"there was little or no uneasiness on the part of optimists." "Here's good news for you bachelors." "Competition for pretty girls will definitely be easier now that Nickie Ferrante, the big dame hunter, is going out of circulation." "It'll be wedding bells for him at long last." "Mr Ferrante is sailing today from Europe, and Miss Lois Clarke will be waiting for him in New York" "Lois and her lovely 600 million bucks." "What a deal!" "Not only all that lettuce, but a beautiful tomato too." "Wow!" "Eccovi una notizia straordinaria." "Nickie Ferrante, il maestro dell'arte dell'amore,... ..e la signorina Lois Clarke, un'ereditiera americana... ..dell'immensa ricchezza di 600 milioni di dollari... 600 milioni di dollari!" "E in lire italiane, quanti bilioni sarebbero?" "Mamma mia!" "Here's rather a choice little titbit." "Nickie Ferrante sails tonight to enter into matrimony with one of America's industrial nobility." "Rock and gravel, I believe." "It's a Miss Lois..." "Clarke." "Yes." "Well." "Well... there you have it." "Signor Ferrante?" "is he on board?" "Boy." "Here I am." "Signor Ferrante?" "I have a telephone call for you from Paris." "Mr Ferrante, would you autograph this picture, please?" "I'm wanted on the telephone." "Thank you." "Hello." "Yes, this is Ferrante." "Who's calling?" "Put her on." "You beast." "Hello, Gabriella." "Don't you talk to me." "Well, then, why did you call me?" "How could you speak of love to me, say the things you did, and you about to be married." "Do you remember your words when I gave you the cigarette case?" "Of course, dear. I said... I said..." "Hello!" "Can you hear me?" "I believe we're disconnected." "We are not disconnected." "Operator!" "Oh, this is a shame." "Hypocrite!" "I have in my hand a knife." "And I wish it were in your back." "Menteur!" "Lâche!" "Dégoûtant!" "Tu n'as pas honte?" "Well, Mr Ferrante!" "My name's Hathaway." "Ned Hathaway." "Really?" "Welcome aboard." "I was wondering if you'd care to join my wife and my sister and me in a game of bridge?" "I'm sorry, Mr Hathaway, but I cheat." "It's an addiction." "I beg your pardon." "I think you have my cigarette case." "I might as well confess. I am ajewel thief." "I don't believe it." "I was returning it to the purser." "I found it in the..." "Just a moment." "How do I know it's yours?" "Well." "There's an inscription to me on the inside." ""To Nicolo..."" "Don't tell me you're the famous..." "Oh, I have read so much about you in Life and Look and..." "Possibly Good Housekeeping?" "Now, may I have my case?" "Just a moment." "This is frightfully intimate. I know just enough French to be embarrassed." "Could you refine it a little and tell me in effect what it says?" "Well, in effect, it says..." ""ln memory of three unforgettable nights aboard La Gabriella."Which is her yacht." "I guess that's you all right." "Tell me, did you write the song "l'll Never Smile Again"?" "No." "But I'm thinking of writing one called "Moon over La Gabriella"." "Do you think it will ever take the place of night baseball?" "Please wait." "I'm in trouble." "I could have told you playing around yachts." "The poor thing." "I must talk with someone." "I'm not very good at that." "I talk a lot. I've tried to break the habit..." "But you have such an honest face." "I have?" "I can trust you, can't I?" "Yes, I suppose so." "Good." "Come with me." "The captain has an honest face too." "Why not tell him your troubles?" "Shall we go to your cabin or mine?" "No." "Mine." "Mine's just around the corner." "Mine's here." "It's not that I'm prudish." "But my mother told me never to enter a man's room in months ending in "r"." "She did?" "Oh, well." "Your mother's not only beautiful, she's clever too." "What is your name?" "Terry McKay." "Terry McKay, and I'm travelling alone." "Was that what was troubling you?" "Yes." "May I?" "You may." "Thank you." "I think you can leave it here." "You know, this couldn't be nicer." "You saved my life." "I was bored to death. I hadn't seen one attractive woman on board." "Isn't that terrible?" "I was alarmed. I thought "Don't beautiful women travel any more?"" "Then I saw you, and I was saved..." "I hope." "Tell me." "Have you been getting results with a line like that?" "Or would I be surprised?" "If you were surprised, I'd be surprised." "That sounds like a nasty crack." "I could make a few too, if I wanted to." "I'm sure you could." "All right. I think I will." "I'm listening." "Does your fiancée know the lady of the yacht, Gabriella?" "Certainly." "She's her best friend." "Chummy little group." "You know, this ship is going much too fast." "We ought to take advantage of every moment." "Don't you think that life should be gay and bright and bubbly, like champagne?" "I like pink champagne." "That's the kind I mean." "is there any reason why this trip shouldn't be pink champagne?" "What?" "Oh, dear." "He wouldn't like it?" "No." "Husband?" "No." "He still wouldn't like it?" "No." "Why isn't he travelling with you?" "Because he had to go to Texas on a big merger." "He thought it'd be a good idea if I took a trip while he consummated this big deal, because I have no head for business." "It's beyond me how the more money a corporation loses, the more it makes, because of the carryovers with the writeoffs." "The big secret seems to be to merge a sick corporation with a big, fat healthy one, and then everybody gets well." "Silly, isn't it?" "He doesn't think I'm dumb, but he doesn't think I'm very bright." "About things like that." "It isn't necessary, is it?" "Thank you." "That's all right." "So he trusts you?" "implicitly." "No mistakes?" "No errors?" "Five faithful years." "Sounds awful, doesn't it?" "But it's true." "Yes." "Well, there you are." "Cigarette?" "No, thank you." "I don't..." "You could light it from that inscription, couldn't you?" "I like that. I must stay tuned into you." "He's a very lucky fellow." "Must be a remarkable man." "Well, you can imagine how attractive he is when I can resist so charming a person as..." "Yes, yes. I understand." "Well, it was nice, wasn't it?" "Oh, well." "Well, there's still