The Children's Hour Page #2

No.

No, of course not.

I'm sorry, Karen.

I don't know how I

could be so selfish.

Please, forgive me.

I already have.

It's been a long day. We

both need some sleep.

Yes, you're right.

Who has the cooking

detail for breakfast?

I do.

Karen...

you know, don't you, that I

only want the best for you?

I know.

"This proves me base,

"if she first meet

the curled Antony

"he'll make demands of

her, and spend that kiss

- "which is my heaven..."

- Evelyn. Evelyn.

Can't you imagine yourself as

Cleopatra talking to an asp?

"This knot intrinsicate

"of life at once untie.

"Poor venomous fool.

- "Be angry, and dispatch..."

- Mary!

Why, Mary, are you just arriving

for your elocution class?

If you take no interest

in your work, then...

I went to get these flowers

for you, Mrs. Mortar.

You told us you loved flowers. And I

walked so far to get them for you.

That was very thoughtful

of you, Mary.

I suppose I'll have to

forgive you this time.

Thoughtfulness and

courtesy mean breeding

and breeding is an excellent thing.

I think you should write

that down, all of you.

We wrote it down last week.

- Put them in a vase for me, Mary.

- Yes, ma'am.

Good afternoon, Miss Wright.

Evelyn has just been

reading Cleopatra for us.

That's nice.

Mary just brought me a

gift of some flowers.

- Where did you get them, Mary?

- She picked them, especially for me.

Where did you get them, Mary?

Down near the lake.

I see.

That'll be all, girls. Thank you.

- Mary?

- I have to get my biology book for...

I'd rather you waited.

It wasn't necessary to go down

to the lake for those flowers.

There was a bunch exactly like these

in the trash barrels this morning.

What a nasty thing to do!

What a nasty thing.

Come.

Come and sit down.

Mary, why do you do these things?

Why do you lie to us so often?

I'm not lying.

If you have to do things to let off steam or

for adventure, come and tell us about it.

Tell us the truth. I promise

you, we'll try to understand.

I picked the flowers

down near the lake.

All right, you leave me no choice.

You'll have to be punished.

Take your recreation periods alone.

No field hockey, no swimming

and do not leave the school grounds

for any reason whatsoever.

- Saturday, too'?

- Saturday, too.

But the boat races are Saturday,

and you said I could go.

The boat races were a

privilege which you've lost.

I'll tell my grandmother how...

- Go upstairs.

- I'll tell her how you treat me.

Go upstairs, Mary!

I don't feel well.

I've got a pain.

It hurts here.

I've never had it before!

My heart! It's

stopping or something!

I can't breathe! I can't!

I can't!

It's nothing.

You'd better telephone Joe

and ask him to come over.

All right.

- What happened? Did she fall?

- No. I was disciplining her and...

- And you finally hit her?

- No, of course not.

- She just seems to have fainted.

- Maybe it's a heart attack.

Now, I think the feet should

be higher than the head.

- Try it here.

- Where?

- Here. Here.

- There?

Yes, there, a most important spot.

Yes, indeed.

When Delia Lambert had a

heart attack in Buffalo

right on the stage,

that was the spot.

- Did this Delia survive?

- Yes. I saved her.

How's her pulse?

The pulse is very bad.

I'm afraid she's slipping away.

There's no heartbeat at all.

We'll need a specialist.

Perhaps you, Doctor, would

condescend to take over?

What?

Heart attacks are

nothing to play with.

- Never played with one in my life.

- As the child's teacher, I...

Mrs. Mortar, please.

Well!

I was practically put

out of the room.

So you don't resent your aunt

being snubbed and humiliated?

- Aunt Lily.

- Karen is rude to me, and you know it.

Karen is very kind to you. And

what's even harder, very patient.

Patient with me?

When I've worked my fingers

to the bone for both of you.

Yes, to the bone, to the very bone!

Aunt Lily...

You've talked about going back

to New York for a long time now.

It's been years. I'll never

live to play on Broadway again.

But you will, Aunt Lily, you will.

You can go back to New York.

You want to get rid of me?

I'm trying to give you something

you've always wanted.

You keep talking about the theater

and the great opportunities in

television that you're missing.

Turning me out.

Nice, grateful girls.

- How can anybody deal with you?

- Please, do not raise your voice.

I shall write to my agent. When

they have a suitable part for me...

No.

I don't think we

should wait that long.

I'll give you what little

money we have now.

You think I'd take your money?

I'd rather scrub floors first.

You'll change your mind

after the first floor.

I should have known by this

time that the wise thing to do

was to stay out of your way

when he's in the house.

When who's in the house?

Don't think you're

fooling me, young lady.

Any day that he's in the

house is a bad day.

Now, look...

Let's give it up. I'm tired. I've

been working since 6:00 this morning.

I know what I know.

You can't stand them being together,

and you're taking it out on me.

God knows what you'll

do when they marry.

- Jealous, jealous...

- Aunt Lily.

You've always had a jealous,

possessive nature even as a child.

If you had a friend, you'd be

upset if she liked anybody else.

And that's what's happening now.

And it's unnatural. It's just

as unnatural as it can be.

The sooner you get out of here, the better.

You are making me sick.

And I won't stand for you any longer.

I want you to leave tomorrow, no delays.

What are you doing down here?

- We just came to...

- I was going up...

- I was going upstairs.

- We just came down to see how Mary was.

I think you came down

to listen deliberately.

We didn't mean to.

Eavesdropping is something that

nice young ladies just don't do.

You wait outside in the hall.

I'll talk to you later.

You should not be around children.

When you're at your best,

you're not for tender ears.

So now it's my fault, is it?

You'd better look to yourself

and not continue to blame

me for everything.

What's the matter with the duchess?

Rehearsing an exit in case

she finds the right play.

- How's Mary?

- Strong as a mule.

I don't know who's teaching

fainting here, but she flunked.

We've about reached the end

of our rope with that child.

Someone should talk to

Mrs. Tilford about Mary.

- You wouldn't be electing me, would you?

- She's your aunt.

Yes, but I'm not writing the

Tilfords into the marriage contract.

Incidentally, did Karen tell

you she finally set a date?

She told me, incidentally.

- What's the matter, Martha?

- Nothing.

I think there is.

I don't know what's bothering you.

I always thought you approved of me.

You must know how fond I am of you.

If it's the school you're

worried about, don't.

- Karen knows I have...

- Damn you! Leave me alone!

Stop consoling me, or...

patronizing me, or feeling sorry for

me, or whatever it is you're doing.

Leave me alone!

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