Murder me!" " Dolores, shut up!" " I hate you!" "I hate you!" "Calm down." " Calm down!" " Come back, Lo!" "Murderer!" "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry!" "I'm sorry!" "I'm sorry!" "I do not know who you people think you are, screaming and carrying on!" "My daughter's friend." "I'm sorry." "I really can't stay." "Oh, good." "I was just trying to reach you at home." " I've come to a decision." " You have?" "Yeah." "So buy me a drink." "What would you like?" "Um..." "I'd like, uh, ice-cream soda... ..with extra chocolate syrup." "Please." "Nothing for me, thanks." "Lo..." "So tell me." "What's the rush?" "Pay her and let's blow this joint." "And do you know what she said,... ..this girl who had been spurning me, mocking me,... ..plotting her escape from me only hours before?" "She said she wanted to leave Beardsley then and there." "She wanted to take another trip,... ..only this time she would choose where we would go." " OK?" "I choose?" "OK?" " Yes." "Did Humbert hum his assent?" "Oh, yes." "I sealed my fate gratefully." "Lolita." "Take me to bed." "Look out for cigarette hangover." "Hi." "I'm Clare Quilty." "Remember, over a million smokers..." "So we have to be in... ..Wace in exactly one week." "But why Wace in a week?" "Cos we gotta see the... ceremonial dances when they open the Magic Caves." "And... exactly two weeks and four days later,... ..we have to arrive in Elphinstone." "See?" "Yes." "That's where we climb the Red Rock." "We have to climb this rock exactly two weeks and four days later?" "Exactly." "Oh, I'm so excited." "I cannot tell you the exact day I first knew for certain that we were being followed." "Lo, reach into the glove compartment and get the pad and pencil." "Got it?" "Now write this down." "Connecticut." "How do you spell that?" "C-O-N-N." "Is that it?" "No." "Now write down... ..PJ... ..44... ..396." "All right, give it to me." "All right." "Put it in the glove box." "Don't put gum on it cos it'll get..." "Why have you got your gum everywhere?" "Put that in the glove box." "There's a detective following us." "He looks rather like my Uncle Gustave." "He was clever, ourpursuer." "He kept changing cars." "But his presence was as real to me... ..as my own breath." "Then suddenly he would disappear and I'd wonder ifl'd imagined everything." "Lo!" "What did that man say to you?" "# Bags around your eyeballs which is red instead of white" " What did he say to you?" " The guy I was talking to?" " Yeah." "Look..." " # Shucks, I shoulda known..." "Just tell me what he said to you." "He asked me if I had a map." "He must've been lost." "# My heart's plumb gone" "# Cos you used temptation" "# It'd be thrilling... if'n you're willing" "Look, I've told you about talking to strangers." "You've no idea..." "Lo, listen to me." "You're very young and people can take advantage of you." "Very hard to imagine." "That man was the cop who's been following us." "You have to tell me exactly what you told him." "If he really is a cop, the worst thing we can do is let him know we're scared." "Then he'll know that we're guilty." "Or rather, that you're guilty." "# Don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me..." "# With anyone else but me" "# With anyone else but me, no, no, no" "# With anyone else but me, no, no, no" "# Anyone else but you" "# No, no, don't go under the apple tree" "There's something wrong with the steering." "Oh, whoa!" "Ow!" "Watch it!" "What are you doing?" "!" "You got a flat, mister." "# Open the door, and let me in" "# Richard, why don't you open the door?" "Hey..." "Hey!" "Hey, you!" "Come back here!" "Lo!" "Lo!" "Lo!" "Lo!" "Put on the handbrake!" "Pull the handbrake up!" "Lo!" "Lo!" "Pull on the handbrake." "Stop the car." "Put the handbrake on." "Down there!" "Pull it!" " Ow!" "Jesus Christ!" "What did you think you were doing?" "You should thank me." "The car was rolling and I stopped it." "You should thank me." "Pass me the pad in the glove compartment." "It was smart of us to write his number down." "What...?" "What have you..." "Lo..." "Lo..." "Lo, I'm sorry." " I'm sorry!" "Come here." "Come here." "Get away!" "Lo..." "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "Shall I walk down to the town and get you some fruit?" "Bananas." "Just bananas?" "Just bananas." "# Open the door, Richard" "# Open the door and let me in" "# Open the door, Richard" " # Richard..." " # Why don't you open that door?" "# Borrow confidently from HFC" "Quilty can't be here in our studio because he's in Wace, Texas tonight... ..working on the premiere of his brand-new play." "But I want to welcome his writing partner,... ..the lovely and talented Miss Vivian Darkbloom." "Let's give her a warm Texas welcome." "You've been out." "I just got up." "Don't lie to me." "Well, I did go out for a second." "You were gone so long." "I wanted to see if you were coming back." "You tell me who it is!" "Who is it?" "Who is it?" "Tell me who it is." "You tell me." "Who is it?" "Who...?" " Tell me." "Please, tell me." "Please tell me." "Please tell me." "Please tell me." "Please!" "Please... tell... me!" "Please... please..." "Please... ..tell