The Draughtsman's Contract Page #5

Whenever his wife conceived...

...Mr. Lucas planted fruit-trees.

His wife seldom came to

a successful labour...

...and those children she was

blessed with died before weaning.

Mr. Lucas threatened to cut his trees

down, but he never did.

To date there are 11 trees

in his fruit-garden...

...and he knows them all

by their Christian names.

The English are not blessed with

the most appropriate fecundity.

They can raise colonies

but not heirs to the throne.

It depends which

colonies you are speaking of.

Some of England's oldest

colonies have heirs in plenty.

Mr. Neville...

...do we have an indication

of Scottish sympathies?

You would be reading far too much...

...into what is simply a

statement of fact.

If the best Englishmen

are foreigners...

...and that seems to be a

simple statement of fact...

...then the best English

painters are foreigners too.

There's no English

painter worthy of the name.

Would you agree Mr. Neville?

To be an English painter...

...is a contradictory term.

Then Mr. Herbert shows some sense

in encouraging Mr. Neville.

Mr. Herbert, as we all know...

...is full of contradictions.

Contradictory enough to have

invited you into this house.

Despite his being a man without

airs and graces.

But not privy to whom his wife...

...welcomes into his house.

When my father is away, Louis...

...my mother is at liberty to

run his house as she feels fit.

And she has seen fit

to invite Mr. Neville.

A gracious speech, Mrs. Talmann.

To hide all manner of inconveniences.

How is that?

It is apparent.

It isn't from our meeting that

your presumptory regime...

...not only extends to

confining the household...

...like animals in reservations...

...but directing us as to whether

or not we should wear a coat...

...carry a walking-stick or whistle.

When I met you in the garden...

...you were doing all those things.

If you intend being there tomorrow...

...I would wish you to dress and

to behave in the same way.

However, it's beyond my power...

...to describe a whistle

pictorially, whether it comes...

...from an Englishman or from a German

dressed as an Englishman.

And what do you do

about the birds, Mr. Neville?

If you ignore their song, you can't

prevent them from flying across...

...the field of your vision.

The prospect of twelve

fine-weather days...

...with clear skies...

...and sharp shadows

is an excellent proposition...

...but not to be guaranteed.

So I am naturally anxious...

...that time should not be wasted.

It would assist me

greatly therefore...

...if my instructions, which have

been given great consideration...

...should be observed.

I'm painstaking enough...

...to notice quite small

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