Original subtitles

(orchestal music)

- Now, Rose as soon as Miss Elizabeth arrives.

- Who, Mr. Hudson?

- Mrs. Kirbridge.

As soon as Mr. and Mrs. Kirbridge arrive

you can go straight upstairs and pack your case.

- I'll have that out for my dress and apron.

- Yes, well it won't take you a moment

to change out to luncheon.

Put all your things ready to change into.

I don't want you to be keeping

Mr. And Mrs. Kirbridge waiting

when they're ready to set off for Greenwich.

- No, Mr. Hudson.

- Oh, Mrs. Bridges.

-[Rose] Oooh!

That looks lovely, Mrs. Bridges!

It always was Miss Elizabeth's favorite dessert!

- Whose, Rose?

- I hope Mr. and Mrs. Kirbridge enjoyed their honeymoon.

- I gather from our ladyship that Austria

proved perfectly satisfactory,

for those who like a foreign part.

- I wouldn't like to spend my honeymoon

among a lot of foreigners!

- Ah, well, they're back now.

-[Woman] I brought a lot of luggage, I'm afraid.

(chattering)

Where's my mother, Edward?

-[Edward] In the morning room Mrs. Kirbridge.

- Well done, Edward, you remembered!

- Hello, darling.

- Mother.

- Lawrence.

You do look well!

Why didn't Edward take that for you?

- No, that's the one with the presents in it!

Put it on the table, Lawrence.

(bickering)

Put it on the floor.

- Did you have a good crossing?

-[Elizabeth] Very good!

Didn't stop Lawrence being sick.

- I don't know why people aren't seasick

are always so superior to people who are.

- Oh, Lawrence, I agree with you.

Whenever I'm lying in the cabin feeling simply dreadful,

Elizabeth's father flings open the door

letting in blasts of fresh air and says,

"What you need is a brisk walk round the deck."

Throughout our married life,

it's happened every time we've crossed the channel together.

- That is obviously going to happen with us too.

Except that in our case,

Lawrence is reclining in the cabin

and I'm walking about the deck

letting in blasts of cold air.

(door opening)

Hudson! How lovely to see you.

- Welcome back Mrs. Kirbridge.

-[Lawrence] Hello, Hudson.

- Good morning, sir.

Would you care for some sherry, my lady?

- Lawrence?

-[Lawrence] Oh, thank you.

- Elizabeth, do you want to come upstairs

and take your hat off?

- No, not 'til I find your present.

-[Hudson] Sherry, madam?

- No thank you, Hudson.

I'll have some schnapps if you've got some.

It's alright, I'm only joking.

Yes, I will have some.

Put it over there, would you?

- Sit down, Lawrence.

Elizabeth is rummaging.

Your father says sorry he couldn't be here.

He had to have lunch at the house

with a tiresome constituent

who didn't like the line he took on old age pensions.

- Well, if Father knows he was right,

I don't know why he bothers with him.

Or is the man a large contributor to party funds?

-[Mother] Thank you, Hudson.

-[Hudson] My lady.

-[Mother] Oh, Hudson!

Is Rose ready?

- Yes, my lady.

- Ready for what?

- It's a surprise that Hudson and I

have concocted between us.

- Good! I like surprises.

Usually.

Look!

I got this for Henrietta!

- Oh, it's charming.

-[Lawrence] One should perhaps mention

that it wasn't bought for its beauty,

but for its social significance.

- Good heavens, really?

- You see, we went into this big shop in the

something strata.

- The something strata.

- Yes, well, they were selling hand carved boxes and things

at enormous prices!

And I went to the back of the shop

and there was this little man,

working away in a dreadfully bad light carving them.

So I told Lawrence to hold

the owner of the shop in conversation.

-[Lawrence] Yes, that wasn't easy.

He wasn't interested in politics

and the only poet he'd ever heard of was Barnum.

- Yes, well anyway, Lawrence managed

to keep him out of the way

while I asked the old man if he had

something of his own to sell.

And he brought out this!

So I was able to buy it from him direct,

without any horrid middle man taking the profit.

- That's cheating the unfortunate shopkeeper

who was paying the rent and taxes

and making sure the old man didn't starve.

- Never mind, it was a blow against sweated labor,

and I know Henrietta will approve.

- Darling.

You haven't changed a bit.

- Haven't I, Mother?

-[Mrs. Bridges] Did Miss Elizabeth

enjoy our peaches colbert?

-[Hudson] She did, indeed, Mrs. Bridges.

She said she's coming downstairs to tell you so herself.

- Oh, gracious!

I'll put on a clean apron.

I'm not fit to be seen.

I hope Mr. Kirbridge isn't coming down too.

- No, I believe he has to leave very shortly.

He has an appointment with a publisher.

