The Browning Version Page #5

about it.

Do excuse me,

won't you?

I don't believe in stuffing

the boys, you know, dear.

Ah, King Abakendi.

Do you know

he owns most of Nigeria?

Really?

Oh, Your Majesty,

how lovely to see you.

Dr. Frobisher.

Ah. You know my wife Jane.

Madam.

Of course.

And Lord Baxter, head

of Eurospace Industries,

chairman of our governors.

Yes, and, uh, Lady Baxter.

Delighted, delighted.

A chap from Nigeria

working for me...

head of the design

department.

I'm sure you know him.

Oh. What is

his name?

We are very fortunate

once again...

Oh, he's doing very well.

You know, he's doing

very well, this boy.

Marvelous job

he's doing, yes.

Now, Your Majesty, you know,

Lord Baxter and I would like

to discuss our proposed center

for Islamic...

What a lovely hat.

Thank you.

Lovely.

Opening the batting...

is their captain,

David Fletcher.

This will probably

be the last time

that we'll ever see David

playing amateur cricket,

as he goes to London tomorrow

to join the NCC.

I'm...

sorry, sir.

Oh. No, no.

It is I who should apologize.

After all, this is

your room now, not mine.

If you'll allow me

to continue with the chore

of packing.

I only came in here

because this room is

to become the center

of the new language block,

and, well, I didn't expect

anyone to be here.

I shan't be very long,

I promise you.

Please don't hurry, sir.

The fact is, this afternoon, uh,

I was feeling rather nervous.

You know, attack

of the jitters, and, uh,

I thought that

if I came in here

and rehearsed

taking a class or something,

it... it might calm me.

Um, I expect you'd laugh at me

for that.

Why would you expect that?

You keep such order.

I saw that

yesterday morning, and,

well, after all, they call you

the "Hitler of the Lower Fifth."

That was clumsy of me, sir.

I'm sure nothing's meant by it.

It-it's just that you...

you keep such wonderful

discipline, that's all.

The Hitler of the Lower Fifth.

They're, uh, not bad boys.

Sometimes a little wild

and unfeeling, perhaps,

but not bad.

In the beginning,

I tried very hard

to communicate some

of my own joy

in the great literature

of the past.

I failed...

as, of course, you will fail 999

times out of

a thousand.

But a single

success can atone

for all the failures

in the world

and sometimes...

very rarely, it's true...

sometimes, I had that success.

The Hitler of the Lower Fifth.

I'm desperately sorry.

Don't apologize.

I, uh, should have known

for myself

that I'm not only not liked,

but positively disliked.

I realized many

long years ago that the...

the boys no longer laughed

at me, but I...

I don't know why

they no longer found me funny.

Perhaps when

you became ill.

No.

No, I don't think so.

I really don't know.

In the earlier years,

they used to laugh at me.

At me, not with me.

At my... uh...

funny mannerisms

and tricks of speech,

which we all develop.

The Hitler

of the Lower Fifth.

I would have thought

that by now

that epithet would have lost

its significance.

Apparently not.

Undoubtedly...

it will become my epitaph.

I'm sure

they'll come up

with something

much worse for me.

Well...

I bequeath you this room.

I wish you

a great success in it.

I'll do my best, sir.

And good luck to you

in your future career.

My future career?

Yes. Thank you.

The, uh...

The boys do still call me

"The Crock," though, don't they?

And there's another four runs

to Fletcher.

Ah, Laura, Andrew.

Headmaster, Lord Baxter.

Good afternoon.

Uh, Lord Baxter and I

would like to ask you, uh...

have a little chat

with you, Andrew.

Uh, good time

for a word?

Well, the great thing

about cricket is

you can talk and watch

at the same time.

Precisely well put, Laura.

A little favor I have

to ask you, Andrew.

And what favor

would that be, Headmaster?

It concerns tomorrow's

Prize Giving.

I take it you're prepared

to say a few words?

Yeah. Well, I have, uh,

I have made a few notes.

Oh, well hit.

Well hit, Fletcher.

Good, good, good.

I know I can trust

your discretion,

not to mention your wit.

And I'm sure you'll

agree with me

that we don't want

these things

to become too long

and distressing.

Well, I have included a few, uh,

puns and jokes in my speech.

That would be

extremely acceptable.

Oh. Fine stroke, Fletcher.

Oh, yes.

Yes, that's good,

just the thing.

I- I also want to touch

on a matter of some gravity.

No doubt, no doubt.

Now, the favor I want

to ask you is this.

You see, Fletcher...

Fletcher is much, much

junior to you, of course,

and, uh, as such, his

speech would come first,

and yours last.

Absolutely.

But, uh, you know

how the boys feel about David.

They adore him.

They simply adore him.

Now, there could well be

a terrific display

of emotion tomorrow,

which would be difficult

for me to cut short.

Fletcher's simply racing

to his talent.

So, uh, do you wish me

to speak first?

Well, I feel wretched

about asking you this, Andrew.

I really do.

But, you know, a thing

that must come

to a proper climax.

You know, I'm sure

you'd agree with me there.

You understand,

don't you, Laura?

Well, naturally,

Headmaster,

I would not wish

to provide an anticlimax.

I'll speak first.

Don't take it amiss, Andrew.

Nothing personal.

Boys will be boys.

I mean, they'd

much rather applaud

the-the sportsman

than the scholar.

It's only natural.

But it's quite impersonal,

I promise you.

Well played, Tom!

Well played!

The possibility of a century

here for David Fletcher.

Laura?

Ah.

Yes, Diana.

Isn't Fletcher

batting superbly?

Oh, uh, just fantastic,

but I got to tell you,

every time he

hits the ball,

I think he's going

to drop the bat

and run to first base.

- Oh, really.

- Good heavens. He's 95.

This could be his 100th.

Oh.

Yes, that's 100 on Fletcher.

Tea, I think, everybody.

Before the rush.

Terrifically good idea.

I'd love some lemon.

Mmm. Tea and cakes?

You coming to tea?

I'd rather watch a little more

cricket if you don't mind.

Uh, Frank?

Could you escort

Laura to tea, please?

Sure.

Thank you.

Ladies and gentlemen,

as you know,

the school supports

many charities,

and some of the charities

that we do support

will have stands

in and around the chapel today

so that you can see

the sort of work

that the school is doing

with the money...

Sir?

Sir?

Uh, I'm sorry

to disturb you, sir,

but-but I did want to see.

Disturb me, indeed.

Well?

Um...

Well, Taplow?

I...

I thought this might

interest you, sir.

First translation

of the Agamemnon, sir.

Good heavens.

The Browning version.

I've glanced at it.

I don't think it's much good,

but...

I agree,

the translation has its faults,

but I think you'll enjoy it more

when you become

more familiar with the meter

that Robert Browning

employs.

Very interesting,

Taplow.

It... it's for you, sir.

For me?

Yes, sir.

I- I've written in it.

Did you... buy this?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes