From the Terrace Page #3

"It wouldn't have happened...

if she hadn't been a drinker."

"Martha Eaton

wouldn't do such things...

if she didn't like gin

and whiskey so much."

Well, little do they know.

Little does anybody know.

May I have this dance?

Oh, why, certainly.

Will you pardon me

just a moment?

Sure.

Thank you.

Are you looking for me?

I am if your name is Lex porter.

My name is Clemmie Shreve...

but I'll change it

if you'll stop looking further.

Just how far

am I allowed to look?

Ooh, you're fresh.

I like you.

Sam?

No. Alfred.

Are you going to

make a pass at me?

You believe in long

courtships, don't you?

Who's got time?

I'm crowding 19.

What, years or guys?

Nasty.

Come on. Let's dance

and crowd each other.

I better go fill my wooden leg.

You mean it's all over between us?

Well, these things don't last forever.

[Sighs]

Waiter, tell me where

I can find Mr. Porter.

He went into the den

a few minutes ago, sir.

Excuse me.

Hey, wait a minute.

Alfred, when did you get here?

Couple of minutes ago.

Come in. Come in. Join us.

Alfred Eaton, Sage Rimmington.

Sorry.

So am I.

Sage, this is the rover boy...

I went through princeton

and the navy with.

Who knows what lies ahead?

Darling, if you'll excuse me...

I think I'll put on something

more comfortable, hmm?

Like my husband.

Uh, bye, sweetie.

I like that.

Oh, she's very inventive.

Well, how was it, boy?

How was what?

Getting home.

Great.

Yeah, me, too.

I snapped out of it, though.

Good booze, bad women...

It never fails to work.

How did things go

in the money department?

Hmm?

Our project.

Did you raise the dough?

Oh, your old man, huh?

Well, I'll have another little talk

with Uncle Fritz.

I'll just charm him

into putting up the whole 500,000.

I don't want that.

I know you don't, sport,

but have we got any choice?

I don't mean

to sound ungrateful...

but let's wait till I can swing

my own end.

I'm not going

into any business venture...

where I carry as much weight

as a poor relative.

I understand.

It doesn't mean that much to me.

It does to me.

Boy, you did have a rough time

at home, didn't you?

We got to get you out of there.

I've already taken care of that.

Really?

Well, what are your plans?

I don't know.

I was sort of, uh...

thinking about

that bachelor apartment...

you were going to set up

in Gramercy park.

Hey, now you're talking.

Play it by ear for a while.

Well, you can use your ear.

I got better ideas.

Let's start right now.

Now, would you look at this?

200 beautiful Long Island virgins...

Markel's dance music...

buckets of champagne...

and I'm the guest of honor.

Now, how can I lose?

Unless I start getting drunk...

and taking those little girls upstairs.

You know, I met

something called Clemmie.

Oh, Clemmie Shreve.

Now, I'm saving that

for a rainy night.

There he is... Uncle Fritz.

Look who's here.

Alfred, I'm so glad to see you.

Mr. Thornton, how are you?

This party wouldn't

be complete without you.

Champagne for three.

Have they been treating you

properly here?

No complaints.

I hope you'll stay with us...

for a good long visit.

I may take you up on that.

I hoped for this moment...

the three of us together like this...

as I hoped for victory.

God bless you.

O.K.

Thought I might as well

start at the top.

Did you?

Pretty close to it.

Thanks for the compliment.

Who are you?

Alfred Eaton.

That wouldn't mean

anything to you.

What's your name?

Mary St. John.

That's a nice, respectable name.

Well, of course it's respectable.

That's a silly thing to say.

Am I the first

to call it respectable?

You're the first

who ever raised the question.

Then I'm glad

I called it respectable...

instead of the opposite.

If you're trying to annoy me...

you're succeeding.

My manners are rusty.

You're the first girl

I've danced with...

for a long time.

Why didn't you

bestow that honor...

on someone inside...

instead of here on the terrace?

Oh, I rather like the view

from the terrace.

Then I saw you...

and I liked

the view even more.

You touch me deeply.

But not in the right places.

[Music Stops]

[Applause]

Well, that was

reasonably disagreeable.

Yes, and it was so easy.

Would you like to

go cry or something?

No, but I wouldn't mind...

if you faded away

into the sunset.

Here comes the bird dog...

to retrieve you.

What's his name?

Jim Roper.

Oh, grim Jim Roper?

No. Dr. Roper.

He's a psychiatrist.

Oh, sorry. I hope you

get well very soon.

Good night, Mr. Eaton.

Good night, Miss St. John.

All yours, Doctor.

I know that.

Oh, I don't know about these girls.

I heard they were like minks...

during the war.

How are you doing?

You tell me.

Who's Mary St. John?

Her old man's with

the Dupont Corporation...

down in Wilmington.

Fancy pedigree.

Papers on both sides.

Hey, waiter.

You can forget about her.

Why?

You want one?

No.

She's secretly engaged...

to the guy she's with...

the doctor, Jim Roper.

I don't think he's

rich enough for her...

but if it isn't him...

it'll be somebody else who is.

If you're not thinking...

about marrying her...

you can forget

about anything else.

She's really saving it.

Want to make a little bet?

Oh, wake up, sport.

You haven't got

the necessary qualifications.

Well, there are all kinds

of qualifications.

And straight ahead...

you'll notice

the famous Whitney estate.

Oh, and there to the right...

is the estate

ofJames Duncan MacHardie.

You notice the smoke

rising from the chimney?

In all probability...

Mr. MacHardie

is burning money.

Stop hiding behind the glasses.

I'm not hiding.

You always manage...

to put something between us...

likeJim Roper...

or your friend Sage Rimmington...

or the net of a tennis court.

What are you afraid of?

Let's row back

to shore, shall we?

See what I mean?

I don't know why

you bother talking to me.

Every time you do,

you get sarcastic...

and we end up fighting.

Now, if you don't

approve of me...

just leave me alone.

I'm sure I won't perish

from unhappiness.

This is the first time

we've been alone.

How long are you

going to be here?

A month or so.

Then back to Wilmington?

Mm-hmm.

I used to live

very close to there...

portJohnson, pennsylvania.

Oh?

I thought you lived

in New York...

in Gramercy park...

with Lex and all the stray girls...

you could lay your hands on...

or so they tell me.

I think we'd better go back.

You don't mean that.

Yes, I do mean that.

I knew you would

kiss me today...

but I didn't know

I'd kiss you back.

It won't happen again...

so don't try to get me

alone somewhere.

You'd like that.

Stop it.

Why?

'Cause I'm engaged toJim Roper.

You going to marry him?

Well, I'm engaged to him.

But you didn't say...

you were going to marry him.

Look, are you going

to row me back to shore...

or am I going

to have to swim back?

Swim.

[Doorbell Chimes]

Well, hello, Alfred.

Who is it, Mary?

It's just a friend, Mother.

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