Entertaining Mr Sloane

I held my tongue and spake nothing

I kept silence

But it was pain and grief to me

My heart was hot within me

(Bird squawks)

And while I was

thus musing the fire kindled

And at last I spoke with my tongue

Lord, let me know mine end

And the number of my days

That I may be certified

How long I have to live

Thou hast made my days

As it were a span long

And verily every man living

ls altogether vanity

For man walketh in a vain shadow

I And disquieteth in vain

He heapeth up riches

And cannot tell who shall gather them.

O spare me a little

That I may recover my strength

Before I go hence

And be no more seen

"The Lord gave,

and the Lord hath taken away.

"Blessed be the name of the Lord.

"Remember not the sins

and of fences of my youth.

"But according to Thy mercy,

think Thou upon me.

"O Lord, for Thy goodness."

"Man that is born a woman

hath but a short time to live

"and is full of misery.

"He cometh up

and is cut down like a flower.

"He fleeth as it were a shadow,

"and never continueth is one stay.

"In the midst of life we are in death.

"Of whom then may we seek for succour,

but of thee, O Lord,

"who for our sins are justly displeased?"

"Thou knowest, Lord,

the secrets of our hearts,

"yet delivereth us not

into the bitter pains of eternal death.

"We shall change our vile body,

"that it may be like

unto his glorious body.

"According to the mighty working

"whereby he is able

to subdue all things to himself.

"We commend under Thy hands of mercy

"the soul of this our brother departed,

"and we commit his body to the ground.

"Earth to earth, ashes to ashes,

"dust to dust.

"And we beseech Thy infinite goodness

"to give us grace to live in Thy fear

"and to die in Thy favour.

"That when the judgment shall come...

"...both this our brother and we

may be found acceptable in Thy sight."

(Birds chirping)

(He inhales, exhales)

(Exhales)

(inhales, exhales)

What a smooth skin you have on you.

- Eh?

- I saw you lying there and I thought...

I don't care to think what I thought.

I try to keep fit.

Er... sun invigorates it.

I like a lad with a nice smooth body.

I'm quite a regular here, you know.

Do you come here

purely for pleasure or...?

- My parents are buried here.

- Ah.

I come in the autumn

to keep the leaves clear.

- Poor boy.

- No, it's no hardship.

I bring sandwiches. Make a day of it.

They been gone long?

I was brought up in an orphanage.

Yes. You had the air of lost wealth.

It's funny you should say that.

My parents were,

I believe, extremely wealthy people.

I have an idea.

They had a suicide pact anyway.

With a nice lad like you to take care of,

you'd have thought

they'd postpone it a bit.

Criminals were they, dear?

From what I can remember

they were respected.

HP debts, a little light gardening.

The usual activities

of a cultured community.

What's your name?

Sloane.

Are you, erm...?

Are you residential hereabouts,

Mr Sloane?

I was. I'm looking for a place

that's more convenient.

Oh. Was your last place bad?

Bad? No idea!

Oh, as bad as that? Poor boy.

All alone in the world like me.

- Aren't you married?

- Well, I was.

My husband was a mere boy.

I had a little baby.

Killed in very sad circumstances.

Broke my heart for a time.

He's... he's round here somewhere.

You don't look old enough.

(Chuckles) Oh, Mr Sloane!

As a matter of fact, I'm just, er...

I'm 39.

(Snorts) It's almost unbelievable.

(Chuckles) Well, I haven't let myself go

like some you might have noticed.

But... we have a room

to spare as it happens, Mr Sloane.

Just your style I should hazard.

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