The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Page #6

But I shall stay at Marcia Blaine

where my duty lies.

- If they want to get rid of me, they will have to...

- Assassinate you.

Precisely. I thought you were to attend

some social gathering with Jenny.

- Where is Jenny?

- She went on home ahead of me.

- I stayed at the studio...

- The studio?

She... Uh,

Jenny just left, you see.

Mr. Lloyd's studio.

Whatever were you doing there?

It was supposed

to be a surprise.

Jenny is sitting

for Mr. Lloyd.

Jenny is sitting

for Mr. Lloyd...

And I wasn't...

When did this begin?

- At the start of term. I shouldn't have told you.

- Jean...

Oh, I'm very glad

you did tell me, Sandy.

You are developing into a girl

of great insight.

- Thank you, Miss Brodie.

- You know, Sandy...

I would be very interested to hear

your own impressions ofJenny's portrait.

But we won't discuss it

with the others.

So Monday, after school,

you'll come to my flat for tea.

We'll have a nice,

quiet time together.

Yes, Miss Brodie.

Well, come now. I'm sure

Mr. Lowther will take you home.

In you get, Sandy.

Can you manage, dear?

- Yes, thank you.

- Thank you, Gordon.

- You're very kind.

- Oh, you're more than welcome.

It's a painting

of Mr. Lloyd's family.

It starts with himself

and his wife...

and then all the children graded downwards

to the baby and the dog on the floor.

It's supposed to be funny...

but the funniest part is,

they all look like you.

Like me?

Yes. Even the baby.

Everybody he paints

looks like you.

Hmm.

You shall butter the scones,

Sandy, dear.

Be generous.

Uh, does the portrait

of Jenny look like me?

Oh, yes.

Mr. Lloyd might want

to paint me too.

I doubt if having your portrait painted

is going to be your career.

Would you mind shutting the window, dear?

There's a wee bit of a draft.

What do you think

it will be, Miss Brodie?

Uh, what do I think

what will be?

My career.

Well, you're quite

intelligent, of course.

Actually, Sandy, you have

something more than mere intelligence.

You have insight.

There goes Miss Lockhart.

The chemistry teacher?

Yes. She's got

her golf clubs.

Monica saw Mr. Lowther

playing golf with Miss Lockhart...

twice.

Indeed?

Well, I know very little

of, uh, Miss Lockhart.

I leave her

to her jars and gases.

We were talking

about your insight, Sandy.

You do have insight...

and Jenny...

has got instinct.

Jenny will be

a great lover.

She's like a heroine from a novel

by Mr. D.H. Lawrence.

The common moral code will not

apply to her. She will be above it.

This is a fact which only someone

with your insight should know about.

You know, Sandy...

you would make an excellent

secret service agent...

a great spy.

Sandy, you must try

not to peer at people.

It makes a most

rude impression.

Why do you think I would

make a good spy, Miss Brodie?

Well, because you are intelligent

and not... emotional.

I've observed this

constraint in you.

It has, from time to time,

distressed me...

as I myself am a...

deeply emotional woman.

I feel many things

passionately.

I feel things,

Miss Brodie.

Well, everybody does,

of course.

It's simply

a matter of degree.

Actually, passion would be

a great handicap to a spy.

- It would?

- Definitely.

What did you mean

when you said that, uh...

Jenny was above

the common moral code?

Oh, simply that it

will not apply to her.

She is the exception...

and we can helpJenny

to realize this.

- Oh, Sandy, dear, I forgot the hot water.

- I'll get it.

Thank you, dear.

Miss Brodie, how do you think

that we can helpJenny?

We can encourage her,

give her confidence.

Confidence for what?

For when she is 18.

With a girl likeJenny...

perhaps even 17.

Soon she will...

know love.

Do you

understand that, Sandy?

You mean

she'll have affairs...

love affairs.

Oh, Sandy,

you do have insight.

I am never wrong.

I can always

depend on you.

Little girls, you must all learn

to cultivate an expression of composure.

It is one of

the greatest assets of a woman...

an expression of composure,

come foul, come fair.

Regard the Mona Lisa.

She's older than the rocks

on which she sits.

Whom did I say to regard,

Clara?

The Mona Lisa, Miss Brodie.

That is correct.

Clara has artistic tendencies.

Little girls, I am in the business of putting

old heads on young shoulders.

And all my pupils

are the crme de la crme.

Jean!

Oh,Jean!

- Mr. Lowther!

- Jean... Uh...

Miss Brodie. Miss Mackay. I've just left her.

I don't know what to do.

Did you wish to speak

to me about something?

What can you be

up to, Gordon?

Such a display

in front of the children.

It's Miss Mackay.

She dismissed my class!

She's found something terrible!

Something incriminating!

She demands to see us

both together immediately! Immediately.

I am not accustomed to being

summoned immediately. Not by anyone.

But,Jean, she sent me to get you!

She said now.

Please!

Pull yourself together, Gordon.

I promise I won't let

Miss Mackay stand you in the corner.

Just you wait there

a minute.

Well, your headmistress,

Miss Mackay...

wishes to see me

for a few minutes.

She has a wee problem

she wishes to discuss with me.

Now, what subject

were we doing?

- History, Miss Brodie.

- Oh, yes.

Open your history books.

While I'm away

from the room...

you will all read the chapter on

the succession of the Stuarts.

You will sit quietly in your seats

and remain composed...

like the Mona Lisa.

Miss Brodie, do you

know what this is?

It would appear to be a piece of blue paper

with writing on it in pencil.

It is, in fact,

a letter.

It was found by Miss McKenzie

in a library book.

She glanced at it, but after the first

sentence, she dared not actually read it.

She brought it

instantly to me.

Yes.

Is it addressed to you?

No, Miss Brodie.

It's addressed to Mr. Lowther...

but it is signed

by you.

- I shall begin.

- Oh, please do.

Of course, I realize

it is a forgery...

just the work

of a child.

"My dear, delightful Gordon...

your letter has moved me deeply,

as you may imagine...

but, alas, I must ever decline

to be Mrs. Lowther.

My reasons are twofold.

I am dedicated

to my girls...

as is

madame Pavlova...

and there is another in my life...

he is Teddy Lloyd.

Intimacy has never taken place with him.

He is married to another.

We are not lovers,

but we know the truth.

However, I was proud of giving myself to you

when you came and took me...

in the bracken while

the storm raged about us.

If I am in

a certain condition...

I shall place the infant in the care

of a worthy shepherd and his wife.

I may permit misconduct to occur again

from time to time as an outlet...

because I am in my prime.

We can also have many a... breezy day

in the fishing boat at sea.

We must keep a sharp lookout for Miss Mackay,

however, as she's rather narrow...

which arises from an ignorance of culture

and the Italian scene.

I love to hear you singing

Rate this script:3.7 / 3 votes