A Man for All Seasons Page #4

MORE:
Yes. I offer you a post. With a house, a servant, and fifty pounds a year.

RICH:
What? What post?

MORE:
At the new school.

RICH:
A teacher!

He is bitterly disappointed and affronted.

MORE:
(gently) Richard, no-one’s going to give you a place at Court.

RICH:
Master Cromwell says he’ll do something for me!

MORE:
Cromwell—! ...Well if you know Cromwell, you don’t need my help.

RICH seizes his arm and with passionate sincerity:

RICH:
Sir Thomas, if only you knew how much, much rather I’d your help-than his!

MORE:
Not to a place at Court.

RICH’s chin comes up.

RICH:
Why not?

MORE:
Look—

He thrusts the cup at RICH.

RICH:
(puzzled) What is it?

MORE:
It’s a bribe. (He upends the cup and reads the inscription) “I am the gift of Averil Machin ...” An Averil Machin has a lawsuit in the Court of Requests. ... Italian silver.

RICH stares at it greedily.

MORE:
Take it ... No joke.

RICH:
Why—Well thank you!

MORE:
What will you do with it?

RICH (sharply) Sell it.

MORE And buy what?

RICH (fierce)

A decent gown!

MORE nods, sympathetic.

MORE:
But Richard, that’s a little bribe. At Court they offer you all sorts of things. Whole Manors, Manor houses, coats of arms. A man should go where he won’t be tempted. Why not be a teacher? You’d be a fine teacher, perhaps a great one.

RICH:

And if I was who would know it?

MORE:

You. Your friends, your pupils, God. Not a great public, that ... Oh, and a quiet life ..

RICH:

(a short laugh) You say that—

MORE is looking over the sweetly flowing river, doesn’t seem to hear. You come from talking with the Cardinal—

MORE:

Ah yes, talking with the Cardinal ... It’s eating your heart out, isn’t it? (bitter) The high affairs of State.

RICH knows what this refers to, knows he shouldn’t but can’t resist. Unconsciously edges closer.

RICH The Divorce?

The shutters come down behind MORE’s eyes.

MORE:

Boatman, take this gentleman to the New Inn.

And turns away; but behind him:

RICH Sir Thomas!

MORE turns. RICH half away down the steps has turned to him and looking up, holding up the cup:

Thank you!

His eyes shine with excitement. MORE says dryly:

MORE Be a teacher ...

RICH looks after him, a thought forming behind his eyes, but BOATMAN coughs. RICH embarks ..

CUT:

40 MORE’S HOUSE GARDEN DOOR DANN

STEWARD opens garden door of house for MORE. MORE nods.

MORE Matthew ...

STEWARD Sir ...

41 INT. MORE’S HOUSE CORRIDOR MORE precedes him along the corridor.

MORE Lady Alice in bed?

Yes sir. STEWARD

Lady Margaret?

MORE:

No sir. STEWARD

MORE stops.

Master Roper’s here, sir.

MORE:
At this hour? Who let him in?

STEWARD:
He’s a hard man to keep out, sir.

42 INT. MORE’S HOUSE GREAT HALL

MORE throws open door to hall where:

MARGARET and ROPER a finely severe young man with a face full of rectitude—rise guiltily away from one another looking towards. MORE in the doorway, looking stern.

MARGARET:
(chin up but a little timorous) Will wants to marry me, father.

MORE comes towards them.

MORE:
Well he can’t marry you.

ROPER:
Sir Thomas, I m called to the Bar.

MORE is disarmed.

MORE:
Oh congratulations, Roper—

ROPER:
My family may not be at the palace, sir, but in the City—

MORE:
There’s nothing wrong with your family Will. There’s not much wrong with you.—(sinking wearily into a chair) except you seem to need a clock—

ROPER:
(stiffly) I can buy a clock sir.

MORE:
Will, the answer’s “No”, and will be “no” so long as you’re a heretic.

ROPER:
(rising) That’s a word I don’t like, Sir Thomas!

