The Arrangement Page #8

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Who are you? What's the difference?

Eddie, don't.

Don't sign it.

I have no objections.

There you are.

I always knew your heart would-

Your heart's in the right place.

Now, you can all get the hell out of here,

I'm gonna talk to my wife.

You're right.

Now, we'll all sit down.

Afraid I'm getting a headache.

Well, how are you, Florence?

I have trouble sleeping in this awful city.

Yeah, it's been tough on you.

But how are you really?

Well, I-

I've been feeling ashamed.

Because...

Because...

I don't know. Suddenly,

it's like I was persecuting you.

You're doing what you have to do.

Eddie, can I ask you again?

Is all this...

...about her?

Not really, no.

I'm prettier than she is.

Yes. You are.

Then what-? What is it about?

My self-respect.

That's all?

That's all.

I mean-

You know, I mean,

I thought perhaps it was something-

- Serious?

- I didn't say that.

I ought to slap you

right across the face for that.

You mean,

that what you've been doing-

That.

- increases your self-respect?

I was- I was going to say...

...that perhaps it- It was something

I couldn't help you with.

The night after you left...

...I was at a party.

And I went home with another man.

And when he touched me...

...I went dry.

Eddie, you're all I've ever wanted.

I'm waiting for you.

I know you finally kicked her out.

She left me.

I don't believe any woman

would leave you, Eddie.

She's marrying Charles.

Any minute.

Oh, Eddie.

Eddie, I can make you happier

than any woman, if you'll only let me.

And I- I know that all this, somehow,

somewhere, is my fault too.

Don't think I don't.

You know, you look very well.

You've absolutely no business

looking so well, you bastard, but you do.

Come.

Come with me.

Lie with me.

Side by side, just like we used to.

There.

Oh, I'd stick with you through anything.

You already have.

Yes, I have, haven't I?

That's all.

That's all.

And now, you tell me, Eddie...

...how you want it to be.

How it should be,

so that you'll be happy.

And that's the way,

so help me God, it's going to be.

Oh, Florence.

- All I want is-

- Yes. Go on.

- to do absolutely... nothing.

Fine.

What are you going to do?

Just be.

Well, what will you be?

Nothing.

Be.

But be what?

- Be nothing?

- Yes.

- Eddie, you're a talented man, you can-

- Yes. Nothing.

Just be myself.

Sounds silly.

- No, no, not at all.

- You know, walk places.

You know.

Sit down, think.

- Maybe.

- Like Tolstoy?

No, like me.

But, Eddie, Tolstoy could afford it.

He was a very rich man.

- He had lots of slaves-

- We have property. Sell it.

- I wish you could see the new bills-

- I want you to sell that house.

And sell our place in the desert.

Sell the cars, the paintings...

...that Bulgarian statue in the garden.

Sell the books, the records,

Deepfreeze, everything.

I'm head of the house.

That's an order. Sell it.

Yes, but, Eddie, be sensible.

Where would we go?

What do we really need? We'll get

a small apartment and start from scratch.

Eddie, you've worked hard all your life,

you deserve a comfortable living.

But I wasn't comfortable.

I kept trying to kill myself.

Florence, look, I know I've-

I've done bad things to you,

Ellen, other people...

...but nothing like

what I've done to myself.

I didn't say that you were perfect.

But, Eddie, dear, you once

had consideration for other people.

Eddie, darling, be a decent man again.

Eddie.

Think of someone besides yourself.

All I ever did was think

of everyone except myself.

I've got to learn to be selfish.

That was never your trouble, Eddie.

Not that.

- Not being- Not being selfish.

- Y es, yes, yes, that's it.

I've got to learn to be selfish.

Our whole life

was built around you, Eddie.

Oh, the minutes. The minutes.

- The minutes.

- What minutes?

The minutes of my life.

Do you want me to sell them again?

- Eddie, calm down.

- I don't feel calm.

Why should I calm?

I swear to God!

I'll never again...

I'm never again gonna work

at a job I despise.

Never.

- Never.

- Yes, yes, yes.

But what are you going to do?

I wanna do...

...one...

...small, good thing...

...before I die.

One thing I really respect.

Yes, of course.

That's what I want.

That's all. One small, decent-

Such as wallowing in that tramp.

It has nothing to do with her.

And don't call her a tramp.

I'll call her what she is.

He signed my signature to this.

Call her whatever you like.

She's less of a tramp

than most of our friends.

When you tell me about your great

new life, I know what that means.

- What do you know about Gwen?

- Everything, Arthur's had her investigated.

- Investigated?

- Yes.

We know who she's been with.

Do you want the report?

- Investigated, huh?

- How many times and where.

I'm in better shape than you are.

I can teach-

- Bought, paid for.

- So what?

She wouldn't prepare commitment papers

behind her husband's back.

I didn't do that.

She wouldn't plot to jail her husband

in a mental institution.

- I didn't agree to that.

- There's a paper in her lawyer's pocket...

...that would put me in a mental

institution on a writ signed by you!

- I refused to sign that!

- But you are!

At this very instant...

...you are considering whether

you should sign it, aren't you?

- Aren't you? Aren't you?

- Daddy!

- Admit it! Now, admit it!

- Daddy, don't!

- Admit it! Aren't you? Admit it!

- Help! Help! Arthur, help me!

- Admit it!

- Arthur!

- Arthur!

- You admit it!

- Arthur! Help!

- Daddy!

Arthur!

- Liar! Liar!

- Help!

Arthur, he's insane.

Perhaps Your Honor's

judgment might be...

...that this man should be allowed

to benefit from psychopatholo-

The reason she thinks

that perhaps Your Honor's judgment...

...might be that this man should benefit

from psychopathological treatment-

The best available.

- has to do with the damage that he's

done, not to others, but to himself.

I have been able to piece together what

Mr. Arness did the rest of that day...

...that brought him to this mental hospital

in the condition that he's now in.

It took considerable investigation.

Excuse me.

I thought I might put the results

before Your Honor.

Hold on.

Do you have any objections, Mr. Arness?

Do you?

As a way of starting.

Mr. Arness, do you object?

Mr. Arness, would you remember,

I'm here to protect you...

...not to prosecute you.

You may proceed.

Our first information

came from some children...

...who were playing in front

of the old family home...

...on Long Island Sound.

They saw Mr. Arness drive up in a cab...

...walk into the old place

and pull down the shades.

We must bear in mind, Your Honor,

as we consider the events...

...that this man has twice tried

to destroy himself.

In fact, missed doing so

only by a miracle.

You'll regret it.

You'll regret it.

Go ahead.

None of us will ever know, of course...

...what went on in the private hell

that is the soul of this man.

All we know is

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