deck tennis, shuffleboard, bingo." "Don't tell me you're embarrassed?" "Yes." "As a matter of fact, I am." "Oh, I am sorry." "That's all right." "Don't apologise." "I do hope it won't affect your ego!" "No, please, don't think anything of it." "I'll just take my ego for a walk." "Unless you'd care to..." "Have dinner with you?" "I'd love to." "Here comes my friend Ferrante now." "Mr Ferrante, I'd like to have you meet my sister, Miss Hathaway, and my wife..." "And when you were little, what did your nurse read to you at bedtime?" "Let me think..." "The memoirs of Casanova?" "Every night." "And then we'd turn out the light." ""We"?" "I was only so big." "You must have had a happy childhood." "Ah, yes." "And women..." "Oh, women." "You've known quite a few, haven't you?" "I don't know." "Perhaps "few" is the wrong word." "Let's say it's not precise." "I beg pardon, Signor Ferrante." "Shall I reserve this table for you every night?" "Why not?" "Thank you." "Now, where were we?" "I suppose they were all in love with you." "I doubt it." "But you haven't had much respect for them." "On the contrary." "You've always been fair in yourjudgments." "I've been more than fair. I idealise them." "Every woman I meet, I put up there." "Of course, the longer I know her, and the better I know her... lt's hard to keep them up there, isn't it?" "Pretty soon, the pedestal wobbles and then topples." "C'est la vie." "Et cetera." "Now, come on." "Let's talk about you." "No." "Not tonight." "We'll talk about me some other time." "We've nothing planned for tomorrow." "Oh, I have." "Oh, no." "We'll talk about me tomorrow." "It turned out beautifully, didn't it?" "It's really warm." "Thank you." "Now, where were we?" "You were going to tell me where you were born." "That's right." "Well..." "Mr Ferrante?" "Telegram." "Thank you." "Excuse me, Miss McKay." "Miss McKay?" "Yes?" "I have one for you too." "Thank you." "You're welcome." "Excuse me, Mr Ferrante." "From him?" "From her?" "Well, where were we?" "Well, I was about to tell you where l was born." "And I was born in Boston." "I can hardly wait for you to grow up." "Be patient. I grew up... quickly." "I went to New York, and I got ajob singing in a nightclub from ten to three in the morning." "The manager used to chase me round the office until four, then..." "I went home." "Did he ever..." "Oh, no." "Well, then one evening... he came along." "Oh, this is the fellow." "And he said "You don't belong in a place like this."" "Really?" "And I said "l don't?"" "And then... what?" "What what?" "I thought you said something." "No, I didn't say anything." "I'm sorry." "But you're right, you know." "He said I belonged in a penthouse on Park Avenue, with a breathtaking view of the East River." "An ideal place for you to improve yourself." "Yes." "So I studied hard." "Singing?" "And music and art." "Literature." "So that one day you'd make a perfectly charming wife." "Yes, that was the general idea." "Anything wrong with that?" "No, no, nothing." "That's what I thought." "Well, that sort of brings us up to date." "Now my life is an open book." "That's only one page." "That's the only page." "I beg your pardon." "Thank you." "No, no." "Bad." "Wait a minute." "That's an interesting camera." "May I see that?" "Oh, yes." "It's new, isn't it?" "Please!" "Stop!" "That's unfortunate, isn't it?" "That was not very nice." "You shouldn't have done that." "I know." "You know, it's obviously no good either of us being seen together." "Right or wrong, people will talk, and so..." "I guess it had better be goodbye." "That seems a pity." "Goodbye." "What's the matter?" "Are you afraid?" "Of you?" "Yes." "No." "You know, we have several days to go on this voyage, and I can't stand monotony." "Well, you can always take long walks in the sunshine." "What'll I do if it rains?" "No. lt's no good." "You mean it's particularly no good for you." "Yes." "Being seen with you is news, and I don't want to get my picture in the papers." "So, I'll go my way and you go yours." "Help!" "Here." "Let me..." "You're heavy." "Are you in trouble?" "Yes." "Give me a hand, will you?" "He's heavy." "Come on, chum." "Now, let go." "Try it the other way round, Dad." "Thank you." "You're a great help." "Well, how'd you come to do that?" "I got tangled up." "Couldn't get down?" "You're quite a fellow." "You're quite a fellow yourself." "Yes?" "Why?" "Everybody on the ship's talkin' about ya." "No kidding." "What are they saying?" "I don't know." "Every time they start talkin' about you, they make me leave the room." "I don't get it." "You take over." "You want to watch it, chum." "You might hurt yourself." "When I was little, I fell and broke my leg." "How is it now?" "Well, it's all right, I guess." "Well, what are you crabbing about?" "I'm not crab... I'm sorry." "Champagne cocktail, please." "Have you any cigarettes?" "The smokeroom steward, sir." "Have you got pink champagne?" "Of course." "Let me try a little." "Good evening." "Could I have a champagne cocktail, please?" "Do you have pink champagne?" "Of course." "Thank you." "Hello." "I changed my table to a table for one." "So did I." "Now isn't that a shame, after that delightful dinner we had together last night?" "Do you speak Gaelic?" "Fluently." "How do you say "Let's get out of here"?" "Well, well, well!" "Well!" "Well, well, well." "That's good, isn't it?" "This is what's known as fooling the world." "What'd you say?" "This is called fooling the world." "I can't hear what you're saying." "Who do you think you're hiding from?" "Everybody's staring at us. lt's awful." "This is awful. I'm going to leave." "No, no." "Let me." "Sit down." "Pardon, sir." "That's the lady's purse." "I know. I was just..." "No, wait a minute." "The last one..." "Oh, my, it's a small pool, isn't it?" "You've got my cigarette case." "Well, not on me." "We've got a fivehour stopover in Villefranche." "Yes." "Are you going ashore?" "Yes. I'm calling on a lady." "In every port, huh?" "This happens to be my grandmother." "Don't you believe me?" "No!" "Would you like to meet her?" "Yes, I'd like to meet