The Constant Nymph Page #4

-You shouldn't run uphills.

-No...

Who's that?

It's Fritzie!

He must have come

on the early train!

No, that's his own car.

Fritzie!

-Come on!

-No, you go.

-Why?

I don't want to see that

dirty money-grabbing little lad.

Send my breakfast up here

while I finish the border floor.

-Oh, Mr. Fritz.

-Roberto.

So the master is gone.

Yes, Mr. Fritz, and not only

the master is gone,

but the madame, she's gone.

-Really? Dead?

-Unfortunately, no.

She's just gone, with

Mr. Trigorin. You remember?

-Oh, yes.

-And Miss Kate,

she's gone to Milano,

to study voice.

-Fritz!

-Oh, hello, girls.

I read about it in the papers

in Zurich, after the funeral.

-My heart is broken for you.

-Thank you very much, Fritz.

We can now offer you Napoleon

brandy scotch whisky and port.

-Yes, and steak and kidney pie.

-And Yorkshire pudding.

We have company.

It's our mother's brother,

Mr. Charles Creichton

from England. Our uncle.

And his daughter, Miss Florence

Creichton. They're very rich.

Lewis sent them a letter

and said that we were penniless...

...and destined to lead

a shameful life. And since...

...his sister was our mother...

why, over they came!

They've been here for a week.

Our cousin, she's very swish.

She has a personal maid with her.

Come here.

Her name is Hamilton.

-Yes, Miss?

Ms. Hamilton, would you be

so kind as to...

...take Mr. Bercovy's hat and scarf?

Please, don't trouble.

Thank you very much.

-You see?

-Wonderful.

Tell me, Lewis Dodd,

is he here?

-He's gone swimming.

-Yes, with our cousin Florence.

-Oh, she's a musician.

-No, she's very beautiful.

And, tell me, where is Toni?

She won't go to England

to school either.

She says she wants a job

in a cabaret in Paris.

And do nothing but

drink champagne,

eat a great deal of food and

listen to the latest music.

And I tell you she will not!

I'm going to marry her.

-That would be lovely, Fritz.

-Oh, yes, Toni'd love money.

-Good morning, Uncle Charles.

-What?

-I missed him.

-Who've you missed?

Somekind of crow

outside my window.

Awful fellow.

Five o' clock this morning,

he'd start:
caw, caw, caw...

Same yesterday.

I'm going to take measures.

Oh, please, don't shoot

anything today, Uncle Charles.

What are you doing?

All right, then, if you say so.

You're like your mother,

my sister Evelyn.

We never could get her

up to Scotland for shooting.

Well, good morning, my dears.

Good morning.

You keep looking at me.

I don't know who you are.

Strange morning.

Everywhere I look, I find

something looking at me.

First, that crow...

...then you.

-That's our great friend.

-Friend?

-He's one of our greatest friends.

-Fritz Bercovy.

-What do you play?

Billiard, rummy,

anything you wish.

-Not a musical chap.

-He owns ten theatres.

In the ten most important cities.

You look like the kind of chap

that's up to something.

Are you?

Just what are you doing here?

Forgive me but I came to assist

in a financial predicament...

-...of the Sanger family.

-It's all done, my boy, all done.

They're going to England and

to school.

Thank you very much... sir.

Well, now my breakfast.

-Where's Florence?

-She's gone swimming.

-Really? Robert!

-Oh, it's Roberto.

-Why the "o"?

-It's Italian.

Robert-o!

Breakfast-o!

Florence told me to go

and pick some flowers.

-Well, go and pick them, then.

-Come on with me!

-Oh, stop brooding. Come on!

-I'm not brooding.

-You are.

-I'm not.

Come on!

-What's that?

For your father's grave.

Where is it?

It's up the hills.

-Where is Toni?

-I don't know. Find her.

Toni! Fritz is going to marry you!

Florence is very beautiful.

She is beautiful but she is

so sure about everything.

You think she is sure of Lewis?

I wouldn't be surprised

if she bewitched him.

Poor Tess.

When you love someone

as I love Lewis...

...you've just got to

understand things.

Florence is only beautiful and

she just happens to be here but--

Secrets?

Hello, Florence.

-Did you find any primula?

-No, they grow over by the lake...

...and we didn't have time

to get any before breakfast.

We'll get Lewis

to raw us over later.

I can't wait to take you to England

and buy you some decent clothes.

Well, we don't yet know whether

we're sure we want to go.

And I'm not so sure you aren't

too young to know what's good for you.

You see, we're too young for

some things, we're too old for others,

-we're in between, you know.

-Yes, I've been through that stage.

Hi.

Have you been behaving, girls?

Really, Lewis, sometimes

you can be very pompous.

I hope that's put you

in your place, Mr. Dodd.

I think we should go

and get the flowers.

Get plenty of flowers and put them

in a vase in the middle of the table.

-Yes, we know.

-Come on!

Come on.

What's the matter? You have

a funny look on your face.

-Funny?

-You're a fool.

The fool is wondering.

You look like a man

who's wondered a lot.

Mm-hmm. A little hopelessly

I'm afraid.

From what I've heard of musicians,

you're all the same.

Strange and a little

off-the-earth.

-I've come to the earth, suddenly.

-Do you like it?

-Do I like you?

-I didn't mean that.

I mean, being on the earth,

out of your clouds.

I do, I do like it very much.

But I'd like to take you back

to my clouds with me.

When do you leave, sir?

At your word.

This is becoming very pretty

and very gallant.

I mean it, very much.

You must've had a great success

with this method of approach.

No, I've had no success

whatever. Ever.

Poor Mr. Dodd. I'm not going to

attempt to believe you.

What woman could resist

a trip to the clouds...

-... with someone as...?

-Mm-hmm?

-I'm stumped.

-Oh, you mean,

someone who wanted to kiss you

the minute you got off that train?

-To kiss?

-Uh-huh.

A beautiful woman

gets off the train...

...to rescue some girls,

and a poor musician...

...wants to take her

into his arms and kiss her.

And they lived happily everafter.

You know they could.

I swear they could.

-I will, I think.

-What?

Live happily.

Florence!

Why do you think I stayed

up here this whole week?

I don't know. Why?

Tell me, I want to hear.

I wanted to find my way

up to you in your clouds.

See, I'm not exactly

the cloudy type.

I didn't know my way

until you told me.

You're so real,

so definite.

Is that what you like?

It's what I love.

Oh, Paula, darling--

Lewis, I--

I'm sorry, but--

Come here.

Breakfast is ready and--

Uncle Charles is screaming

for everyone.

Mm, yes.

Paula, my lamb,

I have news for you.

Florence and I are going to

get married.

Are you?

Yes.

But you scarcely know each other.

Don't be such a little woman.

Do I sense competition here?

Quite possibly.

Suppose you run along, young lady,

and have those hands washed.

Certainly.

Tessa!

Tessa!

Uncle Charles, have you seen Tessa?

Oh, Tessa, she was here

a moment ago...

...messing about with some flowers.

I'm famish!

Where are the others?

Robert-o!

Tessa!

Tessa.

-Have you seen Tessa?

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