Original subtitles

[ theme music playing ]

♪♪

Mrs. Miles.

Please sit down.

Thank you.

I don't mind telling you, Mr. Grainger, I'm close to fainting.

May I help you?I'm all right.

I was upstairs sewing some new curtains,

and Stacey crashed open my door and said you wanted to see me

in front of your desk at once.

Stacey likes to kick up dust.

It's not Stacey I'm afraid of.

My one desire is to please you.

Then you can rest assured.

Then you didn't call me down to dismiss me?

Exactly the opposite.

I just want to tell you that your first week here has been a big success.

Are you sure?

The family is fine. The house never looked better.

I just hope you're not working too hard.

Elizabeth is helping me.

What about Stacey?

Stacey's a man.

I don't think I ought to ask Stacey to help with housework.

Well, if you do need him,

feel free to use him for the hard labor.

Is there anything I can do for you?

Yes, there is.

You can promise me you'll stay on.

Are you sure that one week is enough time?

I've seen enough to convince me that we need you here.

Take Stacey, for instance.

He's smooth as silk out there on a horse,

but he's pretty rough-shod here in the house.

And Elizabeth?

It's just not right that she should grow up like a ranch hand.

Do I have your permission to pose a delicate question?

Now's the time.

Have you ever thought of remarrying, Mr. Grainger?

I think you and I are very much alike

on that score, Mrs. Miles.

Could anyone ever take the place of Captain Miles?

No.

It would not be possible.

And yet we can't just retire from life, can we?

I've done my best to bring up these youngsters,

and so far, so good.

But I'm a rancher.

I'm not exactly schooled in manners.

They need the fine points, the finishing touches

that make the difference.

And I'm asking you to help, to take charge.

I'm not a professional governess.

I'm offering you more than just a position, Mrs. Miles.

More like a place in the family.

The lady of the house.

Will you stay?

Yes.

♪♪

Hold it right here for me.

Did he tell you that Mrs. Miles is gonna stay on?

Stacey, do you think he's in love with her?

Huh?

Well, you saw the way he greeted her

and the way they talked about old times.

Talking doesn't mean that much.

But you can't forget how long they've known each other--

since way back before the war,

before she married Captain Miles.

Sure. They're old friends.

Well, she told me they used to go dancing.

Granddad?

Picnics and moonlight rides on paddleboats.

Granddad.

Wouldn't it be something, Stacey? Just something?

You saying she might be our new grandma?

Just think-- childhood sweethearts,

after all these years.

Like a valentine.

Elizabeth Grainger, you are an incurable romantic.

But he'd be happy, Stacey, for the rest of his life.

Mm-hmm.

Well, I kind of think you're reading into it,

but if that's what he wants, I'm for it.

Me too.

♪♪

Put these in the cooler?

Maybe they'll want one for supper.

Where's the new house lady?Probably upstairs.

Store the potatoes,

but don't put the fresh vegetables away.

All right.

Ah, smooth as glass.Don't touch it!

That's what it's for-- to hold on to.I want Mrs. Miles to see it.

Where is she?She's upstairs,

making sachets for the cupboards.

Lavender and lemon verbena.

When you store dry goods, you've got to add aromatics

or they get musty.

Live and learn.

♪♪

[ knock at door ]

Yes?

Sorry to bother you, ma'am. We just hauled in a wagon load of supplies.

I picked out some choice poultry, slabs of bacon, greenstuffs...

Would you like to come down and pick out your poultry?

As I get to it.Uh, yes, ma'am.

Did you come through the house?I used the scraper.

Does Mr. Grainger encourage the hired men to come in the house?

On business.

I am asking you if Mr. Grainger allows

the people who work for him free run of the house.

"Free run"?

I would expect a house servant

to have access to the living rooms and use the front stairs.

There's only one set of stairs,

and Mr. Grainger doesn't keep house servants.

I don't intend to insist upon strict formality,

but I must admit that I am not accustomed to

receiving the work foreman in my room.

I thought I ought to come tell you.

I'll wait down in the kitchen for you to make your selections.

The kitchen is very important to me.

Captain Miles used to call it my headquarters.

I want you to know that you are always welcome.

In the kitchen.

And I would appreciate it if you would emphasize its importance

by not encouraging the other men to visit.

The men don't visit unless Mr. Grainger tells them to.

Of course not.

If Mr. Grainger invites them, they are welcome.

You're from Virginia, aren't you?

Yes, ma'am.

I come from Maryland.

Anne Arundel County.

Maryland and Virginia have always been good neighbors.

I hope we may carry on that tradition.

No reason not to.

Mr. Grainger has asked me

to extend my stay indefinitely.

He has asked me to consider myself a member of the family

and to regulate the house as if it were my own.

You make yourself right at home. If you need anything, just holler.

♪♪

Here, let me give you a hand.

Thanks.

She's got enough clothes to start a store.

Hat boxes, three trunks.

She's moving in.

Lock, stock and barrel.

