A Room with a View Page #5

Then they began to sing

That extremely lovely thing

Scherzando ma non troppo, P, P, P

Scherzando ma non troppo, P, P, P

Is anything the matter with Cecil?

Because otherwise, I cannot account for him.

Whenever I speak, he winces.

I see him, Lucy. It's useless to contradict me.

No doubt, I am not artistic

nor literary nor intellectual.

Your father bought the drawing room

furniture, and we must put up with it.

Cecil doesn't mean to be uncivil.

He explained. It's ugly things

that upset him. He's not uncivil to people.

Is it a thing or a person when Freddy sings?

You can't expect a really musical person

to appreciate comic songs as we do.

Must he sneer and spoil everyone's pleasure?

- Go and dress, dear.

- All right, Mother.

Sunday week, I want to ask

George Emerson up for some tennis.

- Oh, no, Freddy...

- Oh, he's topping. He's spiffing!

George Emerson is simply ripping!

What a noise you're making.

Freddy, let Lucy go.

Hook me behind.

Need we have Charlotte?

We needn't.

- And now Freddy wants to ask the Emersons.

- Well, he needn't.

And you're not pleased with Cecil.

Kiss me.

Well, of course, if you want Charlotte

to come, with her boiler and everything...

She's been so kind to me.

Kiss me again.

- Would you like it closed?

- Oh, thank you.

- Thank you so much.

- Pleasure.

Oh, porter! Could you...?

The ticket says Dorking.

That was the last station.

How very vexing! I shall have to get a cab.

Mr. Emerson. What are you doing here?

My father lives here.

I've come for the weekend.

- Are you all right?

- Oh, yes.

Oh, Lucy, I met him at the station.

I had no idea. Oh, my poor Lucia!

My dear Marian, what a stupid blunder.

You'll never forgive me.

Oh!

- Freddy, pay the cab.

- No, I must. I absolutely insist.

Oh, how do you do, Mr. Vyse?

- And Mr. Floyd, a friend of Freddy's.

- I insist I pay for my cab.

- And this is Minnie, Mr. Beebe's niece.

- Grant me that.

- Here you are.

- Thank you, sir.

I insist, absolutely.

All right.

Five shillings and a bob for the driver.

We all have our foibles,

and mine is prompt settling of accounts.

Does anyone have any change?

How much is...?

Who do I give the sovereign to?

- Toss for it, Honeychurch.

- All right.

No. I know I'm a spoilsport,

but it would make me wretched.

It would be robbing the one who lost.

Freddy owes me 15 shillings, so it works out

all right if you give the pound to me.

Fifteen shillings to you? How so, Mr. Vyse?

Because fifteen

and five shillings make a pound.

Why is Mr. Vyse taking the quid?

No, thank you!

- Have some tea.

- What about Mr. Floyd's ten shi...?

And why doesn't she pay the bob

for the driver?

A shilling for the driver.

Of course. How kind of you to remind me.

Does anyone have change for half a crown?

Cecil, give that sovereign to me.

Mary can change it,

and we'll start from the beginning.

Oh, dear. I am sorry. What a nuisance I am!

Poor Charlotte!

Mary, have you got any change?

For a sovereign.

Have you told him about him?

No, I haven't, nor anyone.

I promised you I shouldn't.

Here's your money.

It's all shillings except two half crowns.

You can settle your debt nicely now.

How dreadful. How more than dreadful

if Mr. Vyse should hear from another source.

There is no other source.

- George would tell Mr. Emerson.

- He would tell no one.

- How do you know?

- Because I know. Shall we go out?

Dear, a moment. We may not have this chance

again. Have you spoken to him yet?

I have seen him.

Stop thinking he admires me or any nonsense

of that sort. He doesn't. Not one straw.

Freddy, stop it!

No, poor Minnie. No, not me. Get off!

Lucy! Lucy! What's that book?

Who's been leaving books out to spoil?

- It's only a library book of Cecil's.

- Well, pick it up.

It's a special collection.

I forget what for, but I beg,

no vulgar clinking ha'pennies in the plate.

Make sure Minnie has a sixpence.

Where is the child?

Dear, I'm so sorry, I don't seem

to have any small change. Could you...?

Yes, easily. Gracious,

how smart you look! What a lovely frock.

Go on.

Goodbye. Be good.

"'No place on earth as glorious

as this where love is spoken face to face.

"So he cried, 'Utter rapture! The silvered

twilight, the wraith-like swallows,

"'the perfume of the cooling earth all fill me

with inutterable and inestimable bliss.'

"And so, locked in mortal combat,

they brought to life the eternal...

"They brought to life the eternal battle

where men stand face to face

"to slowly gird, to bravely fight,

to stoutly dare..."

Listen, Lucy. Three split infinitives.

"And then the cry was heard,

'Once more into the breach, my friends."'

Victory, Mr. Floyd!

"The scene is set in Florence.

The sunset. The sunset of Italy."

- Did you mind losing?

- Of course.

You're not such a splendid player.

The light was in my eyes.

I never said I was.

"Under Orcagna's Loggia -

the Loggia de Lanzi, as we call it now..."

What's the title?

- "Under a Loggia" by Eleanor Lavish.

- Eleanor Lavish!

My goodness!

Do you remember her, Mr. Emerson?

- Of course.

- No wonder the novel's so bad.

Still, one ought to read it, I suppose.

- There's an absurd account of a view.

- Do read it.

Do you like our view, Mr. Emerson?

My father says there's only one perfect view -

the view of the sky over our heads.

I expect your father has been reading Dante.

- Do read it.

- Not while Mr. Emerson is entertaining us.

No, do. Nothing's funnier

than silly things read aloud.

Mr. Emerson finds us frivolous.

Look for tennis balls, Mr. Emerson.

- Do I have to?

- No, of course not.

It's in chapter two. Find me chapter two.

- Give it here.

- No, it's the silliest thing.

Come on.

- Cecil!

- Thank you.

A-ha.

"Afar off, the towers of Florence.

"And she wandered as though in a dream

through the wavering sea of barley,

"touched with crimson stains of poppies.

"All unobserved, he came to her."

Isn't it immortal?

"There came from his lips no wordy

protestations such as formal lovers use.

"No eloquence was his, nor did he need it.

He simply enfolded her in his manly arms..."

No, this isn't the bit. It's further on.

- Shall we go in to tea?

- By all means.

Excuse me.

Charlotte, a minute.

Cecil, ask Mary for sandwiches.

I'll be with you in a moment.

Do you know Miss Lavish's novel?

There's a scene in it - the hero and heroine

make love. Do you know about that?

Do you know about it?

They're on a hillside

and Florence is in the distance.

There are poppies and a barley field.

It can't be coincidence.

How could you tell her?!

Oh, Lucy! Oh, dearest girl!

She hasn't put that in her novel?

Never, never more

shall Eleanor Lavish be a friend of mine.

So you did tell. Why?!

When you wouldn't even let me tell Mother?

Cecil read it to me.

And that man insulted me again

behind Cecil's back.

Why did you tell her? What made you?!

Even if you forgive me, I shall never

forgive myself... till my dying day.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes