"Good evening, Mr Halbert." "I've done shopping, Hugh." "What are you doing?" "They're for mother..." "When she's better." "She'll love it." "Have you paid Mrs Quayle?" "Yes, she's still here." "Come on... we'll be late." "Dunstan..." "Are you coming?" "It's nearly "mother-time"." "Hey, wait, Jimminy darling!" "Did you call, Mrs 'ook?" "She's been asleep, Mrs Quayle." "Oh, I won't disturb 'er then." "Elsa!" "Tell your mum I'll be in Saturday next week, alright?" "I'll tell her, Mrs Quayle." "Alright then." "Hope your mum'll soon be better." "Well, I'm off then." "Cheery-bye!" "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." "You know who I am..." "I'm..." "Dad?" "No, I'm..." "Mother?" "No, I'm Mrs Quayle..." "old "Snail Quayle"..." "And I'm going to give you a proper dusting." "Sh!" ".." "She'll hear you!" ""Mother-time"" "What's wrong, Diana?" "Nothing." "Jimminy, you bring the little ones in." "They're in the garden." ""All things bright ...and beautiful..."" "Elsa..." "Is she still asleep?" "So... is she...?" "Is it mother?" "Mother... please!" "Don't, Hugh!" "She's..." "It's all over." "But she can't be dead!" "She IS, Hugh..." "I know!" "She..." "She's gone." "Stop it Gerty..." "Stop it at once!" "You gotta tell them, Else." "Don't be telling ME what to do!" "I'm the eldest." "Alright, Else." "Please, Hugh..." "The little ones mustn't see you've been crying." "Alright, Hugh..." "I'm ready." "Sh!" ".." "Here's Hugh." "Elsa says..." "you can come in now." "Read to us!" "Mother..." "Mother has passed on." "Mother has passed on." "You're cold, Mother!" "It's alright, Diana..." "It's alright." "But she's cold!" "She's cold!" "Mother's... d..." "Dead." "What's dead?" "Like..." "Like..." "Jesus?" "That's right." "She's gone to join Jesus." "Crucified... dead and buried..." "And on the third day, He rose again." "And He rose..." "Mother won't rise again." "She needs some blankets..." "she's cold..." "She's not dead!" "She's alright... she's not dead ...she's not!" "Stop it, Diana, stop it!" "Stop it Di... she IS dead!" "I am the rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys." "As the lily among thorns... so is my love among the daughters." "As the apple tree among the trees of the wood... so is my beloved among the sons." "I sat down under his shadow..." "You forgot my food!" "Jimminy!" "You haven't fed him!" "I forgot." "I do forget things, you know." "Mother knows." "Doesn't she..." "Else?" "You never do anything but draw all the time..." "I suppose you think drawing's more important..." "Don't be foolish, Dun!" "It's alright, Jimminy..." "you can do it later." "Mother wouldn't have minded." "I mind!" "I mind!" "It does matter!" "We're gonna be finished!" "Whither is thy beloved gone" "O thou fairest among women?" "Whither is thy beloved turned aside... that we may seek him with thee?" "My beloved is gone down into his garden... to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens,  and to gather lilies." "I am my beloved and my beloved is mine..." "He feedeth among the lilies." "Don't stop." "By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth..." "I sought him, but I found him not." "I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth..." "I sought him, but I found him not." "The watchmen that go about the city found me... to whom I said..." "Saw ye him whom my soul loveth?" "It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth" "I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house... and into the chamber of her that conceived me." "For what we are about to receive may the Lord make us truly grateful." "Amen." "More sugar." "You've got it." "Well, it's not sweet enough." "She shows no respect." "Don't, Dun... she's only a baby." "Here you are." "We ought to tell someone, Elsa." "Tell who?" "The doctor." "What doctor?" "The one down Millet Rd..." "Dr Meadows." "We could tell him..." "Couldn't we?" "Mother wouldn't want any doctor messing about touching her!" "When I had measles, mother..." "That's different, Gerty..." "Mother isn't ill any more..." "Mother's dead." "God will keep us well if He wants us well or He'll take us to His bosom when our time is done." "Remember?" "She always said that." "We're going to keep the budgie..." "aren't we?" "Of course we are." "Everything's going to be exactly the same." "Everything." "That's Mother's comb!" "Can't I keep it now, Else?" "Certainly not!" "Mother won't need to comb any more." "Gerty!" "Well, she won't..." "will she, Else?" "Mother and I called it wiggy-wiggy!" "Stop it!" "Both of you... stop it!" "Now, straight to bed!" "Good night!" "Wiggy!" "Goodnight... wiggy wiggy wiggy..." "Listen!" ".." "I remember..." "Mother left a will." "Perhaps there's something in it..." "Something Mother wanted us to know." "Well, where is it?" "It's in Mother's desk." "What's a... will?" "What's a... will?" ""Last Will and Testament"" "I, Violet Edna Hook...  being of sound mind, hereby bequeath... the need for my home, house, all the furniture and contents therein and the money in my Post Office Savings Account to my dear children." "In death, as in life, I shall be forever near them." "And so long as they remain together, cherishing each other and living in Christian harmony no harm shall come to them." "To my..." "What else does it say?" "Nothing." "Let me see!" "There's nothing else, I tell you!" "We're going to get out it." "Please..." "I want a biscuit." "Biscuit!" "You can't have a biscuit every time you want one." "Yes, she can!" "Well, she's not gonna get anything she wants at the orphanage, is she?" "Keep it, Dun!" "What's an... orphanage?" "It's a place with bars on the windows..." "Big iron bars that you can't get out!" "And you're not allowed outside, except when they say." "And they whip you..." "they whip you with whips!" "And they never give you enough to eat." "And you wear sack-cloth and sleep on bare boards." "And they put the girls in one place and the boys in another." "And you're not allowed to talk..." "or they'll whip