The Fountainhead Page #3

by offering to help Peter's career...

...you miscalculated.

I have no desire

to help his career.

I was trying to tempt you,

but I didn't find it amusing.

I should like to meet Peter Keating.

Will you have dinner with me this

evening? We'll discuss the commission.

- lf you wish.

- Incidentally, I'd have fired anyone else...

...for being absent from the office.

I know it.

- Shall I consider myself fired?

- You want to be?

Don't really care

one way or another.

You know, you could do much more

than write a small column about buildings.

You could make a brilliant career

on the Banner...

...if you asked me for it.

I never wanted a career

on the Banner.

Tell me, what would you

consider as tempting?

I'd like to find

something you could want.

Don't try to, Mr. Wynand.

I'll never want anything.

Do you know what I was doing

when you came in?

I had a statue which I found in Europe,

the statue of a god.

I think I was in love with it...

...but I broke it.

- What do you mean?

- I threw it down the air shaft.

- Why?

So that I wouldn't have to love it.

I didn't wanna be tied to anything. I wanted

to destroy it rather than let it be...

...part of a world where beauty and

genius and greatness have no chance.

The world of the mob

and of the Banner.

Do you still want me to have

dinner with you tonight?

More than ever.

It's such a magnificent opportunity.

I'll do my best to please you.

- I take it you want this commission.

- Want it?

I'd sell my soul for it.

That may be the right phrase.

Everything in life has its price.

In this instance, the price is that you

break your engagement to Miss Francon.

My engagement?

Why?

For any reason

you care to imagine.

You may think what you wish about my

motives but that is the condition I demand.

- Dominique?

- No, I'm not going to help you.

I'd like to see it decided

between Mr. Wynand and yourself.

- But would you agree?

- The choice is yours.

Our engagement helped you

to become my father's partner.

Mr. Wynand's patronage

will help you much more.

I'm sure this is a joke, Mr. Wynand.

Things like this aren't being done.

They're done all the time

but not talked about.

I grant you that

I'm behaving abominably.

It's extremely cruel to be honest.

I...

I don't know what I'm supposed to do.

It's simple. You're supposed

to slap my face.

You were supposed to do that

several minutes ago.

No?

You don't wanna do that?

Of course, you don't have to

and you don't have to accept.

Would you rather refuse the commission?

- No.

- Fine, Mr. Keating.

Now I think it would be best if you left.

Call up my office in the morning,

and we'll sign the contract.

If that's what you want,

I'm not going to interfere.

We should be grown-up

about it, shouldn't we?

I'm sure we'll have

no trouble, Mr. Wynand.

Good night.

Why did you do this?

Did you believe I'd agree like Peter? Did you

expect to win me by your usual methods?

Of course not. I merely wanted to show you

that all men are corrupt, anyone be bought.

And that you're wrong

in your contempt for me.

There is no honest way

to deal with people.

We have no choice except

to submit or to rule them.

I chose to rule.

A man of integrity would do neither.

There are no men of integrity.

I have many years behind me to prove it.

I was born in Hell's Kitchen.

I rose out of the gutter

by creating the Banner.

It's a contemptible paper, isn't it?

But it has achieved my purpose.

- What was your purpose?

- Power.

Why are you trying to justify

yourself to me?

I wasn't trying to jus...

Yes.

- That is what I was doing.

- Why?

I think you know it.

You see?

I suppose I'm one of those freaks

you hear about.

A woman completely incapable of feeling.

I was engaged to Peter Keating...

...because he was the most safely,

unimportant person I could find.

And I knew I'd never be in love.

Haven't you ever loved anyone?

No, and I never will.

If I fell in love, it'd be like

the statue of the Greek god again.

I know it. I accept it.

I want you to marry me.

If I ever decide to punish myself

for some terrible guilt...

...l'll marry you.

- I'll wait.

No matter what reason you choose for it.

- Will you let me see you again?

- I'm leaving the city in a few days.

- Where are you going?

- To Father's place in Connecticut.

I'm going there so

I won't have to see anyone.

What are you really seeking?

Freedom:
to want nothing, to expect

nothing, to depend on nothing.

Why, Miss Francon.

How do you do?

What are you doing here?

I'm out here for the summer.

Father let me have his house all to myself.

- I thought I'd take a look at this quarry.

- Let me show you around.

This is the best gray granite

in Connecticut.

- Why, last month, we shipped...

- Who's that man?

What man, Miss Francon?

No, never mind.

Why do you always stare at me?

For the same reason

you've been staring at me.

I don't know what you're talking about.

If you didn't, you'd be more astonished

and much less angry.

So you know my name.

You've been advertising it

loudly enough.

You'd better not be insolent.

I can have you fired at a moment's notice.

- Shall I call the superintendent?

- No, of course not.

But since you know who I am, you'd better

stop looking at me when I come here.

It might be misunderstood.

I don't think so.

Come in.

Good evening, Miss Francon.

You sent for me?

Yes.

Would you like to make

some extra money?

Certainly, Miss Francon.

That marble piece is broken

and has to be replaced.

I want you to take it out.

Yes, Miss Francon.

Now it's broken

and has to be replaced.

Would you know what kind of marble this is

and where to order a piece?

- Yes, Miss Francon.

- Go ahead, then. Take it out.

Yes, Miss Francon.

Oh, I'm sorry.

You might have thought that I was laughing

at you, but I wasn't, of course.

I didn't want to disturb you.

I'm sure you're anxious to finish

and get out of here.

I mean, because you must be tired.

There must be things

you'd like to talk about.

Oh, well, yes, Miss Francon.

Well?

I think this is an atrocious fireplace.

Really? This house was

designed by my father.

There's no point in your

discussing architecture.

None at all.

Shall we choose some other subject?

Yes, Miss Francon.

Generally, there are three kinds of marble:

The white, the onyx and the green.

This last must not be considered

a true marble.

True marble is the metamorphic form

of limestone produced by heat and pressure.

Pressure is a powerful factor.

It leads to consequences which,

once started, cannot be controlled.

What consequences?

The infiltration of foreign elements

from the surrounding soil.

They form the colored streaks

found in most marbles.

This is pure white marble.

You should be very careful, Miss Francon.

To accept nothing but a stone

of the same quality.

This is Alabama marble,

very high grade, very hard to find.

What shall I do with the stone?

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