Little Women Page #4

LAURIE:

And would you let me be in a play? I saw some of it the other

night.

JO:

Oh, that was terrible. I want to put on "Hamlet" though, and do

the fencing scene.

LAURIE:

I could do Laertes. I took fencing lessons at the academy.

JO:

Really?

LAURIE:

Yes! Look! Look! On guard!

(00:
35:05)**

JO:

Splendid!

LAURIE:

Here.

JO:

Oh! "Come, for the third, Laertes: you but dally."

LAURIE:

"Say you so. Come on."

JO:

"A hit; what say you?"

LAURIE:

"A touch. A touch. I do confess."

MR. LAURENCE

What is this? What on earth? What's going on?

MR. BROOKE:

Don't know, sir?

LAURIE:

"Have at you, now."

JO:

Oh?

LAURIE:

Oh, I say. Oh, I say. You hurt?

JO:

Oh, no. Nothing ever hurts me.

LAURIE:

I'm sorry. I forgot you're a girl, and I'm afraid I got a bit too

rough.

JO:

Oh, what are you talking about? Oh, I had you bettered, if I

hadn't slipped. Oh, that's _c that's a good picture of your

grandfather. He looks pretty grim, but I shouldn't be afraid of

him. Though I can see how his face might frighten some people.

(00:
36:02)**

MR. BROOKE:

I'll wait upstairs, sir.

JO:

His eyes are kind and I like him, though he does bark at you so.

MR. LAURENCE

Thank you, ma'am. So you're not afraid of me, eh?

JO:

No, sir. Not much.

MR. LAURENCE

But my face will frighten some people.

JO:

Oh, I_c. I only said "might", sir.

MR. LAURENCE

And I bark, do I?

JO:

Oh, no, sir. Perhaps not all the time.

MR. LAURENCE

But with all that you like me, eh?

JO:

Oh, yes, sir. I do. I do. I do.

MR. LAURENCE

And I like you.

JO:

Oh, sir.

LAURIE:

Grandfather, you should see her fence. Come on, let's show him.

JO:

Oh, no. I've been here too long now.

LAURIE:

Well, I'll see you home.

MR. LAURENCE

Oh, no, no, no. You stay indoors, young man. I shall see Miss

March home. I want to pay my respects to your mother and thank

her for the medicine she sent my boy. I can see it's done him

lots of good. You get upstairs and do your sums. Brooke is

waiting for you, and see you behave yourself like a gentleman,

sir.

LAURIE:

Good bye, Jo.

(00:
37:25)**

(Inside the March house)**

(00:
37:27)**

HANNAH:

Here they come. Here they come. All dressed up and looking as

pretty as pictures.

MRS. MARCH

Oh, Amy. How dainty! You look lovely.

BETH:

Oh, Marmee, I wish Laurie hadn't asked me to his party. I know I

shall be frightened.

MRS. MARCH

You wouldn't want to hurt his feelings when he's been so kind.

Oh, Meg, the dress is lovely. Meg: Thank you, Marmee.

MRS. MARCH

Jo, you look splendid.

JO:

Well, I feel perfectly miserable with 19 hairpins all sticking

straight into my head. But, dear me. Let us be elegant or die.

MRS. MARCH

Does the patch show much?

MEG:

It does a little, Marmee. But she's going to sit down or stand

with her back against the wall. Jo, where are your gloves?

JO:

Oh, well, I've stained them so I'm gonna go without.

MEG:

You wear gloves, or I don't go.

HANNAH:

I tried to clean them bit it only made them look worse.

JO:

Oh, here. I'll carry them. I'll hold them crumpled up in one

hand. Nobody'll see them.

MEG:

Oh, Jo.

JO:

Well I'll tell you. We'll each wear one of your nice ones and

carry one of my bad ones. Then the effect will be fine and easy.

MEG:

All right. Only be careful of it. And don't stretch it. And Jo

dear, do behave nicely and don't put your hands behind your back.

Good night, Marmee.

MARMEE:

Have a nice time, dear.

