i don't want to hear anything through the ceiling this afternoon, apart from the sound of sweat dripping onto textbooks.
no cello.
it's already your interest or hobby. when they ask you "what's your interest or hobby?" at your oxford interview, you can say, "cello". that wouldn't be a lie. you don't need to practise a hobby. a hobby is a hobby.
you don't need to be good at it. you just have to be interested in it.
no. the orchestra shows you're a joiner-inner. universities like joiner-inners.
well, if you stop, that shows the opposite, doesn't it? that shows you're a rebel. they don't want that at oxford.
course they don't.
where are you applying, graham?
well, when will you be sure? you can't let the grass grow under your feet, you know. otherwise you'll be at the back of the queue.
what for?
travelling? what are you, a teddy boy?
you know she's going to oxford, don't you? oxford. english. if we can get her latin up to scratch.
so she's studying english at oxford while you're a wandering jew.
what's going on here?
a chap? what kind of chap? who? why?
are you sure that's all he's wishing? and where does he get the money from?
what do you mean, he earns it? why isn't he at school? what does he do?
well i don't like it.
ten bob's worth of luck, i reckon. that's a lot for a schoolgirl. you can't leave them out here, anyway. i'd burgle a house that had flowers outside. they'll think we're made of money.
i won't allow it!
right. i will.
where is it?
where's that?
how d'you know that?
there we are.
near westminster abbey. i'm not going all the way over there.
and i've just said. that's where i'm not going. there must be something on locally. where's the paper?
and how are you going to get over there? raf helicopter?
oh, bloody hell.
what's she talking about? i've never said anything like that in my life! anyway, it's just an expression! i'm not against the jews!
i didn't mean i'm not against you.  actually, i did mean that, because i'm not, but.
i'm sorry. what i'm saying is that you're not the sort of, of person i'd be against, if i were the sort of person who was against. people. you're not an old. oh, dear. i'm jack, and this is marjorie.
i suppose i am, yes.
i'm sorry, david. can i get you a drink?
no, no, nothing. it was more of a question, really. how would you get to st john's smith square from here? for future reference?
simple as that.
no.
back by ten, please, david. she's usually in bed by then.
oh, well, i suppose.
well, it's friday night. and if you're going out to the west end.
what's that smell? has he got perfume on?
at least there's no confusion, if you smell of carbolic soap.
it's her latin, isn't it?
and you still say i shouldn't go down there and have it out with whatsername? the latin teacher? because this is hopeless.
what if their best isn't good enough, though, eh? what do we do then?
perhaps it's all a waste of time and money anyway.
well, what's she going to do with an english degree? and if she's going to spend three years playing that bloody cello and talking in french to beatniks, then i'm throwing good money after bad. i suppose she might meet a nice lawyer. but she could do that at a dinner dance tomorrow.
is anyone listening to me? how much is that going to cost me?
five bob! but.  we could spend five bob on this and five bob on that, and before we know it that's our savings down the drain.
oh, nothing. it's all free. that vase was free.
that chair was free. the sofa. we don't have to pay for anything. and even if we did, we don't have to work for it. that's the beauty of life, jenny. everything's free. grows on trees. wonderful, isn't it? we've got a lovely oxford tree in the garden, lucky for you, so that's oxford taken care of. and a whole orchard of school trees, so that's all free. i'm sure there are some private tuition trees out there. i'll go and have a look.
no, no, won't take me a minute. i think i saw some at the back there, right next to the pocket money tree. i'll just nip out and check, see that they're doing all right.
oh. hello. david does the most brilliant bluebottle, jenny. actually, he can do all the goons.
oh, no, you've got him.
is that so hard to imagine?
hark at her! makes us sound as though we've signed the pledge. you don't know everything about us, you know. we had a life before you came along.
they can't stand to see me enjoying myself.
you didn't tell me david went to oxford.
what did you read?
english! which college?
that's what you need, jenny. someone on the inside track. it's not always what you know, is it, david?
what's he written?
well, i don't know about this weekend. but one day, yes, thank you.
well, i suppose. would she have to stay the night?
would it be a bother to you, david?
