"There you are." "What's the matter?" "Whatever happened to our two days alone in the house?" "Oh!" "[ Gasp ]" "They took me to London with them." "I sent you a postcard." "Oh, that makes it all right, I suppose." "Well, I couldn't very well refuse to go, could I?" "Well I hope you had fun." "I'm back now." "And I thought we weren't supposed to go to Milton Posnet." "Nobody's forcing you." " That's not the point." " No." "No, the point is, isn't it, to make up for lost time." "Yes - [ Car horn honks ]" " [ Lydia ] I'll ride in the front." "Hello." "Her name is Nora Jepson." " Yes." " Hello." " Be careful." "There we are." " Did your mother come?" " She wasn't dancing." "[ Door closes ]" "You needn't worry." "I've only come for the dancing." "All right, Miss?" "Fine." "[ Private discussion behind closed glass ]" "[ Car starts up noisily ]" "[ Cheerful talking heard from distant car ]" "[ Car screeches to halt ]" "[ Music heard from inside ]" "[ Closes door ]" "Blackie said we can leave our coats round to the back." "[ Doors close ]" " See you inside." "[ Cows moo ]" "Well, I know where I'm going." " Why not give the place a chance?" " Seems we need to." " Yes, you can go for a drink later." "All right." "[ Small orchestra;" "different sound ]" "[ "I Can't Give You Anything but Love" - 1928 ]" "All right?" "I've given the place a chance." "I've got to have a drink before I can face that." "I'll dance the other again with Nora." "Come on." "You can have a couple of bloody beers before that hop gets started." "I hate that..." "You go." "I'll come along later." "All right." "I'll line you up a couple, in case it goes on." "There you are." "Here comes the carriage trade." "Scotch, please." "Half a dozen large ones." "And make it snappy." " Where's Alex?" "He's out for a drink." "Men, they always fade." " Want to dance?" "Can you?" " Yes." "That's a bit of a cheek, isn't it?" "What d'you expect with you two standing about like dummies." "Aw, well don't let me stop you." "I'll, I'll wait a bit." "[ "You're the Cream in My Coffee" - 1928 ]" "All right, come on." "This is awful." "It's just an ordinary Saturday village dance." "We always went before Lydia came along." "Well, what gets thrown out with this sort of thing?" "Well I think it's good for us." "You make it sound like medicine." "We were all getting so far up in the air" "I thought we were never coming down." "You're touching me." "I'm sorry." "Lydia's waving." "You've got to look at it." "Wave." "Don't say it." "We all gave it a slightly different view." "Well, what do you think of it?" "I think it's wonderful." "You would." "I think it's the best thing she's ever worn." "Because you (suit to go)." "It suits her." "[ Applause ]" " Bravo!" "Bravo!" "She makes me feel too small when I look at her." "So terribly small and ordinary." "Oh darling!" "Where's Nancy?" "Where's Alex?" "..." "Where is everybody?" "Oh, come on, let's have this dance." "You'll have to just give us a tune." "Aren't you going to give us something to dance to?" "[ A tango ]" "Where's Alex?" "Everywhere." "He got pissed off." " Let's get off the floor." " No!" "Let's cut it." "Oh we don't be so conventional." "Let's just hope...to be it." "I'm not." "And anyway, it's the wrong word." "Words, words, words." "With your words." "Did you ever have feelings?" "Feelings...don't you ever have feelings?" "Is Alex here?" "Where's Alex?" "He's had another one of his attacks." "He's gone for a drink." "He mustn't do that." "What if I were to tell him to come and dance?" "Tell him to come down, on the floor, and forget his self-pity." "Whatever gave you the idea of self-pity?" "His intentions." "Everyone knows how sorry men are in ways." "[ Lydia claps hands ] Bravo!" "Bravo!" "Be a dear,...and fetch Alex." "[ Gasp ] Well it isn't as nice to bring a girl like Nora to a dance and then spend the whole time drinking, is it?" "And you know how Alex is." " All right." " And don't be short