you!" "Why do we have to go to an orphanage?" "Because we're... orphans." "No... silly!" "." "We won't tell them." "Please, Elsa..." "Can I have a biscuit now?" "They'll find out!" "The funeral men will tell." "Any grown-up will tell." "We won't tell them, then." "We have to tell them..." "we have to have a funeral." "Why?" "Because you have to bury the dead..." "that's why." "Why?" "Because God said so!" "What did God say, Dun?" "For dust thou art and dust to dust thou shallt return." "What happens, Dun?" "The funeral man puts the body in a box." "And he carries it to the graveyard." "They dig the ground..." "And they make the grave." "And they put the body in the grave." "Put the earth back... and then..." "They're not going to take mother away from us, are they?" "Elsa..." "Can't we bury Mother in the garden?" "Then we needn't tell anybody!" "Mother!" "Mother!" "Where's Mother?" "It's alright, Willy... it's alright!" "Better get ready for school." "Jimminy!" "It's school time." "Come on, Jimminy!" "Now then... remember..." "If anyone asks about Mother..." "You just say she's ill." "Because she's been ill a long time." "That's right..." "and she's still very ill." "She's not ill... she's dead." "Oh, Gerty!" "But she is, isn't she?" "Yes, but you mustn't tell anyone." "Remember?" "Not even Miss Bailey?" "You'll never understand." "I do!" ".." "It's a secret!" "And if we tell we go to hell." "That's right!" "Come on... we mustn't be late." "Jimminy... no hanging about after school." "Remember?" "It's Mother's cheque." "Elsa..." "Do we HAVE to go?" "Don't worry..." "Come on, we'll manage." "We managed all the time Mother was ill..." "We'll manage now." "We've got to have faith." "Yes, Willy..." "we'll talk to her tonight." "We'll have "Mother-time" the same as usual... and we'll talk to her." "Everything's going to be exactly the same, as it always was." "Oh Mother, you are always with us." "Oh Mother, you are always with us." "When we are awake and when we are asleep." "When we are awake and when we are asleep." "We kept with you to guide us." "We kept with you to guide us." "To watch us and to love us" "To watch us and to love us" "In your house and in your tabernacle" "In your house and in your tabernacle" "Speak to us oh Mother, for we love you." "Speak to us oh Mother, for we love you." "Amen." "Mother, we'll always be here." "My beloved spake and said unto me..." "Look, Miss Bailey..." "That's nice, Jimminy..." "Is it YOUR house?" "Diana says it's a tabernacle." "For Mother." "Is she any better?" "Elsa looks after us now." "And we all look after Mother." "After... after..." "V..." "I..." "O..." "L..." "E T." "42 pounds is an awful lot of money." "Isn't it, Else?" "No it isn't..." "Not after you've paid all the bills..." "and bought food and that." "But it comes every month." "There's never anything left." "We're not rich, Gerty." "You mustn't go thinking that." "O..." "O..." "K" "That's very good!" ""Violet Hook"" "No one will ever know the difference." "...30 pounds..." "We... get... more... than... he does..." "Good morning miss..." "What can I do for you?" "It's Mother's cheque..." "The annuity... to be cashed." "Mother's annuity, eh?" "Why can't Mother cash this herself?" "She's ill..." "She wrote you a letter..." "Just a minute." "How would you like it, miss?" "39...40...41... 42 pounds, 3 shillings and sixpence!" "I told you!" "You're a genius, Jimminy." "Now you're going to sign for Mother every month!" "It's easy..." "Hooray for Jimminy!" "There's this too..." "Mother's savings account." "I found it in her desk." "433 pounds, 10 shillings and sevenpence!" "We're rich!" "We're rich!" "No we aren't." "Mother said that's money for a rainy day." "Isn't it a rainy day now?" "We forgot to do the shopping." "Can you buy some baked beans..." "please... please... please!" "Elsa!" "Is that you?" "Where's your mother?" "Where is she... what's up?" "Where's all her furniture?" "She's gone away, Mrs Quayle." "Gone away?" "And she asked me to tell you we shan't be needing you anymore." "Not after today." "You won't be needing me anymore?" "Me?" "Look..." "What is all this?" "What do you mean, she's gone away?" "Mrs Quayle..." "Mother's very ill..." "She's had to go away to the seaside." "The doctor sent her to the seaside to get better." "The doctor!" "?" "And it's going to cost a lot of money..." "So we can't afford you, any more, Mrs Quayle." "Doctor!" "Look, don't give me that!" "You're mother wouldn't have a doctor in this house if you were all dying on your feet!" "That much I DO know!" "Mrs Quayle..." "I think you'd better go." "Oh, don't worry dear..." "I'm going!" "I wouldn't stay in this house." "It's marvellous, i'n it?" "." "I don't even get a week's notice!" "After all the love I've given you children." "And that's all the thanks I get!" "Cleaning up after you lot..." "Waiting on HER..." "hand and foot!" "I'm not a fool, you know." "I thought there was something funny going on..." "Locking herself up in her room like that hardly saying a word to me." "And you lot acting so queer." "I knew there was something going on." "Here's your money, Mrs Quayle." "May I have your key, please?" "After all I've done for your mother!" "Listening to her groaning and screaming!" "Putting it on the Lord to forgive her sins..." "Yes, that's something I better not say too much about." "Though I COULD, mind you!" "I could!" "We don't need a cleaning lady, anyway." "Does it mean I have to do rubbish?" "Elsa!" "What is it?" "There's a letter for Mother..." "From someone called Mr Charles Hook." "Must be one of our relations." "Elsa!" "We don't want anything to do with him." "Why?" "Who is he?" "Well, who is he?" "If you must know..." "He's Mother's husband." "Husband?" "Elsa, that means he's our father." "We could have told him, Elsa." "About Mother." "Will he..." "No!" "Mother wouldn't have wanted that." "She said he was a beast and we're well rid of him." "He must love us." "We don't need him, Hugh." "Honest, we don't." "We've got each