The Stars Look Down Page #4

She's been on at me all the time.

- It's not my fault Joe Gowlan left.

- Joe left?

I couldn't stand him, David.

I couldn't stand him!

- I don't follow, Jenny.

- I didn't know he was mad about me.

- Mad about you? He told me himself...

- That's what she says.

- I never encouraged him.

- Of course you didn't.

But he left because...

Because he found out that...

I liked you more than him.

I can't help it if I love you.

She can't blame me, can she?

- You love me?

- I can't help it, can I?

Jenny.

And you love me too. Don't you, David?

From the first minute I saw you.

I want us to be together always.

I can't go back there.

I want us to be married and happy.

- I'll take you away the minute I can.

- Oh, David.

The minute I get my degree and get a post.

But that's another whole year.

We couldn't wait that long.

Couldn't you get a post now?

- It's not long.

- You could be a schoolmaster.

- But I don't...

- You could take that post in Sleescale.

- Jenny...

- We could have a lovely home.

You could study in the evening

with me beside you.

I can't throw away my scholarship

and the university. We must be practical.

But I am. I've got it all worked out. You

can get good furniture on the never-never.

- Never-never.

- About half a crown a week.

- There'll be cheap houses in Sleescale.

- Cheap?

That's not the point, Jenny.

I'd feel I was letting everybody down.

- My father, the men.

- Say no more about it, David.

Mr Nugent would drop me

if I threw everything away.

Not another word. Just tell me you love me.

More than anything in the world, Jenny.

(LAUGHTER)

There's a good way to remember this. Watch.

(LAUGHTER)

- What's that?

- A pit pony.

That's right. A pit pony.

That's the way to remember Scandinavia.

Kicking his legs up during a strike.

If you want to remember Stockholm,

it's there on the pony's hoof.

Oslo is there on the pony's Adam's apple.

It's closing time. Go along home.

Good afternoon.

(BOYS) Afternoon, sir.

Pat? Patrick.

This is your last day, Pat.

- Aye.

- Did you tell you mother what I said?

Aye. She said I had enough education

for hewing coal.

I'll come down with you.

- Fenwick.

- Yes, sir?

Wait for me a bit, Pat.

I understand Mr Barras asked you to coach

his son in the evening and you refused.

Evenings are when I study for my degree,

Mr Strother.

Pity you didn't think of that before.

You'd have had your degree by now.

- You wished to see me?

- Yes.

We're getting laughter in your class again.

Education is a serious matter.

- A child depends on it.

- But an article on modern education...

I knew about modern education

before you were born.

Its basis is to have teachers with degrees.

We may keep you to oblige Mr Barras,

but you must be sensitive of your limitations.

I'm sorry, Mr Strother.

Another thing. Scandinavia is not a horse.

Let me refer you to Gray's Geographical

Compendium for pupil-teachers, page 173.

You will find this. "The shape of

Scandinavia may be likened to a bear."

A bear, Mr Fenwick. A bear.

But these boys have never seen a bear.

Precisely. We teach them two things

at the same moment -

the shape of Scandinavia

and the shape of a bear.

- You may go, Fenwick.

- Thank you, sir.

I hear you've got track of your Joe.

Aye. He's in Tynecastle.

I ran over and dropped in on him.

Thought I might touch him for a quid,

but he nearly touched me. Hey, look.

Second time he's been down this month.

A lot of water here.

The men don't worry about the damp -

they work in worse -

but they think it's coming

from the old workings.

We've worked far enough here.

Move them along next shift.

As you wish, Mr Barras.

I'm not nagging at you, but you've got

too good a brain to throw it away.

You've got no right to go down the pit,

you can be more use.

What's wrong with the pit? It's a man's job.

I thought that when I was leaving school...

- Davey!

- Hello, Hughie.

- Did you see the match?

- It was grand.

My name will be seen

in the "Tynecastle Chronicle".

Of course. When are you coming over?

Jenny hasn't seen you for months.

I've got to put in a lot of training.

Sorry. Remember me to Jenny!

See what our Hughie thinks about pit work.

He's mad about football.

- Somebody's got to go down pit.

- Yes, I know...

- Mrs Reedy, I was hoping...

- Don't Mrs Reedy me!

I know the blather you're stuffing

into his head. Where's education got you?

45 bob a week. Well, Mr Smarty,

our Pat will be fetching as much as that

and no mucking about before he does it!

Such a lot you were going to do

for the men! Going into Parliament!

How then, Mother?

- How's thyself, lad?

- Father in?

- He'll be back in a minute.

- Come in. You can wait for him.

- I'd better be getting along.

- Jenny's got veal and ham pie waiting.

- Please thyself, lad.

Mother, I wish you'd give Jenny a chance.

- You haven't been to see her.

- Does she want me to see her?

You don't give her a chance.

She's lonely. She wants cheering up.

Wants cheering up, does she?

Lonely? Why should a woman be lonely

with a man of her own to look after?

I should be lonely if I thought

of nothing but gadding about.

(CAT MEWS)

All right, Mother.

- Hello, Davey. Come in.

- Jenny's expecting me. I'd better...

- How's she getting along?

- Not so bad.

- I'd like to have a talk sometime.

- Yes.

- How's things at Scupper Flats?

- Barras has nearly finished that contract.

If it's lasted three years,

it should last three more weeks.

I heard you'd soon be getting out of it.

I must be off. So long.

- So long, Mother.

- So long, Davey.

Hello, Jenny.

- What's wrong today?

- Nothing's wrong. Nothing at all.

I wish you wouldn't eat with your fingers.

I have such a wonderful life.

No maid, all the lovely housework to do.

Not even a wireless to annoy me

in the evening.

If I asked you to take me to Tynecastle

tonight, you'd be insulted.

Nothing's wrong.

We've been going out too many evenings -

even if we could afford it.

You might say excuse me

when you leave the table. Afford it?!

You turned down Barras's offer

of giving his son tuition!

I can't even call my furniture my own

with the never-never man pestering me.

I even had to pay for the honeymoon.

You'd make me so happy

if you'd take me out just this once.

Do be sensible.

I want to finish this book tonight.

You want?! It doesn't matter what I want!

You brought me to a place

where there's not a soul to talk to!

- Try to be friendly with my people...

- Your people indeed!

- Your father was a jailbird.

- Jenny...

I know all about it. Robbed a shop.

Nice father-in-law for a...

Jenny.

David, it was wicked of me.

- I shouldn't have done that.

- But I deserved it.

I'm a bad heartless girl.

I'm just a drag on you.

- Your nerves are on edge, that's all.

- Yes. That's it. I need cheering up.

- Yes.

- If only for your sake.

We can go to the Percy Grill,

where we first met.

We can forget our squabbles and start afresh.

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