Original subtitles

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Harley Street.

The home of the medical profession.

Here they all are. The good and the bad.

And the surgeons are the worst.

They found out that a man's body is full of bits and scraps of old organs he's no

use for.

You can cut half a dozen of them out without leaving him any the worse.

except for the illness and the guineas it costs him.

I know him.

He used to snip off the ends of people's uvulas for 50 guineas.

And that fellow, too.

He extirpated tonsils at 200 guineas until he took up women's cases at double

the fees.

Cutler Walpole.

He got hold of something he calls the Nuciform Sack, which is made quite the

fashion.

People pay him 500 guineas to cut it out.

They might as well get their hair cut for all the difference it makes.

Hello. Report us already.

Of course.

Famous doctor receives knighthood.

Sir Colenso Rigdon.

Well, well.

I represent the Globe.

I wonder if Sir Calencio Ridgen could... No, he can't.

Oh, it's yourself, Sir Pat. You'd better come in.

Good morning.

Now, could we possibly see... No, you couldn't.

I wanted to be the first to congratulate him. I was never so taken aback. I

always thought his great discoveries was fudge, let alone the mess of them, with

his drops of this and that and tubes full of fever.

All in the interest of science, any? I don't think much of science. I've lived

with it too long.

I'll tell him you're here.

Have you finished your two eggs, sonny?

Yes.

That's me ducky diamond.

Now keep yourself tidy and don't go messing about dirtying your hands. The

people are coming to congratulate you. You can come in, Sir Patrick.

Well, young fella.

Is your hat too small for you, eh? Much too small, and I owe it all to you.

Blimey, my boy.

Thank you all the same.

I live in a state of siege ever since it got about that I'm a magician who can

cure consumption with a drop of serum.

Modern science is a very interesting thing, Carly.

Look at your great discovery.

Look at all the great discoveries.

What are they all leading to? Why, right back to my poor dear old father's ideas

and discoveries.

He's been dead now over 40 years.

Oh, it's very interesting.

Well, there's nothing like progress.

So you've found out how to cure consumption, have you?

I believe so.

Well, I've known over 30 men who've found out how to cure consumption.

Why do people go on dying of it, Carly?

Devilman, I suppose.

Don't move.

Ginny, don't move.

All right, you can rest now. Let me come down.

I promised you tomorrow you will be paid everything.

I promise. Thank you.

He wants to be paid, I suppose.

Yes.

They're all refusing to deliver any more unless we pay.

Damn those fellows.

They think of nothing and care for nothing but their wretched money.

Money, money, money, money.

So sordid.

I love money.

Don't be unhappy, love.

I can easily... easily earn enough to pay them all back.

Next year I'll have my one-man exhibition.

You don't believe a bit in my discovery, you old cynic.

Oh, I don't go as far as that, Colin. Have a look at my pamphlet.

Redpenny. Yes, sir.

Late as usual.

I was held up at the hospital for the night report, sir.

Oh, buddy, a pamphlet.

What I want's a drink.

You go out to the drawing room and help yourself.

I'll join you in a minute.

As a matter of fact, I'd like a word with you alone.

Opsony? What the devil's opsony?

Opsinin is what you butter the diseased germs with so that the white corpuscles

will eat them.

But you must understand the treatment.

Inoculate at the right moment and cure.

Inoculate at the wrong moment and kill.

That is my discovery.

The greatest since Harvey discovered the circulation of the blood.

I need a drink.

Oh, Paddy Cullen can still knock it back.

Indeed. And who taught you to call Sir Patrick Cullen old Paddy Cullen?

Oh, you never call him anything else.

You fellas will be calling me old Cully Ridgen next. Oh, we do it, Sir Dan.

That is what makes the medical student the most disgusting figure in modern

civilization. No veneration, no manners.

Do you think Sir Cullen's origin could possibly... No, I don't.

Well... Merci, Sir Cullen's origin.

I don't have an appointment, and I know what a busy day it must be for him, but

I come on a very urgent matter.

Do you think you could arrange it for me?

I'd like your advice.

Professional advice?

Yes.

There's something the matter with me.

Oh, there's nothing wrong with my organs. It's just that I feel unsettled,

as if something was going to happen.

And there's another symptom. Scraps of children's keep on going through my

head, which seem to me to be quite pretty.

Which are, in fact, quite commonplace.

Do you hear voices?

No. Well, I'm glad of that. When my patients tell me they made a greater

discovery than Harvey and that they hear voices, I lock them up.

You think I'm mad?

You're sure there are no voices? Oh, quite sure.

It's only foolishness.

Very common between the ages of 17 and 22.

Sometimes comes on at 40 or thereabouts.

You're a bachelor, you see.

It's not serious if you're careful.

About my fool?

No, about your behavior.

You're not going to die, but you may be going to make a fool of yourself.

So be careful.

I see a lady that wants her husband's lungs cured. I've told you I'll see

nobody. Well, I'll tell her to wait a bit. You tell her I will not see her and

send her away, do you hear? Well, will you see Mr. Cutler Walpole?

He don't want the cure. He only wants to congratulate you. Yes, I'll see him.

Come in.

Mr. Cutler Walpole.

My dear Richard, best wishes.

Heartiest congratulations.

You deserve it. Thank you.

As a man, of course. As a man. You deserve it as a man.

This discovery of yours, of course, is all nonsense.

Optioning.

Absolutely, Roth.

As any capable surgeon will tell you.

But we're all delighted, delighted to see your personal qualities officially

recognized.

You're sympathetic.

How are you? Yes.

Oh, I sent you a paper lately about a little thing I invented. A new saw for

shoulder blades.

Yes, I got it.

It's a good saw.

A useful, handy instrument. Yes, I knew you'd see its points.

I remember that saw 65 years ago.

What? It was called a cabinetmaker's jimmy then.

Oh, get out.

Nonsense. Cabinetmaker. Oh, never mind him. He's only jealous.

Circle in, sir.

I say, I hope I'm not interrupting you two in anything private. Oh, no, no. I

was only consulting him. I'm a little out of sorts.

Overwork, I suppose.

I know what's the matter with you.

I see it in your complexion. I felt it in the grip of your hand. What?

Blood poisoning. Blood poisoning? Impossible. Blood poisoning?

95% of the human race suffer from chronic blood poisoning and die of it.

It's as simple as ABC.

You're a new-siform sack.

What's wrong with my nusiform sac?

It's full of decaying matter.

Bridgen, take my advice.

Let me cut it out for you.

You'll be another man afterwards.

Don't you like him as he is?

No, I don't. I don't like any man who hasn't got a healthy circulation.

I tell you this, in an intelligently governed country, people wouldn't be

allowed to go about with their nusiform sacs. The operation ought to be

compulsory.

Have you had your own sac removed, may I ask?

I haven't got one.

Well, look at me.

I've got no symptoms. I'm as sound as a bell.

About 5%. 5% of the population don't seem to have any sack at all.

Well, luckily, I just happen to be one of the 5%. Yes, I've only come across

one other case like me.

Mrs. Jack Fulgham.

The smart Mrs. Fulgham.

Somehow I've made certain that she would have an enormous one.

And I told her so.

And in a true hygienic spirit, she insisted, she absolutely insisted that I

should operate on her.

You know, she hadn't any sack at all.

Not a trace, not a rudiment.

I was so upset, I... Oh, I forgot to take the

sponges out.

I was stitching her up, one of the nurses.

Sir Rafe Bloomfield Bonington.

Where is he?

Blasham, I thought he was following me. He stayed down to talk to that lady. I

told you to tell that lady. Here he is.

Sir Colenso, eh? Sir Colenso.

Welcome to the Order of Knighthood. Thank you, Phoebe. Ah.

