The Skin Game Page #4

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Once, twice...

Two!

And two. Thank you, sir.

May I have yours, sir?

And 3.

And 4.

And 5 and 6. 7,600.

and 3 and 4 and 5.

May I have yours sir? 8!

Once, twice...

for the third

and last time...

And 500.

For 9,500.

May I have yours, sir?

Was that the duke's agent

who made that last bid?

Thank god that stopped

Hornblower, anyway.

For 9,500. once more.

The centry, deepwater,

for 9,500.

Once, twice...

for the last time at 9,500.

Mr. Smalley.

Well, that's that!

No more today, gentlemen.

I say, do you see

Chloe sitting down?

She looks awfully queer.

I think it's something to do

with that man who was with Dawker.

Well, we'd better

get on.

There's someone

to look after her.

All right.

I say, Charles Hornblower

doesn't seem very upset.

Phew!

Well, ha ha.

You ran me up

a pretty price.

That's a bit very

good, Hillcrist.

But you didn't

quite get my million.

Ha ha.

It's just my 9,000

that you kept.

Thank god the centry's gone to a gentleman.

Ha! The duke! Nah.

The centry's not gone to

a gentleman, nor to a fool.

It's gone to me.

What?

I'm sorry for you.

You're not fit to

manage these things.

Well, it's

a monstrous price,

and I've had to pay it

because of your obstinacy.

I shan't forget that

when I come to bill.

You mean to say that

last bid was for you?

Well, of course I do.

I told you I was a bad

man to be up against.

Perhaps you believe me now.

A trick!

Trick?

You had an agent bid

for you.

I had an agent bid for me.

Only your agent bid

at the beginning,

and mine bid at the end.

What's the trick

in that, eh? Hmm.

What did you call it?

A skin game?

Remember, we're

playing a skin game.

If we were

younger men...

aw, it wouldn't look pretty

for us to be at fisticuffs.

We'll leave the fighting

for the young ones.

And as for you, missy,

you leave my boy alone.

Dada...

may I spit it his

eye or something?

You won this round, sir,

by a foul blow.

We'll see who can take

advantage of it.

I believe the law can stop

your ruining my property.

Mr. Hornblower? Will you

fight foul, so shall we.

We will not be foul played

towards you and yours.

You're outside

the pale.

Well, as we're

speaking out, ma'am,

it's your behavior

to my daughter-in-law,

who's as good as you and

better to my way of thinking,

that's more than half the reason

why I bought this property.

You fair got my dander up.

It's no use to bandy words.

Mr. Hornblower,

if you build...

you know, it's laughable.

You make me pay $9,500 for

a bit of land not worth 4,

and you think I'm not

going to get back on me?

Why, I'm going on with

as little consideration

as if you were a family

of black beetles.

Good afternoon.

All right, drive on.

No, stop!

There's something on?

That man and Dawker

know something about Chloe,

I'm sure of it.

And mother's

in the secret, too.

What did you

ask Dawker, dada?

Dawker!

What's this mystery about

young mrs. Hornblower?

No mystery, sir.

What is it?

Better not ask

in front of Jill.

Oh, nonsense.

It's not for

a girl to hear.

What load of rot!

I read the papers

every day.

No worse to see

in there anyway.

Do you want your daughter...

you think I was

mother at my age.

I was not so proud

of my knowledge.

No, but you had it.

Now, what is it?

What is it?

Come here a minute,

Dawker.

Well, whatever it is about

Chloe, I'm sorry for her.

How do you

know this?

My friend over there

is one of the agents, sir.

Shocking. I'm sorr

y I heard it.

I told you not to.

Tell your friend

to come here.

Are you sure

of what you said?

Perfectly. I remember

her quite well.

Her name then was...

I don't want to

know, thank you.

It's not to be

spoken of.

It will not be spoken of

that mr. Hornblower is wise.

He is not wise?

It must be spoken of.

I say no, Amy.

I won't have it.

To use a piece of knowledge about a woman?

It's repugnant.

I won't do it.

If you had a son tricked

into marrying such a woman,

would you wish to

remain ignorant of it?

I don't know.

I don't know.

You realize...

that an implication

of this kind

may be grounds for a criminal libel action.

Quite.

There's not

a shadow of doubt.

Not the faintest.

You saw her just now.

Yes. I did.

I don't like it.

I don't like it

at all.

Good day.

Chloe!

Chloe!

Chloe.

Oh, mr. Hornblower is

looking for you, madam.

Shall I tell...

I'll tell mr. Hornblow

er you're down.

How's the head

oh, beastly, thanks.

I say, let's go in

the study for a minute.

I've got Dawker waitin

g by the garage now.

He says he can only

stay a few minutes.

I say, are you sure

it's all right?

You don't want this quarrel with

Hillcrist to go on, do you, Rolf?

No, I hate it.

Well, I think perhaps

I can stop it.

That's why...

Hello.

What you doing

in here, eh?

How're you feeling

, Chloe?

Oh, awful head.

Have you?

Hey, I'm sorry.

Can you

tend a moment?

I've had a note

from that woman.

Well, what's the

meaning of it, eh?

Is it sheer impudence or lunacy or what?

I don't know.

G, oh, now, Chloe. If there's anythin

you better tell me.

Forewarned is

forearmed, you know.

There's nothing...

Sorry.

Unless it's that my

father was a bankrupt.

Ha! Well, many a man

has been that.

You've never told us

much about your family.

It's just...

I wasn't very

proud of them.

Hmm? What were you

going to say, Rolf?

Oh, nothing.

Oh. Well, you're n ot responsible

for your father, hmm? No.

No, if that's the

one, it's a relief

oh,

the bitter snobs.

I'll remember it in the

account I've got with them

don't say anything

to Charlie.

Do not worry him

for nothing.

Oh, no, no, no.

I'll not. Ha!

Why, if I went

bankrupt,

it'd upset Charlie

, I'd never doubt.

Now, there's nothi ng else

before I answer her, hmm?

You sure?

She might invent things,

of course.

Ah, but there's a such

thing as the laws of slander.

If they play pranks,

I'll have them up for it.

There's dinner.

Come on.

No, I don't think

I'll go in to dinner.

My head's terrible.

Is it? Aw.

I'll just go into the garden for

a bit and then have a liedown.

Why are you going

that way?

Oh, I'm all right.

Are you?

Are you sure?

Yeah? Shall we send you

something up from dinner?

No? All right.

Good night, Chloe.

Good night, dad.

I'll tell Charlie

where you are.

Well, ma'am, what

do want with me?

Wait a moment. I'll

stop that dog barking.

Here, lie down.

Lie down.

You're making

a mistake, you know.

No. I have a good

memory for faces.

If that's all, you needn't

have told me to come.

Oh, don't go.

You are playing

a game with me.

Aren't you ashamed?

What harm have I done you?

You call this cricket?

No, my girl. Business.

What have I to do

with this quarrel?

I couldn't help

their falling out.

It's your misfortune.

You're a rotter if you

can spoil anyone's life

who never did you

an ounce of harm.

Oh, so they don't know

about you, eh?

Well, that's all right.

now, look here, mrs. Chloe.

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