You don't look too happy.

Well, sir, I guess I need to be set straight.

What's the trouble?

It's hard to come up on the right side of it.

I don't want to make a whole lot out of nothing.

You say what you have to say.

We've always been able to straighten out things between us.

What I need to know is...

Well, sir, it's the lady.

Mrs. Miles?Yes, sir.

Well, I've asked her to stay on here and run the house.

Yes, sir, I know that.

But she's...

Well, you might say she's closed the doors.How do you mean?

Well, the way I understood it,

none of the hands are to set foot inside the house.

Well, I don't think she meant it

quite so hard and fast.

Not set foot?

She made herself pretty clear.

The way I understood it, I'm to be an exception.

I'm to be allowed in the kitchen.

That's quite an exception.

You say the word, I'll wait out by the horse trough.

The house is open.

You know that.

You come in anytime you want to.

You can even sit in my chair if I'm not there first.

Uh, what about the men?

The doors are open, same as always.

Of course, that doesn't mean that the whole outfit can troop in here and put their boots up.

I'll do my best to head 'em off.

Mrs. Miles means a lot to me.

Her husband was one of my best friends back before the war.

I wanted him to join my regiment,

but he was from an old Maryland family, and he joined up with General Lee.

He died in the wilderness

trying to save his men from the brush fires.

But an enemy.

But I respected him as a man,

and I hold his widow high.

She'll fit in. You give her a chance.

Just ease your way around her.

That set you straight?

Yes, sir, it does. I'll wait out in the kitchen.

I like the kitchen.

♪♪

[ knock at door ]

MR. GRAINGER: Mrs. Miles, can you spare a minute?

Oh, Mr. Grainger.

I thought you were the work foreman.

Yes, he told me you had a talk.

I tried to make myself clear to him,

but I'm afraid we don't speak the same language.

He seems to be under the impression he's not welcome in the house.

But I said it so carefully--

"You are always welcome."

He got the idea you meant just in the kitchen.

That's entirely up to you, Mr. Grainger.

He is welcome wherever you want him.

All I said was that the kitchen was my headquarters.

I consider it the heart of the house.

He certainly came away with the wrong idea.

I think I know why.

I'm sure he sensed my disapproval.

Disapproval? Why?

You and I are conducting our conversation

here in the hallway,

where it is fitting and proper.

You would not expect to come into my private room.

Now, I know that the work foreman is apt to be

rough and ready, certainly not a cultivated gentleman,

but I would not expect anyone to come upstairs

and march into my private quarters.

Fortunately, I was not unpacking.

I was sewing, so it didn't matter.

but I had to make it clear to him that I'm not accustomed to

receiving in an improper manner.

Well, it's not entirely his fault.

I've always kept things here on an informal basis.

Mr. Grainger, I don't mean to be critical,

but Elizabeth is in her formative years.

Her sensitivities are delicate,

fine-textured.

Informality is not the problem.

Life should be like a fresh summer breeze.

But along with informality

we must encourage a sense of propriety.

All it amounts to is good manners.

And I'm all for that, Mrs. Miles.

Misunderstandings are bound to happen at first.

I know the foreman is a decent, forthright man,

and I want you to know that I respect him for what he is.

Well, I'll let you get back to your work.

Is there anything you need?I am most content.

Good.

Liz, you should try a cut of this cheese.

It's made by an Italian family up in Riverdale.

Will it keep fresh?It's sealed in wax.

Last chance to pick a partridge.

I'm headed for the cookhouse.

These two...All right.

and this one.

Elizabeth,

I hope you're not satisfied with upstairs.

I used linseed oil.The banister is fine,

but I was disappointed with the picture frames.

Scrollwork collects dust.

Take another look. You'll see what I mean.

She knows how to pick birds.

Very pretty,

but you ought to tell her not to go by the plumage.

This one's plump enough, but not these two.

It takes experience.

Do you mind if we have a word in private?

Wait outside by the horse trough.

Yes, sir.

I wish to apologize.What for?

For offending you.No offense.

I was hoping we could work out our differences without troubling Mr. Grainger.

He made it quite clear to me that you are

very important to him

and that you are free to go and come as you please.

I won't be coming in very often.

Do you intend to bring your men into the kitchen anymore today?

The men won't get in your way.

I'm really very sorry.

You see, this morning,

when Mr. Grainger extended my stay,

I felt sure of myself for the first time in a long while.

I allowed myself to feel happy.

I can't tell you how shocked I was

to be reprimanded within the hour.

I'm sorry it got to that.

It cast a shadow, to say the least.

Mrs. Miles, I didn't mean to get you reprimanded

or cast a shadow.

I work here, and I went to the head man to find out where I stood.

He told me, and I'm satisfied.

I stand right where I'm supposed to, and I don't intend to feel bad about it.

Do you think I want you to feel bad?

I don't know what you want.

All I know is that you and I come from opposite ends of the woods.

You've got your place here in the house.

I've got mine-- all outdoors.

