BETTY   Would you announce dinner now?
Glyn slouches to the staircase, goes up three stops and announces aggressively.

GLYN   Dinner is served.
Cries of laughter and chatter as they all move off.

INT. DRAWING (NOW DINING) ROOM. NIGHT.

BETTY   (moving to a serving table at the side) Place people, George. Harold removes the silver lid from the dish and stirs an anonymous-looking stew. He discovers a pink rubber glove in it, which he abstracts and carefully places, folded up, in his inside pocket.

GEORGE   Right, Stella here – Pauline there – Rufus, now, can’t have you sitting next to your wife, can we? You go there – Oscar and Svend there … (etc., etc.)
The guests start to sit, unfold napkins, etc. As they sit, we see that the table is at least eighteen inches too high – or the seats too low. This makes them look like children at a grown-up dinner. Nobody comments or complains.

STELLA   Did you do this yourself?

BETTY   No, we’ve had it all done.

STELLA   How clever. Who by?

GEORGE   This girl. She’s built up a vast organisation virtually from scratch and now they cater for practically everybody. The City, the Palace, government ministries. Everybody. Down to the last detail. She started off with nothing.

RUFUS   There you are, you see. It can still be done. Provided you’re prepared to work.
Glyn is pouring wine. Betty has been putting some food on a plate while Harold waits with a tray.

INT. HALL/STAIRS. NIGHT.

Dickie is coming down the stairs, listening to his transistor radio. As he moves towards the dining room, he is passed by Betty, who goes upstairs followed by Harold with the loaded tray.

INT. UPSTAIRS CORRIDOR. NIGHT.

Harold follows Betty down the corridor. They turn into a room.

INT. MOTHER’S ROOM. NIGHT.

Mother is still watching television. Harold follows Betty in with the tray and they position it on a portable table in front of her. For a moment all three watch the TV image – sea-cows moving gracefully in the depths of a river. Then Betty and Harold leave. Mother continues to watch as she lifts her knife and fork. The camera moves into the TV screen. A commercial break interrupts the programme.

TV SCREEN. COMMERCIALS.

Two commercials – to be selected from actual examples of luxurious petty-bourgeois living – follow.

INT. DINING ROOM. NIGHT.

A large sponge pudding is being carved by Harold. The guests are eating; Glyn is going round, pouring a thick white sauce from a sauce boat. Rufus is holding forth.