Mansfield Park

"And just as Eliza was majestically removing..."

"...a fifty-pound banknote from the drawer to her own purse..."

"...we were suddenly interrupted by old MacDonald himself!"

"We called up all the winning dignity of our sex to do what must be done."

"Sophia shrieked and fainted, and I screamed and instantly ran mad."

"Finally, we regained our senses, escaped and hastened to London."

"We began to think of returning to our mothers,"

"but accidentally heard that they had both..."

"...starved to death!"

Fanny!

- Goodbye, Susy. - Goodbye

Think of lots of good stories for me and eat thousands of tarts.

And you, little girl, continue to brush your hair, but not all off.

Fanny, he's here.

Wake up. Say goodbye to your sister.

- Sorry for the delay. - Just hurry along, then.

- Goodbye! - Come on, I ain't got all day.

- Goodbye! - Goodbye, Mama.

- Give my regards to my sisters. - Yes, Mama.

And you will write to tell me when I'm to return?

Mama?

Hup! Get on now!

- Bye-bye! - Goodbye, Susy!

Goodbye!

Bye!

Whoa. Whoa.

Do you hear that?

Black cargo, Miss.

- Black cargo? - Aye. Slaves.

Probably some captain or heroic ship doctor...

...brought home a few darkies as gifts for the wife.

Hup! Get on there!

Whoa! Stand!

Hello?

- Hello? - You know it's 5 o'clock in the morning.

A Mrs. Norris arranged for this girl to be brought here.

It's her niece or something.

Mrs. Norris lives in the parsonage over there.

I was told most definitely to drop her at the front entrance of Mansfield Park.

Then drop her.

- You must be my aunt, Aunt Norris. - Yes, yes...

He brought you two hours too early.

Come in.

Ellis, gather up the children.

Now, let us have a look at you.

Well... I'm sure you have other qualities.

Sir Thomas, she's here. Our new little charge.

- Hello, Fanny. - Hello, Sir Thomas.

- Greetings from my family, sir. - Yes, thank you. H-How was your journey?

Lovely, sir. I'd no idea England was so big.

But you came, what? A hundred miles?

- Yes, sir. Impressive. - Indeed, it is.

Well, then, why don't you get her settled in

with you and Mr. Norris at the parsonage, and we'll introduce the children later.

With Mr. Norris and myself?

- Yes... I-I thought... - No. No, no, no.

There's been a misunderstanding, sir.

When I suggested that we take in

my sister lady Bertram's and my poor niece, I wouldn't...

- Pl-Please do not trouble yourself on my behalf, I... - Shh!

You speak when you're spoken to.

Will you excuse us, Miss Price?

Good morning. I am Maria Elizabeth Bertram.

And I am Julia Frances Bertram. Pleased to make your acquaintance.

Pleased to meet you.

...no more tolerate the noise of a child than he could fly!

But it might not be wise to have her here in the house with the boys.

If you breed her up with them from this time,

and suppose her even to have the beauty of an angel,

she'll never be more to either than a sister.

Well, I suppose there's truth to that.

Well, then, it's settled.

Maria, Julia, listen...

We must prepare ourselves for gross ignorance,

some meanness of opinion and a certain vulgarity of manner.

- These are not incurable faults. - I hope she will not tease my poor Pug.

I have but just persuaded Julia to leave him alone.

Of course not my dear

But you girls must never be arrogant towards her.

She is not your equal.

But that must never be apparent to her.

- It is a point of great delicacy. - Oh, great delicacy, yes.

Dining parlour through there, over there, the conservatory,

and that way down to the cellars.

I hope you don't tend towards sulkiness, dear.

Your mother certainly had the inclination.

Clearly marrying to disoblige her family.

That's the west wing.

Soon to be repaired if Tom could set aside his horses and the dice for long enough!

The billiard room. For the men, of course.

Remember there is moderation in all things.

Yes... Yes, Tom did it of himself.