with me." "Don't be angry." "I'm not angry." " Down the hatch." "Mmm." "You bought an awful lot of drinks." "Ah." "Well I wasn't to know they had an extension, was I?" "Mine host, as you might guess, is not in the habit of volunteering very much." "Cheers." "See what I mean?" "I think...she's getting not exactly tired, but impatient of me." "Patient, not to say tosh." "Have another." " And another thing." " Cheers." "Huh?" "Never mind." "Look." "Why don't you come and have a dance?" " Uh." " You haven't danced with Nora yet." " Nora doesn't mind." "Lydia sent a special request for you to come and dance with her." " Oh, come on." " It'll take you out of yourself." " It'll do you good." "My dear fellow." " Have another." " No thanks." "Well." "[ Opens door ]" "If you insist." "[ Slams door ]" "[ Rowena ?" "]" "[ "If I Had You" - 1928 ]" "[ Screams ]" "Oh!" "[ Glasses breaking ]" "Take Lydia out." "You all get out." "[ Screams continue ]" "Who the hell do you think you are!" "Same as you." "That was a stupid thing to do." "Not before it was time." "Oh Tom." "Oh Tom, take me home." "I've had enough." "No!" "There's no other way to get home, is there?" "[ Car door closes ]" "[ Opens car door ]" "[ Closes car door ]" "[ Starts engine ]" "[ Dance party car departs ]" "Couldn't you sleep?" "Uh-huh." "What's that steak doing out of the refrigerator?" "Explaining a fallacy." "Your eye!" "I'm here to tell you that raw beefsteak is useless as a cure for a black eye, and singularly revolting to apply." "I take it you were fooling about again last night?" "In a manner of speaking." "In a village hop." "[ Sigh ] Don't be a snob, Mother." "In Milton Posnet of all places." "Really, Alex, it's too bad." "We're lucky it wasn't any closer, we might have rated space in the Counter Examiner." "Yes, I can just imagine what the egregious Bretherton would have made of it." " Count your blessings." "Are you all right?" "Fine." "(Use the part)." "Or more accurately in as good a shape as I can reasonably expect it to be." "Physically, that is." "Let me see." "Be careful." "Oh, it's going to be a beauty." "Thank you." "Hold...still." "What's that?" "Witch hazel." "Won't hurt." "Ughhh." "[ Sigh ]" "Well, whatever happened must have been pretty dramatic to get you up and dressed and experimenting with raw beefsteak at this hour on a Sunday." "Alas, no, (far therical) lapsing briefly into vulgar melodrama." "Better?" "Possibly." "The smell reminds me of one of those obscure Swiss liqueurs." "Mother." " Nobody wants to..." " Call on Lydia." " Mend my fences." " [ Scoffs ]" "You must have really distinguished yourself last night." "Yes, that's what I have to find out." "Whether it was worse than I remember or..." " merely as bad." " Honestly, Alex." "this is getting beyond a joke." "I agree." "[ Swish, swish, swish ]" " You always do the morning after." " [ Swish, swish, swish ]" "[ Swish, swish, swish ] It's wicked to reproach the remorseful." " That's all very well, darling." "[ Swish, swish, swish ]" " Don't nag. [ Kiss ]" " Will you be home to lunch?" "As long is it isn't that steak." " [ Bang ]" "[ Door slams ]" "Alex!" " Lydia, I..." " Well, come on." "If you're going to apologize to me then Blackie is going to apologize to you." "[ Noisy pub game sounds ]" "[ Door opens ]" "Good morning, Blackie." "[ Door closes ]" "(Grace.)" "Good morning." "Alex has something to say to you, Blackie." " I'm very sorry about last night." "Well?" "Well, you say you're sorry..." "or shake hands, and... that'll be it." "Happen I'm not." "Let's have a drink." "All right." "Yes, what'll it be?" "You can top that up." "That's two large gins, George and uh,..." "a top-up for Mr. Johnson." "I'll be back." "Not the most gracious of characters." "It isn't easy to be gracious when you're shy." "I never thought of him as that." "You're just in time to solve my Sunday morning dilemma." "If I drink alone I feel guilty, but if I don't get a drink before