her." "Well, you've got a date." "Surprised?" "All right." "A present for your little old grandmother?" "Yes." "Yes, it is." "Isn't it beautiful down there?" "Yes, but do you want to hear an old joke?" "What?" "If it's so beautiful down there, why..." "Bring me up here?" "That's an old joke all right." "You're quite sure your grandmother isn't an old joke?" "Oh, I do wish you'd trust me." "What a divine place." "It's perfect. I'm beginning to think you have a grandmother." "That's surprising." "I'll try to find her and prove it." "She's not there." "Look." "She must be in the chapel." "How are you, fella?" "What is it about this place?" "Something about it makes you want to whisper." "It's so peaceful here. lt's like another world." "Well, it is. lt's my grandmother's world." "Do tell me more about her." "My grandfather was in the diplomatic service." "They travelled the world." "When he retired, they came here to live." "He's buried there behind the chapel." "She stayed on to be near him." "She must be waiting, I think impatiently, for the day she will join him." "Mais pourquoi tu ne m'as pas prévenue?" "J'ai voulu te faire une surprise!" " C'est vrai que tu vas te marier?" " Oui, ça en a bien I'air." " Et toi." "Tu rajeunis tous les jours!" " Blagueur!" "is this the girl?" "No." "Darling, this is Terry McKay." "How do you do?" "Janou thought you were the girl I'm going to marry." "Elle est charmante." "Elle me plaît beaucoup." "Pardon. I was only saying I like you very much." "Thank you. I'm glad." "Well, if you will excuse me, I must sit down." "I am longer at my prayers nowadays." "Oh, my knees!" "They're as old as I am." "You have the most beautiful place here." "Thank you." "I think I could stay here for ever." "Oh, non!" "You are too young for that." "It is a good place to sit and remember, but you have still to create your memories." "And the chapel seems so charming." "Would you like to go in?" "Oh, may I?" " Je vous en prie." "Thank you." "Oh, Nicolo!" "And you, Nicolo." "How long is it since you have been in a chapel?" "Well, I..." "Not since you were an altar boy." "I know." "Go in. lt won't hurt you." "All right." "I will prepare the tea." "Let me help you." "Non, non, non." "Vas-y." "Marius!" "Devinez qui est arrivé." " Et qui est arrivé, madame?" " Regardez." "Oh, monsieur Nicolas!" "Je suis content!" "ll y a la grand-mère." "This is Marie." "Well, hello!" " C'est la dernière?" " Oui, c'est la plus jeune." " Combien maintenant?" " Sept." "Depuis que vous êtes parti, ça fait trois." "This is my friend Marius." "Marius has had three children since I last saw him." "Marius says France needs men." "So he has seven daughters." "Come to see the rest of my family." "Yes, go along." "Sure?" "I should like a têteàtête with Miss McKay." "Janou, please be kind." "I won't betray you." "Can I help you?" "Thank you, my dear." "I am glad you are not, like so many young people nowadays, above a little housework." "There were ten of us in our family." "We all had to do our share, or go to bed without supper." "Oh, what a magnificent room." "Oh, yes." "My husband was a great collector." "He loved beautiful things." "Me too." "I should have a housekeeper, but I have outlived two." "And I'm too old to start breaking in another one." "Besides, I don't mind telling you I had planned only to live till I was 80." "Now I am 82. lf I'm not going to die, I must start saving money for my old age." "You're very wise." "You like it?" "Yes. lt's charming." "Nickie?" "Yes." "He did that a long time ago." "But it's very good!" "He is very talented." "Forgive me." "You see, I had no means of knowing." "Unfortunately, he's also very critical." "The artist in him would create." "The critic would destroy." "As a result, he has done nothing since." "What a pity." "Besides, he's been too busy "living", as they call it." "May I?" "Oh, thank you, my dear." "There." "It has been such a tremendous excitement for me, this visit." "I am trying to appear calm." "Don't you think I do pretty well?" "You do wonderfully well." "There we are." "Thank you." "I love Nicolo so much." "When he was a small boy, he charmed us all with his piano playing." "Then he studied painting." "And the worst of it is he's so good at everything." "Ajack of all talents?" "Everything comes too easily to him." "He's always attracted by the art he isn't practising, the place he hasn't been, the girl he hasn't met." "Perhaps I shouldn't have met him." "No, my dear." "You are different." "I don't mind confessing to you I have been worried about him." "Sometimes I'm frightened." "Why?" "That life will present a bill to Nicolo one day, and he will find it hard to pay." "But when I see you with him, I feel better." "Me?" "You do?" "Yes, you." "I wish I could share your confidence." "You will have it when you need it." "That is your character." "There is nothing wrong with Nicolo that a good woman couldn't make right." "I saw Marius's entire family." "Seven daughters!" "I had a nice talk with his wife." "You should have had a nice talk with him." "And don't sit on my hat." "Tell me, what have you two been talking about?" "You'd be surprised." "I'll bet I would." "And I'll bet that Janou did all the talking." "She told me that when you were a boy and didn't get your own way, you'd lie on the floor and kick, and get red in the face." "Really?" "You should have winked the other eye." "What did you say?" "I said you didn't do that any more." "No." "Now, when you don't get your own way, you just get embarrassed." "Want some tea?" "Remind me not to explain that to you later." "Yes, I want some tea." "Janou, I have a gift for you." "Come and see it." "I am too old for gifts." "No one's too old for gifts." "You shouldn't spend your money recklessly." "It didn't cost much." "Let me help you." "How did you do it?" "I did it from memory." "Thank you." "It is André!" "My husband." "It's so real." "So like him." "What a remarkable face." "Did you do that from memory?" "Yes." "Do you like it?" "It's wonderful." "You know, I painted that a long time ago, but I hesitated about giving it to you." "I told