An Education Page #6

...isn't it what we do

before that counts?

I'm sorry, you think I'm dead.

I don't think you're dead.

I just, uh...

I think, you'd better

get to your next class.

Well done, Jenny.

I've never won anything before.

Not even at the raffle.

...the sweetest looking

one of yours always comes last.

- Let's go.

- Can we do it again? I'm feeling lucky!

Come on, let's go.

I don't want to miss him.

- Pick up your 10 bob on your way out.

- I won 10 shillings!

Who is this man, anyway?

- Peter Rachman.

- A complete bastard.

Why do we've to see him here?

Because he's not a sort of chap

with an office.

Alright.

Ladies...

A bottle of your finest champagne, please.

There he is.

Come on, Jenny.

Tell them your good news.

Don't be bashful.

No. Be sneezy.

Jenny got two A's

and a B in her mock-A levels.

Like everyone else in this

sophisticated establishment.

- The B was in Latin.

- Well, seriously, congratulations.

Excuse us.

Don't worry too much.

About what?

Someone told me that in about 50 yrs

no one will speak Latin, probably.

Not even Latin people.

So don't worry about your B.

He's even more of a bastard,

than I thought.

You don't want him

to marry your sister.

Or want to talk to him in a club,

come to that.

You do know

what you're doing, old chap?

With Jenny?

- This is the one, Danny.

- Right.

You can see, she's different.

I just don't want to see her hurt.

Have you bought any more

paintings recently?

Have I?

Yes. Picked up a little Piper.

A good one, I think.

I'm still trying to work out

what makes good things good.

- It's hard, isn't it?

- Well, the thing is, Jenny...

...you know,

...without necessarily being

able to explain why.

See, you've taste.

That's not half the battle.

That's the whole war.

Jenny, we should go.

It's late.

- Really?

- Yeah.

Alas. One day, school will be

over forever,

...and we can talk about

art all night.

You're alright in a taxi,

aren't you?

- Yeah. I'm fine.

- Yeah?

Let's go.

Come on.

Good night.

Wait here.

David, what are you looking for?

It's just...

What are you doing?

Will you marry me?

What were you looking for?

I... I thought I had a ring.

It wouldn't have been the right one.

But it would have done for tonight.

Oh, David.

I'm serious.

You're very sweet.

What do you think?

- Take me home.

- Alright.

They do need some looking after,

...but nothing that will require

too much work.

Just leave them in your potting shed

for a couple of weeks,

...and they'll look after themselves.

Fine, the potting shed.

Who does he think I am?

Prince Rainier of Monaco?

What if I got married

instead of going to college?

- Married?

- Married.

Well, it would depend who it was,

of course.

Would it?

- That's interesting.

- Of course it would.

I wouldn't want you married off

just for the sake of it.

Thanks.

- Has somebody asked you?

- Yes.

Who?

David?

No. A man I just met

walking his dog.

- What did you tell him?

- Nothing yet.

Do you have a choice?

Or is it too late?

Of course, she's got a choice.

An interesting choice too, eh?

This is where

you're supposed to say,

"But what about Oxford?"

Well, looked at it another way,

...you wouldn't really need to go now,

would you?

I wouldn't need to go.

- Would you like to expand on that?

- You'd be looked after.

All that Latin!

All those essays!

What was the point?

Why didn't you just send me

prowling round nightclubs?

It would have been less trouble.

And I might have had more fun.

I don't know about nightclubs,

I know about education.

Anyway, looks like it might have

turned out for the best.

How?

He wouldn't want you

if you were thick, now, would he?

May not an ass know

when the cart draws the horse?

Sings whoop jug,

I love thee.

And when it says "Sings",

...it means, you sing the line.

Never mind. Right.

Leer?

Does any here know me?

This is not Lear.

Does Lear walk thus?

Speak thus?

Where are his eyes?

Waking? Who is it that can

tell me who I am?

Oh, Miss, me.

I can.

Oh, Jenny.

What?

Take it off.

Oh, my God!

Is that what I think it is?

I'm going to be a bridemaid!

You know the school rule on jewelry.

Half the girls in this room

are wearing jewelry.

Yes. But none of it is

going to ruin their lives.

We have a difference of opinion

about that.

How far advanced are these

ridiculous plans?

Have you set a date?

Have you decided on a church?

We won't be getting married

in a church.

David's Jewish.

Jewish?

He's a Jew?

You're aware, I take it,

that the Jews killed our Lord?

And you're aware, I suppose,

that our Lord was Jewish?

I suppose he told you that.

We're all very sorry about

what happened at during the War.

But that's absolutely no excuse

for that sort of...

...malicious and untruthful

propaganda.

Anyway, I can see, you're far more

in need of responsible advice...

...than I realised.

Nobody does anything

worth doing without a degree.

Nobody does anything

worth doing with a degree.

No woman, anyway.

So what I do isn't worth doing?

Or what Ms. Stubbs does,

or Mrs. Wilson, or any of us here?

Because none of us would be here

without our degree,

...you do realise that,

don't you?

And yes, of course studying is hard,

and boring...

- Boring!

- I'm sorry?

Studying is hard and boring.

Teaching is hard and boring.

So you're telling me to be bored,

and then bored,

...and finally bored again,

but this time for the rest of my life.

This whole stupid country is bored.

There's no life in it,

or colour, or fun.

It's probably just as well,

the Russians are gonna drop...

...a nuclear bomb on

us any day now. So...

...my choice is to do

something hard and boring,

...or to marry my Jew.

And go to Paris and Rome

and listen to jazz...

...and read and eat good food

in nice restaurants...

...and have fun.

It's not enough to educate us

any more, Ms. Walters.

You've got to tell us,

why you're doing it.

It doesn't have to be teaching,

you know?

There's the Civil Service.

I don't wish to be impertinent,

Ms. Walters.

But it is an argument

worth rehearsing.

You never know.

Someone else might want to know

the point of it all, one day.

Where did you find him?

I can't tell you that.

- Why?

- I think he likes you.

Do you like her?

"I thought you would like her. "

You... you don't?

What?

You don't remember?

It's Jenny!

You remember her from last time.

"No, I don't. "

Yes, you do!

You naughty!

You're pardoned?

Stick to your own species.

He wants to kiss you,

I think.

Isn't that naughty?

We are engaged.

No!

- Really?

- Yeah.

- Engaged?

- Show her.

Yes, look!

Gosh! That's fantastic news.

Thank you.

Congratulations.

I knew you'd see sense

about university.

You'll stay pretty now.

Can I still read?

Of course, but it doesn't

have to be books, does it?

And magazines will do just as well.

And you learn

more from them anyway.

Oh, Helen.

Oh, you won't be laughing, David,

...when she gets all speccy

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