Tom: John Blake and his friend, Mary Green, were looking for a pendant that had been stolen from a museum. It had once belonged to a strange old lady, called Miss Haverel. At the time the pendant was stolen, John saw a man with a scar on his face. John thought Scarface had stolen the pendant. First, John and Mary went to see Mr. Forset, Scarface’s uncle, a collector of old things. Then, they visited Miss Haverel. From there, they went to Mr. Egg, the bookseller. They found him dead – he had been murdered. The murderer set fire to the house. John and Mary were saved from the burning house and taken to the police station. There they promised the detective to go straight home, but instead, they went to see Miss Haverel again. She showed them the missing pendant, and said she had taken it from Scarface’s pocket. John and Mary knew that Scarface would come back for the pendant. And that is what happened. He appeared in the doorway and asked, “Miss Haverel, did you pick my pocket?”
Railway conductor: Fares, please. Any more fares?
Man: You see that notice? “Beware of pickpockets.” I don’t believe anyone could pick my pocket without my knowing.
Railway conductor: Fares, please.
Man: I can’t find my wallet. Where is my wallet? Someone has taken my wallet out of my pocket.
Woman: Hm. What did you say just now? No one could pick your pocket without your knowing?
Man: Well, it looks as if I was wrong.
Railway conductor: Any more fares, please?
Tom: Well, Scarface said to Miss Haverel, “Did you pick my pocket?” But Miss Haverel pretended she didn’t know Scarface. “I don’t know you,” she said. Scarface replied, “I’m waiting for that pendant. Don’t make me angry.”
Man: Shut the door after you, Pat.
Child: No, I won’t.
Man: Don’t make me angry! Shut the door.
Child: I’m not coming back just for that.
Man: You’re making me very angry, Pat.
Child: OK, I’ll shut it.
Cathy: Miss Haverel didn’t want to give the pendant to Scarface, but that made him angry.
Tom: That’s right. Suddenly John said, “He’s got a gun.”
(mysterious music)
Mary: Miss Haverel, there’s a man in the doorway.
Miss Haverel: Tell him I’m not at home.
John: That’s the man with the scar.
Scarface: Where is it? Where is that pendant?
Mary: We… we don’t know where it is.
Scarface: I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to the Lady, sitting there. Miss Haverel, did you pick my pocket?
Miss Haverel: I don’t know you.
Scarface: I know you got the pendant, and you know I want it.
Miss Haverel: You think I’ll give it to you, do you?
Scarface: You will.
John: He’s got a gun.
Mary: Miss Haverel, he’s got a gun.
Scarface: I’m waiting for that pendant. Don’t make me angry.
John: No, don’t make him angry. Remember Mr. Egg.
Scarface: What about Mr. Egg?
Mary: He’s dead. Didn’t you know?
Scarface: No, and I don’t care.
Tom: Scarface threatened Miss Haverel with a gun. John warned her, “Don’t make him angry. Remember Mr. Egg.” But Scarface didn’t know about Mr. Egg’s death. “He’s dead. Didn’t you know that?” John asked. “No, and I don’t care,” was Scarface’s reply.
Woman1: He has come to apologise. He wants to beg your pardon.
Woman2: I don’t care. I’m not interested in his apology. Throw him out.
Man: What’s the matter, Minnie?
Wife: I’m lonely. Nobody loves me. Nobody cares for me.
Man: Don’t be silly. I care for you.
Wife: Oh, no, you don’t. You don’t care a damn. I know you don’t.
Man1: Jack, did you know your girlfriend is going out with Mike?
Man2: Hm, as if I cared. He can have her. I couldn’t care less.
Tom: Well, Scarface said he didn’t know about Mr. Egg’s death and he didn’t care. Miss Haverel was frightened of his gun and gave the pendant to him. “That is sensible,” said Scarface, meaning that it was the right thing to do. But he warned Miss Haverel, “Don’t play any tricks.” – that is, she shouldn’t try to cheat him or do anything against him. “Don’t play any tricks. Don’t move from this room.”
Scarface: What about Mr. Egg?
Mary: He’s dead. Didn’t you know?
Scarface: No, and I don’t care.
John: Didn’t you kill him?
Scarface: What are you waiting for? Do you want to be shot? Give me the pendant.
Miss Haverel: Here it is.
Mary: Miss Haverel!
Miss Haverel: He’s got a gun, my dear.
Scarface: That’s sensible. Don’t play any tricks. Remember, I’m holding a gun. Don’t move from this room.
Mary: He’s gone.
John: Oh, and now we’ve lost the pendant again.
Miss Haverel: No, we haven’t.
John: He’s taken it.
Miss Haverel: He had a gun. But I have an empty bottle.
Mary: What are you going to do with your bottle?
Miss Haverel: I’m going to throw it at him.
John: What?
Miss Haverel: I wait until he leaves the house, then I’ll throw the bottle from the window.
John: But… you always miss.
Miss Haverel: Not always. Wait.
Tom: John was very sorry about the pendant. “Now we’ve lost the pendant again,” he said, but Miss Haverel replied, “I have an empty bottle. I wait until he leaves the house, then I’ll throw the bottle from the window.”
