The Marriages PDF

THE MARRIAGES CHARACTERS MRS. CHURCHLEY COLONEL CHART ADELA CHART GODFREY CHART BEATRICE CHART MURIEL CHART MISS FLYNN (GOVERNESS) THE VISITOR (MRS. GODFREY) WOMAN PARTY GUEST SCENE 1 Fade in—Exterior—High angle panning shot; London: slow­motion shot of funeral proceedi...

THE MARRIAGES CHARACTERS MRS. CHURCHLEY COLONEL CHART ADELA CHART GODFREY CHART BEATRICE CHART MURIEL CHART MISS FLYNN (GOVERNESS) THE VISITOR (MRS. GODFREY) WOMAN PARTY GUEST SCENE 1 Fade in—Exterior—High angle panning shot; London: slow­motion shot of funeral proceedings for Mrs. Chart. (19th century­type background music). Family is shown around flower­covered casket. Titles begin. Slow­motion pan of family in months fol­ lowing mother’s funeral. Colonel Chart, Adela, Godfrey, in drawing room (reading, needlepointing, etc.); two younger children, Beatrice and Muriel, running in the fields. Close up of leaves falling off of trees indicating a change of season. Dissolve to a party scene attended by Colonel Chart and Adela. (Quick pan of banquet room— crystal chandeliers, flowers, tapestry, etc.) Adela is holding her/father’s arm as he chats with other party guests. WOMEN PARTY GUEST: (to Adela) I was so sorry to hear about your dear mother; how long has it been now, dear? ADELA: (looking downward; sad) Six months. Colonel Chart, Adela, and the hostess, Mrs. Churchley exit banquet room and enter foyer. MRS. CHURCHLEY: Won’t you stay a little longer? COLONEL: Of course every one’s going on to something else. I believe there are a lot of things tonight. MRS. CHURCHLEY: And where are you going? COLONEL: Oh I don’t do that sort of thing. ADELA:(to Mrs. Churchley) Surely you must be going on somewhere yourself. COLONEL: Yes, you must have a lot of places. 2 MRS. CHURCHLEY: No, no, I have no plans at all. Do stay a little. I always think this is such a nice hour. One can really talk. COLONEL: (laughingly) Ah, but it isn’t fair. MRS. CHURCHLEY: (placing Adela on chair) Do sit down; it’s the only time to have any talk. (Adela resists; wanders away) COLONEL: I’m afraid Adela’s a bit anxious. We’ll have to say good night now. (calling to Adela) I say, Adela, we must release this dear lady. Close up of Adela, as she scrutinizes Mrs. Churchley. Music comes up as Colonel Chart kisses Mrs. Churchley’s hand; looks tenderly into her eyes. Adela, looking indig­ nant, observes this. He releases her gently, takes Adela’s arm as they leave Mrs. Churchley’s house. SCENE 2 Quick shot of carriage taking them home. Close up of the Colonel and Adela riding home in silence. Dissolve to father and daughter in foyer of their home. There is a silent strain between them. COLONEL: (coldly) Good night. ADELA: Good night. Adela ascends stairs to her brother’s study; she peeks in and sees him at his desk. Close up of Godfrey as he discovers her there. GODFREY: Adela, Isn’t it rather late for you? ADELA: Father’s going to marry Mrs. Churchley, you know. GODFREY: How do you know? ADELA: I’ve seen with my eyes. We’ve been dining there—we’ve just come home. He’s in love with her. She’s in love with him. They’ll arrange it. GODFREY: Oh I say. (lights cigarette at mantlepiece) ADELA: He will, he will, he will. (bursts into tears) He oughtn’t to— he oughtn’t to. Think of mamma—think of mamma, (wailing loudly) GODFREY: Yes, someone should think of mamma. (looks at tip of cigarette) ADELA: To such a woman as that—after her. GODFREY: Dear old mamma. ADELA: (rising, drying her eyes) It’s like an insult to her; it’s as if he denied her. He rubs out at a stroke all the years of their happiness. GODFREY: (agreeably) They were awfully happy. ADELA: Think what she was—think how no one else will ever be like her again. 