So let's draw a nice, clean line.

No bad feelings, no apologies,

no problems.

No one has ever spoken to me like that in my life.

I try to speak my mind.

Before you go, will you please take those down?

They look foreign to me and make me uncomfortable.

It's your kitchen.

♪♪

♪♪

What are you working on that again for?

I missed some dust.

Who looks in the curlicues?

Attention to detail makes the difference.

Is that you talking or her?

It's her. And she's absolutely right.

I've been slopping around here, playing at keeping house.

It makes me mad.

She's really got you jumping.

She's got me ashamed of being slipshod.

Before she came, I had stains on my apron,

I didn't know needlepoint from a whip-stitch,

and my eyebrows were growing together.

Well, let's take a look.

There's nothing to see. She showed me how to pluck them.

I can't say she isn't doing some good,

but, uh, but she sure is a stickler about it, isn't she?

Stacey.

Are you still on the frames?

This is the last. Stacey's been helping me.

Well, that's very considerate of you, Stacey.

Have you brought in the wood?

Right here on my work list.

May we expect it this evening?

Oh, yes, ma'am. We got some kindling,

front logs and back logs

and three feeders in the wood box all ready to burn.

Question?

Shoot.

What's your definition of a gentleman?

I guess what it sounds like-- a man that's gentle.

Isn't that kind of soft?

You don't need to be soft to be gentle.

Take the Virginian, for instance.

He's as hard as a rail hammer,

and yet he's gentle with horses, people.

You call him a gentleman?

Absolutely. He's a born gentleman.

There are two kinds-- natural and trained.

You mean like a horse?Educated.

Mrs. Miles would call it "cultivated."

Ooh. Well, then, you wouldn't object

if I turn out to be a natural-type gentleman, would you?

Certainly not. It's built in.

Or it isn't.

But it does no harm to give nature an assist, add to your education.

I read.

Yes, I know. I've seen your library.

Let's see. "The Firearms Manual,"

"Stockman's Catalogue,"

and I think there's one there called

"Timely Cures for Hoof and Mouth."

All right, you want me to dress up?

Put on a tie for dinner.

Sure.

Put a little pomade in my hair

and a little rosebud in my lapel.

You can poke fun all you like, Stacey.

But when you come across the real thing, it's not so funny.

How about giving me a for-instance?

You know, somebody that I know about.

All right. I'll give you an educated gentleman--

cultured,

polished to his fingertips,

and I don't know a man alive who didn't look up to him.

Who's that?Robert E. Lee.

Grant won the war, Granddad.

I didn't say there was profit in it.

All it earns is respect.

Well, whatever you say.

And I'll give you another one.

He died in the field with highest honors.

Captain Miles.

Gentleman.

♪♪

I asked you not to prepare supper this evening.

Are you going to cook?

I unpacked my file of recipes.

Granddad likes plain cooking.

All men like fine food.

I mean he doesn't care for high seasonings.

These are hardly high seasonings.

Marjoram, rosemary, sweet basil.

I've already started frying the steaks.

We're through frying steaks.

From now on,

we broil them...

and brush them with spiced butter.

Will I be allowed to cook breakfast?

Not at first.

There's more to it than cracking eggs in lard.

I don't crack eggs in lard!

Have I hurt your feelings?

No. I guess I'm tired.

You see?

You can't attend to everything.

You've got to step back

and unlearn a lot of habits.

I don't say they're bad habits, just ordinary habits.

Cooking is an art, a very high art,

and you can't expect to master it before you've served your apprenticeship.

May I be excused, Mrs. Miles? I have a headache.

Why don't you go up to your room?

I'll serve supper,

and we'll start our lessons at breakfast.

I'll teach you how to shirr eggs.

Granddad likes his eggs fried.

Have you ever served them any other way?

No. No, I haven't.

You don't know how, do you?

[ sobs ] No, I don't know how. Excuse me.

♪♪

Thank you.You're welcome.

I must say I'm flattered to see you eating so much.

It's good.

I'm sorry Elizabeth isn't feeling well.

She ought to be here to share in the triumph.

She's trying her hand at fine herbs.

She was afraid you might not like it.

I do prefer my food plain as a rule.

I won't let her get carried away.

What's in the butter?

Savories.

Outstanding.

I'll teach her how to make it.

You think Liz can learn fancy cooking?

I don't think cooking ought to be fancy.

I prefer simplicity with special touches.

That's what I mean. You think she can handle it?

She's done wonders, considering.

But can she excel?

She has innate ability, and I think she has patience.

All she needs is the will to succeed.

I promise to help all I can, and if you'll do your part here at the table,

she might well become the finest cook in the land.

I'll do my part.

You can count on me.

♪♪

I brought you some cinnamon toast.

You can pour hot milk over it.

Mrs. Miles, I'm sorry I've been so crabby.

A sick headache brings out the worst in any of us.

Where did we get those dish covers? I've never seen them before.

Oh, I have six of them.

