The Children's Hour Page #7

Child, love...

Friend, woman.

There aren't many

safe words anymore.

Even marriage doesn't have

the same meaning anymore.

It does to me, and it

should to you, if...

If what?

If you won't try to

take the past with us.

Wherever we go, that'll

be with us a long time.

We can't move away from that.

A new place, a new room

won't fix that for us.

It won't work.

What won't work?

The two of us, together.

Stop talking like that. You'll

begin to believe it soon.

Tell me. Tell me what

you want to know.

- I don't know what you're talking about.

- Yes, you do.

We've both known for a long time.

Say it now. Ask it now!

I have nothing to ask.

All right, is it? Was it ever?

No.

No, Martha and I never

touched each other.

It's all right, darling.

I'm glad you asked.

My God! What's happened to me?

I'm sorry, darling. I didn't mean

to ask that. I never believed...

I know.

Of course you didn't, but after

a while, you weren't sure

and then you began to wonder.

You've been a good, loyal friend.

Don't be ashamed of what you felt.

All right, good or bad, I've

asked, you've answered.

That's all.

Let's go ahead now.

You believe me?

Of course I believe you.

Yes.

Maybe you do.

But I'd never know whether you did.

And your saying it

again won't do it.

It doesn't matter anymore

whether you believe me.

All I know is, I'd be

frightened that you didn't.

That's the way it would be.

We'd be haunted by it.

Things would never, ever be

right between us like that.

You know that.

- Darling, I didn't know what I was asking.

- Don't be sorry. You can't help it.

It would have been a miracle if the

poison hadn't reached you, too.

But go away for a while.

Go away from me and love and pity,

and all the things

that mess people up.

Go away by yourself

and I will, too.

And after a while, I'll know.

And you'll know, and

then we'll see.

- Please.

- There's nothing for me to know.

- A few weeks won't make any difference.

- Please!

I don't want to go!

Go now, darling.

What will you do?

I'll be all right.

Go now, darling.

If it's what you want.

It is.

I'll be coming back.

I'll be coming back soon.

I don't think so.

Oh, God!

Hold still!

You're as nervous as a cat.

What's the matter with you?

- I couldn't sleep well last night.

- Going to a new school, I understand.

You'll like Elmhurst. Doris

Tanner thinks it's wonderful.

Doris Tanner just likes horses.

That's all they do

at Elmhurst, ride.

It has a very high rating,

and you'll make new friends.

You won't be moping around,

like you did all summer.

What's all this?

My compact! I've been

looking everywhere...

And whose ring is this?

This scarf and gloves?

"Happy birthday, Helen."

Mary!

She made me do it!

She made me do it!

Don't believe her! She's just

trying to blame it on me...

Be still!

Come here.

No.

No!

I'm all right.

Cooking always makes

me feel better.

I suppose we'll have to feed the

duchess. Even vultures have to eat.

I baked a cake.

And you know what?

I found a bottle of wine.

We'll have a good dinner.

Where's Joe?

Gone.

A patient? Will he be

back in time for dinner?

No.

Then we'll wait dinner for him.

What's the matter?

He won't be back anymore.

You mean, he won't be

back anymore tonight.

He won't be back at all.

What happened?

Karen, what happened?

He thought...

it was true.

I don't believe it.

I don't believe it!

- What kind of talk is that? I don't believe it.

- All right!

Didn't you tell him? For God's sake,

didn't you tell him it wasn't true?

Yes!

He didn't believe you?

I guess he believed me.

Then what have you done?

I don't understand.

What do you mean, you

guess he believed you?

I don't want to talk

about it. It's over.

Lord, I wanted that

for you so much!

What's happened to us?

Whatever happened

go back to Joe.

- It's too much for you this way.

- Stop talking about it.

Let's pack and get out of here.

Let's take the train tomorrow.

The train to where?

I don't know. There must

be someplace we can go.

I don't know where it is.

They'd know about us.

We've been famous.

But this isn't a new sin

they say we've done.

Other people haven't

been destroyed by it.

They're the people

who believe in it,

who want it.

Who've chosen it for themselves.

We aren't like that.

That must be very different.

We don't love each other.

We've been close to each other.

Of course, I've loved

you like a friend,

the way thousands of women

feel about other women.

I'm cold.

You were a dear friend who

was loved, that's all.

Certainly there can be

nothing wrong with that.

It's perfectly natural that

I should be fond of you.

We've known each other since we were

17, and I always thought that...

Why are you saying all of this?

Because I do love you.

Of course. I love you, too.

But...

maybe I love you the way

they said I love you.

I don't know.

Listen to me!

I have loved you the way they said!

There's always been

something wrong.

Always, just as long

as I can remember.

But I never knew what it was

until all this happened.

Stop it.

Stop this crazy talk!

You're afraid of hearing it,

but I'm more afraid than you.

- I won't listen to you.

- No! You've got to know.

I've got to tell you. I can't

keep it to myself any longer.

I'm guilty!

You're guilty of nothing!

I've been telling myself that

since the night I heard

the child say it.

I lie in bed night after night,

praying that it isn't true.

But I know about it now.

It's there.

I don't know how, I don't know why.

But I did love you.

I do love you!

I resented your plans to marry

maybe because I wanted you.

Maybe I've wanted you

all these years.

I couldn't call it by name before,

but maybe it's been there

since I first knew you.

But it's not the truth.

Not a word of it is true.

We've never thought of

each other that way.

No, of course you didn't.

But who's to say I didn't?

I never felt that way

about anybody but you.

I've never loved a man.

I never knew why before.

Maybe it's that.

You're tired and worn out.

It's funny.

It's all mixed up.

There's something in you, and you

don't know anything about it

because you don't know it's there.

And then suddenly

one night, a little girl

gets bored and tells a lie.

And there, for the

first time, you see it

and you say to yourself, "Did

she see it? Did she sense it?"

But it could have been any lie!

She was looking for anything to...

But why this lie?

She found the lie with

the ounce of truth.

Don't you see?

I can't stand to have you touch me!

I can't stand to

have you look at me!

It's all my fault!

I've ruined your life,

and I've ruined my own.

I swear I didn't know it!

I didn't mean it!

I feel so damn sick and dirty,

I can't stand it anymore!

I have something to say to you.

Let me come in.

Please.

You must hear me.

Mary and Rosalie Wells have

admitted the whole thing was a lie.

I have more to tell you.

I tried to call Joe. He

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