The Railway Children Page #4

You'd love to hear her.

I'm sure he hasn't done anything

like you're sent to prison for.

Yes, well he looks

without visible means to me.

Still I don't mind waiting

till your mama comes.

I'd like to know what country

has got the credit of him.

Look, I've got an idea.

Foreign stamps.

We'll show them these.

Regardes les stamps.

Quelle patrie?

Ah... Ruskie...

- Ruskie.

- My lord, he's Russian.

Yeah, I-I thought he was.

I'll wait here

till you bring Mummy in.

Not afraid?

No.

Oakworth Station! Mrs Waterbury,

I have something to tell you.

- Mummy, we found a Russian.

- There's a fellow in there, he's Russian.

Close the doors.

Right away, Guard!

You wouldn't hurt me, would you?

Hello, Bobbie.

Qui est vous?

Madame, je m'appelle Szczepansky.

Oh, it's all right.

Bobbie go and fetch Doctor Forrest.

- We'll take him home with us, Mr Perks.

- Thank you, Madam.

Come on, help him on the other side.

Don't worry.

Don't worry, she'll look after you.

I knew he was a Russian.

Doctor.

I need to tell you.

Mother's got a very shabby Russian.

Your mother's got

a very shabby what?

He'll have to join your club.

I'm certain he hasn't any money.

We found him at the station.

- Found him? Was he lost then?

- Yes, that's what he was.

He's been telling Mother

life story in French.

She said would you please

come directly.

He's got a nasty cough

and he's been crying.

Oh, don't smile.

Please don't.

You wouldn't if you'd seen him.

I've never seen a man cry before.

Haven't you?

I do it all the time.

Bobbie!

I know you said

we weren't to ask any questions

but Daddy isn't... isn't dead, is he?

Oh, my darling, no.

Bobbie, look at me.

Daddy was quite, quite well

when I heard from him last

and he'll come back to us

some day.

Do tell us about the Russian.

That can't make a long story, my darling,

because I'm very tired.

He's a very clever writer,

but in Russia one dare not say

anything about the rich people

doing wrong

or what ought to be done

for the poor.

If one does, one is sent to prison.

Well he wrote a book about it all

and he was three years in a dungeon.

No light, damp and dreadful.

Then they took him out

and they sent him to Siberia

and he was condemned

to stay there for life.

- For life? For writing a book?

- That's stupid.

Go on, Mama.

While he was at the mines,

some friends got a message to him

to say that his wife and children

had escaped to England.

So after many adventures he too escaped

and came here to look for them.

- Do you think he will find them?

- Oh, I do hope so.

I think my darlings, in your prayers

you might ask God

to show his pity

upon all prisoners and captives.

To show his pity

upon all prisoners and captives?

Yes, darling.

Upon all the prisoners and captives.

Merci.

He seemed pleased. I wish we could think

of other things to give him.

What about strawberries?

Perks promised me some

from his own garden ages ago.

Look at that tree over there!

Lor, it's moving!

So are the others...

It's magic.

What is it?

It's much too magic for me.

I don't like it, I'm going home.

Cor, that'll take some sweeping up.

Hey! The 11:
29 down

hasn't gone by yet.

We must let them know at the station,

there'll be an accident.

- Let's run!

- No, come back.

It's too late, it's two miles away.

- We do something to the telegraph wires.

- But we don't know how.

If we only had something red, we could

go down on to the line and wave it.

But the train wouldn't see us till it came

round the corner. That's too late.

We could go round

and wave to the train.

We might wave anyway.

No. They'd only think it was us as usual,

we've waved so often before.

- Flannel petticoats!

- I beg your pardon?

- Flannel petticoats.

- Of course! Take them off.

- Now.

- You're not going to tear them, Pete?

- Oh, shut up

- Yes, tear them into little bit if you like.

If we can't stop the train,

there'll be an accident with people killed.

Now sticks, come on.

- I'll have two. It was my idea.

- They're our petticoats!

What's it matter who waves what

if we can only stop the train.

Stand firm and wave like mad.

Keep off the line, Bobbie.

They won't see us.

It's all no good.

- Stand off the line, Bobbie.

- It's all no good.

- Stand back!

- Not yet. Not yet!

- Stop!

- Stop!

Stop!

- Stand back.

- Stop!

Stop!

- Stop!

- Stop!

Stop.

Stop...

Stop.

Stop. There's been an earthquake.

Don't move you'll all be killed.

The trees are walking down the bank

and there's a mountain of great stones.

We'll have a look at this earthquake

then get back to the train.

Bobbie.

Ladies and gentlemen, I think

you'll agree with me that we have three

charming children here

who are indeed an example to us all.

All right chaps, this is it.

One, two, three.

...I have learned

in the short time I have seen them

to look forward to knowing them better.

If I had to rename the Waterbury children,

I would call them

the Three Saviours of the Steel Road

or perhaps the Railway Children.

And now my dears, from the directors

of the Northern and Southern Railway

in grateful recognition

of a courageous and brave action

which averted an accident

on August 15th, 1905.

Oh, thank you.

It's your turn now.

Just begin with "Ladies and gentlemen".

- Oh, lor!

- No, "Ladies and gentlemen".

Ladies and gentlemen...

Ladies and gentlemen,

we shall treasure these watches

for the rest of our lives.

What I mean to say is,

thank you all very much indeed.

One, two.

You must be very proud,

Mrs Waterbury.

And er, this is from me.

It was a wonderful day, wasn't it?

The kind that very seldom happens.

But I did so want to talk to

the old gentleman about something else.

What did you want

to say to him?

I'll tell you,

I've written him a letter.

"My dearest old gentleman,

I want to ask you something, please.

"If you get out of the train

and go by the next it would do.

"I do not want you to give me anything -

Mother says we ought not to.

"Besides, we only want to talk to you

about a prisoner and captive.

"Your loving friend, Bobbie. "

Very good.

Yes, it is.

My heart's thumping like a steam engine,

right under my sash, too.

People's hearts

aren't under their sashes.

I don't care, mine is.

If you're going to talk like a poetry book,

my heart's in my mouth.

My heart's in my boots

if it comes to that.

- He'll think we're idiots.

- He won't be far wrong.

Oakworth!

- Morning, sir.

- Good morning, Perks.

- Hello. This is a very great pleasure.

- It was good of you to get out.

Er, may I extend a cordial invitation

to the use of my room, sir?

- Thank you.

- Right away, sir.

- Right away, Mr Mitchell.

- Thank you, Mr Perks.

If you'd care to follow me, sir

just along here.

- Nice and tidy for you sir.

- Ah, thank you, Perks.

- I'll leave you to it then, sir.

- Thank you.

Well?

Well?

What is it?

- Oh, please...

- Yes?

- What I mean to say is...

- Yes?

- I wish I might say something.

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