The Corn Is Green Page #7

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will be the day it decides not to appear.

You're a clinker, you are, ma'am.

I hope so, Watty.

You're here.

- Well...

- I'm not hopeful.

Why not?

- They talked to me for one hour at the viva.

- There's nothing wrong with that. Go on.

They jumped down hard on the New

Testament question, as you said they would.

- You're very pale.

- Oh, better than raging fever. Go on.

Well...

I spent five minutes explaining why St. Paul

sailed from a town 300 miles inland.

Oh, dear. Parnell?

Was gonna stick up for him, but when

they started with "that Parnell"...

...I told a tale against him

for half an hour.

Wasn't born a Welshman for nothing.

- Did the president send for you?

- I had half an hour with him.

- You did?

- Yes, but so did the other nine candidates.

He was a very kind

and grand old gentleman...

...sitting in a drawing room

the size of Penllyn Town Hall.

- I talked about religion, same as you said.

- "Just as you advised."

Just as you advised.

He asked me if I'd ever had strong drink,

and I looked him in the eye and said, "No."

- Of course.

- I was terrible... Terribly nervous.

My collar stud fell off and I had to hold on

to my collar with one hand.

And he did not seem impressed

with me at all.

He was very curious about you.

Did you know there was an article

in the post about the school?

Never mind about that.

What else makes you despondent?

The other candidates.

They appear to me brilliant.

I never thought they would be, somehow.

There was two from Eton,

one from Harrow.

One of them very rich.

I never thought a scholarship man

might be rich.

- He had his own servant.

- Gosh.

And the servant looked so like my father

I thought it was at first.

And as I was leaving...

...the examiners appeared to be sorry

for me in some way.

And I received the impression

that I'd failed.

- When shall we know?

- The day after tomorrow.

They're writing to you.

The villagers are all in their best...

...dressed up, talking about a holiday.

Stupid of them,

because if you've failed...

If I've failed?

- Don't speak about it.

- We must speak about it.

You faced that possibility

the day you left for Oxford...

But I've been to Oxford,

and come back since then.

Ever since the day I was born...

...l've been a prisoner

behind a stone wall.

Now somebody has given me a leg up

to have a look at the other side.

They cannot drag me back again.

They must give me a push

and send me over.

If three days at Oxford

can do this to you...

Yes, that's just it.

It would be everything I need,

everything.

Starling and I spent three hours one night

discussing the law.

- Starling. You know, the brilliant one.

- Yes.

Words came pouring out of me.

All the words that I'd learnt

and written down, but never spoken.

I suppose I was talking a lot of nonsense,

but I was at least holding a conversation.

I suddenly realized that I had never

done it before. I'd never been able to.

"How are you, Morgan?"

"Nice day, Mr. Jones.

Not bad for the harvest."

A vocabulary of 20 words.

And there I was with Starling, talking,

19 to the dozen.

I came out of his rooms that night

and I walked down the High.

- That's their High Street, you know?

- Yes.

I looked up, and there was a moon

behind Mag... Magdalen.

And everybody was walking very fast

with their gowns on.

And the bells were ringing, and I was

walking faster than anybody. And I felt...

The same as on the rum

in the old days.

All of a sudden, in one big rush...

...I saw this room.

- You and me sitting here, studying.

- Yes.

And all those books.

Everything I've learned

from those books and from you...

...was lighted up like a magic lantern.

Ancient Rome, Greece,

Shakespeare, Milton.

Everything had a meaning

because I was in a new world.

My world now.

And so it came to me

why you worked like a slave...

...to make me ready for this scholarship.

I can talk to you now.

Yes.

I'm glad.

There's no sign... There you are, Morgan.

- Good day, sir.

- Well?

They're sending the results.

- I find this waiting quite a strain.

- Somebody said they'd seen...

- Day after tomorrow.

- Were the examiners all right, my boy?

- Rather sticky, sir.

- Well, I expect they're all old fogies.

- Somebody said they'd seen Morgan.

- Day after tomorrow.

- Morgan, how are you, dear?

- Morgan.

- You're back.

- The suspense is terrible.

- Are you hungry?

- Yes, I am a bit.

I've done you something lovely

in the oven.

Oh, Morgan, the excitement.

I've never known nothing like it before,

not in all my life.

Morgan, my boy, are you not exhausted

after your journey?

- Would you not like something to eat?

- I'm gonna take him and feed him.

Get him something to eat

before that mob get hold of him...

...and treat him to a hero's welcome.

Oh, he's looking very well, isn't he?

You seemed in a hurry

to get them out of the room.

What's the matter?

Hello.

How do you do?

I'm very well, indeed, thank you.

How are you? Blooming?

Yes, thank you. What is this?

- Bessie.

- Hello, Miss Ronberry.

How's geography?

The world's still going around in circles?

Hello, Mr. Jones. Flirty as ever.

To what do we owe this honor?

Well, it's like this... Don't you push me.

Three days ago, she sent you money.

- Did you not receive the letter?

- Yes, I did...

...and all the others

till I was sick of them.

What is all this?

Last week, I was glancing

through the Mid-Wales Gazette...

...and I'm here to congratulate a certain

young gentleman on a scholarship...

...he might have won.

- What has that to do with you?

- Please, don't say it.

Four weeks yesterday, I had a baby boy.

- You had a what?

- Baby boy.

Seven pounds, 13 ounces.

- It is a disgusting subject.

- It isn't disgusting at all.

If I had a wedding,

wouldn't you think it was sweet?

I'm just gonna take

Morgan's luggage upstairs.

- Yes, and I'll take his...

- Well, I'll be blowed.

- No.

- Yeah.

Hello. I've just been telling them

about you-know-what.

You little slut!

- Is that your basket?

- It's mine, all right.

- What's in it?

- Well, it ain't no picnic lunch, I can tell you.

Oh, to think she was in my class.

- This horrible, unnatural happening.

- Don't talk nonsense.

It isn't horrible and it isn't unnatural.

On the contrary...

...it's Mother Nature giving civilization

a nasty tweak on the nose.

I think it's time you told us

who the fellow was.

- Well, as a matter of fact, it's...

- Morgan Evans.

What?

- I don't believe it.

- That's right.

I've got a four-week-old baby,

kicking and healthy and hungry.

And I've got no husband to keep him.

So his father's got to

turn into my husband.

That's only fair, isn't it?

I'm inclined to agree with her, I'm sorry.

You're sorry!

What the hell do you think I am?

- My friend will be furious.

- Friend?

The gentleman I've got in Cheltenham.

Gentleman?

He's quiet a swell, actually.

- Anything I can do, I'll be outside.

- Yes, thank you.

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