The Early Ayn Rand

MAN IN DRESS SUIT: Oh, just one more drink, and we'll all toddle home.

LANGLEY: Hey, Eunice, where's the gin?

EUNICE: [Opening a cabinet and producing two bottles, quietly] Here.

MAN IN SWEATER: Hurrah! Wait for baby!

[There is a general rush to the bottles]

MAN IN DRESS SUIT: Just one last drink and we'll scram. Hey everybody! Another toast. To Dwight Langley and Eunice Hammond!

EUNICE: To Dwight Langley and his future!

[All roar approval and drink]

EVERYONE: [Roaring at once] Speech, Lanny!... Yes!... Come on, Lanny!... Speech!... Come on!

LANGLEY: [Climbs up on a chair, stands a little unsteadily, speaks with a kind of tortured sincerity] The bitterest moment of an artist's life is the moment of his triumph. The artist is but a bugle calling to a battle no one wants to fight. The world does not see and does not want to see. The artist begs men to throw the doors of their lives open to grandeur and beauty, but those doors will remain closed forever... forever... [Is about to add something, but drops his hand in a gesture of hopelessness and ends in a tone of quiet sadness]... forever... [Applause. The general noise is cut short by a knock at the door. LANGLEY jumps off his chair] Come in!

[The door opens, disclosing an irate LANDLADY in a soiled Chinese kimono]

LANDLADY: [In a shrill whine] Mr. Langley, this noise will have to stop! Don't you know what time it is?

LANGLEY: Get out of here!

LANDLADY: The lady in 315 says she'll call the police! The gentleman in...

LANGLEY: You heard me! Get out! Think I have to stay in a lousy dump like this?

EUNICE: Dwight! [To LANDLADY] We'll keep quiet, Mrs. Johnson.

LANDLADY: Well, you'd better! [She exits angrily]

EUNICE: Really, Dwight, we shouldn't...

LANGLEY: Oh, leave me alone! No one's going to tell me what to do from now on!

EUNICE: But I only...

LANGLEY: You're turning into a damnable, nagging, middle-class female!

[EUNICE stares at him, frozen]

WOMAN IN SLACKS: Going a bit too far, Langley!

LANGLEY: I'm sick and tired of people who can't outgrow their possessiveness! You know the hypocritical trick — the chains of gratitude!

EUNICE: Dwight! You don't think that I...

LANGLEY: I know damn well what you think! Think you've bought me, don't you? Think you own me for the rest of my life in exchange for some grocery bills?

EUNICE: What did you say? [Screaming suddenly] I didn't hear you right!

MAN IN SWEATER: Look here, Langley, take it easy, you don't know what you're saying, you're...

LANGLEY: [Pushing him aside] Go to hell! You can all go to hell if you don't like it! [To EUNICE] And as for you...

EUNICE: Dwight... please... not now...

LANGLEY: Yes! Right here and now! I want them all to hear! [To the guests] So you think I can't get along without her? I'll show you! I'm through! [To EUNICE] Do you hear that? I'm through! [EUNICE stands motionless] I'm free! I'm going to rise in the world! I'm going places none of you ever dreamed oft I'm ready to meet the only woman I've ever wanted — Kay Gonda! I've waited all these years for the day when I would meet her! That's all I've lived for! And no one's going to stand in my way!

EUNICE: [She walks to door Left, picks up her hat and coat from a pile of clothing in a corner, turns to him again, quietly] Goodbye, Dwight... [Exits]

[There is a second of strained silence in the room: the WOMAN IN SLACKS is the first one to move; she goes to pick up her coat, then turns to LANGLEY]

WOMAN IN SLACKS: I thought you had just done a painting called "Integrity."

LANGLEY: If that was intended for a dirty crack... [The WOMAN IN SLACKS exits, slamming the door] Well, go to hell! [To the others] Get out of here! All of you! Get out!

[There is a general shuffle for hats and coats]

WOMAN IN EVENING GOWN: Well, if we're being kicked out...

MAN IN DRESS SUIT: That's all right Lanny's a bit upset.

LANGLEY: [Somewhat gentler] I'm sorry. I thank you all. But I want to be alone. [The guests are leaving, waving halfhearted goodbyes]