Sir Patrick, you here?

And how are we today?

A little chilly, a little stiff, but still hale, and still the cleverest of

us all, Walpo.

The absent-minded beggar, eh? No, what does that mean? Have you forgotten that

lovely opera singer I sent you to have a growth taken off her vocal cords?

Great heavens, man, you didn't send her for a throat operation.

You removed the nusiform sack.

Force of habit, my dear fellow, force of habit. Never mind, she got her voice

back afterwards, and now she thinks you're the greatest surgeon in the

world. So you are, so you are, so you are.

Blood poison? Blood.

And how's a certain distinguished family getting on under your care, Sir Rafe?

Ridgen here will be glad to hear that I used his optimum treatment on little

Prince Henry with complete success. But how? I suspected blood poisoning, so I

called in at St Anne's one morning for a tube of your very excellent theorem.

You were out, unfortunately.

Well, I hope they explained very carefully. Good heavens, I didn't need

any explanations.

I left my wife waiting in a carriage at the door. I hadn't got time to be taught

my business by your young fellows. No, no. Besides, I know all about

antitoxins. But they're not antitoxins, and they're very dangerous if they're

not used at the right time. Well, of course they are. Everything is dangerous

unless it's used at the right time.

An apple in the morning does you good, an apple at bedtime upsets you for a

week. No, no, there are only two rules for antitoxins. First, never be afraid

of them. Second, inject them a quarter of an hour before meals, three times a

day. Oh, great heavens, B.B., no, no, no! But, Collie, yes, yes, yes!

Oh, it was a great success.

Worked like magic on little Prince Henry. The family was so nice about it.

Their gratitude was quite touching. But I explained, they owed it all to you,

and I'm glad to think that your knighthood is the result.

I'm deeply obliged.

I'm Dr.

Blenkinson. Blenkinson.

Come in, won't you?

That's why I'm taking up your treatment, Collie, and pushing it. It's scientific.

Will you see a Dr.

Blenkinson?

Blankensop, yes, yes, of course.

Oh, I've just come to offer my humble congratulations.

Blankensop, how are you?

Oh, dear, all the great guns are before me. How are you, Blankensop? How are

you? And Sir Patrick, too.

You know Warhol?

No, it's the first time I've had that. How did you do?

In my poor little practice, there are no chances of meeting you great men. I know

only these Sundance men of my own day.

And so you're Sir Colensona.

How does it feel? Rather foolish at first.

Don't take any notice of it. I'm afraid I haven't a notion of what your great

discovery is, but I congratulate you just the same for the sake of old times.

My dear Blankenship, you used to be so keen on science.

Ah, I used to be a lot of things. Look at me now.

But what can I do? I've never opened a book since I qualified. Well, it's so

expensive, for one thing. But I have experience, clinical experience, and

bedside experience is the main thing, isn't it? Oh, nonsense.

Oh, you fellows, he is the outside of a patient, but it's not the outside that's

wrong. What you need is a daily familiarity with people's insides, and

that you can only get with a knife.

Ah, it's all very well for you gentlemen to talk, but what would you say if you

had my practice?

Except for the workmen, my patients are all clerks and shopmen. They don't feel.

They can't afford it.

And the worst of it is, you know, I'm too poor to keep well myself on the sort

of cooking I have to put up with.

How am I to inspire confidence?

Oh, don't pick it up. I can't bear it.

Tragic thing in the world is a sick doctor.

Like a bald-headed man trying to sell a hair restorer.

Yeah. Thank God I'm a surgeon.

Of course, I'm never sick. I never had a day's illness in my life. That's what

enables me to sympathize with my patients. What's that? What's that?

You're never sick? No, no, no, never.

See, that's very interesting. Do you know, I believe you have no new sperm

sac. CPB, if you ever do happen to feel at all queer, I wish you'd let me open

you up and have just a little look.

Oh, it is kind of you. I'm rather busy just at the moment. You know, it may

sound ridiculous to you great men, but what I always recommend to my patients

is... A pound of ripe green gauges every day, half an hour before lunch. I'm sure

they find a benefit, and they're very cheap. Oh, very sensible. I'm so glad to

hear, Blankenshop, that you disapprove of drugs.

Drugs are a delusion. Look at the newspapers. Full of the most scandalous

advertisements for patent medicines.

A vast commercial system of quackery and poison. Who is responsible?

We are.

We taught the people to believe in bottles of doctor's stuff. Now they buy

it for themselves instead of calling in a medical man.

The real remedy for all diseases is nature's remedy.

Nature has provided, in the white corpuscles, in the phagocytes, as we

call them, a certain method of devouring and destroying all diseased germs.

There is at bottom only one scientific treatment for all diseases, and that is

to stimulate the phagocytes.

Stimulate the phagocytes!

Mr Walpole, your motor car is comfier and has frightened us to race horses, so

come along quick.

Oh dear, in that case I'd better go. Well, goodbye, origin.

Delighted to have met you, Blenkinson.

Walpole, you get my point?

No. The thagocytes are pure rot. They're all cases of blood poisoning. And the

only real remedy is a knife.

Walpole has no intellect. A mere surgeon.

Wonderful operator, but after all, what is operating?

Manual labor.

Brains, brains remains master of the situation.

The noosiform sac, of course, is utter nonsense.

Still, I'm glad for Walpole's sake that the operation is so fashionable.

Now, Collie, you mustn't fret about your health.

If you're restless, try a little sedative. If that doesn't answer, a

little mercury never did any of us any harm. If you can't sleep, Trianon,

Trianon, Trianon.

But no drugs, Collie, remember that. No, no, quite right.

As a temporary expedient, but not as a treatment. Goodbye, Blankensauce,

goodbye. No, no, there's only one scientific treatment for all disease,

and that is to stimulate the phagocytes. Oh, by the way, who's the patient?

Who?

Charming woman, tuberculous husband.

Is she there still?

Come on, Sir Rafe. Your wife's waiting in the carriage.

Oh.

You tell that woman once and for all that I can't and will not see her. Do

you hear?

Oh, she's not in a hurry. She doesn't mind how long she waits. I must be off,

too. Every half hour I spend away from my work costs me 18 pence. Come to lunch

one day. Oh, I can't afford it, dear boy. Besides, it would put me off my own

food for a week.

Thank you all the same.

Well, we can't all be geniuses like you.

And for all you know, Bloomfield Bonington kills less people than you do.

Very likely. But he really ought to know the difference between a vaccine and an

antitoxin. Stimulate the phagocytes. To put a tube of serum into his hand is

murder. Simple murder.

Now, Sir Patrick, it's time for Carly to get to his work.

What's that to you, you old catamaran?

Come, come now. None of your temper to me. Behave yourself, Emmy. I've learned

how to behave myself before I learned you to do it. Come along now. Come

along. Goodbye, Collie. Goodbye, Perry. Thank you for coming.

You're an ugly old devil, I know, Miss Sneak.

You're no beauty yourself.

Manners.

Here now. Are you going to see that poor thing or are you not? I tell you, for

the 50th time I won't see anybody.

Send her away.

Come now. Just here for a minute to please me. There's a good boy.

She's given me half a crown.

She thinks it's life and death to her husband for her to steal.

It values her husband's life at half a crown.

It's all she can afford, poor lamb.

Besides, she'll put you in a good temper for the day.

And she's the sort that gets round you.

Oh, send her in a big hand.

Redbilly.

Yes, sir. There's a patient coming to see me. She hasn't gone in a few

moments. Come in with an urgent message from the hospital for me.

You understand, she's to have a strong hint to go.

Oh, I have.

Mrs. Dubedat.

Doctor, I... Wait.

Before you begin, let me tell you at once, there is nothing I can do for you.

