Little Dorrit (2008) s01e07 Episode Script

How can you and I be friends when my family sponge upon you? I want to ask you if we could be more than friends.
If you would consent to be my wife.
I thank you for your proposal, but I can't consider it.
I gave my consent to marry Mr Gowan this morning.
Your mother, Arthur Put it right.
If we have wronged someone and reparation can be made, let us know it and make it.
Let me make it.
I need to find out as much as possible about a man held in the Marshalsea for debt.
If there's a trail worth following, I'll follow it.
I'm going to get to the bottom of this Dorrit business or blow myself up in the attempt.
- What have we done? - Downstairs there is a wooden box containing legal documents.
I want to see them destroyed, not hidden.
Guard it with your life.
It's imperative that my son should never see them.
Oh, Lord! Now I'm locked out! He's at the tavern and she can't come downstairs! Perhaps I can be of some assistance, madame? I see there is a little window up there.
Oh, my saints Are you a burglar, Sir? No, madame! I am here on business with Mrs Clennam! Toujours gai! Oh, he'll murder her and then Jeremiah'll murder me! Will you step in, madame? Affery! Who's this? Death of my soul.
How did you get here? I could ask the same of you.
Well, you see, I got locked out.
He's here on business and he climbed up That's enough from you! You shall have such a dose for this.
In you go! This way, sir.
Sir? You! Sit down, and don't stir until I say so! Who's there? What's going on down there?! Perhaps you could take me to your mistress now, if you would be so kind, monsieur? Your name? Blandois.
From Paris.
And yours, sir? Jeremiah Flintwinch.
Ah, of course! You know, you are so like a friend of mine.
Well, shall we go up? What the devil is that? This is an old house, Monsieur Blandois.
BANGING Where's my tea?! It's late! Affery! Tea! Monsieur Blandois.
On business.
Madame.
You were expecting me, I think? I was not, sir.
Ah.
Here is my letter of introduction.
The house of Arromanche.
Just so, madame.
And they speak well of you, sir.
The house of Clennam, of course, carries great respect.
That is why when we thought of opening up a line of business here, naturellement, we came to you, madame.
Have you been long with the house of Arromanche, ? I was formerly in Marseilles, and before thateverywhere! You have no ties, I suppose.
You are not married? I adore your sex, madame.
But madame, I am not married.
Never was.
Affery! What is the matter with you? I don't know.
It ain't me.
It's him! Don't pay no heed to her, sir! She shall have a dose, she shall have such a dose! Get along with you, while you know you're Affery, and before you're shaken to yeast! Take sugar, sir? No, thank you.
No tea for me.
That is a remarkable watch.
Very fine.
What is this? "Do not forget".
I wonder, what is it, dear madame, that you wish never to forget? Someyouthful indiscretion? A lost love? That is my concern, sir, not yours.
The watch please, Monsieur Blandois.
There are secrets in all families, I suppose.
Yes.
Yes, there are.
There are the devil's own secrets in some families.
N'est-ce pas? Ma cherie? Monsieur Blandois, have we business to do or have we not? Let us not be over-hasty.
Be assured, Blandois will return.
But for now, I must wish you good evening.
Au revoir.
Affery! Show Monsieur Blandois out! This way please, sir.
Don't follow too close.
Well, Flintwinch? Didn't care for the smell of him.
ThEre.
Where's me brother? He's gone, Mr Flintwinch.
Did he leave anything behind? No, Mr Flintwinch.
Have you got a Frenchman, name of Blandois, staying here, by any chance? Did have.
He paid his bill and left this morning.
Right.
Over and over and over before he died, he pressed it into my hand saying, "Your mother, Arthur, put it right".
What did he mean? What have we done? Mr Dorrit! Are you on your way to see your brother? That's right, sir.
So am I.
May I walk with you? An honour, sir.
An honour.
Were you always a musician, Mr Dorrit? No, I was a gentleman of leisure, sir.
Owned a boarding house for young ladies of the theatrical profession, but that had to be sold, sir, many years ago.
Everything was lost.
Except my old clarinet, fortunately, so I had the means of making a living.
Might I ask how it was lost? They showed me something I had signed, a surety for William it was called.
They spoke of something called unlimited liability.
I think unlimited liability must be a terrible thing.
It is.
But here we all are! Life's not so bad.
We jog along, Mr Clennam.
We jog along.
I used to know your father very well, you know.
You knew my father? Long ago.
Before you were born.
He used to visit, at the boarding house, now and then.
A very pleasant and quiet-spoken gentleman.
Why didn't you say anything before? Long gone days, sir.
Long gone days.
Best not talked about.
Ah.
Here we are.
I believe Tip is here today as well.
William.
Mr Clennam! You are very welcome, sir! Edward, give Mr Clennam your chair.
No.
I don't see why I should.
Tip! Dear Clennam, I must apologise for the inexcusable It's quite unacceptable.
