Footsteps in the Fog

Unto almighty God we commend the soul

of our sister departed

and commit her body to the ground,

in the sure and certain hope

of the resurrection unto eternal life.

Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

Let us pray.

Our Father, which art in Heaven,

Hallowed be Thy name,

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done

In earth, as it is in Heaven

Give us this day our daily bread...

- Well...

- Stephen.

Why not come and stay a few days with us?

That's very good of you, sir, but...

I must face that empty house sooner or later.

- But Father...

- Don't, Elizabeth.

The longer one puts off an ordeal,

the worse it becomes.

He's quite right. I must learn to be alone.

You've all of you been kind beyond words.

Bless you.

He looks so lost.

Ooh! I do like to see a widower grieving proper.

It lends tone to a funeral.

I thought he was going to fall in a dead faint.

That would have been lovely!

But he was as white as a corpse, himself.

Huh! Look at Her Ladyship!

Quick as greased lightning, if it's for the Master.

Mooning around the kitchen

till he wants something,

and then she hops like a blooming kangaroo!

Look what you've done now, you clumsy...

And the best china, too!

I'll see it's taken out of your wages.

You get another cup, and be quick about it!

And you'd best be changing your ways,

you little guttersnipe,

if you want to keep your place here.

Get along with that tray and hurry back,

if you know what's good for you.

That is, if you can tear yourself away

from the Master.

Huh! What I have to put up with,

with trash like her in my kitchen.

- Oh, it's you, Lily.

- Yes, sir.

- I thought you'd like your tea by the fire, sir.

- That's very thoughtful of you. Thank you.

- Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?

- Yes.

- You could take the cat away.

- Missy?

There you are.

Poor little thing.

Wandering around like a lost soul, she is.

Lonesome for your mistress, aren't you?

It's been a very difficult time

for all the household.

I'm very grateful for everyone's help,

especially for your devotion to Mrs Lowry.

Oh, sir, you were the devoted one,

waiting on her hand and foot, like you did,

never letting anyone else near her!

I... did all I could.

You... You know, it's strange, sir, but...

whenever I look at her picture,

I get such a... queer feeling.

It's almost as if she's trying to tell me something.

A shiftless, good-for-nothing hussy,

and getting worse every day!

I thought I told you

not to call me names any more.

I'll call you names

so long as you're in my kitchen.

The fire's getting low.

Pop down and fetch up some coal.

Get it yourself. I'm not dirtying my hands.

Well! Hark at the duchess!

Why, you haven't had a clean pair of hands

since you can remember.

You was born dirty. Get that coal and step lively.

Keep wagging your tongue. The more words

you say, the more you'll have to eat.

Me, eat my words?

Why, you mangy little alley cat!

Stop it! Do you hear? Don't ever call me names

like that again - not ever. Or you'll be sorry!

We'll soon see who's the sorry one,

when I'm put in charge here as housekeeper.

And when I am, it'll be back to the gutter for you,

my girl, where you belong!

- Oh! Oh! Oh!

- Here! Here! What's all this?

Have you no decency about you?

No respect for your grieving master,

or the poor lady not yet cold in her grave?

It's from her room!

Supposing it's the poor lady herself

come back to haunt you?

If you weren't so stupid,

you'd know it was Mr Lowry up there!

Some day, I'm going to forget I'm a lady

and wipe up the floor with that nasty little...

Come in.

- Yes, sir?

- Oh, Lily...

Your mistress usually kept her jewels in this box.

Do you know what's happened to them?

Nothing, sir. She gave them to me.

- Gave them to you?

- Yes, sir, just before she died.

You're lying! Do you think for a moment

anyone would believe that?

They all believe she died of gastroenteritis,

don't they, sir? One's as true as the other.

- I haven't a clue what you're talking about.

- Oh, you will, sir, when I've explained it to you.

You see, you may not have known it

the other night, but...

I brought some fresh coal in for the fire,

just as your poor wife was dying.

And while the doctor was pulling the sheet

over her face,

I saw you quickly take the bottle of medicine

and put it behind your back.

And then you hid it in a place

where you thought it might be safe.

- What have you done with it?

- I did some experiments with it.

On the rats in the cellar, sir.

And I don't think the police would believe

they died of gastroenteritis, do you, sir?

They might dig them up

to see if there was some kind of poison in them,

and if they did that with the rats, sir,

they might start wondering

about Mrs Lowry, and do the same with her.

Wouldn't they?

All right. You can keep the jewels.

Thank you, sir.

Oh, one other thing, sir.

I'd like to be housekeeper here.

You? Housekeeper?

Yes, sir, I'd set my heart on it.

Very well.

I think it's your place

to tell Mrs Parks and Grimes

that they are to take their orders from me

from now on.

They're downstairs in the kitchen now.

You realise, of course,

that with the death of Mrs Lowry,

I need to make new domestic arrangements.

- The same thought had occurred to me, sir.

- And me, sir.

This house needs someone

to take it over properly.

My very words, sir.

So I've decided

to give the post of housekeeper to Lily.

Me? Take orders from that... that...

"Guttersnipe" is what you usually call me,

Mrs Parks.

And guttersnipe is what you are!

I'll not take orders from you, or the likes of you!

Same here.

- Now, you listen to me, both of you.

You'll do exactly as I say, or you'll get out!

Yes, sir. As you say, sir.

If you give satisfaction,

there's no reason why you shouldn't stay.

Your stick, sir?

This is the one for the evening.

I'll remember.

I never forget anything, sir.

I'm sure you don't.

I may be late. No-one need wait up for me.

Thank you, sir.

- Oh, Father and Stephen are still talking.

- Yes, they are.

Oh, I do hope they come

to some sort of an arrangement soon.

Poor Stephen!

He looks like a lost soul these days.

See here, young lady! Bachelors

can be lost souls, as well as widowers.

- Why not worry about poor David?

- You?

- Yes, me.

- Such an idea would never occur to me.

Besides, you've been very naughty.

- I can't think what I did.

- That's just it. You didn't do anything.

You just sat like a lump all the way

through dinner without saying a word.

You know, I don't think I should have ever

invited you to dinner with Stephen.

After all, it was his first evening to anyone's

house and I wanted it to be pleasant.

You were pleasant enough for both of us.

Come on, Beth.

We don't want to miss the overture.

I would like to wait a moment. Do you mind?

Thank you, sir.

Oh, Andrews, we'll have brandy in here.

- Very good, sir.

- Well, my dear, it's all settled.

Really, Father? Oh, how wonderful!

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