Cathy: “I wait until he leaves the house, then I’ll throw the bottle” “I’ll throw the bottle if he leaves the house.” They seem to be similar constructions.
Tom: Oh, yes, in a way they are. You don’t use “shall”, “will”, “should”, “would” after “if” or “until”.
Woman: Oh, darling, I love you.
Man: And how long will you love me?
Woman: I only stop loving you if I die. I love you till I die.
Man: Only that long?
Cathy: “I love you till I die.” Oh, it’s grammar again. I know I’ll have to stay here until I exercised my English.
Tom: That’s right. Did you hear, listeners? Cathy knew she would stay here until she exercised her English. But you won’t exercise your English until we finish our story. Scarface took the pendant with him, but Miss Haverel was sure they hadn’t lost it.
Miss Haverel: I wait until he leaves the house, then I’ll throw the bottle from the window.
John: But… you always miss.
Miss Haverel: Not always. Wait.
John: There he is.
Miss Haverel: There!
(Scarface cries out in pain)
John: You hit him.
Mary: Oh, he’s fallen down.
Miss Haverel: Now you can fetch the pendant and the gun. He won’t stop you. He can’t stop anybody now.
John: Ha-ha, come on, Mary, let’s go down.
Mary: All right.
Tom: Miss Haverel threw the bottle out of the window. She had always missed everybody with her bottles, but this time she hit Scarface. He fell down. John and Mary ran down the stairs to take the pendant and the gun from him. But they found someone else there as well. Mary cried out, “John! Look! It’s Mr. Forset.” Mr. Forset was surprised to see them. He didn’t expect them to be there, to be alive. John realised that he was the man who had murdered Mr. Egg and set fire to the house. “Egg pulled out a knife. We struggled. He fell on his knife,” said Mr. Forset. He tried to defend himself. Egg pulled out a knife – he took out a knife. They struggled. They hit each other. They boxed each other. Forset tried to take the knife from Mr. Egg, but he didn’t give it to him. And he wanted something else from Mr. Egg, too. They struggled.
Mary: John, look. It’s Mr. Forset.
Mr. Forset: It’s you! But I thought…
John: But you thought we were dead, didn’t you?
Mr. Forset: Didn’t you go to Mr. Egg’s?
John: You know we did. Didn’t you try to kill us there? Didn’t you lock us in and set fire to the shop?
Mr. Forset: No…
John: I know you did. You’re surprised to see us. Why? Because you thought we were dead. Your nephew wasn’t surprised. He didn’t know you’d set fire to the shop. He didn’t know you’d stabbed Mr. Egg.
Mr. Forset: Egg pulled out his knife. We struggled. He fell on his knife.
John: So, you were there.
Mary: Why were you struggling?
John: Wouldn’t he give you the book?
Mary: But you’ve got the book now, haven’t you?
John: So, you know about the pendant. You know about the secret compartment. You’ve got the book.
Mr. Forset: Yes, I’ve got the book, the pendant and the diamonds.
Mary: The diamonds?
John: I was only looking for a pendant.
Mr. Forset: The diamonds are in the pendant. There is a secret compartment in the pendant. Didn’t you know?
Mary: So, there are diamonds inside the pendant, and that’s why you want it.
Mr. Forset: And I’ve got it. Now I’m going to leave the country.
Tom: Mr. Forset said, “I’ve got the book.” He meant the old diary with the drawing of the pendant in it. “I’ve got the book, the pendant and the diamonds,” he said. “The diamonds are in the pendant. They are in the secret compartment.” The compartment in the pendant that nobody knew about, that nobody could see or find.
Cathy: Diamonds! So, there were diamonds in the secret compartment.
Tom: Yes, diamonds. I see you’re as interested in diamonds as any other women.
Cathy: Well, I wouldn’t mind a nice ring with a big diamond in it. I think that’s the most beautiful precious stone you can have. But you are wrong, Tom, if you think I’m only interested in diamonds. The diamonds come second. The main thing that interests me is English grammar.
Tom: Good lord, you’re not serious.
Cathy: But I am. Well, may I exercise my English?
Tom: Certainly, you may. So now,
EXERCISE YOUR ENGLISH.
Exercise 1
Listen to the example:
A: He can’t lock the door. He hasn’t got a key.
B: He would lock the door if he had a key, but he hasn’t got one.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: He can’t lock the door. He hasn’t got a key.
[Your response]
B: He would lock the door if he had a key, but he hasn’t got one.
A: He can’t phone the police. She hasn’t got a telephone.
[Your response]
B: She would phone the police if she had a telephone, but she hasn’t got one.
A: They can’t shoot. They haven’t got a gun.
[Your response]
B: They would shoot if they had a gun, but they haven’t got one.
A: I can’t give you a light. I haven’t got a lighter.
[Your response]
B: I would give you a light if I had a lighter, but I haven’t got one.
A: We can’t play ping-pong. We haven’t got a ball.
[Your response]
B: We would play ping-pong if we had a ball, but we haven’t got one.
