The Winslow Boy Page #6

There's no retreat. Pick this up,

you'll have to carry it.

It's your best interest, Bobby.

I understand.

Excuse me.

-What did I miss?

-You didn't miss anything.

What's going on?

He says all the great crimes...

...are committed in the name

of public tranquillity.

Close the book now.

Is everything all right?

Everything's fine.

Go to sleep now.

-Good night, Mother.

-Good night.

Good night, Ronnie.

Sleep well.

Good night.

I fancy this a good opportunity

of talking to Violet.

I'll do it.

Tomorrow, perhaps--

You'd do better to grasp the nettle.

Delay adds to your worries.

What do you know about my worries?

A good deal. But they'd lessen

if you faced the situation squarely.

It won't be easy

finding another place.

The facts are that we have half

the income we had a year ago...

...and we're living at nearly

the same rate.

Whichever way you look at it,

it's bad economics.

I'm not talking about economics.

I'm talking about our life.

Things we took for granted

don't seem to matter now.

Such as?

Such as a happy home and anonymity and

an ordinary, respectable life.

There's your return for it.

I pray you know what you're doing.

-I know exactly what I am doing.

-Do you?

He's perfectly happy. He's at a good

school. He's doing very well.

No one would know about Osbourne

if you hadn't shouted it to the world.

Now he'll be known as "the boy

who stole that postal order."

He didn't steal it, Grace.

You talk about sacrificing

everything for him.

When he's grown up,

he won't thank you for it.

Even though you've given your life to

" publish his innocence," as you say.

Yes, Arthur, your life.

You talk gaily about arthritis

and a touch of gout.

You know better than

the doctors what ails you.

You're destroying yourself

and me and your family besides.

For what, I'd like to know?

For what?

For justice, Grace.

Are you sure that's true?

Are you sure it isn't pride

and self-importance?

No, I don't think so.

I really don't think so.

I'm not going to cry, say I'm

sorry and make things up again.

I can stand it all for a reason.

But for no reason at all,

it's unfair to ask so much of me.

It's unfair!

What's the matter, Father?

Mother's a little upset,

that's all.

Why? Aren't things going very well?

Everything's going very well.

You go on back to bed.

Good night.

Thank you very much.

Here you are.

Off you go.

Thank you, Violet.

-How long have you been with us?

-Twenty-four years come April, sir.

Is it as long as that?

Cate was that high when I come in.

Dickie hadn't even been thought of.

What do you think of this case, Violet?

Fine old rumpus, sir, and no mistake.

It is indeed, a fine old rumpus.

It was in the Evening News.

Did you read it?

What did it say?

How it was a fuss about nothing.

Waste of the government's time.

How it was good because

it could only happen in England.

Seems a strange lack

of logic in that argument.

Perhaps it was a bit different.

Still, that's what it said.

When you think it's all because of

our Ronnie, I have to laugh.

Really, I do.

Wasting the government's time

at his age. I never did.

Wonders will never cease.

No, wonders will never cease.

Will that be all?

Yes, that'll be all.

Good evening, Violet.

Hello, Father!

How are you?

Slinking down alleyways.

Are they still camping out

in the street?

Oh, yes.

How'd you get on this evening?

-Are those for me?

-Yes.

-Is the debate over?

-As good as.

The First Lord assured

that in the future...

...there would be no inquiry at Osbourne

without informing the parents.

That satisfied most members.

What about our case?

Will he allow us a fair trial?

Apparently not.

I thought he'd be forced to.

I thought so too. The House

evidently thought otherwise.

So we're back to where we started.

-I'm sorry, Father?

-I said, we're back where we started.

Is that it, you mean?

Yes, it looks like it.

But didn't Sir Robert protest

when the First Lord refused a trial?

Something far more spectacular.

He had his feet on the table

and his hat over his eyes...

...during most

of the First Lord's speech.

He suddenly got up,

glared at the First Lord...

...threw notes on the floor

and stalked out of the House.

-Magnificent effect.

-Or perhaps a display of feeling?

Sir Robert is not a man of feeling.

I doubt any emotion at all

can stir in that dead heart.

He took the brief.

What have we done for him?

First-rate publicity.

"The staunch defender of

the little man." Lucky for him.

-And lucky for us too.

-Don't fool yourself.

He is an avaricious, a conniving,

an unfeeling man.

We've bought his services,

for the moment.

We've bought him like

a cheap threepenny whore--

-Good evening.

-Good evening.

Something gone down the wrong way?

-May I assist?

-Most kind.

Good evening, sir.

I thought I'd give

an account of the day...

...but perhaps she has

forestalled me.

Forgive me for a moment.

I wonder if you'd entertain

Sir Robert in my absence?

Did you know I was in the gallery?

How could I have missed you

with such a charming brown hat?

Thank you. Will you betray

a technical secret?

What happened in the first examination

to make you so sure of his innocence?

Three things.

First of all, he made

far too many damaging admissions.

A guilty person would've been

more careful and on his guard.

Secondly, I laid him a trap,

and thirdly, left him a loophole.

A guilty one would've fallen

into one and darted through the other.

He did neither.

The trap was to ask what time Elliot

put the postal order in his locker.

Yes.

And the loophole?

I then suggested to him that he'd

stolen the postal order for a joke...

...which, had he been guilty...

...l'm sure he would've admitted to

as being the lesser of two evils.

It was very cleverly thought out.

-Thank you.

-And what of the 25 minutes?

25 minutes?

Ronnie went back to the locker room,

and there were 25 minutes...

...he could not account for.

What was he doing?

But I thought you should know.

Why me?

-It's a crime you indulge in.

-What can you mean?

He was smoking a cigarette.

May we offer you some refreshment?

Whiskey and soda?

A whiskey.

My daughter told me of

your demonstration during the speech.

She described it as magnificent.

That was good of her.

It's an old trick.

I've done it many times. It's nearly

always surprisingly effective.

Was the First Lord at all put out

by it? Did you notice?

How could he not be?

I wish you'd seen it.

I forgot to give you

this letter.

Thank you, Violet.

When did this come?

-A few minutes ago, miss.

-Thank you.

You know the writing?

I shouldn't read it if I were you.

Would you forgive me, Sir Robert?

Of course.

What do you think the next step

should be?

-In the abstract or the particular?

-The particular.

The best plan would be

to renew our efforts...

...to force the Director

of Public Prosecutions to act.

-Wouldn't that be rather unorthodox?

-I certainly hope so.

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