The Heiress Page #8

or starved me of affection

more than you did.

Since you couldn't love me,

you should have let someone else try.

You have found a tongue at last,

Catherine.

It is only to say

such terrible things to me.

Yes. This is a field where you

will not compare me to my mother.

Should I have let him ruin your life?

You'll find some honest, decent man.

- You have many fine qualities.

- And 30,000 a year.

Yes. That should make it possible

for you to choose with discretion.

If I am to buy a man,

I would prefer buying Morris.

Don't say such things.

You know him to be a scoundrel.

I love him.

Does that humiliate you?

Promise me you are done with him!

- I won't promise.

- Then, I must alter my will.

You should.

You should do it immediately.

"I, Austin Sloper,

surgeon of 16 Washington Square..."

You had better tell me

how you wish it worded.

- I wish to consider more carefully.

- There is nothing to consider.

You want your money

used for purposes you approve.

Leave it to the clinic.

It will do as you wish.

Catherine, I am ill.

"...hereby make

my last will and testament."

I don't want to do it. I don't want

to disinherit my only child.

I know that you don't.

You'd like to think of me sitting

in dignity in this handsome house,

rich, respected and unloved.

But I may take your money and chase

after Morris and squander it on him.

I don't know what you would do,

Catherine.

That's right, Father.

You'll never know, will you?

Catherine.

Dr. Isaacs said you'd better come now.

Your father is very low, miss.

He wants you, miss.

I know he does.

Too late, Maria.

Yes, miss.

Tell Lavinia I'm sorry we missed her.

- I will, Aunt Elizabeth.

- Come along. Arthur's waiting.

- Alright, I'm coming.

- Say goodbye to Aunt Catherine.

- Goodbye, Aunt Catherine.

- Goodbye, Andrew.

Here, Mother, you take Andrew.

Goodbye.

That's right.

Why don't you come up this August?

You'd love Newport. Jefferson and I

have taken a big house this year.

Maybe I will.

We've asked you every year

since your father died.

You always say, "Maybe I will."

Then you never do.

I like the square.

- Goodbye, Catherine.

- Goodbye.

- Say goodbye, Andrew.

- Goodbye, Aunt Catherine.

Goodbye.

Oh, Miss Catherine. You've changed

into one of your Paris gowns.

- You look very handsome in it.

- Thank you.

It's such a hot night.

Would you mind if cook and I

took a stroll in the square?

Maria, you are as free in this house

as I am.

When you want a favor you need not

blandish me with false compliments.

But... But, Miss Catherine,

I meant what I said.

It was the coolest dress

I could find.

Yes, miss.

- Aunt Penniman, you're home early.

- Yes, dear. Yes.

Did you see your friends

from Poughkeepsie?

No, dear, I did not. Now, this will

come to you as a great surprise.

Good, I like surprises.

Well, then...

I have seen Morris Townsend.

We met quite by accident.

He has only been home a week. Oh!

Catherine, he is so handsome.

And he asked so many questions

about you, dear.

He had heard that you hadn't married.

He seemed very interested in that.

He fears that you never understood

him, never judged him rightly.

How can you say that to me?

You were in this room

the night he deserted me.

If you will hear him out,

and if you would try to understand

his side of it, Catherine.

He meant it nobly. Really, he did.

I can hear

that you have been with him.

He has beguiled you again.

You talk like a fool.

I don't care what you think of me.

I am convinced you will be happier

after you've seen him.

Save your breath, Aunt Penniman.

I will not see him.

Aunt Penniman, have you dared?

He walked home with me.

He implored me to ask you.

Oh, I only want your happiness,

Catherine.

Go to the door, Aunt, and tell

Mr. Townsend that I am not at home.

- Please, Catherine.

- I am not at home.

She is not at home, Morris.

I'm sorry.

Did you give her my message?

Yes, but she is not at home.

I see.

It has been a long time

since I stood here.

I know.

Well, I'm sorry.

- Good night, Mrs. Penniman.

- Goodbye, Morris.

Come in, Morris.

- Good evening, Morris.

- Good evening, Catherine.

Do I offend you by coming?

You should not have come.

I had to.

I had to see you, Catherine.

- May we not sit down?

- I think we had better not.

Can't we be friends again?

We aren't enemies.

You don't know how happy it makes me

to hear you say that.

I've never ceased to think of you.

If you cannot be honest with me,

we shall have nothing more to say

to each other.

But it's true, Catherine.

Ever since... the night I left,

it's been the desire of my life that

you should understand my motives.

I have had years

to think about them, Morris.

And I understand them. So we have

nothing further to discuss.

I will bid you good night.

But I've come all the way

from California to see you.

To explain this to you.

- It is late for explanations.

- No, Catherine.

I would have been back long since

but I had to beg and borrow

the passage money.

It's been a real struggle for me

to get back here.

Why, between New Orleans

and Charleston I worked as a hand,

a common seaman.

Now that I'm here, you will give me

the chance to vindicate myself.

You must hear me out, Catherine.

You must.

For the sake of what we have been

to each other.

What is it you want to explain?

Many things, Catherine.

May we not sit down now?

Catherine, it was because I loved you

that I disappeared that night.

I know how it looked.

I behaved abominably.

But I knew that if I returned

that night,

I might have done you great harm.

No man who really loves a woman

could ever permit her to give up

a great inheritance just for him.

It's only in storybooks.

My father did not disinherit me,

Morris. He threatened it to test you.

But I couldn't be sure of that

the night... I went away.

No, you could not.

Try to understand me, Catherine.

Try not to think of what

it looked like but of what it was.

I had to make a choice. I chose

your welfare rather than my own.

- Can you think of it that way?

- I will try.

You know that I have never changed.

I believe your nature is that you

will always care for me a little.

Yes, Morris, that is true.

Catherine, will you forgive me

for the pain I caused you?

I forgave you a long time ago.

Oh, Catherine, my dearest.

We have only waited

and now, now we're free.

Nothing stands between us, Catherine.

Do you mean you love me?

I didn't dare to say it.

- Why not?

- I wasn't sure you would believe me.

I believed you once, didn't I?

Catherine, let us make the rest

of life happy for each other.

How?

By... picking up where we left off.

By marrying, Catherine.

Would you like that, Morris?

It would make me the proudest

and happiest man in the world.

And I will try and be a good husband

to you. I'm older, I'm wiser now.

And I know that you love me.

I need that.

I need it more than anything else.

When would you like to marry me?

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