other..." "haven't we?" "Gerty... stop that this minute!" "You won't tell the others, will you, Hugh?" "I promised Mother not to." "Please." "Alright, I'm coming!" "Gerty..." "Dun... what's the matter?" "You've got to stop screaming!" "He said I'm not allowed to play on the swing anymore!" "She'll sing out loudly to everyone!" "Can't you leave her alone?" "He said I'm not allowed to play in the garden at all....anymore!" "It's Mother's garden now." "You see, you've got no respect!" "You're a sinner!" "And God will rip your insides out and leave you to rot if you play in the garden any more." "Can I have a ride?" "Oh, please can I have a ride!" "Please!" "Thank you very much!" "Mother is here." "Mother is listening." "Does anyone wish to speak to Mother?" "Gerty does....she wants to confess." "No I don't..." "I got a tummy-ache." "Mother says..." ""What has Gerty done wrong?"" "Nothing!" "You brought a stranger to the house, didn't you?" "!" "She's too little, Dun!" "Too little to tell." "I didn't tell..." "I didn't!" "Do you want them to find out about Mother?" "Do you want them to take Mother away?" "Do you?" "!" "Mother says..." ""What else has Gerty done wrong?"" "Nothing!" "You let the stranger touch you, didn't you?" "He didn't!" "He didn't!" "You're lying..." "I saw you!" "I didn't!" "I didn't!" "Honest I didn't." "I only kissed him..." "That's all." "Harlot!" "Poor Mother." "What else did you do?" "Mother wants to know!" "You were vulgar..." "weren't you!" "?" "No... no... no... no... no!" "Stop it, Dun!" "Stop it!" "Guess who's forgotten Mother!" "Gerty must me punished." "Mother... dear Mother..." "Tell us what Gerty's punishment should be." "Take her..." "Take away the comb." "Take away the comb!" "No!" "Cut off her hair!" "No!" "Punish!" "Cut her hair!" "It's grown long again..." "Punish little daughter..." "Punish sin!" "You can't do it, Dun!" "You can't!" "Do you know better than Mother?" "Do you think you know better than God?" "Oh Mother, you are always with us." "Oh Mother, you are always with us." "When we are awake and when we are asleep." "When we are awake and when we are asleep." "No!" "No..." "No..." "No..." "Please!" "No... stop please!" "Oh please, no!" "Gerty..." "Gerty..." "Gerty..." "Mummy..." "Come to bed, Gerty." "It's alright, Gerty." "It's alright." "I got a pain." "It's alright." "I got a pain!" "Gerty..." "Jimminy, did you bring the note I asked you for?" "What note, Miss Bailey?" "From your mother..." "about Gerty's absence." "I forgot it." "Well be sure and bring it tomorrow." "Yes, Miss Bailey." "Can I get him?" "Dr Meadows?" "Can I, Elsa?" "Why not?" "Mother wouldn't like it." "We can't go against her, now." "Gerty's going to die!" "Mother is listening." "Does anyone want to speak to Mother?" "Please..." "Can I get a doctor for Gerty." "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away." "The wages of sin is death." "Mr Charles Hook..." "Dear..." "Hugh..." "Has..." "God got a beard?" "...Mr Hook..." "Hugh..." "What are you... doing?" "Nothing." "Go to sleep!" "Hubert!" "You're going to be late for school!" "I'm not going to school today." "Someone's got to look after Gerty." "You're not going to fetch a doctor!" "No." "Gerty..." "Feeling any better?" "I've brought you some biscuits." "Cream ones." "Come on!" "Try one." "It's not..." "I did it yesterday." "It's Jimminy's." "Jimminy's." "I want some more tongue." "We haven't got any." "Hello..." "Where've you been?" "This is Louis." "Who's he?" "He'll come to live with us." "He can't stay here, Jimminy!" "If HE goes..." "I go." "Where'd you get him from?" "He's in my form..." "He sits at the back." "You kidnapped him, kid!" "I didn't..." "He wanted to come." "Didn't you, Louis?" "You can't go around kidnapping people!" "Haven't you got a home?" "He doesn't want to go home." "Do you want some tea?" "He looked at my portfolio." "We haven't got any coal." "Well put him to bed then." "We can't just keep him..." "We've got to send him home to his mother." "His brother died..." "He'll jump in the river..." "And I will, too!" "How do you know he isn't a traitor?" "We can find out, Dun..." "We can ask Mother." "Yes..." "let's ask Mother." "You won't run away, will you?" "I told you..." "I told you..." "Louis can stay." "This is your home, now." "You can stay, you can stay!" "You will stay, won't you Louis?" "You want to, don't you?" "Yes, please." "He can talk!" "Of course he can talk." "Of course he can." "Where's he going to sleep, Jimminy?" "With me!" "She wouldn't answer." "What?" "Mother wouldn't answer." "I tried and tried, and she didn't speak to me." "Mother wasn't there!" "So I HAD to pretend...." "I lied to you!" "I told a lie!" "But the other times..." "She's always been there before..." "She's always spoken to me, I promise you!" "Suppose she's come for Gerty?" "Please!" "Open it!" "Look!" "Look Elsa..." "I found a golliwog." "What's going on?" "You'll see." "You haven't even made your beds." "Later, Hugh, later... sit down." "Close your eyes." "Why?" "Let me see..." "Open your eyes!" "Children, before you go off to your classroom..." "Miss Bailey has something very serious she wants to ask you." "Smiling with the teacher will get a smacked bum!" "Children!" "Louis Grossiker has been kidnapped." "Now then!" "." "Any of you seen Louis?" "Never heard of him." "Louis' mother is very upset." "Where's my Louis?" "I've lost my little Louis!" "Dunstan!" "Have you seen Louis?" "Oh, no!" "I've lost my Louis." "You naughty girl!" "It's Gerty!" "It's Gerty!" "I want a biscuit!" "She's better!" "Please Hugh... please..." "Can I have a biscuit?" "I'll get it." "I told you, Hugh..." "Mother knows best." "Look, Gert... it's Louis." "He's one of us, now." "I want a biscuit and one for my black rat, too!" "I'll go." "Miss Bailey!" "Yes..." "Miss Bailey?" "I want to speak to your mother, Dunstan." "She's asleep." "Then I'm afraid you'll have to wake her." "Now then... would you tell her?" "Would you like to sit down?" "No, thank you..." "I've