David Copperfield Page #9

- Boldly!

Boldly. And not suffer them

to frighten us.

We shall act the play out

and live misfortune down!

- A beggar? Love a beggar?

- I am now a beggar.

How can you be such a silly thing

and sit there telling stories?

- I'll make Jip bite you.

- This must be our secret for now.

I cannot speak to Mr Spenlow

about our engagement

until I've begun to make my fortune.

A secret engagement?

How romantic, Doady!

When we are married,

if our income is to be small,

we must try to be practical

Please don't be practical

because it frightens me so.

If you will sometimes

look at your papa's housekeeping

and perhaps study cookery...

You are determined

to frighten me out of my wits!

With perseverance and strength

of character, we can bear anything.

But I haven't got

any strength. Have I, Jip?

Oh, do kiss Jip

and stop being so disagreeable.

Jip will have to wait his turn.

I will feel happier when I've spoken

to Mr Wickfield about our situation.

And no doubt you will be

glad of an excuse to see Agnes.

I can't feel comfortable until I know

her opinion of my engagement to Dora.

Oh. So you imagine yourself

in love, do you?

Imagine?

Yes, I suppose you think

you were made for each other,

and are to go through

a children's party kind of life

like two pretty pieces of confectionary!

Blind, Trot, blind!

We are young and inexperienced,

I know, but we love one another truly.

And she's neither silly

nor light-headed, I suppose?

Dora is fascinating

and sweet and beautiful

Blind, Trot, blind.

Returning to Canterbury,

I felt Agnes's gentle influence

reaching out to me.

It seemed to pervade

even the city in which she dwelt.

Yet as I approached

Mr Wickfield's house,

my happiness gave way

to a growing sense of dread

about what I might find within.

(DOOR BEING CLOSED)

This is a bad business of your aunt.

I came here to discover

if anything might be done.

Nothing, Mr Copperfield,

nothing at all

It's all gone

and no one is to blame but herself.

She has been very reckless.

Isn't that right, Mr Wickfield?

Quite right.

You'll stay with us, Trotwood,

while you remain in Canterbury?

Uriah is a great relief to me.

It's a load of my mind

to have such a partner.

My dear Copperfield!

So how do you like the law,

Mr Micawber?

It is a great pursuit, sir.

To a man of higher imaginative powers

such as myself,

it is perhaps over-reliant on detail

A mind is not at liberty to soar

to any exalted forms of expression.

Still, it is a great pursuit.

Do you see much of Mr Wickfield?

Mr Wickfield is a man

of very excellent qualities...

...but he is, in short, obsolete.

I am afraid his partner

seeks to make him so.

My dear Copperfield.

I am here in the capacity

of confidence and trust.

The discussion of some topics,

even with Mrs Micawber herself,

is incompatible with the functions

now devolving upon me.

Do not ask, 'umble as I am,

to speak of the affairs

of my friend Heep.

(FOOTSTEPS)

Wouldn't you say my Ury

is quite the gentleman these days, sir?

Indeed, Mrs Heep.

(WHISPERING)

How long has she been living here?

- Months.

- Does she never leave you alone?

It is certainly difficult

to avoid her company.

My dear sister.

I have missed you so much lately.

I wanted to talk to you

about Dora.

We are to be married.

She is the most wonderful girl

in the world

and I know that you

will come to love her as well as I do.

How could I not love anyone

who thinks so much of you?

Promise not to abandon me

when I become an old, married man.

You know how I rely on you.

It is Dora you must rely on now.

Of course.

I will always be

your devoted friend and sister, Trot.

Wherever our separate paths

may lead us, you may rely on that.

(AGNES) Shall we retire, Mrs Heep?

Father, go to bed soon.

I'll give you a toast, gentlemen.

To the divinest of her sex.

I'm a 'umble individual

to give you her health,

but I do admire, no, adore her.

Choose some other toast, Uriah.

Agnes Wickfield,

the divinest of her sex.

Who else can propose it

if not the man who would be her husband?

Never! Never!

Have you gone mad, Wickfield?

I have as good a right to her

as any other man.

I have a better right

than any other man.

Look at my torturer.

Always at my elbow,

whispering his venom.

In my house, in my business...

Like a millstone around my neck,

bringing me to my ruin!

Take care, Wickfield!

Without me you would have

no house or business, nor reputation.

(WICKFIELD WAILS)

Your safety is in my hands, remember?

Oh, what have I come to, Trotwood?

My weak indulgence has ruined me.

God knows what I have done

in my misery of oblivion!

Have you ever picked a pear

before it was ripe, Mr Copperfield?

What?

I did that when

I spoke of Miss Agnes.

But the pear will ripen yet.

I can wait.

There must be two parties

to a quarrel, Copperfield.

And I won't be one.

- Father is quite recovered.

- Is there nothing that can be done?

His first words when he woke

were to send apologies to Uriah.

- He is more in his power than ever.

- Promise me one thing.

Promise me you will never sacrifice

yourself to a mistaken sense of duty.

Agnes, you can't be

considering marriage to that...

...reptile!

Goodbye, Trotwood.

My return to London

was tormented by thoughts

of the fate that lay in wait for Agnes.

Little now stood between Heep

and the final success of his scheming.

It was with a heavy heart

that I made my way

to Mr Spenlow's office

at the Doctor's Commons,

only to find that

a further catastrophe awaited.

You have abused my confidence and

committed a dishonourable action!

- I love Dora to such an extent...

- Miss Spenlow, if you please!

And I beg that you won't

speak to me of love or engagements.

My daughter is not

to be thrown away on a clerk!

Now let there be

an end to this nonsense.

Take these letters away

and throw them on the fire.

You must forget her, Mr Copperfield!

Soon after this disastrous encounter,

a letter arrived from Peggotty informing

me that Barkis was in a very poor way

and she feared he would soon

be making his final journey.

I resolved to go

to Yarmouth immediately,

though not before attending

to the matter closest to my heart.

I'll never give Dora up

and the sooner Mr Spenlow

knows that, the better.

I'll see him this morning

on my way down.

Mr Spenlow?

Mr Spenlow?

Mr Spenlow's death from a heart

seizure threw everything into confusion.

I was desperate to see Dora,

but she blamed her attachment to me

for her papa's untimely end.

She cannot see you, Mr Copperfield.

The floodgates of sorrow are open

and her grief is not to be assuaged.

If I could just send her a note

or a token of my sympathy...

Powerless to do anything for Dora,

I finally made my way to Yarmouth.

- How is he, Peggotty?

- He is fading fast.

This is kind of you, Master Davy.

Uncommon kind.

Barkis, my dear. Here's Master Davy,

who brought us together!

Old clothes!

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes