Sylvia Scarlett

Poor Mama.

Well...

...my life's over.

There's nothing left.

You've got me, Father dear.

I'll work for you, just as hard as Mother did.

- And I'll cook for you... - You don't know.

Yes, I do.

I loved her too.

Well, perhaps it's as well she died when she did, my dear.

Father, what is it?

They're going through my books at the office.

- Well? - Well, you see, l...

I had a bit of bad luck playing cards, and l...

- You took their money? - Borrowed it, that's all. Borrowed it.

And now they're suspicious.

The narrow-minded, sneaking swine.

I never did like being a bookkeeper in a lace factory, never.

- But will they send you to prison? - Yes. Oh, they'll have no mercy.

But what...?

- Couldn't you go to England? - Where's the fare?

Well, Mother gave me this. She saved it for me.

She thought I should have it if I got married.

But I shan't get married. I'm going to stay with you.

I suppose there isn't enough to pay back what you borrowed.

No. No. Oh, no. It'll give me a start in England, though.

With the help of this lace, if I can get it through the customs duty-free...

- Father, that's downright stealing. - Don't argue. Get my bag out, will you?

Not much time to catch a train. Here.

- What are you doing? - I'm going with you.

You'd be a hindrance. You've never been out of France.

I'm half English, aren't I? And I can speak it as well as you can.

But I'd stand a much better chance by myself.

They'd be able to trace a man with a girl.

- Well, then l... I won't be a girl. - What?

I won't be weak and I won't be silly.

I'll be a boy and rough and hard.

- I won't care what I do. - What are you doing? Stop that.

Don't worry. I'm ready for anything.

Here, I say, whenever will we get to New Haven?

Two hours fog delay, madam.

- We'll miss the boat train. - You'll get to London all right.

Thank you. And my son?

Thank you.

Oh, my heart. I thought it was the police.

- You think they sent a wireless after us? - Don't be nervous. Don't be worried.

No?

Who do you think he is?

Did you see him?

He's got us marked. I bet he's going off to tell the purser.

Oh, he's nobody. This is something about horse racing.

You never know. This may be a code or something detectives use to go in the...

"Strawberry Darling, 8-to-1."

Well, there's a good thing there.

He knows something, that fellow does.

I'd like to have a talk with him.

- No, no, no, there might be a tip in that. - Tip?

It's your darned tips that landed you in the soup.

I'd...

Oh, I don't know.

Hiding me head...

...driven from me home...

...afraid of everybody I see.

Oh, there. Oh, there. There, there. Poor little girl.

Feeling bad, are you?

Oh, you're not used to the water.

Now, you stay here, close to the rail. You'll feel better soon.

"...ought to travel, go abroad.

I'll pay your fare over." And I went, you see?

I got myself married to a French woman, and there you are.

Twenty years, sweating me soul out as a bookkeeper.

Oh, that's too bad, old chap. And what are you gonna do now?

If you don't mind my asking, that is. Here.

Well... Thank you. That's very kind of you.

I've got an idea. Of course, I've got more than one idea, you know.

That was a good song, wasn't it, eh?

And you're a good fellow, you know.

Here. Look here. I'll show you something.

I'll show you.

Got it wrapped all around me like a corset.

Thirty yards of it.

That's worth 50 quid if it's worth a sou.

See, I just slip it thru the customs without paying the duty...

...then I've got a bit of capital to go on with. You see?

Oh, then I got my plans, I tell you.

- Come on, Father. The boat's in. - Oh, your son, is it?

- Yes, this is my boy, Sylv... - Sylvester.

Making his first trip to England.

Yes, and this is Mr...

Monkley. Jimmy Monkley. Little friend of all the world.

- Nobody's enemy but me own. - Yeah, I can tell that by the look of you.

Hey!

Oh, you're a bit ticklish, aren't you?

Just wondering if there's any more lace in the family.

Well, toodle-oo, see you later.

Not if I can help it.

Have a nice day.

Thanks. Thanks very much.

- Put that down. - Anything to declare? Cigars, cigarettes?

- No. - In any form?

