The Magnificent Ambersons Page #8

Or if she is living.

If she ever thinks of me,

she probably imagines

I'm still dancing in the ballroom

of the Amberson's mansion.

She probably thinks of the

mansion as still beautiful,

still the finest house in town.

Ah, life and money both behave like...

loose quicksilver in a nest of cracks.

When they're gone, you can't tell where.

Or what the devil you did with them.

But I...

believe I'll say now, while

there isn't much time left for

for either of us to get

any more embarrassed, I...

I believe I'll say I've always

been fond of you, Georgie,

can't say I've always liked you.

But we all spoiled you

terribly when you were a boy,

but you've had a pretty heavy children,

you've taken it pretty quietly...

With the train coming into the shed,

you'll forgive me saying there's been

times I thought you oughta be hanged.

And just for a last word, there

may be somebody else in this

town who's always felt about you

like that. Fond of ya, I

mean. No matter how much it

seems you oughta be hanged!

- You might try...

- (Last train, last train.)

I must run!

I'll send back the money

as fast as they pay me, so goodbye

and God bless you, Georgie!

Did you ever hear the Indian name

for that little grove of beech trees?

No...

You never did, either.

Well?

The name was...

Loma Nashah.

It means "they couldn't help it."

- Doesn't sound like it.

- Indian names don't.

There was a bad Indian

chief lived there...

the worst Indian that ever lived.

And his name was...

It was...

Vendonah.

- Means "rides down everything."

- What?

Name was Vendonah, same as

"rides down everything."

I see.

Go on.

Vendonah was unspeakable.

He was so proud, and he

wore iron shoes and walked

over people's faces with them.

So at last the tribe decided

that it wasn't a good enough

excuse for him that he was

young and inexperienced.

He'd have to go.

So they took him down to the

river, and put him in a canoe,

and pushed him out from shore.

And the current carried

him on down to the ocean.

And he never got back.

They didn't want him back, of course.

They hated Vendonah,

But they weren't able to discover

any other warrior they wanted

to make chief in his place.

They couldn't help feeling that way.

I see.

So that's why they named the

place "they couldn't help it."

Must have been.

So, you're going to stay in your garden.

You think it's better just to...

Keep walking about among your

flowerbeds, till you get old.

Like a pensive garden lady

in a Victorian engraving? Hmm?

I suppose I'm like that

tribe that lived here, Papa.

I had too much unpleasant excitement.

I don't want any more.

In fact,

I don't want anything but you.

You don't?

What was the name of that grove?

- "They couldn't help..."

- Oh, the Indian name, I mean?

Oh..."Mola Haha."

Mola Haha...

That wasn't the name you said.

Oh, I've forgotten.

See you have.

Perhaps you remember

the chief's name better?

I don't.

I hope someday you can forget it.

Try and understand.

It's not doing either of us any

good going on arguing this way.

- That place you picked out...

- If this boarding house is practical...

- And we could be together.

- How?

On 8$ a week?

I'm only going to be getting

$8 a week at the law office.

You...you'd be paying more of

the expenses than I would.

I'll be paying?

- I be paying?

- Certainly, you would.

- We'd be using more of your money than mine.

- My money?

I've got 28 dollars. That's all!

- 28 dollars?

- That's all!

I know I told Jack I didn't put

everything in the headlight company,

But I did it.

Every cent.

And it's gone.

- Why did you wait till now to tell me?

- I couldn't tell till I had to.

It wouldn't do any good.

My gosh!

Oh, I know what you're gonna do...

You're...

you're gonna leave me in the lurch.

I'm only asking you to be reasonable.

To try and understand that

it's impossible for either

of us to go on this way.

- Will you get up!

- I can't!

I'm too weak!

Oh, none of this makes any sense!

Will you get up?

I know your mother would

want me to watch over ya.

And try and make something

like a home for ya.

And I've tried.

I tried to make things

as nice for you as I could.

I know that.

I walked my heels down

looking for a place for us to live.

I-I walked...

and walked over this town.

I didn't ride one block on a streetcar.

I wouldn't use five cents,

no matter how tired I was.

Oh, for gosh sakes will you get up!

Don't sit there with your

back against the boiler.

- Get up, aunt Fanny!

- It's not hot, it's cold.

The plumbers disconnected it.

I-I wouldn't mind if they hadn't!

I wouldn't mind if it burned!

I wouldn't mind if it burned me, George!

Oh, Fanny, for gosh sakes, get up!

Now stop it!

Stop this! Do you hear me?

Stop it! Stop it!

Listen to me now!

There; that's better.

Now let's see where we stand.

See if we can afford this

place you picked out.

I'm-I'm sure the boarding

house is practical, George.

I'm sure it's practical!

I know it must be practical, aunt Fanny.

It is a comfort to be

among...among nice people.

It's all right - I was thinking

of the money, aunt Fanny.

There's there's there's

one great economy.

They...they don't allow tipping.

- They...they have files that prohibit it.

- That's good.

But the rent's $36 a month,

and dinner $22 and a half for each of us.

I've got about a hundred dollars left.

$100, that's all.

Won't need any new clothes for a year...

- Perhaps there...

- Or longer...

- So...so you see...

- Yes, I see.

I see that $36 and $45 make $81.

That's the lowest. We'll

need $100 a month.

And I'm going to be making $32.

A real flair!

Real flair for the law!

That's right! Couldn't wait

till tomorrow to begin.

The law's a jealous mistress,

and a stern mistress.

I can't do it. I can't

take up the law.

What?

I've come to tell you that

I've got to find something quicker.

Something that pays from the start.

I can't think of anything just this

minute that pays from the start.

Well sir, I've heard that

they pay very wages to people

in dangerous trades.

People that handle touchy

chemicals or high explosives,

men in the dynamite factories.

Thought I'd see if I couldn't

get a job like that.

I want to get started

tomorrow if I could.

Georgie, your grandfather

and I were boys together.

Don't you think I ought to

know what's the trouble?

Well sir, it's aunt Fanny.

She's set her mind on this

particular boarding house.

It seems she put everything

in the headlight company.

Well she's...got some old cronies,

and I guess she's been looking forward

to the games of bridge and

the harmless kind of gossip

that goes on in such places.

Really, it's the life she'd

like better than anything else.

Struck me that she's just

about got to have it.

I got her in that headlight

business with Jack. I feel a

certain responsibility myself.

I'm taking responsibility. She's

not your aunt you know, sir.

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