- Isn't he going to Greenwich with Miss Elizabeth?

Their first day in their new home?!

- Apparently not, Mrs. Bridges.

I thought Lady Marjorie seemed a wee bit put out about it.

- Not surprised!

- Mr. Kirbridge spoke to me ever so nicely.

Didn't he, Mr. Hudson?

- Oh, he's always been a very pleasant,

easygoing young gentleman.

Ruby!

- I thought he looked handsomer than ever!

- Handsome is as handsome does.

- Now, Rose, as soon as we start serving coffee

you can go straight upstairs and change.

- I won't be a minute, Mr. Hudson.

(dishes clattering)

- Oh, Ruby!

What have you broken now?

Get out of here!

- Do you think you're gonna miss it Rose

when you go down to Greenwich, eh?

- Ow!

You made me spill it!

I will tell you Edward,

if I miss you it'll be a good miss!

-[Edward] Probably have some larks out there.

- I hope Rose will have no such thing.

And Rose, while I'm on the subject.

- Yes, Mr. Hudson?

- Mrs. Kirbridge not being experienced as lady of the house,

it will be up to you to maintain standards

in the kitchen and elsewhere.

- There'll be a cook in charge of the kitchen, Mr. Hudson.

- Well, that's very true, Mrs. Bridges,

but a cook general is not quite the same as,

well, as what we're accustomed to here.

I'm not suggesting that your Rose should usurp

authority in the kitchen,

but as far as serving, dishing up, running the household

is concerned, you will have very big responsibilities, Rose.

I want to be sure that you take them seriously.

- Oh, I will, Mr. Hudson!

I will!

- You mean I can have Rose?!

- I thought you'd be pleased.

Mind you, you can't keep her.

I'm only lending her to you.

It's just to settle you in.

- Oh, but that's marvelous!

Dear Rose.

What a difference it'll make!

I was dreading having to give orders

to a lot of strange servants.

- Well, I found you quite a good cook.

Mrs. Fellowes.

Of course, with a cook general you don't expect

quite the same standards.

But her references are good and I saw her former employer.

- Oh, did you really, Lady Marjorie?

That was a great deal of trouble.

- Oh, I never trust a written reference.

After all, when you employ servants,

you're taking them into your house,

bringing them into contact with your children.

Everything they do reflects on you

in a sense their reputation's yours.

- Oh, what a terrifying thought!

I hate being responsible for other people.

It's bad enough being responsible for one's self.

- All bachelors feel like that.

That's why perennial bachelors are such trivial people.

When you marry you have to accept responsibility.

- All this just because we're engaging a cook!

Who was her former employer?

Why did she leave? Had she been burning the soup?

- No.

No, she was in the household of a bank manager

who'd been appointed to a branch in Manchester.

His wife said Mrs. Fellowes was keen and capable

but hadn't a great range of dishes.

- Never mind, I'll teach you some Viennese cooking.

Tafelspitz, knodel.

(speaking foreign language)

- Well, don't alarm her too much at first.

I should let her settle in with cutlets and trifle.

More coffee, Lawrence?

- No, no thank you.

I really ought to be going.

- I hope your publisher's encouraging

and offers you a lot of money.

- Oh, I don't suppose he'll offer any money.

- Really?

I thought if he published your poems

he'd naturally pay you for it.

I mean, people buy books, don't they?

So surely, well of course,

I really know nothing about publishing.

- No.

- Lawrence hopes to write some articles.

He'll get paid for those.

The Pal Mal Gazette have asked him for two reviews already!

- Oh, but that's splendid!

And I suppose it's the same as with everything else,

you start in a small way and work your way up.

- Except that a poet isn't exactly

like a draper's assistant,

moving on from socks and ties to silk handkerchief.

- Perhaps what we should really do

is open a poetry shop in the strand

and sell your poems over the counter.

- Well, anyway you've plenty of time

to look around and decide what you want to do.

Meanwhile, you should be able

to live at Greenwich very economically.

I agreed on 30 pounds a year for the cook,

I hope you feel that's alright.

- I suppose so if that's what cooks usually get.

- Your father and I will pay Rose's wages

as our contribution.

You'll need a kitchen maid,

but that should only cost 16 pounds a year.

So, apart from a jobbing gardener.

-[Elizabeth] And Lawrence's manservant!

- Lawrence's?

- Manservant.

- I'm sorry, I--

- No, it's alright.

I advertised for one before we left.

-[Mother] Well, I haven't received any applications.

- No, no.

Well, I gave my mother's address for replies.

I didn't want to bother you.

- Oh, yes, I see.

You don't think a manservant might be rather expensive?

I doubt if you could pay less than 50 pounds a year.

It might be a good idea to have a boot boy.

- Oh, no! No, no, no!

Must have a manservant.

It's such a delightful expression, my manservant.