3 GODFREY: I suppose he’s not very happy now. ADELA: Of course he isn’t, any more than you and I are; and it’s dreadful of him to want to be. GODFREY: Well, don’t make yourself miserable till you’re sure. ADELA: Of course, I’m sure. One could tell from the way they behaved together. And also father’s attitude on the drive back home from her house last evening. Oh, she’s so, so public, She’s so, so...florid, promiscuous and mannish. GODFREY: (wanting to get on with his work) Oh I dare say she’s all right. ADELA: All right? All right to come and take darling mamma’s place—to sit where she used to sit, to lay her horrible hands on her things? GODFREY: Oh, I just mean that nothing will come of it. ADELA: No. Not if we do our duty. You must speak to him—tell him how we feel; that we shall never forgive him, that we can’t endure it. GODFREY: He’ll think I’m cheeky. ADELA: Cheeky to plead for her memory? GODFREY: He’ll say it’s none of my business. ADELA: Then you believe he’ll do it? GODFREY: Not a bit. Go to bed. ADELA: I’ll speak to him. GODFREY: Don’t cry out till you’re hurt; wait till he speaks to you. ADELA: He won’t, he won’t. He’ll do it without telling us. GODFREY: (lighting another cigarette) Is Mrs. Churchley very rich? ADELA: I haven’t the least idea. What on earth has that to do with it? GODFREY: (puffing on his cigarette) Does she live as if she were? ADELA: She has a lot of hideous showy things. GODFREY: Well, we must keep our eyes open. And now you must let me get on. (kisses her) ADELA: (burying her head on his shoulder) Ah why did she leave us? Why did she leave us? GODFREY: Yes, why indeed? (disengaging himself with a movement of oppression) SCENE 3 (Colonel and Adela at breakfast) 4 COLONEL: Adela, have you been to call on Mrs. Churchley? ADELA: No indeed, why should I? COLONEL: Don’t you call on people after you dine with them? ADELA: Yes, in the course of time. I don’t rush off within the week. COLONEL: (coldly) Then you’ll please rush off tomorrow. She’s to dine with us on the 12th, and I shall expect your sisters to come down. ADELA: To a dinner party? COLONEL: It’s not to be a dinner party. I want them to know Mrs. Churchley. ADELA: Is there to be nobody else. COLONEL: Godfrey, of course. A family party. (Fade out) (Fade in to later that evening; Godfrey’s room) ADELA: Father is having a dinner party. I suppose that means they will be mak­ ing their announcement. GODFREY: (hesitantly) I’ve been to see Mrs. Churchley. ADELA: What on earth did you do that for? GODFREY: Father told me he wished it. ADELA: Then he has told you? GODFREY: Told me what? ADELA: That they’re engaged, of course. What else can all this mean? GODFREY: He didn’t tell me that, but I like her. ADELA: Like her? (shrieking) GODFREY: She’s very kind, very good. ADELA: To thrust herself upon us when we hate her? Is that what you call kind? Is that what you call decent? GODFREY: I simply don’t hate her. (turns away as though he is bored with her) ADELA: I suppose there is something then, that I must do. GODFREY: And what is that? ADELA: I must call on Mrs. Churchley and tell her exactly what my feelings are. GODFREY: Please, Adela, at least wait until father tells you for sure, that they are to be married. ADELA: (close up) (mildly) I’ll see. 5 SCENE 4 Adela at Mrs. Churchley’s house, waiting to be announced. Close up. She is day­ dreaming, visualizing her encounter with Mrs. Churchley. Superimposed on close up is scene between her and Mrs. Churchley. Adela is down on her knees before her. ADELA: Oh spare us. Have mercy on us. Let him alone. Go away. Camera pans back to reality. Door opens and Adela appears stunned as Mrs. Churchley enters. Adela (looking worried) is about to speak to her. (Fade out, music) SCENE 5 Back at the Chart house, Godfrey’s study. ADELA: What did you say to him? GODFREY: I said nothing. There was nothing to say. ADELA: Is that how it strikes you. GODFREY: He asked me to speak to her. ADELA: In what hideous sense? GODFREY: To tell her I was glad. ADELA: And did you? GODFREY: I don’t know. I said something. She kissed me. ADELA: (shuddering) Oh, how could you. (covers her face with her hands) GODFREY: He says she’s very rich. ADELA: Is that why you kissed her? GODFREY: (strongly) I didn’t kiss her. Good night. SCENE 6 Breakfast room—Colonel’s home, Colonel and Adela at table. COLONEL: I’ve a piece of news for you that will probably shock you. (he kisses her) ADELA: (bursts into tears) COLONEL: (hugging her) Yes, yes, I know, I know. (Beatrice and Muriel enter) 6 ADELA:. (turning to them) Papa’s going to be married; he’s going to marry Mrs. Churchley. Beatrice and Muriel begin crying