Love and Loyalty: The Making of 'The Remains of the Day' Page #6

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because of the German girls?

I'm not leaving.

I've nowhere to go. I have no family.

I'm a coward.

Yes. I am a coward.

I'm frightened of leaving,

and that's the truth.

All I see out in the world

is loneliness, and it frightens me.

That's all my high principles

are worth.

I'm ashamed of myself.

You mean a great deal to this house.

You're extremely important

to this house.

Am I?

Now, look here...

...if you're really sure about

this young woman, call her back in.

Miss Hull, we would like you

to start next week.

You're responsible to Miss Kenton.

She'll explain the house rules.

Number one:
no gentlemen callers,

or other such.

- Yes, sir.

- Good.

- Welcome.

- Thank you, sir.

Well done.

I'll show you to your room.

I'd forgotten how much petrol

the Daimler uses.

It's an impractical motor to be

going about the country, Mister...

Smith. Harry Smith. It's a privilege

to have you here in Moscombe.

- It's a privilege to be here.

- Your health, sir.

Dr. Carlisle usually drops in

around now. He'd enjoy meeting you.

He's a gentleman like yourself.

I don't know what you call

a gentleman.

It's a name every man

in this country has a right to.

There's Harry Smith now, giving

you an earful of his philosophy.

We English...

...have the advantage and privilege

of expressing our opinions...

...and voting for Parliament.

That's what we fought Hitler for.

Have you had much to do

with politics yourself?

Not directly as such, no,

particularly in these days.

Perhaps more so in the early 1930s

and just before the war.

My concern was more

international affairs.

Or foreign policy, so to speak.

Not that I ever held high office,

mind you.

No, any influence I exerted

was in an unofficial capacity.

Excuse me, sir.

Have you ever met Mr. Churchill?

He came to the house occasionally.

Again, in the early 1930s.

He was a bloody warmonger!

Honestly, Harry! We wouldn't have won

the war without him.

Not content to fight Germans,

he sent troops in against the miners.

- What about the war?

- Yes, all right.

He did well in the war,

but he should've stepped down.

- And Mr. Eden?

- He made a right bugger of Suez!

Yes, I met Mr. Eden.

Yes, occasionally.

How do you do? Richard Carlisle.

Rotten luck about your car,

but nice to have you.

- Everyone has been most kind.

- He says he knows foreign affairs.

Is that so, indeed?

In an unofficial capacity.

- He knows Mr. Churchill.

- And Mr. Eden.

Really?

Yes, well, it was my good fortune

to have consorted...

...with many men of influence

from Europe and from America.

Mr. Taylor...

...I really feel I ought to retire now

because I'm feeling rather tired.

No wonder, sir.

Running out of petrol...

...then having to hear Smith's

political opinions.

Just step this way, sir.

I'm going to Stanbury in the

morning. I'll give you a lift...

...and we could pick up

a can of petrol on the way.

- I'd hate to inconvenience you.

- Not at all. Would 7:30 suit you?

You'll enjoy talking to Dr. Carlisle.

Watch this step.

Excuse Harry Smith.

He will go on about his politics.

I don't mean he's not right.

Democracy is why we fought Hitler, and

we lost a few lads in this village...

...including our son here.

Dunkirk.

I'll get you a blanket.

I've left a razor and soap

on the basin.

Listen to the opinions

of your man in the street.

They're perfectly entitled

to give an opinion...

...on politics or whatever questions...

They've got no qualifications!

Of course they have!

Mr. Spencer would like

a word with you.

My good man,

I have a question for you.

Do you suppose the debt situation

regarding America...

...factors significantly in the

present low levels of trade?

Or is this a red herring...

...and the abandonment of the gold

standard is the cause of the problem?

I'm sorry, sir, but I am unable

to be of assistance in this matter.

Oh, dear.

What a pity.

Perhaps you'd help us

on another matter.

Do you think...

...Europe's currency problem would be

alleviated by an arms agreement...

...between the French

and the Bolsheviks?

I'm sorry, sir, but I'm unable

to be of assistance in this matter.

Very well, that'll be all.

One moment, Darlington, I have another

question to put to our good man here.

My good fellow...

...do you share our opinion...

...that M. Daladier's recent speech

on North Africa...

...was simply a ruse...

...to scupper the nationalist fringe

of his own domestic party?

I'm sorry, sir. I am unable

to help in any of these matters.

You see, our good man here is

"unable to assist us in these matters."

Yet we still go along

with the notion...

...that this nation's decisions

be left to our good man here...

...and a few millions like him.

You may as well ask the Mothers'

Union to organize a war campaign.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

You certainly proved your point.

- Q.E.D., I think.

- No, not at all!

Oh, yes, he has!

What did you make of the citizens

of Moscombe? Not a bad bunch.

No, sir.

Mr. And Mrs. Taylor

were extremely kind.

I say, I hope you don't

think me very rude...

...but you aren't a manservant

of some sort, are you?

Yes, sir. I am, indeed.

In fact, I'm the butler

of Darlington Hall, near Oxford.

It wasn't my intention

to deceive anyone.

Don't explain.

I can see how it happened.

Darlington.

Wasn't there a

Lord Darlington involved...

...in that appeasement business

that got us into the war?

Sorry, I never knew

that Lord Darlington.

My employer's an American

gentleman, Mr. Lewis.

Lord Darlington was among those who

tried to make a deal with Hitler.

Then there was a case after the war...

...where he sued a newspaper

for libel.

"The Express", was it?

"News Chronicle"?

- I couldn't say, sir.

- Anyway, he lost.

He was lucky, really, not to have

been tried for treason.

There it is, just ahead.

Sir, I must confess...

...that I failed to tell

you the truth.

I did know Lord Darlington, and I can

declare that he was a truly good man.

A gentleman through and through...

...to whom I'm proud to have given

my best years of service.

That should get you

to the next petrol station.

Thank you very much, sir.

I'm most grateful.

But did you...

...share his opinions?

Who?

Lord Darlington.

I was his butler.

I was there to serve him...

...not to agree or disagree.

You trusted him.

Yes, I did. Completely.

But at the end of his life, he himself

admitted that he'd been... mistaken.

That he'd been too gullible,

and he'd let himself be taken in.

I see.

Thank you, sir.

You've been most kind.

Just keep going straight up here,

and turn left at the first crossroads.

I say, I don't want to be a bore,

but I'm intrigued.

Where do you stand on all that?

If a mistake was to be made, wouldn't

you rather have made your own?

Forgive me for being so inquisitive.

Not at all, sir.

In a very small way,

I did make my own mistake.

But I might have a chance

to set mine right.

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