you he has talent." "Well, now." "For you." "For me?" "Thank you." "Thank you." "For me." "Well, now." "I should like to propose a little toast." "I don't quite know how to phrase it." "Well, would it have something to do with his happy marriage?" "Shall we say:" "may your voyage home be a pleasant one." "Thank you." "Well, now. I'm afraid we must be leaving soon." "It has been a good day." "Before we go, you must play the piano for us." "Come along." "Please do." "Look at my hands." "No excuses." "Come along." "Janou was a concert pianist." "Was." "Remember, I was asked to do this." "¡ Ce bel amour" "¡ Qui ne peut mourir" "¡ Sera pour nous" "¡ Un doux souvenir" "¡ Promesse ardente" "¡ Du premier baiser" "¡ Qui nous lie tous deux" "¡ Pour l'éternité" "¡ D'un bel amour" "¡ Toujours grandissant" "¡ Qui défiera" "¡ Les épreuves du temps" "¡ Trouvons la joie" "¡ Reste dans mes bras" "I don't like boat whistles." "Don't you think you should put this round your shoulders?" "Thank you, my dear." "It's lovely, isn't it?" "You like it?" "Yes, I do." "One day, I will send it to you." "Oh, no." "I would like to." "This is as far as I go." "This is the boundary of my small world." "It's a perfect world." "Thank you for letting me trespass." "Goodbye." "Bless you." "Well, au revoir, dear Janou." "I'll come back to see you very soon, and I'll write often." "Please do." "I will." "Happy thoughts, darling." " Adieu, mon petit." "Goodbye." "I've been looking everywhere for you." "I called your cabin sev..." "You've been crying." "Beauty does that to me." "Nickie, I... I want to thank you for... the loveliest and the most memorable day I've ever known." "You were very sweet to my little grandmother." "I'm going to write to her." "That'll be nice." "Let's walk." "No more tears." "I told you." "That's what beauty does to me." "We're heading into a rough sea, Nickie." "I know." "We changed our course today." "Shall I see you to your cabin?" "I don't think so." "Good night." "Just a moment." "Why did you come here?" "It's dangerous." "We've got a lot to talk about." "I am aware of that, but to be seen together could be disastrous for us both." "We have some fast thinking to do." "We've created a problem." "Yes, I know, so let's not complicate it any more." "Being a woman, I'm more cautious and I can think more clearly when you're not around." "So you go think in your room, and I'll think in mine..." "All right." "While we miss each other." "That was very sweet." "What you just said." "Top o' the mornin' to you." "And the rest of the day to you." "Listen..." "Keep moving." "Oh, dear." "Wait a minute." "Don't go away." "Have you come to any conclusions yet?" "No." "Keep moving." "I miss you." "I miss you." "Why don't you telephone more often?" "I'll try, but you know..." "Were you going to say something?" "No, I wasn't going to say anything." "Couldn't we at least eat together?" "In your room or my room?" "No." "The news'd be all round the ship before we'd had our salad." "I know." "The crew talks too, you know." "Go the other way." "You're making me dizzy." "It'd be better for me also." "Wait a minute." "Darling!" "Listen, darling, I..." "That's odd." "Good evening." "Good evening. ls Miss McKay dining?" "Yes, sir." "Would you care to join her?" "No, she prefers to dine alone." "She's almost finished." "Order the bouillabaisse. lt's superb." " Merci mille fois." " Pas de quoi." "Oh, shut up." "Come in." "Hello there!" "Oh, hello, Mr Hathaway." "Miss McKay." "Where's Ferrante?" "How should I know?" "Come now!" "A little bird told me he might be in here." "Really!" "Don't you think you're being rude?" "I haven't seen Mr Ferrante..." "Hello, Terry." "It occurred to me you might like this book." "I've read it." "I haven't seen you for days." "I thought you must have got off." "Why, no." "We haven't docked anywhere." "Well, in case I don't see you again, Miss McKay, happy landing." "Thank you, Mr Ferrante." "Don't think it hasn't been absolute..." "Now, slow down. I'm wondering if you two would do me a big favour." "What's that?" "Would you kindly autograph these?" "My wife, my sister and I each bought a different one." "You bought them?" "From whom?" "The ship's photographer." "He has a big display up on the promenade deck." "He's doin' a wholesale business." "Mr Hathaway, we'll have to think about it." "Now, where can I find you?" "Well, I'll either be in the cocktail lounge or, of course, the dining room." "Yes, of course." "I don't mind that one. lt's pretty good." "Do be serious." "This is dreadful!" "And after all the pains we took deceiving everybody." "Yes. I'm particularly sorry for you." "You know, I'm not as sorry as I thought I'd be." "It was rather silly, hiding like fugitives." "Yes, I know." "So, to coin a new cliché, shall we join the others?" "Well, all right." "Well, why not?" "What have we got to lose?" "It's the last night." "Let's make the most of it." "Hi, Hathaway." "Do me another favour." "Let's swap partners." "It's the last night out." "Everybody does it." "They do?" "How nice." "Well, in your case, we'll make an exception." "I don't get that guy." "¡ Day by day I'm growing fonder" "¡ Of those tender things you do" "Nice crossing." "Hello." "Let's get some air." "Come on. I'll show you the rudder." "I'll get my coat." "¡ May sometimes try to lure me" "¡ Can't you think of something spiteful?" "¡ Something mean that you could do" "¡ Must you be so darn delightful?" "¡ You make it easy to be true" "Why can't we go on doing this for ever?" "I had a talk with the captain. lt won't work." "It won't?" "He said he can't turn the ship around." "He was nice about it, but he said most of the people want to get home. lsn't that silly?" "Well, I can understand his problem." "Cruising around in the ocean with just the two of us." "¡ You make it easy to be true" "¡ And never brought to mind?" "¡ Should auld acquaintance be forgot" "¡ And days of auld lang syne?" "¡ For auld lang syne lf you say "A penny for your thoughts" l'll jump overboard." "Well." "Tomorrow morning:" "New York." "Yes." "Will he be waiting?" "Will she?" "Oh, yes." "What