also; servants come in with tea and boiled eggs. Food gets pushed aside and falls on the floor. The three wailing sisters create a scene of turmoil. Colonel continues to try to quiet them down. Mrs. Flynn attempts to put things back in order. COLONEL: Needless to say, I am stunned by your behavior. Mrs. Churchley is the kindest, the most delightful of women; she only wants to make you happy, only wants to make me happy. (Close up of Colonel; his eyes are watery; he is choked up as he speaks) I think it might be best if you girls go away for a while. I shall see about sending you off to Brinton. (Close ups of Adela, Muriel, and Beatrice, as they exchange glances) SCENE 7 Drawing room of Chart home. GODFREY: Please tell me this, Adela—what was the purpose of your visit the other morning to Mrs. Churchley? ADELA: The purpose. What’s the matter? Why do you ask? GODFREY: They’ve put if off—they’ve put it off a month. ADELA: Thank God. GODFREY: Why the devil do you thank God? ADELA: You know I think it all wrong. GODFREY: What did you do there? How did you interfere? ADELA: Who told you I interfered? GODFREY: You said something—you did something. ADELA: What I did was my own business. GODFREY: Damn your own business. (scowling) You’ve made a pretty mess. And if I don’t pass the exams it will be your fault. (Fade out) Camera comes up on Adela in garden with her younger sisters. ADELA:. (to Beatrice and Muriel) We will be leaving for Brinton tomorrow. Father seems quite miserable. But don’t worry darlings, it will be all right. Besides, it will give us a chance to enjoy the summer home that mamma loved so well. (They hug and kiss) (Fade out—music) 7 SCENE 8 BRINTON: Exterior shot of Brinton (lovely flowers, etc.) Godfrey appears in green house where Adela is watering flowers. ADELA: I’m so glad you are here—I’m so glad. Will you be staying a few days? GODFREY: Only till tomorrow morning. They’re sending me straight to Madrid. I came down to say good­bye. ADELA: To Madrid? How awfully nice. And it’s awfully nice of you to have come. GODFREY: What I really came for—you might as well know without more delay—is to ask you a question. ADELA: A question? GODFREY: (looks deeply into her eyes) Yes. What was it you said that morning to Mrs. Churchley? ADELA: If she has told you, why do you ask? GODFREY: She has told me nothing. I have seen for myself. ADELA: What have you seen? GODFREY: She has broken it off. Everything’s over. Father’s in the depths. ADELA: In the depths? GODFREY: Did you think it would make him jolly? ADELA:He’ll get over it. He’ll be glad. GODFREY: That remains to be seen. You interfered, you invented something; you got round her. I insist on knowing what you did. ADELA: Are you absolutely certain it’s broken off? GODFREY: He is, and she is; so that’s as good. ADELA: What reason has she given? GODFREY: None at all—or half a dozen; it’s the same thing. She has changed her mind—she mistook her feelings—she can’t part with her indepen­ dence. Moreover, she said that he has too many children. ADELA: Did he tell you this? GODFREY: Mrs. Churchley told me. She has gone abroad for a year. ADELA: And she didn’t tell you what I said to her? GODFREY: Why should I take this trouble if she had? ADELA: You might have taken it to make me suffer. That appears to be what you want to do. 8 GODFREY: No, I leave that to you—it’s the good turn you’ve done me. (tears in his eyes) ADELA: What do you mean? What in the world have I done to you? GODFREY: She would have helped me. She was all ready to help me. ADELA:Helped you in what? GODFREY. Can’t you just see I’m in trouble? Where are your eyes, your senses, your sympathy, that you talk so much about? Haven’t you seen these six months that I’ve a curst worry in my life? ADELA: What’s the matter, Godfrey? What is the matter? GODFREY: You’ve gone against me so—I could strangle you. In God’s name, satisfy me. What infernal thing did you do? ADELA: It wasn’t infernal—it was right. I told her mamma had been wretched. GODFREY: Wretched? You told her such a lie? ADELA: It was the only way, and she believed me. GODFREY: Wretched how??—wretched when?