It sets one's standards,

it gives one something to live up to.

- Don't you think if you had a boot boy

you could set standards for him?

- Well, it wouldn't be the same.

- No.

Well, if you feel it wouldn't

put too much of a strain on your finances.

-[Lawrence] I'm sure we shall manage beautifully.

Well, thank you Lady Marjorie for a delicious lunch.

I'll see you at Greenwich, Elizabeth.

- Yes, but I'll have to take all the luggage!

- Well, yes, of course,

I don't want to drag it all over Hoben.

You're going straight to Greenwich.

Greenwich, that means green wood.

I think I shall call it that.

We live under the green wood tree.

Is there a tree in the garden?

- I don't remember.

- Well, we'll have to plant one!

(door closing)

- Elizabeth--

-[Elizabeth] You didn't ask if I'd like any more coffee!

I think I would.

- Oh, sorry.

Darling.

- Yes?

- The income from your marriage settlement

will only bring in 700 a year.

So with Lawrence not earning any, well, regular,

you'll have to be very careful about money.

- Well, really, Mother,

I think you've made that quite plain.

I don't feel we're heading so much for our first home

as for the workhouse.

-[Mother] Oh, darling.

You know I didn't mean.

I really only want you to say,

well, when your father and I were married ...

- Yes?

Oh, what is it, Mother?!

I think you'd better come out with it,

you'll feel much better.

- Well, when I married your father,

he wasn't a rich man.

- He isn't now, is he?!

- No.

What's mine's his naturally,

but it isn't easy for a man to marry a wife

whose family has more money than he has.

- Oh, Mother, we don't care about that!

Money isn't as important to us as it is to you.

- Money's always important if you haven't enough of it.

Let Lawrence make the decisions, darling.

Especially about money.

Your marriage will never succeed if you don't.

- But it will succeed if I do?

- Elizabeth.

-[Elizabeth] I think I'd better go and see Mrs. Bridges.

Is she better now?

- Yes, quite recovered.

Though she'll never get over missing your wedding.

Don't forget to mention the peaches.

(door closing)

- I'm very glad you enjoyed it.

- I wish you would come and cook it for me at Greenwich!

- Oh, well, I'm sure her ladyship's found you

a very good cook, Miss.

A good, plain cook, she said she was.

- But not like you, Mrs. Bridges.

- Oh, well.

(laughing)

Miss Elizabeth.

You ought to start as you mean to go on.

Do as her ladyship does,

see cook's accounts every week

and make sure they tally.

I'm sure she wouldn't mean to cheat you,

but a penny here and a penny there soon mounts up

and slipshod ways cost money.

- Yes, Mrs. Bridges, thank you.

Oh, I almost forgot!

I brought you a present from Vienna.

For all of you, for everybody.

- Oh!

You open it, Mr. Hudson!

- No, no, Mrs. Bridges.

You open it!

- Oh.

(wrapping paper crinkling)

Oh, well now!

That's very--

- Open the lid.

(soft music)

- Oh, it's a music box!

Oh, isn't that--

-[Edward] What's that tune, then?

- Tales from the Vienna Woods.

Oh, Rose!

Are you ready?

I suppose we'd better go.

- Fancy!

A lady dancing in the kitchen.

- You must remember, Ruby,

Mrs. Kirbridge grew up here in this house.

- She'll never grow up, not altogether.

Not that young lady, bless her.

- Edward, get out the luggage while I fetch a cab.

Look sharp, now.

- Now, Ruby, get on with the greens.

(horses cantering)

(bell ringing)

(birds tweeting)

(Rose screaming)

-[Elizabeth] Rose?

What on Earth's the matter?!

- Oh, Miss Lizzie.

- Good afternoon.

- Who're you?

What do you want?

- I've come to see Mr. Kirbridge.

- Miss Lizzie?

- What?

-[Rose] He looks like a debt collector.

- Looks like we're being done before we even move in.

- Don't let him inside.

- Would you be Mrs. Kirbridge?

- Yes.

-[Man] Well, I had your letter, mum.

Now, you see, it says to come for an interview at 4 o'clock.

- Interview?

- For the post of valet.

- This isn't my hand--

Oh, yes!

This is from my husband's mother.

Well, I'm afraid Mr. Kirbridge isn't here at the moment.

Perhaps you could come back another day.

- Well, I come a long ways, see, mum?

- Oh.

Very well, I'll see you myself.

- Aw, thanks very much, mum!

- Rose, open the door so we can get all the stuff inside.

- Oh! Allow me, mum!

- Thank you.

(bell ringing)

(bell ringing)

(bell ringing)

Oh!

- Well, you did say you'd see me now, mum.

- Yes, of course!

Do sit down.

- Thanks very much, mum.

- Excuse me, madam.