A: She can’t smoke. She hasn’t got a cigarette.
[Your response]
B: She would smoke if she had a cigarette, but she hasn’t got one.
A: We can’t take this train. We haven’t got a reservation.
[Your response]
B: We would take this train if we had a reservation, but we haven’t got one.
A: I can’t tell you the time. I haven’t got a watch.
[Your response]
B: I would tell you the time if I had a watch, but I haven’t got one.
Exercise 2
Listen to the example:
A: We must wait. He hasn’t left the house yet.
B: We’ll wait until he leaves the house.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: We must wait. He hasn’t left the house yet.
[Your response]
B: We’ll wait until he leaves the house.
A: We must wave at them. They haven’t noticed us yet.
[Your response]
B: We’ll wave at them until they notice us.
A: We must stand in the queue. They haven’t started the performance yet.
[Your response]
B: We’ll stand in the queue until they start the performance.
A: We must sit here. The plane hasn’t arrived yet.
[Your response]
B: We’ll sit here until the plane arrives.
A: We must stay here. She hasn’t phoned yet.
[Your response]
B: We’ll stay here until she phones.
A: We must keep them here. The police haven’t arrived yet.
[Your response]
B: We’ll keep them here until the police arrive.
A: We must keep quiet. He hasn’t finished his lecture yet.
[Your response]
B: We’ll keep quiet until he finishes his lecture.
A: We must stay indoors. It hasn’t stopped raining yet.
[Your response]
B: We must stay indoors until it stops raining.
A: We must go on explaining. They haven’t understood yet.
[Your response]
B: We’ll go on explaining until they understand.
Tom: And now, let’s go back to our story. John and Mary were with Miss Haverel. Suddenly, Scarface appeared at the door of the room.
(mysterious music)
Mary: Miss Haverel, there’s a man in the doorway.
Miss Haverel: Tell him I’m not at home.
John: That’s the man with the scar.
Scarface: Where is it? Where is that pendant?
Mary: We… we don’t know where it is.
Scarface: I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to the Lady, sitting there. Miss Haverel, did you pick my pocket?
Miss Haverel: I don’t know you.
Scarface: I know you got the pendant, and you know I want it.
Miss Haverel: You think I’ll give it to you, do you?
Scarface: You will.
John: He’s got a gun.
Mary: Miss Haverel, he’s got a gun.
Scarface: I’m waiting for that pendant. Don’t make me angry.
John: No, don’t make him angry. Remember Mr. Egg.
Scarface: What about Mr. Egg?
Mary: He’s dead. Didn’t you know?
Scarface: No, and I don’t care.
John: Didn’t you kill him?
Scarface: What are you waiting for? Do you want to be shot? Give me the pendant.
Miss Haverel: Here it is.
Mary: Miss Haverel!
Miss Haverel: He’s got a gun, my dear.
Scarface: That’s sensible. Don’t play any tricks. Remember, I’m holding a gun. Don’t move from this room.
Mary: He’s gone.
John: Oh, and now we’ve lost the pendant again.
Miss Haverel: No, we haven’t.
John: He’s taken it.
Miss Haverel: He had a gun. But I have an empty bottle.
Mary: What are you going to do with your bottle?
Miss Haverel: I’m going to throw it at him.
John: What?
Miss Haverel: I wait until he leaves the house, then I’ll throw the bottle from the window.
John: But… you always miss.
Miss Haverel: Not always. Wait.
John: There he is.
Miss Haverel: There!
(Scarface cries out in pain)
John: You hit him.
Mary: Oh, he’s fallen down.
Miss Haverel: Now you can fetch the pendant and the gun. He won’t stop you. He can’t stop anybody now.
John: Ha-ha, come on, Mary, let’s go down.
Mary: All right.
(on the street)
Mary: John, look. It’s Mr. Forset.
Mr. Forset: It’s you! But I thought…
John: But you thought we were dead, didn’t you?
Mr. Forset: Didn’t you go to Mr. Egg’s?
John: You know we did. Didn’t you try to kill us there? Didn’t you lock us in and set fire to the shop?
Mr. Forset: No…
John: I know you did. You’re surprised to see us. Why? Because you thought we were dead. Your nephew wasn’t surprised. He didn’t know you’d set fire to the shop. He didn’t know you’d stabbed Mr. Egg.
Mr. Forset: Egg pulled out his knife. We struggled. He fell on his knife.
John: So, you were there.
Mary: Why were you struggling?
John: Wouldn’t he give you the book?
Mary: But you’ve got the book now, haven’t you?
John: So, you know about the pendant. You know about the secret compartment. You’ve got the book.
Mr. Forset: Yes, I’ve got the book, the pendant and the diamonds.
Mary: The diamonds?
John: I was only looking for a pendant.
Mr. Forset: The diamonds are in the pendant. There is a secret compartment in the pendant. Didn’t you know?
Mary: So, there are diamonds inside the pendant, and that’s why you want it.
Mr. Forset: And I’ve got it. Now I’m going to leave the country.
John: You won’t get away.
Mr. Forset: Won’t I?
Mary: He’s got a gun!
(theme music)