Old Acquaintance Page #6

- You've been drinking all that whisky.

- It's not the whisky.

- You can't do this to me.

- You can't just walk...

- Stop it, Millie! No more scenes.

I never was much good at them.

As you would say in one of your books...

"And so ended this chapter in their life."

- Good luck, my dear.

- Preston.

Preston!

- Preston!

- Down.

Preston!

- Good evening.

- Good evening. Mr. Preston Drake, please.

- Are you Miss Marlowe?

- Yes.

Oh, yes, he's been trying to reach you.

He was around here a minute ago.

- I think you'll find him in the lounge.

- Oh, thank you.

Pres.

- Hello, Kit.

- Hello.

- Don't bother.

- How'd the play go? I bet it was great.

- It was all right, I guess.

- Good.

Pres, I've just seen Millie.

She's very upset.

- She'll get over it.

- What do you mean, "She'll get over it"?

Pres, you're hardly a child.

How a grown man

can be hiding away here...

just for the fun of torturing his wife,

is beyond me.

- I'm sorry, Kit, but it's over.

- Don't be ridiculous.

You can save your breath, Kit. I'm through.

Have you got a cigarette?

Thank you.

Pres, this is very serious.

Kit, I couldn't stand it any longer.

It's been building up for a long time.

And today, something clicked

and said, "Now." And now it was.

Well, something chose

a peach of a time to say it...

on my opening night.

I'm sorry if you were bothered.

I didn't mean to involve you.

But Harriet said you called three times.

What I had to say to you

was not about Millie.

Pres, you simply must not do this.

It's nothing that can't be straightened out.

You two wouldn't

have lived together happily...

It wasn't happy.

Well, you two wouldn't

have lived together, then, for nine years...

if there hadn't been strong ties

between you.

Kit, when I married Millie, she was

a sweet, pretty little girl. It was fun.

But, Pres...

But our marriage has been headed for the

rocks ever since Millie started to write.

I don't have to tell you.

When Deedy was so sick that time

it was you who took care of her.

Millie was in Mexico.

I get a chance of a big contract

in Philadelphia...

I can't leave, Millie's in California.

But, Pres, whatever may have happened

to Millie is only superficial.

If you just look at Millie's activities

as a confession of weakness...

an admission that there's something

essentially lacking in her nature...

you'd find it a little touching,

and love her for it.

- You sound like one of Millie's books.

- Do I?

That's rather a joke on me, isn't it?

That seems to be that, then.

It's not so serious. It happens every day.

Kit, there's something I've got to ask you.

It has nothing to do

with my leaving Millie.

Miss Marlowe,

you're wanted on the phone.

Oh, thank you.

You can take it in here.

Thank you.

- Hiya, bub.

- Hello.

- Great weather we're having.

- Yeah.

You the guy?

- What guy?

- The guy that wanted Scotch.

- You've got Scotch?

- No, I got gin.

- How much?

- $10.

Okay.

Hey, bub.

You don't have to worry about that stuff.

I make it myself. Here's my card.

That was my apartment.

I'm having a party.

It was my opening night, remember?

I'm a hostess.

Kit, I told you I wanted

to ask you something.

I know you did,

but this is no time to talk about us.

Pres, you know that. Now I really must go.

It means such a lot to me.

Kit, you must listen.

Please, sit down. Just for a minute.

Kit, you mean everything to me.

The thought of you,

the mention of your name.

Kit, I am really in love with you,

deeply in love with you.

Look me straight me in the eyes

and tell me you don't feel as I do.

I'm never going back to Millie.

So, don't let that make any difference

in what you say, but tell me.

Tell me the truth.

Pres, I haven't let myself

even think about it.

Why not?

Because there are things you just don't do.

There are things...

that a woman just can't do

and this is one of them.

Kit, this is our chance for a happy life.

That might be, Pres,

if things were different.

It's the only chance.

There's no such thing as an only chance.

Life goes on.

Pres, Millie would always be between us...

spoiling any chance of happiness

that we might find.

There are things that you just don't do...

if you want to live decently

with yourself afterwards.

Do you mean to stand there and tell me

that your friendship for Millie...

would mean more to you

than your love for me?

Pres, I know it's hard

for a man to understand.

All I know is that it's something

I just couldn't do...

whether it was Millie, or any other woman

who is a friend of mine.

I guess it wasn't meant to be, Pres.

That was Millie on the phone.

She's on her way here now.

I told her to come.

Pres, talk to her, give her a chance.

Don't just throw away nine years

without at least talking to her.

Kit, you know I'd do anything for you.

Anything but that.

Oh, Pres, don't be stubborn.

Please, for my sake, see her.

I'm sorry, Kit,

but that's one thing I won't do.

Well, I guess that's goodbye then.

I guess it is.

May I kiss you goodbye?

No, Pres.

Goodbye, Kit.

Pres...

come here.

Goodbye.

Goodbye, Kit.

Will you keep an eye on Deirdre for me?

I'd kind of like her to grow up like you.

Of course.

If anyone asks for me, anyone at all,

I don't want to be disturbed. Understand?

Very good, Mr. Drake.

Hello, Millie.

- Where is he, Kit?

- He's gone to his room. He won't see you.

He won't see me? But why not?

Let's not talk about it here. Let's go home.

Wait.

- I want to see Mr. Preston Drake, please.

- Mr. Drake does not wish to be disturbed.

Well, then let me speak to him

on the telephone.

But I've just told you,

he doesn't wish to be disturbed.

But he's my husband.

I'm Mrs. Drake. Don't you understand?

Lady, I don't care if you're Admiral Drake,

those are my orders.

Where's the manager?

I want to speak to the manager!

I am the night manager.

Millie, come in here a minute.

There's nothing you can do about it.

But how can he do this to me?

We were always so happy together.

Nine years of bliss...

and now he's in that room up there

and he won't even see me.

Millie, be quiet.

Oh, he's ruined my life,

that's what he's done.

I've nothing left to live for. Nothing.

I should have thrown myself

out the window like I planned.

Millie, don't talk nonsense.

Oh, how can I face people?

How can I tell them that he's left me?

Everybody envied me so.

They thought I had everything, and I did.

A husband and a home,

and a baby and a career.

Well, Millie you still have your home

and your baby and your career.

- No, I'll never write another line!

- Don't say such silly things, Millie.

In a few months,

you'll be in the middle of a new book...

and will have forgotten all about this.

Oh, they say you can lose yourself

in your work. I wish I could believe that.

- Do you think it's true, Kit?

- That's what they say, Millie.

Perhaps, I can.

Perhaps, it'll even be good for my work.

Oh, I'm going to try.

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