Would you like me to pay the cab driver?

-[Elizabeth] Oh, yes!

Yes, please, Rose.

(door closing)

What is your name?

- Watkins, mum. Thomas Watkins.

- And you have some references, of course.

- Oh, yes.

Yes, I've got a letter here from my last employer.

- Abergavenny?

Oh, I don't think I could go to Abergavenny,

wherever that may be.

- It's in Wales.

- I thought it might be.

(door closing)

- Your purse, madam.

- Oh, thank you, Rose!

Didn't my mother say that the cook was supposed to be here?

- Yes, madam.

I'll go and see where she is.

- Why did you leave your last employer?

- He was goin' to Australia, mum.

-[Elizabeth] Oh.

Didn't you want to go with him?

- No.

No, not enough scope there, from what I hear.

- Well, I don't know that there's going to be

a great deal of scope here.

- What would my duties be?

- Duties? Yes, yes, duties.

Well, to look after the master's clothing, I suppose.

Light the fire in his dressing room, keep it tidy.

Clean the boots, fill the colt's saddles.

- Clean the boots?

- If you wouldn't mind.

- So I'd be footman valet?

-[Elizabeth] Yes.

We'd like you to wait at table and help out generally.

Indoors, that is!

We thought we'd get a jobbing gardener for the--

-[Watkins] Oh, I'll look after the garden for you,

if you like.

- Oh, yes, alright.

-[Rose] Cook!

Cook?

Are you there?

(footsteps approaching)

- Oh.

There now, I thought you'd come while I was out.

I hope you thought to put something on the fire!

- We've only just got here.

Besides, it is not my place to make up the kitchen fire.

- Oh, there now.

I'll suppose you'll be wanting a bit of hot supper tonight.

And the master and mistress will be wanting their dinner.

Well, I can't do everything.

Not with my leg.

- The master will be dining out tonight.

- Oh, there now, I got some nice chops in,

I thought he'd fancy them.

Oh, well.

I hope they're not gonna be always coming and going.

I don't like a household

where they're always coming and going.

And like I told her ladyship,

I can't do any heavy work, not with my leg.

- What will the wages be?

- 50 pounds?

50 pounds a year, and a suit of clothes.

- A livery.

- No, no, I don't want you in a livery.

- Oh.

- You see, you'd really be my husband's valet.

I think a black suit would be appropriate.

- Right you are, mum.

When would you like me to start?

- Start?

-[Watkins] Well, I can get my things

and be with you tomorrow morning, if you like.

-[Elizabeth] Oh, yes, alright.

Perhaps you could come fairly early

so that my husband could see you.

- Right you are, mum.

- Excuse me, madam.

Have you engaged that young man?

- I rather think I must have.

What on earth time did you get in last night?

- Just after midnight.

You were sound asleep.

- Midnight?!

But the last train--

- I went for a walk.

- Lawrence.

I was waiting for you.

-[Lawrence] Oh.

Were you?

I thought you'd be tired out

after all your little wifely mess making activities.

Now, I got off the train

and it was such a glorious night,

I could hear Queen Elizabeth dancing

in a ghostly, but compelling manner down at the old palace.

So, I went for a walk up to the top of the hill

and I sat on a gate and I read a poem.

I chanted it to myself very loudly all the way back.

And when I came in you were sleeping

like a rather tousled Madonna.

I thought it was a shame to wake you, so I didn't.

- Mrs. Fellowes!

Mrs. Fellowes, have you seen the big warming dish,

the silver one?

-[Mrs. Fellowes] Oh, it must be there somewhere.

Oh, there now.

I thought those sausages had burst.

And I picked every last one of them!

- I know it's here somewhere, I wanna know where!

It's called a chafing dish,

it holds water in it at the bottom.

I know they've got one 'cause I've seen it.

It was given as a wedding present!

- There was a big dish up on the top of the dresser.

- Well, what's it doing there?

It's supposed to be kept with the rest of the silver.

Mrs. Fellowes, have we by any chance got a stepladder?

- I'll put the coal on.

How do they like their bacon?

- I don't know!

- Oh, I wonder if I've got time

to slip around the corner and get some kidneys.

I can't serve burst sausages!

-[Rose] Mrs. Fellowes!

Would you give us a hand, please?

Mrs. Fellowes!

Could you come and take it from me, please?

Oh, no!

Look at me apron!

I can't serve breakfast like this!

- You shouldn't have put your clean one on

'til you were ready.

- I thought I was ready!

- Well, of course at me last place

we had a kitchen maid to do the dirty work.

-[Rose] Yes.

Well, we had a kitchen maid, footman,

butler and another house parlor maid.

- Oh, don't say you did.

But you haven't now!

How you'll manage when you've got all the fires to do,

I don't know.

And I can't do any heavy work, not with my leg.

I told her ladyship that from the start.

-[Elizabeth] Oh, I forgot to tell you,

your man's coming this morning.

- Man?

- Footman valet, valet footman.

- Oh, my manservant!

- He came for an interview with you yesterday

and since you weren't here, I saw him.

- Good, what's he like?

- I don't know.

I don't think Rose liked him very much.

- We're not engaging him for Rose, are we?

- No, but she'll have to work with him.

Lawrence, there's an article about you!

- Really?

-[Elizabeth] Alone among the younger poets,

Lawrence Kirbridge is able to express new and exciting

thoughts in a language of classic style and simplicity.

- Who's it by?

- Stephen Keating.

- Oh, so this is the little surprise he said he got for me.

- Do you know him?

- Yes, we had dinner with him last night.

- I thought you were having dinner

with your tutor from Cambridge?

- We met Stephen Keating with some friends,

he took us all the to Café Royal.

I talked about Austria,

and was frightfully witty about lederhosen.

People who say (speaking foreign language)

every time they tripped over your feet in the park.

So, Stephen's going to get me a commission

to write some articles about it.

- But that's marvelous!

- Yes!

Isn't it?

- Mrs. Fellowes?

If you would do the plates before doing your pots and pans

I could finish the drying up

and get on with the rest of me work.

(bell ringing)

- Oh, there now!

I thought the trays would be calling round

for their orders soon.

- I'll go.

It's probably the new man.

Oh.

- Good morning.

- You better come inside.

- Yeah, well, I'm not gonna get very far

standing outside on the step, am I?

Good morning.

- You can put that there.

Then come upstairs

and I'll see if the master is able to see you.

- I think I'm gonna buy dozens of copies of this

and send it to all my friends.

I mean, there's no point in being famous

if nobody knows about it.

- You can't go now!

-[Lawrence] Why not?

-[Elizabeth] That man's coming!

- Well, you see him.

- I saw him yesterday!

Besides, you've got to decide if you like him.

- I never know if I like people.

Tell him I'll take him on trial.

Oh.

- Excuse me, sir, the new man is here to see you.

- Ah.

Alright, let him come in.

Good morning.

- Good morning, sir.

- What is your name?

-[Watkins] Thomas Watkins, sir.

- Do you like being called Thomas or Watkins?

- Oh, Thomas will do nicely, thank you, sir.

- Good! Good.

Have you any references?

- Yes, sir, madam's already seen them, sir.

- His last employer lived in Abergavenny.

- In Abergavenny?

Oh.

What wages would you like?

- Well, madam suggested 50 pounds a year.

- And is that--

- Oh, that's quite satisfactory, sir, thank you.

- Oh, good! Good.

- Well, if that's all, sir?

- Yes!

Yes, I think so! Thank you.

- Where shall I put my things, mum?

- Rose will show you.

(bell ringing)

- Do you like poetry?

-[Watkins] Well, I'm not familiar with a great deal, sir.

Used to know The Boy Stood on the Burning Deck.

-[Lawrence] Music?

-[Watkins] Well, I've been known to display

a light baritone, sir.

In the right time and the right place, of course.

- Yes, well, we weren't going to ask you to oblige us now.

- Oh, I didn't think you were, sir.

- Oh, Rose!

Would you show Thomas where to put his things?

There's a room behind the kitchen, isn't there?

- Yes, madam, where the boot boy was to sleep.

- Yes--

- Only there isn't no bed.

- There's a spare bed in the attic, Rose.

If you ask Thomas, I'm sure he'll help you down with it.

Then you could buy some material

and make some curtains and a bed cover,

fix it up nicely for him.

- Me, madam?

- Oh, come along, Rose, come along!

You never know, you may discover

a whole new range of hidden talents!

You may design such a beautiful little bar

for Thomas in the basement

that people will be coming from miles around just to see it.

Just like, well, just like The Great Exhibition.

- Yes, sir.

(door closing)

-[Lawrence] Pity about Rose.

- Pity?

-[Lawrence] Do you remember that day she came to tea

in Henrietta's lodgings?

She didn't exactly let her hair down,

but she laughed, she talked, she looked almost pretty.

- Rose?

- Now she looks every day, more and more

like an acidulated spinster.

- No, she doesn't! - It's all wrong, you know!

- What is?

-[Lawrence] Well, we take all these young girls,

now, just think of it,

thousands of them from all over the country,

and we shove them up in servant's halls,

put them in unbecoming uniforms,

tell them they can't have any fellows,

and they end up as a deadly army

of elderly, muffin serving virgins.

All those girls with the names of flowers.

Rose, Violet, Primrose.

- I never heard of a housemaid called Primrose.

- If I had my way,

Rose would be wearing diaphanous clothes

and go floating about the house, singing,

with flowers in her hair.

