Washington Square Page #2

sport to slaughter.

Thank you.

Good-bye, my dear.

Miss Sloper,

you dropped this.

That charming young man

was uncommonly tender,

Lavinia, whenever you conversed.

He had such a devoted air.

My dear brother,

the devotion was not to me.

It was of Catherine he spoke.

So he's in love with this regal

creature, then? Oh, father!

He didn't say that.

But he admired her dress.

It must be love, or he thinks

she has 80,000 a year.

I don't believe he thinks

of that. He's too refined.

He must be tremendously refined.

Yes.

Yes, he... yes.

Miss Sloper...

Oh!

I'm sorry. I'm...

I'm so sorry.

Your music.

My... my clumsiness in your

presence is becoming legendary.

Ex... excuse me.

I'm sorry to have bothered you.

Yeah, I was... I was just

so happy to see you again.

And I... I'm sorry.

You know, I don't

always know how to...

Please accept my apologies.

Mr. Townsend...

Oh!

Sorry.

Oh, my!

You're so blessed to have

a talent for music.

Oh, I have no talent.

Just, um, appreciation.

Yearning.

Oh, can it be that I

have found a twin?

You... you see, music is such

an intense love of mine...

that my weakness in the execution

of it is the cause of great pain...

And, at times,

greater embarrassment.

Y... you see, I refuse to accept that

I am so untalented at something...

that touches me so deeply,

I... I simply believe

that I've not yet...

discovered the key that

will unlock the gift.

I know.

Really?

Yes. That...

that's the exact thing.

Every night I include a mention

of it in my prayers.

I thought that I was alone.

Oh.

Do you suppose it's

possible that we could...

I... I live with my sister and... and her

five children while I seek employment.

And our situation doesn't allow...

for such frivolity as

musical instruments.

But do you suppose that it would

ever be possible that we could...

You are brave.

I am not, so much.

I so want to find favor

with you. Please...

Please... please don't believe that I am

so much a fool as I appear with you.

I can't seem...

I can't seem to...

Here's another.

Good day.

Mr. Townsend?

We would be pleased to extend

the use of our piano.

Is tomorrow too soon...

for our Sloper-Townsend

music society to commence?

No. Not...

Not too soon. Yes.

Your aunt is leaving.

You'll have to excuse me,

Mr. Townsend.

I have the most

fortuitous headache.

Of course.

Excuse me.

Aunt?

Hmm?

I can hardly be an audience to

you and Mr. Townsend forever.

I've neglected my duties

shamelessly these past weeks.

Besides, most young ladies crave

time alone with their beaux.

He is not my beau.

Mr. Townsend's interest

is in the piano.

Accomplished as Mr. Townsend

may be in many areas,

he's no Frederic Chopin.

And even Mr. chopin would be

hard-pressed to travel...

five times a week for four weeks

across town in an omnibus...

to practice on an instrument

so in need of tuning.

Besides, I have the young

man's confidence.

He's come a-courting.

Take Mr. Byron's advice:

"Be warm, but pure.

Be amorous, but be chaste."

No, no!

Go. Go.

Are you afraid to be

alone with me? Hmm?

Mm, mm, no.

Just does not seem quite proper.

Is proper so important to you?

Is a stroll in the park proper?

Will that make you happy?

You know,

I ask for nothing more.

Eh, we... you do.

Good afternoon, Doctor.

Good afternoon.

How do you do?

Afternoon.

Lovely day, Doctor.

They're rather humble, I'm afraid.

No, they're lovely.

Oh, but they pale in

comparison to you.

Maureen said you wanted

to see me, Austin?

Would you care for some port?

Oh, my.

There.

This is my favorite time of day,

watching the sun go down...

as the city winds to a close,

so peaceful and quiet.

It quite lulls one...

into a sense of restful

tranquility.

Absolutely false, as it happens,

because darkness is falling,

and my daughter is running wild

in a public park with a man;

A virtual stranger to me, but

by all appearances not to her.

Oh, Austin... are your duties

too numerous, Lavinia?

Let us take their number,

shall we?

Well, there's, uh,

chaperoning Catherine.

And there's, uh...

We-well, that's it.

Should I perhaps hire

you an assistant?

I... I wouldn't want

to take advantage...

of our familial bond

by overworking you.

Oh, father, isn't that

a beautiful day?

Perhaps it's time I made the

acquaintance of your young man.

Yes!

So in short, I would say that if a gondola

doesn't come equipped with a gondolier,

walking is a very good plan,

unless, of course, you like to swim.

Oh, Morris, Morris, tell...

tell Dr. Sloper...

about the time in Switzerland when you

took it into your head to scale the Alps.

I'm sure the telling would

benefit from a good cigar and,

uh, some excellent port wine.

What do you think, Mr. Townsend?

Oh, I... I think a story can't help but

be improved by such accoutrements.

Since you both know the story, it can't be

that much of an inconvenience. shall we?

Yes, of course.

Excuse me.

Aunt.

No, no.

I'm sure you have any number of delightful

stories that women are enthralled with.

Now it is you who are being kind.

There.

Thank you.

I hear you're looking

for a position.

What are you fit for?

Not very much, I'm afraid.

I have only a good right arm,

as they say in melodramas.

You are far too modest.

In addition to your good right arm, you have

your subtle brain and amazing physiognomy.

Well, I don't know how to answer in

the face of such generous observation.

You advise me, then,

not to despair?

I should be sorry to admit

that any robust,

well-disposed young man

need ever despair.

Were you kindly intending to propose

something to my advantage?

It occurs to me I sometimes hear

of positions outside of New York.

Mm. I'm afraid I couldn't

manage that.

You see, I'm... I'm my sister's

only living relative.

She's a widow, and I'm providing

an education for her five children.

I am sure you must be a great

comfort to her in the circumstances.

As, uh, honorable as that is,

it is hardly a career.

Mm. It will not make my fortune,

if that's what you mean.

Are you bent on

making a fortune?

On the contrary, I'm simply

looking to turn an honest penny.

I shall keep that in mind.

If my situation becomes desperate, I shall

perhaps take the liberty of reminding you.

Be assured, I will not

lose sight of you.

Now, I'm... I'm quite in the mood

of an alpine adventure.

And leave out none of the details

that I'm sure you did for the ladies.

What can they be talking about,

all this time?

I feel one of my headaches

coming on.

If you wish to retire,

I will make your excuses.

Oh.

Did it go well?

He's an extraordinary man,

your father.

He's the type of man

I would wish to be.

I knew you two would get along.

And what if we hadn't?

I should like you to tell me that

it wouldn't have mattered.

But of course it would have mattered.

It would have mattered greatly.

You would not have welcomed the

opportunity to contradict him.

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