Yield to the Night

- Good evening, chaplain. - Good evening, sister.

Is the governor with Hilton?

Yes. Result of her appeal's just come through.

Yes, I know.

I'm glad I haven't got the governor's job.

- Good evening, chaplain. - Good evening, governor.

- How is she? - She's taken it very well.

You'd better go in now.

Thank you.

Good evening, mrs Hilton.

I'm very sorry, mrs Hilton.

Is there anything you would like me to do for you?

Your mother, would you like me to write to her or...

When will it be?

I wasn't quite taking it in when the governor told me.

You have two more weeks here.

Then, unless you're reprieved, it would be in the third week.

Excuse me, sir. Mrs Hilton's lawyer has been waiting to see her.

Do you feel well enough to see him?

Your lawyer, do you want to see him?

Yes, all right.

Yes, well, I'll be back later.

I'm sorry, mrs Hilton, I'm very sorry indeed.

But even now it is possible that there may be a reprieve.

Do you follow me?

Even now the home secretary may recommend a reprieve.

In which case, the governor will bring the news to you immediately,

be it day or night.

You can rest assured that everything possible is being done on your behalf.

And if you should wish to see me at any time, it can be arranged without delay.

I'm tired. I've got a headache. I want to go to bed.

And I don't want any cocoa.

It's early. Surely you don't want to go to bed yet?

Nothing else to stay up for.

- The others will be here in a few minutes. - Yes.

- Who's on tonight? - Hill and macfarlane.

You'll get something to help you to sleep,

help you have a good night's rest.

You can have it now if you like.

Here they are.

Yes.

Hello.

Hello, macfarlane. Was it raining when you came in?

- You've forgotten to fill in the date, Brandon. - Oh, I...

All right, I'll do it myself.

Are you ready for sleep? Yes. Can I have the cloth?

The doctor said you could take these.

This is what they do to you when you face a firing squad, isn't it?

I told you not to start the cloth business.

She'll have this performance every evening now.

Thank you, mrs Hilton, thank you. The food all right?

Better keep your cloak on when you go out this morning, mrs Hilton,

there's still a nip in the air.

- There's some talk of him retiring. - Oh, I hope not.

I think he's ever so nice. He's a good doctor too.

Of course, hill remembers dr Morris. He was before our time.

Of course, she hasn't got a good word to say for this one.

- You know why that is, of course? - No, why?

When hill went to him complaining about her dreadful headaches,

he told her she must expect them at her time of life.

- She says she's only 44. - Go on!

She'll never see 50 again, as far as I'm concerned.

I have no time for women who try to conceal their ages.

I suppose it's all very well to talk if you've nothing to conceal.

- What do you say, Hilton? - Perhaps. Doesn't seem to matter.

You're all right, anyway. You needn't worry.

It's the stringy kind like me that wears badly.

It's time for...

Let's go out before it starts raining.

That was a close shave.

I think it's silly the way we officers aren't allowed to smoke and the prisoner is.

Of course.

Here, have one.

"And since to look at things in bloom,

fifty Springs are little room.

About the woodlands I will go,

"to see the cherry hung with snow."

Keep moving, Hilton, or you'll be cold.

You'll be cold.

You'll be cold.

"To see the cherry hung with snow."

Hung.

I killed Lucy.

Now they're going to kill me.

Supposing I'd never met Jim,

none of this would have happened. Or would it?

No, no, that's not it either.

It's not as cloying as that. Something sharper.

More like the bouquet of very good Brandy.

It does make it difficult when you don't even know the manufacturer's name.

If only I could remember what it's called.

- "Lost weekend" from the sound of it. - Hey, wait a minute.

Mm?

That's it! That's it.

- Now, what scent are you wearing? - It's called Christmas Rose.

Yeah, that's the one.

We only have very small bottles of Christmas Rose at five guineas.

No kidding.

- I suppose you don't split them? - No.

All right, I'll take it.

One, two, three, four, five.

