Beloved Infidel Page #7

- Hello, darling.

- Hello, Sheil-o.

- How'd it go today?

- Pretty good. Pretty good.

My literary agent called from New York.

When I've got four chapters ready,

he wants to submit them to

the Saturday Evening Post

and to Collier's.

Darling, that's wonderful.

I knew it was the right thing

for you to move down here.

Oh, I am so pleased.

What kind of a day did you have?

Oh, not bad. I finally

got an interview with Garbo.

And then I went back to the office,

wrote my column.

And I spoke to John Wheeler

in New York.

What did he have to say?

Well, he thought it wouldn't be

a bad idea if I went to New York.

Oh? What for?

Oh, there's

an annual publishers' convention.

He thought I should go back for it

and perhaps pick up

a few new outlets for my column.

Is there anyone in particular

that you'd like to see in New York?

Surely you don't think...?

Oh, don't be ridiculous.

Sheil-o...

Come here. Come here.

Listen very carefully to what I say

because I mean every word of it.

If you leave me now and go to New York,

don't come back to me.

Why, Scott...

- You can't possibly mean that.

- Yes, I mean it.

I don't want you to go

to New York, Sheil-o.

Darling, of course I won't go

if you don't want me to.

It's just that I'm... I'm a working girl

and I've got my future to think of.

Sheil-o...

What you've been looking for

all your life you've found.

You've been looking for love

and understanding - you told me.

I understand you, and I love you.

Must I come out and say it?

You're the most important thing

in my life.

Oh, Scott, say that again.

Please say that again.

It's what I've wanted to hear

and what I've needed to know.

Oh, you mean everything to me.

I have all the excitement I need

right here with you

and nothing else matters to me. Nothing.

I love you, darling, I love you.

Sheil-o...

You must have felt...

You must know how very much

I want to marry you.

How is it you never asked about

what's going to happen to us?

Well, a Graham is a trusting animal.

It makes a fine house pet.

It's easily trained

and likes to play games

and fetch a stick or the morning paper.

And it never asks questions.

Does it trust?

Yes, it does.

It took Tolstoy four years to write that.

If he'd wanted the ending first

he wouldn't have started it.

I know it's sacrilegious,

but you must admit it is rather long.

It is rather, isn't it?

The mailman come yet?

No, darling, he hasn't.

Here it is. Chapters one, two,

three, four, ready for New York.

Oh, darling, it's wonderful!

Remember what the little bookseller said?

"They'll come back to you,

Mr. Fitzgerald. "

They'll be welcome.

I'll sit right here with Mr. Tolstoy,

darling, until the mailman comes.

Ho, there!

It's very important.

See it gets in the first mail.

Yes, ma'am.

Sheil-o!

Oo-oo!

Ah!

And another one for old Fitz-harris.

Extremely well expressed.

- Ship ahoy!

- Anchors aweigh.

Down the hatch.

I have a present for you. Come on.

Something very special.

Try this on, old sport.

Just climb into this.

There we are.

Perfect. Positively elegant.

I'll drink to the best-dressed man

in the room.

You, sir, Mr. Fitz-simmons,

are a gentleman.

And I know a gentleman

when I see a gentleman.

Me too.

Coming from you, sir,

I regard that as the supreme compliment.

Did you fellas tell me

that you have a housing problem?

Well, it is solved forthwith. You stay

here with me and be my houseguests.

Houseguests? That's wonderful!

Hello, Sheil-o.

Come on in and join us.

Why, Scott.

What's going on here?

Who are these people?

Why, Sheil-o, these are my friends.

This is Mr...

Mr. S... Smedley-Jones.

Yeah...

And this is... Mr...

Mr. Darby-Forsyth.

I thought you'd like to meet them,

Sheil-o.

They're sailors.

- And, gentlemen, the lady is...

- I think you'd better leave.

Take the suits and ties and books,

anything else he's given you,

and leave them here.

- Have to?

- Immediately.

Sheil-o...

I warn you,

don't talk like that to my friends.

He gave us this stuff. Ain't that right?

Certainly I did. I'm no Indian giver.

Come on. Get them off and get out.

Otherwise I'll call the police.

Police? That will not be necessary.

The young lady wants us to shove off.

See you, old pal!

If we're not around the beach,

look us up at Freddie's Bar.

Get out.

If you don't mind,

I'll see my friends out.

Listen, you fellas. You come back here,

any time... any time.

- Bye, Sheil-o.

- Bye.

Never do that to me again.

Scott... Scott...

Scott, please. Please.

I'll invite whomever I want

whenever I want.

Scott, have you eaten anything?

No! Stop mothering me

and smothering me.

Scott, if you won't let me care for you,

I'll call Dr Hoffman.

Call him, don't call him, I don't care.

I don't need anybody to look after me!

- In that case I'm leaving.

- Oh, no, you don't.

You'll stay right here until I say so.

- I want to go.

- You'll stay!

Right here!

Scott...

My darling phoney.

Scott...

My phoney darling.

My fine lady from the slums.

- Sheilah Graham.

- No...

Ho, ho, ho, ho!

- You're just plain silly Lily Shiel.

- No, Scott, stop it.

- Lily Shiel.

- Stop it.

Lily Shiel. Lily Shiel.

Scott, I hate you! I don't love you

any more or respect you any more!

- I'm gonna kill you! Where's my gun?

- Oh, no!

- I'm gonna kill you.

- No!

- Where's my gun?

- I don't know!

Where is it?

Oh, God! Oh!

Open the door! Open up!

Operator! Operator!

Get me the police.

This is my address. It's 31...

Oh, Scott!

Scott, stop it!

Stop it, Scott!

Scott, I've called the police and

there'll be a terrible scandal. Stop it!

No!

Agh! Oh!

No! No! Scott, don't!

Don't! Don't!

You go on. Go on.

Take it. Shoot.

Go on! Do it!

I don't care what happens to you!

You're not worth saving.

You're not worth anything.

I didn't drag myself up

from the gutter to waste myself

on a worthless drunk like you!

Worthless! Worthless! I hate you!

I hate you!

- How is he, Doctor?

- He's quiet for the moment.

I gave him an injection...

3cc of medication.

- Coffee?

- Thanks.

- Cream?

- No, thanks.

- How serious is this?

- Doctor.

Doctor!

Doctor?

Doctor, will you do something?

- Try to be calm.

- But my arms are numb.

Give the medication a chance to work...

How long will I be like this?

That all depends.

Might never happen again.

On the other hand,

if you continue to drink,

your heart can take just so much,

and you might be paralysed for life.

Then I'll blow my brains out.

Who'd hold the gun?

Might not even need a gun.

The Good Lord tapped you on the shoulder,

Scott. Let it be a warning to you.

- I'll drop by in the morning.

- Thanks.

- Good night, Bob.

- Good night, Doctor.

You know, he's right.

You can't go on like this.

It's only going to make things worse.

Yeah, I know.

Oh, God. Don't I know.

I'd like to get out of it.

But how?

Where?

I'm finished.

Well, Emerson said it pretty well.

"On the debris of our despair,

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