makes life so difficult?" "People?" "Are you in love with him?" "I'm not now." "You know, I've never done a day's work in my whole life." "I know. I've been thinking about that." "What'd you say?" "I didn't say anything." "Yes, you did." "What?" "You said I was very fond of expensive things, furs and diamonds and stuff like that." "Did I say that?" "Pink champagne." "That's the kind of life we've both been used to." "It might be a little difficult to..." "Do you like beer?" "Different." "My father drank beer. ln the morning." "He was a beer drinker?" "Later in the day, he drank anything." "Winter must be cold for those with no warm memories." "We've already missed the spring." "Yes." "This is probably my last chance." "Mine too." "It's now or never." "Never is a frightening word." "We'd be fools to let happiness pass us by." "And just because you haven't..." "Worked?" "Doesn't mean to say I couldn't." "No, of course not." "Suppose l... lt'll take some time, say six months, to find out if... lf?" "If what?" "Well, just suppose..." "Now, be realistic." "All right." "If I worked hard enough and long enough, say for six months, where would you be?" "What are you trying to say, Nickie?" "I just want to be..." "worthy of asking you to marry me." "Nickie, that's just about the nicest..." "Your voice cracked." "That's because I..." "Yes, I know." "I'm going to turn in now." "Do some more rolling and tossing and thinking about it." "Let me tell you in the morning." "It's going to be a long night." "For me too." "Marriage is a very serious step for a girl like me." "Yes, I know." "Do you like children?" "Yes, I do." "I was so worried that..." "I didn't even have time to get dressed." "I didn't get to sleep until five!" "I didn't sleep at all." "Now, listen carefully. lf everything goes right, and I mean for both of us, in six months..." "Here. I started to write it out." "Should I read it now?" ""Darling." That's me?" ""You have a date, my beloved." "July 1st at 5 o'clock." But you don't say where." "You name the place and I'll obey." "I don't know. I can't think." "The top of the Empire State Building?" "Oh, yes!" "That's perfect. lt's the nearest thing to heaven we have in New York." "The 102nd floor." "Don't forget to take the elevator." "No, I won't." "If things don't work out..." "Don't talk like that." "Hold the thought." "Take care." "Nickie, darling!" "I'm so glad to see you." "I'm glad to see you." "Was it a good trip?" "Not too bad." "Rough in spots, but pleasant." "Hold it for a picture, please." "May I have one too, please?" "Yes." "How's this?" "May I have another one, please?" "That's fine." "Thank you." "Excuse me, I have an important appointment." "It's wonderful to have you back." "It's wonderful to be back, Ken." "Darling, the car's around here." "What's the matter?" "Shall we get going?" "Yes." "The car's out here." "Good." "There's something we must discuss." "Let's go in here where we can be alone." "What in the world is all this?" "Didn't I mention it?" "The TV people wanted me for an interview." "I said yes, if they give a donation to my favourite charity." "Do you mind?" "It's for a good cause." "I wish you'd let me know." "I know you!" "If I'd told you, I'd never have got you off the ship." "Camera one, take close shots." "Nickie, this is Mr Lewis, who'll interview us." "Mr Fulton Q Lewis." "Robert." "Robert Fulton, how do you do?" "No, Robert Q Lewis." "Everybody does that." "You're a little late, Mr Ferrante, and we've gotta go on the air." "Just sit yourselves right down here." "I'm going to ask a few questions, and then..." "What about his face?" "Shiny." "Would you mind a little makeup?" "Harry, just blot it." "I'm sorry. lt'll be over soon." "I hope so." "Incidentally, that white shirt." "How about that?" "Glares." "You don't happen to have a blue shirt?" "No, not with me." "Well, look, don't worry." "We'll manage." "What I'm going to do is ask a few questions about how you met, what your plans are and things like that." "Make yourselves comfortable." "Five seconds, Mr Lewis." "One thing." "Watch the camera." "When the red light is on, you're on." "Yeah?" "Well, it's on." "Oh, hello there." "Welcome to another House to House programme, brought to you by the Benton baby-food company." "Remember, Benton's builds better babies." "Today our cameras are in the home of Miss Lois Clarke, heiress to one of America's greatest fortunes." "In just a moment, we'll meet Miss Clarke and her fiancé, Mr Nickie Ferrante, and talk to them about their wonderful romance, which has gotten headlines in papers all over the country, a romance which has captured the imagination of the whole world." "But first..." "Do you think they're in love?" "I wouldn't know, Gladys." "I can't wait to see that Nickie Ferrante." "I don't know what the 64 million dollar question was, but he's got the answer." "Point killer." "Terry, darling." "Remind me to ask you later why your kisses don't seem quite the same." "Maybe you're just out of practice..." "I hope." "We don't need that darn thing on, do we?" "You haven't changed yet." "I thought I gave you plenty of time to..." "Ken, we have so much to talk about." "I can just think better in this outfit." "You know, darling, I hoped the trip would be good for you, but... I'm afraid you don't look so well." "What's the matter?" "Was it a rough crossing?" "Yes. lt was a little." "You know, Ken, that programme might have been amusing." "Lois Clarke and Nickie Ferrante were about to come on." "I'm not interested, but if it'll entertain you..." "Yes, it will." "OK." "You must have had some wonderful experiences in Europe." "Yes." "Would you care to expand that statement?" "No." "I forgot Ferrante was on the same boat with you, wasn't he?" "Yes, he was." "Did you meet him?" "Was he charming?" "Fascinating?" "Irresistible?" "I'm sorry." "It wasn't like me. I withdraw that remark." "Well, tell me, Mr Ferrante, is this your first experience with connubial bliss?" "Would you mind rephrasing the question?" "He means, is this your first experience with marriage?" "Yes." "Good." "Do you intend to support your wife in the manner to which..." "Yes." "That's very funny." " Doing what?" "I'm going to begin to paint again." "That's how I intend to support my wife." "That's certainly going to take an awful lot of paint." "You already have a house full of masterpieces." "Yes, we have. I didn't realise you were going..." " l'm still going to paint." " Oh, really?" " l just thought you'd given all that up." " l know, but I shouldn't have." " Well, I'm sure Nickie has all kinds of plans." " Yes, I have." "Well, good." "When are you going to be married?" " We're going to be married as soon as..." " Just a moment, dear." "In six months." ""Six months"!" "I'll bet she never gets him to the altar." "Six months?" "Well, good." "Thank you so much, Miss Clarke, and you too, Mr Ferrante." "Well, folks, that winds up our interview..." "Terry." "I'd like to ask that question again." "Did you find Ferrante irresistible?" "Oh, Ken, I'm sorry." "You don't plan these things." "They just happen." "Darling, itjust doesn't make sense." "I know. I know it doesn't." "You've got to be realistic." "About love?" "You know what everyone says about him." "Yes, I know." "What are you going to do?" "I don't know, Ken." "I think I'll go back to Boston and try and get ajob or something, singing again, until he can..." "Until he what?" "Darling, he'll never be able to support you." "Terry, listen to me. I want to marry you." "I should have asked you long ago." "It's my fault, but it's not too late, is it?" "It can't be too late." "Terry, look at me." "Can't you see I'm in love?" "So am I." "Do you think you can sell it?" "Of course I'll try." "You did this without a model?" "Yeah, I couldn't afford one." "What is it?" "Something wrong with my memory?" "It's getting a trifle dim." "No!" "And this?" "That's from memory." "That was my lunch." "You know it's a woman?" "Yes." "You mean you wouldn't care to be seen with her?" "I doubt it." "You know, Nickie, if you would let me tell people by people, I mean women who painted this, I could sell it and plenty more." "No, no." "The old Ferrante is dead." "But signing "Rossi" don't mean a thing." "If you use your own name..." "The old Ferrante is dead and the new Rossi is starving." "What do you expect in three months?" "Remember, the brush obeys your hand." "It doesn't know you are accustomed to getting your own way." "You are spoiled." "But the brush doesn't know this." "He cannot humour you." "I know." "But I was hoping you'd sell something." "I want the thrill of earning that first dollar." "Oh, well. I'll have to get ajob." "What?" "And give up painting?" "I'm not giving up. lt's the only thing I know." "But I've got to earn a lot of money quickly." "Of course!" "In the meantime, I'll buy you lunch." "You can repay me when you're famous." "That's the first encouraging thing you've said." "Isn't that extraordinary?" "Wouldn't you think that's the one thing I could remember?" "Oh, well." "I have got news. I sold one of your women." "You know, the one with the... I got $200 for her." "Your first dollar." "What's the matter with you?" "My friend, I'm a happy man. I am a painter." "So what?" "I've been a painter for years, but I ain't happy." "Thank you, ladies and gentlemen." "This is my last night, so I would love to sing a song for you that is very close to my heart." "Did you fasten your seat belt?" "It's fastened." "There's the Empire State Building." "Thank you." "Miss McKay, my dear my favourite customer." "Welcome back." "Thank you." "Miss Webb, look who's back." "We were just saying "Whatever happened to Miss McKay?" and here you are." "How nice you're looking." "Yes, I know. I didn't get it here." "Where you been these past months?" "In Boston." "We've missed you." "Thank you. I've missed you too, Miss..." "Lane." "Yes, Miss Lane." "I want something very, very special for..." "Miss Webb will be happy to take care of you, Miss McKay." "Excuse me, I have something to do in the office." "Of course, I'd be most happy to take care of you." "Now, what did you have in mind?" "Something irresistible, inexpensive, and pink." "But of course." "We have it." "The most beautiful." "I've been hiding itjust for you." "Give Miss McKay anything she wants, but keep talking to her until I get there." "That's all we wanted to know." "Fine." "Were you worried about her credit?" "I'm surprised at you!" "Goodbye." "This is adorable." "It's a little short, isn't it?" "With these." "Oh, no." "But, look." "This is a must." "Yes, it's lovely, but I just want the little item I decided on." "All right, we'll send it." "I'll have to let you know where, because I'm not quite sure." "I believe that's right." "No charge?" "No." "I know, I know, but... no." "Ken!" "Terry, how are you?" "What are you doing here?" "How did you know I... I see." "Nice doing business with you." "Forgive me, Ken. I'm terribly late." "What time is it?" "It's five minutes to five." "It's been good seeing you, Ken." "And you." "There's so much to talk about." "Sorry. I'm in such a hurry." "Can't we have a cocktail?" "I really am in a hurry." "I've so much to say to you." "Why don't you give me a call some..." "You can't do that either, cos l'm getting marr..." "You're getting married?" "Yes, I am and I'm very late." "What time was it?" "Four minutes to five." "Goodbye, Ken." "I really hope you find happiness, and if you're ever in need of anything, like someone to love, don't hesitate to call me." "No." "No, I won't." "Goodbye, Ken." "Goodbye." "Good luck." "What a state I'm in!" "I thought the Empire State Building was this way, and it's that way." "I think I'll get out here cos l'm in a hurry." "Here you are." "Keep the change." "What's the rush, lady?" "I'm going to be married. I want you to be the first to congratulate me." "Thank you." "Marriage is somethin' to rush to?" "102nd floor." "Going down?" "No, thank you." "Tower." "Going down?" "No." "What time have you?" "Ten after five." "I know what I'm doing. I want my own way." "Turn the boat around." "I want to turn the boat around." "Nickie, help me turn the boat around." "Well, you're so much