I sent you that answer by my servant. You would not take that answer.

How could I? You bribed her?

Oh, I just... Oh, that does not matter. She coaxed me to see you.

Well, you must take it from me now that with all the goodwill in the world, I

cannot undertake another case.

Doctor, you must save my husband. You must.

When I've explained to you, you will see that you must.

It is not an ordinary case, not like any other case.

He is not like anybody else in the world.

Oh, believe me, he is not. I can prove it to you. And you can save him. The

papers say you can.

What is the matter with him? He's left long ago. Ah, yes, you needn't tell me

about that.

You can cure him if only you will.

It is true that you can, isn't it?

Oh, tell me. Please tell me. Now, you're going to be very quiet and self

-possessed.

I beg your pardon.

I know I shouldn't.

Please say that you can, and then I shall be all right. I'm not a cure

-monger. If you want cures, you must go to the people who sell them.

But I have ten patients whom I believe I can save.

Oh, thank you. Now, wait a minute.

Try and think of those ten patients as ten shipwrecked men on a raft that will

not support one more.

Suddenly another head bobs up through the waves and begs to be taken on board.

He implores the captain to say that the captain can only do this by pushing off

one of his ten and drowning him in order to take the newcomer on.

That is what you are asking me to do.

Can you give me the name of another doctor who understands your secret?

Every man in this street is a doctor.

But apart from myself and a handful of men, I am treading at St Anne's. No one

has mastered the obstinate treatment.

And we are full up.

I am sorry.

But that is all I have to say.

Good morning.

Doctor.

Look at these.

You understand drawings, you have good ones in your waiting room.

Look at them.

It's no use my looking.

This is the real thing.

It's very clever.

It's unfinished, isn't it?

It gets tired so soon.

But you see, don't you, what a genius he is?

You see that he's worth saving.

That's you, isn't it? Yes.

This was the first one he ever did.

It's a wonderful drawing.

What a fascinating dress.

Yes, he liked me in it very much.

Why is it called Ginevra?

Oh, my name is Ginevra.

It's only what you call Jennifer, I think.

May I ask?

This is for sale. I'd like to buy it. Oh, take it, Doctor. It's my own. He

gave it to me. Take it. Take them all. Ask anything but save him, Doctor.

Sir Colenso, they've just telephoned from the hospital. They want you to come

instantly. A patient on the point of death. The carriage is waiting. Oh,

nonsense. Get out. What do you mean by interrupting me like this?

But can't you see I'm engaged? Be off.

Doctor?

Doctor?

One instant only before you go. Sit down. It's nothing.

But patient. He said he was dying. Oh, he's probably dead by now.

Don't mind. Sit down. None of you care. You see people die every day.

Nonsense.

I told him to come in and say that.

I thought I should want to get rid of him.

Oh.

Don't look so bewildered.

Nobody's dying.

My husband is.

Oh, yes.

I forgot about your husband.

Mrs. Dubedet, you're asking me to do a very serious thing.

I'm only asking you to save the life of a great man.

You're asking me to kill another man for his sake.

For if I take a new case, I shall have to return one of the old ones to the

ordinary treatment.

Well, I will not strengthen that.

I've had to do it before, and I will do it again.

If you can convince Spirit, his life is more valuable than the worst life I am

now trying to save.

But you must convince me first.

He made those drawings.

He's very young, Doctor.

His whole life is before him.

Well, darling, has he got round him?

I see you have.

That's me good boy. Hold your tongue and call me a handsome cab.

Wait, I have a better idea.

I'm giving a dinner to some friends at Richmond to celebrate my knighthood.

Perhaps you've read about it in the papers. Oh, yes. This is how I found out

about you.

It will be a doctor's dinner.

It was to have been a bachelor's dinner.

I am a bachelor.

If you would entertain for me and bring your husband, he'd not only meet me, but

he'd meet some of the most eminent members of my profession.

I could put his case to them, and he would have to stand or fall by what we

think of him.

Will you come?

Oh, yes, of course we will come. Oh, thank you, thank you.

Oh, you have made me so happy.

I know you will admire him and like him.

Oh, uh, oh, Doctor, I... Yes, what is it?

I mean, uh, your fees for the consultation.

Oh.

Well, shall we say a beautiful portrait of his favorite model of the entire

treatment and cure?

Oh, you are very generous.

Thank you.

I know you will kill him. I will kill him.

Goodbye. Goodbye.

I have some wonderful news for you. Oh, what?

There has to be a marvelous dinner.

What, this?

No, I said marvelous dinner.

Oh, what a capital, isn't it?

My own cases are very simple, Mr. Dubedat. I'm a crust of bread and I'm

happy and contented.

Unfortunately, I have to live and eat and drink in a manner expected by my

patients from their medical attendant.

Yes, indeed, I do know exactly what you mean.

I suppose it's the same with all professions.

Take an artist.

People expect us to be intemperate, disheveled, dissolute. Indeed, they're

very angry when we're not.

So we are.

Don't look so solemn, Ginny Bunny.

Why do you let him spoil your beautiful name like that, Mrs. Dubedet? You don't

understand these things, Regine. You're a bachelor.

Look at me.

I also have two names.

In moments of domestic crisis, I am simple Rafe.

But when the sun shines in the home...

I'm Beadle Deedle Dumpkins.

Such is married life.

Look at those lights.

See how they sparkle and glitter.

Exquisite scenery. I wonder if you'd be kind enough to sign your name on the

menu. Cigarette, Bibi? No, thank you. Under the sketch you made of me. May I

have one?

Certainly.

Oh, yes, mine too, if you'll be so good.

Thank you.

What do you think of Louis?

Or am I wrong to ask?

Wrong? We are all charmed with him.

You shall go away happy.

He is worth saving. He must and shall be saved. Certainly.

Yes, indeed.

Oh, how can I ever thank you?

From this night on, I can begin to be happy at last.

Oh, no, come, come, dear lady.

There, there, there.

Don't mind us. Have a good cry. No, no, no, you mustn't cry, Mr. Dupedat. We've

been talking about you.

No, of course not. The motor is here, sir, and there's an urgent telephone

call for Dr.

Blenkinson.

Oh, I'm so sorry. We have to go.

It seems such a pity, this beautiful one.

And we have enjoyed ourselves so much. I'm sure another half hour would do him

any harm.

No, no, Colin, none of that. You take your man home, Mrs. Duvedat, and put him

to bed. Quite right. Dead before eleven. Sorry to lose you, dear lady, but...

Yes, we come.

I'll get my coat and join you in the front.

Good night.

I'm so happy to have met you all.

Good night, Duvedat.

Never fear, never mind.

I shall cure that cough.

Oh, thank you. Thank you all so much.

Good night, Mrs. Dubedet. We shall stimulate the phagocytes. If the

phagocytes fail, come to me. I'll put him right. How glorious it must be to be

a doctor.

Now, wrap yourself up well.

Don't think your lungs are made of iron, because they're stronger than theirs.

Thankful cup.

Charming woman.

Gifted lad.

Mackey Ridge and... I'm sorry to have left you like this, but it was a

telephone message.

They found half a milkman at our level crossing with a prescription of mine in

his pocket.

Oh, where's Mrs. Dubedat? Just going.

Going? Oh.

Oh, well, perhaps I can overtake them.

They're very nice people.

I must confess I was afraid the husband would turn out to be the most appalling

bounder, but he's almost as charming in his way as she is in hers.

Then there's no mistake of his being a genius.

Well, it's something to have found a case really worth saving.

You say anything wrong of Dubitat, Sir Perry? What could be wrong with him? A

charming young man. What could be wrong with him?

There are two things that can be wrong with any man.

