Dark Victory Page #9

the great village of Brattleboro.

The shopping district, the city hall, and

we'll take her to the dance on Saturday.

Now what? Come here.

What did you do?

Here you go, Daffy. Thank you, Ellen.

- Here we are.

- Here she is, Martha.

- Hello, Martha. How are you?

- It's good to see you, Miss Ann.

We're gonna fatten her up

with country gravy.

- It's perfect.

- Don't you like it?

- Wanna see my lab?

- Yes, I'd love to.

Bring the things in, Ellen.

We'll unpack for you.

Don't take her in. She's got bugs too.

Oh, this is nice.

Ann, isn't Judy beyond words?

- No blue moans at all?

- No.

We never even think about it.

We don't even talk about it.

- And you mustn't.

- Of course not.

Not even with your eyes.

You'll be tempted to,

but watch yourself.

You see, we just pretend

that nothing's going to happen.

Understand?

Come on, I'll show you

the rest of the place.

Ann, this is Henry Curtiss. Miss King.

How do you do?

- Well, how do you like it?

- It's splendid.

Well, someday, perhaps in my lifetime

or somebody else's lifetime...

we'll find a serum that will

put an end to these growths.

Judy, your thingamabobs have come.

- My what-abobs?

- Your seeds, your flowers.

- Oh, how wonderful.

- A tongue twister: "Incomparabilis."

Ladies, what kind of language is that?

- Incomparabilis.

- Incomparabilis.

- Be sure you plant them in the sun.

- I will.

Here's one for you. Jonquilla Narcissus.

That's a good one.

I'll name a horse after that one.

- Go along with you.

- I'm going along. Goodbye, Miss Ann.

Goodbye, Mr. O'Leary.

And now to be serious.

About the Grand National.

I knew there was a reason

why you came up.

I still think $ 1000 entry fee's

a lot of money to waste on that horse.

It won't be wasted.

Bet you 6-4 Challenger wins.

- You got a bet.

- Shake.

- Have a good time in Philadelphia.

- I'm excited.

I'll wear all my best clothes,

and we'll go on a tear.

- You're looking fine.

- Am I? Good.

Yeah, sure. It makes me believe

in those prayers I've been saying.

So long, doc.

Don't call him doc.

That isn't respectful.

See you at the National. Bye.

Ann.

- There's a storm coming.

- What?

It's getting darker by the minute.

We'll have to take our raincoats with us.

Suppose it'll rain cats and dogs

and ruin all our nice bulbs.

Look how it's clouding up.

It's getting darker every second.

It's funny, I can still feel

the sun on my hands.

- Judith.

- Ann!

The sun has gone. There are clouds.

It is getting dark.

It's all right. It's all right, Ann.

Judy. Judith.

If the Ladies' Gardening Group

can adjourn their meeting...

I've got some news.

We're not going to Philadelphia.

We're going to New York.

I've just read a wire over the telephone.

I'll show you.

Come on, Judy.

Come on.

Not a word.

Darling, this is great news.

Read it. A wire from Fisher in

Philadelphia. Martha wrote it down.

Well?

- How nice.

- "How nice"?

Is that all?

Ann, you read this.

I never could read Martha's writing.

Well, Ann,

of all the profound understatements...

"Doctor Frederick Steele,

Brattleboro, Vermont.

Wild with excitement

over your latest report.

Biological tests convince me

you may be on right road with isolation."

Isolation, see? Choke off the oxygen.

Well, you two wouldn't understand.

Go ahead, read it.

- "Believe we..."

- Here, I'll do it.

"Believe we should present material

in New York tomorrow.

Please wire.

My congratulations, Fisher."

- Isn't that marvelous?

- It's wonderful. Isn't it, Ann?

I was... I was just bowled over

for a minute.

Sure, so was I. I wired Fisher

I'd meet him at 10:00 in the morning.

- Did you?

- Yeah.

It means driving to Mill's Junction

to catch the 4:
40.

Martha's packed you,

but I can't even find my socks, so hurry.

No.

Come on.

What are you going to do?

I don't know. Nothing.

- You can't go.

- No.

- You can't let him go.

- Judy?

We can't be late, because this board

convenes just twice a year.

Some of the men are coming from

Boston. Some as far as Kansas City.

And a very distinguished man,

Heinzig of Vienna is coming.

They're gonna sit around that table

and tell if your boy's right or not.

So come on, hurry.

Oh, Ann.

Can't you see?

I can't stop that.

Can you see anything?

Can you see me?

Not very well.

"Dimming of the vision.

Then blindness.

Then..."

Oh, if I can only last till he goes.

Now, Ann...

come on.

Go back to your garden and plant

your flowers as if nothing had happened.

Dear Ann.

I know what I must do.

Go on.

Go on.

Judy.

Coming.

You know what this means, don't you?

Means that in five or 10 years,

I'll begin to get someplace.

It's very exciting, isn't it?

I might even be acclaimed.

Might get our picture in the paper.

- You'll make history.

- Say, which one are you gonna wear?

Darling, I don't think I'll go.

- You haven't packed enough shirts.

- What do you mean, you're not going?

Ann and I were talking.

I think I'll stay with her.

New York will do you good.

You can buy new clothes.

- I don't need new clothes.

- Then you can see your friends.

Darling, please let me stay.

All right, then.

You know, New York would

bore me now. Really it would.

- You see, this is my home here.

- Oh, Judy.

Why, you're trembling.

Am I?

Can't a girl be a little sentimental?

This is the first time

we've been separated.

Judy, I'm not going.

I don't know what I could've been

thinking about.

- I'll call Fisher and tell him.

- Are you worried about me?

Yes. Every second

you're out of my sight.

That's ridiculous.

You needn't be. Ann's here.

Judy...

if anything should happen...

Hush. We mustn't talk about that.

We agreed not to.

You know I'm not afraid anymore.

Look, a hole.

You'd make a fine figure at a board

meeting with your big toe sticking out.

Oh, darling, come on.

You know, I used to be afraid.

I've died a thousand times.

When death really comes,

it will come as an old friend.

- Gently and quietly.

- Oh, Judy.

Oh, we've had so much.

If we lived to be 100,

we could have no more.

And I've been so happy.

- When the time comes...

- When it comes, I'm going with you.

I will.

You couldn't be that unkind to me.

I couldn't live without you.

You must. You will.

- You must go on with your work.

- But it's futile and meaningless.

Cruel.

Not if you take revenge for it.

Revenge?

Yes, revenge.

By going on with this work

and these experiments.

By wiping out something...

that will take me from you one day.

And with each blow you strike...

you can say, "That was for Judith,

my wife."

Come on.

- Lucy.

- Yes, ma'am?

Now, no more nonsense.

You run off to New York

and have your big moment.

And I'll wait home

as a proper wife should.

- Darling.

- Yes?

Tell me something.

Have I been a good wife?

Oh, Judy.

That makes me very happy.

Happier than anything else.

I've loved it so, every minute.

How can I make you understand?

Look out there.

Somehow, it's been like that.

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