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CITY LIGHTS 91
blind. A moment of prickling emotion (for right at the beginning we are convinced of the hopelessness of his love) when unwittingly she empties the dirty water from a vase over him as he sits by the railings watching her actions, and then he is away into a rapid series of gloriously funny situations with his suicidal millionaire friend, who whilst drunk adores him but when sober completely forgets his existence.
Onward through a succession of brilliant gags until again we meet the flowergirl and Chaplin becomes her beloved friend. By all manner of clever contrivances, suggested by the use of sound, she is made to imagine him a rich and handsome young man. Why should she not, when he buys every flower in her basket with money borrowed from the drunken millionaire ? Only we and Chaplin share the tragic truth and scent the coming disillusion.
Having established his love, again he plunges into slapstick with that wholeheartedness which is essentially Chaplin's, until we return to the girl and learn of her distress. Money is needed for rent and Chaplin, determined to preserve his position in her estimation, sets out to earn the required amount. But inevitable misfortune awaits him at every turn. He becomes a street-cleaner only to be dismayed by a procession of circus animals; he enters for a boxing contest with deplorable results; but eventually, after horrible suspense, he exacts not only the rent from his millionaire friend but enough to cure the flowergirl of her blindness.
For a while he goes to prison for having robbed the millionaire, who unfortunately becomes sober