'Pimpernel' Smith Page #4

for bits of the past.

That guy has guts.

- Even a rabbit has guts, Mr. Maxwell.

- Sounds awfully sensational.

Wonder how he does it.

- By taking a chance.

- They'll catch him on

the hop one of these days.

They always catch that sort of bloke,

don't they sir?

- In the deplorable argue of

you moderns, I wouldn't know.

- The man penetrated the camp

in the guise of a scarecrow.

- In the guise of a scarecrow?

Here let's have a look.

Guise of a scarecrow.

He was undoubtedly

wounded, for a ragged coat

with a blood-soaked sleeve was picked up

when the escape was effected.

- Blood soaked sleeve?

Very melodramatic.

- Pipped in the arm, eh?

- I wouldn't pay too much attention

to newspaper reports, gentlemen.

- Well, I suppose one can

get a wash on this train.

- Yes, yes, that's a good idea.

- Think I'll have a wash too.

- Right, a wash.

- My hands are perfectly clean.

What on earth's the

matter with you gentlemen?

- Prof.

- Just so, Mr. Maxwell.

But a sensible fellow

would keep his mouth shut.

- Oh gee, oh boy oh boy.

Well kick me from here to Christmas.

- Apart from the wearisomeness

of such an undertaking,

I'm the one who should be kicked

for the not unnatural

mistake of underestimating

your intelligence.

- But how did you get into the racket?

- Trouble was to keep out of it.

You see, when a man holds the view

that progress and civilization

depend in every age

upon the hands and brains of

a few exceptional spirits,

it's rather hard to stand

by and see them destroyed.

- But how did you get away with it?

You of all people?

- Mr. Maxwell, I'm not

a spectacular person.

In fact, a natural capacity

for melting into the landscape

has suddenly proved very useful.

- I guess you're one of the

greatest guys in creation.

- That, Mr. Maxwell, is

a gross overstatement.

Actually I'm a singularly weak person.

Who invariably gives way to his impulses.

- Fellas, come back here, on all fours.

- Well gentlemen, I hope

you feel duly refreshed.

- Yes, thank you sir.

- Professor, may I shake you by the hand?

- Certainly Mr. Mclntyre,

especially as we shall soon

be saying goodbye.

- Goodbye?

- Goodbye?

- What else?

Now that you've discovered

my guilty secret.

- Yes, we've got

something to say about that.

- Plenty to say.

- Yes, we've been

talking it over ourselves.

- Yes, we want to be in it, sir.

- We are in it, up to the neck

and through to the finish!

- Oh no you're not.

- Oh yes we are, otherwise I'm afraid

we'll have to give the whole show away!

Eh fellas?

- What is this gentlemen, blackmail?

- Well, a nice kind of blackmail.

- Yes.

Yes, I'll attend to it at once.

Hello?

Hello?

I can't hear a word, I'll ring you back.

Gentlemen please, I

can't hear my own voice!

- I'm sorry.

- Is there nowhere else

you can go to perpetrate

these noises?

- Characteristics are purely French.

- Rubbish!

The phrase or one like it

occurs in no fewer than

seven compositions of Lubach's early work!

- Nothing like it.

- Well at least we're

agreed about the tempo!

- I maintain there is a

modulation in the second movement!

- But I heard the record

and I didn't notice it!

- Well if you'd listened more

carefully you'd have heard

that the tempo of the second

movement is far slower

than the tempo of the third!

- Gentlemen, please.

Will you be quiet!

- Here in this building

we are supposed to know

everything that goes on in Germany.

You can hardly expect me to

believe that these escapes

were effected without treachery somewhere!

- Herr Reich Minister!

- We've given all the

information we possess.

- If my loyalty's in question, I resign.

- Resign, that is your

valuable contribution?

Sit down.

Now, let us examine once

more the available evidence.

First, a scrap of music

whistled in the night.

- Beg your pardon Herr Reich

Minister, it went this way.

- No, this way.

- No no no.

- Stop that!

The origin of the tune is

being traced by a committee

of experts.

Secondly, the corner of a

card found in the pocket

of the scarecrow's coat.

Send in Herr Zigor.

Where is it?

- Here it is.

- A piece of paste board.

Gild aged, with RSVP printed

in copper plate on one side,

and the figures 9:52 in

pencil on the reverse.

Well?

- It must be part of an

invitation card, sir.

- Oh well done Herr Schmaus.

And that being so it is

possibly one of a number issued

for the same reception.

Is it beyond the power

of the gestapo to trace

where that reception is being held?

- Herr Zigor is here.

Well?

- Unfortunately sir, none

of the persons who overheard

the whistling that followed

each escape has enjoyed

a musical education.

- Oh.

- So we have endeavored to

crystallize their renderings

into a single musical phrase and score it.

There.

- I asked you to trace

the origins of the phrase.

- It starts with a 27

bar of the third movement

of Lubach's concerto in G minor.

May I play it for you?

- No, I will.

Sit down.

Put on the record made

by the frontier guard.

But don't start it.

Lubach's concerto.

I don't believe it.

Put on the record.

Oh, stop it.

Well.

Here at last we have something.

Come over here, all of you.

You see?

Identical.

- Absolutely identical.

The British Embassy reception.

That means he must be English!

- Does it?

How interesting.

And the fact that I too

have received an invitation

means that I must be English!

Thank you gentlemen for

your invaluable help.

You may all go.

And you.

What are you doing here?

- I was just collecting some papers.

- What for?

- I don't know.

I always do.

- What's your name?

- Wagner, Herr General.

- Do you like music, Wagner?

- Not very much, Herr General.

- Do you like this melody?

- It's quite nice, for an English tune.

- Did you say English tune?

- Why of course.

An old English song.

There is a Tavern in the Town.

- Come here, Wagner.

- Herr General?

- Don't be nervous.

You shall be rewarded!

You are a genius!

You shall have a signed

picture of the Fuhrer!

Have a chocolate.

- His excellency the Peruvian

minister and Madam Gordia.

Lord and Lady Grabett.

- How are you my dear?

- The ambassador here?

- No no, he had to fly to London.

- Oh, things as bad as that, eh?

- Well hope springs eternal, eh?

- Herr Reich Minister General von Graum.

- My felicitations.

- So glad you were able to come.

- I never miss an opportunity

of cementing the friendship

between Britain and the Reich.

- That was very happily put.

- I hope you will be able to

come to the Nuremberg rally?

- Yes, I hope so.

What's it in honor of this year?

- Peace.

- Ah.

- Captain and Madam Lacroix.

Colonel and Mrs. Channing

and Lady Eva Plumb.

- That man over there.

- Where?

- By the table.

The one by the fireplace with the beard.

- Idiot, that's one of our men.

- The right honorable

the Earl of Meadowbrook.

- Hello Bussy, what have you been doing?

- Absolutely nothing.

- My dear fellow, you mustn't overdo it.

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