THERE IS A VERY IMPORTANT BRITISH FILM BY THE NAME OF KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS. Do you know it? You should. Kind Hearts and Coronets is a British film of some novelty because it stars an extremely young and highly ambitious actor by the name of Alec Guiness.

(Famous later for Star Wars and all that? Yes, that Alec Guiness.)

Alec Guiness is a prime example of talent portrayed and discovered early. You see, in this film, Guiness portrays a man - a peasant - who is determined to rise to greatness through his recent marriage to a noble woman. (Yes, two words, not one.)

This noble woman just so happens to be a princess. Yes, that's right, a princess. She married a peasant. Noblewomen (one word) don't do that. Particularly in Britain, of course, where the culture is based upon upbringing and one's personal background. There's no reason whatever that this woman should have married this young peasant so far beneath her, except, of course for the age-old problem of love. Romance. And, whatever you believe about those two words, this peasant is very pleased with them.

By the way, do you know where the word "romance" originated? You should...it's a famous country for its obsession with eroticism...

France, that's right. Romance is a French word coming from _____ meaning "....."

So, back to Guiness. He is delighted that this noble lady has committed herself to him - ehem, meaning, brought him into the family tree. He has a clear shot at the throne, the actual throne, of England. And so he nonchalantly proceeds to murder his way up the line to the throne.