The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp Page #10

And then there's...

Despatch rider coming, sir.

- General Candy?

- Yes.

Urgent message from Major van Zijl, sir.

Came over the wire from Mile 1 4.

They've mended the line, sir.

Any answer, sir?

No. No answer.

Anything wrong, sir?

Murdoch,

the war is over.

Is it, sir?

The Germans have accepted

the terms of the armistice.

Hostilities cease at ten o'clock,

and it's nearly that now.

Murdoch, do you know what this means?

I do, sir.

Peace.

We can go home.

Everybody can go home.

For me, Murdoch, it means more than that.

It means that right is might, after all.

The Germans have shelled hospitals,

bombed open towns,

sunk neutral ships, used poison gas...

and we won.

Clean fighting, honest soldiering have won.

God bless you,

- Murdoch.

- Sir.

(Silence)

(Birdsong)

Miss Barbara!

Lunch is ready!

Barbara!

(Dog barks)

- Oh, dear.

- Don't listen to them.

Now, you listen to me.

There I was, asleep.

You'd never seen me before.

You never even spoke to me then.

How could you be so sure?

Can I ask you a question first?

You're wriggling.

All right. Fire away.

How can you be so sure?

I'm 20 years older than you are,

and I'm a soldier.

When other people are thanking God

the war is over,

I'm going to the War Office to ask,

"Where is another war where you can use me? "

You asked me that once before, and I told you.

I'm asking you again,

because I want to hear it again.

And again.

I'm marrying you because I want to join

the Army and see the world.

I'm marrying you

because I love watching you play polo.

I'm marrying you for 50 different reasons,

and they all mean

that's how I imagined my future husband.

Same here.

That's how I imagined my future wife.

(Gong)

Oh, the gong's the final appeal.

Darling, we must go.

We've got the bishop for lunch.

I hope he's tender.

And now,

in conclusion, l...

Oh, yes. I should like to say a few words

to General Candy.

We members ofthe Church Militant

can admire the heroes of the war,

but in our hearts we are men of peace.

And so I am glad to have met you

for the first time, as I did, sir,

on a simple and heart-warming occasion,

rather than at some military ceremonial.

When I first heard

that a general of the British Army

was arranging a ball for the benefit

of those nurses of the West Riding

who had taken part in the four-year struggle,

I said to myself,

'There is a man

whose heart is in the right place. '

And I am glad to be able to tell you

that one result is

that the sum of one hundred

and thirty-one pounds, two and sixpence

will be handed over

to the War Nurses' Benevolent Fund.

My Lord Bishop, I want to make a confession.

I first saw Barbara in Flanders

on the last night of the war.

She was a nurse among 70 other nurses.

I never knew her name,

but I found out that most of the nurses

came from Yorkshire, and the West Riding.

And, of course, she was a nurse.

So, I thought to myself...

Well, Yorkshire's a big place,

my Lord Bishop.

So, I thought,

'How can I find a nurse in Yorkshire? '

You understand who I'm driving at,

I suppose? What I mean?

I understand exactly what you mean, darling.

- That window is the den.

- Wrong. Next floor's the den.

CANDY:
That's the bathroom.

BARBARA:
Ooh, look.

They're here.

Is yon grey head Murdoch?

His idea of greeting the conquering hero,

I suppose.

I think I shall like Murdoch.

And I know I shall like this house.

Clive, let this whole house be our den,

where we can always crawl,

whether we return with rich spoils,

or badly mauled from our rovings,

or just to change our spots.

Aunt Margaret would have loved you for that.

(Horn toots)

BARBARA:

Hmm. It's a fine, solid-looking property. Like you.

Clive, you won't change, will you?

And don't ever leave this house.

No fear! And even if there's a second Flood, this

house shall always stand on solid foundations.

- We'll have a private lake in the basement.

- That's a promise.

- You'll stay just as you are till the floods come.

- Till the floods come.

- And this is a lake.

- And this is a lake.

I'm sorry, ma'am. Mrs Candy.

I was at the top of the house.

I wasn't expecting you so early.

- Well, Murdoch, this is the wife.

- So, you're Murdoch.

- Yes, madam.

- The first time I've heard anything but "Yes, sir".

Everything is under control.

I've had the telephone installed.

- Good.

- The agency has a lot of cooks for you...

Come along. Let's get inside.

(Whistles) Come on.

We'll have some fun with this.

The tradespeople called. They'll call again.

That's all right. Not staying this time. Off tonight.

Eight weeks Paris.

Then we'll put our feet up,

- and have a big party.

- Yes, sir. I got your letters from the club, sir.

- They're on the wee tray.

- Ah.

I'm so sorry, Murdoch.

You took such a lot of trouble.

Oh, that's all right, ma'am. We're used to it.

I told the porter the General

wouldn't be using the club so much.

Oh, what did he say?

Well, go on, Murdoch. I can bear it.

Yes, ma'am.

He said, "They all say that at first," ma'am.

I say! Barbara? Here's an answer

from the Prisoners ofWar Committee.

- Oh, have they found him?

- Yes, Oberst Kretschmar-Schuldorff,

2nd Regiment, Ulans of the Guard.

Camp Vll, Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire.

Poor old Theo.

- Darling?

- Mm-hm.

Let's postpone Paris.

I'd love to meet him.

SCHUBERT:
Unfinished Symphony

Message, sir, from the commandant's office.

No answer.

(Whispers) Excuse me, sir, but...

No answer!

- Well?

- He said no answer, sir.

- No answer? What else?

- Nothing, sir.

- He refused to come?

- If that was the message, madam.

Why is "very much"

printed like that?

It was a joke we had.

- Where was the Oberst?

- Listening to the band, sir.

All right, Higgins.

I was thinking...

..how odd they are.

Queer.

For years and years, they're writing and

dreaming beautiful music and beautiful poetry.

All of a sudden they start a war.

They sink undefended ships,

shoot innocent hostages, and bomb

and destroy whole streets in London,

killing little children.

And then they sit down

in the same butcher's uniform,

and listen to Mendelssohn and Schubert.

There's something horrid about that.

- Dontyou think so, Clive?

- Mm.

Perhaps I should have written in German.

MAJOR DAVlES:
He understands English.

They all learn English while they're here.

(Distant applause)

Do you mind if we had a try?

Perhaps it was because of the music.

There's an interval now.

By all means try, sir,

but Mrs Candy had better remain.

Yes. I can't understand it. I've written to him

before the war and he's written to me.

They stopped English lessons

on 1 1 th November.

On Armistice Day.

(Low murmur of conversation)

Oberst Kretschmar-Schuldorff?

Over there.

Theo!

(Conductor taps baton)

MENDELSSOHN:
Fingal's Cave

- Ah, Davies!

- Hello, Candy.

I hope your wife will forgive me.

- You didn't read the invitation.

- Bachelor party, eh?

If I'd known your charming wife wasn't here,

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