One's a chick and the other's a woman.

Until you know a man's son, on those two points you know nothing about him. Well,

he's all right as to the chick, for the time being, at all events.

He talked to me quite frankly before dinner about the pressure of money

difficulties in an artist.

Apparently he has no vices.

He's most economical.

So I just said, bang out. Why not let me lend you 20 pounds and you can pay me

when your ship comes home?

I must say he was very nice about it.

Took it like a man. But when was this?

When I joined you that time on the terrace.

But good heavens, he just borrowed 10 pounds from me.

What? Well, he was hardly borrowing as he said himself. Heaven only knows when

he could pay me back, but I...

I couldn't very well refuse.

You see, it seems that Mrs. Dubedet has taken a sort of fancy to me.

Eh? Oh, oh, oh.

Oh, no.

It was to me. No, no, no. Your name was never mentioned.

He's so wrapped up in his work, he has to leave her a good deal alone.

And the poor, innocent young fellow, of course, he has no idea of my position or

how busy I am, actually suggested I might like to call on her occasionally

and talk with her.

That's exactly what he said to me.

Good heavens.

I say, Ridgen, this begins to look serious.

Oh, hello, Blenkinsop. Did you catch him?

No. Excuse my running away like that.

What's the matter?

Oh, it's nothing. A trifle. Something ridiculous.

Can't be helped. Never mind.

Is it anything to do with Dubedat?

I ought to keep it to myself, but... Oh, it's too ridiculous.

Dubedat asked me to lend him half a crown to tip the cloakroom. He said that

he only wanted it for five minutes as his wife is his purse, so... Well,

naturally, I lent it to him, and he's forgotten to pay me back.

I've just got tuppence to get back with. Oh, never mind about it. No, no, no, no.

Look, I know what you're going to say, but I won't take it, no.

I've never borrowed a penny in my life, and I never will.

If none of you could meet me without being afraid that my civility was

leading up to a loan of five shillings, it would be the end of everything for

me.

No, I'll train it as far as the tuppence will take me, and I'll trample the rest.

Nonsense. You'll go the whole distance in my motor car. Come along.

Oh. Oh, thank you very much.

I beg your pardon, sir.

Yes? I was wondering, sir, if you'd give me the address of that gentleman who was

with you at dinner.

You mean the young gentleman?

Yes, sir. The one who just left with that woman he brought with him.

What? You mean the lady who died here? The gentleman's wife?

Oh, don't you believe it, sir? She's not his wife.

Well, she can't be.

I'm his wife.

My good girl.

I could run upstairs and get you my marriage certificate, sir, if you doubt

my word.

He's Mr. Louis Dupedat, isn't he?

Yes. Well, then, sir, you may believe me or not, but I'm the lawful Mrs. Dupedat.

He married me three years ago last April.

Why aren't you living with your husband?

We couldn't afford it, sir.

I had £30 saved, and we spent it all in three weeks. More than that, he

borrowed.

Then he went to London.

I never saw nor heard of him again.

Upon myself, I'm beginning to suspect our young friend may be rather careless.

Careless? He's a damned young blackguard.

Oh, that's severe, Sir Patrick. He's very young.

She's very pretty.

Oh, please, sir, won't you tell me where I can find him?

Should I give her the address?

Give her your own address, and then we'll see.

What's your name?

Minnie, sir.

Write to her at this address, and it will be sent on.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you all, gentlemen.

Excuse the liberty.

You'll realize we promised Mrs. Dubedat to save this fellow's life.

What's the matter with him?

Tuberculosis.

What, and you can cure that?

I believe so.

I wish you'd cure me. My right lung is touched, I'm sorry to say.

Your lung is going? No, no, no.

It's no use. I know what you're going to say.

If a fortnight's holiday would save my life, I should have to die.

I can't afford to look after myself when there's an end to it.

Oh, don't let's talk about it.

Oh, Mr. Woolpole, I wonder if I might sponge on you for another of those nice

cigarettes of yours. Why, of course, certainly.

Hello?

Oh, yes, I remember now.

I passed Dubert at my cigarette case and he never returned it.

It was a gold one.

A wonderful night.

Exquisite scenery, stimulating conversation, a capital dinner.

My own tastes, my own tastes, are very simple, Mr. Dubedat.

A mere crust of bread and I am happy and content.

Unfortunately, I have to eat and drink in a manner which my patients expect of

their medical attendant.

Dubedat will be saved. You'll paint better than ever before.

His health will be restored.

He will have a one-man exhibition which will make him rich and famous.

And I owe it all to you.

Well,

Mr. Saviour of Lives, which is it to be?

That honest, decent man, Blankensop, or that rotten blackguard of an artist, eh?

It's a difficult case to judge.

Blankensop's an honest and decent man, but is he any use?

To me, that's a rotten blackguard, but he's a genuine source of pretty and

pleasant good things.

What will you be a source of for that poor innocent wife of his when she finds

him out?

Yes, that's true.

I'd like her to be a hell.

Still, it's a dilemma.

Yes, it's a dilemma.

And it's a complication we haven't mentioned.

What's that?

Well, if I let Blankensop die, at least no one will say I did it because I

wanted to marry his widow.

That's it?

Well, if I let Dubedet die, I'll marry his widow.

Perhaps she won't have you, you know.

I have a flair for that sort of thing.

I can tell when a woman is interested in me.

Well, sometimes a man knows best and sometimes he knows worst.

You'd much better save them both.

I can't. I'm at my limit.

I might squeeze in one more kiss, but not two.

I must choose.

Well, you must choose as if she didn't exist, that's all. She troubles my

judgment. To me, it's a plain choice between a man and a lot of pictures.

It's easier to replace a dead man than a good picture.

Geneva.

Geneva.

Yes, it's a dilemma.

Johnson, I'm taking on another case.

Could I have his name, sir?

I'll give you his name and particulars tomorrow.

I promise.

I promise.

Honestly and faithfully.

Honestly and faithfully.

Never to... Never to... No, no, no, no. Never to... Never to borrow

any more money. Until?

Until I first ask you.

That's right.

Otherwise it might give people the wrong impression of you.

I was strong enough to work more steadily.

I'd make my darling's house a temple and her shrine more beautiful than

was ever imagined.

Won't you finish those drawings for Maclean? They don't matter anymore.

I got nearly all the money from him in advance.

But that's just why you should finish them.

He asked me the other day whether you really intended to finish them.

Well, I can find his impudence.

What the devil does he take me for?

That destroys all my interest in the job.

I've a good man to throw up the commission and give him his money back.

But we can't afford that, dear.

Why don't you finish the drawings and have done with them?

I think it is a mistake to accept money in advance.

Goodness, I didn't know it was so late. The doctors will be here any minute and

I'm not ready.

Oh, Louis, isn't it extraordinarily kind of them to insist on coming, all of

them, to consult about you?

I dare say they think it's a feather in their cap to cure a rising artist.

They wouldn't come if it didn't amuse them anyhow.

I'm delighted to see you.

You must forgive the space.

It's only a studio room now.

But we pick along somehow.

Thanks to Jennifer.

It's so good of you to come, Doctor.

Please come in.

Now, I'll run along if you'll forgive me. And then perhaps later on when you

finish with Louis, I may come in and hear the verdict.

Oh, would you rather I didn't? Not at all. Not at all.

It doesn't look so grave.

There's nothing awful going to happen, is there? No.

Well, that's all right.

Even though Jennifer's been looking forward to this visit of yours more than

you can imagine.

She's taken quite a fancy to you, original.

Poor girl's got no one to talk to.

I'm always painting.

Oh, this is for a picture I'm doing called Death and the Maiden.

Rather fun.

What do you think of this?

Sketch I did of her yesterday.

