The Lady Vanishes Page #2

Baroness?

Are you coming to

the restaurant car to get tea?

My name's Winifred Froy, by the way.

Oh! Oh, come on.

It'll be much easier

if I pull you through.

Oh, I'm so sorry.

No, no, I'm sorry.

Oh! It's you.

I was just looking out to see

if our tea was coming.

We decided to travel back

a day earlier.

Well, I suggest we send the jolly old

waiter back here with your tea, pronto.

Oh, that would be kind. My husband

is such a wretched traveller.

Like so many big strong men.

I'm sure the tea will revive him.

Aren't we blocking the way?

You're quite a fragile thing.

I really don't think I should.

Hello.

Yoo-hoo!

Your friend is trying to

attract your attention.

I think I'm imagining things.

No. You are not.

The Baroness has been very rude.

Um, do want anything else

with your tea?

D'you know, I must apologise for not backing

you about the window in the compartment.

So I wasn't imagining

their animosity?

Well, it was stuffy

but I didn't want to interfere

because of the Baroness.

That appalling woman in black.

Yes. You see she is

a member of the family to which

I had the honour of being governess.

Her brother was my employer.

And now I'm under obligation to her.

There was a muddle

about my place in the train.

I'd booked second-class,

but there wasn't a seat left.

The Baroness kindly paid

the difference

so I could travel first

class in her carriage.

She doesn't look kind.

None of them do.

Well, it's the authority they

exude.

But of course, one gets used to it.

You have no idea of the power

of my late employer.

What he says goes.

And he doesn't even have to speak,

a nod is enough.

Oh, you have no idea of the complex

nature of life in the Balkans.

People live side by side,

but there are many intolerances.

It's hard to know if it's

in their nature to be volatile,

or whether it's a product of it all.

May I tell you something. Oh, I...

My employer was away when I gave

notice and it troubled me,

thinking he might find my leaving

an act of treachery.

I went out for an early

morning walk.

You can't imagine how beautiful

the grounds are on the estate.

They really have the most

spectacular garden.

And I bumped into him.

He wasn't away after all!

He was supposed to have been out of

the country. Anyway he was charming.

One would think it was a relief to

be leaving under such unpleasant

circumstances, but...

What?

Do you know,

I found an English newspaper

this morning which was full of...

Oh, I'm so sorry, my dear,

have I bored you? I've bored you.

Not at all.

It's just terribly stuffy.

Oh, no, my dear. You can't possibly

leave them such a big tip.

Please. I don't mind. Oh, please,

I insist.

And I'm happy to pay for your tea.

Oh, do you know, my dear, I feel so

reinforced, now that I've met you.

We must stick together.

No, don't look so worried.

We'll have a wonderful time.

Pater and Mater can talk of nothing

else but my return.

They're as excited as children.

And so is Soc.

He'll be waiting for every train

until I return.

Soc? Soc. Yes. Short for Socrates.

Pater's name for him.

He's a Border Collie

and he's really devoted to me.

Look at these beautiful creatures.

I don't understand.

Why are all the people

from the hotel on this train?

Has it been perfect?

Oh, yes.

Not perfect, then.

But, darling, is anything perfect?

Not when we're living a lie.

That nun looks like a criminal.

She's not a nun, she's a nurse.

Then I pity her patients.

This patient is

the Baroness's sister.

They're all terribly

worried about her.

Pneumonia, they think.

She's been bleeding out of her ears.

The good doctor, the tall man with

glasses that came into our carriage,

has taken it upon himself to bring

her to Trieste.

That fascist is a doctor?

Oh, yes, my dear. And a very

important one in these parts.

I'd rather have a vet.

It's him.

Now, I'm going to remind

you that we are English.

As long as we keep

an eye on each other,

we shouldn't need to be nervous of

our situation or the Baroness,

even if I am under obligation to

her.

I'm not nervous

of the Baron... of her.

Come on, my dear, chin up.

Of course Mater and Pater would

prefer it if I never left England.

I've told them I promised them

I'd stick to Europe,

but when I'm near a boundary I just

ache to hop over the line to Asia.

This fair curly hair would have a wonderful

time and then there are all those languages!

I can't think of anything more

boring than learning a language.

And I don't see why more foreigners

don't speak English.

That is even more boring.

My dear, you can't be serious.

Shall I tell you something that

really happened?

A woman who had been certified

as insane was supposed to be

taken to a private asylum.

But the ambulance accidentally

went to the wrong house

and forcibly took the wrong woman,

who was English,

and could not speak the language

of the country she was staying in,

and she found herself locked

up in a private asylum...

Please stop. I can imagine

the whole thing. Vividly.

Would you mind if we stopped talking?

My dear, whatever is the matter?

Apparently I have a rather ghastly

attack of sunstroke.

I collapsed at the station

before I got on the train.

I have a large

bump on the back of my head.

Oh, you poor soul!

Why on earth didn't you ask me

to stop chattering before?

You do not look well.

An aspirin should help.

I don't think you should have

dinner in the restaurant car.

I'll bring you something later.

'Pater and Mater can talk of nothing

else but my return.

'They're as excited as children.

And so is Soc.

'He's a Border Collie,

and he's really devoted to me.'

Try and keep your eyes closed,

I do think it helps.

Wo ist die dame English?

Ou est la dame Anglais?

Where is the English lady?

The English lady who was

sitting there!

Wake up.

Where is Miss Froy?

I know no-one of that name.

The English woman who was

sitting here.

You are the only English woman in

this carriage.

But she was sitting right here.

I spoke to her.

I had tea with her.

Her luggage was right there.

There has been no other English

woman in this carriage.

Reverend!

Oh, you don't look well.

It's the motion sickness.

Can I help you with

something, my dear?

I don't suppose you've seen

the woman I was with earlier?

Would you like me to help you? No.

Kenneth, please. You're not well.

Yes. Thank you anyway.

Are you going to pick

up in the next half hour?

Yep. Chest to cards. Pick up.

Chest to cards.

What about discarding?

Discard, discard, discard. Yes. Yes.

Does anyone here speak English?

Can I be of use?

Oh... Well, it's all rather

complicated.

I'm in a bit of a jam and I'm sure

there's some horrible mistake

but I can't speak a word of this

miserable language. That's all right.

I speak the lingo. Just put me wise

to the trouble.

May I offer my services

as an interpreter?

He's my old Professor of Linguistics

at Oxford.

But he's no good.

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