This Happy Breed Page #7

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- Well, Son -

- Well, Dad -

I, uh -

I suppose I ought to be giving you

a few bits of fatherly advice by rights.

What about, Dad?

Well, uh, there's the facts of life,

for instance.

I could probably tell you

a few things about them.

Yeah, I'll bet you could at that.

- Uh, Reg.

- Yes, sir?

And I'll trouble you to wipe

that innocent look off your face...

before I say what I've got to say.

So, what have you got to say, Dad?

That's right.

Make the whole thing easy for me.

I don't know

what you're talking about.

- Well, I'm not talking about anything yet.

- All right. Fire away.

Well, uh, would you say,

taken by and large...

that you've been a good boy

on the whole since you've grown up?

Depends on what you mean by good.

You know quite well what I mean,

so don't talk so soft.

- Women?

- Yes.

Oh, I've had my little bits of fun

every now and again.

You haven't ever got yourself into any sort

of trouble, have you, and not told me about it?

- Oh, no, Dad.

- Marriage is a bit different, you know...

- from just having a bit of fun.

- Yes, I expect it is.

Women aren't all the same, you know,

not by any manner of means.

Some of them don't care what happens

so long as they have a good time.

Marriage isn't important to them...

beyond having the ring and being

Mrs. Whatever-it-is.

But your mother wasn't that sort,

and I don't think Phyllis is either.

- She's a nice girl, and she loves you a lot.

- I know, Dad.

And when a woman loves a man that much...

she's, uh, apt to be a bit

oversensitive, you know.

- It's well to remember that.

- I'll remember that, Dad.

Just you go carefully. Be gentle.

You got a long time together -

all your lives, I hope...

and it's worthwhile to go easy

and get to know each other gradual.

And if, uh, later on -

a long time later on -

you should get yourself caught up

with someone else...

well, just see to it that Phyllis

doesn't get hurt by it.

Put your wife first always.

Anything that's liable to bust up your home

and your life with your wife and your kids -

Well, it's just not worth it.

You remember that

and you won't go far wrong.

All right, Dad. And thanks a lot.

Yeah.

I can only hope you that you will have

as good a wife as I have.

- I can't say more than that, can I?

- No, Dad.

Well, I better be getting myself dolled up.

And, uh, good luck, Son.

- Oh, Dad?

- Huh?

- How does this look from the back?

- Don't worry, old man. You look gorgeous.

- Hello, Billy.

- Oh, it's you, is it? And about time too.

You know, we're going to be late.

Here. Give us a brush.

- All ready for the ball and chain?

- You're too ruddy cheerful by half.

Well, of course I am.

I'm a sailor, aren't I?

All sailors are bright and breezy, you know?

It's in the regulations.

- You must be the life and soul of your ship.

- Oh, I am, I am.

Only the other morning

the admiral sent for me.

"Mitchell," he said,

"make me laugh."

So I told him the one about the parrot.

"Mitchell," he said,

"the ship's yours."

"Well, what shall I do with it?"

I said.

"Scuttle it," he said,

"and cut his throat from ear to ear."

- Have you got the ring all right?

- Matter of fact, I dropped it down the whatsit.

- What?

- Don't worry. We sent for a plumber.

I better go up and get my hat and gloves.

We oughta be starting in a minute.

Oh, why don't you look where you're going?

You nearly knocked me down.

Sorry, old girl.

- Oh, it's you.

- Yes.

Well, it's a nice day anyhow, isn't it?

Fine.

- You haven't said anything to anyone?

- No, of course not.

I'm awfully sorry about last night, Bill.

Really I am.

No need to be sorry.

It's not your fault.

Yes, but when you've gone back

they'll all be asking me questions...

and I don't know what to say.

Tell them the truth.

I love you and asked you to marry me.

You don't love me and said no.

Simple enough, isn't it?

Hmm. Sounds awful

when you say it like that.

No use pretending, is there?

No, I suppose there isn't.

I am sorry though all the same.

You do believe that, don't you?

Yes, I believe it, all right.

I never did say I would, did I?

I mean, I never let you think that -

I'm not blaming you.

I told you that last night.

It's just that I, uh -

[Chuckles]

Well, I can't help feeling a bit low.

It's natural enough, isn't it?

I suppose you won't

write to me anymore now, will you?

You're a funny girl, I must say.

I don't see anything

so very funny in that.

You want everything, don't you?

You know I love you more

than anyone else and want to marry you.

You turn me down flat,

then want me to go on writing to you.

If you've, uh, taken the trouble

to read my letters up to date...

you might remember

they was mostly about the future.

And that's all gone now, isn't it?

I'll send you a weather report

every so often if you'd like.

Oh, if you're going to turn nasty about it,

there's no use saying any more, is there?

There's someone else, isn't there?

I don't know what you mean.

I mean what I say.

You're in love with someone else, aren't you?

- Well, it's no business of yours if I am.

- It's true enough though, isn't it?

Now, look here, Billy.

I've had quite enough of you.

Why couldn't you have told me last night?

Or a long time ago?

What's the matter?

Don't you trust me?

Well, you haven't any right

to ask me things like that.

- Now listen here, Queenie.

- [Sighs]

We've not seen much of each other

on account of me being away at sea.

But you've known all the time

that I was thinking of you...

and hoping that as the years went by...

you might grow out

of some of your highfalutin ideas...

and think me good enough

to be your husband.

All that gives me the right

to ask you anything I like.

No, it doesn't.

Is there someone else or isn't there?

Yes, there is, if you must know.

So there.

Are you going to marry him?

No.

- Why not?

- That's my affair.

- Is he married already?

- I wish you'd leave me alone.

- Is he?

- Yes, he is. Now are you satisfied?

Oh, Queen.

You're an awful fool.

I do wish you weren't.

Who are you calling a fool?

People can't help their feelings.

No, but they can have enough sense not

to let their feelings get the better of them.

Ah, what you're doing's wrong

whichever way you look at it.

There's your mother and father,

to start with.

It'll break their hearts

if they ever find out about it.

And there's the man's wife, whoever she is.

You're laying up trouble there.

But most important of all is you.

You won't get much out of it

in the long run...

and don't you fool yourself.

Ah, you're not that kind of a girl really,

whatever you may think.

Looks to me as if you're on the way

to mucking things up all round...

for yourself and everyone else.

[Sniffles]

Thanks very much for the lecture.

You're right.

No good me saying any more.

I'll, uh -

I'll go up and talk to Reg.

Good-bye, Queen.

Good luck.

[Footsteps Approaching]

[Groans] These boots are

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