The Man in the White Suit Page #5

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right away...

Might upset

the delicate balance

of the market.

Would it ?

But what happens

when you begin to sell

the stuff ?

Leave these problems

to us, mr. Stratton.

Just sign the document.

[ Birnley ]

sir john's right, sidney.

You are going ahead

with production ?

Well, sidney, i--

I'd like to think this over.

Young man, come here.

We need control

of this discovery.

Complete control.

If you want twice the amount

in that contract, we'll pay it.

A quarter of a million.

- To suppress it ?

- Yes.

[ Train whistle blows ]

Excuse me.

[ Intercom buzzing ]

Wait ! Now listen,

all of you !

Sidney ! Sidney !

[ Sir john ]

stop him !

[ Gasps ]

[ Clattering ]

This is too much

no, no, no, wait.

Wait, please, all of you.

Yes, mr. Birnley ?

S-S-Sidney, no !

- I beg your pardon,

mr. Birnley ?

- Miss johnson, there's a room--

[ Sir john ]

stop him !

Sidney, stop that !

Look here.

You can't--

[ Screams ]

stop a minute !

[ Grunts ]

Stop him !

Stop him ! Stop him !

For goodness sake,

stop him !

Stop him. He--

He mustn't leave the mill.

How can we stop him ?

By force.

By force ? I will not

resort to violence.

How else ?

If he sells

to anybody else,

he ruins us all.

Then we must reason

with the boy.

How can we reason with him

when he's not here ?

Yes, sir ?

This way, gentlemen.

Oh, i'm sorry.

Wrong floor !

[ Clattering, thud ]

Is he all right ?

Yes.

Pity.

[ Children chattering

in distance ]

Any news of him ?

He's up at birnley's.

What did i tell ya ?

Right in their pocket.

You've no right to talk

like that. Perhaps

he can't help himself.

They say

he had a headache.

Aye, sticks out a mile.

Birnley won't see

the works committee

and sid can't face us.

[ Knocking ]

there.

Mr. Stratton lives here ?

Yes, but, uh--

Now he's going to

live with mr. Birnley.

I've come to collect

his baggage. Also,

to give you two weeks' rent.

Now who's right ?

It's just as i told you.

Sitting right in their laps.

[ Chattering ]

Well, give me some figures.

Fallen to what ?

46.9 ?

No, no, no, no.

No, don't sell.

No, of course not.

There's not a word

of truth in it.

Yes, yes.

I'll be on-- On here

till further notice.

Well, that's just

the beginning.

[ Phone rings ]

Hello, yes ?

Yeah ? Calcutta ?

Tomorrow'll be a nosedive.

Just on these rumors.

It's absurd. There must

have been a leakage.

Well, you should know,

you started the first one.

It's no good your blaming me--

You know very well--

Sir john's right. Let's keep

to the point, shall we ?

All right, put him on.

There's only one thing that

will put the market together,

And that is a denial

backed with suppression--

Total and permanent.

Hello, mottram.

How ? We've already offered

him a quarter of a million.

Well, we can't keep him

here forever. There are

one or two laws in the country.

I've got it.

Maybe i should talk to him,

let him name his own price.

I think not, michael.

I will--

Gentlemen ! Gentlemen.

Knudsen ?

His door's locked.

The key's gone.

I have it, miss birnley.

[ Snaps fingers ]

i'm sorry, miss birnley.

No one goes in,

he doesn't come out.

Mr. Birnley's instructions.

There's no sense in pursuing

this boy with money !

It means nothing to him !

What else could ?

Yes, yes, yes.

Put him on, will you ?

Women ?

He didn't seem to me

to be the type.

It's often that type

that, um--

Very true.

If we could just find

a friend of his.

I mean, someone who knew

the best way to talk to him.

Father ?

What's going on ?

What have you

been doing to sidney ?

[ Birnley ]

now, really, daphne,

it's no concern of yours.

[ Daphne ]

i want to know just exactly

what you've done to sidney.

W-Will you please--

I'm sorry, father--

This is a very important

business meeting.

Miss birnley, just a minute.

Stand by the phone, will you ?

I'll ring you back.

Um, miss birnley,

i take it you know

mr. Stratton quite well ?

How well ?

We're very good friends.

Why not ?

Why not ? It may be

very useful to us.

[ Phone rings ]

I thought i told you--

[ Man ]

mr. Birnley ?

Oh, it's for you.

Hello ?

Sit down, miss birnley.

[ Birnley ]

no, davidson, i cannot.

Miss birnley,

We're trying to buy

the world rights

to mr. Stratton's new discovery.

But he doesn't seem

to trust us.

Doesn't he ?

Why not ?

Miss birnley,

you're the daughter

of an industrialist.

You must realize how

reckless exploitation...

Of anything new would upset

the delicate balance of trade.

You understand that ?

I am beginning to.

Good. Good.

You want to suppress it.

But, gentlemen, if you aren't

able to persuade him,

why should i be able to ?

Uh, all men are susceptible,

miss birnley.

I need hardly tell you that

you're a very attractive girl.

Thank you.

[ Birnley ]

tell them i'll

see them tomorrow.

[ Daphne ]

well, michael,

what do you say ?

It's a desperate

situation, daphne,

For the whole industry.

Yes. Yes, i'm beginning

to realize that.

[ Cranford ]

there's no need to explain

what's at stake.

When i tell you

we've already offered stratton

a quarter of a million,

You can see

for yourself.

I can, indeed.

But, since we're on

the subject of price,

what do i get out of it ?

- [ Cranford ]

miss birnley !

- Daphne !

I haven't had much experience

with these sort of things,

But i've always understood

it was comparatively well paid.

Now, miss birnley--

This isn't anything

to joke about.

I suggest 2,000.

Aren't you rating

my value a little low ?

Wouldn't 5,000 be fairer ?

Five thousand. Agreed.

Agreed.

It's a pleasure to do

business with you, sir john.

Well, daphne ?

And about time too.

I want to

talk to you, sidney.

I never thought

you would be on their side.

You may not believe me,

sidney, but i want

what's best for you.

I-- I don't like this

any more than you do.

I hate this town.

The mill, everything.

People who think of nothing

but moneygrubbing.

Don't you feel

like that ?

Yes.

I want to

get away, sidney.

I want to see something

of the world beyond

this dirty little town.

To make a life for myself

where there are people

who know the way to live.

Italy, maybe.

France ?

Well, why don't you ?

I can't.

But you could.

And you could take me.

How ?

I know what they offered you.

You could live the rest

of your life on it.

Go anywhere.

Do as you please.

And if you want me,

i'd come too.

What's wrong ?

I'm sorry. No.

Not even if it means me ?

No.

Thank you, sidney.

What for ?

If you'd said yes,

i'd have strangled you.

Now, we've got to get

that suit to the newspapers.

Show it to them

and tell them the whole story.

That will blow the lid

off everything, and they'll

never get it back on.

But how ?

Would you stake your life

on this ?

You can issue

a categorical denial

to the press.

The stuff does not exist.

It has never been invented.

It never could be.

There is no panic here

whatsoever.

Certainly mr. Birnley

will confirm that.

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