The Miniver Story Page #5

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she had changed.

'It wasn't just the hat,

it was Kay.

'There was something...

elusive about her suddenly.

'Something...intangible.

'So, there in the office,

we danced.'

Hell's bells!

Very funny.

Darling, are

you all right?

Maimed for life,

I should think.

There's

a car coming.

Hello.

Breakdown?

Yes, ignition failure.

Coil's gone.

Oh, I'm afraid that's

a garage job. I'll have

a look if you like.

No, it's all right.

I've got help coming.

Tom!

Hello!

Oh, friend of yours?

Yes, sir! Foley,

late captain,

Royal Engineers.

Oh, I'm Brunswick.

Yes, I know, sir. You gave us

a pep talk in Cairo,

before Alamein.

Was I good?

Well, you were

short, sir.

Oh...pleased to

meet you, Foley.

Demobbed?

Yes, sir. I got

out under class C.

Lucky blighter.

Wouldn't have a cigarette

on you, would you?

I think so.

Where are you off to

at this ungodly hour?

Oh, it's market day.

Dad keeps the grocery

shop in Belham.

Belham?

Steve, do get in.

You'll catch cold!

Is your van full up?

How do you mean?

Be a good chap

and give Miss Miniver

a ride home.

Surely.

No, Steve,

I'm staying with you.

You'll do as you're told.

You're with the Army

now...right?

Right!

I've got a pig on board,

but there's room for one more.

Out you come.

Steve, please

let me stay.

I'd much rather.

Shut up.

You'll freeze.

Shut up!

Please, Steve,

please.

Do as you're told

and don't argue.

It's a man's world

and you won't

accept it.

Don't you agree,

Captain?

Oh, yes, sir,

absolutely.

Come on, then.

If she makes any

trouble, wallop her.

That's an order.

Yes, sir.

Steve, when

will I see you?

Oh, your

cigarettes.

Oh, keep 'em, sir.

Thank you, Captain.

You'd be a major

for this if the war

weren't over.

I'll see what I can do

for you in the next one!

Go away!

Where on earth did

you get that thing?

He's not a thing.

He's a noble beast.

Aren't you, George?

He smells.

Is he yours?

No.

All right,

George. Go on.

No, I'm collecting

him for the Nesbits.

He's a breeder.

Have you

known him long?

Who?

Brigadier Brunswick.

He's a general.

OK, General Brunswick.

Have you?

Yes.

How long?

Ages.

Like him?

He's a wonderful

person.

In war or peace?

Both!

Does he, er,

dance well?

He does

everything well.

That's why I've

seen nothing of you

since Cairo.

You've seen me.

At the shop in the queue

a couple of times.

You can't make love

to a girl in a queue.

Well, don't

look so shocked.

I used to, quite a bit,

in the Middle East.

When you were just

a dumb little corporal

with a couple

of stripes.

Yes, and you didn't

mind it, either.

In fact, you liked it,

didn't you?

Yes, Tom, I did.

I liked it.

Well?

Well, it's

different now.

I'm not.

Well, I'm not

either, really,

only I...

Oh, what's the use?

Ha ha ha! You are

miserable, are you?

No, I'm not.

I'm wildly,

wildly happy,

and I'm going

on being happy

with Steve

and I don't care

what anyone thinks.

No-one thinks

anything, do they?

I don't.

Just wondered why

I hadn't seen you,

that's all.

I like you.

I think you're

a fool, mind,

but I like you.

Thanks.

Don't mention it.

Here we are.

Tom...

Yes, Judy?

I...

I just wanted

to say...

..thanks for the lift.

That's all right.

Thanks for coming.

That's all right.

Friends?

Friends.

Other Eden, demi-paradise.

Precious stone

set in a silvery sea.

This blessed plot,

this earth,

this realm,

this England.

What's all that?

Oh, I was just saying

how much I love my country

and the weather.

Winter's all right.

Nice and crisp

and invigorating.

What's wrong

with winter?

Nothing, when

the bath water's hot.

Sorry, darling,

it's only every other

day from now on.

Oh, Clem, these cuffs

will never do.

Shall I turn them?

Come in!

Morning, Mother,

morning, Dad.

Morning, Toby.

Gosh, Dad! That's one

of my handkerchiefs!

That was one of your

handkerchiefs, Toby.

It's now performing

a more important

function.

What's that?

Keeping your father

warm in a vital part

of his anatomy.

What happened,

Dad?

Nothing happened.

If you must know

the sordid details,

my collar was frayed.

Life must go on,

so we operated.

The tail of my shirt

is the tale of England.

Here's the post,

Mother.

There's one for you

from the States.

Can I have the stamp

after you've read it?

Thanks awfully!

You know, darling,

my wardrobe is gradually

becoming nonexistent.

If somebody doesn't

do something about it

pretty soon,

one of these fine days,

well, I'm just going to

disintegrate.

I'm afraid the only

solution is

to enter the black

market in a big way.

Trouble is, I haven't

the faintest idea how

to set about it.

Have you?

Oh, sorry, darling.

Who's it from?

Spike.

Spike?

The American I met

while you were away.

Ah, yes.

I've often wondered

about that.

Have you, dear?

Of course he fell

in love with you.

Of course.

Well,

what's the news

from America?

He sent us a food parcel

about a month ago.

I wonder what's

happened to it.

It takes six weeks.

Oh, oh, oh,

he's accepted.

Senor Jose

Antonio Campos

is coming down

to lunch tomorrow.

Who?

The man from Brazil.

Uh, "Tenders

will be invited from

the most vigorous

"and enterprising

architects of the day."

Don't you remember?

Well, I sent in

a few ideas

and asked him to come

down and feed with us

if he were interested,

and he's coming tomorrow.

You did what?

I asked him

to lunch.

Clem!

Clem, how could you?

You know we haven't

enough of anything.

None of

the plates match,

I have no

cooking fat.

That's just

what he wants.

He asked me to

beg you not to put

on a show for him.

Oh, nonsense.

Listen.

"Please ask your wife

not to make any

specialities for me.

"With the English

today,

"it's an honour to eat

bread and cheese."

We can't possibly have

an important man like that

down to the house

and give him what

we have to eat.

Well, that's

the whole point.

He wants to see

a typical English meal.

Well, he may

want to see it,

he won't want to eat it.

But he does.

Men like that

are used to Brazil,

where they have all

those nuts and things.

He's just being polite.

Clem, really,

it's too bad.

You women are

fantastic.

264, please.

It's the same thing

every time.

A foreigner comes

to England,

having heard tales

of our austerity

and want,

and positively

bursting with sympathy

and understanding,

and the minute he puts

foot in somebody's door,

what happens?

You women start

a conspiracy.

You beg and you borrow,

and you scrape together

a full-size meal!

Don't ask me how

you do it or where

it comes from...

Go away.

All I know is the poor,

unsuspecting visitor

staggers out of

the house,

his stomach bulging

with four people's rations

for a month,

convinced we're

a nation of hypocrites

and not half as

badly off as we

say we are.

I won't sh!

The tale spreads

across the ocean.

Highly delicate

negotiations are

compromised

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