This Above All Page #6

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Oh, he's a friend of mine.

You'll like him.

"Better than a smack in the lug. "

Wasn't that Monty?

Yes, that's Monty. I'll wire him back.

We'll meet somewhere else.

Will you be going back

to Gosley from here?

I may. I don't know yet.

Here you are, sir.

Ooh. And Mr. Ramsbottom

asked me to tell you...

they're sending your bags

round right away.

- Never mind. We'll do that.

- Oh, well, I think that's everything, sir.

If there's anything you want,

sir, would you pull this bell?

One pull if there's something else you need,

and two pulls for when you're finished.

All right. Thank you.

Why didn't we stay here

instead of that awful Grand Hotel?

Well, this didn't seem quite the place

somehow for- for people with five gardeners.

How silly you are.

You didn't tell me you'd stayed here before.

I didn't stay here.

I used to drop in some evenings.

Were you working down here

or something?

No, not exactly.

Would the gentleman like his coffee

served in the drawing room?

Not until we've finished

this priceless nectar.

- To the memory of the happiest lunch I've ever had.

- We've ever had.

Ah, I'm beginning to

feel awfully happy.

So am I. I'm afraid we're

going to get stinko again.

Oh, I like this place. It's good luck to us.

We don't quarrel here.

It was awfully good of you

to give me that dressing gown.

There was another one with a velvet collar,

only I didn't think you'd like it as well.

I'd like to tell you how grateful I am,

but I- I don't quite know how.

- There's no need to, Clive.

- No, I really must.

I must tell you what all the love poems

in the world have tried to say and failed.

That of all the things on earth,

God has made no more exultant...

more beautiful,

more noble a thing than-

than a man and woman

who truly love each other...

and are willing to fight the world

for what they believe in.

That's what all the poets

have tried to say and never have.

Those must have been

wonderful drinks.

No, Prue, I'm afraid

it isn't the drinks.

Do you really believe that about poetry

and two people in love?

Yes. It's one of the things

I really believe.

Do you think it's true?

If two people are very,

very lucky.

Are we very, very lucky?

I hope we are.

Here's the man

with your bags, sir.

Sent around from

the Grand Hotel, sir.

- That'll be a shilling to pay, sir.

- All right. There you are.

- Thank you.

- Thank you, sir.

Well, we'd better go.

It's nearly 1:
00.

I suppose we ought to ring

for the bill.

Oh, yes. What was it

the maid told us?

One pull if we wanted anything else.

Two when we'd finished.

Well, that's two then.

Do you believe in omens?

No, I never have... until now.

Neither have I.

Come in.

- Did you ring, Mr. Briggs?

- Yes. Is this room to let?

- It is, sir. The gentlemen only moved out this morning.

- Do you have another one?

No, sir, I'm afraid there-

Wait a minute, sir.

We certainly have

and a very interesting one too, sir.

Well, what do you think of that, sir? They

say it's an old smuggler's hiding place.

This way, please.

Mind the steps, miss.

Mind your head, sir.

Well, Mr. Briggs, how do you like that?

We can have it cleaned up in no time.

- Oh, it's splendid.

- Good. I'll send the girl up right away, sir.

Thank you. Oh, I should like to live here

for the rest of my life.

There was a cold blight on that hotel.

I'm glad we started badly.

Now when we start again, it's like-

like having two holidays

instead of one.

It's no good. Come on.

You don't want to die here. Don't.

You can't. I know what you're thinking,

but I'm right.

I'm rightl Don't.

You can't.

I'm right.

I know I'm right. Don't.

Don't. Don't.

- Who's that?

- It's Prue.

What is it?

- You were calling out.

- Calling out, was I?

- What is it, Clive? Why can't you tell me?

- What was I saying?

You were calling out orders.

Don't worry, Prue. I'm all right.

It's just sometimes when I'm not very well-

- Is there anything I can do?

- No, no, no. It's-

Sometimes when I'm overtired,

I talk in my sleep. I'm sorry I woke you.

- Would you like to stay until you're asleep?

- No, no, no, I'm all right.

Really, it's nothing.

- Good night.

- Good night.

- Clive?

- Yes?

You were in the army,

weren't you?

Yes.

Why didn't you tell me?

Why should I? We're on a holiday.

And anyway, I'm out of it now.

Were you wounded?

No, I was- I was ill.

Is that all?

Listen, I hear planes.

Don't worry. They're ours.

How can you tell?

By the sound. I'd say there

were about half a dozen, flying quite low.

You learned that in France.

- Please, Prue.

- What was it like, Clive?

You won't be satisfied

till I tell you, will you?

Well, it was hell- dirty, foul, disgusting.

Do you want any more?

- No, not if you feel like that.

- How'd you expect me to feel?

- Proud.

- Proud?

I'm proud

because you were there.

But you said you were out of it now.

What was that?

Shrapnel. Some of our own.

Every shell bursts

into a thousand pieces...

and every piece comes down again

by the laws of gravitation.

Come here.

I'm afraid I- I'm not very brave.

You are brave,

and you're very, very beautiful.

It's funny.

Suppose a bomb dropped.

Suppose I were killed

and they found me here...

in this room with a strange man.

I shouldn't let you down.

I'd go into your room.

But suppose you were killed,

both of us, just as we are now?

- Then we'd both be dead,

and we wouldn't care a hang.

That was a bomb.

The closer it is,

the safer we'll be from now on.

It's a million to one against two bombs

landing in the same spot.

It was worse than this at Dunkirk,

wasn't it?

- No.

- It was- a hundred times worse.

Clive?

- Yes?

- I'm so glad you were there.

Is that all

you're glad about?

No, it's-

it's just one thing...

I didn't quite understand.

Quite a remarkable thing, sir.

One of those little phenomenons of nature.

It certainly is.

But did they do any damage?

Direct hit on the

old skating rink, sir.

But as the town council were going to

put it down this winter anyhow...

the Luftwaffe saved

the taxpayers a hundred pounds.

All right, sir, take it away.

These eggs ought to taste fine,

sir, after what's just happened.

Out of evil cometh good.

You'd better be careful of these eggs.

They're very special.

- Oh? What's excited Mr. Ramsbottom?

- The air raid.

He tells me he has 12 chickens, and every one

of them laid an egg when the bomb went off.

Come in.

There's a gentleman here to see you.

That's the first time I've been called

a gentleman since I joined the army.

- What cheer of the old cock robin?

- Monty.

Oh, sorry, Nipper. They never

told me you had company.

Come along in. We didn't

expect you down quite so early.

- This is Prudence Cathaway. My friend Monty.

- Pleased to meet you, miss.

Good morning.

Won't you sit down, Mr. -

You might just as well call me Monty, miss.

Everybody else does.

Little bit of all right, this.

- Would you care to have something?

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