The Young in Heart Page #2

Why? What do you mean?

What are you

getting so soft about?

Soft? Well, I don't know

what you're talking about.

It's only... only...

Only what?

Only... I didn't even say good-bye.

Oh, you're not in love

with that Scotsman, are you?

Oh, how could I

be in love with him?

He hasn't any money!

Then I can't think

what you have to cry about.

Neither can I!

I wonder how long

it takes a person to starve to death?

Just depends. I've known some

to drop off in a fortnight.

Who do you think will last longer,

Marmy or Sahib?

Oh, Marmy.

I think the Sahib will.

He's more optimistic.

Well, Marmy's tougher.

The Sahib's a better bluffer, though.

He'll overplay his hand

like he does his cards,

and he'll be dead

before he knows it.

This way, sir.

Police. Cheating at cards.

Fortune hunters.

Bengal Lancers.

- Oh.

- Oh!

Oh!

- Come here.

- Why... why, hello, Duncan.

Where did you come from?

And don't try to be offhand with me,

George-Anne. I'm very, very angry.

I had to take

a flying machine to catch you,

and I cannot afford to hire

flying machines to chase you about.

Well, nobody asked you

to chase me about.

You're a daft

and undependable female.

Don't you dare judge me

that way, Duncan Macrae.

Stand still and listen to me.

We're going to be married

to each other.

We're not going to be

married to each other.

I don't care if your father

does cheat at cards.

- I forgive you.

- You forgive me?

Your brother's

a worthless fortune hunter,

but I forgive you because you're

only daft, and I can cure you.

You can't cure me. I mean...

I'm just as worthless as they are.

You're not. You're a good girl,

and you promised to marry me.

- Yes. And you know why?

- Why?

Because if Richard married Adela,

we would've had $3 million, and we all

could've lived on it. That's why.

- You're hysterical, woman.

- I'm not hysterical. L...

l... I'm just hungry.

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

Come along. I'll get you some dinner.

All right. I'll go get

Marmy and Sahib and Richard...

What?!

Dine with that family?

I wouldn't be seen dead with them.

And I wouldn't be seen

dead with you,

even if I were starving.

All right, you don't have to.

All right. Well,

don't follow me about.

- Just go away and leave me alone.

- Aye, once and for all.

Won't you come in?

It's... it's Ionely at night,

isn't it?

Yes.

I don't like

to see night come. Do you?

Well, I don't think I ever notice.

You're so young.

When you're old,

night comes too soon.

Always.

You seem troubled.

- It's my mother.

- Oh.

She had to have an operation.

Oh, my dear. Tell me.

Well, she's so tired,

and the train's so crowded,

there's no room for her to lie down.

You see, we're second class.

And here I am alone

in this whole compartment.

Oh, you must bring her here.

- Could I?

- Of course.

It's all been rather difficult.

I mean, with the Sahib too.

That's my father.

He can't help much. He was gassed,

you know, in the War.

Oh, you must bring him too.

- Oh, may I really?

- Of course.

It's awfully good of you.

Oh, it's good of you

to trust me.

It's so rarely we have the privilege

of helping one another.

You try to look hungry, Rick.

She may take the hint.

You mean to say

I don't look hungry?

Oh, dear, what kind of

an operation did I have?

Any kind you like,

but don't offer to show the scar.

Don't you think Marmy ought to

lean on me? It makes me nicer.

All right. And you were gassed

in the War, you know, Sahib.

I imagine I sort of wheeze.

Here we are.

Now, don't overplay

your hands, any of you.

Trust me, my dear.

Oh... oh, how kind you are.

I don't know you, do I?

I'm a new friend.

My name is Fortune...

Miss Ellen Fortune.

Miss Fortune?

Silly name, isn't it?

Everybody makes jokes

about it. I do myself.

Fine historic name.

Not a subject for jesting.

Allow me to introduce

my wife, ma'am, my daughter...

I know.

- My son.

- How do you do?

And your servant

Colonel Anthony Carleton,

late of the Bengal Lancers.

The Bengal Lancers!

How splendid!

And yet the wretched government

refuses him a pension

and lets his family starve.

If only he hadn't gone back to the War

after that dreadful wound.

Gas, Marmy. Gas.

Gas? Gas, too, of course.

Don't be absurd, George-Anne.

Did you think I had forgotten?

"If I have a breath left

to give my country," he used to say.

He's never been right since.

And then your operation

on top of everything.

Yes, and so expensive, too.

But they would

take me to the Riviera.

Now, Marmy, you know it isn't good

for you to talk so much.

Don't overdo it.

It meant selling our little house

and poor Richard

coming down from Oxford.

The most brilliant man

of his year, they said.

Didn't they, darling?

I don't care what they said.

I don't care that for Oxford,

just as long as

you're all right, Marmy.

If you could only force yourself

to eat something, Marmy.

In Little Women, the children

call their mother Marmy.

I think the name does suit me.

I don't know where

the absurd children got it.

"Sahib," of course,

means "genteel" in India.

The children were born there,

poor darlings,

somewhere in the Himalayas.

A dreadful place, what with

the ayahs and the whatnots

howling around in the...

whatever you call them.

Marmy, are you sure you couldn't

force yourself to eat something?

Oh, no. It would choke me,

I'm sure it would.

Oh.

Would it help if I

ate something with you?

It might. I'd do anything

to please you, dear boy.

I think we should all

make the effort.

If Marmy should see us all eating,

it might tempt her, hmm?

Of course,

you'll be our guest, ma'am.

Oh, no, no, please.

This is my compartment.

I insist...

you must be my guests.

So often I've tried

to imagine parties like this,

when I might be with friends...

celebrating with them

on birthdays...

My little girl's going to have

a birthday this year.

Let's say it's

her birthday now, tonight.

Just 20-odd years ago today,

somewhere in dear old Ireland...

If I had thought 20-odd years ago

that my little girl would come out

in a French railway carriage...

We're pretending it's her birthday.

If I had pretended

20-odd years ago

that my little girl would be born

in a French railway carriage...

Can I help you, darling?

If I had pretended

20-odd years ago

that I would give birth

to a little French railway carriage,

egad, I'd have shot myself!

You must forgive the Sahib.

He lives in a little world

all his own.

What fun!

You're all so young.

So young in heart!

Like John Dickey.

Won't you have some champagne

with us, Miss Fortune?

What a shame!

Oh... oh, forgive me.

I was just thinking of the hundreds

of bottles in the big house at home,

just gathering dust.

- Really, ma'am?

- Hundreds of bottles?

But, dear, I'm not going to think

of that Ionely old house now.

This is the first

real party I've ever had.

All my life, I've had to live quite simply.

And now that I have money enough

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