House Of Strangers Page #4

Well, sometime you gotta mix up

a little pleasure with the business.

Business with the pleasure.

But all the time it's strictly business.

Hey, Max?

You see?

He's got nothing to say.

He's guilty.

It's written all over his face.

You cannot see his face.

He's got his back to you.

Gino, the engagement is off.

Give him back his ring.

I won't.

The engagement is not off.

- That's my girl.

- Don't you come near her.

- Give him back his ring.

- No.

Helena, I think you sit down.

- And don't you tell me what to do.

- Now, Helena, sit down.

- And hurry up!

- Oh!

What every man do

before he's married is nobody's business.

- It was when I was a girl.

- When you was a girl...

the fastest thing

in the world was a horse.

I'll have you know

my husband died happy.

Your husband was happy to die,

which is a different thing.

- Oh, I'm not gonna sit here and-

- You sit down and shut up!

- Oh!

- You know, it's time you learn something

about the United States.

I'm gonna tell you about it.

It's called New World.

Why? Because

everything is new.

Old World,

cities grow this way.

New World,

cities grow this way.

Old World,

bathrooms outside.

New World?

Bathrooms inside.

It's the same thing with people.

Old World, your father a barber,

then you a barber.

New World?

Your father a barber?

You wanna be a presidente?

All right, why not?

What has this got to do

with Max and my Maria?

Well, plenty. Marriage

is different here too.

Old World, boy and girl,

they get engaged.

They wait one year, two years. When they

tire of each other, they get married.

United States is different. They get

married right away. Get tired afterwards.

I don't care about

old worlds and new worlds.

It's my daughter's happiness

that's at stake.

Yes, but, Helena,

a woman is happy here.

Woman is boss.

Is biggest difference.

Here, only free time in a man's life

is before he gets married.

United States wives

don't just stay home...

and have babies

and cook like in Old World.

No, here they come and go.

They buy and sell.

Someday they even find way

for husbands to have babies.

Say something, Max.

It's for Maria to say

if she still wants me.

- I'll never marry anyone else.

- Good.

Then a week after Easter.

I fix up everything.

I haven't agreed to anything. Besides,

it's my daughter that's getting married.

I'll take charge of the wedding,

if there's going to be one.

I want to marry Max,

and I want to marry him right away.

Now you listen to me!

Helena, with you and me,

it's still Old World.

- You open your mouth once more, and I'll-

- Relax.

Everything's settled.

Like Pa said,

we'll get married a week after Easter.

Ha!

You see, Theresa?

Gino fix up everything.

Yes, Gino,

you fix up everything.

You're not dancing with me.

- What about dinner?

- I'm not hungry.

Well, I am.

Eat.

Can you get me a taxi, please?

Uh, shows are letting out, ma'am.

It'll be a little while.

If you're walking home,

you live the other way.

I know it. I'm a girl

with a sense of direction.

Where you going?

- That's the question.

- You're not going anywhere. Period.

What are you going to do,

beat some sense into me?

- What's this all about?

- I'm beginning to know you, Max.

- I don't like what I see.

- You're in love with me.

What happened to it?

Nothing's happened to it yet.

- Who's the other guy?

- There isn't any.

- You're talking to me,

Max Monetti. Who is he?

- That's all you can think of.

The only reason I could leave you

is for somebody else.

Nothing could be wrong

with you, could there?

What are you looking for?

This is 1932, New York, the jungle.

It's dog eat dog,

and the first bite counts.

Just whom are you fighting,

Max, me or yourself?

It's beginning to hurt,

and you can't take it.

Why should I?

What do I get, a silver cup?

I'm not going to

get hurt, remember?

Especially not by you

so you can play dog eat dog in a jungle.

Look. Things are the same

with us as they always were.

Not with me.

Something new's been added.

I don't understand you anymore.

You don't understand

anybody, not even yourself.

You've never tried.

You love Max Monetti, and he loves you.

- No questions asked.

- Good night, Pat.

Good night, Pat.

See you tomorrow.

Excuse me.

You're going to marry Maria.

She'll give you kids, a home.

What'll you give her?

What have you got to give her?

- You finished?

- I'm finished.

- Then let's eat. I'm hungry.

- Just like that.

Just like that.

I keep forgetting

you live in a jungle.

Then come quietly, baby.

Would the lady like a drink?

The lady's not drinking tonight.

More coffee?

How many of those

before you jungle boys get drunk?

- You in a hurry?

- Enjoy yourself.

It's our last night. Have fun.

You can turn it on or off, can't you?

Character, that's what you got.

Plenty of character.

Why don't you have another drink?

You'd like to see me fall on my face

and beg. You'd like that, wouldn't you?

You never will. I don't need you.

I don't need anybody.

- Max Monetti can-

- Period.

There's an epitaph for you-

"Here lies Max Monetti. Period."

Who you gonna

take up with after me?

- That's one thing I don't worry about.

- It worries me.

- Why?

- 'Cause I'll be thinking about it.

And I don't like

what I'll be thinking.

Ice. Even your ears are cold.

- You feel better now?

- Worse.

I feel rotten.

- I'll take you home.

- Whose home?

- Yours.

- Oh, you're loaded with character tonight.

- Got any cigarettes?

- Don't sell cigarettes.

Haven't got a license.

You've got a nice place here.

Lots of atmosphere.

Full of characters.

Your lady friend's leaving.

She left me four hours ago.

See ya.

Yeah, Max.

- More steam.

- Yeah, sweat it out.

That's the way, Max.

Sweat it out.

- I'm beat, Pa. Really beat.

- Yeah, smart boy.

- Let the woman do this to you.

- She don't mean a thing to me.

She mean nothing.

Then why you beat?

She told me off, and there's no other guy.

That's what gets me.

Well, soon enough, you marry Maria.

Forget this woman.

- How do you forget, Pa? What do you do?

- Sweat it out.

Good thing you come here.

Trouble at the bank.

I don't get it. She's nuts about me.

She told me. I know she is.

Books. Always wanna look in the books.

Always wanna make trouble. Books.

She can't leave me. I won't let her leave me.

I'll go bust her door down.

What is this money, that money?

How you get this? Why you do that?

Books is no way

to run a bank.

She'll come crawling.

You're right, Pa, forget. I'll marry Maria.

Twenty years I run the bank

and never have no trouble.

No one ask me nothing.

I throw them out. That's what I'm gonna do.

- From now on, no one looking in my books.

- What are you talking about?

- Books.

- What books?

The bank. They're looking in my books.

They ask lots of questions.

- You got the answers, haven't you?

- Why you think I'm sweating?

- Where's the piano player?

- She don't start till 5:00.

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