The Belles of St. Trinian's Page #4

OK. What about the weight?

Leave that to Amanda. That baby's

giving him the full treatment.

Corn Exchange, then.

Nine o'clock Thursday.

Hurry up, Jackie! As quick as you can!

- I am hurrying!

- What does it say?

Listen, rabble!

Making allowance for the weight,

according to my reckoning,

Arab Boy ran that trial ten seconds faster

than the horse

that won the Gold Cup last year.

We've got to get our money on

before the news leaks out!

Why?

Because the price

will drop like a stone when it does.

- Don't you know anything about racing?

- Not much.

Well, it's time you did at your age.

Come on, kids! Get your lolly together

and we'll shove it onto Arab Boy, OK?

I'll whistle up Flash Harry!

How do, lady.

How do.

Here he comes!

Come on, Flash!

What on earth are you doing there?

- Listening.

- Go away at once, you disgusting child!

You never know what goes on

if you don't keep your ear to the ground.

Now, hurry up or I'll give you 100 lines!

100 lines!

We've for a machine for doing them!

It's all we have.

Three nicker? You ain't gonna make

a fortune on that, are you?

How about our gin money, Harry?

What about...?

Oh, no, no. I haven't flogged it yet.

It ain't everyone who like home-made gin.

There's a lot of good stuff

on the market nowadays.

I've just thought of something!

What about the 100 quid Fatima's got?

I haven't got it. Miss Fritton has.

Supposing if we could get it off her.

Would you lend it to us?

- It's in a good cause, Fatty.

- She'd never part with it.

Why not? It's your lard, innit? Why don't

you put the screws on the old custard?

There you are, at last.

Because I warded off the tradespeople,

do think you can forget about it?

Miss Holland, I pay you

to attend to my accounts.

Would you kindly get up out of my chair?

Huh-huh! One really can't call anything

one's own in this place.

You're right there. We've got 400

in the bank and we owe 4,000.

What? 4,000? Oh, dear.

Oh, are you... are you quite sure?

Of course I'm sure! Look for yourself!

Right. I don't want to look.

Figures mean nothing to me.

They will when the bailiffs arrive.

And while I'm here, I should like

to give you my fortnight's notice.

I'm taking a job with the pools.

It will be heaven

to be in the money again.

Come in.

Can we see you, Miss Fritton, please?

Hm? Oh, yes, yes, yes. I suppose so.

If you... if you must.

Can I have my pocket money, please?

Why? Whatever for, Fatima?

Because it's hers.

Do you have to bring your friends

with you to ask for your pocket money?

- They want to borrow some, don't you?

- But borrowing is against the rules.

But we'll pay it back on Thursday

when the gee wins.

The gee?

You mean you want to borrow

Fatima's money to put upon a horse?

It's her dad's horse.

The very idea of asking me for money

to gamble upon racehorses!

It isn't gambling. Arab Boy's

a stone-cold certainty. He can't lose.

We watched the trial.

He did the distance

in 6 minutes 12 seconds.

- Carrying 12 and something.

- The price is 10-1 now.

If we can rake up 50 quid,

we'll get 500 back on Thursday!

Girls, girls, girls!

You're making me blench!

- Off to your rooms at once!

- But, Miss Fritton, it's an investment!

At once, at once! Do you hear?

10-1?

400 at 10-1.

Must be about 4,000.

If you are practising for your Tenderfoot

badge, mind doing it elsewhere?

- Yes, Miss Fritton.

- Thank you, Miss Crawley.

My name is Fritton. Millicent Fritton.

I'm headmistress here.

- I know, lady.

- Oh, you do.

Well, I'm afraid I don't know you.

Do you mind telling me your name?

Harry.

Harry. Oh, Harry was the name

of a boot boy I engaged in 1940.

- That's me.

- Oh, I was right.

Then, tell me are you...

are you still... polishing?

No.

Of course, I don't wish to pry,

but do you mind telling me

what you do do?

I trade. Gin. Nylons. Anything.

Oh, really?

Well, in that case,

I suppose you know something

about the... about the workings

of the racing world.

Racing? Brought up on it.

My dad sold race cards.

Funny, innit? Beginning like that

and ending up in a public school.

Yes, quite, but what I want from you now

is some racing information.

Do you want a winner?

No, no. I... I already have the winner.

What I want to know is how to...

to invest money on it.

'Ere, it's not this Stone Ginger, is it?

You know, the Sultan's horse?

- It is the Sultan's horse.

- Oh, no trouble at all.

You slip me the mazuma. I'll nip down

to Alf. The same as I do for the girls.

Girls? Are you telling me that you take

betting money from my girls?

What, if it wasn't for this place,

how do you think old Alf

would go off with his wife and kids

to the "riverara" every year, eh?

Eh? How much do you want on?

I am not sure that I want anything on.

But if I... if I were to put something on,

it would be... 400.

- Come again.

- 400 and I should want 10-1.

Cor! What a dame, eh? What a dame!

It just shows you how you can be wrong

about people, dunnit, eh?

400 smackers, eh? 400 smackers.

Ante-post, I suppose.

Ante who?

Ante-post. Backing the nag

before the day of the race.

Oh, a load of dough like that

is gonna take a lot of placing.

- Must you keep pacing about like this?

- Mm, yes. I must pace. Oh, must pace.

If I don't pace, I can't concentrate.

If I can't concentrate, I can't think.

On a folding-money job this size,

they'll want to know the stuffs good.

- You'll have to come with me now.

- What?

- Me? Go with you?

- Yeah.

Oh, dear.

Oh... well, I... suppose

this is one occasion in life

when one must sacrifice

one's finer instincts.

'Ere... is that your mum?

I beg your pardon?

Oh, yeah, there couldn't be

no mistake there!

- Oh, what a couple of dames, eh?

- Look, I'll call a taxi.

And meet you outside the school gates

in ten minutes.

Okey-doke. 'Ere...

Oh, you know, funny,

me and you meeting like this

after all these years, eh?

It's extraordinarily amusing,

but never mind about that now.

Right. We'll chew it over in the taxi, eh?

Outside the gates. Ten minutes.

Yes, and try not to be too conspicuous.

Me? Conspicuous?

Lady, I'm the invisible man.

Your daughter, sir.

- Bella! You haven't been expelled again?

- No! It's about the trial.

I didn't think it was safe to phone.

Hold on a minute, Benny.

Bella's here. She's got news.

Benny's scared.

The price of Arab Boy has dropped.

Well, no wonder.

He did the Gold Cup distance

in 6 minutes 12 seconds, carrying 12, 3.

12, 3.

- Er, 12... 12, 3? That's impossible!

- No mistake, Pop.

- Are you absolutely sure?

- Absolutely.

No, no. It can't be, it can't be.

No, no. That'd make Arab Boy

ten pounds better than the Prince.

What am I to do?

I've got a fortune on the Prince.

- Can't you lay it off?

- What?

With every single penny I've got

on the Prince, don't be a fool!

The Prince has just got, got, got to win!

Hello. Hello, Benny, Benny.

Come down at once! I've got news.

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