Howards End Page #3

Not. of course, London.

None of us love London.

It's so

It makes one feel so unstable.

impermanent...

with houses being torn down

on all sides.

Including,

in the foreseeable future, ours.

- Are you having to leave Wickham Place?

- Yes.

In 1 8 months or so

when the lease expires.

- Have you been there long?

- All our lives. We were born there.

Oh, the

That is monstrous.

Oh, I do pity you,

from the bottom of my heart.

I had no idea this thing

was hanging over you.

- How dreadful.

- Oh, well

- Oh. you poor, poor girls.

- Well, of course...

we are fond of the house.

but it is an ordinary London house.

- We shall easily find another.

- No.

Not in this world.

Not the house

that you were born in.

You'll never find that again.

Poor, poor girls.

[ Sighs ]

Howards End was almost

pulled down once.

It would have killed me.

It's my house. you know.

It was left to me by my brother

who died out in India.

I love it so.

I even resisted when Henry

my husband

wanted to make changes

to improve the property.

He knew best. of course.

[ Chuckles ]

We even have a garage.

To the west of the house...

just beyond the chestnut tree...

in the paddock where

the pony used to be.

Where's the pony gone?

The pony?

Oh, dead, ever so long ago.

The vice of the pan-German mind is that

it only cares for what it can use.

-That is the vice of the imperial mind.

-No, that is the vice of the vulgar mind.

But, and this is the tremendous part.

they take poetry seriously.

- They do take poetry seriously.

- But is anything gained by that?

Yes, the Germans

are always striving for beauty.

Oh, but. Mrs. Wilcox, my father

was a German of the old school...

a philosopher. an idealist...

the countryman of Hegel and Kant.

- But isn't that your father's sword

you have upstairs in the drawing room?

- Oh, yes.

He was a soldier too when he had to be.

But he was so uncomfortable

about being on the winning side...

that he just hung up his sword

and never used it again.

- My idea has always been that...

- [ Chatter Dies Down ]

if we could bring the mothers...

of the various nations together...

then there would be no more war.

- Oh. indeed. yes.

- Absolutely.

If the mothers went to war.

there'd be no one left to defend.

-Mrs. Wilcox. will you have anotherjelly?

-Thank you.

You are fortunate in your cook.

We have found it difficult to get

reliable servants in London.

-It is difficult.

-Servants have become as unreliable as we.

We can hardly expect them to listen to

radical discussions at the luncheon table.

Annie does very well.

Don't you. Annie?

You're very patient with us.

We never discuss at Howards End...

except perhaps sport.

Oh, but you should.

Discussion keeps a house alive.

You will laugh

at my old-fashioned ideas.

[ Chuckles ]

I will not.

I sometimes think...

it would be wiser to leave

action and discussion to men.

But. then where would

we be with the suffrage?

I am only too thankful

not to have the vote myself.

Shall we go up for coffee?

Duncan. will you lead the way?

Thank you.

[ Chattering, Indistinct ]

- What interesting lives you all lead.

- No. we don't.

It's no use pretending

you enjoyed lunch, for you loathed it.

But I hope you will forgive me...

by coming again. alone.

or by asking me to you.

I enjoyed my lunch very much.

Miss Schlegel, truly I did.

I only wish I could've joined in more.

You're

You're so clever,

and yet, so good.

No, that's very kind ofyou,

but I am neither, I'm afraid.

You've been very good to me.

You've kept me from brooding.

- I'm too apt to brood.

- About what?

Well, I don't know.

I really don't know.

I think about my house a great deal.

You've never seen Howards End.

I want to show it to you.

[ Margaret ] Now. this is the scientific

approach to Christmas shopping: a list.

[ Mrs. Wilcox ]

A list. What a good idea.

Why don't you put your own name

at the top of the list?

Hurray. How very kind ofyou

to start with me.

"Schlegel." Now, next.

Shall I put Mr. Wilcox?

- Quite out of the ordinary, you know?

- I know. it's these.

Now. what do you think of that?

And a pretty box.

Oh. yes.

Oh, thank you very much.

- Good. I'm glad.

- You are wonderfully efficient.

- Thank you. Could we

wrap that with a nice bow, please?

- Certainly, madam.

- But your name still remains

at the top of the list.

- [ Chuckles ] Yes.

So, Dolly. There she goes.

I would like to give you

something worth your friendship.

Couldn't you get it renewed?

- I beg your pardon?

- The lease ofyour house?

Oh, have you been thinking of that?

How very kind ofyou.

- Surely something could be done.

- No. Values have risen too enormously.

They mean to pull down Wickham Place

and build flats like yours.

- But how horrible.

- Landlords are horrible.

And so are the flats they build.

I fail to understand how people

can actually choose to live in them.

There we are.

Oh, dear. There, there we are.

Thank you.

[ Chuckles ]

Thank you.

Thank you.

[ Groans ]

Oh, I'm so sorry.

We shouldn't have done this today.

No. no, we had to do it before.

- Before?

- Before my operation.

I still haven't told my family yet,

Miss Schlegel. Everyone hates illnesses.

Ah, it's as it should be.

There's a chestnut tree

at Howards End...

that has pigs' teeth

stuck into the trunk...

about four feet from the ground.

Yes. the teeth of a pig.

The country people

put them there long ago...

and they think that if they chew

a piece of the bark...

it will cure the toothache.

I love folklore

and the old superstitions.

Isn't it is curious though.

that unlike Greece...

England has no true mythology.

All we have are

witches and fairies.

[ Sighs ]

Will you come with me to Howards End?

- Oh. I would so much like to.

- Come with me now, now.

- Now? But it is too late.

- There is a train from St. Pancras

at 5:
00 if we hurry.

- I want you to see it.

- And I want to see it.

It sounds such a glorious place.

so redolent and

Yes, yes. I lived there long,

long before I was married.

I was born there.

Well, might I come some other day?

Yes.

Some other day.

Well. a thousands thanks.

Miss Schlegel. for your help.

It is a comfort to have

the presents off my mind...

the Christmas cards especially.

- I do admire your choice.

- [ Clock Chimes ]

[ Train Whistle ]

Whoa.

Mrs. Wilcox.

- Miss Schlegel.

- I will come if I still may.

Return to Hilton. please.

- We'll stop the night, my dear.

- Yes.

It's in the morning my house

looks most beautiful.

Two returns, please.

Thank you.

- This is yours?

- I can't show you my meadow

properly except in the sunrise.

- It was so romantic. It was in Italy.

- In Italy?

Yes. and the two trains

stopped on either side. you see...

and I opened the window...

and this man just

handed a rose across.

I don't know where he got it.

- Was he Italian?

- Yes, I think so. Italian.

Ah. he'd have to be

Italian, wouldn't he?

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