Yes, she showed me a fortnight ago when she first called on me.

Where did she?

Good Lord.

How time does fly. I could have sworn I'd only just finished it.

You know, it's hard for her here, seeing me piling up drawings and never coming

in to buy them. Of course, I shall sell them all soon enough next year for my

one-man exhibition, but while the grass grows, the steed starves.

I hate to have her coming to me for money all the time.

Having none to give her, what can I do?

What do you think of that?

I've not come here to discuss your drawings. I've got more urgent and

pressing business with you. You know, I know you want to sound my wretched lung.

Well, I'll just be quite frank with you, Richard. The trouble in this house is

not lungs, but bills.

It doesn't matter about me, but you know, Jennifer... Jennifer actually has

to economise on the matter of food.

Now, you've made us feel that we can treat you as a friend.

Will you lend us £150?

No. Why not?

I'm not a rich man.

I need every penny I can spare and more for my researchers.

You mean you'd want the money back again? I presume people do sometimes

have that in view when they lend money.

I can easily manage that for you. I'll give you a cheque.

But there's no reason why you shouldn't make a bit out of it too.

I'll give you a cheque for 200.

Why not cash the cheque yourself without troubling me?

Bless you, they wouldn't cash it. I'm overdrawn as it is.

Indeed.

I'll have to find some other means of getting the money.

You mean that you refuse?

Of course I refuse, man.

Once and for all, I'm not meant to a farting.

I'd be only too glad to help your wife with lending money to you, and we have

no service to her.

Ah, well, if you're in earnest about helping her, I'll tell you what you

might do.

You might get your patients to buy some of my things, or give me a few portrait

commissions.

My patients call me in as a physician, not as a commercial traveler.

Yes, but you must have such a great authority with them. I mean...

You must know such lots of things about them.

Private things.

You know, things they wouldn't like to have known.

They wouldn't dare refuse you.

Well, upon my... What was the matter? I'd only been here a few moments and you

tried to borrow £150 off me. And you just interrupted the actor suggesting I

should blackmail my patients into sitting to him for the portraits.

Richard.

I spoke to you in confidence.

We are all going to speak to you in confidence, young man. But don't be

alarmed, you're a fascinating fellow and we all love you.

Well, all right, all right. Well, you'd better all sit down where you can. Sir

Patrick, would you rather come sit on the throne? I think you'd be more

comfortable there.

Hold on. Up you go.

Bebe, I think you'd be more comfortable there, too. Oh, how kind. I'll get you a

cushion.

Thank you.

One.

And two.

Count it.

Most. May I take your hat, please?

Walpole, I forgot about you.

Do you mind sleeping on this?

It's really quite comfortable.

By the way, I'll trouble you for my cigarette case, if you don't mind.

What cigarette case? The gold one that I lent you at the Star and Garter.

Was that yours?

Yes.

Oh, my dear chap, I am terribly sorry.

I wondered whose it was.

Afraid this is all.

But there's left of it.

No, no, sorry, that's yours.

A pawn ticket. Yes, but it's all right. It's perfectly safe. I mean, you can't

sell it for a year.

Oh, Walpole.

I am most terribly sorry. Oh, no, no, no, please don't mention it. It adds to

your fascination.

Before we go any further, you have a debt to pay. I've a precious lot of

debts to pay, Reginald. Shall we get you a chair? You shall not leave this room

until it is paid.

It's a small one, but pay two must and shall.

I did not mind you borrowing £10 off one of my guests and £20 off another. Ah,

no, no, no, no, no. I walked into that when I offered. They can afford it, but

to strip poor Blankensop of his last half-crown, that was damnable.

I mean to give him back that half-crown and to be in a position to pledge my

word that you paid it.

I'll have that out of you at all events. All right, all right, don't fuss, don't

fuss. Of course I shall pay it. Quite right, Bridgen. Come on, young fellow,

down with the dust. I had no idea the poor fellow was hard up.

I'm as shocked about it as the rest of you.

Here you are.

Except that I have no money on me at present.

Would you mind lending me half a crown, Walpole?

Well, just to settle this.

Lend you half? Well, if you don't think it's up, won't get it. For I happen to

wrap him. I search my pockets if you care.

That's conclusive.

There.

I really am glad that settler would have been on my conscience.

And I hope you're all satisfied.

Not quite, Mr. Jubilat.

Do you happen to know a young woman called Minnie?

Minnie? Yes, I should say I do.

And Minnie knows me, too.

She's a nice, good girl, Minnie. I wonder what ever became of her.

Now, it's no use bluffing, Dubedet.

We've seen Minnie's marriage lines.

Indeed.

Have you seen Jennifer's?

You mean to insinuate that Mrs Dubedet is living with you without being married

to you?

Why not?

Why not?

Why not?

Why not?

Yes, why not?

Lots of people do it.

Just as good people as you.

Why don't you chaps learn to think instead of bleating and blaring like a

lot of sheep when you come up against something you don't understand?

I must say, I should like to draw the lot of you.

You all look jolly foolish.

Especially you, Ridgen.

I had you that time, you know.

How, Fred?

You claim to appreciate Jennifer, but you despise me, don't you?

I loathe you. Just so.

And yet you're prepared to believe that Jennifer is a bad lot simply because you

think.

I told you so.

What did you tell us? I merely asked you whether you'd seen Jennifer's marriage

lines and you concluded straight away that she hadn't got any. You don't know

a lady when you see one.

And what do you mean by that, pray?

Now, I am only an immoral artist.

But if you told me that Jennifer wasn't married, I should have had the

gentlemanly feeling and artistic instinct to say that she carried her

marriage certificate in her face and character.

But you are all model men.

Jennifer's only an artist's wife, a model.

And morality consists of suspecting other people of not being legally

married.

Aren't you ashamed of yourself?

I can't wonder if you looked me in the face after it.

It's very difficult to look you in the face, Dubedet.

You have such a dazzling cheek.

What about Minnie, eh?

Minnie Tinwell is a young woman who has had three glorious weeks of happiness in

her poor little life, which is more than most girls in her position get, I can

tell you.

Just you ask her whether she'd take it back if she could.

She's got a name and a history, that girl.

She'll have a page in my biography.

My little sketches of her will be fought for by collectors at Christie's.

Pretty good, that, I think.

But a still roommate at a seaside hotel.

What have you chaps done for her to compare with that? We haven't trapped

her into marriage and deserted her. No, you wouldn't have the pluck.

But don't fret yourselves.

I didn't desert little Minnie. We spent all our money. Her money, you mean? Oh,

dear.

All our money, I said. Hers and mine.

Her 30 pounds didn't last three days. I had to borrow four times as much to

spend on her.

I didn't grudge it.

When we were cleaned out, we'd had enough of it.

Well, you can hardly suppose we were fit company for longer than that.

I mean, I'm an artist, and she quite out of art and literature and refined living

and all that sort of thing.

But there was no desertion, no misunderstanding, no police court,

nothing for you chaps to lick your lips over at breakfast.

We simply said, the money's gone. We've had a wonderful time that nobody can

ever take from us. She went back to service, and I went off to Brittany.

Two years later, I met Jennifer.

And committed bigamy. Oh!

Bigamy, bigamy, bigamy.

What a fascination anything connected with the police has for you moralists.

Did you tell Jennifer you were already married?

Well, of course not.

But don't you see that if she'd known, it would have spoiled everything for

her?

I had to think of her self-respect.

What are we to do with this, Daisy?

Oh, go and do whatever the devil you please.

Put Minnie in the witness box, put me in prison, kill Jennifer with the disgrace

of it all, and when you've done all the mischief you can, go to church and feel

good about it.

He's got us, you know.

