Young Winston Page #4

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...there is to be prize-giving

in the Speech Room.

I have memorised 600 lines from

Macaulay's Lays of Ancient Rome...

...and if I can get

1000 lines by heart...

...which I will do,

I am bound to get a prize.

So will you please both come down?

Everyone will be there.

And it would mak e me so happy...

...if you were there

to see me win a prize.

You have never been down

to see me at Harrow. Either of you.

And this would be a perfect time.

So, dearest Mummy and Papa...

...please, please, please,

do, do, do come.

Your loving son,

Winston S. Churchill. "

And under that great battle

The earth with blood was red

And, lik e the Pomptine fog at morn

The dust hung overhead

And louder still and louder

Rose from the dark ened field

The braying of the war-horns

The clang of sword and shield

Come in.

Oh, Dr. Roose, do come in.

- Thank you.

- He is better, isn't he?

Oh, do sit down.

I shan't be a moment.

Will you have a cup

of coffee with me?

Lady Randolph, I should like you

to meet Dr. Bluzzard...

...whom I have consulted.

But I thought he was getting better.

I am sorry to have to tell you, madame,

that your husband is very ill.

You must, I fear,

prepare yourself for the worst.

- Dr. Bluzzard.

- We agreed to be frank...

- ... with Lady Randolph.

- Frank...

...but I see no necessity to be brutal.

What are you talking about?

Lady Randolph...

...it is my sad duty to tell you...

...that Lord Randolph is suffering from

an incurable disease.

From which, at the most,

he will die within five or six years.

Stop!

What are you telling me?

You're talking about a man

who is only 38 years old!

Lady Randolph, please believe

this is extremely painful for us.

Do sit down.

May we?

Lady Randolph, I am a specialist...

...and what I have to tell you is...

...I am sorry to say,

beyond question.

But what is the cure?

There is no cure.

But what is it?

Why don't you tell me?

Let us call it...

...an inflammation of the brain.

In the years to come,

although he will seem to recover...

...although he will seem at times

to be perfectly normal...

...in fact,

he will deteriorate consistently.

He will suffer paralysis in his limbs...

...and his speech will become impaired.

As will his mind.

There will be periods of violence.

I am sorry, believe me.

But it is necessary for you to know.

Is it true?

It can't be.

It isn't true, is it?

Yes.

Yes, I'm afraid it is.

Oh, my God.

Randolph.

Does he know?

No. And in our opinion,

he should never know.

Lady Randolph?

Yes?

How recently have you had...

...physical relations

with your husband?

Why do you ask?

Forgive me, but it is a matter

of some importance.

I beg you.

Not for a considerable period.

If it is necessary for you to know...

...perhaps not for...

...a considerable time.

- Thank God.

- Yes. Thank God.

Neither you nor the two boys

are in any way affected.

But I'm afraid there must be

no further physical relations...

...between you and your husband...

...ever again.

Good morning, Mother.

Good morning, Father.

Good morning, Winston.

Winston!

Go to your room and stay...

...until you learn how to behave in

a civilised manner!

Yes, Father.

Don't you think

that was a little excessive?

His manners are atrocious.

I know.

But most boys are

ugly and tiresome at his age.

To the best of my memory,

I was always fairly presentable.

I do not recall grunting at table

like a pig on heat.

Randolph, we haven't

seen much of Winston this past year.

And he does worship you.

You were right, of course.

- But you were a bit harsh.

- Nonsense.

You don't really think that, do you?

Well, if you ever spoke

to me like that...

...I'd feel as if you didn't

care about me at all.

Of course.

Perhaps I should

have a chat with him.

Oh, that would be nice.

- Yes, I think I'll do it now.

- Why don't you finish your breakfast?

No. Now would be best.

Father.

I'm awfully sorry, Father.

I'll be better. I promise you, truly.

I'm sure you will be.

- We won't talk about it anymore.

- Thank you, Father.

You know, Winston...

...the world of politics can be

very difficult sometimes.

And I have my share of problems

these days.

The things I do are misjudged.

Things I say are often distorted.

Perhaps that's why

I'm so often bad-tempered.

Oh, no, Father. You're a great man.

Everyone knows that.

Everyone knows Lord Salisbury

treated you very badly.

And you'll show him. All of them.

Thank you.

Thank you, my boy.

Anyway, I think...

...older people aren't always...

...particularly considerate

to younger people, to children.

They forget what it was like

when they were children.

Sometimes,

when they're bad-tempered...

...they speak more harshly than

they think they are or mean to.

Yes, I know, Father.

Well, I think there have been times

when I have done that.

Perhaps this morning.

But I would never...

...wish you to feel...

...that I don't care

for you very much.

Because I do.

Thank you, Papa.

I mean, Father.

I say, Winston...

...your collection has become

most impressive, hasn't it?

You're rather short of artillery,

aren't you?

Yes, Father. Only five field guns.

Yes, well. Now, that's not really...

It was one of the three or four...

...long, intimate conversations with him

which are all I can boast.

He spok e in the most wonderful

and captivating manner.

Then when he inspected my troops...

...he displayed such a knowledge

of military affairs...

...that it would have astounded me...

...had I not already been aware

of his breadth of mind.

Winston.

When you grow up,

would you like to go into the army?

Would you like me to, Father?

No, it's what you would like

that counts.

Well...

...I'm awfully good at history.

Especially about wars and battles

and generals and...

Yes, Father, I'd like to very much.

- Very much.

- Good.

We'll talk about that again later.

There's an army class

at Harrow, isn't there?

I'll have a chat with Welldon,

see what he thinks.

Yes.

Goodbye, Winston.

Goodbye, Father.

Womany.

- Womany!

- What is it, for heaven's sake?

Father talked to me

for the longest time.

And he was so kind.

And I'm going into the army!

The army?

The army?

He's our son, but we

mustn't blind ourselves, must we?

He's no scholar.

Can you imagine him

qualifying for the bar...

...or cutting any kind

of figure in politics?

So unless you see

him in the church...

You see, the army's all that's left.

I think it's an inspiration.

We have to get him into Sandhurst.

And that, of course,

means passing the examination.

The army.

Well, that's three or four years off,

anyway, isn't it?

Unfortunately, it took not one...

...but three examinations

to get me into Sandhurst.

Come in.

Did my letter come, Father?

I've been accepted. I passed.

You seem very pleased

with yourself, Winston.

I'm afraid I don't share

your satisfaction.

But I passed.

Yes, you passed.

There are two ways of passing

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