Complete Works of F. Scott Fitzgerald (Illustrated) (496 page)

Koster
(
very politely
): With pleasure.

Breuer
(
more pleasantly
): I’d like to see it. You wiped me off the map.

Otto Koster and Breuer move toward “Heinrich.” Lenz and Bobby, struck by Pat’s beauty, are a little shy.

Bobby
: It’s a lovely night.

Pat
(
quite at ease
): Gorgeous.

Bobby
(
embarrassed
): Unusually mild.

Lenz
(
very gravely
): Terribly mild.

This doesn’t sound quite right to him. He goes to join Koster and Breuer beside the car, leaving Bobby and Pat alone. They take a few steps so that the mill wheel, dripping water, revolves directly behind them. Pat is very slim, very lovely in the uncertain light from the inn; she is an English type, blonde, with silky brown hair, face narrow and pale, cheeks rather wan, long thin hands and big, bright, passionate eyes.

Bobby
(
admiringly
): We didn’t know there was anyone so — you know — in the car. Or we’d have let you win.

Pat
(
her voice is slow, deep, exciting, slightly hoarse
): But why should you?

Bobby
: It wasn’t fair. We can do ninety-five.

Pat
(
whistles and puts her hands in her pockets
): Ninety-five!

Bobby
: You couldn’t know that, could you? I think Herr Breuer is annoyed.

Pat
(
shrugs her shoulders
): One ought to be able to lose sometimes.

Bobby
(
after a short pause
): Is that your husband you’re with?

Pat
: No. He’s a friend. Are you three brothers?

Bobby
(
surprised
): No. Do we look alike?

Pat
: Not exactly — (
looking at him
) — yet you have the same look — a very proud look.

Bobby
(
laughs
): We run a repair shop.

Herr Breuer comes back enthusiastically into the scene, followed by Lenz and Koster.

Breuer
: I don’t mind losing now. Mr. Koster has been a speedway racer — won the Grand Prize at Hamburg this year. I’m proud that it was so close. (
he laughs — cars are his hobby
) Mr. Koster and his friends are supping with us. (
he claps Koster on the shoulder
) Hey, old man.

DISSOLVE TO:

48 THE INTERIOR OF THE WAYSIDE INN —
 — rustic and cozy with a blazing fire. The turning mill is visible through the window, and the rushing stream is audible in the room. The party has finished supper and is drinking wine. There are no other guests. Breuer, a little drunk and very talkative, sits beside Koster.

Breuer
: Koster, when you take a curve at high speed, do you use the brake or change gears?

Koster
: I just turn the wheel.

Breuer laughs as if that were an excellent joke.

Breuer
: I drove a cab in the war — a staff car — in Berlin. It was better than the front. (
he laughs again. Koster nods tolerantly
)

Lenz and Bobby sit on either side of Pat. Bobby stares shyly, admiringly at Pat. Lenz is doing the “Floating Sugar Trick.” (
Details appended at end of script
)

Lenz
: Now —
sink!
(
the floating cube of sugar sinks to the bottom of the cup
)

Pat
(
friendly, not supercilious
): Extraordinary!

Lenz
: Thank you, Madame. (
he looks at her
) You know, this is a great event for us.

Pat
(
surprised
): To come here?

Lenz
: To meet you. (
he looks around
) Time has ceased to flow on for a minute — as if we’d stopped in a lovely pool. (
he smiles
) You see, our lives are not very exciting.

Pat
: You seem cheery enough. (
looks at Bobby’s bruise
) And pugnacious.

Lenz
: Oh, we’re that. We go armed. But when we meet someone like you we take off the armor.

Pat
: You mean you’re — political?

Lenz
: Well — I have my sympathies — but Koster and young Bobby here keep out of it. (
more intensely
) No — I was speaking of the struggle for existence in this country of ours.

Bobby
(
afraid this is too grave for such a shining lady
): I like the way you dress.

The tension of Lenz’s seriousness relaxes.

Pat
: My only good costume. I feel very English in it — My mother was English. That’s why I’m Patricia.

Bobby
: Patricia.

Lenz
: Pat. That’s a fine name — easy to say. My name’s Gottfried. His name is Bobby. (
Bobby is a little awed by the familiarity
) He only tasted the war — he didn’t get boiled very hard — he can still be saved.

Bobby
(
flustered
): What do you mean saved?

Lenz
(
staring straight ahead
): Saved for life — (
the radio begins to play “Falling in Love Again.” Lenz remembers something
) By Heavens, it’s his birthday! Where’s the rum? (
he reaches for it and fills the glasses
)

Pat
(
to Bobby
): How old?

Bobby
(
ruefully
): Thirty.

Pat
(
with an appraising provocative look
): That’s a very fine age — thirty.

DISSOLVE TO:

49 EXTERIOR OF THE INN

Under an arbor, Bobby and Pat are walking toward the cars, followed by Koster, Breuer and Lenz. Bobby and Pat are silent — the other three are singing the “Song of the Argonnerwald.” Bobby is carrying Pat’s cloak. She looks up at the stars as she puts it on — her lips are slightly open in a smile. They reach the cars.