Laces, clocks, watches, jewelry?

Anything to declare? Cigars, cigarettes, wines, tobacco?

Saccharin, silk, artificial silk?

- Do you mind coming along with me, sir? - What for?

- It just that you... - I haven't done a thing.

I haven't done anything.

- Thanks very much, that was fine. - Don't mention it.

- Shall I open me bags? - No, that's all right.

- Fine. - Yes, sir.

- Come on. - Thank you, sir.

The way they talked to me.

Anybody would think I was no better than a criminal.

So I am, and a beggar too.

They fined me all me money.

English ham roll.

And your mother's dead, and I...

Don't cry, Father.

Hang it, you've got me too.

If only you hadn't talked to that brute on the boat.

Why? What...?

- Was it him? - Yes.

Oh, what a fool I was.

Yes.

Well, we're all fools sometimes.

Only you choose such awkward times.

Well, it's all over now.

We're together and that's all that matters.

Hurry up. Giddap.

That dirty dog, to give you away like that. The swine.

I hated his rotten face the minute I saw him.

I'd like to see him again though. I'd give him a smack in the jaw.

I'd take hold of that oily black hair of his and...

Anything else you can think of?

Here I am. Now what?

Oh, here, here, here.

You, you, you...

- And all that beautiful lace that l... - Here, here, here.

- Now, can't we settle this like gentlemen? - You're a spy, a Judas, lowest of the low.

You got sense, shut him up while I explain to you.

Explain? I was taken away...

One civil question.

How much do you say your piece of lace was worth?

- Three thousand francs. - Three thousand francs, 45 pounds.

Thirty you might have got for it. Then the fine...

- Oh, they fined me. - Fifty pounds, am I right?

- Yes. - All right, here you are.

Thirty and 50. That makes 80, don't it?

All right, here it is.

Thirty...

...and 50.

And for your inconvenience, let's make it up to the round figure.

What do you say to that?

Well, thank you.

- No, thank you. - For what?

Be careful, Father. He's up to something.

Here, just you listen to me.

Next time you wanna run contraband, watch out on the boat for an amateur...

...who's too free with his tongue.

Having got wise to his little game, pass the information on to a customs officer...

...who, recognizing you as a man of public spirit...

...chalks his moniker on your baggage, and there you are with your cargo, duty-free.

Behold the sparklers.

I say! Are they yours?

Well, it's a little commission job for a pal of mine.

Oh, what a nerve.

There you are. He's got humor, he's got imagination, he has.

I wish I could imagine why you coughed up that money.

- You wanna know why? - Yeah.

You're the right sort. Twigged it as I clapped eyes on you.

Keen, got plenty of ginger, ain't afraid to do nothing daring. That's you.

- Yes, l... - You could learn things.

- Learn what? - Here, who am I?

Jimmy Monkley, gentleman adventurer.

One of the hawks.

"Hawks"? Oh, hawks, hawks.

Yeah, hawks, hawks. The word "hawks."

Sparrows and hawks, that's humanity.

The hawks boss it over the sparrows, that's nature.

Now, you wanna be a sparrow?

Look at them all around you. What are they? Mere slaves. Me?

I'm out to beat the system. I'm free. I see life.

"Easy come, easy go." That's my motto.

I'm the fella for taking a chance. Rolling stone.

Yeah, I'm a rolling stone too.

Well, here. Why don't you two come and roll along with me?

- Proper threesome. One for all, all for one. - Like the Three Musketeers.

What do you say, old chap?

Can't you see us picking up loose change at Epsom? Having a bit of fun out West?

I'll be a hawk.

All right. How about you, young fella?

Monk, I'm with you.

What's the matter with him?

- Some sort of foreigner, I think. - Yes, I know, but why is he crying?

I don't know, ma'am.

Excuse me. One minute, please. Excuse me.

Excuse me, sir.

What's the matter, my lad? You seem in terrible trouble.

- Doesn't anyone here speak French? - Excuse me, sir. I speak a little French.

Can I be of any assistance?

Oh, yes. There seems to be something very much up with this young lad here.