dance with me,
Mr. Kringelein?
Miss Flaemm, I've never danced in public.
- Come along and try it.
- I'd be afraid.
There's nothing to be afraid of.
You'll love it.
Miss Flaemmchen, I must speak to you.
This is about a dictating job.
- When do we start? Tomorrow morning?
- No, right now.
We were just going to dance.
Do you know each other?
Mr. Kringelein, Mr. Preysing.
Mr. Kringelein would be a good friend
and not accept your invitation to dance.
I couldn't think of not accepting
the invitation to dance.
I understood you to say
that you reported to our plant ill...
and you're here in Berlin
indulging in diversions...
which are very much beyond your means?
This is very extraordinary, Mr. Kringelein.
I think we should look over your books.
Come along now, children. No fighting.
Save that for the office.
Does the world belong to you,
Mr. Preysing?
Haven't I got any right to live?
I will wait 10 minutes for you.
If you're not back, it will be necessary
to engage someone else.
What happened to your dance?
We're going now, thank you, Baron.
Come along.
I shall remember this, Mr. Kringelein.
Let the poor devil alone.
Death's staring him in the face.
I did not ask your advice.
I think you'd better go away.
We will see
who will remain here the longer.
Baron von Geigern, please.
Mr. Kringelein, you must look at my face,
and not the floor.
Yes.
- Why, you're trembling.
- I never danced in public before.
- You dance beautifully.
- Thank you.
- That's right.
- I'm happy, Miss Flaemm.
Are you really?
For the first time in my life, I'm happy.
Are you all right?
Yes. Excuse me, I just stopped a second.
All right. Here we go.
I'm very tired. Do you mind if we stop?
Thank you.
- I must go back to Mr. Preysing now.
- Must you?
Yes, business.
One has to earn a living, you know.
Not you, Miss Flaemm.
Just another desk slave. Money.
- I'm glad you're here, Miss Flaemm.
- Here I am.
- Did you enjoy your dance?
- Yes, thank you.
- Excuse me. Go away, please.
- Where's the Louisiana Flip?
- Would you like a little cognac?
- Yes. You wanted to see me?
Yes. You may go, Mr. Kringelein.
Mr. Preysing, I am not taking orders
from you here.
What is this insolence? Please go away.
You think you have free license
to be insulting?
Believe me, you have not.
You think you're superior,
but you're quite an ordinary man...
even if you did marry money...
and people like me
have got to slave for you...
for 320 marks a month.
- Go away, please. You are annoying.
- You don't like to see me enjoying myself.
When a man's working himself to death,
that's what he's paid for.
You don't care if a man
can live on his wages or not.
You have a very regular scale of wages,
and there's the sick fund for you.
What a scale, and what a fund.
When I was sick for four weeks...
you wrote me a letter
telling me I'd be discharged...
if I were sick any longer.
Did you write me that letter or not?
I have no idea of the letters that I write.
I know that you are here
in the Grand Hotel, living like a lord.
You are probably an embezzler.
- An embezzler!
- Yes, an embezzler.
You are going to take that back!
Right here in the presence
of this young lady!
Who do you think you're talking to?
You think I'm dirt?
If I'm dirt, you're a lot dirtier...
Mr. Industrial Magnate Preysing!
- You're discharged. Get out!
- You can't do that to him.
I don't know the man or what he wants.
I never saw him before.
I know you.
I've kept your books for you,
and I know all about you.
If one of your employees
was half as stupid in a small way...
- as you are in a big way...
- What do you mean?
Gentlemen, please! Please!
Stop that!
- You're discharged! Do you hear?
- Wait!
You can't discharge me.
I'm my own master...
for the first time in my life.
You can't discharge me. I'm sick.
I'm going to die. You understand?
I'm going to die, and nobody
can do anything to me anymore.
Nothing can