- That'll be enough, Mrs. Fellowes.

Mrs. Kirbridge isn't very partial to soup.

- Well, I hope she likes that

after all the trouble I've taken.

That's beef broth, that is, in there.

- When they finish their soup,

I will tell Thomas and he'll come down

to get the next course.

- What do you mean, tell me?

I'll be able to see for myself, won't I?

- You'll be waiting outside with the dirty dishes.

- Oh, no, I won't! I'll be serving!

- If you mean waiting at table, no you will not.

I am the parlor maid.

- And I'm the footman.

Come on, live and let live.

We'll serve the table together.

Come on!

- By the way, the Annisters have asked me for the weekend.

- They've asked you, what about me?

- Hm?

- Don't they know you're married?

- What, you mean that husbands and wives

should always go everywhere together?

Now, we don't believe in those absurd conventions.

I'm sure the Annisters don't either.

- I notice you believe in absurd conventions

when they suit you.

- Now, when did I ever believe in absurd conventions?

- When we got married.

- That was to please your parents.

- And your mother.

-[Lawrence] Oh, no.

No, no, no, you're quite wrong there.

She didn't want me to marry you at all.

- Who are the Annisters anyway?

- There you are!

- Where am I?

- In a state of abysmal ignorance.

What am I supposed to do with this?

- I think the idea is that you should carve it.

- No.

(sighing)

The damn thing is full of bone.

- Would you prefer me to carve it, sir?

- Yes, I think you'd better.

- If there's one thing that's designed

to turn me into a vegetarian over night,

it's trying to hack lumps of meat

off a charred carcass and then being asked

to eat the damn thing.

- My grandfather says that carving is an art

which every gentleman should be proud to practice.

- Since your grandfather's notion of art

is cemented firmly on Frith's Derby Day

and Tennyson's Idylls of the King,

I don't feel too utterly cast down

at being able to live up to his ideals.

- You still haven't told me who the Annisters are.

- They're the most important people

in the literary world today.

- Good.

Then I should like to meet them.

- I don't think they'd amuse you.

- I don't always need to be amused!

- They are the center of a circle.

- Who are?

- The Annisters.

- Oh.

What's this?

- Artichokes, madam.

- You know I don't like artichokes!

Tell Mrs. Fellowes not to get anymore.

- As it happens, I like artichokes very much indeed.

- Very well.

Rose, tell Mrs. Fellowes only to get artichokes

when I'm away for the weekend and Mr. Kirbridge is here.

- Yes, madam.

- What kind of circle?

- Writers, poets, painters.

Either you're in the circle or you're not.

-[Elizabeth] And what do the Annisters actually do?

- They don't do anything!

They are!

They're patrons of the arts.

- Good.

Perhaps they'll give you some money.

-[Lawrence] Do you know you sound exactly like your mother?

- I think I'll go to bed.

Are you coming?

- Yes, alright.

I'll just finish this verse.

(footsteps approaching)

- Goodnight, mum.

- Goodnight.

(sighing)

- Put your foot in the air.

-[Rose] What?

- Put your foot up in the air!

- I'll do no such thing!

I clean everybody else's shoes around here,

I might as well clean yours.

Now, there's a neat foot.

- My mother used to say you can tell a lady

by her hands and her feet.

- She was quite right.

- Here, come on.

I can't get a proper perch.

- Watch it!

You shouldn't be doin' this by rights,

it's not your place.

- I don't believe in people having places.

-[Rose] Be a funny world if they didn't.

- You ever seen a grave?

- Grave?

-[Watkins] One that's just been dug.

Very deep and very narrow.

- Once I did.

- I think a lot of people, soon as their born,

they put their feet together

and their hands by their sides

and there they are for the rest of their lives,

all ready for their graves.

I don't believe in that.

- Don't you?

- No, I believe in making the most of life for yourself

and for other people.

After all, we're all in it together, aren't we?

- Yes, I suppose we are.

- So, we might as well enjoy it.

Well, come on, give me the other one.

- Oh!

(door opening)

- Elizabeth?

You asleep?

(door closing)

- Oh come on, Rose!

Come and help me to open these presents!

-[Rose] Oh, madam, I've got my work to do!

- Well, you work for me now!

So you have to do what I want.

- Yes, eh, but you wouldn't like it

if you doing what you want

meant the whole house got dirty.

- I'd rather be knee deep in dirt

than open these by myself.

Go on, Rose! Go and get the others!

There's something very depressing about

presents which arrive after the wedding.

It's like guests that come on the wrong day.

They look slightly ridiculous.

You never know what on earth to do with them!

- Yeah, well don't be long!

I've got more bedrooms to do!

And more than one trunk's still at Eaton Place.

We're running very short of linen.

- I'm sending Thomas for them.

