Washington Square Page #8

"The amounts accorded to all...

"remain unchanged

with one exception:

"In the case of Catherine Sloper,

"her portion has been reduced to

this house on Washington Square.

The bulk of the estate goes

to various and sundry

medical institutions

around the city."

He wrote an explanation

of this change,

which, I'm sure, you'll wish

to read in private, Miss Sloper.

Please, read the codicil, Mr. Webber.

This is something between you

and your father, Miss Sloper.

Would you please excuse us?

No. We have some family

matters to attend to.

By the very nature

of the gesture...

and the fact...

Please, everyone, sit.

And please read it to me,

Mr. Webber.

"She is amply provided for

on her mother's side,

"never having spent more than a fraction

of her income from this source.

"So that her fortune is already

more than sufficient to attract...

"the unscrupulous adventurers who

she has given me reason to believe...

that she persists in regarding

as an interesting class."

- You must break the will.

- No, no, no. I...

I like it very much.

Catherine, it's... it's a travesty.

No, no.

I think, um, it's rather flattering.

I think it's the perfectly

fitting conclusion...

to the saga of father's

all-important fortune.

I like it...

very much, indeed.

Let's have, um,

some tea, shall we?

Oh, no, no.

Perhaps something stronger.

Aunt Lavinia, let's break

out the good port.

Well, is it not customary to

celebrate the reading of the will?

Come on, everyone.

Join me, please.

There once was a plain

little piece of string

All alone and with

nothing to do

Each night it would wish

more than anything

For a someone to tie itself to

Then one day a finger

came wandering by

And the plain little string

quickly caught his eye

The finger said just

come along with me

I can tell you how

happy you'll be

I have a broken

string on my fiddle

I cannot play a

thing on my fiddle

And musically speaking

you're just what I'm seeking

With you I'll be able to play

You've made a mistake

said the little string

I have never made music before

The finger said I'll teach

you how to sing

And you won't be

alone anymore

He played on the string

at a fancy dress ball

And the sound thrilled the

dancers and filled the hall

So sometimes a plain

little piece of string

Makes the prettiest

music of all

- Going-home time.

- Aww!

Well, it must be no one wants the

biscuits that grandma's baked.

Edith, is your mother working

late again tonight? Mm-hmm.

Wait for me!

Well, you must help me

clean up this mess!

I never can seem to

manage it alone.

There's always so much to do.

What have you got there?

My book.

What is that?

What's that say?

"Ups..."

Upsetting.

That's right. "Pondo,

the dog, who was..."

Oh, my dear!

Oh, my dear, this will not do!

It will not do at all.

What? Aunt?

You know, the most... the most

extraordinary happenstance.

Oh, I had the good...

now promise me...

Oh, promise me...

promise me you'll be civil.

Promise me, Catherine.

Promise me.

Thank you.

Aunt, um, could you take Edith

in for some milk and biscuits?

Oh, yes.

Come along now.

What's your name?

Edna? Edith.

Come on.

There have been changes.

Hmm.

How have the years treated you,

Morris? Badly.

But, um...

I suppose you would say that's

as it should have been.

You look very well.

I have...

I have ventured...

I so much wanted to...

I was determined that...

will you not sit down?

No, I think I had better not.

For many years it has been...

my deepest desire

to be friends again.

Well, we both know

we were never friends.

Oh, Catherine,

you do me an injustice.

You treated me badly.

Not if you think of it rightly.

You had your life

with your father,

which was what I couldn't

make up my mind to rob you of.

Yes.

I had that.

The past can be put behind us

if you will allow it.

I will not allow it.

You hurt me too badly.

I felt it very much.

I felt it for years.

It made a great

change in my life.

But I can't talk about it.

Why didn't you marry, then?

Lavinia tells me...

there have been chances.

I didn't wish to marry.

Yes.

You had nothing to gain.

I had nothing to gain.

What ever else

happened, I did...

I did love once.

Well, actually.

Do you hate me?

No.

But please don't

come here again.

Good-bye, then.

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