He has. Is he to be allowed to defy the law of the land?

The law?

It won't do Minnie any good, and it'll only lay his wife's life waste. You can

put the law out of your head once for all.

Sir Patrick, you turn your head just a little more this way. No, no, no, that's

too much.

Put down your foolish pencil, man, and think of your position.

You can defy the laws made by men, but there are other laws to reckon with. Do

you know that you're going to die?

We're all going to die, aren't we?

We're not all going to die in six months.

How do you know?

On my soul, I will not stand this. It's in questionable taste under any

circumstances or in any company to harp upon the subject of death. It is a

monstrous advantage to take on a medical man.

I will not allow it. Do you understand?

Well, I didn't start it.

You fellows did.

It's always the way with the inartistic profession.

With all your talk, you have only one trump card in your hands, and that is

intimidation. Well, whatever I am, I am not a coward, so it doesn't bother me.

I'll tell you what you are, sir. You are a scoundrel. I don't mind you calling me

a scoundrel in the very least.

It's only a word, and a word you don't know the meaning of.

What is a scoundrel? You are a scoundrel. Just so. I am a scoundrel.

What is a scoundrel? I am. It's just arguing round in a circle. And you call

yourself a man of science.

I have a very good mind to take you by the scruff of your neck and give you a

sound hiding. I joy well wish you would.

You'd pay quite a handsome price to keep it out of the law courts.

Well,

you're on the wrong track altogether.

I'm not a criminal.

All your moralising is no value for me.

I don't believe in morality.

Good afternoon.

Oh, Sir Patrick, please don't go. I didn't mean to shock you. On my honour.

Well, I don't mind sparing you a few more minutes, but don't address yourself

to me.

For I've retired from practice, and I don't pretend to be able to cure your

complaint. Your life is in the hands of these gentlemen.

Not in mine.

I won't lift a finger to say them.

What do you say, Mr. Warpole?

Oh, I'll take him in hand. I don't mind.

It's clear to me that he's suffering from some obscure form of blood

poisoning, which is almost certainly due to an accumulation of domains in the

nociform sac.

Yes, I'll remove the sack.

Do you mean to operate on me?

Oh, thank you. Oh, don't be afraid. You won't feel anything. You'll be under an

anesthetic, of course.

But it should be extraordinarily interesting.

Oh, well, if it would interest you and it won't hurt, that's another matter.

How much will you pay me to let you do it?

How much?

What do you mean?

You don't imagine I'm going to let you cut me out for nothing, do you?

Would you paint my portrait for nothing?

No.

I'll give you the painting when it's finished.

You could sell it afterwards at perhaps double the price.

But I can't sell my Nuciform sack when you've cut it out, can I?

Richard, did ever you hear anything like that?

You can keep your Nuciform sack?

One would almost think that I wasn't conferring a favour on the fellow.

That leaves only one medical man who has not withdrawn from the case, Mr.

Dubedat. You have nobody now to appeal to but Sir Ralph Bloomfield Bonneton.

Well, if I were you, baby, I shouldn't touch him with a pair of tongs. Let him

take his lung into some hospital.

They won't cure him, but they might at least teach him manners.

My difficulty is that I have never been able to say no even to the most

thoroughly undeserving people.

What is our young friend here?

A vicious and ignorant young man with a talent for drawing. But then, what are

the majority of my patients?

Vicious and ignorant young men without any talent for anything.

No, having made a promise to his wife to stimulate the phagocytes.

Stimulate them, I shall.

Clarence, do you...

As Sir Rafe has kindly offered to take charge of the case, I'll ask you to

excuse me. Yes, Sir Patrick, I've quite finished with you.

While you've all been talking, I've been doing. What's the result of all your

moralising? A little carbonic acid gas which has made the room unhealthy.

The result of mine? There.

Gee, young rascal.

That's rather good.

I wish I could afford to give it to you as a gift, Sir Patrick, but I'd rather

pay five guineas rather than part from it. I'll give you six for it. I'll give

you ten.

Well, I think Sir Patrick is morally entitled.

After all, he sat for it.

May I send it to your house, Sir Patrick, for 12 guineas?

12 guineas? Not if you were president of the Royal Academy, young man.

I shall take it for 12 guineas.

Accept it from me, Paddy, and may you long be spared to contemplate it. Thank

you, Pee-Pee. I shan't settle with you now. My fees will come to more than

that. Well, of all the means, I consider you stolen, Adroit.

So we've converted you to a belief in morality after all.

My hat.

Well, you chaps have all said some pretty hard things to me here in my own

home. But I don't mind.

I'm a man. I can look after myself.

I'm going to call Jennifer in now.

And when she comes, I'd be grateful if you'd remember that she's a lady.

And you are supposed to be gentlemen.

Jennifer!

Good day to you.

Come, Carly, don't let him put you out of countenance. I am not out of

countenance by Jupiter. I'd like to see the fellow who can put me out of

countenance. Thank you all so much for coming. Ah, Mrs. Dubedet, how are we

today? Life has been worth living since I have known you.

And it used to be nothing but fear.

Won't you all come in and tell me the result of the consultation?

I'll go if you don't mind, Mrs. Dubedet. I have an appointment.

If I am needed, and needed I shall be, finally.

Well, they know where to find me. And I'm always at your service, Mrs.

Dubedet. I, too, must ask you to excuse me, madame.

There's nothing wrong, is there?

You didn't find Weed worse?

No, he's not worse.

Just the same.

Oh, thank you.

You've frightened me.

Mrs. Dubedet, if I'm to have charge of the patient...

But I thought Sir Colenso... My dear lady, your husband is to have me. No,

now, please, not another word. It'll be a pleasure to do it for your sake.

Sir Colenso... Sir Colenso will be in his rightful place at the

bacteriological laboratory.

I shall be in my rightful place at the bedside. Your husband will be treated

exactly as if he was a member of the royal family. No, no, please, don't

thank me. That would only embarrass me. Now, on Tuesday next, we shall start to

stimulate the phagocytes.

I'll let you know later.

Send me down on Tuesday some of that very excellent antitoxin.

Goodbye, my dear lady. Rely on me. Eat well, sleep regularly, keep careful,

keep the patient's spirits up. Remember, there's no tonic like a beautiful woman,

no medicine like cheerfulness.

Drive on, no resources like science. Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye.

you curing louis oh sorry bluefield bonnie oh yes i know i know it is a

great privilege to have him but oh i wish it had been you i know it's

unreasonable i can't explain but oh i had such a strong instinct that you

would cure louis i don't i can't feel the same about her you

promised me why did you give louis up i told

him i cannot take another kiss But at Richmond... At Richmond, I thought I

could take another case, but that place has been claimed by my old friend, Dr.

Blankensop. His lung is affected.

You mean that man? That rather silly... I mean the gentleman who'll dine with

us. He's an excellent and honest man whose life is as valuable as anyone

else's. I have arranged to take his case, and that's that Ralph Bloomfield

Bonington will take Mr. Dubedet's.

Oh, I see what it is.

Oh, it is mean, cruel, and envious.

And I thought you'd be above such a thing.

What do you mean?

Do you think I don't know?

Do you think it has never happened before?

Oh, why does everyone turn against him?

Can you not forgive him for being superior to you?

For being cleverer, for being braver, for being a great artist? Yes, I can

forgive him all that.

Well, have you anything to say against him?

I have challenged everyone who has turned against him.

Challenged them face to face to tell me any wrong thing he had done.

Any ignoble thought he had uttered.

They have always confessed they could not tell me one.

I challenge you now.

What do you accuse him of?

I am like all the rest.

Face to face.

I cannot tell you one thing against him.

But your manner has changed.

And you have broken your promise.