MORE:
(rising) It’s not a likeable word. It’s not a likeable thing!

MARGARET, alarmed, from behind MORE tries to silence him.

ROPER:
The Church is heretical! Doctor Luther’s proved that to my satisfaction!

MORE:
Luther’s an excommunicate!

ROPER:
From a heretic Church! Church—? It’s a shop! Salvation by the shilling! —And divorces!

MARGARET signals frantically. He says straight at her, over MORE.

ROPER:
Look—what I know, I’ll say!

MARGARET:
You’ve no sense of the place!

MORE:
(yawning) He’s no sense of the time. Listen Roper. Two years ago you were a passionate Churchman. Now you’re a passionate—Lutheran. We must just pray that when your head’s finished turning, your face is to the front again. Is your horse here?

ROPER:
No, sir, I walked.

MORE:
Then take a horse from the stables and get back home. (ROPER hesitates) Go along.

ROPER turns, turns back.

ROPER:
May I come again?

MORE indicates MARGARET.

MARGARET Yes, soon.

ROPER goes.

MARGARET watches him, sadly. MORE watches her, guiltily. We hear door shut. MARGARET

Is that final, father?

MORE:

As long as he’s a heretic, Meg, that’s absolute.

Because it pains it to deny her what she wants he says it with special severity. MARGARET accepts it. MARGARET

What did Wolsey want? MORE goes dead pan.

MORE:

Nice boy, young Will. Terribly strong principles, though.

ò

He winces as the outer door bangs, looks up at gallery apprehensively and adds: 27

MORE Clumsy, too.

He looks to MARGARET for a smile; gets instead a thoughtful stare. MORE You’re very pensive.

MARGARET:

You’re very gay. Was it the Divorce?

.MORE To bed.

43 INT. MORE’S GREAT HALL STAIRS AND GALLERY He propels her up the stairs, chatting: MORE

A cantankerous lot, the Ropers. Old Roper was /list the same. If heresy came into fashion, now, Young Will would want to be a Bishop. MARGARET turns, says:

MARGARET You don’t want to talk about it.

MORE No.

Both look up and off as a door clicks.

ALICE in gown and nightcap at door of bedroom on the gallery. Genuinely remorseful MORE hurries past MARGARET and joins her. MORE

Oh I’m sorry you were wakened, chick.

ALICE:

I wasn’t sleeping very deeply. What did Wolsey want?

MORE flickers. MARGARET pauses to see what he will do

eft

28

MORE WM Roper’s been.

The sleepiness flies from ALICE’s face.

ALICE Will Roper—!

MORE adds fuel to the flames.

MORE:

Yes. He’s been here all night. He wants to marry Meg.

ALICE looks really dangerous.

ALICE:

Oh why you don’t beat that girl—!

MORE:

No she’s full of education and it’s a delicate commodity.

With which he trundles her back into the bedroom, following, but turning back to say: MORE Good-night, Meg.

His tone is quiet and perfectly grave—NOT sharing a joke at ALICE’s expense. But MARGARET at her own door smiles a smile of loving appreciation to herself as she answers. MARGARET Good-night.

ti

44 INT. MORE’S BED-CHAMBER

Inside their room, ALICE is still mottled.

ALICE:

Marry Meg—a lawyer’s son?

MORE is surprised and tickled.

MORE:

Well she’s a lawyer’s daughter.

29

ft’ ALICE Pouf!

She straddles happily, impressive and touching in her night attire. ALICE

NORFOLK:
spoke of you for Chancellor of England before he left. MORE, seated on the bed, pulling at his shoes, leaves off. MORE

He’s a dangerous friend then. Wolsey’s Chancellor, God help him. ALICE

But Norfolk said if Wolsey fell—

MORE:

If Wolsey fell, the splash would swamp a few small boats like ours. Tugging at his shoes again, comfortable, ruefully admiring: Oh no. There’ll-be no new Chancellors while Wolsey lives.

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