here she is! the wanderer returns!
was he nice to you?
well i never. look at this, marjorie.
never a dull moment with david, is there? if it's not concerts, it's famous authors. bit different from that lad you brought home for tea, isn't he?
graham could live to be two hundred, and he still wouldn't be swanning around with famous authors. hasn't got it in him.
being one isn't the same as knowing one, is it? anyone can be one. but if you move in those circles.
well, it says something about you, doesn't it? it says you're going places. it says you're well connected. he's an impressive young man, that david. i like him more and more.
he wasn't. and now he is.
is david taking you somewhere special tonight?
what do we want him round for?
it might not be a bad thing if he did.
well, if you think about it, there's more than one way of skinning a cat.
no, of course.
blow them out, then, before the whole place burns down.
come on. presents.
good grief. you won't believe this, jenny. did you leave anything in the shop?
she's a special girl.
makes your dictionary look a bit feeble, eh graham?
well, we're not the ones trying to impress her.
david, what can i get you to drink?
i've given him a glass of pop.
a glass of something warming?
lovely.
how d'you mean, paris?
but. we haven't got any french money. and i'm not sure. i just don't think it would agree with me.
they don't like us, the french, you know. john sutton at work went once. they were very rude to him. i'm not sure i'd like that.
i don't want to spoil anyone's fun, but. it's not for me, europe. we'll go another time.
to france? and leave me here on my own?
aunt helen? the one who went to the concert with you?
well, there we are.
aunt helen! don't you see? if aunt helen's going to be there.
i didn't want to put a spoke in anyone's wheels. but if you look at it from my angle. a bachelor, taking my daughter off to paris.
oh, i couldn't possibly ask. no, no. if aunt helen's going.
oh, aye. the potting shed. who does he think i am? prince rainier of monaco?
married?
it would depend who it was, surely?
course it would. i wouldn't want you married off just for the sake of it.
who?
david?
david's asked you to marry him? bloody hell. pardon my french.
of course she's got a choice. but it's an interesting one, isn't it?
well. looked at it one way, you wouldn't really need to go now, would you? he's a man going places. and say what you like, but they know how to take care of their money, don't they? he'll see you're looked after.
you know what i mean.
we don't know about nightclubs. we knew about education. anyway, it all turned out for the best.
he wouldn't have wanted you if you were thick, would he?
how d'you mean, left?
what about your exams?
what are we going to tell people?
all that.
no. no need for jack. she should hear it. all that money! do you know how much it's cost me for you to go through school and take no exams?
you know what your trouble is, don't you? you're too clever by half.
what sort of things can you have for starters? i mean, how will i know what are starters and what aren't? i'm all right if it's soup or fruit juice. but if it's anything more than that.
why don't you three go out? i'll be happy here with a tin of.
someone told me that.
i was hoping you'd take us in this.
i feel like eamonn andrews.
do you think we should offer him some petrol money? or would he feel insulted?
he'd feel insulted, probably. he said tonight was his treat. that must include the petrol, for god's sakes?
what do you think?
god almighty. what have i done?
what's going on?
what's happened?
you can sort this out, can't you, david?
what's going on?
he just drove off.
can you tell us? please? jenny?
well we've got to have this out. if you won't do it, i will.
i beg your pardon? i'm still your father, jenny.
we didn't.
that doesn't mean. what i think it means, does it? it can't.
just tell me that you didn't. you haven't, you know. you didn't.
jenny.
there's a cup of tea for you here.
i know i made a mess of everything.
all my life i've been scared, and i didn't want you to be scared. that's why i wanted you to go to oxford. so that if someone asked you out to a nice restaurant, you wouldn't panic about what was a starter and what was a main course. and then david came along, and he had money, and he knew famous writers, and he knew how to get to classical music concerts. but he wasn't who he said he was. he wasn't who you said he was, either.
the other day, your mother and i were listening to a programme about cs lewis on the radio, and they said he moved to cambridge in 1954. and i said to marjorie, well, they've got that wrong, because how would our jenny get her book signed, if he wasn't in oxford?
jenny, i'm sorry.