come to speak to your mother." "And that's what I'm going to do." "Mother doesn't want to speak to you, Miss Bailey." "She doesn't want to speak to anyone just at the moment." "Diana, I'm afraid I MUST speak to your mother." "If she's asleep, you'll have to wake her." "What do you want, Miss Bailey?" "I know that you have Louis here." "In this house." "Who?" "Louis Grossiker." "Jimminy... you were seen bringing him in here." "Where is he?" "Hubert... will you tell me where Louis is?" "Well, if you won't tell me..." "I'll have to find him myself." "He isn't here... it's a lie!" "Louis!" "You can't just kidnap someone like that, Elsa..." "Where is he?" "Well... where is your mother?" "I want to speak to your mother, Elsa." "You can't go in there..." "It's Mother's room." "Mrs Hook..." "You said she was asleep." "Where is she?" "Where is your mother?" "Go away, Miss Bailey..." "Go away." "Have you all gone mad?" "Mother's ill..." "Mother's been a long time." "Yes Willy, I know..." "but where is she?" "And what have you done with Louis?" "Don't lie to me Willy..." "I know you're hiding him here." "Hello..." "Who are you?" "I'm Louis." "I'm Charlie." "Mother doesn't want you here." "Elsa... don't you realise that Louis' mother is very upset?" "Hey... what's goin' on?" "Go away, Miss Bailey..." "go away!" "Well if you won't tell me where he is I'll have to report you to the police." "Louis!" "Come here now Louis!" "It's no use hiding anymore." "Who are you?" "Hook." "Charlie Hook." "And you'll be..." "Miss Bailey?" "Yes." "I'm the children's teacher." "I'm very pleased to meet you, Miss Bailey." "Dad!" "Steady on...!" "Now, what you been up to while I been away... eh?" "Did you get yourselves in a bit of a scrape?" "Mr Hook..." "Oh, call me Charlie." "Where's your wife?" "The children said she was asleep, but she's not in her room." "Alright..." "Well, she couldn't be in her room, could she?" "Couldn't?" "Well I mean..." "It's obvious she isn't." "I'n't it?" "But the children said she was asleep." "Did they now?" "Someone's going to have to tell the teacher where Mother is." "Ain't they?" "Come on then." "Out with it!" "Well, someone say!" "Mother had to go away." "The doctor sent her away to the seaside to get better." "The seaside!" "The sanatorium." "But you..." "You know about children, Miss Bailey..." "Something they don't like..." "They pretend it just never happened." "Like ostriches in the sand." "Now what's all this about..." "what is it..." "Lewis?" "He ran away from home..." "and they've kept him here." "They don't realise..." "They ought have had more sense, oughtn't they, really." "You are a bright bunch of bananas..." "really!" "Look how upset you made poor Miss Bailey!" "I don't know!" "I really don't know." "What happened?" "..has Mum gone to the police?" "No she hasn't." "I don't think she trusts the police." "Come along, Louis." "Some people are like that." "Gerty!" "What have you done to your hair?" "!" "I cut it." "I think you ought to give your children a good talking to, Mr Hook." "Oh, I will, Miss Bailey..." "I will!" "Good night, My Hook." "Goodnight, Miss Bailey." "Goodbye Louis." "Well, you'd've all been in a right mess, if I hadn't turned up, wouldn't you?" "Who are you?" "He's out father." "I wrote to him." "We haven't got a father." "You know we haven't." "We have... ask Elsa." "Hubert!" "You promised!" "I had to, Elsa." "I thought Gerty was dying." "We don't want anything to do with you!" "Steady on!" "Elsa is all we've got." "We can manage without HIM." "Who do we use to decide things?" "We've always asked Mother." "We can ask her now." "Come on." "Di..." "He's got to stay, Di." "What happens, if Mother..." "You've got to MAKE him stay!" "Answer me, Mother!" "Answer me!" "Thank you, Mother." "Thank you." "Mother says you can stay." "Hugh..." "Your letter said that Mother was dead." "She is." "This is "Mother-Time"." "We come out here for what to do..." "and what not to do." "I'm Gerty." "Gerty, Willy, Jimminy... bedtime!" "Are you really our dad?" "He is!" "He is!" "Mother told me all about you, Charlie Hook." "You ARE going to stay, aren't you?" "We're MOTHER's children..." "Don't forget that." "Hugh..." "When your mother died..." "I mean..." "What happened about the funeral?" "There wasn't one." "We buried her in the garden." "In the garden?" "Yeah..." "In the tabernacle." "Anyone else know?" "No." "I see." "Where's the lolly come from, eh?" "The money!" ".." "What you live on." "Oh... the cheque." "What cheque?" "Mother's cheque." "It comes every month." "We take it to the bank." "Oh, they cash it, do they?" "What about 'er signature?" "Oh, that!" "Well, Jimminy does that..." "He can copy almost anything." "Can he?" "!" "That's pretty sharp!" "Who's that?" "Mr Halbert... next door." "Don't you know him well?" "He's very rich." "You ARE going to stay..." "aren't you Charlie?" "We'll have to have a little think about that..." "won't we?" "Gerty, Hubert, Elsa, Jimminy..." "Yours, Willy..." "You keep your eye on the toast." "Right, Jimmy..." "Elsa... you pour the tea and be mother, eh?" "Just a slip of the tongue, that's all..." "just a slip of the tongue." "Now, where's Dunstan?" "He's in the tabernacle." "Well, all he'll get in there is a head cold." "I'll go and get him." "No you won't." "You'll sit down and eat your breakfast." "Do as I say, love." "If Dunstan wants to be late for school, that's his affair, not yours." "...Dunstan..." "Jimminy..." "Willy..." "Gerty..." "What about it?" "It's us!" "And Charlie... you forgot Charlie." "Yeah... you don't want to go forgetting Charlie!" "Ta-ta Charlie!" "Come on, higher!" "You'll be sick!" "I won't!" "'Bye!" "Be good!" "So I had the telephone in me hand, you see." "So I says, "Hello, I'd like to speak to the United Nations."" ""UNO..." "And I'd like speak to the Secretary General."" "Now, he's the big man..." "the very biggest." ""Oh" I said..."doesn't matter who I am..." "don't you worry about that..."" ""That's not the point..." "The point is this top secret!"" "So he comes on the line and says "hello" and I says "hello"..." "I says "Now look here..." "What's all this about?"" "He says "What's what all about?"