—wretched where? ADELA: I told her papa had made her so, and that she ought to know it. I told her the question troubled me unspeakably, but that I had made up my mind it was my duty to initiate her. (pause) I notified her that he had faults and peculiari­ ties that made mamma’s life a long worry—a martyrdom that she hid wonder­ fully from the world, but that we saw and that I had often pitied. I told her what they were, these faults and peculiarities; I put the dots on the i’s. I said it wasn’t fair to let another person marry him with a warning. I warned her; I satisfied my conscience. She could do as she liked. My responsibility was over. GODFREY: You invented such a tissue of falsities and calumnies, and you talk about your conscience? You stand there in your senses and proclaim your crime? ADELA: I’d have committed any crime that would have rescued us. GODFREY: You insult and blacken and ruin your own father? ADELA: He’ll never know it; she took a vow she wouldn’t tell him. GODFREY: Ah, I’ll be damned if I won’t tell him. ADELA. I did right—I did right. I went down on my knees to pray for guidance, and I saved mamma’s memory from outrage. But if I hadn’t, if I hadn’t— I’m not worse than you, and I’m not so bad, for you’ve done something that you’re ashamed to tell me. GODFREY: You raving maniac. (bounds out of house) 9 Fade out to: Adela in drawing room of Brinton by herself. Miss Flynn appears. MISS FLYNN: There is a lady in the drawing room waiting to see you, Adela. ADELA: Is she big and dreadful? MISS FLYNN: Well, she’s dreadful, but she’s not big. ADELA: (bewildered) Well, do show her in, please. A rather gaudy young woman with yellow hair, highly­rouged cheeks, and dressed in bright colors, enters. (She speaks with heavy cockney accent). Adela stares coldly at her for a few seconds. ADELA: Who are you? What is your business here? VISITOR: I’ll tell you what I’ve come for. I’ve come to ask you to intercede. ADELA: To intercede? VISITOR: With your father, you know. He doesn’t know, but he’ll have to. Well, don’t look so bewildered. I’ll tell you who I am. I’m Mrs. Godfrey, that’s who. Yes, your brother’s wife. We’ve been married seven months now. And if he’s taken off, then I’m taken off with him. He didn’t want to tell his father, so I had to talk to some other member of the family “fice to fice.” Being as he was afraid to tell his father himself. I hope you will see to it that the good old colonel does something. Good day. (she exits) Camera pans in on close­up of Adela. She is dazed. Music, fade out. SCENE 9 Godfrey appears in garden at Brinton. ADELA: Oh Godfrey, Godfrey, is it true? GODFREY: I’ve been the most unutterable donkey—you can say what you like to me. You can’t say anything worse that I’ve said to myself. ADELA:My brother, my brother. What has father said? GODFREY: (looking high over her head) He’ll give her six hundred a year. ADELA:Ah, the angel. GODFREY: On condition—she never comes near me. She has solemnly promised, and she’ll probably leave me alone to get the money. If she doesn’t—in diplomacy—I’m lost. I’ve been living in hell. ADELA: My brother, my brother. GODFREY: I’m not an idiot; yet for her I’ve behaved like one. Don’t ask me— 10  you mustn’t know. It was all done in a day, and since then fancy my con­ dition; fancy my work in such a torment; fancy my coming through it all. ADELA: Thank God you passed. You were wonderful. GODFREY: I’d have shot myself if I hadn’t been. I had an awful day yesterday with the governor; it was late at night before it was over. I leave England next week. He brought me down here for it to look well—so that the chil­ dren shan’t know. ADELA: He’s wonderful too. GODFREY: Wonderful. ADELA. Did she tell him? GODFREY: She came straight to Seymour Street from here. She saw him alone first; then he called me in. That luxury lasted about an hour. ADBLA: Poor, poor father.... Have you told him? GODFREY: Told him what? ADELA: What you said you would?