I think you're being a little unreasonable.

You've had the best medical advice in London, and his case has been taken by a

leader of the profession, surely.

It is cruel to keep telling me that. It sounds right and it puts me in the

wrong, but I'm not in the wrong.

I have faith in you. I have no faith in the others.

We have seen so many doctors. I have come at last to know when they're only

talking and can do nothing.

It is different with you.

I feel that you know.

You must listen to me, doctor.

I know Louis as nobody else knows him or can ever know him. I'm his wife.

I know he has little faults.

Sensitiveness, impatience, even little selfishnesses which are too trivial for

him to notice.

I know that he sometimes shocks people about money because he's so utterly

above it and cannot understand the value ordinary people set on it.

Tell me, did he borrow money from you?

He asked me for some, once.

Oh, I am sorry.

I am so sorry, but he will never do it again. I pledge you my word for that. He

has given me his promise and he's incapable of breaking his word.

That was his only real weakness, and now it is conquered and done with forever.

Was that really his only weakness?

Well, he's perhaps sometimes weak about women, because they adore him so, and

are always laying traps for him.

And of course, when he says he doesn't believe in morality, ordinary, pious

people think he must be wicked.

But you understand, can't you, how all this starts a great deal of gossip about

him and gets repeated until even his good friends get set against him. Yes, I

understand. Oh, if you only knew the other side of him as I do.

You know, Doctor, that if Louis dishonored himself by a really bad

action, I should kill myself.

Oh, come now, don't exaggerate.

I should?

You don't understand that?

You don't know me?

I should like to.

Tell me about yourself.

I had a great many dreams.

But at last they all came to one dream.

The usual dream.

Is it usual?

As I guess.

But you haven't told me what it was.

I knew that man of genius always had a terrible struggle at first.

With poverty and neglect.

My dream was to save one of them from that.

And bring some happiness into his life.

Louis was not like the other men I'd met.

Only fancy, doctor.

He never even wanted to marry me.

He never thought of the things other men think of.

I had to propose it myself.

Then he said he had no money.

And when I told him I had some, he said, all right, just like a boy.

He is still like that.

Quite unspoiled.

A man in his thoughts.

A great poet and artist in his dreams.

And child in his ways.

I gave him myself and all I had.

That he might grow to his full height.

There's plenty of sunshine.

If I lost faith in him, it would mean the wreck and failure of my whole life.

And I should die.

You must cure him, Doctor.

You must make him quite well again for me.

I know that you can do it and that nobody else can.

Oh, Doctor, I implore you not to refuse what I'm going to ask you to do.

Take Louis yourself and let Sir Reeve cure Dr Blankenship.

Mrs. Dubedat, do you really believe in my knowledge and skill as you say you

do? Absolutely.

I do not give my trust by horse.

I know that.

Well, I'm going to test you hard.

Will you believe me when I say that I have understood what you just told me?

And that my only wish is to serve you in the most faithful friendship.

And that your hero must be preserved to you.

Oh, forgive me. Forgive what I said. He will preserve him to me.

At all hazards. Oh, wait.

Let me finish.

Will you believe me when I say that the one chance of preserving your hero lies

in Louis being in the care of Sir Riff?

You say so.

I believe you.

I have no more doubt.

Thank you.

I represent the globe. I wonder if you could let me have... Young man, there is

a time and a place for everything.

This is neither the time nor the place.

What happened?

He's got through three months galloping consumption in three days.

BB got in on a negative phase.

Negative or positive, the lab's done for.

He won't last out the afternoon.

He'll go suddenly. I've often seen it. Well, let's hope he goes before she

finds him out.

It's hard on a poor lad to be killed because his wife's too high an opinion

of him. Fortunately, few of us are in any danger of that.

Ah, there you are, Richard.

You've heard, of course. Yes.

Why, Jupiter, this is a fascinating case.

Do you know, if I didn't know it was a matter of scientific fact that I'd been

stimulating the fag sites, I'd have said I'd been stimulating the other things

instead. Perry, what's your explanation?

Collie. How do you account for it? Have we overstimulated the phagocytes?

Have they begun to prey on the lungs themselves?

Or on one another?

I must write a paper about this case.

Fascinating.

Oh, BB.

You've done it this time.

What do you mean, killed him?

The worst case of neglected blood poisoning I ever saw. It's too late to

operate now. He'd die under the anesthetic.

Really, if your money mania wasn't so well known, I should take that remark

very seriously indeed.

Come, come. When you've both killed as many people as I have in my time, you'll

feel humble enough about it.

Come and look at him, Colly.

All right, I apologize, B.B.

It is blood poisoning.

Well, of course.

Everything's blood poisoning. But upon my soul, I shall never use any of that

stuff of Richard's again.

What made me so sensitive about what you said just now was...

Strictly between ourselves.

Ridgen has cooked our young friend's goose.

Sir Red, what am I to do?

This man is from a newspaper.

An article appeared this morning saying that Louis is seriously ill.

He wants to interview him about it.

Oh, how can people be so brutally callous? Just you leave him to me. Oh,

but... Louis insists on seeing him. He almost began to cry about it.

Then he says he can't bear his room any longer.

He says he wants to... You see, he stood you for the last time.

Sir Patrick says to let him have his way, that it can do no harm.

What shall we do?

Follow Sir Patrick's excellent advice, of course. As he says it can do no harm,

it may do good. A great deal of good. He'll be all the better for it.

Then, Mr. Walpole, would you tell the man that he may come in, but that he

mustn't exhaust Louis by talking?

Oh, sorry.

Please don't be angry with me.

But Louis will die if he stays here. Let me take him to Brittany. I know he will

recover. Brittany, of course, the very place for him. How stupid he may not

have thought of it myself.

You're his best physician after all, dear lady. It's a wonderful place for

the lungs.

Brittany, of course, an inspiration.

Oh, sir, if you are very kind.

But don't give me too much hope, or I shall cry.

And Louis can't bear that. Then we'll go and fetch him in here.

Brittany, of course. It's the very place.

Ah!

This is the studio, I suppose.

Yes.

Where he has his models, eh?

No doubt.

Are you one of the family or the doctor?

I am neither one nor the other. I am Mr.

Cutler-Woolpole.

Oh, Mr.

Butler.

Perhaps I'd better write it for you. You'd be sure to get it wrong.

That's what comes of belonging to an illiterate profession.

Why, say, you have got your knife into us, haven't you?

I wish I had.

Yes, I'd make a better man of you.

Now attend.

Mr. Dubedet will be brought in here presently. He wants to talk to you

because he doesn't know how bad he is.

We'll allow you to wait for a few minutes only to humor him. But if you

talk to him, out you go.

He may die at any moment.

Is he as bad as that?

I say I am in luck today.

Sit down over there and keep quiet.

Here we are. This is where you belong.

You'll be painting again in no time.

That's happiness.

To be in a studio.

Happiness.

Jennifer. Yes, my darling.

Is the newspaper man there?

Yes, Mr. Dubedat. Here I am at your service. I represent the press.

I thought you might like to let us have a few words about... Well, a few words

on your illness and your plans for the season.

My plans for the season are very simple.

I'm going to die.

Darling,

I'm very weak and tired.

Don't put on me the horrible strain of pretending I don't know.

I've been lying in there listening to the doctors.

Laughing to myself.

They know.

Darling, don't cry. It makes you ugly and I can't stand that.

Only my love, my love, don't talk.

It only weighs your strength.

It only uses it. Oh, if, Mr. Dugan, that you could possibly... Mr. Walpole,

please.

Bridget, give me something to keep me going.

Not one of your confounded antitoxins, if you don't mind.

I have some things to say before I go.

I suppose it'll do you no harm.

In milk.

