The Dead

Ah, here we are. Uh-oh.

- Come on. - I am. I'm right behind you.

I'll be up in a second.

You go on ahead.

The ladies' dressing room is upstairs, Miss.

Miss Kate and Miss Julia are waiting for you.

Thank you, Lily. We'll see you upstairs, then.

Righty-o.

Miss Furlong, Miss O'Callaghan, and Miss Higgins coming up, Miss Kate.

- Is there no sign of my nephew yet? - No, ma'am.

Where could Gabriel be?

I just pray to heavens he gets here before Freddy Malins.

Ah, Miss O'Callaghan.

How delighted I am to see you.

- And you, Miss Furlong. - Hello.

And you, Miss Higgins.

Oh, what a surprise

to have Mary Jane's three favorite pupils all together.

Come along in now.

Where's Mary Jane? I have a present for her from Christmas.

Oh, yes, of course. You missed your lesson.

- Did you enjoy England? - It was lovely.

Well, Mary Jane will be up in a minute.

To tell you the truth, she's basting the goose.

Lily, while I'm upstairs, keep an eye on the potatoes

and see they don't boil over.

But who'll answer the door? I can't hear the bell from the kitchen.

Good evening, Mr. Kerrigan.

Good evening. I'd like you to meet a friend of mine, Mr. Aidan Bergin.

- How do you? - How do you do?

- I'm very glad you could come. - Delighted to be here.

Just pop down every few minutes and come straight up again like a good girl.

I have to lay the table, miss.

Well, do your best.

Well, I'll try but...

- Good evening. - Good evening.

Miss Kate, Miss Julia Morkan,

may I present Mr. Aidan Bergin

and Mr. Joseph Kerrigan,

who were so good as to escort us here tonight.

How do you do?

It's a great pleasure to meet friends of any of Mary Jane's young ladies.

- Thank you for having us. - We do appreciate it.

I remember you from last year, Mr. Kerrigan.

Julia, don't you remember Mr. Kerrigan from last year?

Yes, of course, of course.

All right. Do you want to go into the dancing first

or do you want to have a refreshment?

- Dancing, please. - To warm us up.

That'll be sure after your cold ride.

- Miss O'Callaghan. - Who's that going to be?

- Mr. Brown. - Just Mr. Brown?

Isn't one of me enough for you? Huh!

More than enough, Dan.

I'm sure Freddy's stewed.

Oh, I'm sure he is.

And when he's stewed, he's so hard to manage.

He's quite impossible.

Whatever will we do?

Well, whoever's giving away gifts chose the right day for it.

'Twas the feast of the epiphany.

The three kings, the star in the east.

By rights, you should have gold, frankincense and myrrh in that.

Well, whatever it is, it smells nice.

It's some special toilet soap from Bond Street.

How thoughtful of you.

Well, frankincense and myrrh from London's West End.

- Miss Julia. - Oh, how lovely.

Oh, thank you, Dan. Thank you.

How are you, Dan?

- Well, I'm quite put out. - Why? What's the matter?

To find out that you've been waiting for somebody other than me to arrive.

- I ask you. - We're worried about Freddy.

- But he's taken the pledge. - Are you sure?

Of course I am. His mother made him on New Year's Eve.

Oh, that's funny. She never said a word about it.

She arrived here over an hour ago.

- Well, he might have succumbed. - Oh.

If he has, can I count on you? You know what he's like.

Of course you can.

I'll bet even money that's him now.

Oh, Mr. Conroy. Miss Kate and Miss Julia thought you were never coming.

- Good night, Mrs. Conroy. - Good night.

I'll engage they did,

but they forget that my wife here takes three mortal hours to dress herself.

- Who's that now, Lily? - Miss Kate, here's Mrs. Conroy.

- Thank the Lord you've arrived. - You must be perished alive.

Aunt Kate, Aunt Julia.

- Is Gabriel with you? - Oh, yes.

Here I am, Aunt Kate, right as the mail!

I'll be up in a moment.

Quite a pair of bellows he has.

Oh, he's loud, all right.

Is it snowing again, Mr. Conroy?

It is, Lily. I'm afraid we're in for a night of it.

Tell me, Lily, you still going to school?

Oh, no, sir. I'm done schooling this year and more.