stronger than I am." "I can't do it alone. I can't." "You must be quiet now." "But I need him." "Oh, Nickie, I need you." "Help me!" "Help me turn the boat around." "I must..." "Going down?" "Her Xrays aren't encouraging." "It's hard to say if she'll walk again." "We won't know for a long while." "That's bad." "I guess you've gathered I'm not the man she was screaming about." "She was on her way to marry him." "Does he know of her condition?" "No." "She said, until you know what you say you won't know for a while, she'd rather he didn't know." "She seems nice." "I think so." "She wants to see you." "Go ahead. I'll be in shortly." "Hello, Ken." "Hello, Terry." "I told her I didn't know whether or not she'd be with us today." "Fooled you, Father." "Ken, I told Father McGrath about us." "He's going to find me ajob." "Aren't you, Father?" "You'd better get well first, Terry." "He's right." "Then I'll try and find something." "Take it easy." "Miss McKay." "Yes?" "I wanna thank you for what you're doin' for my son, Tyrone." "Now he won't grow up to be a mug like me." "You're too modest, Mr Bugsy." "No, I ain't. I'm so stupid, I ain't even ignorant." "Thanks again." "Thank Father McGrath." "He got me the job." "Thanks, Father." "All eyes on me, please." "As you know, poor Molly has the measles, so I'll sing her part." "Now, are we ready?" "Well, now we're ready." "Watch me closely." "We mustn't goof today." "Well!" "Come in." "Nickie!" "I'm so happy to see you." "Come in." "How's my severest critic?" "Oh, well, we'll see." "I see you've got them all arranged." "Let me hear the worst." "Six months' work." "You haven't wasted your time, Nickie." "Thank you." "You should have seen the 50 I dropped over the cliff." "Maybe you should have dropped this one." "I'm inclined to agree with you." "You know, I can read your state of mind when you painted this." "You were very sorry for yourself when you painted this one." "That one was painted in August." "You were angry here." "You were getting over your broken heart." "Broken heart?" "That stuff's not for me." "I'm glad to hear that." "Let's get down this end." "I'm coming to that. I'm coming to that." "Here, Nickie, you became a painter." "Thank you. I'm not exactly ashamed of that one myself." "I had a great deal to say and I painted it instead." "Your being away, alone, for a long time has given you that grasp of... I'll get it." "Remember where you were." "I want to hear more." "Hello." "Courbet's Paint and Varnish Store." "Nickie?" "I read you arrived today." "Lois!" "How nice." "How did you know I was here?" "I called your hotel." "They said you were on this number." "Nickie, I've been thinking about you morning, noon and night, and inbetween times too." "I was wondering if maybe you could..." "Well..." "No, I like the idea all right it's a nice offer." "But I can't make it this afternoon." "Well, if you can't do that..." "I wish you would." "Thanks anyway." "Nicest thing that's happened today." "But you could make the show tonight." "I'll leave a ticket at the box office anyway." "Do try to make it." "And, Nickie..." "Whatever you do, don't plan anything for after the show, huh?" "I love our seats." "What?" "I said "l love our seats."" "We enjoyed it very much." "Thank you for asking us." "It was a pleasure. lf you don't mind, Mr Ferrante will see me home." "Good night." "Where would you like to go?" "Suppose you decide." "This is your evening." "I've been away so long, I have no idea where people go." "My coat." "Hello." "Terry." "Please let me tell him." "No." "I'll go get him." "No, no, please." "It's pretty rough." "The first time you're able to get out, you have to run into him." "And all I could say was... "Hello."" "Well, the show's over." "The boy got the girl." "Shall we go?" "I'll only be a minute." "Good night, Lois, and thank you." "Taking you to a show tonight wasn't a very good idea, was it?" "Merry Christmas, Lois." "Merry Christmas, Nickie, and... auf Wiedersehen." "I think it's terrible to have to take you home just when everyone else is going out." "C'est la vie." "Et cetera." "Terry, let me ask you again." "Why won't you let me help you?" "All right, then, I will tell you again." "If you paid for my getting well, he wouldn't like it, so I wouldn't like it." "Then if you did get me well and I went to him, you wouldn't like it." "But certainly he ought to know." "No!" "If he found out, he'd insist upon doing it himself if he had the money, which I doubt." "And then, if I didn't get well... that'd be awful." "No." "Unless I can walk to him, and when I say "walk" l mean "run", he'll never know." "Well, I'm fine. I've got my job and I'm on a budget." "And if things come out right, and then maybe if I'm a very good girl, I'll get what I want next Christmas." "Follow?" "Merry Christmas." "How are you feeling, Miss McKay?" "Children, I have bad news for you." "Doctor won't let me go with you." "Doctor, I could be back in a couple of hours." "This is the Christmas benefit." "This is their first public appearance." "This is my team." "She's our coach, Doc." "Norman! "Doctor."" "She's our coach, Doctor." "If it wasn't good for her, would you want her to go?" "No." "Well, look." "Why don't you try it without me, hm?" "Come on." "The only thing that would bother you would be the start." "Miss McKay?" "Yes, Tyrone?" "We'll be thinking about you while we sing, hoping that you'll be around real soon." "Thank you, Tyrone." "Wait a minute." "Where's Sally?" "Isn't she with us today?" "We took her off." "She sings too loud." "She's a showoff." "Sally thought it was ajoke, and she wanted so badly to go on the stage." "Come here, darling." "You go up on the stage with the others." "I'll put you back on the team, but you must promise not to drown out the other children." "All right, Miss McKay." "Are we ready?" "Yes." "All right." "You're going to do all right without me." "All right, children." "We must go now." "Merry Christmas." "God bless you." "Be good, now." "Merry Christmas." "Merry Christmas, darling." "This isn't going to be much of a Christmas for you." "I'll be all