Mrs. Miniver Page #7

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He's back.

Did I hear you offer me some breakfast?

- 10 hours ago.

Ten hours?

- But Vin ate it.

Vin, home?

- Home.

Both of you.

Where is he now?

He went up to Beldon Hall

to break the news of the engagement.

I don't envy him that trip.

Serves him right, though,

for eating my breakfast. Anything left?

What do you want?

- Well, I should--...

What have you got?

- I'll find out.

Ada.

I didn't know when you'd wake up,

so I couldn't order anything for dinner.

Breakfast. No matter what time it is

when I wake up, it's breakfast.

Come in.

Hello, Ada.

- Well, I am glad to see you, sir.

After what it said in the papers,

I was quite worried about you.

I was.

- That's nice of you, but I'm all right.

All I need now is a good large plate

of ham and eggs.

All right, sir.

Then it is in the papers?

- About Dunkirk?

Yes.

- Yes, dear.

Thank heavens.

I shan't have to tell you about it.

Clem, I'm so proud of you.

Are you, darling?

Well, that's nice.

And come to think of it,

I'm a bit proud of myself.

What you might call a real bit of navigation.

I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Oh, darling, I'm almost sorry for you,

having such a nice, quiet, peaceful time...

...when things were happening.

But that's what men are for, isn't it?

To do things while women

look after the house.

Yes, dear. Come in.

I'm sorry, ma'am, but I just remembered

we ain't got any ham.

What?

- You gave it all to that German pilot.

Oh, well, never mind.

We've got some bacon.

Mr. Miniver likes that just as well.

All right, ma'am.

- What's that about a German pilot?

Nothing at all.

- What do you mean, 'nothing at all'?

Well, I just had a German pilot in

for ham and eggs this morning, that's all.

Wait. What's going on here?

- Now, Clem, don't get excited.

I'm going to draw your bath.

- I've had a bath. I'm not excited.

A cigarette?

- No, I don't want one.

Was it the fellow we were looking for?

Yes.

- But what did you do?

Woman, you're driving me crazy.

Didn't he have a gun?

Well, yeah, he had a gun.

Well?

I took it from him and called the police.

Oh, you just took it to the police....

Just like that.

And then I suppose you gave him tea.

Milk.

Milk.

- Clem.

Come in.

- What is it, Ada?

It's the old lady, ma'am.

And me with the eggs on the stove.

It's Lady Beldon.

- Beldon, here?

No, ma'am. Downstairs.

All right.

Tell her I'll be down in a minute.

Very well, ma'am.

Lady Beldon.

If I hadn't known you'd taken that pilot

single-handed, I'd say you were scared.

I am scared, just as I was when

I took that German pilot single-handed.

Know why she's come in such hot haste?

- To object to the marriage, I suppose.

It's really insufferable snobbery.

A boy like Vin,

she ought to be proud and happy.

And honored.

- I wish I had a better dress on.

Oh, well.

Clement Miniver, don't you dare smile.

Why, Lady Beldon, this is nice.

Won't you sit down here?

I think I can guess why you came.

Vin's told you his news, hasn't he?

- Yes, Mrs. Miniver.

I do hope you're as pleased as we are.

- I'm afraid not. Why, they're infants.

Carol's 18 and that boy's not 20.

- Yes, they are young.

I think I should tell you frankly:

I hope to persuade Carol to wait.

You think she may change her mind?

- Frankly, yes.

Perhaps make a better match.

- There's always that possibility.

Of course, it may be just maternal vanity...

...but I don't think Carol will find

anyone nicer than Vin.

I don't believe she'll change her mind.

- It's a matter of opinion.

Her age is a matter of fact.

- Isn't that Beldon tradition...

...to marry young?

I don't know what you mean.

- My daughter Judy--

You've not met Judy. She had to write

a composition on the Crusades.

She brought a small book home

from the library...

...called A Friend of King Richard the...

It was a life of an ancestor of yours.

- Really, I fail to see--

It was a fascinating book.

I got quite interested in it myself.

It was full of stories of the Beldon family.

I trust you satisfied yourself

we were worthy of the alliance.

Well, there were one or two things

that rather surprised me.

Did you know that the

He was beheaded.

Such things happen in the best families.

Usually in the best families.

- Matter of fact, what interested me most...

...was the extreme youth of the

Beldon brides. This Gilbert Beldon...

...who went on the Crusades, married

an Isabelle Du Something-or-other, age 12.

I did not come here to chatter pedigrees.

I'm old-fashioned. I believe in breeding.

That's neither here nor there.

- Your point is, they're too young.

I've said so, haven't I?

We're at war, Lady Beldon.

And Vin's a flyer.

It's no excuse for rushing into

an ill-considered marriage.

But in war, time is so precious

to the young people.

How old were you when you married?

- I?

It's no use telling fibs...

...because I looked you up.

- Oh, well, if you've looked me up...

...I suppose you know that I was 16.

Sixteen. And did your parents approve?

- That's beside the point.

Oh, forgive me. Is it?

You married very young,

without your parents' consent...

...and yet when Carol....

Oh, but perhaps you regretted it.

- I did nothing of the kind.

Then why--?

- My marriage lasted a few weeks.

My husband was in the army.

He was killed in action.

Oh, I'm so sorry. Forgive me.

I didn't know.

I never regretted it.

Not for one moment.

We married because

we knew that might happen.

But I don't want Carol to suffer

as I suffered.

Don't you want her to be happy,

even for a little while...

...the way you were?

I was afraid you'd say that.

Not that it matters what you say.

Or what I say, either.

You know that, don't you?

You mean, Carol will go her own way?

She's my granddaughter.

Well, then why?

Goodness knows.

I was beaten before I started.

You don't mind terribly, do you?

He is a nice boy.

Yes.

I see now where he gets it.

You're pretty too.

No wonder that wretched Ballard

named his rose after you.

Not that he's got a chance

of getting the cup from me.

Well, so long as we're going

to be relatives...

...the least you can do

is to offer me some tea.

Well?

- Oh, yes. Yes, of course.

'So Alice sat on with closed eyes...

...and half believed herself again

in Wonderland.

With the grass rustling in the wind...

...and the pool rippling

to the waving of the reeds...

...the tinkling sheep bells,

the voice of the shepherd boy...

...and the lowing of the cattle

in the distance.

She pictured to herself how she would

keep through all her riper years...

...the simple and loving heart

of her childhood...

...and how she would gather

about her other little children...

...and make their eyes bright and eager

with many a strange tale.

Perhaps even with a dream

of Wonderland.'

They're asleep.

- Good.

What time is it, darling?

- Ten to 10.

Going to have your coffee now?

No. I think I'll have a little smoke first.

Anything you want from the house?

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