Howards End Page #8

[ Thumping ]

Hello?

I took you for Ruth Wilcox.

I, like Mrs. Wilcox?

You have her way of walking...

round the house.

[ Chuckles ]

Henry!

Henry, I've found the teeth.

- Yes, what?

- The pigs' teeth.

- Teeth? Where?

- The pigs' teeth in the bark.

Yes. look. J ust here.

You see? Four feet up.

- How extraordinary.

- Yes, and you chew the bark...

- to cure the toothache.

- What a rum notion.

Surely, you knew that.

Did that silly old Miss Avery

give you a fright. Margaret?

None ofyou girls has any nerve.

[ Laughing ]

Did you take her for a spook?

She's very odd.

She carries on as if

she owned Howards End.

Miss Avery has always

lived on the place?

Yes. she grew up there

on the farm like M rs. Wilcox.

Weren't she and Mrs. Wilcox friends

when Howards End too was a farm?

They do say that Mrs. Wilcox

had a brother, or was it an uncle?

Anyhow, he popped the question.

And Miss Avery. she said no.

Just imagine if she'd said yes.

She'd have been Charles's aunt.

Oh, I say, that's rather good.

Charlie's aunt.

I must chaff him about that.

[ Dolly ]

She's so mad about Howards End.

Goodness knows what she'll do when

your furniture gets there, Margaret.

She might fling it all out.

Or she might simply adopt it

for Howards End.

Excuse me. sir. Where would I go

to inquire about a position?

What position

would that be, sir?

I heard there was one.

Not at this time.

I thought it was you.

How do you do?

Why did you never come

to see us again? You promised.

But this isn't your bank.

You took a situation with Dempster's.

- I lost it.

- Sorry?

I lost the situation.

They cut back on their staff and

the last to join, like me...

were the first to be let go.

I've been inquiring

for another place here.

The way they look at you

when you come to ask.

They're sure you've stolen something or why else

would any decent person be out of work?

- It's our fault.

- No.

No. we made you leave the Porphyrion.

I and my sister and Mr. Wilcox...

who is at this very moment

celebrating his daughter's wedding...

at his castle in Shropshire...

with the maximum expense

and ostentation. of course.

I could murder him!

"Murder will out, it is most foul."

How have you been, Miss Schlegel?

Any interesting lectures?

You know. he jolly well

owes you a situation.

[ Margaret ] What nice houses you have

all over the place. I like this one too.

[ Henry ] Oniton Grange.

waiting to get it offmy hands.

- Why?

- Well, what is one to do?

The shooting is bad

and the fishing is even worse.

Anyway, it's in the wrong

part ofShropshire.

Henry, are these all Wilcoxes?

Heavens, no.

I bought the place

lock, stock and barrel.

The fellow just took the money

and cleared off to Italy, I think.

I'm told some of these are rather good.

What do you think?

- I think they're lovely.

- Rather good, isn't it?

- Which one?

- Top one.

- Yes, very grand. It's rather like you.

- [ Chuckles ]

So, I'll show you the cellar.

- It's very damp. isn't it?

- [ Chattering, Laughing ]

- Uh. do you have enough ice now?

- Yes. sir.

- Second orders?

- Yes. sir.

- Good. All right.

- Good afternoon.

- It's this way.

- Right.

Thank you.

It is difficult to decide what to do

about the children. Yes. here we are.

Charles, as the eldest.

will someday have Howards End.

I'm just anxious not to be

unjust to the others.

Of course not.

You mean money?

-Yes, money. since you put it so frankly.

-Goodness.

We'll never get through all this wine.

- How much have you got?

- What?

How much have you got

a year? I have 600.

My income?

- Don't you know your income? [ Laughing ]

- Of course I do.

Don't you want to tell it me?

Do it this way. Ifyou were to

divide your income into 1 0 parts...

how many parts would you give

to Charles. to Evie and to Paul?

Go ahead. Give away

all you can. Be generous.

You don't beat

about the bush, do you?

- [ Chuckles ]

- No.

[ Charles ] I suppose she'll get her hands

on this place as well as Howards End.

It's only her furniture

that's gone there.

That's the thin edge

of the wedge.

I don't know what's to happen to us, Dolly.

Two children to bring up.

Charles, you are pleased

about the baby. aren't you?

What?

Oh, pleased as punch.

Pleased as punch.

Though it's not

going to be easy.

The pater wants to be fair.

but money isn't elastic.

What if Evie has a family?

- Or the pater himself?

- [ Chuckles ]

- What?

- Shh.

Who's there?

Saxon or Celt?

[ All Chattering ]

Evie! Good-bye!

Good-bye!

It went like clockwork.

"Quite like a Durbar."

Lady Edser said.

Ah. You did awfully well.

I'm very proud ofyou.

Thank you.

It was very successful.

- [ Henry ] Who are those people?

- [ Margaret ] Well...

perhaps they're townspeople

come to see the wedding presents.

Ifyou'll gracefully vanish,

I'll deal with them.

What is it?

What's wrong? Is Tibby ill?

They're starving!

I found them starving!

- Who's starving?

- The Basts.

He's lost his place because he's been

turned out of Dempster's bank.

They reduced their staff,

and he was the first to go.

Yes. thanks to us, he's done for.

- We've ruined him.

- Are you mad?

Ifyou like. I'm mad.

but I'll stand for this no longer!

Two people starving.

and meanwhile all this vulgar show!

Helen. have you actually

brought two starving people...

-from London to Shropshire?

-There was a restaurant car on the train.

Don't be absurd. I won't have

theatrical nonsense. How dare you?

Yes, how dare you! Bursting

into Evie's wedding in this way.

My goodness. But you've

a perverted notion of philanthropy.

Look at them.

They think it's some vulgar scandal...

and I must explain, "Oh, no.

It's only my sister screaming..."

"and only two hangers-on of ours whom she has

brought here for no conceivable reason."

We want to see Mr. Wilcox.

Mr. Bast, this is an odd business.

What view do you take of it?

- There is Mrs. Bast too.

- Yes. how do you do?

- How do you do?

- She's not well.

- She fainted on the train.

- Oh, I'm so sorry.

- Won't you sit down for a minute?

- I'm sure we don't wish to intrude.

But you have been so kind

in the past, you and your sister.

- My sister has put you in a false position, I'm afraid.

- Jacky. let's go.

Please. Helen. offer them something.

Mrs. Bast. please.

Won't you have something to eat, please?

Now, Helen. I would like

to do something for them.

- Because I agree, we are in some way responsible.

- Via M r. Wilcox.

Let me tell you once and for all. ifyou take up

that attitude, I'll do nothing. so choose.

Ifyou promise to take them

to the hotel quietly as my guests...

then I will speak to Henry

about finding work for Mr. Bast.

In my own way. mind. There is to be

no more of this absurd screaming.

- Well?

- All right. I promise.

Very well. Take them off

to the George. then, and I'll try.

But, Helen...

you have been

most self-indulgent.

You have less restraint,

rather than more. as you get older.

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