Good Lord.

Seems like only yesterday you were playing with your rag dolls on the front steps.

Now, I suppose, we'll be going to your wedding one of these fine days.

The men that is now is only all palaver and what they can get out of you.

Oh, Lily, it's Christmastime, isn't it?

- Oh, no, sir, really. - Just a little.

- I wouldn't take that, sir. - It's Christmastime.

- Oh, really, sir... - Christmastime.

"One feels that one is listening to a thought-tormented music."

We've taken a room at the Grecian.

It's the first time I've stayed in a hotel in four years.

Oh, to be sure, by far the best thing to do.

And you're not anxious about the children, Gretta?

Not for one night.

Besides, Bessie will look after them.

Ah, to be sure.

What a comfort it is to have a girl like that.

One you can depend on.

As that Lily.

I don't know what's come over her lately, but she's not the girl she was at all.

Oh, here he is, lurking in the corridor.

Like a little boy sent out of class.

What's up with you at all, Gabriel?

He's only concerned about his speech, Aunt Kate.

He's been fretting about it for days.

Nonsense. He made a wonderful job of it in the past.

It'll be fine, Gabriel, just fine.

I bet you'd both like a nice warm glass of punch.

Ah, yes, please.

You know, it's-- It's really bitter out.

Gretta tells me you're not going to take a cab back to Monkstown.

No. We had quite enough of that last year, hadn't we, hmm?

Cab windows rattling all the way and an east wind blowing in

as soon as we were past Merrion.

Very jolly, it was.

As for Gretta here, she'd--

She'd walk home in the snow if she were let.

Oh, don't mind him, Aunt Kate.

He's really an awful bother,

what with green shades for Tom's eyes at night

and making him do the dumbbells

and forcing Eva to eat the stirabout, the poor child.

She simply hates the sight of it.

Oh, but you'll never guess what he has me wearing now.

Galoshes.

That's the latest.

Whenever it is wet underfoot, I must put on my galoshes.

Tonight, even, he wanted me to put them on, but I wouldn't.

The next thing he'll buy me will be a diving suit.

Isn't that the limit?

What are galoshes, Gabriel?

Oh, goodness gracious, Julia.

- Don't you know what galoshes are? - No.

You wear them over your, uh...

Your boots, isn't it, Gretta?

Right. Gutta-percha things.

We both have a pair now.

Gabriel says everyone wears them on the Continent.

Oh, on the Continent. Oh.

Where's Julia going?

- Julia! - I'm on my...

Here's Freddy, Kate.

Slip down, Gabriel, and see if he's all right.

Don't you let him up here if he's stewed.

He's drunk. I'm certain of it.

All night we've been dreading that he would arrive here under the influence.

It's such a relief when Gabriel's here.

I always feel easier in my mind when he's around.

Hello...

- Hello. - Hello, Gretta.

Oh, Mrs. Conroy.

May I introduce you to Mr. Bartell D'Arcy.

Oh, the celebrated tenor.

- Would you care to dance, Mrs. Conroy? - I'd be honored.

I was fortunate enough to attend your last concert.

- Steady now, Freddy. Steady. - I'm fine.

Fine, fine, fine.

- Is-- Is my mother here? - She is.

How do I look? Do I look all right?

Bit disheveled.

Now you'll pass muster.

Oh, if you'll excuse me.

See, I've never been able to relieve meself

in the presence of another.

Otherwise, I'd have joined the army.

- Even as a child-- - I understand, Freddy. I understand.

The same was true of my father before me.

When he went racing, he'd wait until the horses were running

to go to the lavatory.

Anything under a mile and he'd miss the finish.

He's not so bad, is he?

Oh, no, no, no. Barely noticeable.

Isn't he a terrible fellow?

After his poor mother making him take the pledge on New Year's Eve.

It's a wonder he lasted the six days. If he did.

Tell me, what's that lovely waltz you were playing?

- It's beautiful, isn't it? - Mm.

- It's one of Moore's melodies. - I thought I recognized it.

There's no doubt that Moore's the one genius of Irish music.

Well, should God help me, it's the doctor's orders.

Oh, no, Mr. Brown.

I'm sure the doctor never ordered anything of the kind.

I'm like the famous Mrs. Cassidy, who's reported to have said: