Cavalcade Page #7

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I feel pretty thirsty.

Well, that's easily remedied. Uh, waiter.

- Uh, some more wine, please.

- Ah.

Oh, it's a bit of luck,

the war coming when it did.

I was properly fed up at Oxford.

Oxford?

I was just starting in an accountant's office.

Well, you'll probably finish up

under the poppies in Flanders.

Drink up and have another.

(SINGING IN COUNTERPOINT)

(ORCHESTRA CONTINUES)

(ORCHESTRA CONTINUES)

My hat, that girl can dance.

- Who is she'?

- A kid by the name of Fanny Bridges.

- Fanny Bridges?

- Yes. Know her?

- Excuse me, old chaps.

- It's all right.

Come on. Drink up.

(NO AUDIBLE DIALOG)

- (MUSIC ENDS)

- (APPLAUSE)

(HUMMING)

You are my daydream

You're my boy blue

I'm just a daydream

Nothing to you

For you I'm pinning

the whole night through

You are my...

You are my...

Wonderful you

(HUMMING)

Oh!

I... Now, don't be afraid.

I say, you're marvelous.

What are you doing here?

What are you doing?

- I was waiting for you.

- Waiting?

You don't mean to say you've been here

all this time while I...

Oh, no, no. I mean, as a matter of fact...

I say, you are marvelous.

- Who are you?

- One of your oldest friends.

Oh, what a lie.

I've never seen you before in my life.

- Oh, but you have.

- Oh, but I haven't.

Oh, really you have.

We lived under the same roof for years.

Oh, I'm sure this is a very good joke,

but I'm awfully busy and...

- My name's Joey.

- Oh, how interesting.

And I have a dog called Towser.

Now, do you mind going?

'Cause I have to finish dressing.

But you don't remember anyone

called Joey when you were a little girl?

Little girl?

You're not Joey Marryot?

Fanny! Isn't it marvelous?

(BOTH LAUGHING)

(EXPLOSIONS IN DISTANCE)

(WHIRRING)

(WHISTLE BLOWING)

MAN:
Take cover! Take cover! Take cover!

(WHISTLE BLOWING)

(SIRENS WAILING)

(EXPLOSIONS)

- MAN 1:
Take cover! Take cover!

- MAN 2:
Under cover, please.

Under cover, please.

(BOMBS WHISTLING)

- Did you hear that?

- Yes.

Air raid. Take cover in the basement.

Well, that's all very well,

but where is the basement?

Oh, never mind the basement.

Let's go up on the roof.

- JOEY:
Oh, that's that. I can't see a thing.

- (EXPLOSIONS CONTINUE)

(CLATTERING)

JOEY:
Oh, curse the dark.

I'm smashing the room to bits.

JOEY:
What on earth have I got hold of?

Feels like a tray of squashed bananas.

- FANNY:
Thanks. That's my makeup box.

- (JOEY LAUGHS)

FANNY:
Here, we're missing all the fun.

Catch hold of my hand.

- JOEY:
That's better.

- FANNY:
This way. Now, don't fall over.

JOEY:
Oh, dear. I can't see a thing.

(CHATTERING CONTINUES)

Oh. There it is.

Oh, Joey, isn't it thrilling?

Marvelous.

It's a long way to Tipperary

It's a long way to go

It's a long way to Tipperary

To the sweetest girl I know

(OVERLAPPING SONGS)

- (WHISTLING)

- (SINGING CONTINUES)

(OVERLAPPING SONGS)

(NO AUDIBLE DIALOG)

(NO AUDIBLE DIALOG)

Yes, it's pretty hard at times...

All the muck and filth.

And it's a bit weird when you find

yourself the only surviving officer

who went out with the battalion.

'Course it may be sort of

the law of averages,

to make up to Mother for Edward

going down on the Titanic.

Or perhaps I'm just lucky.

Anyway, what's the good of talking?

Gotta go back tonight.

Just one last twinkle.

Oh, my darling, don't give me any more.

I shall be tight.

You don't want me to fall down

during my first number, do you?

(CHUCKLES)

Fun, having dinner here, wasn't it?

Lovely fun, darling.

- (KNOCKING)

- WOMAN:
Curtain's up, please.

Oh, heavens. I'm on in five minutes.

Will you really write to me tonight?

Of course I will.

I promised.

Well, you'll be smothered with people

after the show, and you won't have time.

I'll write you in the first interval

and send Maggie out to post it.

(CHUCKLES)

Dear old Maggie.

Darling.

In about one minute,

we've got to say good-bye.

Flowers, miss.

Oh, give them to Maggie

and tell her to put them in water.

Yes, miss.

Don't go yet, Joey.

Stay till my first act. Wait.

Can't. I promised to go home.

Mother's waiting for me.

- Do stay, darling.

- I can't. Really, I can't.

I'm sorry.

Of course you can't.

So I'll give it to you now.

What?

Just a little something I had made for you.

With my love.

Oh, how marvelous.

Oh, it's nothing.

Just a reminder of all the fun we've had.

You're a darling.

Oh, but you've missed the whole point.

It opens. Look.

I'll keep it... Forever and ever...

And ever.

Oh, darling, I almost wish

I didn't love you quite so terribly.

It makes going back

just a bit too thick somehow.

I shall miss you...

- Dreadfully.

- (KNOCKING)

WOMAN:
Miss Bridges, please.

Heavens, that's my call.

It has been fun, hasn't it?

Heavenly.

And you don't regret it? Any of it?

Not a moment.

Oh, how wonderful you are.

Do you really love me?

Deep down inside, I mean.

Of course, I do.

Enough to marry me?

Yes, but I wouldn't.

- Oh, why not?

- Too difficult.

Besides, we shouldn't be happy married.

- And your mother wouldn't like it.

- She'd be all right.

Let's not talk about it now.

Let's wait until you come back.

- Oh, no.

- No. No, not now, dear.

- I see.

- (APPLAUSE)

- (KNOCKING)

- WOMAN:
Miss Bridges, please!

Listen, Joey. I love you, and you love me.

And I've got to go now. I'm late.

And you've got to go, too.

But I'm not going to say good-bye.

We've had fun, grand fun.

And I don't want you to forget me.

That's why I gave you the locket.

Keep it close to you, Joey.

- (KNOCKING)

- Darling Joey.

MAN:
Miss Bridges,

you're keeping the stage.

(ORCHESTRA PLAYING)

(APPLAUSE)

(CHATTERING)

Not much time for good-byes.

- I'm glad, really. Aren't you?

- Awfully.

- I never know what to say.

- I'm almost hardened.

This has happened so often.

Dearest Mum, you are wonderful.

You never make a fuss.

Don't be too sweet to me, Joey.

I don't want to behave badly.

You? You couldn't behave badly.

Oh, how funny.

Robert said that to me years and years ago.

'Twas the Boer War then.

This is all so different.

(WHISTLE BLOWS)

Good-bye, dear.

Good-bye, darling.

Take care of yourself.

Try to see your father on the way.

- Yes, if I can. Good-bye.

- Good-bye.

(STEAM HISSING)

(TRAIN WHISTLE BLOWS)

(CLAMORING)

- Cigarette?

- Thanks.

- First time out?

- Yes, marvelous, isn't it?

- Marvelously marvelous.

- Aren't you glad to be going back?

Terribly.

I thought it was all going to finish

before I was old enough to go out.

So did I, once.

- Sorry, I gotta see the RTO.

- RTO? What's that?

Railway Transport Officer.

Don't you know anything?

- Excuse me, sir.

- Yes. What is it?

Returning from leave. First Greenjackets.

Staff Sergeant, see about

this officer's train, will you?

Yes, sir.

May I speak to you a moment?

I'm fearfully busy.

Won't the staff sergeant do?

I'm afraid not, Father.

What the...

How'd you know I was here?

- Found out at the base.

- Oh, you young devil. How's Mother?

- Splendid.

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