And, er...

Five shillings.

Don't bother to have it delivered, it'll fit in my pocket.

- Who's that? - I don't know.

- He looks ok. - Mm.

Lots of people came into the beauty shop

and I never expected to see Jim again,

until one evening Doris and her boyfriend asked me to join them for a drink.

- Oh, Bob, don't! You know what happened before. - Don't fuss!

- There! - Charge it, Georgie.

Entertainment to my expense account.

Exercise now, dear, before my arteries harden.

Excuse us, won't you, my dear? Another drink for the lady, George.

George, it looks like a wet night inside as well as out, eh?

Same again, miss?

Er, yes, please.

Would you care to dance?

No, thank you, I'm with somebody.

Hello.

Well, it's Christmas Rose.

- Come to talk to the slave? - Is this what you do for a living?

No, this is what I do three nights a week, but not for a living.

- Then what? - I teach.

But also not for a living.

- What in? - Horses.

But not for a living.

Maybe we ought to introduce ourselves. My name's Jim.

Jim Lancaster.

I'm Mary Hilton.

Thanks. I needed that.

You're with your husband?

- Oh, no, he's not my husband. - But you're married.

Yes, I'm married. Where is he?

- Home, I suppose. - He doesn't mind you, er...

Fred?

Fred doesn't mind.

Poor Fred.

Christmas Rose, shall we dance?

Christmas Rose. That certainly is a wonderful smell.

I've still got that bottle of scent. Would you like it?

No, thanks. Anyway, you must have got it for somebody.

- Yeah, sure I did. - Well, what's her name?

Lucy carpenter.

- You know her? - No, I don't think so.

She used to come in here most nights. Just slumming, I suppose.

- Thanks. - You know what I mean.

Girls with too much money get spoiled.

Anyway, she's made a big impression.

You even know what her favourite perfume is.

Only because it's yours...

Christmas Rose.

It doesn't take long to fall in love.

And as we danced, I wished we could be together always.

Jim used to meet me most evenings after that.

And I remember the first time he took me back to where he lived.

Come on, in here.

I told you it's quite a way from the bus stop.

Should have waited for a cab. You're soaked.

Doesn't matter.

What a nice room you've got.

I suppose not too bad. Been in plenty worse.

Still, the view isn't exactly Buckingham Palace.

Come on. These will warm us up.

Go on, knock it back.

Who's that woman downstairs? She gave me rather a peculiar look.

You mean my landlady, mrs Thomas.

Doesn't she approve of female visitors?

No, not on principle, but I flatter myself I'm her favourite lodger.

Sounds as though you have hundreds of girlfriends.

Oh, thousands. You know, sometimes there's such a crush on the staircase,

can't get up or down.

You know something, I feel very funny. Slightly delirious.

Well, if you don't get out of those wet clothes, that's what you will be.

Now, you're gonna have a nice hot bath.

That's one thing about this dump, the water's always boiling.

Well, there it is.

- I'll go and see about some food. - Ok.

- How do I look? - Wonderful!

You'd better get by the fire, you'll catch cold.

You sound as though you've caught one already.

Don't worry about me. Nobody'd care if I caught double pneumonia.

What's the matter with you? Why do you always sound so bitter?

Oh, it's nothing.

You know, you've never really told me all about yourself.

- What, the story of my life and hard times? - Mm-hm.

Well, ok.

Well, to begin at the beginning.

Born in Bristol, only child.

Father Canadian, mother Irish.

Father wanted to live in Canada, mother didn't.

Well, first of all, she got her way, then he got his.

She kept nagging the old man to bring us back to England, but he wouldn't.

Finally he died and mother did bring me back here.

Well, there wasn't much money and any dreams I'd had

of being a famous pianist or composer soon faded away.

Then the war.

My mother was killed in the blitz and I can't pretend that I was broken-hearted.

Well, after the war I joined up with a third-rate dance band playing the piano,

and a couple of years ago they took me on at the club.