The Beguiled Page #5

- Good night, Mr. McB.

Good night, Mr. McB.

Good night.

Will you come hear our prayers?

I'm too excited to sleep.

Me too, Miss Edwina.

Go on to your rooms.

I'll be there presently.

I see you can manage stairs.

You know, they leave

the key in your door.

I could slip down and unlock it.

You'd find me much more

interesting than Miss Edwina.

You little devil, you're the one

who tried to get me caught today.

Well...

you shouldn't do things

that make me jealous.

Would you care for

some wine, Corporal?

I'd be honored, ma'am.

Do help yourself.

It's on the table.

I must say, you showed great

courage tonight, ma'am.

They were our soldiers,

there was no danger.

I think I know a little bit more

about that than you do, ma'am.

And believe me, there was danger.

If you'd shown any

sign of weakness,

the episode could have had a

totally different ending.

I toast you. You're a

remarkable and beautiful woman.

Amy, you should've finished

your prayers long ago.

I was praying for Mr. McB, too.

Amy!

It's wrong to pray for the enemy.

My father says that

God's on our side.

So he is.

He's on the side of

people everywhere.

Please, no more talking.

Put out your candle, Amy.

- Good night, Miss Edwina.

- Good night.

I've been thinking, Corporal.

This place needs a man.

Someone who knows farming.

How to handle farmhands.

Thinking about giving

up the school, ma'am?

No.

But there won't be money for

tuition not for a long time.

There will be money for

anything we can grow.

It'd be Northern money.

When my brother and

I ran this place,

there were good Northern markets

for anything we could raise.

But, he isn't here now.

Never will be.

And I am.

Yes, you are.

Would you be interested in

staying on here, Corporal?

Yes, I would.

Why were we all scared

of our own soldiers?

All armies have some

men who aren't nice.

Now, get to sleep.

Good night, Lizzie.

Good night.

I want to take your brother's

place, but I must warn you...

it won't always be easy

to act like a brother.

I'll try not to dictate your

personal behavior, Corporal.

And the joys we share

As we tarry there

None other has ever...

No.

Edwina, listen to me.

No! No!

You lying son of a b*tch!

You bastard!

You're a filthy lecher!

I hope you're dead!

Dead!

I hope you're dead!

Dead.

I want all discussion of what

happened tonight to end now.

There are more urgent matters.

Do you think he's in

much pain, Miss Martha?

No, not after all the wine and

laudanum we've given him.

He can't feel anything.

Why do you want him in the

dining room, Miss Martha?

I need him there to

work on his leg.

His leg's not only fractured in three

places, the bone is splintered.

The best doctors couldn't set it

so it healed, I certainly can't.

Stop your drunken chatter.

Lift the harness.

Let's slide him up.

Don't be jealous about it.

You're well-bosomed, too.

Sweet and ladylike.

So round and perky.

I hate you, Miss Martha.

A teaspoon of laudanum

should put him to sleep.

Give it to him.

Now, Amy...

you will go to your room and you will

not come out until you are told.

And if I ever want your

opinion, I'll ask for it.

I didn't say nothing.

Oh, I think you did.

I think you spoke very loudly.

Girls, go directly to your rooms.

Edwina. Hallie. Carol.

Stay here and don't

take your eyes off him.

Shouldn't be hard for you to do.

I've reached a very

difficult decision.

I hope it's the right one.

By this time tomorrow, his leg

will be starting to mortify.

There's no death worse

than one from gangrene

and I cannot let him die, inch

by inch, and screaming in agony.

The only way to prevent

that is to amputate.

- That mean you gonna cut off his leg?

- Yes.

But you ain't a doctor.

If he lives and he blame you for making

him a cripple, what you gonna say?

Obviously, he would rather

lose a leg than his life.

Can you be sure he'd

die if you don't?

I'm sure.

What if he dies as a

result of the operation?

My conscience would be clear.

It wouldn't be if I let him die and

did nothing to try and save him.

I suppose if we made the cut

above the popliteal division

instead of below...

we'd have fewer arteries

to contend with.

There's going to be enough

bleeding no matter where you cut.

I say forget about that book.

We see a vessel bleeding,

we just tie it with thread.

For God's sake. If you're gonna do

it, then do it and be done with it.

Turn his face away from me.

There is some frailty in you.

Dear Lord, we ask that

you bless our efforts.

Mr. McB, are you coming around?

Amy.

I can tell it's night

when the stars come out.

And I can tell it's morning...

when your freckles

come in the room.

I must tell Miss Martha.

Miss Martha! Miss Martha!

Miss Edwina!

Amy, come and watch.

Hallie's going to bury it.

Bury what?

What do you think? The leg.

He's awake, Miss Martha.

Ladies.

I know you're expecting

an apology...

and you certainly

deserve it after...

the way I abused your hospitality.

But first could you

fix the splints...

on my leg?

It hurts so much.

There are no splints.

How do you fix a broken

leg without splints?

The pain is...

We saved your life and

you complain of pain.

Nobody dies of a broken leg.

If gangrenous, they do.

We had a choice.

Either let you die in

agony or remove the leg.

So you punish me.

Lord knows I deserve it, but...

I know my legs are all right.

I can feel them all the

way down to my toes.

It's a shock, yes, it has to be.

But you're too intelligent

not to understand...

You dirty b*tch. Just because

I didn't go to your bed.

Just because I went to

someone else's bed.

I should have let

you die screaming.

Why should I have denied myself

after all I'd been through?

You wanted to be so

much the goddamn lady.

The virgin b*tch. Get out of here.

Get out of here.

What do you think

it is, Miss Martha?

It's a Union soldier camp.

Don't tell the other girls. No need to

frighten them, there's nothing we can do.

A cypress root is hard to

cut but it'll last forever.

That's why I picked it.

I found the tree not far from

where your soldiers are camped.

Union troops? Where?

About three miles north.

I haven't heard any

sounds of any battle.

Must mean the rebels

have retreated.

That's what Miss Martha said.

- Mr. McB?

- Hmm?

About Carol.

Yeah, what about her?

She said you forced your

way into her room and...

And that you...

- Do you believe her?

- No.

But you were in her room.

Why?

And she was all naked.

And I...

And I thought you loved me.

And I do, Amy.

Amy, go to your room.

Removing the ligatures will be painful.

Do you want some laudanum?

No thanks, kind lady.

I'll fall asleep and then just by

chance you might cut off my...

other leg.

I'd welcome some wine.

You might welcome it,

but you won't get it.

Undo your trouser leg.

Where's your virgin assistant?

Doesn't she wanna stay

around and finish the job?

Miss Edwina has no interest

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