Barry Lyndon Page #4

RODERICK:

And so I am.

CAPTAIN GROGAN:

And this is the return you make for

his kindness! Didn't he harbor you

in his house when your father died,

and hasn't he given you and your

mother, rent-free, your fine house

of Jamesville yonder?

RODERICK:

Mark this, come what will of it, I

swear I will fight the man who

pretends to the hand of Dorothy

Dugan. I'll follow him if it's into

the church, and meet him there.

I'll have his blood, or he shall

have mine. Will you take my message

to him, and arrange the meeting?

CAPTAIN GROGAN:

Well, if it must be, it must. For a

young fellow, you are the most

bloodthirsty I ever saw. No

officer, bearing His Majesty's

commission, can receive a glass of

wine on his nose, without resenting

it -- fight you must, and Best is a

huge, strong fellow.

RODERICK:

He'll give the better mark. I am

not afraid of him.

CAPTAIN GROGAN:

In faith, I believe you are not; for

a lad I never saw more game in my

life. Give me a kiss, my dear boy.

You're after my own soul. As long

as Jack Grogan lives, you shall

never want a friend or a second.

They embrace.

RODERICK (V.O.)

Poor fellow! He was shot six months

afterwards, at Minden, and I lost

thereby a kind friend. But we don't

know what is in store for us, and

that's a blessing.

EXT. HOUSE - LATE DAY

Mother greeting Roderick and Captain Grogan.

RODERICK (V.O.)

In spite of my precautions to

secrecy, I half-suspected that my

mother knew all from the manner in

which she embraced me on my arrival,

and received our guest, Captain

Grogan.

His mother looks a little anxious and flushed and, every

now and then, gazes very hard into the Captain's face.

RODERICK (V.O.)

But she would not say a word about

the quarrel, for she had a noble

spirit, and would as lief have seen

any one of her kindred hanged as

shirking from the field of honor.

INT. MOTHER'S HOUSE - RODERICK'S BEDROOM - DAY

Roderick waking up.

RODERICK (V.O.)

I never slept sounder in my life,

though I woke a little earlier than

usual, and you may be sure my first

thought was of the event of the day,

for which I was fully prepared.

Roderick at table with paper and ink.

RODERICK (V.O.)

And now I sat down and wrote a

couple of letters; they might be the

last, thought I, that I should ever

write in my life.

See him write:
"Dearest Mother."

INT. MOTHER'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY

RODERICK (V.O.)

Then I went down to breakfast, where

my mother was waiting for me, you

may be sure. We did not say a

single word about what was taking

place.

Roderick eats his breakfast with a good appetite; but in

helping himself to salt, spills it, on which his mother

starts up with a scream.

MOTHER:

Thank God, it's fallen towards me!

And then, her heart being too full, she leaves the room.

RODERICK (V.O.)

Ah! They have their faults, those

mothers; but are there any other

women like them?

There is an elegant, silver-mounted sword that hangs on

the mantelpiece under the picture of Roderick's late

father.

A pair of pistols hang on each side of the picture.

Roderick takes down the sword and pistols, which are

bright and well-oiled, and collects flints, balls and

gunpowder.

EXT. MOTHER'S HOUSE - DAY

Captain Grogan and Orderly arrive.

RODERICK:

Have you taken my message to him?

CAPTAIN GROGAN:

The meeting is arranged. Captain

Best is waiting for you now.

RODERICK:

My mare is saddled and ready; who's

the captain's second?

CAPTAIN GROGAN:

Your cousins go out with him.

Roderick and Grogan, and the Orderly ride off.

RODERICK (V.O.)

I didn't take leave of Mrs. James.

The curtains of her bedroom-windows

were down, and they didn't move as

we mounted and trotted off.

EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - DAY

They ride their horses at a leisurely pace.

CAPTAIN GROGAN:

That's a very handsome sword you

have there.

RODERICK:

It was with this sword that my late

father, Harry James, God rest his

soul, met Sir Huddelstone

Fuddelstone, the Hampshire baronet,

and was fatally run through the

neck. He was quite in the wrong,

having insulted Lady Fuddelstone,

when in liquor, at the Brentford

Assembly. But, like a gentleman, he

scorned to apologize.

CAPTAIN GROGAN:

And now you risk the same fate. If

you are killed, your mother is all

alone in the world.

RODERICK:

I am Harry James' son, and will act

as becomes my name and quality.

EXT. FOREST CLEARING - DAY

Harry, Michael and the Captain are already there. Best,

flaming in red regimentals, a big a monster as ever led a

grenadier company. The party are laughing together.

RODERICK:

(to Captain Grogan)

I hope to spoil this sport, and

trust to see this sword of mine in

that big bully's body.

CAPTAIN GROGAN:

Oh, it's with pistols we fight. You

are no match for Best with the

sword.

RODERICK:

I'll match any man with the sword.

CAPTAIN GROGAN:

But swords are today impossible;

Captain Best is -- is lame. He

knocked his knee against the

swinging park gate last night, as he

was riding home, and can scarce move

it now.

RODERICK:

Not against Castle Dugan gate, that

has been off the hinges these ten

years.

CAPTAIN GROGAN:

It must have been some other gate.

They alight from their horses, and join and salute the

other gentlemen.

CAPTAIN GROGAN:

I have just explained to Mister

James that Captain Best is lame, and

that swords are impossible.

HARRY:

Oh, yes! Dead lame.

Harry comes up to shake Roderick by the hand, while

Captain Best takes off his hat, and turns extremely red.

HARRY:

And very lucky for you, Roderick, my

boy. You were a dead man else, for

he is a devil of a fellow -- isn't

he, Grogan?

CAPTAIN GROGAN:

A regular Turk. I never yet knew

the man who stood to Captain Best.

HARRY:

Hang the business. I hate it. I'm

ashamed of it. Say you're sorry,

Roderick. You can easily say that.

CAPTAIN BEST:

If the young feller will go to

Dublin, as proposed...

RODERICK:

I'm not sorry -- I'll not apologize

-- and I'll as soon go to Dublin as

to hell!

Grogan takes him aside.

CAPTAIN GROGAN:

Look here, Roderick, my boy; this is

silly business. The girl will marry

Best, mark my words; and as sure as

she does, you'll forget her. You

are but a boy. Best is willing to

consider you as such. Dublin's a

fine place, and if you have a mind

to take a ride thither and see the

town for a month, here are twenty

guineas at your service. Make Best

an apology, and be off.

RODERICK:

A man of honor dies, but never

apologizes. I'll see the captain

hanged before I apologize.

HARRY:

(with a laugh to

Grogan)

There's nothing else for it. Take

your ground, Grogan -- twelve paces,

I suppose?

CAPTAIN BEST:

(in a big voice)

Ten, sir, and make them short ones,

do you hear, Captain Grogan?

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