"Jacob?" "Jacob?" "Mr. Black!" "well, mr." "Mccain an' mark, heh, good mornin'!" "Oh, glad to see you so happy, jacob." "And for good reason, lucas." "For good reason." "Well then, maybe I picked the right day" "To talk business with you, huh?" "Business?" "Any day is a right day for that, what do you want?" "Well, that strip o' land you've got, jacob, uh," "Along the creek bed that runs into mine," "I'm gettin' tired of goin' round it, I'd" "I'd like to straighten out my boundary line." "Well, land's for sale, I told you that." "Well, I'll pay you a fair price, I've told you that," "But not a nickel more." "Then, walk around it." "Now look, jacob, I've been a good neighbor to you." "Now, I don't deny that." "An' that strip o' land is no use in the world to you." "That's right." "Well, then, why do I have to pay you an unreasonable profit?" "For no reason, except that I own it, an' you want it." "I don't want it, jacob," "I just don't wanna walk around it anymore." "There's a price on that land, you can take it or leave it." "Good day, lucas, good day, mark." "I know you an' mr." "Black are good friends, pa," "But you sure do argue a lot." "Well, we are good friends," "Son, but sometimes he gets under my skin, come on." "Man:" "Look out, runaway!" "Better, jacob?" "Feels easier, doc." "Neighbor of yours, is he?" "Lives alone, does he?" "Um-hm." "Bring his cattle over an' let 'em run with yours, an' shut up" "The house." "He's hurt bad." "Doc, is he..." "Is he gonna live?" "Now that's a fool question, lucas, I don't know." "I ain't" "The almighty." "He's hurt inside" "Somewheres an' I don't know how to put a poultice on that." "Jacob:" "Doc?" "Yes?" "Doc, am I- am I as bad off as I feel?" "Well, you can't tell much according' to the pain," "But you're a tough old bird." "Doc, have you got some medicine that will make me feel good?" "I won't lie to you, jacob." "Lucas." "I" " I want to ask you- you a favor." "Ah, don't worry, jacob, I'll look after your place." "Get somebody else to look after my place." "I want you to go to willow springs." "Willow springs?" "What for?" "Two months ago I went to, st." "Louis," "You remember?" "I got married." "Surprised?" "yes, jacob." "First time I've been happy in 15 years." "She's gotten" "Gotten as far as willow spr- willow..." ""on my way to north fork." "Waiting for connecting stage."" "Well, it's a full week before the stage comes in from willow springs." "That's right, jacob." "I want to see her before" "Doc, seven days?" "I wouldn't count on it, jacob." "Doc, ridin' hard I could bring her here in three, maybe four..." "I couldn't even guarantee that." "Oh, lord." "I want to see her one more time." "Oh, lord!" "Jacob, I'll go to willow springs." "Thank you." "It'll take three, maybe four days." "Three days..." "I'll wait." "Lucas, I..." "I'll make it worth your while." "I'll do this much for a neighbor, jacob, not for pay." "Thanks anyway." "How is he?" "Oh, can't tell yet, son, but he's a tough old man." "Now we've got some work to do." "Yes, sir?" "You round up mr." "Black's stock, an' run 'em with ours." "Get one of the boys to help you." "You think you can do that?" "Sure." "Good." "I've gotta go to willow springs to fetch mrs." "Black." "I'll be gone" "Mrs. Black?" "Well, never mind that now." "I'll be gone three days maybe more." "You stay with milly," "An' ride out every day an' water the stock." "Oh, pa, I don't have to stay with milly." "Well, I'm old enough to take care o' myself." "You're old enough an' smart enough to know I don't wanna" "Worry about you." "I won't if you stay with milly." "Well, if you want me to." "That's better." "Now let's get home." "I need supplies an' another horse." "Now, you remember to look after mr." "Black's stock, son." "Be sure" "To quit early enough to get to milly's by sundown, huh?" "I will, don't worry about a thing." "I'm gonna miss you, pa." "I'm gonna miss you too, son." "Room, sir?" "No, thank you." "I'm lookin' for a woman named mrs." "Jacob black," "You know her?" "Well, now." "That woman's got a bigger reputation than I thought." "Reputation?" "You'll find her in the bar, back there." "¶ don't offer me whisky don't offer me wine ¶" "¶ I was weaned on champagne in the cradle of mine ¶" "¶ champagne, champagne it's good for your thirst ¶" "¶ if you drink it so fast then the bubbles won't burst ¶" "¶ I'm cold on the outside but inside I am warm ¶" "Are you sure that's mrs." "That's her all right." "Beauty ain't she?" "¶ champagne champagne it's good for your thirst ¶" "¶ if you drink it so fast then the bubbles won't burst ¶" "¶ my answer is no sir but nevertheless ¶" "¶ when you're drunk on cham..." "Pagne ¶" "¶ then my no sounds like