The Magnificent Ambersons Page #6

except when she was chaperoning you.

Well you don't suppose that

stops people from talking, do you?

They just thought I didn't count!

"It's only Fanny Minafer",

I suppose they'd say.

Besides, everybody knew

he'd been engaged to her.

- What's that?

- Everybody knows it. Everybody

in this town knows that

Isabel never really cared

for any other man in her life.

I believe I'm going crazy.

You mean you lied when you

told me there wasn't any talk?

Oh it never would have amounted

to anything if Wilbur had lived.

You mean Morgan might have married you?

No.

Because I don't know that

I'd have accepted him.

Are you trying to tell me

that because he comes here

and they see her with him,

driving and all that,

they think that they were right

in saying that she was...

she was in love with him before...

before my father died?

Why, George!

Don't you know that's what they say?

You must know that everybody in town...

- Who told you?

- What?

Who told you there was talk?

Where is this talk? Where does

it come from? Who does it!

Why, I suppose pretty much everybody

I know. It's pretty general.

- Who said so?

- Wha?

- How did you get hold

of it? You answer me!

- Well I hardly think it

would be fair to give names.

- Look here.

One of your best friends

is that mother of Charlie

Johnson's across the way.

- Has she ever mentioned this to you?

- Well she may have intimated it...

- You and she have been

talking about it! Do you deny it?

- Why George...

- Do you deny it?

- She's a very kind discreet

woman, but she may have intimated...

George!

What are you going to do, George?

Mr. Amberson...

Heh heh, I mean Mr. Minafer.

- Won't you come in, please.

- Thank you.

Well! How nice to

see you, Mr. Minafer.

Mrs. Johnson...

Mrs. Johnson, I have come

to ask you a few questions.

Certainly, Mr. Minafer,

anything I can do for you.

I don't mean to waste

any time, Mrs. Johnson.

You...you were talking

about a...a scandal

that involved my mother's name!

Mr. Minafer!

My aunt told me that you

repeated the scandal to her.

I don't think your aunt

can have said that.

We may have discussed some

few matters that have been a

topic of comment about town.

- Yes, I think you may have!

- Other people may be less considerate.

Other people! That's what I want

to know about! These other people,

- how many? How many?

- What?

How many other people talk about it?

Heh, really, this isn't a courtroom.

- And I'm not a defendant in a libel suit.

- You may be!

I want to know just who dared to

say these things if I have to force

my way into every house in town.

- I mean to know just who told you these...

- You mean to know!

Well you'll know

something pretty quick!

You'll know that you're

out in the street!

Please to leave my house!

Oh...now you have done it!

What have I done that wasn't

honourable and right?

You think these riff-raff

can go around town bandying

my mother's good name?

They can now!

Georgie, gossip's never

fail till it's denied.

- Well if you think I'm gonna

let my mother's good name...

- Good name!

Nobody has a good name and a bad mouth!

Nobody has a good name and

a...silly mouth, either.

Didn't you understand me when

I told you people are saying my

mother means to marry this man?

- Yes, yes, I understood you.

- Great gosh!

You think of it so calmly!

- Why shouldn't they

marry if they want to?

- Why shouldn't they!

- It's their own affair!

- Why shouldn't they!

- Yes! Why shouldn't they!

Oh that you can sit there and

speak of it! Your own sister!

Oh, for heaven's sake!

Don't be so theatrical.

Come back here!

Needn't mind, Mary.

I'll see who it is and what they want.

Probably it's only a peddler.

Thank you, Mr. George.

Good afternoon, George.

Your mother expects to go

driving with me, I believe.

You'll be so kind as to

send her word I'm here.

No.

- I beg your pardon, I said...

- I heard you.

You say that you had an engagement

with my mother, and I said no.

What's the matter?

My mother will have no interest in

knowing that you came here today.

Or any other day.

I'm afraid I don't understand you.

It doubt if I can make it

much plainer, but I'll try.

You're not wanted in

this house, Mr. Morgan.

Now or at any other time.

Perhaps you'll understand this!

- Isabel.

- Yes.

- I've just come from Eugene.

- Yes?

I want to talk to you.

Well!

I can just guess what that was about!

He's telling her what

you did to Eugene!

- You go back to your room!

- You're not going in there!

- You go back to your room.

- George!

George! No you don't, Georgie Minafer!

- You keep away from here!

- You let go of me!

- I won't!

- Stop taking ahold of me!

- Hush up!

Go on to the top of

the stairs! Go on!

It's indecent!

Like squabbling outside the

door of an operating room!

The idea of you going in there now!

Jack's telling Isabel the whole thing.

Now you stay here and let him tell her!

He's got some consideration for her!

- I suppose you think I haven't?

- You, considerate of anybody!

- I'm considerate of her good name!

- Ahh!

Look here, seems to me you're

taking a pretty different tack!

I thought you already

knew everything I did!

I was...suffering, so I

wanted to let out a little.

Oh, I was a fool!

Eugene never would have looked at me,

even if he had never seen Isabel.

And they haven't done any harm.

She made...Wilbur happy.

She was a true wife to him,

for as long as he lived.

I...Here I go...not doing

myself a bit of good by...

And just ruining them.

You told me how all the riff-raff

in town were busy with her name,

- and the minute I lift my hand to

protect her, you attack me and...

- Shhh!

Your uncle's leaving.

I'll be back, Isabel.

George! Let her alone!

She's down there by

herself. Don't go down.

Let her alone!

Dearest one,

Yesterday I though the time had come

when I could ask you to marry me.

And you were dear enough to tell me,

sometime it might come to that.

But now we're faced,

not with slander,

and not with our own fear of

it, because we haven't any.

But someone else's fear of it.

Your son's.

Oh, dearest woman in the world,

I know what your son is to you,

and it frightens me.

Let me explain a little.

I don't think he'll change.

At 21 or 22, so many things appear

solid and permanent and terrible,

which 40 sees in nothing

but disappearing miasma.

by getting to be 40.

And so we come to this, dear:

will you live your life your way?

Or George's way?

Dear, it breaks my heart for you,

but what you have to oppose now

is the history of your own

selfless and perfect motherhood.

Are you strong enough, Isabel?

Can you make a fight?

I promise you that if

you take heart for it,

You shall have happiness,

and only happiness.

I'm saying too much

for wisdom, I fear.

But oh my dear, won't you be strong?

Such a little short

strength it would need.

don't strike my life

down twice, dear.

This time I've not deserved it.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes