Libel Page #6

It's a rotten thing, a cage.

I once had a bird in a cage.

A linnet.

It was given to me by old Sal,

the gardener. My 5th birthday.

Cage was too small the bird was

always trying to get out.

I was used to imagine what it was feeling.

It must have been rather fun.

- All those birthday parties at Ingworth.

- Yes, they were.

Did you have a special one for your 21st?

Yes, I think so.

I have spent my 21st

in theatrical lodgings.

In...

in Darlington.

I don't think it matters

where you spend

your 21st As long as

you were with friends.

I was alone.

Always that same tune,

doesn't he know any other?

No letter again for you?

No.

Don't have one for quite

a while, have you?

No, she stopped writing months ago.

I guess she got tired of waiting.

Oh, I see.

Look, why don't you write to Maggie?

She's like it if you

did, she'd write back.

Wouldn't she think it a little bit...

She wouldn't be a little bit anything.

You don't know Maggie.

No, I don't.

What's she like?

Oh, she is American and very pretty.

I didn't mean that.

What's she really like?

It's rather difficult to describe her

really. She is...

Well.

When you are with her,

you're at your best.

Even quite dull people become amusing

when they are in her company.

Even people you don't like

very much, you suddenly

you suddenly find there...

nice things about them.

Things you didn't know

were there.

Do you know what I mean?

- Yeah, I know what you mean.

- Well, you write to her then.

What happened with the linnet?

- The linnet.

- Oh...

I let it go.

So that would account for the plaintiff's

vivid memory

of his 5th birthday present

from the head gardener, Mr. Sal.

Wouldn't it, Mr. Buckenham?

Yes. Yes, it sure would.

Did anything further come

of this incident?- Yes.

He kept asking Mark questions

about personal things.

Family,

servants,

even the furniture in the rooms.

I told Mark that he was preparing

to be his understudy.

And if he wasn't careful, he

would take over the star part.

At the time I was only kidding.

But then one afternoon I was lying

in my bunk,

well, he didn't know I was there.

Mark Sebastian Loddon.

I know you almost

as I know myself.

Better.

And this is one performance I can give

complete with affection.

A change of hair,

the change of voice,

and I am...

Mark Sebastian Loddon.

Seventh Baronet

and owner of Ingworth House.

One of the stately

homes of England.

I'm also one of the luckiest men alive.

Margaret Madison, Maggie.

The girl I intend to marry.

I met in Ascot,

in 1939.

Hey you, clown? You leave Maggie

out of this.

Mark.

Our great actor was pretending

he was you.

He is taking over Ingworth.

I haven't taken over Ingworth

at all.

I was merely doing a little

impersonation of you

which I thought I might do at

the Camp concert. Do you mind?

No, not a bit as long as it's good.

Let's hear a piece of it.

Really well you are the most

insufferable boor. I don't know

why we put up with you in this house.

- It's very good.

- I'm glad you like it.

Do you know one of the Poles actually

mistook me for you the other day.

He must have been making

fun of you.

You know if you could dispose of me.

I believe you could go

back to Ingworth.

Take over.

And there won't be anyone the wiser.

Do you really think so?

I wonder...

I might do it if you aren't

really careful.

Yes, Mister Buckenham.

Yeah...

That's what you did.

That's just what you did.

You killed him.

My Lord, this is intolerable.

Is there no limit

to the license allowed

- this witness?

- Silence!

We appreciate your point, Wilfred.

- The witness will...

- But he did!

I know it now, I know it.

If the witness's persist in interrupting I

will have him held for contempt of court.

Please, confine yourself

to answering the question.

- Proceed Mr. Foxley.

- I thank you, you Lordship.

Mr. Buckenham about the escape.

Was the plaintiff's account accurate?

Yes, up to the point that I left him.

Then what happened?

Well, I...

I managed to get some food

and I was making my way back.

Er ist schon tot.

Los gehen wir shon.

And you're absolutely certain Mr Buckenham

the body was Mr. Mark's?

Certain. He was the only one of

us wearing a battle dress jacket.

Were you certain he was dead? - I know

that 'tot' is the German word for dead.

And you're reasonably certain the

man you saw making off was Welney?

Yes, he was the only one was

wearing a leather jacket.

Thank you, Mr. Buckenham.

My Lord, I will dispose of the evidence

of this gentleman,

with the brevity it merits.

Although it's not strictly necessary

for me to do so,

I will deal with the fantastic

charge of murder.

You say when you returned from foraging,

you heard shots.

- Yes.

- Were you...

or Welney, or Sir Mark

carrying firearms?

- No, of course not.

- Well then I suppose you were right.

And the man you saw escaping was

Welney and the body was that of Sir Mark.

It follows, doesn't it?

That Welney couldn't

possible have shot Sir Mark.

Kindly answer the question.

- Yeah, I guess so.

- Thank you.

The jury may conclude

that the man who was made

one wildly irresponsible

and palpably false statement

is not incapable of having made another.

And now let us turn to

this famous impersonation.

You say, you came across Welney

rehearsing an imitation of Sir Mark

for a camp concert.

No.

I mean...

What he was doing before he knew

I was watching...

wasn't for his act.

It wasn't that kind of thing.

He was practicing being Sir Mark.

Did you like Welney?

I hate his guts.

So that your interpretation of his

intentions could hardly be impartial.

And so on the strength

of a five minute imitation.

You are suggesting that Frank Welney

could over the years

have persuaded Sir Mark Loddon's

nearest relative,

his family who knew him

ever since he was a little boy.

The lady to whom he was betrothed

and whom he subsequently married.

You have the effrontery to suggest

that he could persuade all these people

that he was Sir Mark Loddon?

Yes.

I gravely doubt that anybody else would

accept such an outrageous suggestion.

Now then let us come to the escape.

You said immediately after the shots

you saw Welney making off.

Did you see his face?

No.

And the body on the ground

in British battle dress.

Were you close enough to see its face?

No, but I told you he was...

My Lord, on the witness' own evidence

it was dark and misty.

He saw a figure in a leather jacket.

He saw a body wearing

a British army jacket.

And that was all he saw.

I don't think we need detain

this gentleman any longer.

Court will now adjourn.

Buckenham.

I don't suppose we should even be seen

together, but I must talk to you.

- Look, there is no...

- Listen.

You must listen to me.

Before I saw you in the

witness box I thought

you must be a madman

or a blackmailer.

Now I know you neither.

I believe you are telling the truth

and I know you really love Mark.

- Thank you.

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