Barry Lyndon Page #3

Best exits.

MICHAEL:

(in a towering rage)

You -- you! Hang you for a meddling

brat, your hand is in everybody's

pie. What business had you to come

brawling and quarreling here, with

a gentleman who has fifteen hundred

a-year?

Michael runs after Best.

DOROTHY:

(gasps)

Oh, I shall die; I know I shall. I

shall never leave this spot.

CAPTAIN GROGAN:

(whisper to Dorothy)

The Captain is gone.

Dorothy, giving him an indignant look, jumps up and walks

towards the house.

CAPTAIN GROGAN:

(in a soothing tone

to Roderick)

This is a pretty way to recommend

yourself to the family.

RODERICK:

(shouts after

Michael)

The man that marries Dorothy Dugan

must first kill me -- do you mind

that?

MICHAEL:

(shouting back from

a distance)

Pooh, sir. Kill you -- flog you,

you mean! I'll send for Nick the

huntsman to do it.

CAPTAIN GROGAN:

You are a gallant lad, and I like

your spirit. But what Dugan says is

true. It's a hard thing to give a

lad counsel who is in such a far-

gone state as you; but, believe me,

I know the world, and if you will

but follow my advice, you won't

regret having taken it. Dorothy

Dugan has not a penny; you are not a

whit richer. And, my poor boy,

don't you see -- though it's a hard

matter to see -- that she's a flirt,

and does not care a pin for you or

Best either?

RODERICK:

Dorothy might love me or not, as she

likes, but Best will have to fight

me before he marries her!

CAPTAIN GROGAN:

Faith, I think you are a lad that's

likely to keep your word.

He looks hard at Roderick for a second to two, then he

walks away, humming a tune, looking back at Roderick as he

goes through the old gate out of the garden.

When Grogan is gone, Roderick is quite alone, and he

flings himself down on the bench where Dorothy had made

believe to faint, and had left her handkerchief and the

ribbons and, taking them up, hides his face in them, and

bursts into a passion of tears.

RODERICK (V.O.)

I must have sat for some hours

bemoaning myself on the garden-bench,

for the dinner-bell clanged as usual

at three o'clock, which wakened me

from my reverie.

EXT. DUGAN MANOR HOUSE - DAY

As Roderick passes the courtyard, he sees the Captain's

saddle still hanging up at the stable-door, and his odious

red-coated brute of a servant, swaggering with the

scullion-girls and kitchen people.

MAID:

The Englishman's still there, Master

Roderick. He's there in the parlor.

Go in, and don't let 'im browbeat

you, Master Roderick.

INT. DUGAN MANOR HOUSE - DINING ROOM - DAY

Roderick enters and takes his place at the bottom of the

big table; the butler speedily brings him a cover.

UNCLE:

Hello, Roddy, my boy! Up and well?

That's right.

AUNT:

He'd better be home with his mother.

UNCLE:

Don't mind her. It's the cold goose

she ate for breakfast -- didn't

agree with her. Take a glass of

spirits, Mrs. Dugan, to Roderick's

health.

It is evident that his uncle doesn't know of what

happened, but Michael, who is at dinner too, and Harry,

and almost all the girls, look exceedingly black and the

captain foolish; and Miss Dorothy, who is again by his

side, ready to cry. Captain Grogan sits smiling, and

Roderick looks on as cold as stone.

His uncle is in high good-humor.

UNCLE:

Dorothy, divide that merry thought

with the captain! See who'll be

married first. Jack Best, my dear

boy, never mind a clean glass for

the claret, we're short of crystal

at Castle Dugan; take Dorothy's and

the wine will taste none the worse.

Mrs. Dugan and ladies, if you

please; this is a sort of toast that

is drunk a great deal too seldom in

my family, and you'll please to

receive it with all the honors.

Here's to Captain and Mrs. John

Best, and long life to them. Kiss

her, Jack, you rogue; for faith,

you've got a treasure.

RODERICK:

(spring up)

His already?!

HARRY:

Hold your tongue, you fool -- hold

your tongue!

RODERICK:

(shouting)

He has already been slapped in the

face this morning, Captain John

Best; he's already been called a

coward, Captain John Best; and this

is the way I'll drink his health.

Here's your health, Captain John

Best.

Roderick flings a glass of claret into his face. The next

moment, he is under the table, tripped up by Harry, who

hits him a violent cuff on the head; as he goes down, he

hardly has time to hear the general screaming and

scurrying that is taking place above him, being so fully

occupied with kicks, and thumps and curses, with which

Harry is belaboring him.

HARRY:

You fool! You great blundering

marplot -- you silly beggarly

brat --

(a thump at each)

Hold your tongue!

When Roderick gets up from under the table, the ladies are

all gone; but he has the satisfaction of seeing the

captain's nose is bleeding, as his is -- Best is cut

across the bridge, and his beauty spoiled forever.

UNCLE:

In Heaven's name, what does all the

row mean? Is the boy in fever

again?

HARRY:

(turning to his

father)

The fact is, sir, that the young

monkey has fallen in love with

Dorothy, and finding her and the

captain mighty sweet in the garden

today, he was for murdering Jack

Best.

CAPTAIN BEST:

(bristling up)

And, I'll tell you what, Mr. Dugan,

I've been insulted grossly in this

house. I ain't at all satisfied

with these here ways of going on.

I'm an Englishman, I am, and a man

of property; and I -- I --

HARRY:

If you're insulted, and not

satisfied, remember there's two of

us, Best.

On which, the captain falls to washing his nose in water,

and answering never a word.

RODERICK:

(in dignified tone)

Mr. Best may also have satisfaction

any time he pleases, by calling on

Roderick James, Esquire, of

Jamesville.

His uncle bursts out laughing, and in this laugh, Captain

Grogan joins.

RODERICK:

Captain Grogan, I beg you to

understand that, for my cousin

Harry, who has been my best friend

through life, I could put up with

rough treatment from him; yet, even

that sort of treatment I will bear

from him no longer; and any other

person who ventures on the like will

not like the cost. Mr. Best knows

that fact very well; and, if he's

man, he'll know where to find me.

UNCLE:

It is getting late, and your mother

will be anxious about you. One of

you had better go home with him.

(turning to his sons)

Or the lad may be playing more

pranks.

HARRY:

Both of us ride home with Best here.

CAPTAIN BEST:

I'm not afraid of highwaymen. My

man is armed, and so am I.

HARRY:

You know the use of arms very well,

Best, and no one can doubt your

courage; but Michael and I will see

you home for all that.

UNCLE:

Why, you'll not be home till

morning, boys. Kilwangan's a good

ten miles from here.

HARRY:

We'll sleep in Best's quarters.

We're going to stop a week there.

And, in another week, my boy.

And here, Harry whispers something in the Captain's ear.

CAPTAIN GROGAN:

I'll go home with the boy.

EXT. ROAD - LATE DAY

Grogan walks with Roderick.

CAPTAIN GROGAN:

A pretty day's work of it you have

made, Master Roderick. Knowing your

uncle to be distressed for money,

and try and break off a match which

will bring fifteen hundred a-year

into the family? Best has promised

to pay off the four thousand pounds

which is bothering your uncle so.

He takes a girl without a penny -- a

girl that has been flinging herself

at the head of every man in these

parts these ten years past, and

missing them all, and a boy who

ought to be attached to your uncle

as to your father.

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