- Thomas?

- He can take the train.

- Oh.

- How do you get on with him?

- Oh, better than I expected, I must say.

- Oh come on, don't be so stuffy, Rose.

He may be rather a rough diamond--

- Oh, he's not a rough diamond, madam.

- Oh?

What on earth is--

Ew!

How simply appalling.

Well, I can't put it up anywhere here,

Lawrence would have a fit!

Who's it from, Rose?

- Mr. J. Hedringtongrass.

- Oh, he's that rather vulgar

millionaire friend of Father's.

Must be worth a fortune.

Good!

At least we can hock it.

- Do what?

- Put it up the spout.

- Madam, wherever do you learn such strange expressions?

- Oh, I've learned a lot while I've been away, Rose.

Doesn't it show?

After all, I'm a woman of the world now

with grave responsibilities.

- Yeah, well, you look cheerful enough to me!

- Oh, yes, I am very cheerful.

I've come back from my honeymoon with stars in my eyes

and a house in Greenwich.

And a hideous alabaster vase,

which we could take to Uncle when we run short of cash,

which we certainly shall.

- There is money in the family, then?

- Oh, yes, her ladyship's family's quite wealthy.

- Big house in the country.

- Southward.

I was born there.

Well, on the estate.

Oh, it's beautiful!

You should see the hot houses.

Well, they've got nectarines, peaches, grapes,

of course it's more than your life's worth to go inside.

- Big staff there, I should expect?

- Oh, yes, very big.

Well, I'd say it's bigger than

this whole house put together!

Bigger even than the servant's hall at Eaton Place.

- Eaton Place.

What's it like at Eaton Place?

- Well, it's what I'd call friendly but dignified.

- Dignified?

- See we're all friendly below stairs,

but we know where we are.

- You mean you have to know your place.

-[Rose] Oh, yes.

Mr. Hudson sees to that.

- Mr. Hudson.

-[Watkins] Good afternoon.

Mr. Hudson?

- I am.

- I've come to collect Mr. Kirbridge's trunk.

- So you're Mr. Kirbridge's new man.

- I am.

Thomas Watkins.

- Our ladyship mentioned the fact that you would be coming.

Come in, please.

Mrs. Bridges.

- Pleased to meet you. - How do you do?

- And this is Edward.

- This is Ruby, my kitchen maid.

Ruby, go and finish laying the scene in the servant's hall.

We have a party a little later.

I suppose we can't ask you to join us?

- Oh, no, no, I have to be going.

I have to catch the train back to Greenwich.

Mr. Kirbridge will be wanting to change for dinner, see.

- Oh.

Well perhaps you'd like just a cup of tea.

- Well, that's very kind of you.

Thanks very much, Mrs. Bridges!

- I shall arrange for the trunk to be brought down

while you're having your tea.

Come along, Edward.

- Yes, Mr. Hudson.

(kettle boiling)

- I don't suppose there'd be a piece

of your walnut cake around, Mrs. Bridges?

- My walnut cake?!

How ever did you hear about that?

- Well, Rose just happened to mention it, see.

- Oh!

Well I'm afraid we had the last slice yesterday.

- Oh.

- But perhaps you'd like to try a slice of my cherry cake?

- Oh, lovely, yeah.

- Sit down, Mr. Watkins.

- Thank you very much, Mrs. Bridges.

- There!

So you're valeting Mr. Kirbridge, are you?

- Yes, yes, that's right.

- But you're footman as well!

- Well, I said I'd put my hand

to anything that's needed, you know.

- Oh, you want to watch that!

I like it best when everybody knows their place

and what they ought to do.

When they don't, the servants get put upon

and then everybody suffers.

- Yes, well, I don't think I'll get put upon, Mrs. Bridges.

See, I don't mind what I do

as long as people are pleasant.

- I'm just the same.

There!

- Oh, thanks very much, Mrs. Bridges.

- And how are Mr. and Mrs. Kirbridge

finding things in their new home?

Quite loveless, I dare say.

- Oh, yes, yes.

- Oh, it's a good thing he doesn't

have to going to keep going to that House of Commons,

like Mr. Bellamy.

- Mind, he's got a lot of engagements.

You know, lunches and dinners and such.

- Oh.

Can you just taste that cake and see how you like it?

- Oh, it looks grand.

You know, that's the best cherry cake I ever tasted.

- Oh!

Well, next time you come you must try my walnut cake

and see which you prefer!

So, Mr. Kirbridge has to be away from home quite a bit then?

- Most days he goes off up to town and oh, you know,

you never know when he'll be back.

-[Mrs. Bridges] Well of course Mr. Kirbridge

isn't used to living in a household yet.

- La Vie Bohème, eh?

- Oh, no I didn't mean anything wrong.

- No, no of course not!