AMY:

And above everything, don't say "Christopher Columbus" and

disgrace us all.

JO:

Oh, hold you tongue, Miss Baby. I'll be as prim as I can be, and

not get into any scrapes_c if I can help it.

(00:
38:53)**

(Dancing)**

(00:
39:39)**

MAN:

May I engage you for this dance, Miss March?

JO:

No, thank you. I'm not dancing.

AMY:

There's that Kitty Ford.

BETH:

Where?

AMY:

There, with the pink dress and the blue sash. I don't see why

she's allowed with the grow-ups and I have to stay up here.

BETH:

Oh, that beautiful piano. It's as big as our kitchen.

MR. LAURENCE

Um_c What's this? Why aren't you two young ladies downstairs

dancing?

AMY:

Mother said we weren't to go down with the grown-ups.

MR. LAURENCE

But can you see anything from here? How about you?

AMY:

She just likes to listen to the music.

MR. LAURENCE

You just come down with me where it's playing.

BETH:

Oh, no. No, sir. Please.

MR. LAURENCE

Why not? Well, my dear child, what's the matter?

AMY:

She has an infirmity.

MR. LAURENCE

Mmm?

AMY:

She's shy.

MR. LAURENCE

Oh, I see.

AMY:

If it weren't for that, she'd be simply fastitidious because she

plays beautifully.

MR. LAURENCE

Oh, she must come and play for me sometime.

AMY:

No. She never would.

MR. LAURENCE

Oh, it wasn't that I wanted to hear her, but that piano down

there is simply going to ruin for want of use. I was hoping one

you young ladies would come and practice on it. Just_c. Just to

keep it in tune, you know. Well, if you don't care to come, never

mind.

BETH:

Oh, sir. We do care, very, very much.

MR. LAURENCE

So. So you're the musical one.

BETH:

I'm Beth. I love it dearly and I'll come if you're quite sure no-

one will hear me and be disturbed.

MR. LAURENCE

Not a soul, my child. Not a soul. You come too, young lady. And

tell your mother I think all her daughters are simply

"fastidious".

AMY:

Beth, isn't he elegant?

(00:
41:47)**

LAURIE:

This is the German, and I'll be hanged if I let you refuse me all

of them.

JO:

Oh, no. No.

LAURIE:

Don't you like to dance?

JO:

Oh, yes. I love to dance, but I can't. I _c I mean, I promised I

wouldn't.

LAURIE:

Why?

JO:

Oh, well, I may as well tell you. You won't tell?

LAURIE:

Silence to the death.

JO:

Well, you see, I have a bad trick of standing in front of the

fire and I scorch my frocks, and I burned this one.

LAURIE:

Where?

JO:

Oh, you can laugh if you want to. It is funny.

LAURIE:

Look! I'll tell you how we can manage. There's no one in the

hall. We can dance out there without being seen.

JO:

You're a Champ.

LAURIE:

This is regularly splendid. Oh. Thank you.

(Dancing)**

(00:
42:55)**

JO:

Oh, hello.

LAURIE:

What are you two doing up there? Come on down.

AMY:

No.

LAURIE:

Well, have you had refreshments?

BETH:

No, thank you. We really don't care for _c. Ouh!

LAURIE:

We'll bring some right up. Come on.

(In the garden)**

MEG:

And then when Laurie goes to college, what becomes of you?

MR. BROOKE:

I shall turn soldier as soon as he is off. I'm needed.

MEG:

Oh. Oh, I'm so sorry. I mean, I'm so sorry for all the mothers

and sisters who have to stay home and worry.

MR. BROOKE:

I have neither. And very few friends to care whether I live or

die.

MEG:

Laurie and his grandfather would care a great deal. And we_c we

all would be very sorry if any harm came to you.

MR. BROOKE:

Would you?

(By the stairs)**

JO:

Here we go!

(Chatter)**

LAURIE:

Oh, Jo. Jo.

AMY:

Now you've done it!

(Exclamations)**

JO:

Meg's gloves! Oh, look at me!

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