Watch On The Rhine Page #6

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What has David told me?

Nothing more than he's told you.

- What is there to tell?

- I do not know, but I would like to.

David said they'd been in Czechoslovakia,

Denmark, Poland, France and Switzerland.

These are all countries that Germany

has either threatened or gone into.

It is the German practice to send into

such countries men to prepare the way.

I had thought Herr Muller...

...might be such a man.

I do not think so now.

- What are you doing?

- Wondering why luggage is unlocked.

And a shabby briefcase

is so carefully locked.

You're very curious about Mr. Muller.

I'm curious about a daughter

of the Farrellys...

...who marries a German

who has bullet scars...

...and broken bones in his hands.

Is he any business of yours?

- Why, anything might be my business now.

- Yes, unfortunately.

Well, you sound very bitter

about me, Marthe.

Are you in love with David?

- What kind of talk is this?

- Answer me.

I like him.

Yes, and he likes you.

Please find out from him

about Herr Muller.

I will certainly do no such thing.

Ask your friends at the embassy.

They always know their nationals.

Yes. But I do not like to ask questions

without knowing the value of the answers.

Teck, leave these people alone.

They've evidently had a tough enough time.

I won't let you interfere.

Won't let me interfere?

You are in love with David.

Do not make any plans, Marthe.

You will go with me

when I am ready to go.

On Saturday, Madame Fanny and I

arrived at Savitt's.

Before that I have taken

all the measurements in secret.

First, Madame Fanny has delivered

a most sharp ultimatum...

...that all must be finished in a week.

Savitt's?

What must be finished in a week?

Clothes for all of you. In an amount

you have not previously considered.

Dresses, suits, summer clothes,

stockings.

All must be done with the hand sewing.

How nice. How very, very nice of Mama.

What is so nice of Mama?

You are to say nothing. I gave my word.

Everything is nice of Mama.

Mama is a great darling.

Certainly. We've been in the attic

looking over some old books.

You know, I find that Joshua

is an educated boy.

Your father would have liked that.

Goodness.

You are a handsome woman, Sara.

- Where did the dress come from?

- From me. I make it.

Remember when I was a little girl

and you taught me to sew?

That came in handy years later.

Often when Kurt...

When Kurt was away for a long while...

...I made dresses and earned enough

to pay the rent and food...

...and send the children to school.

FANNY:

You sewed for a living?

Really, were these things necessary?

Why couldn't you have written to us?

Mama, you've asked me that 20 times

in the four days we've been here.

I think it is only that Grandma

feels sorry for us.

Grandma has not seen

much of the world.

She does not understand that a great many

work hard in order that they eat.

Now, don't you start giving me lectures.

I get enough from Bodo. Come along.

Psst.

[WHISPERING]

Ask Herr Muller to come up here.

- Why?

- Why? Why?

Because he is a man in love with his wife

and because his wife looks most beautiful.

You are getting so old

you no longer understand...

...the matters of delicacy

between the men and the women.

[LAUGHS]

Me?

I had forgotten.

Liebe, Sara. You are beautiful.

How many years

have I kept you from looking like that?

It makes you have tears.

It also makes me have tears.

If you say that, I'll tear it off.

No. No.

Then I do not say it.

I do not think it.

I only think with pride

how beautiful is my Sara.

Anise has put me together with pins.

I'm a porcupine.

If you had not married me

so many years ago...

...would you have married me today?

I'm so tired, so shabby.

And you are so...

I would have married you

any day in my life.

With Mama, what you need is not to be

afraid of making a fool of yourself.

Anything she doesn't like,

she makes seem silly.

Yes. And it's worked

for a good many years.

She thinks of me only

as a monument to Papa.

And a not-very-well-made monument

at that.

Yes. And since you're worth a good deal

on your own, do what you want.

Marthe's a nice girl, I think.

Kurt thinks so too,

and Kurt's smart about people.

You are very much in love with Kurt.

Oh, yes. I've been a happy woman.

David, Kurt's a sick man.

Sicker than he knows.

The wound he got in Spain

never healed right.

And then about six months ago over there...

oh, he's better.

Even the week here has done him good.

But he'll never be able to go back

and do the kind of work...

You know, darling...

...I don't think I understand

what kind of work he was doing.

SARA:

Come along, Babbie.

How long has Marthe

been married to the count?

I don't know. When she was very young.

You know,

the Count de Brancovis scares me a little.

Scares you?

You and Mama,

most people here, I guess...

...you don't know what it is

to be frightened.

Unfortunately,

I think you'll have to learn.

Uncle David, I have invited

the Countess Marthe...

...to join our sightseeing trip.

I hope you find it agreeable.

Very, very agreeable.

- You're a nice girl, Babbie.

- Thank you, Mama.

To look down at such a great height

makes even me dizzy.

Where is our house?

Uh...

See beyond the city?

Yes.

Where the road bends away

from the river, through the trees?

- Yes.

- Back of that.

JoSEPH:
But, Miss Fanny, you know

I've always been a good silver cleaner.

- You're getting out of practice.

- I have given it careful thought.

Miss Sara is better-looking.

Don't you think so, Joseph?

Don't you think Miss Sara

is better-looking than Miss Fanny?

You call that good cleaning?

That silver has lasted for 200 years

and it's going to last for 200 more.

Not the way you treat it, Miss Fanny.

Why, sometimes you scratch it.

I watch you at the table

and I say to myself:

"There's Miss Fanny,

doing it to that knife again."

I was using a knife and fork

before you arrived to show me how.

You told me the next time you screamed

at me to remind you to ask my pardon.

FANNY:
You call that screaming?

- Yes'm.

All right.

I ask your pardon.

Now clean that silver.

It's very warm in Washington today.

You'll forgive us.

We are dining in town tonight.

- I will forgive you.

- You seen Marthe?

She went on the sightseeing trip

with the children.

- And David.

- Oh.

Well, I daresay she'll be back

in plenty of time to dress for dinner.

I hope so.

Baron von Ramme, please.

Phili? How are you?

The other night in the poker game,

you mentioned a man called Freidank.

Wasn't that his name?

Yes. Max Freidank. I think you said

you went to school with him.

What does he look like?

That is not my department.

That I have not as yet reached.

Blecher, the bloody Butcher Boy,

is perhaps your man.

If you're up to what I think,

you're wasting your time.

Max Freidank, more dead than alive

from wounds...

...was arrested in Frankfurt

a few days ago.

- What?

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