Part 16 (1/2)
HE: I didn't know you were that way.
SHE: What did you expect?
HE: I thought you'd be sort of-sort of-s.e.xless, you know, swim and play golf.
SHE: Oh, I do-but not in business hours.
HE: Business?
SHE: Six to two-strictly.
HE: I'd like to have some stock in the corporation.
SHE: Oh, it's not a corporation-it's just ”Rosalind, Unlimited.” Fifty-one shares, name, good-will, and everything goes at $25,000 a year.
HE: (Disapprovingly) Sort of a chilly proposition.
SHE: Well, Amory, you don't mind-do you? When I meet a man that doesn't bore me to death after two weeks, perhaps it'll be different.
HE: Odd, you have the same point of view on men that I have on women.
SHE: I'm not really feminine, you know-in my mind.
HE: (Interested) Go on.
SHE: No, you-you go on-you've made me talk about myself. That's against the rules.
HE: Rules?
SHE: My own rules-but you-Oh, Amory, I hear you're brilliant. The family expects so much of you.
HE: How encouraging!
SHE: Alec said you'd taught him to think. Did you? I didn't believe any one could.
HE: No. I'm really quite dull.
(He evidently doesn't intend this to be taken seriously.) SHE: Liar.
HE: I'm-I'm religious-I'm literary. I've-I've even written poems.
SHE: Vers libre-splendid! (She declaims.) ”The trees are green, The birds are singing in the trees, The girl sips her poison The bird flies away the girl dies.”
HE: (Laughing) No, not that kind.
SHE: (Suddenly) I like you.
HE: Don't.
SHE: Modest too- HE: I'm afraid of you. I'm always afraid of a girl-until I've kissed her.
SHE: (Emphatically) My dear boy, the war is over.
HE: So I'll always be afraid of you.
SHE: (Rather sadly) I suppose you will.
(A slight hesitation on both their parts.) HE: (After due consideration) Listen. This is a frightful thing to ask.
SHE: (Knowing what's coming) After five minutes.
HE: But will you-kiss me? Or are you afraid?
SHE: I'm never afraid-but your reasons are so poor.
HE: Rosalind, I really want to kiss you.
SHE: So do I.
(They kiss-definitely and thoroughly.) HE: (After a breathless second) Well, is your curiosity satisfied?
SHE: Is yours?
HE: No, it's only aroused.
(He looks it.) SHE: (Dreamily) I've kissed dozens of men. I suppose I'll kiss dozens more.
HE: (Abstractedly) Yes, I suppose you could-like that.
SHE: Most people like the way I kiss.
HE: (Remembering himself) Good Lord, yes. Kiss me once more, Rosalind.
SHE: No-my curiosity is generally satisfied at one.
HE: (Discouraged) Is that a rule?
SHE: I make rules to fit the cases.
HE: You and I are somewhat alike-except that I'm years older in experience.
SHE: How old are you?
HE: Almost twenty-three. You?
SHE: Nineteen-just.
HE: I suppose you're the product of a fas.h.i.+onable school.
SHE: No-I'm fairly raw material. I was expelled from Spence-I've forgotten why.