Brief Encounter Page #8

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You! And I'll trouble you

to get out of here double quick.

Disturbing the customers and

making a nuisance of yourselves.

Here, where's the fre,

where's the fre?

- What's going on in here?

- Mr. Godby,

these gentlemen are annoying me.

- What? We haven't done nothing,

have we, Johnnie?

- All we did was ask for drinks.

- They insulted me, Mr. Godby.

- We never did anything of the kind.

- Just having a little joke, that's all.

- Hop it, both of you.

- We've got a right to stay here

as long as we like.

- You heard what I said. Hop it.

Now, look here. What is this, a free

country or a bloomin' Sunday school?

I checked your warrants at the gate.

Your train's due in one minute. Hop it.

- Now, look here...

- Aw, come on, Johnnie. Come on.

- Don't argue with the poor basket.

- Hop it.

Cheerio, Mother.

And if them sandwiches were made

this morning, you're Shirley Temple.

- Thank you, Albert.

- What a nerve... talking to you

like that, Mrs. Bagot.

Be quiet, Beryl. Pour me out a nip

of Three Star. I'm feeling quite upset.

- I have to get back to the gate.

- I'll be seeing you later, Albert.

Okay.

The train

now arriving at platform three...

is the 5:
43 for Ketchworth.

- I really must go home.

- I'm going back to the flat.

- I must go home.

I really must go home.

- I'm going back to the flat.

I'm going home.

Excuse me.

I've forgotten something.

Darling.

It's raining.

It started just as I turned out

of the High Street.

You had no umbrella,

and your coat's wet.

You mustn't catch cold.

That would never do.

- I look an absolute fright.

- Let me put that down for you.

Thank you.

I hope the fre will

perk up in a few minutes.

- I expect the wood was damp.

- Yes, I expect it was.

Do sit down, darling.

I got right into the train and then

got out again. Wasn't it idiotic?

We're both very,

very foolish.

- Alec, I can't stay, you know.

Really, I can't.

- Just a little while.

Just a little while.

Quickly, quickly!

I must go.

- Here, through the kitchen.

There's a tradesman's staircase.

- Is that you, Alec?

- Yes.

- You're back early.

- Yes, I felt a cold coming on,

so I denied myself

the questionable pleasure of dining...

with that arch-arguer Roger Hinchley

and decided to come back to bed.

- Inflamed membranes are

unsympathetic to a dialectic.

- What'll you do about food?

I can always ring down to the restaurant

if I want any later on.

- We live in a modern age,

and this is a service flat.

- Yes, yes, of course.

It caters for all tastes.

You know, my dear Alec, you have hidden

depths which I never even suspected.

- Look here, Stephen...

- Oh, for heaven's sake, Alec.

No explanations or apologies.

I am the one who should apologize

for returning so inopportunely.

It's quite obvious to me that you were

interviewing a patient privately.

Women are frequently

rather neurotic creatures,

and the hospital atmosphere

is upsetting to them.

By the rather undignifed scuffling

which I heard when I came into the hall,

I gather that she beat

a hasty retreat down the back stairs.

I'm surprised at this farcical streak

in your nature, Alec.

Such carryings-on are quite unnecessary.

After all, we've been friends for years,

and I am the most

broad-minded of men.

I'm really very sorry,

Stephen.

I'm sure that the whole situation

must seem inexpressibly vulgar to you.

Actually,

it isn't in the least.

However, you're perfectly right:

Explanations are unnecessary,

particularly between friends.

- I must go now.

I'll collect my hat and coat.

- Very well.

- Good-bye.

- Perhaps you'll let me

have my latchkey back.

I only have two,

and I'm so afraid of losing them.

You know how absentminded I am.

- You're very angry, aren't you?

- No, Alec, not angry, just disappointed.

I ran until I couldn't run any longer.

I leant against a lamppost

to get my breath.

I was in one of those side roads

that lead out of the High Street.

I know it was stupid to run,

but I couldn't help myself.

I felt so utterly humiliated

and defeated and so dreadfully,

dreadfully ashamed.

After a moment or two

I pulled myself together...

and walked on

in the direction of the station.

It was still raining,

but not very much.

I suddenly realized

that I couldn't go home,

not until I had got myself more under

control and had a little time to think.

Then I thought of you waiting at home

and the dinner being spoilt,

so I went into the High Street and found

a tobacconist and telephoned to you.

Do you remember?

Hello, Fred, is that you?

Yes, dear, it's me, Laura.

Yes, everything's perfectly all right,

but I shan't be home to dinner.

I'm with Miss Lewis.

Miss Lewis, dear. You know,

the librarian I told you about at Boots.

Y- Yes, I can't explain in any detail

because she's outside the box now.

I met her in the High Street a little

while ago in a terrible state.

Her mother's been taken ill,

and I've promised to stay

with her until the doctor comes.

Yes, I know, but she's always

been awfully kind to me,

and I feel so sorry for her.

No, I'll get a sandwich, but

ask Ethel to leave me some soup

in a saucepan in the kitchen.

Yes, of course,

as soon as I can.

All right. Good-bye.

It's awfully easy to lie when you know

that you're trusted implicitly...

so very easy

and so very degrading.

I started walking

without much purpose.

I turned out of the High Street

almost immediately.

I was terrified

that I might run into Alec.

I was pretty certain that he'd

come after me to the station.

I walked for a long while. Finally,

I found myself at the war memorial...

you know, it's right

at the other side of the town.

It had stopped raining altogether,

and I felt stiflingly hot,

so I sat down

on one of the seats.

There was nobody about,

and I lit a cigarette.

I know how you disapprove

of women smoking in the street...

I do too, really...

but I wanted to calm my nerves,

and I thought it might help.

I sat there for ages...

I don't know how long...

then I noticed a policeman

walking up and down a little way off.

He was looking at me

rather suspiciously.

Presently he came up to me.

Feeling all right, miss?

- Yes, thank you.

- Waiting for someone?

No. No, I'm not

waiting for anybody.

Don't go and catch cold now. It's a damp

night for sitting about on seats.

I'm going now anyhow.

I've got to catch a train.

You're sure you feel

quite all right?

Quite, thank you.

Good night.

Good night, miss.

I walked away, trying to look casual,

knowing that he was watching me.

I felt like a criminal.

I walked rather quickly back

in the direction of the High Street.

I got to the station 15 minutes

before the last train to Ketchworth.

And then I realized that I'd been

wandering about for over three hours,

but it didn't seem to be

any time at all.

Stan, you are awful.

- See ya in the yard.

- All right.

- I'd like a glass of brandy, please.

- We're just closin'.

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