lunch on Sunday it puts me in a bad temper for the rest of the day." "Hm, hm, hm." "Do you suppose that's why Alex gets so drunk?" "Probably." "What will it be?" "Whatever you're having." "Aren't you lucky and easy to please." "Is it all right if I go up and see him?" "He's out and about already." "Good Lord." "I was a bit surprised." "My elusive husband was off to his club as soon as he downed his breakfast, it's needless to say." "And here I was left high and dry." "Cheers." "Ahh." "Well." "Yes." "Alex didn't happen to say where he was going, did he?" " To make his peace with Lydia, I gather." "Oh." " Black eye and all." "Ah." "Well, that's all right then, because I really only came around to suggest that it would be a good idea if he did." "Make his peace, that is." "Oh, now, I'm offended." "Oh?" "I'm sorry." "Was he very drunk last night?" " No." "He'd been drinking, but..." "Then what exactly happened?" "Well, nothing to speak of." " Nothing, really." "I'm a bit worried about Alex." "Won't you tell me what happened?" "Please." "It was the shock, I think." " The place was a bit of a dump." "So Alex went over to the pub." "Lydia sent me to fetch him back." "[ Gasp ]" "He was in a funny mood anyway." "So, I went over and said that Lydia wants him to dance with her." "Anything I could think of... to get him to come back with me." "Back we came..." "Lydia was already dancing." "What was so shocking?" "She was dancing with Blackie." " Old Johnson's son?" "The demon driver." "Fair's fair, I suppose." "He put you on to the place, didn't he?" "It wasn't just that." "It was the way they were dancing." "All alone on the floor." "Everyone staring." "Couldn't believe it." "[ Whispering ] I felt sick." "I just wanted to get away." "Get out!" "In fact I was..." "I was just going when..." "Alex simply waded into Blackie." "Alex did?" "It was the shock." "I told you." "Yes, but for Alex to start a fight." "It was more of a scuffle." "The driver of all people." "It was all over very quickly." "We separated them." "Got the girls out." "At the time Lydia didn't seem to mind." "In fact she seemed..." "almost...excited." "I should think she was." "Well, she's got you all running around in circles now, hasn't she?" "When we got outside she just broke down." "Begged Tom to take her home." "But it was in Blackie's car." "A rotten end to a rotten evening." "I see." "Still, as long as he's gone to make his peace." "Well, I mustn't keep you." "I'll tell him you called." "I expect I'll catch him in the (weed shed)." "I daresay." " Thank you for the drink." " My pleasure." "It was all a...a scuffle." "Just a silly misunderstanding really." " Here we are, George." " Those are my share." " You're both wrong." "(Buy enough?" ")" "You can't do that." "I have done." "Thank you." "Well, there." "Uh, thank you." " That's not right." " Don't be boring." "Cheers." "Good health, Miss." "You're astonishing." "What's your name?" " Blackie's a nickname, isn't it?" "Oh, more or less." " Well, what's your real name?" "I was christened Albert." "Bert for short, eh?" "Mother used to call me that." "Never anyone else." "Only I lost her." " But I thought..." " Father married again." " Oh, I'm sorry." " Me and all." "The worst day's work he'd ever done." "She's been milking him blind." "Ah, you won't see it." "He never would see what he wouldn't want to." "But, I've been on him for years to try and... you know organize the place a bit, like, modern." "Ah, he wouldn't see it." "Nothing matters." "I dug'a leave enough to one of the business time that was done with him never mind." "He didn't reorganize anything." "How is your father, anyway?" "He's dying." "With a broken arm?" "Pneumonia." "Ow, we, we, we were never that close." "I'm not one for... rum-bugging out he's dying." "What I mind is the chance he's missed." "But the future is with cars." "We were set to have a piece of it." "And I might of talked him round if, if..." "she