I managed to save a few pieces of silver. See?

Captain Miles' family crest.

You say you saved them?

We lost everything when our house was burned.

A company of raiders crossed behind the lines

and set fire to the fields, the barns, everything.

Where was Captain Miles?

That same day, they told me he died

at the Battle of the Wilderness.

They sent me his medals.

There's a stone marker

near the arsenal at Brook Hill.

But, you know,

the first name is misspelled.

"Sanford," without a "D."

My husband's name is Sandford.

Sandford.

After his mother's side of the family.

Did you write to anyone?

Oh, yes.

The Department of Graves Registration assured me

it was my husband,

but they refused to let me identify him.

Why?

They said he was... beyond recognition

They must have records. They must know.

But if they're wrong...

Mrs. Miles, it's late, and I've kept you up.

I'll bring the tray down in the morning,

bright and early, when you teach me how to shirr eggs.

I do feel weary,

all of a sudden,

to the bone.

Good night.

Good night.

♪♪

[ weeping ]

[ weeping continues ]

[ weeping continues ]

Mrs. Miles?

It's me, Stacey. Are you all right?

You frightened me.

I thought I heard something.

The wind woke me up.

Can I get you anything?

I had a dream. A very bad dream.

There was a man standing down at the end of the hallway.

He had a branch in his hand--

a flaming branch like a torch--

and he set fire to the curtains.

I've... I've dreamt of him before.

Many times.

And I've seen him,

long ago, in the war.

A raiding party crossed behind the lines.

I guess those things come back to haunt you.

And sometimes at night,

I think I hear gunfire

and I feel the house shake

and the windows rattle.

It leaves its mark.

Granddad says it seems like it ended a couple of months ago.

The years don't make any difference.

No.

The years don't make any difference.

But it's over and done.

Yes.

Yes, we're safe at last.

Well, I'll say good night now.

Good night.

♪♪

And I want you to know I appreciate your kindness.

[ explosions ]

When I hear

the guns at night,

I am afraid.

But day by day,

my plan

is progressing.

♪♪

♪♪

Mr. Grainger.Belden.

Mrs. Miles said to put this in your study out of direct sunlight.

Put it.Well, there's four corners.

Take your pick.

She's got greens in the hall, she's got greens along the stairway.

Place is starting to look like a hothouse.

You see the sack of flower bulbs she had sent out from Chicago?

She's got lily bushes, gladiolas, a few crimson creepers...

I helped her select them.

Is it your idea to turn me into a gentleman farmer?

She's got me rooting out there with a yardstick.

She wants 900 holes eight inches deep, seven by six.

A spade full of this, a shovel full of that.

Seems to me she has you working out just fine.

Oh, yeah. She's got herself a pack horse, all right.

She's got me moving this furniture around-- half of it up in the attic,

the other half down in the cellar, and then moving it all back again.

I'm beginning to wonder about you, Stacey.

Are you complaining about the work,

or do you resent taking orders?

Neither one. It's just that I've got some work outside to do, that's all.

Ranch hands are a drag on the market.

I think it's high time you began to think of higher standards for yourself.

Maybe there isn't any time.

Would you care for some shortbread?

No, thank you.

What's wrong with me, Mrs. Miles?

I can handle men,

I know how to raise 10,000 head of beef,

and yet I don't know how to bring up my own flesh and blood.

You're doing your best.

What is "best"?

What you're doing.

They're not your children, Mr. Grainger.

They're your grandchildren.

There's a distance of years to be bridged.

And no matter how hard you reach out to them

or how hard they reach out to you,

there are bound to be times when you can't touch.

What can I do?

I'm a woman, Mr. Grainger.

I can only offer my humble opinion.

I'm asking you.

If you really want to do right by them,

you must try to strengthen them where they need it most.

This may hurt, Mr. Grainger, but someone's got to say it.

They're not educated.

I don't mean they're ignorant.

They've been taught reading, writing,

ciphering.

But their education is not high.

They don't know literature, music, architecture, languages.

And they don't write one word of their own accord.

No letters, no essays, no poems, nothing.

No. No, they don't.

I ask you to compare Stacey to a young man of his age

at an Eastern college.

Could he hold his own against a master of science, a bachelor of arts?

I know what you mean.

Then you can guess how it would be for Elizabeth--

to compete with young ladies

from the finer finishing schools.

She'd be tongue-tied, a country cousin.

There's not much call for higher education here.

I ask you to imagine Stacey at West Point.

He'd be a laughingstock.

Think about it, Mr. Grainger. Think about it.

♪♪

The seed

is planted.

Every day

I cultivate

my garden

of revenge.

♪♪

[ knock at door ]Come in.

Well, come on.

She's waiting for us. You're gonna be late.

I don't feel up to it.

What are you looking at?Birds.

They building a nest?Under the eaves.

They're very reassuring.

They make lots of mistakes, and nobody says anything.

Well, come on. You've been hiding out here in your room all week.

