My Man Godfrey Page #9

delightful aroma?

Oh, that's Old Man River.

You get used to it after a while.

Do you mean to say that people

really live in this place?

Well, they go through

the motions.

Tommy, observe yon

structure on your left.

That was the birthplace

of the celebrated butler Godfrey Smith.

- Where are the ashes of Godfrey Parke?

- Scattered to the winds.

- Hello, Duke. Well, well.

- Hiya, Mike.

- How's tricks?

- Meet Mr. Gray. Mr. Flaherty.

Mr. Gray, pardon my wet paw.

I've been washing my lingerie.

- That's okay.

- Hey, Bob, look who's here.

- Hi, Bob.

- Well, bust my false teeth!

Say, thanks for the beans.

They got here just in time.

What's up? The beans was marvelous.

We ate everything but the can.

Don't thank me.

Thank Mr. Gray.

He's got a corner

on the bean market.

Is that the same corner

that prosperity's just around?

No, that's another one.

Hello, Arthur.

- Hello, Duke.

- Meet Mr. Gray. Mr. Bellinger.

You look as though you've got a job too.

Is this an epidemic?

Hey, Mike. Let's get goin'.

Duke, we gotta run along.

This is moving day.

We gotta help the boys move their

shacks. The trucks are crowding in.

We oughta be in the river

by early spring.

We might be able to float

by that time. See you again.

Right.

That fellow with the bundle of wood

is Bellinger of the Second National.

When his bank failed,

he gave up everything

so his depositors wouldn't suffer.

- Not really?

- Really.

There are two kinds of people:

Those who fight the idea...

of being pushed into the river

and the other kind.

After all, things have always

been this way for some people.

These men are not

your responsibility.

There are different ways

of having fun.

You have a peculiar

sense of humor.

Here we have some very

fashionable apartment houses,

over there is

a very swanky nightclub...

while down here men starve

for want of a job.

- How does that strike you?

- What's this leading to?

Tommy, there's a very peculiar

mental process called thinking.

You wouldn't know

much about that.

But when I was living here,

I did a lot of it.

One thing I discovered was

that the only difference between

a derelict and a man is a job.

Sit down over here and rest your weary

bones. Let me tell you what I want.

Well, I'll listen, but I still think

you belong in a psychopathic ward.

You may be right, but let me tell you

my plan, and listen with both ears.

I have an idea...

Did you and Irene have a good time

while you were in Europe?

Oh, as good a time as anyone

could have with Irene.

- You should be more civil to Carlo.

- Why?

- I don't mind. Cherchez la femme.

- That will hold you.

Carlo always has such a clever answer

for everything.

Darling, do you want

some coffee?

- No, thank you.

- She didn't eat any dinner, either.

- You had plenty.

- I can't say anything!

- You never do.

- Oh, what's come over you?

We spend good money

to send you abroad,

and you're worse off

than when you left.

- Her liver is probably upset.

- Take a liver pill.

- I don't want a liver pill.

- You mustn't get upset.

You've broken many before

and never acted this way.

She's upset because Godfrey didn't fall

down in a faint when we got in today.

Why should Godfrey

fall in a faint?

He didn't make enough fuss

over her homecoming to suit her.

Well, Godfrey's

not the fussing kind. Shh.

Godfrey, I was just telling my daughters

you missed them while they were away.

Oh, yes, I did.

Very much, indeed.

- We missed you too, didn't we, Irene?

- Yes.

- I missed you, also.

- It's nice to miss everybody.

Then it makes it so nice

when we get together again.

There, there, darling.

It's nice to see you cheerful.

- You do have a way with you, Godfrey.

- Thank you.

There's no use denying the fact

that Godfrey has a way with him.

We must be running on.

Cornelia, cheer her up.

I'm a cinch.

Do you feel better now that

you know Godfrey missed us?

He missed me more.

I could tell by the light in his eyes.

Why don't throw yourself

in the man's arms?

You can't rush a man

like Godfrey.

You're getting

pretty old, you know?

He's really in love.

He's just hard to break down.

I could break him down

in no time at all.

- He'd have nothing to do with you.

- How do you know?

Because he wouldn't.

Don't you try anything.

I'm not saying I will,

and I'm not saying I won't

Come to think of it, Godfrey and

I have a little unfinished business.

You better leave it unfinished, unless

you want to be wearing a lamp for a hat.

Did you mean it

when you said you missed me?

Oh! Yes,

of course I did.

I mean, did you miss

Cornelia and me or just me?

- Well, I missed both of you.

- Not just me?

Oh, I may have missed you a little

more than I did Cornelia. Why?

I'm glad, because if you missed Cornelia

more, you'd probably miss me less.

- That sounds very logical.

- That's all I wanted to know.

- You look so cute in your apron.

- I'm not trying to look cute.

Molly has a cold,

and I'm doubling for her.

What's funny about that?

- She hasn't got a cold.

- No?

She's got the same thing I've got,

only you won't let me talk about that.

- You'll lose your temper.

- Well, not seriously.

- Will you let me do something?

- What do you want to do?

- Wipe.

- Oh, all right.

- You can tell me all about your trip.

- You won't get mad?

- Why should I?

- Because everybody was Godfrey.

Every... I don't want

to seem dull,

but I do seem to have a little trouble

following you at times.

Well, for instance, when I'd go

into a restaurant in Paris,

I'd close my eyes and say,

"The waiter is Godfrey.

I'm home, and he's

serving me dinner. "

- It made everything taste better.

- Why?

- Haven't you any sense?

- I'm afraid I haven't.

When I'd get in a cab,

the driver was Godfrey,

and I'd say,

"This is his chariot,

and he's taking me

to his castle on the mountains. "

Suppose you come down out of the

mountains and tell me about your trip.

We went to Venice, and I went for a ride

in one of those rowboats.

Not a matador. That was in Spain.

But something like a matador.

Do you, by any chance,

mean a gondolier?

That was the name of the boat. The man

that pushed it sang a beautiful song.

- It was beautiful.

- I see.

- So the man was Godfrey.

- I didn't even mind the smell.

It was very convenient to take a trip

abroad without leaving the kitchen.

Oh, you have a wonderful sense of humor.

I wish I had a sense of humor.

But I never can think

of the right thing to say.

Do you mind if I talk for a little bit,

while you catch your breath?

I'd love it.

While you've been away,

I've been doing some things also.

I've been trying to do things that

I thought would make you proud of me.

Oh, I was proud of you

before I went away.

Yes, but I mean

prouder still.

You see, you helped me

to find myself,

and I'm very grateful.

You'd make a wonderful husband.

I'm afraid not.

- I know how you feel about things.

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