hadn't got her claws into him." "Well, what do you say?" "You're the business man." "Well, I shouldn't mind that garage business." "There's money there." "Needs three or four thousand putting in." " Ah, yes, but in a few years..." " Main roads and everything." " No competition." " None of that shyster practice." " At Evansford..." " Hey, your making my head spin." "Ask for a drink, old man." "Don't like drink as well as you." "Want a fight?" "I don't mind." "[ Gasp ] Well, you'll have to wait 'til Alex has driven me home to lunch." "If you have anything on the future of the garage business" "I'd love to have a look at it." "Seriously?" " Yes, of course." "Why, yes I do have one or two bits and pieces." "Why not bring them up to the house?" " When?" " Whenever it suits." "Lunch?" " Lord yes." "We'll talk tomorrow." " It's only a start." " Come on." "[ Indistinct talk ]" " Thank you." "[ Closes door ]" " Goodbye." "[ Motor starts ]" "Made it." "Admit it." "What?" "You misjudged him." "Blackie?" "Oh, perhaps he's not such a bad egg as I thought he was." "He must be worried to death." "Well, wouldn't you be miserable and difficult if you had to watch what was really yours being taken away from you?" "How many drinks did you have?" "Don't be cynical." "How do we get out of this thing?" "[ Opens door ] Allow me." "But, at least admit that the man has the right idea." "All right I agree that there is a future in the garage business." " But you're not interested?" "Just very surprised that you are." "Are you sorry for him do you think?" "Oh, I don't think much." "To tell you the truth I think less and less." "People like us don't think." "We feel." "Two of a kind." "We agreed." "You said." "Well, you couldn't disagree." "Armored in sophistication as you are." "I feel like I could actually get to like Blackie." "Yes, well anyway, the set isn't going to break up that's for certain." "I should have felt rotten if it had broken up because of something I had done." "Yes." "As it is you've got him running around like the rest of us, haven't you?" "[ Slams door ]" " I don't know what you mean." "No." " [ Sigh ] Anyway, that's all over now." " What?" " The fight." "Except that Blackie didn't apologize." "Well, I apologized for him." "And that, of course, makes everything all right." " [ Lydia laughs ]" " Uh-uh." "Oh dear Alex." "[ Kiss ]" "I must run." " "What can ail thee, knight-at-arms, alone and palely loitering?"" "[ Nancy laughs ]" "Very clever." "Now, don't go off in one of your huffs." "I've got something to ask you." " Tom was wanting know what to wear for the party." "Huh?" "The great birthday." "Well, I would have thought that he could have asked her himself." " After last night, you mean?" "The way things were going." "Tom's not one to take advantage." "Besides, he's away first thing this morning." "Lydia was busy, too." "Oh, yes?" "Drinking with Alex." "And guess who?" " I can't." " Blackie." " Blackie!" "[ Nancy laughs ]" "Well, give her her due." "She does manage to keep you all guessing." "[ Nancy laughs ]" "Would you... care to come and have some tea?" "Yes, please." "[ Sigh ]" "Where is everyone?" "Well, Tom's over at (Sawdo)." "Study." " Ah, for his exams?" "Yes." "He's determined to have that farm." "And the others have gone up to our Granny's." "Ah." "Except for Harry." "He stayed behind to see to the milking." "And you?" "I didn't feel like going." "We needn't be afraid, though." "I mean... being here on your own." "[ Chuckle ]" "I mean..." "I expect Harry'll be over in tea soon." "Curd tart." "Why hello." "What a lovely surprise." "Um, you said you'd like to read a bit about the prospects of the garage, you know." "Why so I did." "Well as I happened to be passing, you know." "That is kind of you." "Oh, you'll stay to tea of course?" "Oh, I can't do that." " Why not?" "Well I..." "I have a party to pick up, and I'm late as it is." "You see, I happened to be passing." " Well next time