The Lady Vanishes Page #3

He only knows grammar.

Whereas I can swear in the vernacular

in case we need a spot of profanity.

An English woman has

disappeared from the train.

She's real...

I mean she's a real person, but...

the Baroness says that...

there was no Miss Froy...

Are you able to pull yourself

together enough to make

a coherent statement?

She was sitting opposite me

when I got on the train.

We took tea together in the restaurant car.

I wasn't feeling well and she looked after me.

I went to sleep and now she's gone.

Her bag has been

removed from the luggage rack.

And she's English?

Yes, yes. Miss Froy.

She's a governess.

Did you ask the other

passengers in your compartment?

Yes. But I'm not sure

they understood me.

The next course of action

is to interview them

in their own language.

Will you come too and swear for us?

Like a bird... parrot, I mean,

of course. Lead on, Professor.

Um, allow me to introduce myself.

Max Hare at your disposal.

Better call me Maximilian,

but if you prefer, Max.

And you are? Iris Carr.

Miss?

Miss.

Good.

Two English gentlemen have come to

make some enquiries about Miss Froy.

Professor Hastings.

That's so strange.

What is? What are they saying?

Um, I'll go in and check he's not

missing any colloquial moments.

Still hours and hours to go.

Seems as though we'll never get to

Trieste, let alone Turin.

Anxious to drop me?

I'm not thinking of you.

Surely you're not pining after your

portly husband or grisly children?

Haven't I given you a memory

you'll never forget?

What a fool I've been.

Miss Carr, you have made

an extraordinary mistake.

No-one is missing in this

compartment

and no-one knows anything about

the lady that you say is missing.

Are you telling me I invented her?

Well, I hardly know what to think.

Well, then I'll tell you. These people are

telling lies. I feel I can vouch for each

and every one of the passengers

in this compartment.

But you've only just met them. They are all

in the employ or connected to the Baroness.

This is ridiculous. They weren't

the only people to see her.

I had tea with Miss Froy in the restaurant car.

Then there must be someone who'll remember her.

Miss Froy paid for the tea.

The waiter should remember.

Well, you'll have to give us

a description of the lady.

Oh, she's middle-aged and ordinary,

rather colourless.

I'm afraid that's all I know.

You sat opposite her at tea.

Yes, but the sun was blinding and...

Tall or short, fat or thin,

fair or dark?

I think she said

she had fair curly hair.

"Said"?

You didn't notice this for yourself?

And what did she wear?

Donegal tweed.

Oatmeal, flecked with brown.

Two-piece,

and the jacket was finger length,

with patch pockets folded back to

form a triangle.

Small heart brooch with

tiny cut sapphires on her lapel

and she wore a natural tussore

shirt-blouse, pearl buttons,

pin tucks stitched with blue

and there was a small handkerchief,

embroidered with blue flowers -

a different shade - in her handbag.

You must be able to

remember her face.

You see, I had such a frantic

headache.

Cause and effect.

The doctor said you were

suffering from a slight sunstroke.

The sunstroke explains all.

You saw someone who wasn't there.

When you fell asleep, you dreamt.

When you woke up,

you were feeling much better

and there was no Miss Froy

because she never actually existed.

She was a delirium, a dream.

If I had known the circumstances,

I should not have intervened.

I'm sorry for taking up

so much of your time.

As far as I'm concerned the matter is

by no means over.

Why should you

imagine I am telling a lie?

Apart from the fact that you barely

remember what the woman looked like,

perhaps you could explain why

six persons should lie? I can't.

Unless one person's lying

and the others are backing her up.

In which case it's her word against

mine. As I'm English and you're English

and this concerns an English woman, it's your duty to

believe me. Do not confuse patriotism with prejudice.

Besides your insinuation is absurd.

What motive would

the Baroness have for lying?

I don't know.

Miss Froy was... so insignificant.

The Baroness paid for an upgrade on Miss

Froy's ticket because there was a mix up.

I'm gratified to

hear about my generosity.

Unfortunately, I know nothing of it.

Perhaps the ticket master will

refresh my memory.

Are you bored?

No. I was thinking

about my Middlemist Rose.

Oh?

Might have missed it

if we hadn't left a day early.

Are you going to put it in the show?

I hadn't thought of it.

Oh. There's something

else for you to think about.

He does not understand a word.

Iris.

Impossible to know what was

actually said.

He spoke in a dialect

I didn't understand.

What? I'm beginning to suspect

the only language anyone understands

is "Baroness".

I suppose I should ask how you know their

language. I came here to build a bridge.

And then I was asked to build another

one. Four years later, I'm still here.

Building bridges?

You make it difficult to be

open to conviction

while you are unable to produce any

kind of definite proof.

I'll go back to the restaurant car

and ask if anybody has seen

a woman in tweed.

If you'll follow me, I'm going to

test some English memories.

I can't prove Miss Froy is missing

until I prove

she existed in the first place.

Correct?

You want definitive proof.

A witness. One or more will do.

Who is that girl?

She's part of that ghastly

crowd from the hotel.

I have at least one because there were other English

people staying in my hotel and are now on this train.

I know they saw Miss Froy too. When we arrive in

Trieste, we must go straight to the British Embassy.

They'll want to hold up the train

for a thorough examination.

We are not missing

out on your Middlemist Rose

because of that silly girl.

I am more than happy to co-operate

but I have absolutely no

idea about whom she is speaking.

No lady did me

the honour to linger by my window.

But you saw her.

No. Yes, and your wife saw her,

you were both annoyed.

We are not a peep show.

I am sorry.

Do you mind if we shut the door?

I'd like to rest before dinner.

Can I take you back

to your compartment?

No. There are others.

I know I can rely on you.

You remember the English woman

in tweed

I was with in the restaurant car.

I have no recollection

of your companion.

You said she was trying to

attract my attention.

Someone may have been with you

but I can't recall.

I'm afraid I wasn't

wearing my glasses.

You must understand it would be

against our principles

to identify someone of whom

we were not sure.

Miss Froy has disappeared

off this train.

Are you telling me you wouldn't lift

a finger to help someone in danger?

What kind of danger

could one be in on a crowded train?

Excuse me.

Oh. The Reverend is having

a little sleep

so I thought I'd take advantage.

Miss Carr.

Oh, I hope I haven't driven you out.

No. Of course not.

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