FACE TOWARD THE ENEMY A Drama in 7 Acts
Featuring: Lillian Hall Davis and Aubrey Smith
FIRST ACT.
A man is just a puppet in the hands of fate.
During the Carnival in Venice.
The gondola parade.
Geneviève Carrington an equally romantic and coquettish young woman.
Countless were her admirers....
… countless times "tested" by way of sport.
Colonel Herbert Carrington, husband of Genevieve, military attache in Rome.
"My earring! ...Who will get it back for me?"
"Let that lunatic clear off and go home!"
"Madame, for a poet, there is nothing in the world more beautiful,
than his verses ... for one smile from you I burned them ... "
"Genevieve, I must talk to you! "
"But I have company!"
"Throw him out the door!"
"... otherwise I'll throw him out the window!"
"You are simply crazy!"
"Genevieve, in the name of our love, stop this ridiculous fuss
and leave this wretched city with me tomorrow."
"Jacques and I wouldn't think of leaving Venice ... isn't that right Jacques?"
"Genevieve, we were perfectly happy until curséd Venice.
Will you do nothing to regain our happiness?"
"I have absolutely no desire to, and wish for only one thing:
that you disappear!"
"Think of the future - on the one hand, a woman without a husband,
on the other hand a man without a wife!
"I think it would be excellent!"
"Well ... if you have need of me, you know where to find me!"
"But I hope you never do!"
A month later. In Switzerland …
… where Carrington sought oblivion.
"My name is Herbert Carrington, I'm an Englishman."
"My name is Liliane Harding, American."
"What a handsome man!"
At teatime.
"There must be a secret in the life of this man. I will invite him to join us."
Carrington and Liliane soon became inseparable friends.
One certain evening ...
"What are we in the hands of fate? Puppets, nothing more!"
"I thank providence that I met you - and through you,
learned to appreciate this wondrous beautiful country."
"It doesn't seem right that you're leaving tomorrow!"
"I regret it all the more,
as we didn't climb any of these fascinating mountains!"
"Then that's how we shall spend the last day of your stay here."
End of the Second Act.
At the highest peak.
"What a beautiful sight, I'm so grateful to you for bringing me here!"
"But will it stop you ... from soon forgetting me?!"
"Oh yes, I will never forget you!"
"I had wanted to take you climbing higher still ...
but it is difficult and too dangerous."
The diary of a "Good girlfriend".
Friday 16 March Dear Liliane, He only has eyes for her.
They froze up there but she at least died with her Carrington!
The signs of an approaching storm.
"Would you rather, I had let you die from the cold?"
Three days later, when the storm had finally subsided ...
An unforeseen event forces me to write to you.
It seems that I will provide you with an heir.
This will certainly put an end to our separation … for the time being
Twenty years have passed.
My Dearest John, Although your wife has passed away I cannot marry you.
I fear that our son John and your son Francis would not accept each other.
John shares not only your first name but also your noble character.
You would be proud of him. Liliane
Francis Carrington, the legitimate son of the colonel.
"Fade unpleasant memories, which remind me of her infidelity."
"Her beauty caused mens heads to spin."
"Did you ever stop to think my boy, of the ancient and noble line
from which the Carringtons descend?"
"To tell you the truth ... no father!"
In America Liliane Harding lived only for her son.
"I hope that she returns my love!"
Nora Mannering, the beloved of John Harding.
Waiting …
Come to the park at 5 o'clock. Leave your mother at home. John.
"Do you like her so much?"
"I could never marry another!"
"My child, now that you intend to marry I think I need to tell you the truth.
Your father is not dead, although I always let you believe that he was."
"But! Did he leave you?"
"No, we were never married!"
"Don't blame him! It was fate!"
"His is a noble heart that never forsook the proud motto of the Carringtons
"Face toward the enemy"."
"Now I have no right to ask Nora to marry me! ... I cannot even offer her a name."
Dear Nora, I have learned facts, which prohibit me from ever seeing you again.
Forgive and forget. John.
Suddenly ... a gunshot ...
somewhere in a small Balkan state ...
echoes round the entire world.
5 August 1914. ENGLAND DECLARES WAR ON GERMANY.
As one man young manhood responds to the governments call.
"Since I have English blood in my veins, I know what I must do."
And a few days later John leaves for England with the Canadian volunteers ....
In London.
My Dearest John, I have accompanied my son, our son, to London, from whence
he will soon go to the front. Before his departure, I will send him
to you so that you can see him for the first and perhaps for the last time. Liliane
Following the break-up of her engagement to John, Nora Mannering went to England
to stay with Colonel Carrington, an old family friend - to seek distraction.
"My friends, permit me to introduce to you my fiancée: Miss Nora Mannering."
"What is it Nora? Angry?"
"I have nothing to say!"
"Oh I know very well, that you're not in love with me!"
"And that finally, after countless refusals to our engagement
you have agreed, only because you know
that there is little chance I shall live to return."
"Forgive me Nora! I say these things because I love you so much ...
I am so afraid of losing you."
"Be brave Nora! ... We can't let our feelings dishearten Francis."
FACE TOWARD THE ENEMY
"And you have not hesitated, this whole live-long way
to go to risk your life for England?"
"England is my land … my father is an Englishman!"
"Francis, I want to introduce you to the son of one of my best friends."
"Mr Harding and I are old friends."
"You certainly do not know that Nora and my son are engaged?"
"I thank you for your kind invitation,
but I have to return to London this evening."
"We'll ship-out together, no doubt."
The day of departure.
"Go my child, and show yourself worthy
of the glorious motto of the Carringtons."
Yonder ...
"Lieutenant Carrington, you're in luck!
Tomorrow we have a dangerous mission to perform!"
Although impeded by his age,
Colonel Carrington was still determined to make himself useful.
The momentous hour.
"It's impossible to drive any further forward, Lieutenant.
We must sally forth, if we don't want to die like rats!"
"Don't just stand there trembling! Face toward the enemy!"
"If you don't even dare to run away ... so what, I'm your half brother!"
"For the honor of the Carringtons!!"
"Stunning ... I'll never forget it! "
"Liliane ... do you not want to marry me?"
"I have dedicated my life to my child ... it's too late to change!"
"And besides, who knows ... perhaps John would be against it. "
"A letter for you Colonel!"
I regret to inform you of the heroic death of your son
who died in battle on July 17 ...
It will give you great comfort to know that his heroism
contributed greatly to our successful victory.
After the anguish.
Arrive three o'clock at night kisses John
"He at least we have been spared!"
"John, you are one of the lucky ones!"
"John, you are now the last of the Carringtons.
Always respect their motto, as my poor Francis did!"
FACE TOWARD THE ENEMY.
"There's a soldier to see Mr. John!"
"I have something to tell the old man about what happened over there."
"You know very well what I want to say. That Victoria Cross
was awarded to a coward when it should have gone to you."
"I saw everything and have sworn to reveal the truth.
Once I knew you were here, I followed you!"
"Speak, sir!"
"You understand, of course, how I couldn't just keep this to myself."
"Promise me that you'll say nothing of this to the Colonel,
it would be the death of him!"
"It is up to you!"
"Have you nothing to say to me, John?"
"I can not say, Nora! "
"Then I'll tell you something John ...
there was a Carrington, whom I would have married out of pity,
there is another Carrington, who I would willingly marry out of love!"
"John the day is about to break ... let us go and see our sunrise."
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