me!" "Please... ..please... ..please..." "I'll show you to room number 29." "It's one of our nicer rooms." "Say, what's wrong with your little daughter?" "ls she ill?" "Oh, no." "She's just feeling a bit... um..." "My God, Lo!" "Are you all right?" "I don't feel..." "I don't feel very well." "It's a virus." "Nothing serious." "I've had 40 cases in two weeks." " So can I take her home?" " We're gonna keep her here overnight." "Keep her hydrated, help her sleep." "Why don't you get some sleep?" "It won't help if you catch it." "I think I have already." "I feel dreadful." " Maybe I should stay." " Go." "Call us in the morning." " Here, I'll take those." " Thank you." "Uh, yes, hello." "This is Mr Humbert." "I'm calling to see how my... daughter, Dolores Haze, is." "Oh, she's much better." "She was up early." "No trace of fever." "And when Uncle Gustave came for her, we signed her out." "Who?" "Wh..." "Wh..." "Who?" "Uncle Gustave, Dolores called him." "He had a sweet little dog." "He was the nicest man." "Had a big smile." "Wait, Ted." " And you let her go with him?" " Oh, yes." "He paid the bill in cash." "They said to tell you not to worry, and they'll be at Grandpa's expecting you." " Then they went off in that nice Cadillac." "Hello?" "Hey!" "Hey!" "Nurse!" " Where is she?" " Who?" "Who took her?" "Somebody took my daughter." " You need to talk to the doctor." " But who took her?" "My daughter was in there last night." " Who took her away?" " Hey, relax, pal!" "Don't tell me to relax!" "I'm looking for my daughter!" "Doctor!" "Doctor!" "Doctor!" "What have you done with her?" "Where is she?" "Where is she?" "Tell me where she is!" "Where is she?" "Where has she gone?" "Where?" "Where?" "Where?" "You leave me alone, you bastards!" "You fucking fiends!" "Tell me where she is!" "Get me to that man!" "I'm just looking for my daughter!" " I said relax!" " I want to know where she " "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "Sorry, sorry, sorry." "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "Sorry." "I'm sorry." "I'm just a little bit..." "I think I may just have..." "had a little too much to drink." "Sorry." "I'm very worried about my daughter, you see." "But she's with her Uncle Gustave." "So she'll be all right." "I'm very sorry." "Please forgive me." "She's gone to her... grandpa's farm." "She'll be absolutely fine there." "What better place for her?" "I'm..." "I'm fine." "Please, I'm sorry." "So sorry." "Thank you very much." "Sorry..." "Sorry." "So sorry." "I searched all our old haunts... ..and for several months the trail remained warm." "The thief, the kidnapper, whatever you want to call him,... ..he was clever." "He would disguise his name." "But I could always tell his handwriting." "Um..." "Sir!" "He had very peculiar Ts, Ws and Ls." "Do you know his name?" "What does he look like?" " Let me help." " No, please..." "Ladies, I'm sorry." "We're trying to find..." "It must be hard for you who already know who it was... ..to understand my mystification." "Or maybe you think I was imagining things." "..my daughter." "Maybe you think it impossible that there could have been another like me." "Another mad lover ofnymphets following us over the great and uglyplains." "Well, you are right, ofcourse." "There was no-one else like me." "Eventually the trail went cold and dead." "And I went back to cold, dead Beardsley." ""Dear Dad, how's everything?"" ""I'm married." "I'm going to have a baby."" ""I guess it'll come right around Christmas."" ""This is a hard letter to write."" ""I'm going nuts because we don't have enough... ..to pay our debts and get out ofhere."" ""Dick has been promised a bigjob in Alaska."" ""Are you still mad at me?"" ""Please send us a cheque, Dad." "We could manage with three or four hundred,... ..or even less." "Anything is welcome."" ""I have gone through much sadness and hardship."" ""Yours expecting, Dolly."" ""Mrs Richard F... ..Schiller."" "Well!" "Come in." "You, Molly, stay out." "Good girl." "Husband at home?" "Yeah." "Where do you wanna sit?" "The rocker or the divan?" "Come sit with me on the divan." "Is that him?" "Up the ladder?" "You want me to call him in?" "No." "He's not the one I want." "He's not the what?" "You know what I mean." "Where is he?" "Look..." "Dick has nothing to do with all that stuff." "He thinks you're my father." "Please don't bring up all that muck." " All right, I'll find out myself." " You really don't know?" "My God, Dad, it was Quilty." "It was Clare Quilty." "Yes." "Yes, of course." "Quilty." "Yeah." "He was the only man I was ever really crazy about." "What about me?" "Where did he take you?" "Just tell me." "Well, everybody knew he liked little girls." "He used to film them in his mansion over in Parkington, Pavor Manor." "But I wasn't gonna do all those things." "All what things?" "Two girls and two boys or... ..l don't know, three or four men." "And Vivian was filming the whole thing." "I said "No, I'm not gonna blow all those beastly boys."" ""I want you."" "So he threw me out." "I looked and looked at her... ..and I knew, as clearly as I know that I will die,... ..that I loved her more