—what I did. GODFREY: (turned away) I was angry with you, but I cooled off. I held my tongue. ADELA: (clapping her hands) You thought of mamma. GODFREY: Oh don’t speak of mamma. ADELA: No; if you had thought of her. GODFREY: (flaring) Oh then it didn’t prevent. I thought Mrs. Churchley good. I believed in her. ADELA: Is she very bad? (meaning his wife) GODFREY: I shall never mention her to you again. ADELA: You may believe I won’t speak of her. So father doesn’t know? GODFREY: Doesn’t know what? ADELA: That I said what I did to Mrs. Churchley? GODFREY: I don’t think so, but you must find out for yourself. ADELA: I shall find out. But what had Mrs. Churchley to do with it? GODFREY: With my misery? I told her about it. I had to tell someone. ADELA: Why didn’t you tell me? GODFREY: You? Oh you take things so beastly hard—you make such rows. What I wanted was comfort—not to be lashed up. I thought I should go mad. I wanted Mrs. Churchley to break it to father, to intercede for me and help him to meet it. She was awfully kind to me, she listened and 11  she understood; she could fancy how it had happened. Without her I shouldn’t have pulled through. She liked me, you know; she said she’d do what she could for me. She was full of sympathy and resource. I really leaned on her. But when you cut in of course it spoiled everything. That’s why I was so furious with you. She couldn’t do anything then. ADELA: So that he had to meet it alone? GODFREY: Yes, he had to meet it alone. Father is coming here to stay for a while. He says he wants to be with his girls. I suppose that is a good idea. He needs to be away from London. (Fade out—music) Camera pans in on scenes at Brinton. Colonel Chart is pacing and smoking heavily. Adela watches him. Close up of Adela indicates deep concern for her father. ADELA: Father...(she begins as though she wants to say something, but then changes her mind) COLONEL: Yes, Adela. ADELA: I just want to say...I mean I should have said something a while ago. I am sorry that...that...you were so dreadfully hurt. COLONEL: I appreciate your concern my dear, but these things do happen. Fancy that; a woman changes her mind and everyone of my days is dreary. ADELA: Perhaps we could have some guests in. COLONEL: My dear girl, what in the world would attract them? No, no. I have decided to do a bit of traveling. I shall start in Paris, and then go on to Monte Carlo. I shall conclude my trip in Madrid to visit with Godfrey. (He exits. Close up of Adela as she watches after him pitifully) (Music—fade out) SCENE 10 Overview of London in the spring. Background music is light and airy. Horse­drawn carriages are hurriedly clapping down the streets. Dissolve to a beautifully landscaped park. A year has passed. Adela, Beatrice and Muriel are merrily throwing a ball back and forth. Mrs. Churchley’s carriage comes by. She is perched higher than ever. She does not acknowledge Adela and her sisters. Close up ofAdela as she watches carriage go by. Cut to: Mrs. Churchley’s house. Adela in foyer waiting to be announced. Servant announces her and she enters drawing room where Mrs. Churchley is standing, ready to receive her. MRS. CHURCHLEY: (coldly) Well, you have come to visit? ADELA: (she stares at Mrs. Churchley for a moment and then blurts out her thoughts) Yes, I...I am deeply sorry for the pain I must have caused you. 12  Everything I told you was false. Please regard it as unsaid. Please forgive me. Please do not despise me too much. Take pity on my dear, sweet, per­ fect papa. Please, please, come back to him. He has been miserable with­ out you. MRS. CHURCHLEY: (laughing extravagantly) Oh, this is all too hilarious. (laugh­ ing more) Why I never believed what you said for one minute. It was all too absurd. I really disliked you and I found you utterly false. I told your father what a horrid girl you were and I told him that I could never live with anyone so horrid. I told him that you must be sent away, for you would never marry. I really loathed what you had done, but your father defended you for me. This, of course, led to the complete rupture of our relationship. ADELA: Papa gave you up for me. Fancy the angel. Fancy what I must try to be to him for the rest of his life. Oh Mrs. Churchley, I beg of you. Please, please come back to him. His life is meaningless without you. MRS. CHURCHLEY: (close up) (frivolously) I’m afraid it’s too late. You see, I am going to marry Lord Dovedale next month. MUSIC­CREDITS 13