." "I said "Don't give me all that stuff..." "You know..."" ""The whole bleeding issue..." "What's it about?"" "I said "B for Bloody..." "L for Lousy..."" "And then suddenly..." "just like that..." "I felt this gun sticking in my back." "And a voice... a very strange voice..." "said..." ""Don't you move, Charlie."" ""Don't you move."" "Who was it?" "It was a bogey of course." "What's a bogey?" "It's a sort of demon, silly." "What happened?" "Well, I still had the telephone in me hand at that point, so..." "So I says to the Secretary-General..." "I says..." ""By the way, there's someone here I think would like to have a little word with you."" "So then I flung the telephone straight at the bogey hit him with my left and jumped out the window." "Gosh!" "Yeah, it was "gosh" and all!" "I don't believe a word of it!" "I've got a mark to prove it." "Where?" "Yes, where?" "!" "Well, you see when I jumped out the window" "I landed right on top of the bloody garbage bin." "Look... see the mark?" "Marked for life." "Bloody!" "Willy!" "Are you alright?" "I'll give you something to laugh about." "You said you weren't ticklish!" "Go away, horrible child!" "You can't catch me..." "You can't catch me!" "You're not dead yet!" "I want my mother!" "There you go... up you go." "There... now you're 'King of the Castle'." "I'm the king of the castle and you're the dirty rascal" "Come on... down you come....quick!" "I'm a elephant!" "This is my best day." "We ought to decide who's going shopping this week." "Charlie is..." "I signed the cheque yesterday." "I meant who else is going?" "Who else is going where?" "Shopping with Charlie..." "you ought to go, Dun." "Not me..." "I don't like shopping." "Well, someone's got to keep an eye on him." "Hubert doesn't care anymore." "Care about what?" "About..." "Mother." "That's not fair, Elsa." "No, it isn't..." "Of course I care about Mother." "None of you do!" "Anything Charlie does..." "Can't you see we're alright now?" "We're safe!" "Safe?" "We ARE safe!" "Now that Charlie looks after us... we..." "'Charlie'...'Charlie'...all I ever hear is 'Charlie'." "I knew a bloke who had the perfect system." "Oh, it took him a long time to learn." "I seen him at every racecourse in England." ""How's the system, John?" I used to say." ""Oh, coming along nicely", he'd say." "Of course, he was testing it..." "you know." "Then he started." "I remember the time I saw him..." "the first time after that..." "It was Sandown Park, I think..." ""How's it coming?", I said." ""Very nicely."" "Well, I could see that..." "He was wearing a new hat at the time, I remember." "And a car... and a chauffeur." "Of course some people say that betting's a sin." "I suppose it is, if you don't win." "You wait there." "You might bring me luck." "Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?" "I raised thee up under the apple tree..." "There thy mother brought thee forth..." "There she brought thee forth that bare thee." "Set me as a seal upon thine heart... as a seal upon thine arm..." "for love is strong as death..." "Jealousy is cruel as the grave..." "The coals thereof are coals of fire which hath a most vehement flame." "I wouldn't've 'eard that for years." "Many waters cannot quench love... neither can the floods drown it..." "If a man would give all the substance of his house for love it would utterly be contemned." "It's just our Vi..." "marvellous i'n it?" "You know you're the dead spittin' image of your mother!" "She was very pretty, your mother..." "Dun, you know." "Well, no... not pretty... comely." ""Good to look upon"..." "as they say in the Bible" "She loved it all..." "all of it!" "Amazing..." "Vicar's daughter..." "and she couldn't get enough of it." "Why did you go away then?" "There were reasons." "They're very dangerous, they are... women." "They're not like us..." "We have our little vices..." "bit wild sometimes bit rough..." "But we do have a code!" "You can understand it." "You can say "This is right" or "That's right" But not women." "Here... this is our stop." "With women, what's right today is wrong tomorrow and vice versa." "They can turn on a sixpence and still say they're going in the same direction." "Oh well, if it isn't young Duncan Hook!" "How's your mother, then?" "Hello, Mrs Quayle." "Come on!" "Ooh... who's this?" "He's my father." "Father?" "It's Charlie Hook." "You're Mrs Quayle aren't you?" "You used to look after Vi..." "'fore she went in the nursing home." "Oh, I was told the seaside." "Dr Meadows sent her away, did he?" "Yes." "The funny thing, Mr Hook..." "These kids never said a word about you." "They said a lot about you though, Mrs Quayle." "Really?" "Perhaps we ought get together some time Discuss the details!" "You come home with me, I said and I'll tell you the story about the police officer with the wooden leg." "It's a rather rude story..." "Where did you get these?" "Charlie gave them to me." "I suppose you know they're a bribe." "To make you like him." "Oh, no..." "I don't think so." "They're just a present, that's all." "Dun, can't you see?" ".." "He's AGAINST Mother." "I thought so at first..." "but I don't now." "He's just different from Mother..." "that's all." "It's no good..." "Dun..." "listen!" "Dun!" "." "NOW do you see?" "!" "It's Mrs Quayle!" "Hello gorgeous!" "Oh... aren't you glad to see me?" "What do you want?" "Manners... manners!" "Now, what's more dear, your mother wouldn't like to see you being so rude to an old friend, now, would she?" "Look... you climb upstairs and tell Mr Hook... your father that Mrs Quayle is here to see him." "You can't see him." "He's still in bed." "Still in bed?" "I don't know..." "first your mother, now your father..." "I don't know what happens to grown-ups in this house I really don't." "What do you mean?" "Oh, nothing in particular, dear..." "Just thinking... that's