The Devil's Disciple Page #2

for the Pastor, Lieutenant.

- Very well. Get back to your posts.

- Thank you, sir.

Thank you, Mr. Hawkins.

There's nothing more

to be said, my friends.

Let us all go about our business.

Halt! Halt!

Stop him! Stop him!

Halt! Halt!

Come on! Come on!

There he is!

Stop him!

Home at last. I thought you'll

never get back from Springtown.

Mrs. Dudgeon hardly spoke all that time.

It's been a long day.

You must be tired.

Come straight to bed.

Who's there?

Good evening, minister.

- Allow me to present myself.

- Richard Dudgeon!

You remember me! I thought that good

people of Websterbridge found more

convenient to forget me, eh?

Oh, my father - you know quite well,

I believe. I found him in Springtown -

at a ... loose end... In fact, he ... eh ...

- I was there.

- So you were.

With a musket in your hand?

Then you remember

your Christian duty, eh?

Ah, poor father.

Red coats did him too much credit.

He had not stomach for a rebel either.

If you cared so little for your father,

why did you risk your life for his body?

To annoy the English,

what ever reason?

If you've been caught

they would hang you too.

You think it would be

any great loss, minister?

I think a man's life is worth saving

whither it belongs to.

Would you come inside?

We'd given you some supper.

No.

You know, another Minister would ask you

to supper and treat you to a sermon.

Bury him quickly, before

the memory of his death

makes you forget

that you are a man of peace.

Your father shall have a Christian burial,

Mr. Dudgeon.

as you intended.

How like a parson. All you so eager

to be the best of his fellow men.

Save your breath, pastor,

you can't convert me!

I was fond of a good psalm

singing in a little church choir,

but I saw that the world cringed

before your Almighty only through fear.

And I made the devil's acquaint.

Yeh, I knew that he was my

natural master, captain and friend.

And I prayed secretly to him,

and he comforted me.

I promised him my soul, and

swore an oath that I would

stand up for him in this world

and stand by him in the next.

That promise and that oath

made a man of me.

Tony.

Tony.

Tony, I saw someone, did you?

Tony, who was he?

Richard Dudgeon.

Here?

In Websterbridge?

What did he want?

Brought back his father's body.

Do you mean that ...

Gallows?

But how?

Go to bed, Judith.

I'll tell you all about in the morning.

But they said it could not be taken.

He didn't ask.

There's no need to reproach yourself.

You did everything you could ...

for Mr. Dudgeon.

- Judith ...

- After all the people break

the law of the country ...

Judith, we don't seem to understand

what that fighting means.

- We don't ...

- No, we don't expect to so.

Let's hope we never will.

You so long have been there.

Did you talk to him?

What did he say?

Nothing, Judith.

Nothing you want to hear.

And I to remember.

And now we commit his body to the ground.

- Amen.

- Aye.

- Amen.

This is the last will and testament

of me, Timothy Dudgeon.

And I hereby revoke all former wills made by me

and declare ...

- Who asked you here?

Good morning, mother. Keeping up

appearances as usual. That's right.

- That's right.

- Leave my house.

- How do you know it's your house until the will is read?

My dear relatives!

Sit down, sit down.

Well, all here for the feast.

Even little cinder girl. Hello Essie.

Uncle William! I haven't seen you

since you gave up drinking.

Uncle Titus, you old horse thief!

The minister! I should have accepted

your invitation to supper the other night.

I understand your wife has a most

ungodly allowance of good looks.

You are in the presence of my wife, sir.

Your servant, madam:

You deserve your reputation,

but I'm sorry to see by your expression

that you're a good woman.

All the same, Pastor,

I respect you more than I did before.

- Be a shame on yourself, sir.

- Oh, I am, I am, but - proud

of my relatives.

Proceed Mr. Hawkins, proceed.

and declare:
this is my real will

according to my own wish

and affection.

- For what we are about to receive,

may the Lord make us truly thankful.

I give and bequeath to my younger son Christopher

fifty pounds to be paid him

on the day of his marriage to

Sarah Wilkins if she will have him.

How if she won't have him?

She will if I have fifty pounds.

Very good, brother.

Proceed, Mr. Hawkins.

I give and bequeath my house at Websterbridge

and all the rest of my property soever

to my eldest son and heir,

Richard Dudgeon.

The calf, minister, the fatted calf.

Finally I gave and bequeath my soul

into my Maker's hands,

humbly asking forgiveness

for all my sins, and hoping that

I have not done wrong in the perplexity

of my last hour in this strange place.

- Amen.

- Amen.

My mother does not say "Amen".

He had nothing of his own.

His money was the money

I brought him as my marriage portion.

- And this is my reward!

- Mrs. Dudgeon, I ...

- You let him rob me!

Mr. Hawkins, is that true,

Do you have a rightful legal will

leaving everything to Mrs. Dudgeon?

There is such a will.

And the new one? Is that ...

Is that a proper will?

The courts will sustain it

against the other.

the courts will sustain

the claim of any man -

and that man the eldest son -

against any woman, if they can.

Good day, thank you.

That's right! Eat, drink, be merry.

Maybe a last chance.

I passed the soldiers within

six miles on my way here.

What have we to fear from that, sir?

Well, we're all rebels,

and you know it.

- Oh, no, no!

- Yes, you are.

You haven't damned King George

as I have, no one has

the courage to fight, but you all wait

for the outcome before you pay your taxes.

It's treason enough for his majesty.

Treason!

Mark my words, Parson, it won't be

long before Major Swindon's

gallows for rebels

wrap around all the village green.

Wolf right in your own fold.

What for a good shepherd do then? Eh?

- Mother, where are you going?

- Your mother has the sight that

she doesn't want to stay.

Mother ...

My curse on you!

You cannot leave that girl there.

To live with him in the house?

Essie will come to no harm.

Essie!

Essie!

Essie!

Have you come back for something?

That child is not here safe even if you are.

Essie!

Don't be afraid, Essie.

Mrs. Anderson wants to rescue you

from the house of a devil.

Essie.

She's had enough of a self-righteousness.

Like all little lambs all she knows that you will stab her.

Was there anything else, Mrs. Anderson?

I wish to go.

I shan't stop you.

I can't get him out of my mind.

He insulted you:
he insulted me:

he insulted his mother.

- Try not to upset yourself, my dear.

- Oh, I know it's wrong to hate anybody, but -

It's worst to be indifferent.

It's worst sin of all -

not to care about the people.

I don't like Richard.

I don't like what he says

and the way behaves.

There is something about him that makes

me respect him in spite of this all.

In spite of insult too.

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