Perhaps I should leave.
I feel like I'm intruding.
It is for him to leave! How dare you treat my guest in such a manner! It's got nothing to do with you, Pa.
It has everything to do with me! Your behaviour is unfilial! Unchristian! You're no son of mine! Mr Clennam, please, please, please forgive us.
Nothing to forgive.
But I will be on my way.
Do you see what you've done?! Never speak to one of my guests in that manner again! Do you understand?! Mr Clennam! Please don't be offended by Tip.
He behaved very badly, but don't judge him too harshly.
He feels that no-one respects him so he demands respect, but in all the wrong ways.
I know why he's angry.
I didn't give him the money that he asked for.
It's all right, I'm not offended.
Thank you.
I should go back.
No, don't go.
It's really you I came to see.
I was worried about you when Maggy had said you'd been unwell the other day.
Are you feeling better now? What? What is it? Nothing! Nothingit's nothing.
It's just all that in there.
It's painful to me.
But you are sad.
What is it? I fancied I was in love with someone.
The girl I spoke to you about.
And now I know that she's in love with someone else, and is to be married to him, someone much nearer her own age.
Well, I've learnt my lesson.
I don't know why I'm telling you all this, Amy! Pancks, the gypsy! Excuse me.
I should go back.
Pancks, the gypsy! Fortune telling! And what a fortune, eh? What are you doing here, Pancks? You're not drunk, by any chance, are you? Possibly I am.
But it makes no odds.
I've been treating 'em all round, haven't I, Mr Rugg? Mr Rugg, Mr Clennam.
Mr Clennam, Mr Rugg.
He has, sir.
Been treating 'em all round.
We're all drunk! I I am coming into my property, Mr Clennam, and I can afford to be liberal.
Roast beef and plum pudding for everybody! A quart of double stout a head! A pint of wine, if you like it! And to think of him, up there, old Dorrit, making his speeches, and her up there in that little dress, and neither of 'em knowing what's coming to 'em, upon my soul, it's enough to make me want to Make a back, Mr Rugg! Yeah! Go on, bend over! A little higher.
That'll do! Look here, Mr Clennam, look here.
Have you made a discovery? We rather think so.
Does it implicate anyone? How implicate? In any wrong-doing of any kind? Can't say for sure yet.
We shall be all set very soon.
You shall tell her, Mr Clennam, and then she shall break it to him.
But what, for God's sake, what?! Just you wait and see, Mr Clennam.
Just you wait and see.
Mrs Gowan, ma'am.
My dear soul, pity me.
Henry? Henry.
The thing is settled? It is.
He is to marry the Miggles girl.
My poor dear.
I feel for you.
I too have a son.
How they make us suffer! I should dearly like to know what you think of it.
What Society will think of it.
It sounds mercenary to ask what the gentleman will get with his marriage, but then Society is a little mercenary.
From what I can make out, Henry will be relieved from his debts.
And the father will give them an allowance, which, in Italy Oh! Going to Italy? Yes.
Henry's to study.
That dreadful Art.
An amateur he may be, but I see.
Of course, the girl's family have made the most strenuous efforts to capture Henry.
Of course they have.
And of course I have persisted in every possible objection.
Of course you have, my love.
But all of no use.
Now, tell me, my dear, am I justified in at last yielding my most reluctant consent to Henry's marrying among people not in Society? Or have I acted with most inexcusable weakness? My dear Mrs Gowan, Society will understand.
Society will absolve you.
All will be well.
Thank you.
Thank you, my dear.
Thank you.
Good day, Clennam.
I was in the neighbourhood, thought I'd pay a visit.
I'm sorry about my mother, by the way.
She did rather seem to have got hold of the wrong end of the stick.
About the Meagleses.
She knows very well I shall be dependent on Mr Meagles's wealth and generosity when I marry Pet.
But she needs to make out she's doing the world a favour by condescending to have anything to do with it.
It is a bore, and it is a sham.
But then isn't everything in this jolly old world a bit of a sham? Including love? Marriage? I hope you're not intending to treat your marriage to Pet as a sham.
What a capital world it is, eh! What a jolly, excellent, lovable old world! I quite envy you as a bachelor, you know, being about to put my head in the noose.
In the noose? I know.
She's a beautiful and charming girl, and I love her with all my heart.
Still, at one time I had other prospects, and now here I am without them.
And here you are - what a comfortable life.
Gowan, would it be very rude of me to ask you the purpose of this visit? As a matter of fact, I wanted to ask you if you'd stand up with me.
Stand up with you? In what sense? As my best man, of course.
Never you mind, old fellow.
SQUAWK I know.
It's excruciating.
Just the same at the office - a lot of pompous fools, it makes a fellow itchy.
Yes, it does.
Should we attend Henry Gowan's wedding or not? Mr Merdle, do you listen to a single word I say, I wonder? Mr Merdle! Yes.
I might be better off talking to the bird.
He would at least have screamed.
Would you like me to scream, Mrs Merdle? I would like you to behave like a proper member of Society, Mr Merdle.
I mean really, you ought not to go into Society unless you can accommodate your self to Society.
What? Who does more for Society than I do? Do you see this furniture? Do you look in the glass and see yourself? Do you know the cost of all this? And yet you tell me that I oughtn't to go into Society? Pray don't be violent, Mr Merdle.
Violent? You are enough to make me desperate! You carry your business cares about wherever you go instead of leaving them in the city and there is, you know, a positive vulgarity about that.
You think that, do you? If you have any doubt of my judgement, ask Edmund Sparkler.
Edmund! We want you here.
What is it, Mater? Evening, Guv'nor.
What do people say about your father? I don't know.
Nothing at all, I should think.
Think, Edmund! Well, um.
I have heard fellers saying the Guv'nor's tremendously rich and knowing, perfect phenomenon in the banking line and all that.
But thatthe shop sits a bit heavy on him.
Which is exactly my complaint.
Edmund.
Oh, Gowan, take care of her, take care of her! Don't be so broken-hearted, sir.
By heaven I will! Pet! Pet! Did you remember your warm shawl? Thank you.
Goodbye.
Thank you.
Well, it's done, and we must bear it bravely as best we can.
St Aldegone, so it's said, had a taste for marriages and public executions.
Very similar events on occasion.
Oh, my poor boy! Mr Clennam! Mr Clennam! Mr Clennam! It is all done, Mr Clennam! It is all signed, sealed and copper-bottom guaranteed! And you may tell her now, sir, as soon as you like, and she may tell him! And won't they be amazed, eh? Won't they be flabbergasted? What is it, Pancks? What do I have to tell her? Remember I asked you if you were one of the Clennams of Cornwall? Yes, I said I wasn't.
What of it? Nothing.
In fact, you could say THE Dorrit of Dorsetshire, or his direct descendant! You mean? Yes! The Father of the Marshalsea! Little Dorrit's pa! He is heir at law to a great estate, sir, that is long untouched, unkindly accumulated.
No more Marshalsea for him, Mr Clennam! He is a very rich man! He's a very rich man indeed! How did you find all this out? I moled it out, sir, grain by grain.
I tracked down every Dorrit in the land, and I kept on until I'd ruled out every last one of them except for our friend in the Marshalsea.
I spent all I had, and I borrowed too from my old proprietor, that noble old fellow.
You know what he charged me? 20%! You shall be recompensed fully by me, Mr Pancks.
And rewarded too, I imagine! A £1,000 would see me right, Mr Clennam, and that's nothing to Mr Dorrit now.
But I leave that to you, sir, and also to break it to the family.
Yeah, can't be done too soon, in my opinion, sir.
Mr Clennam, Ma'am.
Oh! Arthur Doyce and Clennam, what a sight you must think me.
Pray excuse the wrapper, and a faded check too, which is worse, but our little friend is making me a skirt and there was to be a trying-on after breakfast.
I apologise for calling so early.
Oh, Arthur Doyce and Clennam, Papa need never know you are here and, as you are well aware, our little friend can be fully trusted to be discreet.
Um, Flora.
It is our little friend that I came to see.
Yes, of course.
Amy! Flora, would you mind leaving us alone for just a moment? Amy, I have some very important news about your father.
There's something up, John, I feel it in my bones.
I feel it in my bones too, Pa.
Amy, my dear? Father.
I have been made so happy this morning.
Mr Clennam brought some wonderful news about you! If he had not prepared me for it, I do not think I could have borne it.
What is it? What is it? Sir, compose yourself.
And think of the best surprise that could possibly happen to you.
The very best.
Do not be afraid to imagine it.
The very bestthat could happen to me? Yes.
What would it be? To To be free.
You shall be.
And very soon.
And there is more.
You shall be prosperous.
You are heir to a great fortune.
Pancks was the one that found it out.
I shall be free? You shall be free, Father.
And rich? And you can be as you were again.
Oh, Father, Father.
Thank God, thank God! AndI can leave the Marshalsea? As soon as you're ready to.
And rich? I shall be rich? No doubt of it.
I shall be rich.
Mr Clennam, am I to understand that I could pass through the gate at this very moment? I think not quite yet.
So I am still confined? It is but a few hours, sir.
A few hours! You talk easily of hours, sir.
How long do you think an hour is to a man who is choking for want of air? But, perhaps it's Perhaps it's for the best.
Yes, for the best.
Yes, perhaps it is as well.
Father, I think you should rest now.
Yes, yes, I'm, er It's all been, um Yes, very tired.
I shall be rich.
I shall be free.
We're going into a new world.
This place, and all connected with it, will soon be forgotten and as if they never were.