pass." "Oh, thank you again for bringing me." "[ Door slams ]" "Do you remember... when Harry offered Lydia the duck?" " Yes." " [ Edward laughs ]" " Huh, huh." "And Mother hits him over the head with a plate?" "[ Nancy laughs ]" "Oh dear, laws-a how we laughed." " And your father sat there not saying anything." " Yes." "Just chumping on a great fistful of (something or other)." "[ Nancy laughs ]" "Oh, Lydia must have thought." "I remember you always had a fancy for Mother's curd tart." " Cut it." " Take a good piece for yourself." "Take a real man's piece." "[ Meanwhile, Lydia reads Blackie's garage papers ]" "What beautiful weather we've been having." "Umm." "Haven't we?" "In fact, this is the first time I put on a summer dress this year, today." "And a new one, at that." "[ Whispering ] And I thought you'd notice." "[ Sigh ] You mustn't underestimate me." "I've had my bedroom done up." "Oh, yes." "They made a beautiful job of it." "Really." "It's plain white with yellow, but when you've finished your tea" "I take you up and you can see for yourself." "[ Bedroom door opens ]" " What do you think?" "Um...it's very nice." "Yes, they've done a good job, really." " [ Sighs and closes door ]" " You can see Soldrup Church from here.... and the ventilator and the tunnel at Longlaise." "Come and sit beside me." "You're so far away." "[ Softly ] It's the nicest view in the world." "I love it." "Every summer I love it more." "That's what the town has taken away." "There's a nightingale down there that's spinning a house." "Singing all day long." "You can hear him." "[ Bird sings ] Hark." "You can hear it." " There he is." "[ Bird sings ]" "[ Bird sings ]" "Why did you do that?" "First kiss of the summer." "Why did you do it?" "Because I like you." "You knew that." "I wake in the night..." "and listen to that nightingale." "Then I start thinking." "And I can't get to sleep again." "Well, uh, I must go." "If you must go, I'll walk as far as the stile with you." "It's so beautiful out-of-doors." "It's wonderful how strong they are." "You know there's a theory that if you drop one onto grass within fifty feet they won't break." "Because it's so light." "Yes, I suppose." "Sometimes...even the most fragile things don't break." "Lydia must be getting very excited." " Hm?" "About the birthday party." "Apparently everybody is." "Everyone as far as I can gather." "Well, I'd better be going." "It's been fine, goodbye." "Goodbye." "Um, just a moment." "There now." "Lydia" "Lydia." "Ah." "I'm most terribly sorry." "I'm Lydia's mother." "But they said you were...dead." "They would do it." "Oh, but don't worry." "I'm not a ghost." "I haven't come to haunt anybody or harm them." "I'm most terribly sorry, Mrs. Aspen." "Mrs.....dear God." "[ Sobbing ]" "Well." "So, you know Lydia?" "Yes." "Well, tell me about her." " Well she's very nice." " Nice?" " Yes." "Well, that's not to say always...easy, but, uh..." "Fascinating, you know." "Is she pretty?" "Good looking?" "Yes, she's very handsome." "Huh...just how I was." "I was a terribly gawky thing until I was twenty, and then suddenly in and out in all the right places." "You've got the most unbelievably blue eyes, haven't you?" "So they tell me." "Awfully bright and awfully penetrating." "That's what Lydia says." "Fond of her?" "Yes." "Very fond, perhaps." "Would that be right?" "Yes." "Oh, that's nice." "That's awfully sweet." "Oh, I think that's wonderful." "I think we should have a drink on that, don't you?" "Well, personally, if it's all the same to you" "I'm going to have a very large whisky and soda." "And when I say a very large, I mean very large, don't I?" " Yes, madame." " I'll have the same." " Sir." "I was in here to lunch." "He knows me now." "What's my face look like to you?" "Ghastly?" "Oh, yee gods." "Well, tell me about the family." "Well then, Miss Bertie and Miss Juliana have been very kind to me." " Miss Bertie is better." " That's more like it." "That's