all." "You're not wanted here, Mrs Quayle." "Oh no, dearie..." "You don't get rid of me as easy as all that." "Not this time." "I've got some very interesting news for your Charlie..." "What's all this bloody noise going on..." "What YOU want?" "Just a social call, Mr Hook." "I brought you a few flowers..." "I thought they might cheer the place up a bit." "Yeah, well some other time, Mrs Quayle." "I wanted to talk to you about the children's poor dear mother." "Just an exchange of news." "You know what I mean." "Elsa, take Mrs Quayle's flowers to the kitchen and put them in water." "Elsa!" "Oh, you haven't had your breakfast yet!" "What a funny lot..." "Not a smile between them." "They must think they've got their reasons." "As I was just saying to Dr Meadows..." "We're not accepting anything from THAT woman!" "You can tell there's a man around again..." "It feels quite different." "It WAS lucky your coming home when you did, Mr Hook..." "I don't know WHAT would have happened." "I mean they couldn't have managed very long on their own, could they?" "Not once their mother was gone." "What's your news?" "Mrs Quayle." "Well now..." "Mr Hook you've got to understand that me and your wife were very close." "Very close indeed." "She used to say to me..." ""Mrs Quayle... as long as I'm in the land of the living..."" ""...or after, for that matter..."" ""..." "There's always a place for you in this house."" "Mother always said he was a bad lot..." "He doesn't care about US." "All Charlie cares about is Charlie." "But he's our father." "Is he?" "Of course he is..." "He's Mother's husband, so he MUST be our father." "It isn't the same thing." "What do you mean?" "It just isn't the same, that's all." "Charlie's just taking advantage of us." "Look at the way he behaves." "Spending money and getting drunk!" "And whose money is it, I'd like to know?" "He's just a filthy low-down..." "Shut up!" "Don't you dare say that!" "Charlie DOES love us..." "and we love him!" "And he IS our father!" "Don't you DARE say he isn't!" "He's silly, Diana..." "and ignorant." "There WAS someone who loved us once REALLY loved us..." "Mother!" "Remember, Diana?" "I want my breakfast." "I want my breakfast and some for my black rat, too!" "What's he bawling about?" "I want my breakfast." "For the love of God, give him some breakfast, Diana..." "Why do I do everything in this bloody house?" "What's up with Elsa?" "She's a bit upset." "She's gone to talk to Mother." "For heaven's sake!" "Well, I'm glad that's settled, Mr Hook." "I think it's a very sensible arrangement." "I mean there's lots of work to do in this house you can see that." "Cheers!" "You know, I should be able to manage it... shouldn't I?" "I could come in a few hours every day." "Yeah..." "I'm sure you would." "Well, I might as well get started straight away then, mightn't I?" "I mean, there's no time like the present, is there?" "Charlie... she's not coming back?" "Someone's got to clean the house..." "I can't do it all by meself..." "it's a woman's job..." "She won't interfere." "But you CAN'T!" "Do me a favour and buzz off, will you?" "Tell Jimminy I want to see him in my room, please." "Jimminy!" "Did you draw this for me?" "Yes....it says "For Charlie"." "Yeah, I know it does..." "I'm very touched..." "You're a very clever boy, Jimminy..." "Did you know that?" "But I'm not very good..." "at arithmetic." "Well, you can't be good at everything... can you?" "Look at the way you sign all those cheques so the bank don't tumble it..." "Lots of people can't do that you know..." "Including grown-ups." "So I suppose Elsa taught you how to do that, did she?" "I did it all by myself." "You never!" "All by yourself..." "little fella like you!" "?" "You're a real artist... aren't you?" "I think we ought perhaps to buy you some real proper paints and brushes and things... eh?" "Would you like that?" "Yes, please." "Well, what about you doing a little job for Charlie... in return?" "Just a little job." "And this is private..." "just between you and me, see..." "We don't tell anybody else about it... right?" "But I promised to meet with Louis..." "Well, you'll meet him in a tick..." "I tell you, the way you work..." "you're so fast..." "Now, there you are..." "There's the pen..." "And this here..." "I want you to copy..." "That." "You've made yourself comfortable, I see." "Yes, thanks." "Spare a drop?" "Yes... help yourself." "Ta." "I've got some cert bread and all today." "Onto a good thing..." "I'll make a real killing." "Good for you." "Hello my darlings..." "I'll see you in a minute." "See you in a couple of ticks." "Yeah..." "I've got a nose for business." "Come and sit down, Charlie." "Look!" "Come on!" "Whose is it?" "Ours!" "Ours?" "Yes... course it is!" "Come on Jimminy... hurry up or we'll miss the boat." "Come and sit beside me." "You brought me luck..." "didn't you, Jimminy." "Is there anything wrong with the engine?" "...a woman who lived in a shoe" "She had so many children she didn't know what to do..." "Don't run so fast, you little kids..." "Not all as young as you are!" "...a woman who lived in a shoe" "She had so many children she didn't know what to do..." "There you are!" "Charlie Cook!" "Lovely man... well here we are..." "The name is Hook, Doreen, not Cook!" "Anyway, never mind..." "don't worry about it..." "Just you call me Charlie." "I don't know your name dear..." "But you'll get by on your legs!" "What are we letting' ourselves in for, Doreen?" "!" "You're gonna find out, my girl!" "Here's a couple of jelly-babies up from Gips Ewer." ""Doreen"...what a common name!" "They're whores, if you ask ME!" "She doesn't understand about men." "They have their vices and things..." "But they have a code." "And they stick to it." "Elsa doesn't understand that." "Good morning!" "Hello, Mr Halbert." "Can I come in?" "I'd like to have a word with your father, if I may." "Oh... well Charlie's not up yet." "Oh, I see, well..." "Hello, Mr Halbert..." "I'll get him." "Well, thank you." "Charlie..." "Charlie... it's