That Hamilton Woman

- Good evening, sir. - Good evening, madam.

How much is the cider?

- That cider? - Yes, yes.

- Five francs. - Oh, That's too expensive. Good evening, sir.

Good evening, madam.

Finally, my beauty!

Let go of me!

How dare you, you brutes! Let go of me.

You didn't get away this time, huh?

She's English.

What's she doing here?

Stealing.

It's a lie! Keep your dirty hands off me!

How dare you touch me!

I can buy thousands of bottles of your filthy wine.

I'll show you who I am.

Ah, I didn't recognise you. Forgive me, my lady.

My lady is right, you pig.

What is it you...

Here, dearie, it'll do you good.

Thank you, dear.

You've all been very kind.

I didn't mean to get you into trouble.

No trouble at all.

I always wanted to kick that swine in the pants, anyhow.

I'm glad I done it.

I'm English, too.

My name's Smith, Mary Smith.

What's yours, dearie?

- Emma. - Emma.

I knew a girl whose name was Emma. Emily Burrows.

What's yours?

My name?

My name is Emma Lady Hamilton.

Oh...

That's one on me.

It serves me right. I shouldn't be so nosy.

Well, darlin', if you don't want to tell me your name...

I'd be the last one to poke my nose in anybody's secrets.

I remember my mother telling me...

That Lady Hamilton was the most beautiful woman in the world.

Have you got a mirror?

Yes.

Better you didn't, dearie.

Oh, well.

I know it.

I know that face.

For ten years it has looked back at me from different mirrors.

It must be me.

But I always wait for the miracle...

That one time, just once more...

When it will be another face that looks at me again.

A face I knew before.

But that face must be dead.

Go on...

Tell us all about it.

It doesn't matter if it's true or not.

True or not.

I don't know it myself.

It's so long ago, I don't know it anymore.

My life really began when I was 18.

I was beautiful then.

Coach from London!

One day I arrived in Naples.

At the palace of His Excellency the British Ambassador.

- How's London, Gavin? - Your Excellency.

How's my nephew?

Did he send everything?

It's all here, Your Excellency.

Splendid!

Hey! Give me a hand with this chisel!

Mr Greville sends his regards.

Don't bother me about Mr Greville now!

Give me a hammer and chisel.

It's most important, sir.

Exquisite.

Come and look at this.

- Enchanting. Whose work is it? - George Romney.

If he could paint reality, he would be a master.

Isn't that reality?

The ideal an artist dreams of.

No woman ever lived with such colouring, such...

God-like simplicity.

I thought so too till I met her.

You've met her?

In London, last year.

And if you're patient, you may see her in Naples one day.

Your Excellency.

Oh, not now, Gavin. I'll see you presently.

But I must tell you.

Very well, if you must, but tell me quickly.

Mum? Mum?

Look, it's lovely.

It's a real palace.

Oh, I do hope Sir William will like us.

Don't worry, darling. Of course he'll like you.

And remember, I'll do all the talking.

Charlie told me exactly what to answer to everything.

Oh, why on earth didn't you tell me? Where are they?

Sshh. Here he comes.

You must forgive me! It's disgraceful!

I'd no idea you'd come.

How do you do, Miss er...

Emma Hart, if it pleases Your Excellency.

Of courese my dear, how could I forget?

This is my mother, Your Excellency.

Welcome to Naples, madam.

This is my friend the French Ambassador.

Did you stay in Rome?

Yes, Your Excellency and thought it very beautiful.

We saw the Colosseum by moonlight and were deeply impressed by the Vatican.

We just missed the Pope by ten minutes.

That was a great pity, madam.

Did you come through Pisa? Did you see the famous leaning tower?

Yes, Your Excellency, and we thought it very beautiful.

We thought the leaning tower of Pisa one of the most remarkable...

And lovely... Phenomena in the whole of Europe.

A chimney went like that in Liverpool last year at the soap works.

It leant right over the gin warehouse and the Bishop said it was the finger of God.

Charles, Mr Greville, sent you many kind wishes, Your Excellency.

And he hopes I will prove worthy of your kindness...

And speak good French and Italian...

When he comes to take me home in October.

He is coming the first week in October.

And...

He sent his uncle...

A kiss.

Well, that's the first present I've ever received from Charles Greville.

I feel sure you must be tired after your journey, madam.

Francis, show the ladies their rooms.

Goodbye, madam.

Goodbye, Miss Hart.

- Who is she? - Charles Greville found her.

Found her?

Where can you find things like that?

Charles happened to find her at Featherstone Castle...

You know, Sir Harry's place.

Oh, she's a relation of Sir Harry?

You might call her that.

She lived there for a whole hunting season...

And a very gay hunting season it was, I'm told.

Oh!

And where did Sir Harry find her?

Well, you remember Dr Graham's Temple of Hell...

And the famous dance of the seven veils?

She's a dancer?

You might call her that.

She was quite a success.

The fewer the veils the greater the success.

But, alas, the police locked the place just after the last veil fell.

The older I get, the less I seem to know about women.

It's the penalty of your wicked youth, Your Excellency.

Don't ask me what happened to her before.

The usual past, I suppose.

A poor little country girl wronged once...

And then wronged again.

The old story.

Lower and lower...

But always up and up.

And now she's the guest of an ambassador.

With a past like that.

Past?

Look at this statue.

Two hundred years in a Greek temple.

Then thrown into the mud by some barbarian soldier.

2,000 years sinking lower and lower into the mud...

Then dug up by the plough of a peasant...

Changing hands every year until at last...

It comes to its rightful place.

Into the hands of someone who understands the glory of its beauty.

Because, my friend...

It is still beautiful, isn't it?

Despite its past.

Gavin.

I'll dine tonight with Miss Hart.

Alone...

At eight o'clock.

Yes, Your Excellency

Thank you, my man.

I'll ring for you later, if I want you.

Very good, madam.

Two ambassadors, Mum, two!

Well, what did you think of me?

Wasn't I wonderful?

You were all that, darling, and more.

So far, so good.

But, please, Mum...

Not another word about the soap factory.

At least not till I've married Charlie.

Charlie said Sir William was very fussy about that sort of thing.

Don't worry your pretty head about Sir William.

You'll have him eating out of your hand within three months.

Three months?

Three days? He'll be eating out of it tonight.

And in a month...

Charlie will be here to take us home.

How pleased he'll be with me.

He will indeed, but there's no great hurry.

It's very nice here just now and it's not costing us a farthing.

It's all very well for you, but what about me?