right." "There we are." "Could just hand me my..." "Yes, surely." "Thank you so much." "You're welcome to have turkey with my husband and me." "You save a drumstick for me for later." "All right, I will." "And if there's anything else you want, just holler." "Thank you so much. I will." "It's very sweet of you." "Merry Christmas." "And a Merry Christmas to you too." "Does Miss McKay..." "Hello, Terry." "It's... good to see you." "It's good to see you too." "You feeling all right?" "Yes, yes. I'm fine. I'm just resting." "Good." "It's been a long time." "Yes, hasn't it?" "Well, it is good to see you." "You said that." "May I..." "Oh, yes." "Please do sit down." "I'll only be a minute." "Sure you don't mind?" "No, of course not." "Oh, is this the breathtaking view?" "Well, the altitude bothered me." "Well, I'll bet you're wondering how I got here." "Well, yes." "Yes, I am." "I was looking through a telephone book for a man named McBride and I came across the name "T McKay"." "I said to myself "Could that possibly be Terry McKay, my old friend?"" "And it was." "Yes." "And then I said to myself "Well, now, I haven't been very nice to Miss McKay."" ""After all, I had an appointment with her one day, and I didn't keep it."" "You didn't keep..." "No." "So I said to myself I talk to myself quite a lot these days I said "That's not a very nice way to treat an old friend like Miss McKay."" ""l must apologise to Miss McKay."" "Don't you agree, when someone doesn't keep an appointment, they should apologise?" "Yes. I think you're absolutely right." "I think the least people could do is to say they're sorry, or... something." "So here I am." "That's very sweet." "I thought so." "I've often wondered about you." "And how you were." "Did you really?" "Yes, really." "Well, I've often thought about you too." "Then you weren't angry because I wasn't there?" "I mean, you must have been at first." "Well..." "Yes, I was." "At first I was furious." "I said "He can't do this to me." "Who does he think he is?"" "How long did you wait?" "I mean, did you wait long?" "Well, let's... well, yes." "Yes, I waited until about..." "Midnight." "And then what did you do?" "Well, then I got really mad." "You can imagine, standing up there on the..." "Yes, in a thunderstorm." "In a thunderstorm?" "Then what did you say to yourself?" "Then I said "l'll go on home and get tight."" "But you didn't do that." "Didn't I?" "No." "Well, maybe just a little one, every hour, for about a month." "Can you blame me?" "I should say not." "The least I could have done was to have sent you a note." "Perhaps, by the time you thought of it, you didn't know where to reach me?" "But you swore that if you ever saw me again, you'd ask." "No." "I remember we said that if we could make it, we'd be there." "And if one of us didn't show up, it would be for a darn good reason." "Did we say that?" "Yes, that is exactly what we said." "Well, like what, for instance?" "So, there will be no more questions asked, I hope?" "Would you like a cigarette?" "Thank you." "Thank you, Nickie." "Isn't that wonderful?" "I walked all the way here just to..." "And now I'm not even supposed to ask you why you weren't there." "Isn't it strange?" "We used to read each other's thoughts." "It's not the same, is it?" "Not quite." "It doesn't seem..." "I know." "I don't know what happens to me whenever I..." "No wedding ring, I see." "No." "I thought at the..." "Last night, the show?" "No, no." "He was just..." "No." "I didn't mean to offend you." "How's everything with you, Nickie?" "Oh, you can ask questions!" "I thought everything was fine until I saw you last night." "Then I knew there must be something between us, even if it's only an ocean." "So I bought myself a ticket." "Oh, you're sailing?" "Tonight." "And you're happy, aren't you?" "Yes." "And you?" "I don't know." "I'm worried about the future, and what people will think." "They'll say "There's the mad painter." "What's the matter with him?" "He doesn't like women."" "Why would people say that?" "Because he sails the seven seas, and to every woman he meets, he says "Where will you be in six months?"" "And they're there?" "Everywhere." "Tops of pyramids, domes of cathedrals, the Eiffel Tower." "He tries to keep them up high." "He keeps them waiting." "And where is he all this time?" "Waiting." "But you can't go on like that." "It isn't right for you." "I wish I could say you were wrong." "I was once." "How would you like to change the subject?" "Yes, I'd love to." "Merry Christmas." "Oh, I almost forgot." "Six months ago, who'd have thought we'd be spending Christmas together?" "I brought you a present." "Thank you. I'm sorry I don't have one for you." "I didn't think I'd be seeing you." "That's all right, I didn't expect one." "That isn't really a Christmas present." "Oh, that's why my letters came back." "I would have sent it to you, but I didn't know your address until today." "She wanted you to have it, remember?" "So... that's the reason I..." "Goodbye, Terry." "Goodbye, Nickie." "You know, I painted you like that, with the shawl." "I wish you could have seen it." "Courbet said it was one of my best." "I didn't think I could ever part with it, but there was no reason to keep it any longer." "I couldn't take money for it because, well, you know..." "So Courbet told me a young woman came into the gallery and... she liked it." "She saw in it what I'd hoped you'd see, so..." "I told Courbet to give it to her." "Because he said she didn't have any money, and not only that, she was..." "She was..." "Anyway, I told him to give it to her." "Courbet said she wanted it so badly and..." "So I told him to give it to her." "It's the Christmas season and all that." "And you know me, holly in my heart." "Darling, don't look at me like that." "Why didn't you tell me?" "If it had to happen to one of us, why did it have to be you?" "It was nobody's fault but my own." "I was looking up." "It was the nearest thing to heaven." "You were there." "Oh, darling." "Don't worry, darling." "If you can paint, I can walk." "Anything can happen, don't you think?" "Yes, darling."