Most scenes together: Richard Hannay & Pamela (6)
Annabella Smith There's a man in Scotland whom I must visit next if anything is to be done. It's only a matter of days, perhaps hours, before the secret is out of the country. The police will not believe me any more than you did. I tell you, these men act quickly, quickly, quickly.
Mr. Memory The Thirty-Nine Steps is an organization of spies, collecting information on behalf of the foreign office of... [sound of a gunshot]
And this bullet stuck among the hymns, eh? Well, I'm not surprised, Mr. Hannay. Some of those Calvinist prayers are terrible hard to get through.
As long as you stay, he stays. [The detectives leave the car.]
Milkman Yes, but don't rub it in. What's the idea now?
Well, I'm not. I'm a bachelor...A married woman lives on the first floor.
Milkman Does she?
Yes, and I've just been paying her a call and now I want to go home.
Milkman Well, what's preventing you?
One of those men...is her husband. Now do you see?
Milkman Why didn't you tell me before, old fellow? I was just wanting to be told. Trying to keep me with a lot of tales about murderers and foreigners. [The milkman happily and freely offers his coat and hat]...You're welcome to it. You'd do the same for me one day.
Couldn't you realize I was speaking the truth in that railway carriage? You must have seen I was genuine. Well, whether you believe me or not, will you put a telephone call through to the High Commissioner in London and tell him that...an enormously important secret is being taken out of this country by a foreign agent? I can't do anything myself because of this fool of a detective. Has that penetrated?
Right to the funny bone. Now tell me another one.
Haven't you any sense at all? Put that call through, I beg you or refer them to me. Will you do this?
No. Good night.
Mr. Memory, what was the secret formula you were taking out of the country?
Mr. Memory Will it be all right me telling you, sir? It was a big job to learn it, the biggest job I ever tackled, and I don't want to throw it all away.
It will be quite all right.
Mr. Memory The first feature of the new engine is its greatly increased ratio of compression represented by ...
...
Mr. Memory This device renders the engine completely silent. Am I right, sir?
Quite right, old chap.
Mr. Memory Thank you, sir. Thank you. I'm glad it's off my mind. Glad.
Now what's the next item on the program?
Right. How are we going to set about it? Anything in that bag of yours that would help? A pair of scissors or hairpin, or something?
A nail file. Well, do you think that'd help?
It'll take about ten years, but we can try it. Now let's make ourselves as comfortable as possible. What about that skirt of yours? It's still pretty damp, you know. I don't want to be tied to a pneumonia case on top of everything else. Take it off. I don't mind.
I'll leave it on, thank you...My shoes and stockings are soaked so I think I'll take them off.
That's the first sensible thing I've heard you say.
Now, will you kindly place yourself on the operating table? [She reacts insulted and shocked.] All right, all right, nobody's gonna hurt you. This is Armistice Day. Let's get some rest while we can.
I'm not going to lie on this bed.
As long as you're chained to me, you'll lie wherever I lie. We're the Siamese twins.
Oh, don't gloat!
Gloat? Do you think I'm looking forward to waking up in the morning and seeing your face beside me, unwashed and shiny? What a sight you'll be.
There are twenty million women in this island and I've got to be chained to you. Now look here, miss. Once more, I'm telling you the truth...I'm telling it to you now for a third time. There's a dangerous conspiracy against this island. We're the only people who can stop it - what you've seen happen right under your very nose.
The gallant knight to the rescue.
All right. Then, I'm just a plain common murderer who stabbed an innocent, defenseless woman in the back not four days ago. How do you come out over that? I don't know how innocent you may be, but you're a woman and you're defenseless, and you're alone on a desolate moor in the dark manacled to a murderer who would stop at nothing to get you off his hands. And if that's the situation you prefer, have it, my lovely, and welcome.
I'm not afraid of...[She sneezes]
For all you know, I may murder a woman a week. So listen to one bit of advice. From now on, do every single thing I can easily do, and do it quick.
You big bully!
I like your pluck!
Well, I've never been to Glasgow. I've been to Edinburgh and Montreal and London. I'll tell you all about London at supper.
Margaret John wouldn't approve of that, I doubt.
Why not?
Margaret He says it's best not to think of such places and all the wickedness that goes on there.
Well, why not listen now, before he comes back? What did you want to know?
Margaret Well, is it true that all the ladies paint their toenails?
Some of them.
Margaret Do London ladies look beautiful?
They do. But they wouldn't if you were beside them. [John enters the house]
Margaret You ought not to say that.
John What ought you not to say?
I was just saying to your wife that I prefer living in town than the country.
John God made the country. Is the supper ready, woman?
Margaret There's a car coming. It'll be the police. You'd better be going...I'm not going to let them catch you.
I'll never forget you for doing this for me.
John I might have known. Making love behind my back. [To his wife] Get out!
Just a minute!
John Aye, and you too! Get out of my house before I...
Margaret Aye, go, go!
And leave you like this? No fear! [To John] Look here, you don't understand... Look here, you're all wrong about this. She was only trying to help me.
I feel such a fool, not having believed you.
Oh, that's all right. Well, we ought to get a move on. What room are those two men in?
No room, they went as soon as they telephoned.
They what?
Didn't I tell you?
You let them go after hearing what they said? You, you button-headed little idiot!
Don't talk to me like that!
Four or five precious hours wasted. Why didn't you wake me up at once? Even you might have realized that what they said was important.
What made you wake so soon? Dreams?
What do you mean, dreams?
I've always been told murderers have terrible dreams.
Oh, but only at first. Got over that a long time ago. When I first did a crime, I was quite squeamish about it. I was a most sensitive child.
You surprise me.
I used to wake up in the middle of the night screaming, thinking the police were after me. But one gets hardened.
How did you start?
Oh, quite a small way like most of us. Pilfering pennies from other childrens' lockers at school. Then a little pocket-picking and a spot of car-pinching, and smash-and-grab and sordid, plain burglary. Killed my first man when I was nineteen. [He yawns] In years to come, you'll be able to take your grandchildren to Mme. Tussaud's and point me out.
Which section?
Oh, it's early to say. I'm still young. But I'll be there, all right, in one department or another. Yes, you'll point me out and say: 'Chicks, if I were to tell you how matey I once was with that gentleman...'
