Fanny by Gaslight Page #7

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Scarlet satin has a certain

something, I think, don't you?

Or would you prefer

the black with spangles?

Gerry, don't you love me at all?

No.

- He's coming over here.

- Lucy, don't attract his attention.

Let's go.

Good evening. Haven't I

seen you somewhere before?

You might have, at the Gaiety.

I'm in the chorus. Front row.

Of course. Where else would you be?

My wife would be glad if you'd

join us for a glass of wine.

- Your wife?

- And your friend. Is she in the chorus too?

Come, my dear, don't be shy.

Well, I'll be damned.

The little puritan, Fanny Hopwood.

My dear, Alicia, surely

you're not leaving us?

Here's a friend of yours.

Almost, one might say, a relation.

- Let me go!

- Not on your life.

If you don't want to be made love

to, why come to the pen at Evan's?

For one born and bred in the rarefied

atmosphere of Hopwood's Shades...

Would you mind taking

your hands off this lady?

Somerford? What's Miss Hopwood to you?

Miss Hooper is a friend of mine.

Hooper? I beg your pardon.

Friend, eh? First Clive

Seymore and then...

- Sir, please, please!

- Let me out, please.

Come on.

Lucy!

Oh, my lord.

Oh, milord! Je regrette beaucoup.

- Lord?

- Qu'est qui est arriv?

Oh, I feel very sorry.

No, Harry, I've made up my

mind. That's why I ran away.

But you're wrong, Fanny. Wrong.

No, I'm right. Just as

your sister was right.

If I married you it

would ruin your career.

Look what happened tonight.

What do you think's happened to

my career since you went away?

I haven't been able to

think of anything except you.

It's an awful thing to admit, but I

don't think I could live without you.

Nothing... Nothing seems...

I need you, Fanny.

Please.

Don't ever leave me again.

I can't argue any more.

I'm so tired.

I'm so hungry.

Oh, poor darling.

Chunks?

Chunks?

Chunks?

What the devil...?

Fanny!

Polly, come down. Never

mind about your curlers.

Fanny's come home.

Fanny, come on in.

You're a naughty girl.

So I take it you still

refuse to live at home?

- I'm sorry, Mother. - No-one

can say I'm not broad-minded.

That an infatuation of this

sort should last so long,

well, it's not usual.

- It isn't an infatuation.

- Oh, my dear boy.

I mean it, Mother.

The longer I'm with her

the more certain I am.

If it hadn't been for interference...

Port, Kate?

Will you forgive me, Mother?

That was cruel of you. What

Kate did was for your own good.

- You'll live to thank her for it.

- I doubt it.

Leaving out your family, you used to

have some idea of service to your country.

- Still have, I hope.

- And you expect me to believe that?

When you persist in this association

with a girl of Fanny Hooper's parentage?

Oh, Mother.

It's time people were judged on what

they are, not on their parentage.

Do you suggest we should do

away with class distinctions?

They will be done away with.

A hundred years from now - less

- there'll be no such thing.

If our high-born friends don't

like it, so much the worse for them.

You, with your traditions,

to say a thing like that.

You always were pig-headed but

this is going beyond a joke.

That girl has poisoned your mind.

Until you come to your senses, I think it would

be kinder if you didn't come to see us again.

As you wish.

Mother?

Mother, I'm sorry.

I shall believe that when you come and tell me

you've seen the last of this unfortunate girl.

Cor.

What'll they be up to next?

Here, that thing's supposed to

be a birthday present for Fanny.

You've been playing with

it ever since you came here.

Give it to Fanny.

Polly.

Look. My birthday present from Harry.

Oh, let's have a look.

- Lovely.

- I'm not supposed to have seen it.

- It's supposed to be a surprise.

- You're happy, aren't you?

- Happier than I ever thought possible.

- I think you're soft.

- You've got no hold on him.

- I know what I'm doing, Polly.

Besides, I must think

of him as well as myself.

Is that a hansom?

It is! It's Harry! He's come

early because it's my birthday.

Isn't he wonderful?

Rude.

We're going back to

the shop to change it.

I'm not going to have our Fannikins

looking at some of these pictures.

You keeping it to yourself

all this time. Give it here.

- Hello, Polly, my dear. Watcha, Chunks.

- Watcha!

- What on earth have you got there?

- Never you mind.

- Ooh, er.

- Chunks gave it to me for my birthday.

- He's been having a wonderful time.

- You wait till you see my present.

I'll get it.

- You've been looking.

- No, I haven't even peeped.

Anyway, that's not it.

There.

- What's this?

- You always said you wanted to go to Paris.

Oh!

Par ici, s'il vous plat.

Oh, isn't it lovely?

Harry, look at the view.

It is madam's first visit to Paris?

Oui, madame.

Elle est ravissante.

Merci, madame. I think so.

Si frache, si ingnue.

You have the good luck.

- And she also.

- Oh, I don't...

Ah, jeunesse.

Hm? Oh.

Si vous voulez quelque

chose, kindly to ring.

La sonnette est I.

One time for la femme de chambre,

and two times for le waiter.

Amusez-vous bien, mes enfants.

Madame, monsieur.

- What did she say?

- She told us to enjoy ourselves.

- Do we need to be told?

- No.

Oh, look, we've got a balcony.

What a lovely wide street.

The most beautiful street in the world.

- It's the...

- Don't tell me. I know. It's the Champs Elyses.

- Did I pronounce that nicely?

- Not badly.

Look, there's the Arc de Triomphe,

built by Napoleon to

commemorate the battle of...

Oh, dear, I've forgotten.

There are so many things I want to see.

The Louvre, Notre Dame, the shops

and the restaurants in the streets...

Don't I come in anywhere?

Everywhere.

What's next?

Oh, er...

Grand spectacle aquatique

- les nnuphars.

What's that?

You'll see in a minute.

- Harry!

- Mm-hm?

I believe that's Lucy.

Look.

Lucile.

Then it must be.

So that's a nnuphar.

I think I'll wait out here.

She may not be dressed yet.

- She won't mind.

- No, but I should.

Fanny! Fancy you in Paris!

Fancy you. We had the

surprise of our lives.

- Did you like me? Was I good?

- Oh, yes.

- Your hair was wonderful.

- I got the job because of my figure.

- The hair was a great help, though, wasn't it?

- Beast.

Now, hurry up, we're

taking you out to supper.

I can't. Not tonight.

- I'm expecting a gentleman friend.

- We're not going to take no for an answer.

Harry.

- Is it safe?

- I don't know about safe, but er...

Good evening, Lucile.

Harry Somerford.

My dears, I hope you

don't think me rude but...

Well, the gentleman I'm

expecting is Lord Manderstoke.

Lord Manderstoke? Lucy, how can

you be friends with a man like that?

I can be friends with

whom I please, can't I?

Besides, I happen to

be rather fond of him.

- Harry, let's go.

- Please go quickly.

He's never forgiven you

for knocking him down.

I have no objection to

meeting Lord Manderstoke.

- On the contrary.

- For my sake, I couldn't bear to see him.

As you wish it.

Good evening, my love.

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