The Letter Page #6

in that jury room for over an hour?

Jury's been out for exactly 25 minutes.

You said they'd come straight back.

What is there to talk about or deliberate?

Maybe the races at Aintree

or the price of rubber.

-They've no right to do anything but--

-Darling, you're not making things easier.

Oh, Leslie, I'm sorry.

The court is reassembling, sir.

Bring in the jury.

Prisoner of the bar,

rise and face the jury.

Gentlemen, have you reached your verdict?

We have.

Do you find the prisoner at the bar,

Leslie Crosbie, guilty or not guilty?

Not guilty.

-Leslie. Leslie, darling.

-Robert, darling.

Howard, splendid case.

Permit me to congratulate you, sir.

Just one moment, please.

Hold it just a second, please. Again.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Come, darling.

From that day on, I made a vow not to mix

another cocktail until Leslie was acquitted.

If these aren't up to my usual standards, you

must remember I'm slightly out of practice.

-They're wonderful. Never been better.

-You wouldn't know what you were drinking.

I guess that's right. I can't taste

or think or feel.

All I can do is keep saying to myself,

over and over:

"Leslie's safe."

What's the matter, darling?

Feeling neglected? Here's a cocktail.

Not that you deserve to be told,

but you made a good speech to the jury.

-It was an excellent speech.

-Thank you.

Though you might have been more

impassioned without hurting yourself.

I don't agree. What made it especially

effective was his being simple and honest.

-Good thing Dorothy isn't a lawyer.

-Nor me. I'd probably yell at the jury:

"You half-wits, I know she's innocent.

I tell you, I know."

Anyone feeling like a bath or a shower

before dinner better be getting at it.

-Personally, I feel a bit sticky.

-A shower for me.

Well....

-I'm going to tidy myself up a bit, darling.

-No, don't go.

I shan't be a minute.

No. There's something I want

to talk to you about.

-Don't go, old man.

-I think I'd better clean up, Bob.

No, I want your legal opinion.

-Darling.

-Oh?

What's up?

I want to get Leslie away from here

as soon as possible.

-A holiday would do you both good.

-What's the use?

-We've got to get away for good.

-How could we?

Can't very well throw up your job.

But I have something in view that's

much better. Come on. Sit down.

We can neither of us live at that place now.

I'm convinced.

-We've gone through too much.

-Well, what is it, Bob?

Something has just come up.

In Sumatra.

We'd be away. The only people around us

would be Dutch. We'd start a new life.

The only thing is, you'll be awfully lonely,

darling, at the start.

I wouldn't mind that.

I'm used to being alone.

-I'd like to go. I don't want to stay here.

-That settles it, then.

I'll go ahead and we can fix things up

at once.

-Is the money as good as here?

-I hope it'll be better.

I'll be working for myself and not

for a company in Liverpool.

-What do you mean?

-Why sweat out my life for others?

This is a chance in a thousand. It belongs

to a planter who's in financial difficulties.

He's willing to let the whole thing go

for $30,000...

...if he can get the money

the day after tomorrow.

How on earth are you

going to raise $30,000?

Well, I've saved about ten...

...and Charlie Meadows promises to let me

have the balance on mortgage.

It seems rather rash to put

all your eggs in one basket, old boy.

I wouldn't like you to

take a risk on my account.

I'll be perfectly all right here. Really.

Nonsense. Just now you said

you wanted to go.

But we're making a mistake

in running away.

Everyone's been so kind,

and they'll all make it so easy for us.

The thing to do is to stick it out here.

These Chinese estates are never any good.

You know how careless they are.

This belongs to a very progressive fellow.

He's had a European manager.

I tell you,

it's a thoroughly sound proposition.

And in 1 0 years,

I can make enough to retire.

But I really want to stay here.

Don't want to leave Howard

and Dorothy and our friends.

Anyhow, it's not a thing to rush into.

-Let's wait and see what happens--

-It's a good thing. I don't want to lose it.

I've got the papers in my briefcase.

See for yourself.

-Robert, please.

-I have photos of the bungalow.

-I don't want to see them!

-Come now.

That's just nerves.

Shows how necessary it is

for you to get away.

Leslie, darling, this time

you must let me have my own way.

I won't be a minute.

What are you going to do?

-What can I do?

-Don't tell him. I can't bear any more.

You heard him. He wants

the money to buy the estate.

-He can't. He hasn't got it.

-Give me time.

Where's the letter?

I have it in my pocket.

It would break his heart.

What shall I do?

I wish to heaven I knew.

If only there were some other way.

Tell him and have done with it.

Now, this is really a handsome estate.

We'll be practically stealing it

for 30,000.

You'll be keen on the house. Shade trees.

No comparison with our old bungalow.

I don't want to throw

cold water on your plans...

...but aren't you forgetting

certain financial obligations?

I mean, hasn't it struck you

that the costs...

...of what we've just been through

will be pretty heavy?

Oh, you mean the legal expenses, yes.

I'm not charging you for my services.

Those will be charged off to friendship.

But there are other expenses--

That's very decent of you.

I'm not sure I can accept that.

What do these other expenses amount to?

Well, the principal item is that letter

of Leslie's I mentioned to you.

Yes. I'd almost forgotten about that.

-You were going to...?

-I had to pay a great deal of money for it.

Well, if you thought it necessary,

I'm not going to grouse.

How much was it?

Ten thousand dollars.

Ten thousand dollars?

You must have been mad.

You may be sure I wouldn't have given

that if I could have got it for less.

But that's every cent

I have in the world.

Why didn't you let them bring the letter in

and explain it to the jury?

I didn't dare.

Do you mean it was absolutely necessary

to suppress it?

If you wanted Leslie acquitted.

But what was there in the letter?

-I told you at the time.

-It was very stupid of me, I--

I remember. You asked him to come

to the bungalow--

-Yes.

-You wanted to get me something.

I wanted to get you a new gun.

He knew all about them.

You know how ignorant I am.

Buying that letter was a criminal offense,

wasn't it?

It's not the sort of thing

a respectable lawyer does...

-...in ordinary business.

-It was a criminal offense.

Yes, it was.

I might be disbarred for it.

Then why did you do it?

You, of all people?

What were you trying

to save me from?

Leslie, you knew I was

buying a gun from Cameron.

-Why make me a present of another?

-How should I know you were buying a gun?

-I told you.

-I'd forgotten.

-I can't remember everything.

-You hadn't forgotten.

What do you mean, Robert?

Why are you talking to me like this?

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