About Mrs. Leslie Page #4

which I don't intend to use.

And this...

This is your room.

My room.

Oh, it isn't real.

It can't be.

It's like something

out of one of those

house beautiful magazines.

You know,

let the sea be part of you.

I'm glad you like it.

I wonder what the poor people

are doing today.

I don't know whether I'm going

to be able to stand this.

You brought your bathing suit,

of course.

You were really serious

about swimming?

Why do you always question me?

Oh, all right.

I'll get ready.

Meet you on the beach.

- Fine.

- Hurry.

Sometimes I think

that's the first time

I really saw George Leslie.

He was just a little boy,

one of those

poor little rich kids

who didn't have anyone

to play with.

Hi.

How's the water?

Isn't it cold?

No, not really.

Looks kind of cold to me.

Come on, let's go for a swim.

I like to go in gradually.

All right

to leave my shoes here?

- Sure.

- Won't the tide come in?

- No.

- Oh, oh, it's freezing.

The nights are starting

to get cool even down here.

Mm-hmm.

Somebody said

about California...

And it's true...

"no matter how hot it gets

in the daytime,

there's nothing to do

at night."

I'm sorry.

What would you like to do?

- How far is it to Los Angeles?

- About two hours' drive.

You don't want

to drive down there, do you?

Oh, no, what's doing there?

Beat me again.

Would you rather

I didn't read?

No, don't be silly.

Maybe we could do

some surfcasting.

I had you pegged

as the indoor type.

All we've done

for the past few weeks

is swim and fish

and ride and run.

Mr. Leslie, you're

the buffalo bill of the beaches.

Quiet night

around the lit campfire

ain't gonna hurt

this old calamity Jane none.

Calamity Jane

was wild bill hickok's girl.

Are you bored?

Oh, no.

I'm just catching my breath.

I haven't spent

so much time outdoors

since I was dispossessed

in 1934.

Don't you ever read

about anything

except the civil war?

It's been my hobby

for 20 years.

For the love

of Robert e. Lee, why?

For the love

of Robert e. Lee, grant,

Jackson, all the others.

To me, they're as alive

as anyone I know.

But where's the suspense

when you know how the war ends?

Maybe you're looking for a book

that says the South won.

The South won by losing, vivi.

It kept America together.

And as for suspense,

it's full of suspense,

more than any movie.

More excitement

than any mystery story

from poe to Chandler.

Consider Jackson's genius.

Imagine it transferred

to the west.

Do you think grant would ever

have been heard of if Jackson...

hold it, general.

You sound like

the h.V. Kaltenborn of 1864.

I don't know a darn thing

you're talking about.

Believe it or not,

that war was before my time.

I bore everybody with my war.

That's what a friend calls it,

my personal war.

Says I bury myself in it

to escape today.

Is she right?

You know a lot about me,

don't you?

Oh, it's not exactly knowing.

Most of the time,

it's just feeling.

It's probably for Jim

or Camilla.

Why are you

so interested in soldiers,

Mr. Leslie, honey?

Their ability to fight,

I suppose,

to make a statement

for their beliefs.

Maybe because I find it

so difficult to do that myself.

Do you think

men fight to make statements?

I don't.

I think they fight to protect

what they have,

because if they don't,

they get killed

by some other soldiers

who are trying

to take it away from them.

I guess I'm a cynic.

On the contrary, vivi.

I admire your ability to reduce

life to such simplicity.

Pardon me, Mr. Leslie.

There's a long-distance call

for you.

Thank you.

It's nice having you here,

Mrs. Leslie.

Oh, thanks, Camilla.

Has Mr. Leslie

been resting well?

Why, wasn't he before I came?

I don't think so, ma'am.

Of course,

it's none of my business,

but we're quite fond

of you folks,

and we hope

you're enjoying your vacation.

Oh, we're enjoying it

enormously, Camilla.

Yes, ma'am.

Good night.

Night.

Oh.

No, keep it.

I'll get another one.

Oh, no, no, take it.

I'm sorry.

It's all this uncanned air.

You're not going to bed.

Oh, please, my eyelids feel

as if they weigh

40 pounds apiece.

All right, go to sleep.

Have a pretty dream.

Good night, Mr. Leslie.

Good night, vivien.

Poor man.

What was bothering him?

It was like that afternoon

in the restaurant

all over again.

There was something on his mind.

Oh, no!

No, no, no.

No.

No, no. No.

Oh.

No, no!

No.

No, no!

Mr. Leslie, honey?

No, no.

Who is it?

It's me, vivien.

Vivien.

Are you all right?

Must have been dreaming.

It looks

as if you've been fighting

the battle of fredericksburg

right in here.

You're soaking.

You ought to change

into something else.

Come on, I'll straighten

your bed for you.

I'll take care of it.

Go back to sleep.

Go on.

Go on.

Go on.

Oh, I thought

you might like some hot milk.

You're very good to me,

vivien.

That's what I'm here for.

Now, come on, sit down.

Drink your milk.

Why don't we make this

a breakfast?

In a couple more hours,

we can be out trolling,

get some fish for dinner.

All right.

About that phone call

this evening,

thanks for not asking

any questions.

One of your charms

is your fascinating disinterest

in everything about me

that relates to the outside.

I'm very grateful.

Oh, I'm only human.

It's not disinterest,

but when there's something

you want me to know,

you'll tell me.

I want you to know

that I'm very fond of you.

Scrambled?

Isn't this better

than eating at home

on Camilla's night out?

Thank you.

I've had so much fish,

my stomach's going in and out

with the tide.

Have some wine.

Let's drink a toast

to all the fish we didn't catch.

As to every fish

in the pacific,

to their health.

Wait a minute.

No, let's do it this way.

I saw it once in the movies.

To the fish.

Here's something I saw once.

Go on.

Go on, go ahead.

It's fun.

Appeals to everyone's urge

to break something.

Mr. hackley,

some more glasses, please.

Listen, mister, them glasses

cost 26 cents apiece.

Bring all you got.

Ah, here we are.

We're celebrating,

Mr. hackley.

Won't you join us?

Yes, come on, join us.

There's nothing for me

to celebrate.

Another toast to the fishes.

And to the fishermen.

There ain't that much profit

in sea bass dinners.

You'll have to pay

for them glasses.

Now, look here!

I know, 26 cents per glass.

Certainly, Mr. hackley.

No more glasses, Mr. hackley?

What a shame.

There's your bill, mister.

$3.12 extra for glasses.

If I pay for them,

they belong to me, don't they?

Broken or not.

I reckon so.

Well, sweep them up

and put them in a bag

and I'll take them home.

They belong to him.

Here you are, Mr. hackley.

Keep the change.

Oh, thank you, mister.

And here you are.

Would you mind telling me

what you're gonna do with that?

We're yogis.

We sleep on it.

Come on, dear.

Let's make our beds.

See, barefoot can be fun.

So can fish dinners

and cheap wine.

Anything can be fun

if you have someone

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