Angel Page #4

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We'd love to come.

Your parties are always so delightful. But,

you see, we intend to leave next Saturday.

Yes, I'm terribly excited.

It's our first trip in ages.

Well, thank you so much.

My compliments to Lord Burnstead

and little Beatrice. Goodbye.

- May I come in?

- Of course.

- Hello, sweetheart.

- Hello, darling.

- Dressing already?

- The opera starts at eight, doesn't it?

- Oh, the opera, huh?

- Darling, you promised.

And I'm going to keep my promise. You love

opera, I hate opera, why shouldn't we go?

Have a nice luncheon?

I discussed the naval situation

with the French attach. It looks promising.

You must have taken the navy all around the

world and discussed each ship separately.

Why? What time is it?

Oh, good heavens!

I meant to leave right after lunch, but...

Oh, I've lots of amusing things to tell you.

I met an old friend.

We were in the war together.

We began reminiscing.

We had a couple of drinks.

Good old Poochie.

- Good old what?

- Erm... Poochie, dear, Poochie.

Huh! What a curious name!

That's what we used to call him in the war.

Poochie Halton.

His real name is Anthony.

He once practically saved my life.

Great fellow, great fellow.

Don't you think you'd better get dressed?

We don't want to miss the overture.

Oh, no, we don't want to miss the overture.

We might as well see the whole thing

through from the bitter beginning.

Quite a fellow, this Halton.

Oh...

I say, did you ever hear of

a Grand Duchess Anna... Dmitrievna?

Anna Dmitrievna?

She's a Russian emigre. Lives in Paris.

Yes, I've heard of her. Why?

This fellow Halton

told me the most fantastic story.

He's an extraordinary fe...

Isn't this my nailfile?

- I don't know, darling.

- It is, dear. It is.

- How do you suppose it got here?

- I haven't the faintest idea.

Graham, would you be good enough

to hand me my nailfile?

- You're going to the opera, sir?

- Yes, that's where I'm going.

If I may say so, sir, my favourite opera

is Cavelleria Rusticana.

It's only one act, but it has everything.

Love, jealousy, hate, murder,

and all in 35 minutes. I timed it once.

The one where the husband suspects

his wife of singing with another man?

And catches them.

Right in the middle of a beautiful duet.

- He kills her, doesn't he?

- Not immediately, no, sir.

- He joins them in the most exquisite trio.

- Naturally.

After Cavelleria Rusticana,

my favourite is The Barber Of Seville.

- The barber's song is particularly beautiful.

- How does it go?

Dee, da da da, da da da, da da da, ta ta

Tiddly-ya, tiddly-ya, tiddly-ya

Ta, ta ta ta, ta ta ta, ta ta ta ta ta!

Tiddly-ya, tiddly-ya, tiddly-ya,

tiddly-ya, tiddly-ya, tiddly-ya...

Graham, whoever persuaded you to become

a valet must have been a music lover.

Oh, thank you, sir.

- Shall I draw your bath, sir?

- Please.

You were saying something a while ago

about this Grand Duchess Anna.

Yes. Well, this fellow Halton's

gone completely mad over a woman.

A very nice fellow. Lived four years in India,

some fine government work.

The man has a splendid career ahead of

him. I hope he doesn't do anything foolish.

- You mean because of this woman?

- He can't seem to get her out of his mind.

Do you know where he met her?

At this Grand Duchess's salon.

Remember the novel,

An Afternoon In Paris?

- Yes.

- It's undoubtedly the same kind of place.

Oh, I see.

And that's where he met the woman?

Gives you a pretty accurate picture

of a lady. Obvious, isn't it?

Oh, it's probably just an adventure.

Not with him. Why, that man's been looking

for her in every possible place in Paris.

What's more, he's going back again.

His mind is made up.

Nobody can talk him out of it.

Dear, Mary Glenbrook over there.

Hmm, everybody seems to be here tonight.

Everybody seems to be looking at us.

At you, rather.

Do you suppose your friend is here?

Halton? No, he couldn't come.

He's telephoning tomorrow.

He's trying to cancel an engagement

and have lunch with us. All right?

- Yes, why not?

- They certainly are looking at you.

You know, a man shouldn't take a woman

seriously unless he can be proud of her.

At least she should be fit

to sit at the head of his table.

Not someone you just meet in Paris

in the afternoon,

and the same evening

she dines at your apartment.

- She went to his apartment?

- Certainly.

Darling, look. The Duchess of Loganshire,

over there to your left.

Naturally, he didn't say that.

He tried to romanticise the story.

A night in the park, a bouquet of violets.

The lady disappears.

Hello, old boy. So glad to see you.

It's been a long time since I've had

as many drinks as I had yesterday.

As a matter of fact,

I had a few too many myself.

I'm awfully glad

you got out of that other engagement.

You know...

Well, it's funny. I... Ive only known you

since yesterday, and... yet I...

I feel the same way. It is funny, isn't it?

Well, come on, let's sit down.

I've been following your career

in the papers, old man.

I admire what you've done.

I admire your courage, your wit, and the

daring with which you tackle your problems.

I'm...

I'm proud to be in your house.

Thanks.

You know,

I've been thinking about you a great deal.

Now, I hope that little story of mine

hasn't worried you.

It's an unusual story.

I shouldn't mind reading it in a novel.

But I'd hate to be the hero of it.

Or even have...

...have a friend of mine...

Well, thanks, Barker.

Believe me, a man shouldn't go out of

his way to create handicaps for himself.

I imagine that's what Brutus told Caesar,

when Caesar said,

"Brutus, I've just met a little

Egyptian girl by the name of Cleopatra.

"She's driving me crazy."

If I remember my history correctly,

Caesar got over it.

Right. But my dear man,

Cleopatra wasn't Angel.

If Caesar had ever met Angel, it would have

changed the history of the Roman Empire.

It would have collapsed 200 years earlier.

Well, what are 200 years in history?

25 pages.

But one hour with Angel...

60 minutes.

3,600 seconds.

Well, I give up. It's always ridiculous

to reason with a man in love.

And I'm afraid you are a man in love.

I don't know. It may be more than love,

or less than love.

Well, man, make up your mind. What is it?

It's... It's a certain feeling.

It's a secret that belongs to two people,

and to those two people alone.

Something you can't...

Good heavens, haven't you ever

lost your head over a woman?

Haven't you ever felt that at last

you can stop searching? You've found it.

Yes, I have.

And you're going to meet her.

Halton, I'm afraid you and I

expect different things from love.

Probably from life.

I don't measure in terms of seconds,

but of years.

- How about a gin and tonic?

- Not a bad idea.

- It's a charming place you have here.

- Like it?

I say, that's a lovely picture.

- That's your wife's photograph, I suppose?

- Naturally.

- Mr Halton has arrived, m'lady.

- Thank you.

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