Bobby
(
attentive
): Do you think Herr Breuer is fit to drive?

Pat
: I think so.

Bobby
(
anxiously
): If you’re not quite sure, one of us could go with you.

Pat
: It’s all right. He drives better when he’s had a little.

Bobby
: But not so surely. (
prolonging the moment
) Let’s hope he’ll do all right. Can I phone you in the morning and see if you got home? We’re responsible — with that birthday rum.

(
the others come up. Breuer gets into the car
)

Pat
: All right, if you like. Western two seven nine six.

She gets into the Buick. The Comrades bow and wave as the Buick roars away. Bobby notes the phone number on a match packet.

Lenz
: I wonder what she finds in that auto catalogue? Wonderful girl, oh?

Bobby
(
pretending indifference
): Who am I to say?

Lenz
(
teasingly
): What do you live for, Bobby?

Bobby
(
abstracted
): I’ve been asking myself that for a long time.

Lenz
(
with meaning
): Maybe I could tell you.

(
he gets into “Heinrich”
)

Unobserved, Bobby leans over and pats “Heinrich.”

Bobby
(
with feeling
): Thank you, Heinrich!

FADE OUT

50 FADE IN:

COURTYARD OF THE REPAIR SHOP —
 — on a sunny morning. The radio in the office is playing “Tea for Two.” The wrecked Ford is in process of reconstruction. Bobby takes his overalls from the plum tree in the yard, disclosing to his amazement that it has blossomed beautifully during the night. Matilda, broom in hand, stands beside him.

Bobby
: Well, look at the old plum tree!

Matilda
: Every Spring it’s a fresh miracle. And the smell — just like rum — (
sniffs
) Fine old rum.

Jupp comes up to the tree and picks some blossoms.

Jupp
(
to Bobby
): Good morning.

Bobby
(
idly
): What’s the idea?

Jupp
: For the ladies. I give them a spray with each gallon of gas. Helps business. (
he retires
)

Lenz’s head appears from beneath the Ford. He lies on a creeper.

Lenz
: Say, Bob, it’s occurred to me that something ought to be done about that girl of Herr Breuer’s.

Bobby
(
starting
): What do you mean?

Lenz
: Just that. What are you glaring at me about?

Bobby
: I’m not glaring.

(
he puts on his overalls
)

Lenz
(
crawling out, covered with grime
): You
are
glaring. What was her name? Pat what?

Bobby
(
after a pause
): How should I know?

Lenz
(
on his feet
): You wrote down her address — I saw you.

Bobby
(
quickly
): On a match packet — and I threw away the packet.

Lenz
(
seizing him by the hair
): Threw it away? After Otto and I spent an hour with Breuer so you could make a hit. Threw it away? Holy Cats! (
considers
) Maybe Otto knows it.

Bobby
: No he doesn’t.

Lenz
(
wrathfully
): Of all the blase infants! You twerp, you! Don’t you know that was a wonderful girl? (
ecstatically
) Let me tell you, she was manna from heaven. You didn’t have the brains to appreciate her. Did you see those eyes? — of course not — you were looking at yourself in a glass of brandy.

Bobby
(
picks up a hand pump
): Oh, pipe down.

Lenz
(
tenderly
): And her hands — long and slender like Romaine salad — or endives —

Matilda
(
sweeping in the b.g.
): I declare, you make my mouth water.

Lenz
: Otto and I understand such things. At last we find a perfect girl — not only beautiful, but with atmosphere — (
glaring at Bobby
) Do you know what atmosphere is, you low-lifer?

Bobby
(
working the hand pump
): Sure. The stuff that comes out of here.

Lenz
(
pityingly
): Atmosphere is radiance, glamour, warmth, mystery. It is what gives beauty a soul and makes it alive.

He is gesturing passionately. Suddenly he stops, his arms fall to his side.

CUT TO:

51 WHAT HE SEES:

PUPPI, THE INJURED BAKER, AND A TOUGH, DUMPY WOMAN —
 — who have come into the courtyard. Puppi wears his arm in a sling. Matilda looks disapprovingly at the woman.

Puppi
: Good morning. (
he looks at Bobby and Lenz and somehow his haughty manner fails in mid-speech
) Isn’t my car ready?

Lenz
(
brought down to earth
): Your what? Your car — not quite. That was a terrible beating you gave it. Another three days.

(
he turns indifferently to the Ford
)

A horn sounds and Koster, in the Cadillac, drives out of the work shop and stops momentarily beside the group.

Koster
(
to Puppi
): How-de-do.

Puppi
: Say, I wish you could hurry up my car.

The Woman
(
looking admiringly at the Cadillac
): Is this it?

Koster
: No. This one is sold. I’m going to deliver it now. But your Ford will look like new when we’re done with it.

Puppi
(
indicating the wreck to the woman
): That one’s mine.

Woman
(
sniffishly
): O that. I thought you had a real car.

Lenz is back under the car and Bobby has become absorbed in something he conceals in his hand. Taking advantage of this, Puppi breaks a big sprig from the plum tree, gives it to the woman and grasps her arm to leave. Only Matilda sees and sweeps them out with a haughty flourish of the broom.