Mr Halbert..." "Charlie!" "Go away, Diana..." "I love you." "Di!" "What do YOU want?" "I'm Halbert, from next door..." "I'd like a word with you..." "It's not a good moment if you don't mind..." "I've got a splitting headache, really." "That's not surprising after all the noise you were making last night." "I didn't sleep a wink." "I didn't get much sleep myself, if it comes to that." "You may be interested to know that I had to take a sedative." "Interested?" ".." "I'm bloody fascinated!" "Yes, and this morning I found that my house had been broken into..." "All, I suppose, because of your wretched party!" "Well, why come to me?" "Who do you think I am?" "." "Bloody Rin Tin Tin or something?" "If you have no concern for your neighbours At least you might give a thought for your wife and children." "You might give a thought..." "mind your own bloody business!" "Come on... out!" "I give you fair warning, Hook..." "I'm going to report this matter to the authorities." "Off you go and have a lovely old grumble." "But Di saw her!" "Lying there with no clothes on!" "And in Mother's bed!" "Well, I suppose he thinks it's HIS bed now." "He can let other people stay there if he wants to." "Perhaps she missed her bus and didn't have anywhere else to sleep." "It's a bad influence." "Elsa and the others have all gone to school..." "You're going to be late." "I'm sorry." "Really I am." "I wouldn't have let that happen..." "Not for all the tea in China." "Don't cry love..." "There's nothing to cry about!" "It won't happen again, ever..." "I promise you." "You do believe me don't you?" "Di!" "Come here..." "Oh, Di..." "Say you believe me." "Come on!" "Let me hear you say it!" "That's my girl!" "There's my girl." "You like Charlie deep down, don't you?" "Then just you give me a kiss... eh?" "Just to prove it... eh?" "What's it got to do with YOU?" "!" "Answer me that..." "What's it got to do with YOU?" "!" "It's not right..." "Not with children in the house!" "It was bad enough with their mother but they were too young then." "This is different!" "Time to have a look at the funnies..." "And what about ME?" "You?" "What about YOU?" "I go in there..." "I find the whole place reeking with some little tart's perfume." "It upset me, Charlie." "Well, you need someone to settle you down!" "You need to face a few facts!" "It's no damn good, you playing around with all these little tarts." "My late husband was just the same." "He got so wild, everybody used to call him Tiger!" "But when we got married, he soon settled down." "He became as meek as a lamb." "What the hell do YOU want, then?" "The car's got a flat tyre." "Pa knows very well the car's got a flat tyre." "Now clear out and and mind you own business." "Don't come in here again." "Easy, Charlie... easy!" "Budgie!" ".." "Budgie!" "Elsa!" ".." "Diana!" "Quick!" "Elsa..." "Dunstan... quick!" "Look!" "All mother's furniture!" "Everything!" "HE did it!" "I don't understand!" "Can't you see?" "He's trying to destroy Mother." "He's always hated the tabernacle..." "Always!" "I'll bet you I'm right." "There, you see..." "Here's Mother's chair." "He's a beast!" "What's it matter anyway?" "." "We haven't had "Mother-Time" for ages." "No, not since HE came!" "She's blind!" "Look... he hasn't even paid his bills!" "Look... the savings book..." "What's HE doing with it?" "3 pounds, 6 and 3!" "Look!" "That's all that's left!" "But the 400!" "?" "It's all gone!" "Mother's savings "for a rainy day"." "It's gone!" "Here... get out!" "Get out and stay out..." "you friggin' little bastards!" "Easy now Charlie... easy." "Now you know what he's really like." "House is a bloody menagerie!" "Kids drive me up the friggin' wall." "I've had as much of you as I can take." "Come on, Meg." "All right!" "You're bad luck to me..." "the lot of ya..." "They're all bad luck." "They always have been and they always will be." "Come on!" "We've got a job to do." "Stop pushing!" "Stop it, Jimminy!" "Now look what you've done!" "You've nicked Jimminy." "I've not!" "Quick!" ".." "It's Charlie!" "One of the advantages of the available accommodation is that many of these old houses convert quite nicely into self-contained flats." "Can bring in a tidy little income." "Hello." "You're..." "Is Mr Hook in?" "Well, it doesn't matter." "I'm from the estate agent." "The name's Moley." "This lady and gentleman have come to look at the house." "Shall we start upstairs?" "I think she's a little shy." "Would YOU like to show us up?" "Oh, yes." "Good solid houses at the right price..." "Pricey..." "There's about 30 years to go on the lease..." "I don't think you'll find him too sticky on the price..." "Wants to make a quick sale, I gather." "He was very nice." "He said they were going to help try and sell the house." "Sell the house!" "Don't be silly, Gerty..." "you've got it all mixed up!" "I haven't..." "Mr Moley gave me his card." "Look." "I told you Gerty... never to let strangers into the house." "I didn't..." "Charlie gave them the key." "Estate agent!" ".." "come on, get Diana." "He can't sell the house... it's ours." "Willy!" "Why didn't you tell us before?" "Because you wouldn't listen..." "none of you would." "He bribed you all." "You're making it up!" "Read it for yourself, then." "Yes... out loud!" "To my husband, Charles Ronald Hook..." "I leave only the love he never used as a sword to twist under my heart." "Violet Edna Hook." "I don't understand!" "Don't you?" "He broke Mother's heart to pieces!" "Then left her to die." "That's what he did..." "Your Charlie!" "I don't believe it." "I love Charlie." "Don't you listen to her, Willy..." "He does love us..." "I know he does!" "You'll see!" "Perhaps he won't come back." "We'll just wait and see." "What's all this about, then?" "Some sort of reception committee or something, is it?" "Go and get me a drink, Jim." "We want to talk to you, Charlie." "Have to get it meself then..." "don't I?" "That's family life for you." "I'll get it." "We want to talk to you." "Talk