-[Mrs. Bridges] A bachelor gets so accustomed

to going and coming as he pleases

and having meals at all hours

and sitting up half the night.

- Does that alright.

- Does what?!

- Well, I suppose it's within being a boy, you know?

He's got into the habit of working by himself late at night.

- By himself?

Late at night?

Oh, well.

They'll soon be setting up their nurseries,

I wouldn't wonder.

- Cab's here, Mr. Watkins.

(humming)

- What a row!

(humming)

I suppose she'll be going about

with flowers in her hair next.

- Hmm?

- What's the matter with her?!

- Could it be that the desires of Rose,

the virginal nymph,

are aroused by the dark masculinity of the Welsh bull?

- I find that remark cheap and disgusting.

- I better go and see if Thomas is packing my things.

(door closing)

(door opening)

(door closing)

(sighing)

(clearing throat)

Do you like being a valet?

- I have no objection to it.

- I happen to have thought it'd be rather dead end job.

- I wouldn't say that, sir.

- Not many valets become prime ministers.

- Not many poets do either.

Did you want to take this tie with you, sir?

-[Lawrence] Yes, it goes with those socks.

- Ah, it should've been cleaned, really.

No mind, I'll give it a press later.

Yes, sir, every job's got scope in it, sir.

If you look for it.

- And what scope can you find in being a valet, hm?

- Well, let's see, sir,

you might become famous

and travel all over the world reading your poetry, see.

Well, naturally I'd come with you.

And I might meet one of those rich American ladies,

there's lots of them about, widows and such like.

And then marry her, see?

Or maybe we'd go to South Africa!

And I'd be playing cards with a man who couldn't play

but he'd give me a worthless scrap of paper

that would turn out to be a diamond mine.

So there you are, millionaire again.

Oh, there's always scope somewhere, sir.

- Meanwhile, you press my ties.

- Ah.

Well, sir, you have to do a good job

on whatever you're doing at the moment, eh?

I mean, you have to do that.

Otherwise you can't take advantage of the scope

when you find it, see?

Do you ever wear these, sir?

- Yes, of course I do, why?

- Well, they are a bit like

a coster's night out, ain't they?

- They are my walking socks!

Since we shall be going for long walks

all over the downs,

I shall certainly be needing them.

- Very good, sir.

- I wish you weren't going.

- Oh, I'm sure it'll be dreadfully dull,

you'll be much happier here.

- Not without you.

Lawrence!

While you're away,

will you think about us?

- Of course I will.

- I do love you!

- Well, I love you, too.

- No, don't say it like that.

- How should I say it?

- You make it sound so easy.

It's not easy at all.

- I must go and change.

I'll miss my train!

(laughing)

- Thomas, do you ever go down the mines?

- No.

No, dad said I was too bright for that

so he sent me to school.

But then he died.

Mom needed the money coming in,

so I went to work in a bicycle shop.

-[Rose] What did you do?

- Mended punctures, mostly.

Mending punctures to cleaning boots.

I haven't progressed very far, have I?

- Yes, you have!

See, you only clean boots now to oblige.

(distant laughing)

- You know, sitting here with you mending my coat,

we're like an old married couple, ain't we?

- Not quite.

Thomas, your last job

can't have been very good

or they wouldn't have let you wear your coat like this!

- Well, I suppose they didn't notice.

- Yeah, well, that'll have to do

until the master gets you a new one.

- You know, I think you must be

the nicest, kindest, prettiest girl in the whole world.

- Oh, you're just sayin' that.

- Am I?

Try me.

Come on!

-[Rose] What?

- Come on, Rose!

(laughing)

- No, Thomas, no.

It wouldn't be right.

You love me, that's right enough, isn't it?

- Well, maybe but if it doesn't feel right,

then it isn't right.

- You're a funny girl, aren't you?

Yes, I know what I'll do with you.

I'll make a bargain.

I close my eyes, blind one buff,

chase you around the kitchen,

if I catch you,

you gotta give me a proper kiss, right?

(laughing)

- I don't accept!

- You have to accept!

One!

Two! - Thomas I don't!

- Three! - That's not fair!

- Right, I'm after you now.

(laughing)

Then give us a clue as to where you are.

No, I can hear you, you see. - You're cheating.

- I'm not cheating!

(chattering)

I can't hear you at all Rose!

Oh, there you are!

Got you, I got you!

-[Elizabeth] How dare you?!

How dare you behave like that?

I won't have it in my kitchen, I won't!

You can take a week's notice!

Both of you.

(sobbing)

(footsteps retreating)

(door slamming)

- When would you like me to leave, madam?

- Oh, Rosie.

Rosie.

(sobbing)

- Oh, Miss Lizzie.

(Elizabeth crying heavily)

Let me make you some hot milk.

(upbeat music)