"My room"? Look at it.

Mrs. Miles helped me change it around.

She didn't like the bed by the west wall.

She gave me a new bedspread, new curtains...

She ordered a desk from Chicago.Change it back.

I can't. She made this spread. She made the curtains.

Don't you like 'em?

Well, it's a beautiful spread.

It belongs on the bed of a princess.

Well, Liz, you've got to live with it.

Oh, Stacey, I don't know what's wrong with me.[ music box plays ]

I feel so mean and ungrateful.

[ music box continues ]

Better go. We can't keep her waiting.

Oh, Stacey, I don't know what to do.

I'm no use in the kitchen. I've fallen down on my housework.

I just don't belong anywhere.

Why don't you talk to Granddad? It's your room.

you've got a right to fix it up or tear it apart any way you want to.

I'm not sure I even want it.

But I am sure I don't want to tell him.

He'd have to take sides, and you know how he feels about her.

Yeah, I know.

He thinks she's just about perfect.

[ music box continues ]

Oh, she is perfect for him.

And we can't let pretty things like curtains and bedspreads

wreck his chance for happiness.

Stacey, do you ever wish you could just break loose and run?

Just go and go way, way away?

Mm-hmm. I know how you feel.

It's all I can do to keep myself from cutting loose sometimes.

[ music stops ]

Here we are.

Please sit down.

Of all the attainments, social dancing is the most revealing

of personal background.

Square dances and other country steps are more lively,

but they're simply not acceptable in cosmopolitan surroundings.

Also, we must pay attention to

the formalities of ballroom dancing.

Your dance card lists the program of musical selections.

We'll start off with a formal waltz,

which I'm sure you know.

Very well. I'll show you.

[ waltz plays ]

One two three, one two three,

One two three, one two three,

Stacey, try it.

One two three. Elizabeth, over here beside me.

One, two, three, one, two, three,

one, two, three, one, two, three.

Now, count the measures with me.

ALL: One, two, three, one, two, three.

One two three. Now facing each other.

One two three. Watch the steps, Stacey.

One, two, three, one, two, three.

One, two, three, one, two, three.

One, two, three, one, two, three.

One, two, three, one, two, three.

One, two, three, one, two, three.

Now, just drift with the music.

One, two... Now, place your hand lightly.

Here.

No. No.

This one. That's right. That's right. That's better.

No, here, here, here.

[ chuckles ] There. That's good.

That's fine.

One, two, three. Don't watch your feet.

Now turn.

Easily, easily.

One, two, three, one, two, three.

Just flow with the music. Good.

One, two, three,

one, two, three...

Keep it up, Stace. Don't stop. You're doing fine.

I think I've had enough for one day.

I'm afraid Stacey isn't too interested in formal dancing.

I'm here, aren't I?

The least you can do is try for Elizabeth's sake.

It's not my fault that I can't keep count.

Perhaps you're right, Stacey.

That will be all for today.

[ music off ]

Elizabeth, will you help me with the candling?

I'm sorry, Mr. Grainger. It doesn't seem to be working out too well.

It takes time.

Wait for me in the kitchen, Elizabeth.

I forgot my shawl.

Sometimes I wonder what Mrs. Miles expects.

A fair try?I'm trying.

What's the matter, Stacey?

Aren't you and Mrs. Miles getting along?

Oh, yes, sir. Just fine. Just fine.

You act as though you're holding something back.

Maybe I am.

No need to.

It's none of my business.

Elizabeth?

She likes Mrs. Miles too much to say anything.

She's afraid she'll hurt her feelings.

I'm sure we can straighten it out. What is it?

Mrs. Miles changed her room around.

Her draperies, her bedspread, everything.

Did she tell Mrs. Miles?How can she tell her she hates it?

I'm sorry. I came to get my shawl,

and I couldn't help overhearing.

I had no idea Elizabeth was dissatisfied with my gifts.

Perhaps we should talk to Elizabeth.

No. Please don't.

She told me she liked the curtains and the bedspread.

She can't say she hates it. She is too kindhearted.

Stacey could be wrong.

Mr. Grainger, if he is right,

it's a matter for me to take up with Elizabeth.

If he's wrong, it doesn't make any difference.

A young girl's room is a highly personal concern.

It's a woman's problem,

and I think the women should solve it.

♪♪

She's right.

We should stay out of it.

Yes, sir. She's right.

♪♪

Elizabeth?

♪♪

What's going on?

Repairing the damage.

I don't think Liz is gonna understand.

Why not? She told you I ruined it.

"She hates it." Those were your words.

Very well. I stand corrected. I'm correcting the injury.

I didn't mean it that way.

It's just that I think she'd like it better the way she had it, that's all.

What do you want me to do?

You condemn me if I give her things; you condemn me if I take them away.

I don't condemn you.

Not out in the open.

But you oppose me and undermine me every step of the way.

Why would I want to undermine you?

Because I see you for what you are--

coddled, protected,

catered to.