yes ¶" "¶ I'm cold on the outside but inside I'm warm ¶" "¶ champagne is sweet love in drinkable form ¶" "¶ champagne champagne ¶" "Excuse me, ma'am, are you mrs." "Jacob black?" "I'm elizabeth" "Isn't that funny?" "I can't think of myself that way." "Yes, I'm" "Elizabeth black, but I'm really beth garret." "Who are you?" "I'm lucas mccain from north fork, your husband's neighbor." "Well, isn't that nice, I'm meeting the neighbors already." "Sit down, luke, an' raise a glass with us." "No, thanks, ma'am." "Could I have a word with you in private, mrs." "Black?" "These gentlemen are friends of mine." "Well, jacob is a friend of mine." "I'm here because he asked me to come." "Then I'm sure you've had a long, dusty ride, an' you've earned" "A cool drink." "Uh, jack, pour a glass for mr." "Mccain." "I don't have the time, mrs." "Black, an' neither do you." "Now what I've got to say to you is best said in private," "And it is important." "Well, that's too bad, mr." "Mccain," "Because I'm entertainin' my friends." "Mrs. Black, your husband was hurt yesterday, real bad." "The doctor didn't think he'd live till the stage" "Could bring you to north fork." "Now, jacob asked me to come for you," "We can be there by tomorrow night." "Oh, heavens!" "Oh, merciful heavens!" "How dreadful, the poor man." "Oh, the poor, poor man." "What of me?" "What will I" "Strange." "I've played it 20 times this scene." "Wife at a gay party," "When the news of death comes, but I" " I" " I never knew" "How it would feel." "It just feels lost." "I'm an actress, mr." "Mccain." "Beth garett, they know me in the middle west." "Oh, we'll have to hurry, ma'am, I've got a horse for you." "Strikes me as a long ride for a poor errand." "You said yourself" "That black had been just hangin' on." "He'd likely be dead by the" "Time you get there." "Beth, you ever ride a horse for two, three" "Days across country?" "I" " I have to go to him, don't I?" "You hardly knew him," "Accordin' to what you told us, maybe a week?" "This is none of your business." "Look, mister, I'm as sentimental as the next fella," "But let's be practical." "Practical?" "Sure." "Look at the odds." "I'll bet money she gets there just in time for the burying'." "What could I say to him?" "I don't know 'im really." "Are you comin' with me, mrs." "Black?" "Or will you be practical?" "Thank you for your trouble, mr." "Mccain," "I'm sorry you had it for nothing." "You're goin' back with me, if I have to tie you to the horse!" "Just what do you expect to accomplish, big m..." "Ow!" "Hey, just a minute" "I heard you say you're an actress, well, you're gonna" "Play-act a lovin' wife because jacob believes it." "You're gonna make one old man's death a lil' easier." "But what about my things?" "I can't go like this." "Yes, you can!" "Hyah!" "You probably know my husband better than I do." "What's he like?" "Your wife must find you a pleasant one," "With that temper of yours." "When my wife was alive, she never saw my temper." "On a two-day ride, don't you think the time will pass more" "Pleasantly with a little conversation?" "Hyah!" "Don't run down that trail, it's tricky!" "You hurt?" "I don't know, I'm still too scared." "Hey, you better let me help you up." "You can be nice, can't you?" "You mean you fell off that horse on" "Hey, tall man, you're not gonna walk away from me now, are you?" "It's a restless night." "Be a while till everything settles down to sleep," "It'll get quiet." "Is this friendly country?" "To live in, I mean." "Folks are friendly enough." "People are the same everywhere." "Not to be trusted." "I mean, the land, the country." "You have to fight the land, an' love it too." "It's been good to you?" "I think it's lonely country." "Things are..." "Wide apart, an' people." "Oh, it can be lonely, here or anywhere." "That's the worst, I think, loneliness." "Does it ever reach you?" "Do you live alone?" "I have a boy mark." "We live alone." "In town?" "Few miles out, on a little ranch." "Mark mccain." "Sounds nice." "How old is he?" "12." "He's a good boy." "Who keeps house for you?" "We do, as well as we can." "I can hardly remember a time when I wasn't alone." "No one to share with, no one to depend on." "No relatives?" "No." "I guess that's really why I like being an actress." "In a play you can..." "Pretend to belong to somebody..." "At least for a little while." "Poor substitute, strikes me." "Oh, it has its good points, you're not stuck with people you" "Don't like." "But it's not a good way to live." "You're always moving around." "That's bad, no roots anywhere." "No roots anywhere." "That's really why I agreed to marry him." "But it wasn't because he had money." "It was, more than