Elephant Walk Page #2

- Charles Beresford.

- Peter Ainsworth.

- Robbie Norbet.

- Bobbie Chisholm.

- Sit down, darling.

- So sorry we didn't have time to change.

I've so been looking forward

to meeting all of you.

I was rather nervous of this meeting,

but none of you seem very frightening.

Wait till you know them better.

- Where's everybody else?

- Who else, darling?

The wives, of course.

These blighters married? Hardly.

Look at them.

We're not all as fortunate as John.

As a matter of fact, I haven't seen

a white woman around this district since...

When was the last time

the Judge's wife was here?

Two years, anyhow.

Don't worry, darling.

You'll never be lonely here.

No. Elephant Walk

is like a hotel, Mrs. Wiley.

Why, it's better than living in a club...

so don't you go thinking

there's no social activity.

- There's more social activity that goes on...

- All right, Peter.

I was only trying to welcome

a new member.

Thank you very much.

It's the finest club in the world,

founded by John's father...

old Tom Wiley, the Governor.

God bless him.

I'd like to hear more about the Governor.

He was the biggest-hearted man

that ever trod this earth.

All his good fortune

he shared with his friends.

You could talk for a month

and never come to the end of the stories...

about the Governor. He was a legend.

He's been dead for many years, Mrs. Wiley,

but that's a legend, too.

The truth is he's much more alive today

than ever he was.

Let's drink to the Governor!

- To the Governor!

- To the Governor!

Let's go in to dinner. It's no use

waiting for Carver. He's always late.

- You've met Dick Carver?

- No, I haven't.

Not a bad type. A bit unsociable.

Not one of us, eh, John?

He works, which is more than you do.

With him on the job, I can retire.

You? Retire? Never.

Not until you're lying out there

beside your Governor.

- That chair's been vacant far too long.

- Yes.

- How did you find things in England, John?

- A bit battered, very rationed.

I hope they ease up

on their wartime restrictions soon.

But, darling,

things really have eased quite a lot.

I can't imagine what they were like before.

Then I shan't put a blight

on this wonderful dinner by telling you.

Good evening, everybody.

I'm sorry I'm late, John.

Dick, this is my wife. Dick Carver, Ruth.

Well, hello. If I had known,

I would have had the flags out.

If you'd known what, old man?

All I can say now is welcome.

Or is that just another echo?

- If it is, it's nice to hear again.

- I'll drink to you.

We've already done that,

but we can do it again.

Mrs. Wiley, here's to your happiness

here at...

That's that lop-eared old bull again.

I saw him around. Carver, would you...

No, never mind, I'll do it myself.

There's only one answer

to that beast:
kill him.

Yeah, he's a real troublemaker.

He's got a persistence that isn't healthy.

- Persistence?

- Yeah.

He wants their trail back.

The old watering trail down to the river.

John showed me the trail,

back of the house.

Back of the house? We're sitting on it.

This house is built plumb across it,

across the Elephant Walk.

It's not really as bad as it sounds.

Those elephants only come to the wall.

There are always men patrolling

to keep them out.

- But the servants, they ran away.

- You'll get used to that.

You see, Mrs. Wiley,

they think that elephants are people.

The elephant people, they call them.

And their road was taken from them,

their right of way?

Carver, I want that patrol

around the house increased.

Check.

Ruth, the right of way was the Governor's.

Nothing was taken away from the elephants.

Well done!

One more for $500?

Good shot, man! Excellent.

Good shot!

Nice shot. Darling, you watch this.

All right.

Please don't stop.

You like it? It's Chopin.

Yes, I know.

We even have Chopin in Shillingworth.

Touch.

Is that where you're from, Shillingworth?

It can't be just plain Shillingworth. Must be

Shillingworth-on-the something or other.

- On the Thames.

- Where else?

- I played!

- Wait a minute. Wait.

It's a strange country, isn't it?

Any country's strange... to a stranger.

Thank you for that.

- Enough of that.

- Please, must you stop?

It's getting late.

According to the men,

the evening's just beginning.

That's when I steal away to Carver Castle.

It's a little different in size from this.

They warned me you were unsociable.

Are you really?

In your case,

it would be for a different reason.

Pardon me for staring at you.

But it's a new experience

to see someone like you around here.

A dress as pretty as that, smelling of Paris.

Look at that!

- Tell me about the elephants.

- Are we changing the subject?

I would like to know more about Ceylon.

Those elephants have been making trouble

for 40 years...

and they'll go on making trouble

for another 40.

They must resent this house a lot.

- Wouldn't you if you were an elephant?

- Yes.

I wonder why he did it.

Why he built across their trail,

why he insisted on his grave being there.

Tom Wiley was Tom Wiley.

That doesn't tell me very much.

He was the best tea planter in Ceylon

or anywhere else.

But they talk about him

as if he'd been a king.

He was a king, in his way.

But what kind of a man beneath it all?

Hard, stubborn.

Too stubborn even to die.

Don't get your impressions of Tom Wiley

from me.

I'm not a disciple like the rest of them.

Yes, I know. That's why I asked.

Can I give you some friendly advice?

Get Tom Wiley out of your mind,

keep him out.

Let the others hang on to their myths

if they want to.

Just remember that grave out there

is a colossal piece of vanity, nothing else.

He's very dead.

- Good night.

- Good night.

When I wished you happiness this evening,

I really meant it.

I mean it even more now.

I hope you're very happy.

Thank you. Please come see us often.

Didn't John tell you?

I'm leaving Elephant Walk.

- You're leaving?

- Yes. I should've gone a long time ago.

I only stuck around to keep things running

while John went to England and found you.

I guess I'm the one

who should have gone to England.

Where are you going?

First stop, Paris, to make up for anything

I have missed at jolly old Elephant Walk.

After that...

I wish you luck, Mr. Carver,

although I am sorry you're going.

I'm almost sorry myself now.

Good night, Mrs. Wiley.

Good night.

...and old Charlie Mitchell went into the caf

and the girl is sitting on his knee!

Charlie always was one to be interested

in the natives and their problems.

I hope you'll all excuse me.

I'm awfully tired.

- Darling, have I been neglecting you?

- No, darling.

- Would you mind awfully if I went upstairs?

- Not a bit. We'd all understand.

Good night.

It's been so nice meeting all of you.

I hope I see you again soon.

- Of course, you will.

- There's no need to say goodbye.

They're all weekend guests.

They've got their special rooms.

How nice. I didn't know. Then, good night.

- Good night.

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