away!" "Tell me something I don't know." "You destroyed the tabernacle." "Well?" "The old shed?" "High time I should be gettin' rid o' down there." "You knew that was Mother's house." "They're not your things out there..." "They're Mother's!" "Why are they good for you?" "They're not good for you at all." "They're a bad influence." "You spent all our money!" "I haven't spent all your money!" "You have... it's all gone!" "I haven't spent it!" "I've used it to make more..." "to make us all rich." "I've got a nose for business." "Then why are you selling the house?" "Selling the house?" "What you talking about?" "Mr Moley came." "Who?" "Mr who..." "Mr Moley?" "The estate agent." "It isn't true, is it, Charlie?" "No, of course it isn't true..." "Mr Moley's a fool..." "he's got it all mixed up..." "Mr Moley brought some people to look at the house." "He said you wanted a quick sale." "And you gave him the key, didn't you?" "You got it all wrong, Elsa." "All wrong." "I wouldn't do that to YOU." "No, just a bit short of capital..." "...that's all." "It's a big house... it's a big family..." "Thought I'd get myself a little mortgage." "A mortgage is a sort of loan on the value of the house." "Those people who came with Mr Moley..." "they were just sort of guinea-pigs." "You get someone to make an offer on the house, and then that's the valuation." "That's how much we can borrow." "See?" "Fancy thinking I'd do a thing like that!" "Funny..." "I don't believe you!" "And anyway, you've no right to do anything with this house!" "It's OUR house..." "not yours." "What makes you think that?" "Mother left it to us in her will." "Never." "You're kidding yourself, my girl." "Vi never left a will." "You show me a will!" "I found the pieces in YOUR room!" "And I stuck them together again." "Then I'm afraid it won't do you very much good." "It's not valid." "For one thing as far as anybody's concerned outside this house......" "Your mother is still alive..." "in some distant sanatorium." "And I have her power of attorney very convincingly signed..." "by our resident forger here..." "Jimmy." "And for another thing..." "You're all minors." "You know what that means?" "It means that you can't own ANYTHING!" "Nothing... nothing at all." "Not until you're 21." "Understand?" "Understand?" "So, this is MY house, Elsa." "Mine." "Every stick and stone of it!" "Mine!" "Do you understand it?" "And it's about all I've bloody-well got too." "You've... got... us!" "Got you!" "?" "Oh God!" "I've just about had the bloody lot of you." "Charlie, please..." "I believe in you." "Don't come near me!" "Get away!" "You give me the creeps!" "I'm sick of the sight of the sight of all of ya." "All of you!" "Always wanting something." "Charlie, can we have this..." "Charlie can we do that?" "I don't know how I've stuck it so long!" "Well I'm getting out!" "And so are you..." "all of you!" "To an orphanage!" "I'm sick of the sight of you all, creeping around this house talking about your bloody sainted mother as if she was God and the Virgin Mary all rolled into one!" "Leave Mother alone..." "leave her alone!" "Don't you worry..." "I always did, I always have!" "Ever since I found out what she was up to, I left her alone." "Leave her alone!" "That's bloody funny, that is!" "Leave her alone!" "Shall I set you straight about Saint Violet Hook?" "Yeah..." "I think I will!" "Your mother... dear children was a tart!" "She wasn't even choosey!" "She'd pick 'em up anywhere!" "She just couldn't get enough of them!" "Jimminy take..." "No you don't... you stay just where you are!" "You've shoved your sainted mother down my throat for long enough!" "Now it's MY turn..." "MINE!" "I was the one that suffered!" "Understand it?" ".." "Me!" "She was a whore!" "I was the one who tried to keep her straight." "I was the one that did the forgetting and the forgiving when she got all repentant and religious." "Crying and crawling around my feet!" "It was me..." "I had to get out." "I left her my name." "And she gave it to YOU." "But you're not one of you, mine!" "None of you!" "You're ALL bastards!" "The lot of you!" "All of you!" "The fruit of Dear Mother's nightly sin!" "What a life, eh?" "What a life!" "What a life... eh, Di?" "Charlie?" "Alright... thank you..." "Go on, keep the change." "Thanks a lot." "Thank you... good night." "Charlie!" "Charlie, it's me!" "Open the door!" "Come on, luv..." "I know you didn't mean what you said." "Got all me things with me, Charlie." "Charlie!" "You're not angry with me, are you, Charlie?" "It's not MY fault you're skint!" "You've got your troubles, Charlie..." "I know that!" "I can help you, Charlie." "Let me in... there's a luv." "Charlie!" "Elsa!" "Elsa!" "You just got one of those little tarts in there with you?" "Have you?" "Is that it?" "You aren't gonna go off with one of those bleeding' tarts are you?" "Alright, then..." "But you just remember how much I know about you." "You just remember that!" "We'll see who comes crawling back tomorrow!" "He's dead." "He's dead." "Perhaps we ought to run away, Hugh." "No use, Jimminy..." "We've got to tell someone." "Don't you see?" "No." "Alright then, Hugh." "Perhaps it was an accident." "No it wasn't." "I told you it wasn't." "It's not true what he said about Mother... is it Else?" "Mother's dead." "Mother's been dead a long time." "That's right, Willy." "It's time to go now, Diana." "Elsa... why can't we bury Charlie in the garden?" "Because he doesn't belong in the garden." "He didn't love us." "Oh, Jimminy... what do you think you're doing?" "Can't we take the budgie?" "We can't just leave it." "You can hide it in your pocket, Jimminy!" "Yes... why not?" "Please, Elsa!" "Oh, alright." "I'll get it." "Don't worry, Diana." "You couldn't help it." "None of us could." "Come on... we haven't got all night." "I've got it!" "He's in my pocket, Hugh." "Good evening, Mr Halbert." "Are we going to tell the doctor about Mother, too?" "Of course we are." "We don't have a secret any more." "I can tell Miss Bailey."