anything, a place to belong." "He was kind to me an' gentle an'" "Well, that's enough to start with." "Maybe." "Oh, I'd have made him a good wife," "Those men in willow springs, they didn't mean anythin' to me," "They were just- just company," "Because I was lonely on the road." "Can't you understand that?" "Oh, I understand loneliness." "I know how it tastes, an' how it smells." "People do strange things because of it, I've seen them." "Stranger things than makin' an unlikely marriage." "I've done some funny things myself." "At times it seemed everything'..." "Was empty." "Empty." "That's it." "No one to care, no one..." "To belong to." "Do you belong to anyone?" "Do you?" "Come here, lucas." "Come here." "You're jacob's wife." "Loneliness doesn't excuse everything." "Holier than thou." "That you're good at." "That's easy for you," "You're never weak, are you?" "Tomorrow mornin' we'll be in north fork." "You can put on your act for the man you married." "And make him believe it." "Oh, he'll believe it." "He'll believe it." "Pa!" "Pa!" "Hello, son." "Everything go all right?" "Just fine." "Kinda got lonesome for you, though." "How's jacob?" "Well, just the same." "Still waitin', the doc says." "They moved 'im to the billiards room in the hotel," "Where he can stretch out flat without twisting'." "Mm." "This mrs." "Black?" "My boy mark." "Mrs. Black, son." "I thought it must be, he looks so like you." "How are you, mark?" "Just fine." "Pleased to meet you, ma'am." "This isn't the time for that." "There'll never be a better time." "Just how do you think he expects me to look?" "Dusty an' messy," "Or pretty?" "There, that's the best I can do." "You stay here, son." "Jacob." "Beth." "My dear beth." "Oh, jacob, you poor man." "We'll get you well, I'll take care of you." "I'll be loving," "You'll see." "I just want us to do that, just once more." "Please don't, jacob." "Don't say that." "I don't wanna leave you." "Before god, I don't." "I want us to have a home together." "Oh, we will, we will." "At least you'll have some..." "Money an' a house." "Lucas will help." "Won't you, lucas?" "Sure, jacob." "Thank you for everything." "You've been a good neighbor." "Beth, I'm sorry" "No one ever worried about me before." "I'm very sorry to..." "Put you through this." "Sorry it had to be this way." "It's what you wanted, isn't it?" "He died happy, didn't he?" "I guess so." "I meant my promise to 'im." "I'll help you any way I can." "Are you satisfied?" "Was the performance all right?" "Or don't you think I played the bereaved wife properly?" "Yeah." "I guess you are a pretty good actress." "That poor woman." "What's she gonna do now, pa?" "She'll be sad for a while, son," "Then she'll find a way to go on, like everybody does." "Come on." "Lucas!" "What's this?" "Jacob had me write it up, an' he signed it." "Those two acres along" "The creek bed that you always wanted, he had me turn them over" "To you." "He said he couldn't rest easy" "If he left this world beholding to anybody." "So..." "There was somethin' in it for you after all." "A price to be" "Paid." "An' you with your holier than thou attitude, I should've" "Known you were too good to be true, mr." "Almighty lucas mccain." "No matter what you think of me, this has nothin' to do" "With the fact that I promised jacob I'd help you." "I don't need your help, an' there's nothin' in it for you." "Well, here's your deed." "I don't favors for pay." "Be as honest as you are stubborn." "Are you sure you didn't expect anything' in return?" "Wouldn't it" "Be strange if jacob didn't find a way to pay you back?" "The thought did cross your mind, didn't it?" "You're human after all." "It crossed my mind." "I have my human moments, too." "That was a good supper." "Thanks for stayin' in town, pa." "You're welcome, son." "Milly took me out for supper every night you were gone." "Well, that was nice of her." "Imagine mr." "Black waitin' those three days." "Guess he really loved her." "Mm-hm, I guess he did." "'spite you bein' so much older, could you explain love to me?" "Oh, you don't want me to try an' answer that now, do you, son?" "Yes, I do." "Well, mark, it's a lot of things." "It means different" "Things to different people, depending on what they want." "Some, it means sharing." "For some, taking." "For some, just doing for others." "Yeah, but..." "But..." "But how does it feel?" "Well..." "If you love someone who loves you, then you'll both" "Mean the same thing by it." "It feels good, happy an' safe, an' sharing." "What did she mean when she said that..." "That you were too good to be true?" "Well, I guess she" "I guess she meant I have my faults, mark." "Why?" "Come on." "Let's go home."