In the film Pale Rider (1985) Preacher (Clint Eastwood) inadvertently finds Megan (Sydney Penny) alone in the woods at night. Preacher is a weathered, old man (55 years old when movie made – looks older) while Megan is a beautiful, young girl (14 years old when movie made and sounds about that old while also being physically mature for her age). Preacher is actually a gunman brought back from the dead (apparently)by the young girl’s prayer for help. He saves the hapless miners from being driven off their claims, kills all the evil men and rescues Megan from an attempted gang rape and so naturally she becomes infatuated with him, tells him that she loves him and asks him to make love to her. Rather than taking advantage of her age, inexperience and vulnerability – and the situation they find themselves in – he kindly turns her down with fatherly advice.

Transcript taken from Cowboys and Indians Transcripts website. The dialogue is much more powerful when you watch the actual scene from the movie.

P – Hello.
M – Hello.

M – I buried my dog over here.

P – Well, that’s hallowed
ground, then.

M – I said a prayer for her.

M- It was after the raid.

M – I prayed for a miracle.

P – Well, maybe someday
you’ll get that miracle.

M – It was the day you arrived.

M – I think I love you.

P – There’s nothing wrong with that.

P – If there was more
love in the world…

P – there’d probably be
a lot less dying.

M – Then there can’t be anything
wrong with making love either.

P – I think it’s best just to…

P – practice loving for a while
before you think about the other.

M – If I practice just loving for awhile, will you
teach me the other?

P – Megan, most folks around…

P – kind of associate
that with marriage.

M – I’ll be 15 next month.

M – Mama was married when she was 15.

M – Will you teach me then?

P – Ninety-nine out of
100 men would be proud to say yes to that, Megan.

P – But a young girl, a
young woman like you…

P – you wouldn’t wanna spend your
future on a man like me.

M – Why not?

P – That’s just the way it is.

M – I don’t understand.

M – I don’t believe you.

M – I don’t wanna believe you.

M – Whatever you’re saying,
it isn’t true.

M – It isn’t fair.

P – Come on, now.

P – That’s no way to pass a test.

M – Test?

P – Trust.

P – If you love someone…

P – you gotta try to…

P – trust what they tell you is true.

M – Even if it means they
can’t be together?

P – Someday a young man’s gonna
come along, the right man.

P – Then none of this’ll
matter any more.

P – Now, if I was your mama, I’d be
worried about where you are.

M – It’s my mama you love, isn’t it?

P – Your mama’s a fine
woman, and so are you.

M – The way you look at her and
the way she looks at you…

M – It’s true. I don’t care.
You can have her.

M – I never wanna see you again.

P – Megan…

M – I hope you die and I
hope you go to hell.