The Fountainhead Page #4

Leave it here. I'll have it removed.

All right.

I'll order a new piece cut to measure

and have it delivered to you.

- Do you wish me to set it?

- Yes, certainly.

I'll let you know when it comes.

How much do I owe you?

Keep the change.

Thank you, Miss Francon.

- Good night.

- Good night, Miss Francon.

Come in.

The man sent from

the quarry, Miss Francon.

Who are you?

- Pasquale Orsini.

- What do you want?

The tall guy down at the quarry told me

you got a fireplace you wanted me to fix.

Yes. Yes, of course. I forgot.

Go ahead.

Why didn't you come set the marble?

I didn't think it would make any difference

to you who came, or did it, Miss Francon?

Good afternoon, Miss Francon.

How are you?

There was a man you had here.

A tall, gaunt man who worked a drill.

- Where is he?

- Yes, that one, he's gone.

- Gone?

- Quit, left for New York, I think.

- When?

- Two days ago.

What was his...?

No. No, I don't want to know his name.

- lf you want me to find him for you...

- No.

I don't know what to do. I give up.

I've gone the limit. I'm at my wit's end.

- That's not going very far.

- It's all right for you to make cracks.

But I'm in trouble. We need some

excitement to boost circulation.

I've got to invent a crusade and I

don't know what on earth to crusade about.

We start a campaign

against street car monopolies?

We did that two years ago, then we

had a crusade against canned vegetables.

And a crusade against Wall Street.

Now, what else is there to be against?

You're a smart woman,

couldn't you...?

- Sorry, I'm not good at that sort of thing.

- Gail Wynand expects results.

The Banner's got to be active.

I've racked my brain, and I can't think

of anything to denounce.

- I can.

- What?

This.

- Who cares about a building?

- My dear, it depends on how you handle it.

It's an outrage against art and a threat to

public safety. It might collapse any moment.

- Nobody's ever used that structural method.

- Yeah?

The owner of it is Roger Enright,

one of those self-made men.

Stubborn and rich as blazes.

It's always safe to denounce the rich.

Everyone will help you...

- The rich first.

- Yeah.

- Howard Roark, who is he?

- I wouldn't know.

Think what you could do with it.

A super-luxury apartment house going up...

...and there's those poor people

who live in the slums.

We could have some Sunday supplement

stories about beautiful girls...

...who are victims of the slums.

- With pictures in three-color process.

You've got something there.

You've got it.

It's a wonderful idea.

I know Wynand will okay it.

You know that this Enright House

is a great building.

Perhaps one of the greatest.

Ellsworth, what are you after?

I daresay nobody knows what I'm after.

They will, though.

When the time comes.

So we've got three wonderful angles:

Highbrow stories about the bad art.

Scare stories about the girders collapsing.

Sob stories about the poor.

We get everybody riled up

without any opposition.

Who'll want to defend it?

It's only a building.

- My first step would be...

- Don't bother with details.

It's good. Go ahead.

Toohey can handle it.

What a surprise and what a lovely contrast

to my usual visitors. Please sit down.

You approved a campaign

against the Enright House?

Yes, of course.

It'll stir up a lot of noise.

I'm sailing next week.

I'll be gone all winter.

This will keep them busy.

Have you seen drawings

of the Enright House?

No.

- Please send for them.

- What for?

That building is a magnificent

architectural achievement.

- Is that of no importance?

- None.

You're willing to destroy it

to amuse the mob...

...to give them something

to scream about?

That is the policy which has made the

Banner the newspaper of largest circulation.

Don't expect me to change it.

You asked me once to tell you

of something I wanted.

I've tried never to ask favors of anyone...

...but I'm going to now.

Please call off this campaign.

Is the architect a friend of yours?

I've never set eyes on him.

I don't know who he is nor care.

Why should you plead for that building?

Because it's great.

There's so little in life

that's noble or beautiful.

I'm pleading for a man's achievement.

I'm pleading for greatness.

Are you reproaching me

for the Banner?

I'm begging you, Mr. Wynand.

Dominique, I would give you

anything I owned...

...except the Banner.

My whole life and an unspeakable

struggle have gone to make it.

I will not sacrifice it for anyone on earth.

It's your right to do as you wish.

It's mine to take no part

in what you're doing.

Please accept my resignation

from the Banner.

I'm sorry.

It's quite useless, my dear.

You can't fight me. You have no chance.

I know it.

While so many

are in need of shelter...

... effort is being wasted to erect

a structural monstrosity...

... known as the Enright House.

It is designed by one Howard Roark,

an incompetent amateur...

... who has the arrogance

to hold his own ideas above all rules.

You are architects and you should realize

that a man like Howard Roark...

...is a threat to all of you.

The conflict of forms is too great.

Can your buildings stand

by the side of his?

I believe you understand me, gentlemen.

If you'll sign a protest

against the Enright House...

...the Banner will be glad to publish it...

...and we shall win

because there are thousands of us...

...thousands against one.

More of it. Look.

Letters to the editor.

Thousands of them,

all screaming against that Enright House.

Ellsworth, you're wonderful.

How could you ever foresee

a public trend so well?

- Roark.

- Mr. Enright.

Thanks.

- Don't pay attention to that public howling.

- I don't.

I've been denounced so much,

it doesn't bother me anymore.

I started out in life as a coal miner.

Got where I am by acting...

...on my own honest judgment

whether others liked it or not.

When you grow older, you'll see

that's the only way to succeed.

- I know it.

- They're tough.

They're gonna get tougher, don't worry.

- You'll win.

- I have.

- That's the only defense you need.

- I'll rest on the evidence.

That's exactly what I'm going to do.

I'll be the first tenant to move in.

I'll give a party to celebrate the

opening of Enright House.

I'll invite them: The press,

the architects, the critics. Let them see.

They think we're gonna apologize.

We'll celebrate instead.

I have nothing to say

about this building.

God gave you eyes and a mind to use. If

you fail to do so, the loss is yours not mine.

Don't you want to convince me?

Is there any reason

why that should be my concern?

I dread to think of the fate

of Howard Roark, whoever he is.

- Why? You don't think he's good?

- He's too good.

- Dominique.

- Hello, Peter.

What a pleasure to see you again.

You look more beautiful than ever.

What do you think of this building?

I'm taking a poll of the guests...

- A what?

- A poll of opinion about it.

What for? In order to find out

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