Brief Encounter Page #2

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- No, I feel a bit dizzy.

- I think I'll close my eyes

for a little.

- Oh, you poor darling.

And here am I chattering away 19

to the dozen. I won't say another word.

If you drop off, I'll wake you

when we get to the level crossing.

That'll give you a chance to pull

yourself together and powder your nose.

Thanks, Dolly.

This can't last.

This misery can't last.

I must remember that

and try to control myself.

Nothing lasts, really...

neither happiness nor despair.

Not even life lasts very long.

There'll come a time in the future

when I shan't mind about this anymore,

when I can look back and say

quite peacefully and cheerfully

how silly I was.

No, no, I don't want

that time to come ever.

I want to remember

every minute...

always...

always to the end of my days.

Ketchworth!

- Wake up, Laura. We're here.

- Ketchworth!

I could easily come

to the house with you, dear.

It isn't very much out of my way.

Thank you. All I have to do is walk down

Elmore Lane, past the grammar school.

It's sweet of you, Dolly, but I'm

perfectly all right now, really I am.

- You're quite sure?

- Absolutely positive.

Thank you for being so kind.

Oh, nonsense, dear.

I shall telephone in the morning

and see if you've had a relapse.

I shall disappoint you.

Good night.

Good night. Oh, give my love

to Fred and the children.

- Is that you, Laura?

- Yes, dear.

Thank goodness you've come back.

The place has been in an uproar.

- Why? What's the matter?

- Bobby and Margaret

have been fighting again.

They won't go to sleep until you go in

and talk to them about it.

- Mummy? Is that you, Mummy?

- Yes, Margaret.

Come upstairs at once, Mummy!

I want to talk to you.

You're both very naughty. You should

have been asleep hours ago. What is it?

Well, Mummy, tomorrow's my birthday,

and I want to go to the circus.

And tomorrow's not Margaret's birthday,

and she wants to go to the pantomime.

My birthday's in June.

There aren't any pantomimes in June.

It's far too late

to discuss it tonight,

and if you don't go to sleep, I shall

tell Daddy not to let you go to either.

Oh, Mummy!

Why not take them to both? One

in the afternoon, one in the evening?

You know that's impossible. We shouldn't

get them to bed till all hours,

and they'd be tired

and fractious.

Well, then, one on one day

and the other on the other.

You're always accusing me

of spoiling the children.

Their characters would be ruined

in a fortnight if I left them

to your over-tender mercies.

All right, have it

your own way.

- Circus or pantomime?

- Neither.

We'll thrash them both soundly,

lock them up in the attic...

and go to the pictures

by ourselves.

Oh, Fred.

- What on earth's the matter?

- Nothing. It's nothing.

Darling, what's wrong?

- Tell me, please.

- Really and truly, it's nothing.

I'm just a little rundown,

that's all.

I had a sort of fainting spell

at the refreshment room at Milford.

Isn't it idiotic?

Dolly Messiter was with me,

and she talked and talked and talked

until I wanted to strangle her.

Still, she meant to be kind.

Isn't it awful about people

meaning to be kind?

- Would you like to go to bed?

- No, Fred, really.

Come and sit by the fre

in the library and relax.

You can help me

with the Times crossword.

- You have the most

peculiar ideas of relaxation.

- That's better.

- There you are, darling.

- Thank you.

But why a fainting spell?

I can't understand it.

Don't be silly, darling. I've often

had fainting spells, and you know it.

Don't you remember Bobby's

school concert and Eileen's wedding...

and that time you insisted

on taking me to that symphony

concert at the town hall?

Go on, that was a nosebleed.

I suppose I must be that type of woman.

It's very humiliating.

I still maintain there'd be no harm

in you seeing Dr. Graves.

- It would be a waste of time.

- Now, listen...

Do shut up about it, darling.

You're making a fuss about nothing.

I'd been shopping and was tired.

The refreshment room was hot,

and I suddenly felt sick.

- Nothing more than that.

- All right.

Really nothing more than that.

Now you get on with your puzzle

and leave me in peace.

Have it your own way.

You're a poetry addict. See if you can

help me over this. It's Keats.

"When I behold

upon the night starred face...

huge cloudy symbols of a high"...

something in seven letters.

Romance, I think.

I'm almost sure it is.

"Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance."

It'll be in the Oxford Book of Verse.

No, that's right, I'm sure,

because it fts in with

"delirium" and "Baluchistan."

- Would some music

throw you off your stride?

- No, dear, I'd like it.

Fred.

Fred,

dear Fred.

There's so much

that I want to say to you.

You're the only one in the world

with enough wisdom

and gentleness to understand.

If only it were

somebody else's story and not mine.

As it is, you are the only one

in the world that I can never tell.

Never, never.

Because even if I waited until we were

old, old people and told you then,

you'd be bound to look back

over the years and be hurt,

and, oh, my dear,

I don't want you to be hurt.

You see, we are

a happily married couple...

and must never forget that.

This is my home.

You are my husband,

and my children

are upstairs in bed.

I am a happily married woman...

or, rather, I was

until a few weeks ago.

This is my whole world,

and it's enough...

or, rather, it was,

until a few weeks ago.

But, oh, Fred,

I've been so foolish.

I've fallen in love.

I'm an ordinary woman.

I didn't think such violent things

could happen to ordinary people.

It all started

on an ordinary day,

in the most ordinary place

in the world,

the refreshment room

at Milford Junction.

I was having a cup of tea...

and reading a book that I'd got

that morning from Boots.

My train wasn't due

for ten minutes.

I looked up and saw a man

come in from the platform.

He had on an ordinary mac.

His hat was turned down,

and I didn't even see his face.

He got his tea at the counter

and turned.

Then I did see his face.

It was rather a nice face.

- Any sugar? Thank you.

- In the spoon.

- He passed my table on the way to his.

- You're neglecting your duty.

The woman at the counter

was going on as usual.

You know, I told you about her the other

day... the one with the refined voice.

- Minnie hasn't touched her milk.

- Did you put it down for her?

Yes, but she never came for it.

- Fond of animals?

- In their place.

My landlady's got

a positive mania for animals.

She's got two cats...

one Manx, one ordinary...

three rabbits in a hutch

in the kitchen... they belong

to her little boy by rights...

and one of those dark-looking dogs

with hair over its eyes.

I don't know

to what breed you refer.

I don't think it knows itself.

- Go and clean off number three,

I can see crumbs from here.

What about my other cup?

I'll have to be moving.

The 5:
40 will be in in a minute.

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