than anything I'd ever seen or imagined on earth." "She was only the dead leafecho of the nymphet from long ago... ..but I loved her, this Lolita,... ..pale andpolluted and big with another man's child." "She could fade and wither" " I didn't care." "I would still go mad with tenderness... ..at the mere sight ofher face." "Lolita..." "From here to that old car that you know so well... ..is a stretch of 25 paces." "Make those 25 steps... ..with me, now." "You're saying you'll give us some money if I go to a motel with you?" "No..." "No!" "I'm saying leave here and come live with me, die with me, everything with me." "You're crazy." "If you refuse, you still get the money." " Really?" " Yeah." "There." "Have it." "Oh my God." "You're giving us four thousand bucks?" " Thank you..." " No..." "Don't touch me." "I'll die if you touch me." "Just tell me..." "there's a chance you'll come with me." "No, honey." "I'd almost rather go back with Clare." "Oh..." "I'll go now." " Can I call Dick in to say goodbye?" " No." "I don't want to see him, at all." "I just want to go." "Lo, can you ever forget what I've done to you?" "Say goodbye, Molly." "Say goodbye to my dad." "Dick!" "Guess what!" "Ladies and gentlemen ofthejury,... ..l have to say that I regret all I did before that last goodbye in Coalmont." "But I regret nothing of what came after." "Now, who are you?" "Are you, by any chance, Brewster?" "You know, you don't look like Jack Brewster." "I mean, the resemblance is not particularly striking." "Somebody told me he had a brother with the same phone company." "I'm neither of the Brewsters." "Pull over!" "Pull over!" "Do you recall a little girl named... ..Dolores Haze?" "You see, I'm her father." "Nonsense." "You're a foreigner." "You're an agent of a foreign power." "You're a foreign literary agent." "She was my daughter." "She was my child." "Oh, you know, I adore children myself." "And fathers..." "I love fathers." "Ah..." "Sit down!" "Oh." "There they are." "Now we need matches." "You got a light?" "Quilty, I want you to concentrate." "You're about to die." "Ooh." "Jesus!" "Do you want to be executed standing up or sitting down?" "Just let me think, let me think." "It's not an easy question." "Try to understand what is happening." "I-l-l-l..." " Remember Dolores Haze." " I'm willing..." "I'm willing to try." "I am." "Just..." "OK." "Listen." "I made a mistake, which I regret,... ..sincerely." "I couldn't have any fun with your Dolly." "I'm practically impotent is the sad truth." "But she had a swell vacation, met some remarkable people." "Hey, do you know " "Stay still!" "Oh, God..." "You cheated me." "You cheated me of my redemption." " You have to die." " I don't know what you're talking about." "My memory and my eloquence are not at their best today." "But really, you have to admit you were never an ideal stepfather." "Hm?" "I did not force your protégée to join me." "It was she who made me remove her to a happier home." "Look around you." "See?" "You see this house?" "It's very cool in the summer." "Comfortable." "I suggest that you move in, hm?" "I think you'll be happy here." "You can use my wardrobe." "We have the most reliable and bribable charwoman." ""Cleaning lady" is the American term." "She has not only daughters, she has granddaughters." "And I know a thing or two about the chief of police... ..that makes him my slave." "My slave." "Drop the gun." "And here's another thing." "Drop the gun." "I have, upstairs, the most unique collection of erotica." "Drop the gun." "Drop the gun." "Also, moreover, I can arrange for you to attend executions." "Not everybody knows the chair is painted yellow." "Somebody help!" "Aargh!" "Agh!" "That hurts, sir." "That hurts atrociously, my dear fellow." "God..." "You should not continue in this fashion, really." "Get out!" "Get out of here!" "What I heard then was the melody ofchildren atplay." "Nothing but that." "And I knew that the hopelessly poignant thing... ..was not Lolita's absence from my side..." "..but the absence ofher voice from that chorus." "# When I was a kid about halfpast three" "# My ma said "Daughter, come here to me"" "# Says "Things may come and things may go"" "# "But this is one thing you ought to know"" "# "Oh, t'ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it"" "# "T'ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it"" "# "T'ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it"" "# "That's what gets results"" "# You've learned yourABCs" "# You've learned your DFGs" "# But this is something you don't learn in school" "# So get your hip boots on" "# And then you'll carry on" "# But remember, ifyou try too hard" "# It don't mean a thing" "Take it easy!" "# T'ain't what you make, it's the way that you make it" "# T'ain't what you snake, it's the way that you snake it" " # T'ain't what you sing - # It's the way that you sing it" " # That's what gets results - # Bip ba di di do do" "# T'ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it" "# T'ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it" "# T'ain't what you do, it's the way that you do it" "# That's what gets results, rebop" "ThE EnD"