You pretend to be one of the workmen.

Do you think the foreman would hire you if you weren't his employer's grandson?

♪♪

[ waltz plays ]

Stacey was right.

I removed the offending items.

It's no use anywhere else.

I tailored it to the inch to fit her bedstead.

Perhaps you know a family that might find some use for it.

It's pure silk, and I put in quite a lot of needlework.

Why didn't she want it?

She doesn't like it. Why should she?

Her old bedspread was homespun.

I had hoped to guide her away from rough materials

towards something more feminine.

I'd suggest that you keep it.

You never know. She might come around to liking it.

I'm afraid the bloom is off the rose.

But much worse than that, I'm afraid I've failed you.

You've done your part and more.

I've tried.

But results are what count,

and results seem sadly lacking.

I wouldn't say that.

We've known from the start that Stacey had some rough edges.

His idea of dancing is to whoop and holler at an old-time hoedown.

It's not the dancing.

It just isn't right to expect a man, a young man--

proud, headstrong--

to respond to a woman's teachings.

What Stacey needs is another kind of authority.

Not mine, not yours.

He needs discipline, duties, orders of the day.

Keep him here under a woman's half-measures, and you'll ruin him

♪♪

Come on, Stacey. Will you tell me what's eating you?

Nothing. Not a thing.

"Nothing" make your ears lay flat like that?

You look like you're about ready to turn over the table.

Now, come on. Tell me what's eating you.

If I rode in here looking for a job, would you hire me?

If I was shorthanded.

If I was a stranger looking for some work, would you hire me?

If you're asking if you're up to the outfit, I'll let you answer that.

Are you as old and experienced as the rest of the hands?

No.

You're a good hand, Stacey. You try and you learn.

You do your share of the work. I can't ask for more than that.

But if I just blew in,

just a man looking for a job, you wouldn't hire me, right?

Look, Stacey, when you're a top hand, you'll know it.

You won't have to come and ask me about it.

I'm about ready to get out of here.

Out of where?

Shiloh.

I don't know where I stand anymore.

All I know is I've got to get out from under.

Mrs. Miles giving you trouble?

There's nothing you can pin down.

It's like her needlework-- about 10,000 tiny, little jabs.

I don't even know if I can feel it for sure.

What's your grandfather have to say about this?

He thinks she's just about perfect.

He tell you that?

Why else would he want to marry her?

"Marry her"?

I don't know If they've set the date yet,

but they've been working up to it for a long time.

Before the war, before Captain Miles.

Well, he sure didn't say anything to me about that.

Well, you know how he is.

He won't say a word before he gets in front of that preacher.

It just doesn't ring true.

What more could he want?

She's a fine cook.

She sews like a custom dress-maker.

Likes the same music, reads the same books.

Even made him a feather comforter.

Sounds serious.

Liz feels the same way about it.

He deserves music and books

and feather comforters.

Besides, it won't be too long before we're out on our own anyway.

I'll tell you this much, Stacey--

maybe I wouldn't hire you, but now that I'm used to you,

I'd sure hate to see you go.

♪♪

Thank you.

♪♪

Oh, Stacey!

[ sobbing ]

Where have you been?

Over at the Hadley Ranch.

Dora-Lee invited me to come back and spend the night.

Did you ask permission?

I was going to.

Were you?

Oh, I don't know.

I just wanted to get away.

Are you angry because of your room?

No.

I wish you had told me how you felt.

It would have saved us all a great deal of trouble and hurt feelings.

I didn't know what to say.

And I don't now.

All I know is I didn't want to hurt anybody.

Well, you can't just run away.

And I'm sure you don't want to bring any more hurt.

No, no, I don't want to.

My dear.

I know you are unhappy. I've known it for a long time.

I see you do your best, and I see you fail.

Listen to me, closely.

It's not your fault.

It's not my fault?

You have suffered the most severe neglect--

neglect of your feminine nature.

Living here in a world of men

has coarsened you, dulled you,

deadened you.

You are starved for sensitive instruction.

you cry out for gentle companionship--

not women of my age but young girls

of refinement, delicacy and breeding.

You are quite right, Elizabeth.

You don't belong here.

♪♪

Where do I belong?

In school,

with girls, companions, friends,

where you can learn the arts of womanhood.

Where you can make mistakes and not be criticized.

Look at you. Bewildered. Frightened.

Wanting to run away.

If you are serious

about not bringing any more hurt,

you will go.

but you will do it properly,

acceptably,

agreeably.

Ask Mr. Grainger to let you attend an Eastern school.

Ask him to help you select a suitable academy.

Make it a pleasure for him, and he'll let you go.

Promise me you'll do the right thing. Ask him.

Yes, I'll ask him.

I promise.

[ door shuts ]

♪♪

Mr. Grainger,

may I speak to you about Elizabeth?

Of course.

She's asked for my advice about something

far too important for me to deal with alone.

What is it?

I want you to know I'm strictly neutral, but I am pleased.

