11 At the Theatre

NARRATOR         It was the custom, in old New York, for brides to appear in their wedding dress during the first year or two of marriage.  But May, since returning from Europe, had not worn her bridal satin until this evening.   [Archer enters the box and leans over to May]   ARCHER         My head's bursting.  Don't tell anyone, but please come home with me.   [May looks at him, then whispers to her mother.  Mrs. Welland whispers an excuse to her companion, Mrs. van der Luyden, as May rises and leaves with her husband]   [In the library at the Archer House]   MAY         Shouldn't you rest?   ARCHER         My head's not as bad as that.  And there's something important I have to tell you right away.  May...There's something I've got to tell you...about myself...Madame Olenska...   MAY         (interrupting)         Oh, why should we talk about Ellen tonight?   ARCHER         Because I should have spoken before.   MAY         Is it really worthwhile, dear?  I know I've been unfair to her at times.  Perhaps we all have.  You've understood her better than any of us, I suppose.  But does it matter, now that it's all over?   ARCHER         Over?  How do you mean, over?   MAY         Why, since she's going back to Europe so soon.  Granny approves and understands. She's disappointed, of course, but she's arranged to make Ellen financially independent of the Count.  I thought you would have heard today at your offices.   [He stares at her, not really seeing her.  There is uncomfortable silence]   ARCHER         It's impossible.   MAY         Impossible?  Certainly she could have stayed here, with Granny's extra money.  But I guess she's given us up after all.   ARCHER         How do you know that?   MAY         From Ellen.  I told you I saw her at Granny's yesterday.   ARCHER         And she told you yesterday?   MAY         No.  She sent me a note this afternoon.  Do you want to see it?   [May moves to the desk and pulls the note from a small pile of mail on the desk]   MAY         I thought you knew.   [She hold out the note and he takes it]   ELLEN         "May dear, I have at last made Granny understand that my visit to her could be no more than a visit, and she has been as kind and generous as ever.  She sees now that if I return to Europe I must live by myself.  I am hurrying back to Washington to        pack up, and I sail next week.  You must be very good to Granny when I'm gone...as        good as you've always been to me.  If any of my friends wish to urge me to change my mind, please tell them it would be utterly useless."   ARCHER         Why did she write this?   MAY         I suppose because we talked things over yesterday.   ARCHER         What things?   MAY         I told her I was afraid I hadn't been fair to her.  I hadn't always understood how         hard it must have been here.  I knew you'd be the one friend she could always count on.  And I wanted her to know that you and I were the same.  In all our feelings.         (more slowly)         She understood why I wanted to tell her this, I think she understands everything.   [She takes one of his cold hands and presses it quickly to her cheek]   MAY         My head aches, too.  Good night, dear.

12 At Tuiileries in Paris.

[At Tuiileries in Paris.  Ted and Archer, deep in conversation, walk through the great gardens on their way to Madame Olenska's] TED         So considering how that all turned out...and considering all the time that's gone by...I don't see how you can resist.   ARCHER         Well, I did have some resistance at first to your marriage, I've told you that...   TED         No, I mean resist seeing the woman you almost threw everything over for.  Only you didn't.   ARCHER         (cautious)         I didn't.   TED         No.  But mother said...   ARCHER         Your mother?   TED         Yes.  The day before she died.  She asked to see me alone, remember?  She said she knew we were safe with you, and always would be.  Because once, when she asked you to, you gave up the thing you wanted most.   ARCHER         She never asked me.   [On the rue du Bac in Paris]   NARRATOR         After a little while he did not regret Ted's indiscretion.  It seemed to take an        iron band from his heart to know that, after all, someone had guessed and pitied...        And that it should have been his wife moved him inexpressibly.   TED         The porter says it's the fifth floor.  It must be the one with the awnings.   [They both look toward an upper balcony, just above the horse-chestnut trees in the square]   TED         It's nearly six.   [Archer sees an empty bench under a tree]   ARCHER         I think I'll sit a moment.   TED         Do you mean you won't come?   [Archer shrugs]   TED         You really won't come at all?   ARCHER         I don't know.   TED         She won't understand.   ARCHER         Go on, son.  Maybe I'll follow you.   TED         But what will I tell her?   ARCHER         (as he sits)         Don't you always have something to say?   TED         I'll tell her you're old-fashioned and you insist on walking up five flights instead of taking the elevator.   ARCHER         (pause)         Just say I'm old-fashioned.  That should be enough.   [Ted gives his father a look of affectionate exasperation, then crosses the square and goes into the building.  Archer watches him go.  Then he looks up at the windows on the fifth floor.  A curtain moves, briefly, then falls back into place.  Archer has a flashback to the Summer House in Newport.  A sailboat starts to sail between the shore and a lighthouse.  Ellen, in the summer house, watches it.  Her back is to him.  The sailboat glides between the shore and the lighthouse.  Ellen stands in the last brilliant burst of the setting sun.  She starts to move.  She turns around and smiles.  Back to Paris, a servant starts to roll up the awning.  Archer is still on the bench, watching the awning being secured.  The servant finishes and goes back inside.  Archer remains on the bench, alone in the twilight]                                     THE END