Don't set him coughing.

Jennifer.

I want you to promise me something.

Yes, yes, you know I will.

If there's one thing I hate more than another, it's a widow.

Promise me you'll never be a widow.

Oh, dear, what do you mean?

I want you to look beautiful.

I want people to see in your eyes that you were married to me.

In Italy, people used to point at Dante and say, there

goes the man who has been in hell.

I want them to point at you and say, there goes the woman who has been in

heaven.

And it has been heaven, darling, hasn't it?

Sometimes. Yes, yes, always, always.

Well, if you wear black and cry, people will say, look at that miserable woman.

Her husband has made her miserable.

No, never.

You have been the light and blessing of my life. I have never lived until I knew

you.

Then you must always wear beautiful dresses and splendid

magic jewels.

Think of all the wonderful paintings.

I shall never paint.

Well, you must be transfigured with all the beauty of those pictures.

There must be a great tradition of beauty, a great atmosphere

of wonder and romance.

That's what men must always think of.

When they think of me, that is the sort of immortality I want.

Promise me that immortality.

Promise me you won't make a little hell of crying and crepe and undertaker's

horrors and withering flowers and all that vulgar rubbish.

I promise.

It's far off, dear.

You are to come to Brittany with me and get well.

Sir Ralph said so.

Poor old Beebe.

Poor fellow.

Brain's going.

Do you remember...

The burning bush.

Oh, yes.

Oh, my dear, how it strains my heart to remember it now.

Does it?

It fills me with joy.

Tell them about it.

It was nothing.

Only that once in Brittany, we lit the first fire of the winter, and when we

looked through the window in the garden, we saw the flames dancing in the burning

bush. Such a colour.

waving like silk, liquid, lovely flame flowing up through the bay leaves and

not burning them.

I shall be a flame.

I'm sorry to disappoint the poor little worms, but the last of me

will be the flame in the burning bush.

When you see the flame, Jennifer,

You will marry again, Jennifer. Oh, Louis, how can you?

Yes, because people... People who have found marriage happy... Always marry

again.

Why, I... I shan't be jealous.

Only don't talk... About me too much to the other fellow.

You won't like it.

I shall be... Your lover all the time.

But it will be a secret from him.

Poor devil.

You've talked enough.

Try to rest a while.

Yes, I'm fearfully tired.

But I shall have a long rest presently.

I have something to say to you, Ferris.

You're all there, aren't you?

Yes, we're all here.

That voice sounded devilish.

Take care, Regine.

My ears hear things that other people's ears can't.

And I've been thinking.

I'm cleverer than you imagine.

You've got on these nerves, Collie. Slip out quietly.

Would you deprive a dying actor of his audience?

I heard that, Regine.

That was good.

I know what you think of me.

I'm not ashamed.

I've been threatened.

And blackmailed.

And insulted.

And served.

And now that it's all over... There's an indis...

The mystery of God.

You see.

I should like to rest my head on your bosom.

Only it might tire you.

Oh, no. How could you tire me?

That's good.

That's real. Oh, don't spare me, dear.

Indeed, indeed, you will not tire me.

Lean on me with all your weight.

Ginny, Ginny.

I think I shall recover after all.

Yes, yes. Because suddenly... Yes, you shall. Suddenly I want to sleep.

Just an orderly sleep.

Oh, yes, dear.

With all your weight now, you are really resting.

Let me put him back on the pillow, ma'am. He'll be better so. No, he's not

tiring me.

He will be so hurt when he wakes if he finds I haven't put him away.

He'll never wake again.

Will you wait for me a moment?

I will come back.

Is she all right?

She's all right. Leave her alone.

Poor young fellow.

He died splendidly.

Aye, that is how the wicked die.

When you're as old as I am, you'll realize that it matters very little how

a man dies. What matters is how he lives.

No matter.

If no concern of ours, he's in another world now.

Probably borrowing his first five-pound note.

Oh, no, come, come.

Don't let's be hard on him. Not now.

Not now.

After all, he only had two failings, money and women.

Are these affairs so well arranged at present that a disregard of the usual

arrangement... indicate well depravity? Confound the usual arrangements. What I

mind is his utter disregard of everything but his own pocket and his

own fancies.

Don't waste your time wrangling about him. A blackguard's a blackguard and an

honest man's an honest man.

Perhaps, perhaps.

Still, demortuous, nil nisi bonum.

I think it was Shakespeare who said, the good that men do lives after them. The

evil is often terried in their bones.

Enterried in their bones.

We're all mortal origin.

It's the common lot, Paddy.

Say what you will, Walpole.

Nature's debt must be paid.

If not today, then it will be tomorrow.

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow.

After life's...

I'm so sorry that I kept you waiting.

I felt that I must shake hands with his friends once before we part today.

We have shared together a great happiness and a great privilege.

Life will always be beautiful to us.

Death will always be beautiful to us.

May we shake hands on that?

Remember, all letters had better be left to your solicitor.

Let him open everything and settle everything. That's the law, you know.

Oh, thank you. I did not know.

Goodbye, Mrs. Dubedet.

Oh, I blame myself.

I should have insisted on operating.

Goodbye, dear lady. I shall send the proper people. They'll know what to do.

You'll have no trouble.

I said his friend, Sir Colenso.

The last of me will be the flame in the burning bush.

When you see the flame, Jennifer, that will be me.

This is Dubedat.

Dr. Blenkins, sir. Yes, I wonder if I might have a word with you.

Thank you.

You look the picture of health and prosperity.

Oh, yes, I've been made a medical officer of health.

I was successful in curing the chairman of the Barra Council.

With Dr.

Colenzu Ridgeland's medicine?

Oh, no.

No, I believe it was with a pound of ripe greengages.

I've been very fortunate.

You have indeed been very fortunate.

Your life has been spared.

Mrs. Dubedat, I know what you must be feeling.

I felt I had to come and tell you that I had no idea... I did not know there was

to be a choice between your husband's life and mine.

And how do you know him?

Your husband was a great artist.

He cannot be replaced.

I can.

Oh, thank you.

But please, don't blame Sir Colenso.

We were old friends.

It is not for his friendship to you that I blame Sir Colenso.

Oh, I had quite forgotten.

There's somebody coming to see Louis' paintings. A great collector. Will you

please forgive me?

Good morning, Mr. Danbury.

Good morning, Sir Colenso. I'm afraid we've run out of catalogues. You'd

better have mine, if you don't mind. Thank you.

There he is.

Louis Dubitat.

You knew him here, I suppose.

Oh, yes, we knew him.

Better than most people, Sir Colenso, in some ways. Perhaps.

So did I.

I'm sorry.

Clever brute.

Mrs. Dubedat.

I beg your pardon. I did not know you were here.

I'm glad we have met, Sir Colenso Ridgen.

Dr. Blenkinsop is here.

I congratulate you on a wonderful cure.

Come.

Talk to me.

You have something to reproach me with.

Out with.

It's too late for reproaches.

As I turned and saw you just now, I wondered how you could come here coolly

to look at his pictures.

He answered the question.

To you, he was only a clever brute.

Please.

I knew quite well you did not like Louis.

But I could forgive you that if you would only acknowledge what a dreadful

mistake you made. I made no mistake about it. Hold on.

I made no mistake whatever.

Have you forgotten that he died? He is not dead. He is there and there in his

pictures. But for you, there would be many others.

It will not be sold to you.

This is my birthday and it was bought for me this morning by my husband.

By whom?

By my husband. He's over there.

What husband? Whose husband? Do you mean to say you're married again?

Are you forgetting that Louis disliked widows?

And that people who have married happily once always marry again?

So glad you like the picture of Socolenzo.

Good morning.

I had you that time, you know.