Washington Square

1

WASHINGTON SQUARE

Hurry up! Hey, wait!

Wait for me!

Hurry!

No!

Aah!

Your daughter, sir.

You'll be with our

son in heaven.

Good afternoon.

Good day to you, Doctor.

Father's home!

Father's home!

Catherine, quietly, please.

Father!

Father!

Catherine.

I see your instruction of behavior befitting

a young lady goes on, business as usual.

Oh, please don't be angry

with aunt Lavinia, father.

She tried to stop me,

but my heart beat my breast...

with such a voluptuous swell.

To have a daughter with

such highbrow taste...

in dress and literature,

and at such a young age, well.

And it is you I have to thank,

dear sister.

Come, father.

Yes, yes.

Here you go.

Oh, father, I'm so sorry.

It was a raspberry. On the continent,

people put... we're in New York.

And in New York,

port is unadorned.

Is it too much to ask that there be one

thing not overdone in this household?

Surprise!

Happy birthday, Dr. Austin.

Surprise.

Excuse me, I...

My wine went... went down

the wrong way.

Come along, dear.

That should be lovely.

Now don't be nervous. We've

rehearsed this a thousand times.

Shh, please.

Sit down.

Sweetheart?

There...

There...

Now come on.

There...

Oh, Austin. Sit down.

Come with me.

Shh!

Shh!

Maureen! Maureen, there's been

an accident. Do something.

Alice, would you like to

recite something for us?

Do you want your cake?

Good night, Catherine.

Good night.

Good bird.

Good bird.

Ah, good afternoon, Doctor.

Good afternoon.

Father's home!

Father's home!

Catherine, unlike

the fourth of july,

the occasion of your father coming

home is an everyday occurrence.

Please do not jangle my nerves

so arbitrarily. Catherine!

Catherine!

Good afternoon, Dr. Sloper.

Good afternoon, father.

Did you forget the party

at aunt Elizabeth's?

My dear child, the world

was created in six days.

Surely we mortals can prepare

for a gathering in three hours.

Father, there is so much to do.

Please, I beg you,

allow me to attend myself.

I fear what will happen if I keep you

from your preparations a moment longer.

Catherine!

How long could it take for one

woman to minister to herself?

Now, Austin, choosing one's

first evening gown alone...

is a great event for a young girl.

Please... be gentle.

If a prelude is necessary,

it must be bad indeed.

So this magnificent

creature is my child.

I'll go change. You've taken

up enough time already.

Come along.

Yah!

Yah!

Good day, Mrs. Thornbred.

Good day.

Oh, it's uncle Austin.

Uncle Austin.

Uncle Austin!

Uncle Austin!

Lavinia.

Oh.

Oh, Elizabeth.

Hello, aunt Lavinia.

What a haven of peace

and tranquility.

Oh, dear brother, that's a

sure sign of getting old.

It does seem that the young get

more raucous as we get older.

It's delightful.

Anything short of his own chair in his

front room seems violent to Austin.

Lavinia has not cottoned onto

the fact that she's a sheep.

Lovely, dear. Oh, I don't think

father approves.

Well, don't let that trouble

you unduly, my dear.

If there's one thing I've learned of

my brother after all these years,

it's that he's generally

not the approving sort.

Come. Marian is

eager to see you.

There they are there

they are there they are

Oh, see how she beams?

They must be very much in love.

Dear child, he's a stockbroker.

He'll make a fine husband.

That is all marrying requires.

I oftentimes think

it's easier to be basic.

One's needs are so simple.

A polka!

Why do they do that to me?

Marian, Catherine's here.

Catherine.

A new dress?

One must take care of other's

needs before one's own.

Can you imagine anything

more disagreeable?

Congratulations, my dear.

May I?

If I wanted to be a pioneer, I'd settle

in Minnesota. Isn't she pretty?

I think it's beastly we can't dance.

I know.

So we'll buy a new house

every three or four years.

We'll keep moving up. Is it true

it's all the rage in Paris?

- Morris. Morris. - What is it you

want me to do now Marian?

You must take Catherine

outside to dance.

If your wife-to-be is this demanding

of me, dear cousin, can you imagine...

Oh, yes, I can.

Someone has to demand of you. It may

help to build some long-awaited character.

You see what you've done?

You've made poor miss...

Miss...

Miss...

Answer him, please.

He's conceited enough to believe

he has made you speechless.

This is Catherine Sloper, Marian's cousin.

This is Morris Townsend.

Shall we?

Come.

One, two, three, four, five, six.

One, two, three, four, five, six.

If I can have your attention up here,

I promise you I'll take care of down there.

Oh, forgive me. I've been off the dance

floor for far too long, it seems.

Here. Let's try this

dangerous sport.

Here.

Please sit down.

Oh.

I'll get some refreshments, shall I?

Oh.

Oh, gracious.

- My dear, what are you doing,

hiding in the bushes? - No...

You must come out where the young

men can see you... no, no, no.

Oh, my.

I do... I don't believe we've been

introduced. Morris Townsend.

Cousin to Arthur. I begged

Miss Sloper to take pity on me.

I'm afraid, as a dancer,

I make a very good horseman.

Well, Mr. Townsend, I came

looking for my niece...

because there were several young

men searching for her frantically.

She's been ignoring her

dance card shamelessly.

However, if she's promised

to keep you company,

I'll try to keep them

at bay a little longer.

Now, I've met the most

charming women here tonight,

but they all come from the

same family. It's remarkable.

I'm going to pretend I didn't

find you, Catherine.

But you must not monopolize her,

Mr. Townsend. Oh, no.

Well, I see our time is limited.

I must make the most of it.

I don't want to earn the

enmity of every man here.

Please don't mock me,

Mr. Townsend.

I've offended you.

No.

No, I...

Mr. Robbins.

He's...

He's...

Do you see?

And, uh, Mr. Almond.

He's... he's my...

He's my uncle.

A woman without guile.

What a rarity.

Guile? Me?

No.

I mean, a woman of such uncommon

grace has... has no need of guile.

Please don't banish me.

You see, I've been away

for a very long time.

And if you leave me, I... I'll be

forced to make my own way...

in... in this strange and I'm

quite sure dangerous world.

I knew I hadn't been mistaken.

You are indeed gracious...

far beyond what I deserve, I'm sure.

You are so beautiful, I...

Oh, thank you.

Oh, allow me.

Miss Sloper.

Miss...

- Who's that young foreigner talking

to Catherine? - That's no foreigner.

But you're right in

thinking him one.

- He looks quite brilliant.

- He's Arthur's cousin, Austin.

Several times removed, of course.

Of course.

You see, there are Townsends,

and then there are Townsends.

The young branches, elder branches,

of course. inferior branches?

Well, that's the way it is

with all royal lines.

Arthur.

Excuse me.

Your mother wants

to see us both.

Austin, you must choose your

opponents with more discretion.

Uh, go find Alice, girls.

Otherwise, there's no

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