Barry Lyndon Page #5

HARRY:

Don't bully, Mr. Best. Here are the

pistols.

(with some emotion

to Roderick)

God bless you, my boy; and when I

count three, fire.

RODERICK:

This is not one of my pistols.

HARRY:

They are all right, never fear.

It's one of mine. Yours will serve,

if they are needed, for the next

round.

CAPTAIN GROGAN:

Roderick, fire at his neck -- hit

him there under the gorget; see how

the fool shows himself open.

Michael, who has not spoken a word, Harry, and the Captain

retire to one side, and Harry gives the signal.

It is slowly given, and Roderick has the leisure to cover

his man well.

Captain Best changes color and trembles as the numbers are

given.

At "three" both pistols go off. Best gives a most

horrible groan, staggers backwards and falls.

THE SECONDS:

(crying out)

He's down! He's down!

Running towards him, Harry lifts him up -- Michael takes

his head.

MICHAEL:

He's hit here, in the neck.

Laying open his coat, blood is seen gurgling from under

his gorget.

HARRY:

How is it with you?

The unfortunate man does not answer, but when the support

of Harry's arm is withdrawn from his back, groans once

more and falls backwards.

MICHAEL:

(with a scowl)

The young fellow has begun well.

You had better ride off, young sir,

before the police are up. They had

wind of the business before we left

Kilwangan.

RODERICK:

Is he quite dead?

MICHAEL:

Quite dead.

CAPTAIN GROGAN:

Then the world's rid of a coward.

It's all over with him, Roddy -- he

doesn't stir.

He gives the huge prostrate body a scornful kick with his

foot.

HARRY:

We are not cowards, Grogan, whatever

he was! Let's get the boy off as

quick as we may. Your man shall go

for a cart, and take away the body

of this unhappy gentleman. This has

been a sad day's work for our

family, Roderick James, and you have

robbed us of fifteen-hundred a-year.

RODERICK:

It was Dorothy did it.

Roderick takes the ribbons she gave him out of his

waistcoat, and the letter, and flings them down on the

body of Captain Best.

RODERICK:

There! Take her those ribbons.

She'll know what they mean; that's

all that's left of her of two lovers

she had and ruined.

MICHAEL:

And now, in Heaven's name, get the

youngster out of the way.

HARRY:

I'll go with you.

They mount up and gallop off.

EXT. MOTHER'S HOUSE - DAY

Upon seeing Roderick and Harry ride up, his mother, who

has been waiting outside, rushes to her son with wild

screams of joy. He dismounts, and she kisses and embraces

him.

RODERICK (V.O.)

I need not tell you how great was my

mother's pride and exultation when

she heard from Harry's lips the

account of my behavior at the duel.

INT. MOTHER'S HOUSE - PARLOR - DAY

Still much excitement and hustle and bustle.

HARRY:

The boy must go into hiding, for a

short time anyway. Dublin is the

best place for him to go, and there

wait until matters are blown over.

MOTHER:

Dublin? But the poor lad has never

been away from home. He will be as

safe here as in Dublin.

HARRY:

I wish that were true, Auntie dear,

but I'm afraid the bailiffs may

already be on their way from

Kilwangan.

INT. RODERICK'S BEDROOM - DAY

His mother is rushing about and packing a valise. Harry

sits on the bed.

RODERICK (V.O.)

Harry persisted in the necessity of

instant departure, in which

argument, as I was anxious to see

the world, I must confess, I sided

with him; and my mother was brought

to see that, in our small house, in

the midst of a village, escape would

be impossible, and capture would be

impossible to avoid.

INT. MOTHER'S BEDROOM - DAY

His mother takes out a stocking from her escritoire, and

gives Roderick twenty golden guineas.

MOTHER:

(gravely)

Roderick, my darling, my wild boy, I

have forebodings that our separation

is to be a long one. I spent most

of all night consulting the cards

regarding your fate in the duel, and

all signs betoke a separation. Here

is twenty guineas -- all that I have

in the world -- and I want you to

keep your father's sword and

pistols, which you have known to use

so like a man.

EXT. MOTHER'S HOUSE - DAY

Roderick's departure.

RODERICK (V.O.)

She hurried my departure now, though

her heart, I know, was full, and

almost in half-an-hour from my

arrival at home, I was once more on

the road again, with the wide world,

as it were, before me.

Roderick waves. His mother cries.

EXT. HIGH ROAD TO DUBLIN - DAY

RODERICK (V.O.)

No lad of seventeen is very sad who

has liberty for the first time, and

twenty guineas in his pocket; and I

rode away, thinking, I confess, not

so much of the kind of mother left

alone, and of the home behind me, as

of tomorrow, and all the wonders it

would bring.

Roderick happily riding down the road.

RODERICK (V.O.)

I had no doubts of the future;

thinking that a man of my person,

parts, and courage, could make his

way anywhere. So I rode on, singing

to myself, or chatting with the

passersby; and all the girls along

the road said, "God save me, for a

clever gentleman."

Farm girls in the fields flirting with him.

RODERICK (V.O.)

As for thoughts of Dorothy Dugan,

there seemed to be a gap of a half-

a-score of years.

EXT. ROAD TO DUBLIN - DAY

A well-armed gentleman dressed in green, and a gold cord,

with a patch on his eye, and riding a powerful mare, puts

his horse alongside.

ARMED GENTLEMAN:

Good day to you, young sir.

RODERICK:

Good morning.

ARMED GENTLEMAN:

Where are you bound for?

RODERICK:

(after a long look at

his companion)

That is none of your business.

ARMED GENTLEMAN:

Is your mother not afraid on account

of the highwayman to let one so

young as you travel?

RODERICK:

(pulling out a

pistol)

Not at all, sir. I have a pair of

good pistols that have already done

execution, and are ready to do it

again.

At this, a pock-marked man coming up, the well-armed

gentleman spurs into his bay mare, and leaves Roderick.

EXT. ROAD TO DUBLIN - DAY

RODERICK (V.O.)

A little later on, as I rode towards

Kilcullen, I saw a crowd of peasant

people assembled round a one-horse

chair, and my friend in green, as I

thought, making off half-a-mile up

the hill.

A footman howls, at the top of his voice.

FOOTMAN:

Stop thief!

But the country fellows only laugh at his distress, and

make all sorts of jokes at the adventure which had just

befallen.

COUNTRY FELLOW #1

Sure, you might have kept him off

with your blunderbush!

COUNTRY FELLOW #2

O the coward! To let the Captain

bate you, and he only one eye!

COUNTRY FELLOW #3

The next time my lady travels, she'd

better leave you at home!

RODERICK:

What is this noise, fellows?

Roderick rides up amongst them, and seeing the lady in the

carriage, very pale and frightened, gives a slash of his

whip, and bids the red-shanked ruffians keep off.

Pulling off his hat, and bringing his mare up in a prance

to the chair-window.

RODERICK:

What has happened, madam, to annoy

your ladyship?

MRS. O'REILLY

Oh, I am grateful to you, sir. I am

the wife of Captain O'Reilly

hastening to join him at Dublin. My

chair was stopped by a highwayman;

this great oaf of a servant-man fell

down on his knees, armed as he was,

and though there were thirty people

in the next field, working, when the

ruffian attacked, not one of them

would help but, on the contrary,

wished him "good luck."

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