Waterloo Bridge Page #2

- You said he had to go to a colonel's dinner.

- It's not what I said. It's what he said.

(APPLAUSE)

He's nice, isn't he?

He's a bit of all right.

Must have ditched the colonel.

Think he'll come backstage?

What'll madame say?

We must watch and pray.

Oh, girls. Girls, girls.

Please. Please do be quiet.

You know how madame hates noise.

Shh! Shh, shh!

Maureen.

What is pas de bourre?

A pas de bourre is a progression on points

by a sequence of very small, even steps.

If you know it, why don't you do it

during the performance?

Elsa.

Your arabesques were jumpy.

They were positively epileptic.

Really, I was concerned for you.

Ana.

Show the young ladies, please,

how to do an entrechat quatre.

And may I ask, why didn't you do it

that way for the audience?

They also have some rights, you know.

The performance tonight was disgraceful.

We are playing for the moment

in a variety theater but...

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Kitty.

But that doesn't mean

you should work with less precision...

...than performing seals,

which precede you.

You don't honor the ballet

by your presence in it.

The ballet honors you.

Are there questions?

Hm.

- Yes, madame?

- The note, Kitty.

The note that was handed to you.

Oh, well, it... It's just from an old friend,

a man I used to know in a show.

I don't need to be reminded

that you were a chorus girl in a revue.

- Your behavior...

- Madame.

- Myra.

- No, Kitty. It's for me, madame.

Then you may read it.

Aloud, please.

- Madame, I...

- Read it, please.

(SIGHS)

"As you see, I cannot bear to spend

my last evening with my colonel after all.

Please have supper with me.

Your friend of the shelter.

P.S. I am sure you will

because I have a good-luck charm...

...which has already changed my luck."

- And the signature?

- There isn't one.

And if there were one, what would it be?

I don't know. I only know he's an officer.

Indeed?

I must emphasize that if you want

supper parties, officers and delights...

...you shouldn't be here with me

but in other occupation.

Lydia, paper, please.

A war is no excuse for indecorum.

Write, please. "Dear sir."

What's his rank?

Captain.

"Dear captain."

- Here you are, sir.

- Oh, thank you.

Thank you, sir.

No-go, sir?

No, I'm afraid not.

Oh, captain. Captain. Wait a minute.

I'm Kitty, Myra's friend.

Where do you want to meet her?

What? Myra?

- Oh, how do you do?

- I do very well, thank you.

- But where do you want to meet her?

- Well, l... But she, uh, she refused.

Oh, take no notice.

The old dragon made her write that.

- She'll come after all?

- Name the place.

- Yes, does she know the Candlelight Club?

- No, but I do.

- Good, then. I'll be there in an hour, say?

- An hour.

Look here.

I hope I'm doing the right thing.

Myra's just a sweet child.

You can see that, can't you?

I can see that, Kitty.

Bye-bye, captain.

(LAUGHS)

MYRA:
Hello.

- Oh, hello.

I'm delighted. I was afraid Kitty

had directed you to the wrong place.

Oh, no, but your note was read out

before the whole class.

Were you embarrassed?

Yes, and so would you have been.

Ha, ha, I dare say. I'm afraid

I've made it difficult for you.

Well, you gave up the colonel,

so I expect I made it difficult for you too.

Yes, you did, but I have my reward.

It was wonderful of you to come.

- Shall we go in?

- All right.

Excuse me.

How nice you look.

Thank you.

(ROY CHUCKLES)

What do dancers eat?

Oh, dull things mostly.

Nutritious yet not fattening.

Oh, no, not tonight.

What could you suggest that would be

particularly rich and indigestible?

- The grouse is very nice, sir.

- Mm-hm.

And wine. It isn't against the rules

for a dancer to drink a little light wine, is it?

- Tonight...

- Good. Number 40, please.

Number 40, sir.

- Ah, the ballet was beautiful.

- Madame didn't think so.

Well, experts never know.

It takes outsiders to know.

- And I tell you it was beautiful.

- That certainly proves you're an outsider.

Are you glad to see me again?

Yes.

I sense a reservation.

- Well, I suppose there is one.

- What? Why?

What's the good of it?

You're a strange girl, aren't you?

What's the good of anything?

- What's the good of living?

- That's a question too.

Now wait a minute. I'm not

going to let you get away with that.

The wonderful thing about living

is that this sort of thing can happen.

In the shadow of a death raid, I can

meet you and feel more intensely alive...

...than walking around in peacetime,

taking my life for granted.

It's a high price to pay for it.

- I don't think so.

- I do.

Do people have to kill each other

to give them a heightened sense of life?

That's got nothing to do

with people killing each other.

Either you're excited about life

or you're not.

You know, I've never been able

to wait for the future.

When I was very young, a child in fact,

I climbed to the top of a high tree...

...stood like a diver, and announced

to my horrified governess:

"Now I shall take a leap

into the future," and jumped.

- I was in the hospital for two months.

- Ha.

Let the future catch up

with you more slowly.

Oh, no, no, never.

Temperament. I can't help it.

If we'd met in ordinary times

in an ordinary way, we'd just about...

...be telling each other

what schools we went to.

We're much further along,

don't you think?

Are we?

You know we are.

- Oh, I'm too excited to eat. Let's dance.

- All right.

(BAND PLAYING

"LONG WAY TO TIPPERARY")

- To you.

- Thank you.

To us.

Still don't get it. Not quite.

What?

Your face. It's all youth, all beauty.

What is it you still don't get?

You know, when I left you this afternoon,

I couldn't remember what you looked like.

I thought, "Was she pretty?

Was she ugly? What was she like?"

I couldn't remember.

I had to get to that theater tonight

to see what you looked like.

And do you think

you'll remember me now?

I think so.

I think so.

For the rest of my life.

But what is it about me

you still don't get?

(VIOLINS PLAY FANFARE)

Ladies and gentlemen, we now come

to the last dance of the evening.

I hope you'll enjoy the farewell waltz.

I'll tell you later. Let's dance now.

What's it mean, these candles?

You'll find out.

(BAND PLAYING "AULD LANG SYNE")

I'll write to you. Will you answer?

Of course.

Wonderful evening, wasn't it?

Yes. Thank you very much.

When I come back, we'Il...

We'll go there again.

- Yes.

- That'll be our place.

That's where we'll always

recapture this evening.

Do you think we'll ever

see each other again?

I think it's doubtful, don't you?

Yes, I suppose it is.

What was it you started to tell me

in the restaurant...

...that you didn't understand about me?

Heh. No use going into it now.

No, but tell me, please. I'd like to know.

Well, it struck me as curious

ever since I met you...

...you know, from that very

early moment ages ago...

...that you're so young,

so lovely and so defeatist.

I mean, you don't seem

to expect much from life.

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