Undercurrent Page #5

---

The draft might do him good.

He seemed stuffy.

- I invited him here for a reason.

- I'm sorry, darling.

I don't know what got into me.

I'll make it up to him.

I haven't talked about myself

so much in years.

You're learning diplomacy fast,

young lady.

If you keep it up,

Washington is going to love you.

I hope so, because I love Washington,

especially now.

The spring is thrilling.

It creeps up on you. You almost feel it.

You should be in South Carolina

in the spring.

It's like nothing I've ever seen

anywhere in the world.

I'm sure of it.

What part of South Carolina,

Judge Putnam?

Charleston. I have a house on the bay,

just across from Fort Sumter.

The blues and the whites

in April are, well...

- Get down there very often, sir?

- No, not often. I miss it.

I feel it belongs to the people

who take care of it...

...whose families have lived on the place

for 100 years...

...more than it belongs to me.

- That's very generous of you.

- Not only generous, I think, but wise.

My father once told me,

when we were discussing possessions...

...how foolish we are to think

that we ever possess anything in life.

- What do you mean, Ann?

- Well, Judge Putnam understands.

No one ever really owns anything.

All we have is a temporary use of it.

It just isn't true to say

"my this" and "my that."

- Not even "my wife"?

- That's different.

No, but, I read something today...

...which says what I mean

better than anything I've ever heard.

- I'm ashamed to say I memorized it.

- I'd love to hear it, my dear.

Well, I found it in an old book of poems.

This one was marked.

And I thought to myself,

the man who marked this poem...

...is someone I understand

and who understands me.

We speak the same language.

Remember it, darling?

My house, I say.

But hark to the sunny doves

That make my roof

The arena of their loves.

Our house, they say.

And mine, the cat declares

And spreads his golden fleece

Upon the chairs.

And mine, the dog,

And rises stiff with wrath

If any alien foot profane the pa... Path.

Charming, Mrs. Garroway.

Well, I may have left out a line or two,

but that's the general idea.

I remember it now.

It's by Stevenson, isn't it?

Yes, it is.

He has a trick of voicing things

we'd all like to say.

I hope everything went all right,

Mr. Garroway.

Yes, thank you, Mrs. Delwin.

Everything was fine. Good night.

- It was a nice party, wasn't it, Alan?

- Yes, it went very well.

How about driving

to Middleburg tomorrow?

Oh, Alan, could we?

I'd like to look at that property again.

It's good protection for us.

Oh, that'll be exciting, the house

where you were born and grew up.

It'll be beautiful at this time of year,

won't it?

Yes, beautiful.

Alan, here's the book.

- Book? What book's that?

- The book the poem come from.

That's not my book.

Yes, it is. You remember. You sent it

in some time ago to be rebound.

I'm afraid it's a mistake.

- But they had the name and Middleburg.

- It's a mistake, Ann.

We'll leave early. You don't need

to take much stuff.

- All right. But I'm positive.

- It may be a little isolated for you.

- There's no telephone.

- No telephone, so they can't get at you.

Sounds like heaven.

You won't be bored?

- Bored? Will you?

- No.

No, tell me seriously, Alan. Will you hate

being cooped up with me for days?

- Why do you ask that?

- Because I love you...

...and I can't help noticing

when we're alone, how...

How a lot of the glow you have

with people sort of goes out of you.

- What's the matter, Ann?

- I don't know. Nothing.

I just want to be reassured, I guess.

Consider yourself reassured.

You'd better get some sleep if we're

going to drive to Middleburg tomorrow.

Well, if it's a mistake,

I suppose I'll have to return this.

But I hate to.

I'm tempted to keep it.

Alan, what's the penalty

for stealing books?

Stop shoving that book at me.

I don't wanna discuss it.

Don't you know whose book it is?

- What?

- Keep throwing it at me.

Even memorized the poem.

It's not my book.

- I told you that.

- I didn't know...

He got you. The gentle boy

who loved poetry.

You speak the same language.

He understands you, you understand him.

Isn't that what you said?

I only memorized it

because I thought it was yours.

Yes, of course you did.

That was very unfair of me.

I shouldn't take it out on you,

the way I feel about Mike.

Forgive me, Ann.

I forgive you, Alan.

What beautiful country.

How much farther?

We're almost there.

We haven't even passed anything

that looked like a house for ages.

- No, we're pretty isolated.

- Where does Mrs. Foster live?

On down the road, quite a ways.

Those woods we were talking about

lie between our place and hers.

Alan, look through those trees there.

That beautiful field.

Yeah, this is the beginning of our place.

Our place.

Ours. I take it all back.

The possessive case is wonderful.

Oh, Alan, it's a dream.

Might be a cold dream, except for George.

Been closed for over a year.

Those are the stables

and the garage there.

The orchard's on the other side.

- Who's that?

- That's Bate.

Hello, Bate.

Hey, now, don't you back away from me.

You're supposed to be glad to see me.

He's shy, isn't he? Come on, old fellow.

- Come here.

- Now, Bate, don't carry on like that.

What you carrying on for,

when people wanna be nice to you?

Now, you be nice to them.

Come here. Come here. Come back here!

He's all right, ma'am.

Just ain't used to seeing strangers here.

We'll get acquainted.

- Thought you were gonna give him away.

- I tried, but he keeps coming back.

- How you been?

- Fine, thanks.

- This is George, our caretaker.

- Hello.

- Glad to know you.

- Looks all right.

Oh, it's beautifully kept. So neat.

- Thank you, ma'am.

- How are the horses?

They're all right, Mr. Alan.

- I'll get the bags.

- Thank you.

Come on, darling.

Alan, if you try to carry me

over the threshold, I'll scream.

Don't worry, I won't.

You weigh too much.

Alan, how charming.

- I'm afraid it's a little grim.

- Not grim, darling, it's beautiful.

A little Ionely, perhaps, a little unused.

It needs some light and air.

Open your shutter.

Now. See?

That makes a difference, doesn't it?

What's it like upstairs?

Well, let's take a look.

This was my mother's room.

Yes, I can tell that. It's sweet.

George, put the bags over there, please.

Wish I knew what she looked like.

Isn't there a picture of her somewhere?

- Used to be, but Mr. Alan...

- I took them down.

You know how that junk accumulates.

Stored the personal stuff.

It does rather smother you after a while.

Wanna ride to Mrs. Foster's?

You don't have to.

- George can fix you something.

- No.

- I'll wait for dinner. I'll stay and change.

- I won't be long.

- Care for a cup of tea, ma'am?

- Maybe later, thank you, George.

I hope I haven't picked

any of your favorites.

No, ma'am. I'll have your tea ready

for you in just a moment.

Don't rush. I'm going out for a walk.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes