Howards End Page #9

Think it over. Helen...

and alter yourself...

or we shan't have happy lives.

[ Chattering ]

Let's eat some cake, shall we?

[ Band ]

[ Helen ] M r. Wilcox has provided

all sorts of delicious things.

How about

some strawberries?

[ Leonard ]

Sorry. Excuse me.

- Now I must see to getting some rooms.

- No. We don't want to be any trouble.

- We should come with you.

- Len

- Perhaps you'd like to stay.

- Look. There's all this pudding.

- M rs. Bast is extremely tired.

- I'm hungry.

Perhaps you should

come back for her.

- Will you be all right?

- I'll be all right.

Ah.

Charles. Charles. look!

- Whoever's that?

- [ Charles ] Where?

- Pink scarf.

Charles Wilcox.

How do you do?

Bride or groom?

Very pleased to have

made your acquaintance.

Champagne, madam?

Helen? Here?

But, uh. she refused the invitation.

I thought she despised weddings.

- Where is she now?

- She's gone now.

I've bundled her off

to the George.

George Hotel?

You shouldn't have done that.

Well. she has two

of her proteges with her.

Ah, yes. Her proteges.

Well, let them all come.

No. but, um. later on...

I would like to talk

to you about them.

Well. why not now?

No time like the present.

- Shall I?

- Mm, yes. if it isn't too long a story.

- It's not five minutes.

- Yes.

But there's a sting

at the end of it.

Hmm?

For I want you

to find the man some work in your office.

[ Laughing ]

Well, what are

his qualifications?

- [ Margaret ] He's a clerk, I think.

- [ Henry ] Yes. Where was he before?

[ Margaret ]

Dempster's Bank.

[ Henry ]

Dempster's. Why did he leave?

- [ Margaret ] They reduced their staff.

- Oh.

Yes. um, all right.

I'll see what I can do.

- [ Margaret ] Thankyou.

- Margaret.

This cannot be taken

as a precedent, you know.

I can't fit in your proteges

or Helen's proteges every day.

- You do understand?

- Of course. Of course not.

But he's

he's rather a special case.

Yes. well. proteges always are.

aren't they, hmm?

[ Chattering ]

[ Woman ] Well, good-bye.

Thank you so much.

- Good-bye.

- [ Jacky ] Why, if it isn't Henry.

[ Laughing ]

Hello. Henry.

Fancy seeing you here.

Uh. this is Mrs. Bast.

Sorry. She's a little overtired.

- She's drunk.

- Don'tyou rememberJacky?

Henry, aren't you

gonna say hello?

- Do you know know Mrs. Bast?

- No, I don't!

[ Jacky ]

Know Henry?

- Who doesn't know Henry?

- Henry?

- We've had some gay old times, haven't we. Hen?

- You're drunk.

[ Margaret ]

Henry?

- Henry? Henry.

- Are you satisfied now. Margaret?

I can now understand

your keen interest in the Basts.

I must say I congratulate you

on your little plan to trap me.

- Trap you?

- I release you from your engagement.

Henry! Henry! Henry!

- Here we are.

- Oh. please don't bother, my dear.

I'm sure I can manage.

[ Henry ]

That's all right. I'll do that. I'll do it.

Ah.

- So that's it.

- That is what?

Thank you, dear chap.

You were saying?

No. Henry and I were just having the fiercest

argument. but I think he has forgiven me.

Oh, I don't expect

there's much to forgive.

Well, I really must be going.

or we shall be late.

Thank you so much

for a lovely time.

And hasn't the weather

been kind to us?

- Glorious.

- A lovely day.

- Thank you. my dear. very much.

- Safe journey.

- Thank you. Bye-bye. Dolly. Bless you.

- Bye-bye, Albert.

- You take care ofyourself.

- I shall.

- Bye-bye.

- I've forgotten my hat.

- It's here, Father.

- Oh. Ah. Thank you, Albert.

Ah, are the womenfolk

all right then?

- Yes.

- Shut the doors and we're all ready.

- Thank you. uh, uh

- [ Engine Starts ]

Oh. Oh. Drive on then.

[ Crying. Whimpering ]

[ Sobbing ]

- What's the matter. Jacky?

- [ Crying ]

It was a shock, seeing him.

- Him? Seeing who?

- I don't want to talk about it.

- [ Staff Giggling ]

- What do you think you're looking at?

Len.

Henry.

Henry, look at me.

So you were

that woman's lover.

Since you put it

with your usual delicacy, yes. I was.

When?

- When, please?

- Ten years ago!

[ Sighs ]

I'm sorry. Ten years ago.

Henry, dear,

it's not going to trouble us.

Ah. yes. We fellows all fall

from grace once in our time.

- Do you believe that. Margaret?

- Yes. I do believe it.

You with your refined pursuits

and your books.

What can you guess

of any man's life?

The temptations.

Temptations.

Well, that's enough.

I've spoken too much already.

- Yes, that's enough, dear.

- [ Clock Ticking ]

It was in Cyprus.

It was very lonely.

- You can never forgive me, can you?

- I have forgiven you. Henry.

Well, I, uh

I could find an excuse.

but I won't.

Let us speak no more

about it, dear. It is all behind us.

Really? You can really bring yourself

to forgive me?

[ Kissing ] You've learned that

I'm far from a saint. In fact. the reverse.

- Shh.

- No, no. no, no. no.

The reverse.

- Where are those people now?

- Helen has taken them to the George.

Oh. Then let them leave

first thing in the morning...

because there must be no gossip

at the George.

And anyway,

Helen should be here with us...

not stopping at a hotel

with some ragtags.

Tell you what. Margaret. Why don't you

kindly write a note to that effect...

and I'll have Burton send it out

to Helen straight away.

Burton!

- Burton!

- [ Burton ] Yes, sir.

I want you to take a note

over to the George Hotel straight away.

- Yes, sir.

- There's far too much noise out there.

[ Margaret ] I'm sorry to tell you

that Henry can do nothing for Mr. Bast.

He feels the Basts are not at all...

the type we should trouble about.

We found the woman drunk

on the lawn.

Please see that they leave

first thing in the morning...

and come here yourself.

He made her write it.

This isn't Margaret.

Would you put it in the fire?

Better let us be, Miss Schlegel.

You don't want to get mixed up in this.

Mixed up in what?

What is it? You must

trust me that far. at least.

Mr. Wilcox met Jacky before,

out in Cyprus. when she was 1 6.

I told you you didn't want

to hear about it.

Go on.

Why was she in Cyprus?

Her father was a clerk

in an export business.

So after her mother died,

she'd gone out to be with him.

Then he died.

Accidentally drowned

because he couldn't swim.

Jacky was left having

to fend for herself...

till she managed

to get back home.

I didn't have to marry her.

but I did.

My family wouldn't

have anything to do with us.

They tried to stop me.

but I married her all the same.

Because I promised. If I hadn't.

where would she be today...

after the M r. Wilcoxes

of this world had finished with her?

It would never. never.

not in a thousand years...

enter that man's mind

that he'd done anything wrong.

Because there's nothing here

and nothing here.

And you're the opposite. You believe

in personal responsibility...

and personal everything.

Very nice. What good am I

to myself or to Jacky

marrying her only to pull her down

with me so we can starve together?

You'll find another position.

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