The Grass Is Greener Page #7

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Will there be soft

lighting, do you think?

Oh now Hattie, don't be outrageous.

There's that bird again.

You know, I think it's flown

here straight from the Savoy.

Just get your silly hat

and come on, let's change.

Get my shoes, will you, darling?

Anyway, the fact remains that my

world goes round only because of her.

She's the focal point of my existence.

Everything I've done or accomplished.

There's nothing much, I dare say, that

hasn't been for her or on account of her.

We've been friends as well as lovers.

And if I sing in my bath, it's because I

know I'm going to have breakfast with her.

Without her I don't

say I would be lost, but

it certainly wouldn't be very

clear in my mind which way to turn.

Well, tell her that.

Discuss the situation.

Talk the whole thing over.

Ah, it's fatal, Hattie.

The spoken word, like the last

opportunity, doesn't come back.

When a situation like

this is admitted out loud,

it means that it's been accepted, and if

it's accepted it's got to be discussed.

Everytime you discuss

it, you get further apart

until in the end you're so far away

from eachother you have to shout.

And the whole thing becomes hopeless.

She knows that as well as I do.

Well then, do what I say. Just be

gentle and kind and understanding.

Thank you, Hattie. I will if I can.

But first,

I've got to get Mister

bloody Delacro out of her heart, out

of her mind, and out of the country.

And how do you propose to do that?

I don't know. I wish I did.

All I know is that she'll turn

up tomorrow as bright as a button.

With her suitcase in one hand

and her sacrifice in the other.

And she'll be coming back not for me,

But because of the children.

Well, as far as I'm concerned

that's insufficient reason.

I want her back because she

wants to come back to me.

Or not at all?

Yes, I think that's right.

Or not at all.

That's selfish,

short-sighted, and very stupid.

Perhaps, but I know my limitations.

I couldn't live with Hilary watching

her longing for someone else.

I couldn't face the humiliation

of the dressing room.

I couldn't stand a polite,

second best, forlorn sort of life,

patiently waiting the dawn of indifference.

Not for me, Hattie. Thank

you very much. Not for me.

Besides...

Besides what?

Well, she might come back here,

eat her heart out for a

while, and then run off again.

That well-known little note

that she couldn't stand it any longer

and any ticket to romantic places and...

The other man.

There's no guarantee that won't happen.

Well, then you'd marry me at last

and we'd live happily ever after.

No, if I'm going to

preserve our marriage,

and I don't mean a patched up

bargain for the sake of the children,

then something's got to be done.

And very soon.

Oh, come on, let's go.

Waiter!

Give me the bill, would you please?

You're not going to drink that?

Apparently not.

I have a horrible feeling you're

plotting something not to do with me.

- Which couldn't be more disappointing.

- I've just got a horrible feeling.

I'm thirsty.

Well, make one of those pink

things and burn the angusdura.

Yeah, well I haven't got any matches.

Here.

Temple Bar 4343, please.

In London.

But that's the Savoy!

Easy number to remember, isn't it?

Well, what are you going to do?

I'm going to talk to

Charles Delacro if I can.

If he's not there I'll leave a message.

Well, what sort of message.

An invitation.

Hello?

Is that the Savoy?

I want to speak to

Charles Delacro, please.

No, no.

Da.

D. Delacro. That's right.

Oh, this is Rock Hudson calling.

Yeah. Yeah. Thanks a lot.

That's the only way you can get service

out of telephone operators these days.

Hello!

Is this Charles Delacro.

Yes. Speaking. Who's there?

This is Victor Rhyall.

Victor.

How are you?

Well, I'm just fine.

I'm must apologize for

giving you such short notice,

but my wife and I wondered if you

cared to come down for the weekend.

How dare he!

Why, yes. I think I'd

like that very much.

You must be out of your mind!

Shutup and go and sit down.

Oh, that's splendid. My

wife would be delighted.

It'll be very quiet I'm afraid.

Just ourselves and a rather boring

friend of Hilary's who drinks gin all day.

What was that?

- Oh, it must've been some

interference on the line. - Oh

Well, yes. I'll look forward to that.

Oh, there is interference on the line.

It's, uh, an electrical

disturbance, I guess.

Now, bring a rod and

we'll frighten some fish.

Alright.

About what time?

Oh, any time after lunch.

Fine.

Oh, just a second.

I've just had a thought.

My wife is coming down tomorrow.

Oh, has she been away.

Yes, she's been in London all week.

Has she really?

- I wonder if you'd be very kind and give her a lift.

- Why, sure. I'd be delighted.

- Oh, that is good of you.

- Not at all. I welcome it.

Well, then may I tell her to get

in touch with you at the Savoy?

I wish you would.

It would be a pleasure.

- Until tomorrow.

- Until tomorrow.

You hurt me just then.

- He must be barking mad!

- You must be barking mad!

- He's not barking mad.

- I'm not barking mad.

- That gives him another 48 hours with her.

- That gives me another 48 hours with you.

- He thought of that before he accepted.

- I thought of that before I accepted.

- I think the whole thing will be rather fun.

- The whole thing's going to be absolute torture.

Hello! How are you?

Never better. Thank you.

I see you've gotten in touch

with each other. How nice.

I've missed you terribly, darling.

But your letters were such a help.

You know she wrote me twice a day?

Did she really?

Oh, Hattie.

Hattie, this is Charles Delacro.

No one calls her anything

but Hattie except at her bank

where they call her Mrs. Durant.

How do you do Mr. Delacro. I've...

- I've heard such a lot about you.

- How do you do.

Oh, Hil, darling.

Hello, darling.

- Were you warm enough without your

coat, dear?

- Yes. Thank you, darling.

Well, come on in.

This is the stage door so you won't have

to pay a half-crown at the box office.

If were having traffic then

we'd better get cracking.

- How long will it take you to change.

- About five minutes.

Good. I'll show you to your room.

Oh, Sellers. Bring Mr.

Delacro's bags as soon as you can.

Yes, my lord.

Oh, and Sellers.

Tell Mrs. Bankshop to help open a few

of the bugged rooms for this evening.

Very good, my lord.

Darling, I'd thought we'd splurge

and dress up for our visitor tonight.

We can afford that once

in a while, can't we?

Uh, yes!

Cuckoo!

Well, come on.

Nice of you to invite me

down here this weekend.

I'm enjoying it.

Oh, I'm glad you like it.

Beautiful place you have. I envy you.

- You ought to have one of your own.

- Yeah, I've been thinking about it.

You, uh, you fish here often.

Oh, yes. I know these waters

as well as I know my own wife.

I seem to have said that before.

Yes, you did. About Josh Peters.

You said he much prefered it, too.

Oh, yes, yes. but his wife's

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