Keeper of the Flame Page #3

- What do you want from me?

- The life of Robert Forrest.

I can't give it to you.

It's been taken away.

- There are things you could tell me.

- What would you like?

The sound of his laugh?

The touch of his hand?

I'm sorry.

I'll go now.

- Tomorrow perhaps?

- I don't understand you, Mr. O'Malley.

I don't see why I should talk to you.

I've seen you five minutes.

I don't know you, anything about you.

I wish you would go.

Funny, I've seen you five minutes,

and I feel I know you very well.

I appreciate what you're trying to do

for Mr. Forrest.

I regret

that I shall not be able to help you.

Good night, Mr. O'Malley.

Good night, Mrs. Forrest.

Did you send for O'Malley?

No, a friend sent him.

But I'm glad he came.

He has a wonderful face,

so honest and frank.

He'd be a valuable friend.

I heard what he asked you.

Then you heard what I answered.

That wasn't very wise, either.

He won't bother to come back,

if that's what you're worried about.

Having opened the door

to a man like Steven O'Malley...

...you can't slam it in his face.

It wouldn't be wise.

- It's been done.

- You must open it again, and invite him in.

- Why?

- The man's no fool.

He'll think you're trying to hide things.

He's dedicated to writing a book,

a memorial to your husband's memory.

If you refuse your appreciation, your help,

he'll start wondering why.

I think Mr. O'Malley understands

that I have no heart for further publicity.

But this is different.

He's not writing a gossip column.

- What do you want me to do?

- Help him. Guide him. Use him.

- The opportunity's past.

- Then you must make another, at once.

You realize that you should?

Perhaps.

- May I have Mr. Forrest's keys?

- What do you want with them?

He left me instructions to destroy

sealed envelopes in the event of his death.

- What was in them?

- I've no idea, naturally.

Naturally.

That was in the event of my death too.

He talked to me about those envelopes.

I'll see to them myself.

- Wasn't that the cousin?

- He's a little of everything.

Cousin, gambler, high-stepper,

motorbike rider, farmer.

Mostly motorbike rider.

That is why the bank's selling his farm

from under him next week.

Banks ain't interested

in motorbike riding.

Didn't Forrest take him in hand?

- What, him?

- What's on your mind?

When Forrest was alive, that young fellow

wasn't allowed inside those gates.

- Why not?

- I would think...

...it was because Forrest

didn't want him in there.

- Your wife was asking for you.

- Thank you.

Well, Joshua,

how were the walls of Jericho?

Not so difficult.

You saw her?

Well, come on, give. What was she like?

- Mm... You know.

- No, frankly, I don't.

- Is she what you expected?

- A little younger.

- Oh. What was she wearing?

- Wearing a sort of a hairdo.

Ha, ha, ha. How nice.

She possibly had something else on?

Hmm?

- What was she wearing, dope?

White, I think. Yes, it was white.

Hmm. Widows sometimes wear black.

This was white. Soft, creamy white.

Dress? Blouse? Suit?

- Uh, nightgown?

- Dress.

A dress. A white dress.

Zipper or buttons?

Why don't you go back to New York?

And leave this fascinating place

right at the height of the season?

Uh-uh.

- Freddie go to bed?

- Yes, we're alone at last.

Heh. That's wonderful.

I guess horn-blowing

is a pretty fair-sized job, eh, Joshua?

You look all shot to pieces.

Good night, sugar.

Good night.

Stevie, anyway,

you've got a room of your own.

I told Mr. Arbuthnot you snored

and I'm getting a divorce.

I must say, he seemed very upset

about it.

Uh, tell me, Mr. Arbuthnot,

do you know Mrs. Forrest personally?

Mrs. Forrest is a wonderful woman.

Yes. Yes, I'm sure.

- Have you ever seen her?

- Yes.

Well, tell me about it.

Was there a strange, eerie music,

like something not of this Earth?

Did she float by on a cloud

or just rise out of the middle of a lake?

- Good evening, Mr. Arbuthnot.

Mrs. Forrest.

I wanna thank you for that beautiful

message you sent with your flowers.

Well, you know how I feel...

How we all feel about...

Is there something I can do for you?

I wonder if you'd find out whether

Mr. Steven O'Malley has come in yet.

I'll call him.

You mind waiting in the parlor?

Not at all. Thanks.

Come in.

What do you want?

Hello.

Hmm?

Oh, really? She's downstairs? Hmm.

Well, tell her to take her boots off.

I'll be right down.

You bore me.

Hello.

What...?

She's...

Oh, I'm so... I'm very sorry.

Yes, I'll be right down.

What is it, Steve? Some bad news?

No, no.

Just somebody downstairs wants to see me.

Oh, how friendly.

- Do I need a shave?

- Well, it depends. If it's a man...

- Well, it's not a man.

- I've got it, it's a woman.

Well, your trousers need pressing. They look

as though you'd fallen into something.

You haven't, have you, Stevie?

You're a clever little snooper, aren't you?

No, that's just it.

If I were clever, I'd stop kidding myself

and marry Freddie.

Hey. Listen...

I hope you'll admit that it's a woman's

privilege to change her mind, Mr. O'Malley.

Sometimes even her duty.

That's what I began to feel

after I sent you away.

You're going to help me?

It seems to be the only way that I can show

my appreciation of what you're trying to do.

You thought it strange, perhaps,

that I refused before.

No, no. I didn't think it was strange.

I thought, uh...

Tell me.

Well, I thought you'd been hurt,

and I, uh...

You're sensitive.

You're too sensitive

to be hurt any more...

...by being made to talk about things

you don't wanna talk about yet.

I was right. You are kind.

You did understand.

Then that's how it was?

Yes, that's how it was.

And afterwards, I began to think...

Well, you're not the sort of man one opens

the door to and then closes it in his face.

You have the right to close the door

on anyone you choose.

You seem to make all the excuses

for me.

I don't think any are necessary.

I'm glad you changed your mind, though.

Well, I've made a beginning. Here are some

pictures which have never been published.

I thought they might interest you.

I took most of them myself

just after we were married.

This is interesting.

That's one of the crowds...

...that used to collect outside the hotels

wherever we went.

I know this place.

It's in Germany, isn't it?

Yes, I went to school there.

I wanted Robert to see it.

Even there he was known,

as well as all over France.

And the crowds loved him.

Crowds always loved him.

Wanted to be near him.

Sometimes they'd reach out to touch him...

...with a curiosity as though

to find out what he was made of.

Here he is on a horse.

He could ride with the best.

I myself used to wonder

what made him so different...

...so much stronger than other men.

Did you ever find out?

Yes, he willed it.

And whatever he willed, he could do...

...whether it was taking a strange horse

over a fence or...

Or taking a hill in the Argonne.

Yes.

Whatever it was, whatever he willed,

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