The Woman on the Beach Page #4

Get out, get out! And when you get out of here, do be quiet!

You know how I found out?

Otto told me.

One day Otto told me he saw Bill down on the beach.

And when he asked him what he was doing on the beach,

...Bill said that he was gathering firewood.

Now you tell me...

...what on earth would Bill be doing on the beach gathering firewood...

...when he's got all the wood he needs right out there in that carpenter shop?

- We want some candy!

- Give us some candy.

Mrs. Butler's here. She wants to see you.

You have such darling little boys, Mrs. Wernecke!

- I want some candy!

- I want some candy!

All right, children! Into the kitchen! Never mind that candy! Into the kitchen!

- I want some candy!

- I want some candy!

You're pretty well acquainted with this house, aren't you?

I've been here before.

Such a lovely place!

With a canary and everything.

So domestic and so dull.

Peggy, was there anything between you and Bill?

Cigarette?

You better come over and see Tod.

I think he suspects something.

You still have to explain why you...

...pushed him over the cliff.

Answer me, Peggy.

Was there anything between you and Bill?

Oh for heaven's sake, Scott! What of it?

You're not my husband.

Peggy...

...you're nothing but a...

Go on, say it.

I'm a tramp. You just finding that out?

Oh, poor Bill!

I can't bear to see a picture hanging crooked.

Well...

...you going to see Tod?

Yes.

I'll see Tod.

Well don't misunderstand. It's for your sake, not mine.

That's why I came in.

I saw your Jeep outside.

Hello, Mr. Wernecke.

Hello, Mrs. Butler.

We'll be expecting you, Scott.

I've got to tell you exactly how it happened, Tod.

I could have warned you when you got near the edge.

But I let you go on because I was so convinced that you weren't blind.

At least not so blind that you couldn't see where you were going.

It became an obsession that I just couldn't control.

Why don't you say something, Tod? I don't think you're even listening.

I am.

I am. I believe you.

You made it very apparent before we started...

...that you thought I could see.

That remark of yours about a change of scenery was very obvious.

As a matter of fact, I'm not sorry it happened.

Now we can really be friends.

See each other often.

Without a lot of notions that have to be concealed.

I feel better since we've had this talk.

Yes, I feel better too.

Scott, come in here a minute, will you?

I want to show you something.

- These are your paintings?

- What's left of them.

- May I look at them?

- Of course, I want you to.

Please put them back in the right order.

I had to sell quite a few of them at first...

...to pay the doctors and wipe out old debts.

These must be worth a fortune now that you're...

Since you're convinced I'm blind, go ahead and say it.

But you're right.

Now that I can't paint anymore, this stuff of mine gets more valuable every day.

There's an old saying in my trade:

"A man never gets rich until he's dead".

I assure you a blind painter is just the same as a dead one.

I'm sure the Lieutenant doesn't care about looking at paintings.

Particularly in this bad light.

Is it that late? I was under the impression it was still bright sunshine.

Why do you keep them here?

Someone might break in the house and steal them.

No, every art dealer knows my paintings.

He'd never accept one without asking me.

Some naive person might try to sell one, but he'd never get away with it.

They're safe here just as long as I'm alive.

I would like to show them to you sometime in a good light.

I'd like that Tod, but you know I don't understand much about painting.

There's nothing to understand.

It hasn't anything to do with the brain. It's the eye.

A painting's like a woman: She either thrills you or she doesn't.

Well in that case, it's easy.

For instance...

You know I never really started to paint well until just before the lights went out.

But I think this is one of my best.

Something about the effect of the hair, the skin texture...

Of course nudes were never my strong suit, but...

...here I had a particularly beautiful subject.

As you can see, this is a portrait of Peggy.

Excuse me, Tod, I think you have the wrong painting.

This is a picture of some roses and a newspaper.

Peggy!

- Yes, Tod?

- Where's your portrait?

I don't know.

You're the only one in this house who can see.

You know I never go into that closet without you, Tod.

All right.

All right.

Thank you for your interest, Scott.

I would like you to see them sometime.

- Well, I hope I haven't...

- Not at all.

Come back soon.

I'll do that. Goodbye.

Goodbye, Mrs. Butler.

Goodbye, Lieutenant.

Where is it?

- It's my portrait.

- It's my work!

It's the best thing I've ever done.

I want it, I need it, and I'm going to get it!

Where is it?

I'll get it.

I wish I'd never heard of painting. Or artists.

I knew you'd come.

I knew you'd be here.

Are you all right?

Now I am.

- Hi, Eve!

- Hi, Eve!

- Hi! Hi!

- Hi! Hi, Eve!

Hi, fellas!

Eve, we're having so much fun decorating...

...the station for the farewell party.

Don't get into any trouble!

They're waxing the mess hall floor and everything.

Why don't you come down and help us?

Those big lugs haven't got one ounce of artstic sense.

Now if you break anything, I'm gonna wear out your pants!

I can't, Mary.

I'm just beginning to get this business straightened out.

Your business is down at the station.

Now listen, Mary, I tried that once

and I'll be darned if I know why, but he hasn't been around since.

If he wants to see me, he can come here.

The theory that man is inherently good is bunk. Pure bunk.

Each individual possesses a split personality which...

That's pretty dull stuff, isn't it?

- Yes it is.

Thanks.

That bad?

Oh, what's the use of kidding? I can't write.

At the risk of repeating myself...

...if you'd sell the paintings you wouldn't have to worry about writing.

Peg...

...I've never been able to make you understand that those paintings are my eyes.

Everything I saw in life I set down on canvas.

If I let them go I lose the last connection with the past.

Strong and alive.

I do understand, but it's high time you were becoming practical.

Peg, will you cut it out? I tell you no!

Tod...

You're tired. Relax.

You can write. You can do anything.

Pretty cold, Peg. Pretty cold.

Could you possibly be thinking of Lieutenant Scott Burnett?

I like Scott.

I like him because he's good and straight.

That's why he's dangerous.

Peggy, I'm gonna keep you.

No matter what I have to do. I'm gonna keep you as long as I live.

No other man can ever take my place.

Remember that.

That's better.

What does that remind you of?

New York.

We did have our good times together, didn't we, Peg?

Yes, and we could again.

Remember those champagne parties we used to have all by ourselves?

On the floor in front of a big fire.

And when we'd had all the champagne we wanted, you talked and talked.

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