Let's hear it.She asked me to help her pick out a school.

I don't understand.

She wants to attend an academy for young ladies.

It's what we've talked about so many times, and she's come to it herself.

Are you telling me she wants to go away to school?

I told you she was made of something special.

And she realizes her own...

oh, not inadequacies, her limitations,

and she has her heart set on improving herself.

But she's too young.

You'll have to tell her that. I couldn't.

I wish you could have seen her face when we discussed the possibilities

of girl companions, lifetime friendships,

the chance to learn domestic arts.

But I was careful not to give her my full endorsement.

I was afraid if I helped her pick out a school,

she'd think she had my full consent.

What did you say?

I told her it was too big a step,

that she would have to take it up with you.

I know nothing about academies for women.

She's your ward, Mr. Grainger.

Her future rests in your hands.

I know several schools by reputation.

I myself went to the Anne Arundel School for Young Ladies.

But I'm afraid it's out of the question.Why?

Eligible girls are registered

the day they are born, and even then, admission is uncertain.

Is that the kind of a school she wants?

What she wants, and what the better schools require,

is something you must talk about.

Mrs. Miles, I wouldn't know where to begin.

Let her do the talking. You'll know what to say.

This is quite a shock.

It never entered my mind that she'd want to leave Shiloh.

Never, ever?

Not until she's ready to marry,

raise a family.

She has her heart set on going. Now.

♪♪

Boston's a fine city.

You'll like it.

Beautiful parks, theaters.

Maybe this isn't the right time to tell you, but...

there's gonna be two of us.

What?

With Elizabeth going away to school,

I got to thinking that maybe it's time I set out.

Oh, no. I need you here.

There's plenty of good hands-- older,

more experienced.

Talking about Boston

has got me thinking about the big cities,

and, well, I picked out San Francisco.

For a visit, yes.

Might do you good. But you wouldn't want to give up ranching.

I'd like to try my luck.

All right, wait a couple of years, at least until you come of age.

How old were you when you started out on your own?

Times were harder then. I had no choice.

I don't want to take the easy way.

You work hard enough.

If I go to school, will you let me go?

There's a new college that takes working students.

I can earn my way.

You've got it all planned out.

Well, with Elizabeth getting an education,

I don't want her to be ashamed of me.

It takes a lot of courage, Stacey.

I'd like to go, Granddad, with your permission.

I can understand your wanting to set out,

and I know I had to make my own way,

but...

hard enough to see Elizabeth leave.

I don't know that I'm ready to see you both go.

You two stay and talk about San Francisco.

Elizabeth wants to pick out some dresses

for the first semester.

Come upstairs, dear.You don't have to.

You can stay, Liz.

Stacey's right. Do you want.

Do you want to stay or come?

It's bound to hurt.

I know how you feel, Stace.

Knots me up too.

But her heart's set on going.

She doesn't want to go.

She asked me to help her pick out the best school.

She doesn't belong in Boston.

The question is,

will she benefit by going?

No matter how you or I feel about it,

will it benefit her?

I can't say it won't.

What about me?

Will college benefit me?

How could I say it won't.

But it won't hurt you to wait a little while-- till summer, at least.

I don't want to go.

I'll miss Shiloh.

I'll miss you.

But you've got your own life,

and it's time I started out on my own.

♪♪

I'm asking you to let me try, Granddad.

I'm asking.

You come from a hard-headed family, Stace.

You set your mind to it, you'll go--

with or without my permission.

Elizabeth's needs are special.

I don't have much to offer her.

But you could have a good life here.

I've always intended to hand Shiloh over to you someday.

I'm not gonna try to stop you.

But I am asking you to think about it a while.

And if it's right for you to go, we'll both know it.

And you'll go.

Yeah.

♪♪

[ wind gusting ]

♪♪

[ knock at door ]Come in.

Well, come in, Mr. Grainger

I don't mean to interrupt.

You can't interrupt a man doing nothing. Have a chair.

Thank you.

Tell me,

Has Stacey ever said anything to you

about Elizabeth and he leaving Shiloh?

Yes, sir.

I tried to head him off, but he won't listen.

Well, he's like the rest of us--

Wants to try his luck on his own.

I think he likes Shiloh well enough,

but it seems that he feels he's living off of me.

Yes, sir. He asked me if I'd hire him

if he wasn't a relative of yours.

What'd you tell him?I told him he was a good hand,

but he still had some growing to do.

I'd hate to think I helped to run him off.

I don't think you did.

I think Elizabeth's leaving has a lot to do with it.

Did she give you her reason for leaving?

She has her heart set on a school for young ladies in Boston.

Well, put it that way, I guess

there's nothing more to be said.

You've got something on your mind.

I wish you'd say it.

Sir, with both of them leaving that way,

together,

could be they have some special reason for going.

Such as?

Maybe they think you'd like to have the place to yourself.

Why would I want the place to myself?

You and Mrs. Miles.

Are you telling me that Stacey and Elizabeth think there's something between us?

