A Canterbury Tale Page #3

I'm glad they changed their minds.

They didn't.

We changed our magistrate.

- For Mr. Colpeper.

- For Mr. Colpeper.

Here.

How do you know about our bend?

I spent the whole

of my holiday here once.

I don't call you to mind.

We camped outside the village

in a caravan.

Uh -There ain't been

no caravanners up by our bend...

for the past, uh, eight years.

- That's all you know.

- Ah. Except, uh -

You ain't a ge-geologist?

No. He was my fianc.

Girl, you can come up now.

Your room's ready.

Coming. Good night.

Good night.

If you're stopping tomorrow night I shall

have the Elizabeth Room free. She slept there.

- Who?

- Queen Elizabeth. There's an American in it now,

but he's going in the morning.

- Is his name Johnson?

- Are you the girl?

Yes. We washed it,

but it's still full of glue.

Revolting.

- Extraordinary thing to do, isn't it?

- Silly, I call it.

You'll have to wash your hair again,

several times.

- I'll send you up a kettle.

- Thank you.

This is your room.

Who is it?

It's me. Alison.

Is that you, Bob?

Gee, ma'am. I didn't know

you were stopping here too.

- Why didn't you tell me last night?

- Well, I didn't know myself. I didn't get that job.

- Sorry about the job.

- Oh, never mind about that. What I want -

Let's see now.

Since you didn't get the job...

that means you're

going in with me on the 8:57?

That's just what I wanted

to talk to you about.

Bob, would you mind very much

not catching the 8:57?

Would I mind?

I've got to meet a buddy in London.

- Well -

- And I want to get to Canterbury first.

- I promised Ma.

- Well, we can go in on the evening train together.

- And I've written to Peter Gibbs.

- What's he got to do with it?

"Dear Sergeant Gibbs, you'll have heard

by now that the Glue Man got away.

- But he didn't get far."

- Hmm? You mean they've got him?

- No.

- What kind of a quiz is this?

You met Mr. Colpeper, didn't you?

Yes. He got me this room.

And a swell room it is. What about him?

There's something about him

I don't like.

And he's got a Home Guard uniform.

Oh, don't laugh, Bob. What I want to do

is to snoop around in the village.

Peter can do that at the camp.

And I want you to help me, Bob.

You need about as much help

as a flying fortress.

- 8:
00, sir.

- A.m. Or p. M?

What?

- Tea, sir.

- I take coffee for breakfast.

You can have coffee

for breakfast, sir.

That's early morning tea.

- Can't I have early morning coffee?

- Oh, no, sir.

Oh.

What's that?

- What, sir?

- That window there.

House the other side of the street.

- That street seems kind of narrow.

- The upper story overhangs.

They do say two six-foot men could

shake hands across the street, sir.

Why would they want to do that?

It's only what they say, sir.

Morning.

Limey mirror.

Ah!

- Hello there.

- Hello.

- What are you doing?

- Standing.

- What's your name?

- Leslie. What's yours?

- Bob.

- Are you a soldier?

Sure. Can't you see my uniform?

I've never seen a uniform like that.

What do those stripes mean?

I seem to have heard this one.

I tell you they mean sergeant,

and you tell me what?

- They're the wrong way up.

- Correct.

- Could you use a quarter?

- Quarter what?

- A quarter of a dollar.

- That's a shilling.

Catch.

- Thank you very much.

- You're welcome.

- Are you an American soldier?

- I have that honor.

- Mother.

- Yes. What?

- This is an American soldier.

- Don't point, dear. It's rude.

Gee-up now. Come on.

- See ya later.

- Okay.

- Good morning.

- Good morning, ma'am.

- Sleep well?

- Yes, thanks.

Sure is mighty lonesome

lying in the middle of that bed.

There are only three like it

in all England.

They say that two six-foot men

couldn't shake hands across that bed.

- Why would they want to do that, ma'am?

- Depends on who's in it, young man.

You'll miss the Canterbury train.

Thought I might take a ride in

with Miss Alison this evening.

Well, you better think again,

because she's stopping.

I woke up this morning

saying to myself...

"Susanna Foster, are you mad

to let a great, strong girl like that go...

when you need someone

yourself on the farm?"

- Was I right?

- I guess you ain't often wrong, ma'am.

- She's a nice girl.

- Is she having breakfast?

No. She's at wheelwright's.

- Up north, was you?

- Yes.

- Northumberland?

- Yes.

- Sheep farming mostly.

- Yes.

Ah, they don't know nothing

about farming up there.

You'll find things

a sight different down here.

Yes.

Jim had to cut the tire off.

Know what the tire is?

- Yes.

- Then he had to sole it down.

- Know what soling down means?

- No.

Ah, well, soling down means, uh...

soling down, see?

Jim gouged out the ends of the spokes.

Then he had to look at them felly joints.

- Do you know what felly joints is?

- No.

Ah. You ought to know that.

He had to open them felly joints

three-eighths of an inch.

You better remember that...

just in case Susanna Foster asks you

what was wrong with the wheel.

Thank you.

Mr. Horton, what was

your job before the war?

Mine? I've been

a blacksmith for 37 years.

My father was a blacksmith

and his before him.

I was selling things

in a department store before the war.

I wonder how you would look

behind a counter, Mr. Horton.

Horton behind a counter?

- American army, eh?

- Bob Johnsons the name.

- Sergeant, ain't ya?

- Mmm.

This is, uh,

Sergeant Bob Johnson of the American army.

- Morning, folks.

- Morning.

- Morning.

- Morning.

Nice place you've got here.

- So you didn't catch the 8:57.

- No, ma'am.

You look as though

you belong around here already.

- Do I?

- Sure do.

I thought I'd stick around today myself.

Thought I might have a chat

with Mr. Colpeper.

I hear he knows a lot

about the old Pilgrims Road.

Ah. So you're interested

in that old road, are you?

Well, the wheel's finished. What are you

standing round for? Put her on the cart.

Yes, sir. I'm crazy about that old road

and... those old Canterbury pilgrims.

Ah. Them was the days

for a wheelwright.

Mind that strut, boy.

Have you got the linchpin, Ned?

- Yeah.

- George?

Yes?

- Did you hear the news last night, Mr. Horton?

- There wasn't nothing on the wireless.

Oh, no. I didn't mean that sort of news.

I mean what happened here last night.

We get all our local news at 6:00, miss.

You got a local newspaper?

No. That's when the pub opens.

What happened?

- Your Glue Man was on the warpath last night.

- Who was he after this time?

- Me.

- Oh. You.

I suppose that'll learn you

not to run around at night.

On the contrary. I shall go out

every night until I catch him.

Aren't likely.

Come on then.

Get her down.

Back.

Can I give you a hand there, ma'am?

Thanks, Bob. I'd rather do it alone.

Back.

Elm.

Yeah. And chestnut.

- Do you get much sweating in your elm planks?

- Oh, average.

At home we build two at a time.

For steadiness. Side by side.

Well, so do us.

To tie them longer strips together.

- Sewn last winter.

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