better." "What about that bastard, Rollo?" "[ Squirt ]" " A splash for you, sir?" " Please, yes. [ Squirt ]" "Thank you, sir." "Was...that perhaps and unfortunate word?" "Bastard, eh?" "Unfortunate." "Perhaps it was." "You do agree with people, don't you?" "D'you always agree with people, like that?" "D'you agree with Lydia?" "Mostly." "Well that's probably 'cause she's indulgent and generous to you." "I'm sure if she's anything like me she has a generous nature." "The path of wisdom is supposed to be the path of excess." "Huh?" "[ Laughing ] Oh, steady on." "I can't cope with that stuff." "I'm a whisky and soda girl, not champagne." "Hm." "That was part of the trouble." "And you're an Evansford boy?" " Much, I'd say." "Yes." "What'ya do?" "Clerk in the leather factors." "Oh, no, not with those eyes." "That's no life for you." "But I want to be a writer." "Ahh, and get away from this dead-and-alive hole." "I know." "Don't I, just." "I was an Evansford girl, too." "I thought Elliott was going to take me away from it all." "The family soon put paid to that." "Take care they don't do the same to you." ""So far and no farther," with the likes of us is the Aspen motto." "Oh, I don't think so." "I'm telling you." "Oh, it was the talk of the town." "Elliott Aspen and Maisy Crawford." "Oh, weren't they clever?" "Never a cross word, just..." "all day, everyday in the nicest possible way, they made me feel made him...see..." "that I wasn't quite suitable." "Not...not quite out of the top drawer, you know?" "Oh, for God's sake, let's have another." " Sugar, sir?" " Identical." "[ Gasp ] I like identical." " Identical's very good." "[ Chuckle ]" "I believe we really loved each other." "But they made me an embarrassment to him, and in the end, a bore." "And then they paid me handsomely to go away." "To stay away from..." "Elliott and his daughter." "My daughter." "And I did." "That's why it almost finished me when you called me Mrs. Aspen by the church." "I...took the money, you see, then." "There was nothing else left." "Went away." "I've lived under my maiden name for almost twenty years." "And then the other day I saw the announcement of the arrangements of Lydia's 21st in the papers." "Is it to be a large party?" "Yes, everyone's invited." "[ Softly ] Yes." "Everyone but her mother." "[ Gasp ] But, just, suddenly I needed to see her." "See how she's turned out." "What she looks like." "Whether she's happy or not." "Can you imagine?" "I took the train up." "I walked out to those..." "great gates." "You know." "And..." "[ Gasping and sighing ]" "When it came to it I..." "I needed my allowance..." "more than I needed to see her." "It may be diamonds are as natural as they are themselves." "[ Mrs. Aspen sobbing ]" "Oh, no, no." " Keep the change." " Thank you, madame." "There." "Oh, thanks." "Oh, I talk too much, don't I?" " No." " That means that I do." "Tell me about the girl." "What sort of life does she lead?" "Wrap top." "Cotton wool, you know?" "No, they've been very good like that." "They want her to be free." "They don't want her to grow up like..." "Like me." "That's what they don't want her to grow up like." "Here you are." "Oh." "Ugh!" "[ Sigh ]" "You won't say anything said about this?" "I don't want anything said about this." " Well I can't lie to Lydia." " No, it'll only make trouble." "Very well." "[ Sigh ] You're rather a dear." "Rather sweet." "[ Train whistle ]" "[ Closes door ]" "Nice to meet you." "God bless!" "Oh,...there goes my Sunday best." "I'll never get another." "Give Lydia my..." "D'you think you could give her..." "You know, something extra special for her birthday?" "Yes, I think I can." "Actually I mean to propose to her." "Oh, yes, that would be perfect, wonderful." "I just hope she accepts." "I'm sure she will." "But, I know if I were twenty years younger..." "It's been...well... rather..." "[ Conductor whistle ]" "Goodbye." "[ Softly ] Goodbye." "[ Train whistle blows ]"