It's possible.

Stacey mentioned that you and she

had known one another before the war,

before Captain Miles.

No one around here likes to gossip,

so it tends to stay in the dark.

I see.

I appreciate your respect for privacy.

You don't come up to the house as often as you used to.

I'd like to see more of you.

I'll be up to see you, Mr. Grainger. You can count on it.

Thanks for setting me straight.

Elizabeth?

[ wind gusting ]

Mrs. Miles?

Mrs. Miles?Come in.

We're selecting a wardrobe.

Will you come downstairs, please?

I'd like to discuss something with you.

Yes.Elizabeth.

Fold the cape,

and I'll show you how to fix the ruffles.

The draft must've caught your door.

It was open. I closed it.Thank you.

I don't think you ought to leave candles burning.

I'm sorry. I'll put them out.

I'll wait for you downstairs.

♪♪

[ thunder crashing ]

Mrs. Miles.

Please come in.

I'm sorry about the candles.

I'd have put them out, but I saw your remembrance

to Captain Miles and thought you'd prefer to do it yourself.

Did you remove the picture from the diary?

The picture was on the floor.

The draft must've turned the pages.

You closed it?

I assumed it was private.Thank you.

Sit down, please.

Mrs. Miles,

I'm afraid I've made a mistake.

A mistake?

There are certain things I value--

my ranch, my house,

and above all, my grandchildren.

I want what's best for them,

but perhaps I've been trying too hard.

Trying to change them away from what's natural to them.

You've brought out the best in them,

inspired them to improve themselves.

What good that's come of it is thanks to you.

You've been most generous.

You've taught them a world of things, and I'm very grateful.

Then where's the mistake?

It's not yours, it's mine.

In spite of the good you've done, it's wrong for the family.

I don't see anything wrong.

It's wrong for them to go away.

I'm sorry.

I have to disagree with you.

Mrs. Miles,

Stacey and Elizabeth belong here at Shiloh,

and they're going to stay.

I owe it to you, Mr. Grainger,

to try to open your eyes.

You're not thinking of your grandchildren. You're thinking of yourself

I'm thinking of my family, together.

Oh, yes. You want to keep them tied to you.

Why would I want that?Out of fear.

"Fear"? Of what?

You know what you're afraid of, Mr. Grainger, alone at night.

No, I don't know, Mrs. Miles.

But I do know that things have gone too far.

We've changed things around too much.

We've allowed it to get too formal.

Silk covers and lace curtains

are very well for a mansion in Maryland...

Everything I've done!

Shiloh is a working ranch.

It's built of timber and solid stone.

Elizabeth was right. What it needs is homespun.

She's never forgiven me.

Forgiven you?

For changing her bedspread.

I'm trying my best to save her from coarseness.

Mrs. Miles,

I want it changed back the way it was.

You were perfectly satisfied

until I left you alone this evening with Stacey.

Stacey has nothing to do with it.

You don't have to protect him, Mr. Grainger.

No, I don't.He's done a good job.

I know how he feels about me.

He knows I see through him.

He thinks he can turn you against me,

whispering his poisonous little lies in your ear.Mrs. Miles!

It's no use talking to you!

You're on their side! You've always been on their side!

We gave you every opportunity to come with us!

Captain Miles offered you a commission in his regiment, and you turned against him!

He was your friend, and you fought him!

That was 20 years ago.

He was your friend, and you fought him in the Battle of the Wilderness!

You! You!

There were seven regiments, 20,000 men.

You knew he was there.

You knew the bullets from your gun would tear open his flesh.

You shot at him! You cut him down!

You set fire to the trees and burned him beyond recognition!

You took my loved one away from me!

You murderer!

♪♪

Stacey. Stacey!

What's the matter?

Send Belden for the doctor.

Mrs. Miles.

Belden!

Elizabeth.

They're outside in the hall.

[ screams ]

Mrs. Miles!

Open this door, I say!

What happened?Elizabeth's in there.

Open the door! Please let them in!

[ pounding on door ]

Force it.

She's set fire to the curtains! It's on fire!

There's someone in here.

[ pounding continues ]

There! Holding the burning branch!

He's set fire to the house! Stop him! Stop him!

♪♪

The carriage is outside. Mrs. Hadley says she'll stay with her

till she gets to the hospital in Chicago.Good.

It's hard to figure.

Why would she want to burn the house?

She's lost herself in the past.

She tried to make this her house,

just like hers back in Maryland.

Raiders burned it. She saw it happen.

She saw it again last night.

You think she knows what she did?

Well, it goes pretty deep.

She blamed me for her husband's death,

and she tried to tear my family apart out of revenge.

She's coming down now.

♪♪

Be sure to thank the gardener for the flowers.

I'll write to you.

And as soon as the new house is finished, we want you to come and see us.

Captain Miles wants you to join his regiment.

He considers you his closest friend.

Goodbye.

Goodbye.

♪♪

[ theme music playing ]