Very modern... Very modern...

Sir Thomas' extraordinary library.

Come along. Haven't got all day.

And here is Sir Thomas' study.

Never disturb him here.

He is weighed down with some very great cares at the moment.

This is his personal sanctuary.

The maids' rooms. Manservants' rooms down there.

You will be my assistant, you understand.

And up here, what was formerly the nursery and then the governess' room,

is now your very own room!

Oh.

- Excuse me. - Yes?

How long am I expected to remain here?

Well, that depends, doesn't it?

But if all goes well... forever.

"Dear Susy, it seems that Mother has given me away."

"And I can augur nothing but misery from all I have seen at Mansfield Park."

D-Don't worry. I'm all for crying. Makes your hair grow.

Don't make fun of me.

Is it working?

- Is what working? - My behaviour.

- Is it making you feel better? - It's certainly distracting.

Good... Anyway, I'm Edmund.

So, who do you miss?

"I told Edmund about you especially, Susy."

"He asked me if I wished to write to you, and I said I had no paper."

"And didn't he give me enough for more letters and stories"

"than you shall ever want to receive."

"By the way, Eliza eloped to Paris with her lover."

"Unfortunately, she lived beyond her means"

"and was imprisoned and partially eaten by her two young sons."

"But she intends to murder the guards."

"I'll keep you abreast of any further developments."

"P.S."

"Could you please assure Mother"

- "that I am improving myself daily?" - ...I am... improving myself daily.

The history of England.

Henry VI.

It was in this reign that Joan of Arc lived

and made such a fuss among the English.

They should not have burnt her, but they did.

Henry VIII...

I'll save you the task of hearing what you've already heard,

and myself of recounting what I do not perfectly recollect,

justice and duty, however...

And then that disgrace to humanity, that pest of society, Elizabeth,

who, murderess and wicked queen that she was,

confined her cousin, the lovely Mary, Queen of Scots, for 19 years,

and then brought her to an untimely, unmerited, and scandalous death.

Much to the eternal shame of the monarchy and the entire kingdom.

"By a partial, prejudiced and ignorant historian."

- Fanny, you are awful! - All those quarrels and wars!

The men all good for nothing, and hardly any women at all.

It's very tiresome.

I often think it odd that history should be so dull.

- Mmm. - A great deal of it must be invention.

Yes, I shall have to bend your supple mind in more strict a fashion.

I think the situation calls for some...

...Shakespeare!

Fanny Price!

Will you please try to act with some decorum?

What?

What?

Do you like her?

Mrs. Shakespeare, she's my refuge, Edmund. I can't thank you enough.

My gifts are nothing next to yours.

My writing is wood compared to your wild constructions.

Yes, I'm a wild beast! I'm sure Sir Thomas would agree.

Don't concern yourself with his gravity, Fanny.

He has many things to preoccupy him.

Such as?

Edmund!

- It's complex. - And I'm too simple?

Fanny!

He regrets taking me in, doesn't he?

No, it's...

It's just it's problems with the slaves in the plantation.

- The abolitionists are making inroads, and... - That's a good thing, isn't it?

Well, we all live off the profits, Fanny.

Including you.

Tom, you mustn't be serious!

Come back!

Tom!

You will do as I say!

What, and do as you do?

Even I have principles, sir!

Tom!

Ah, you are an angel.

Tom!

"Dear Susy, news items..."

"Sir Thomas has dragged Tom along with him to the West Indies to..."

"...'protect our interests there.'"

"Maria has found herself a fiancé, a Mr. Rushworth,"

"who Sir Thomas has approved by post."

"Everyone seems delighted with him, except Edmund, who says that,"

"'If he had not £12,000 a year, we should think him prodigiously dim.'"

"Consequently, there is a new urgency to Julia's search for a suitor."

"And Mrs. Norris' husband died..."

"...which did not seem to inconvenience her very much at all."

"She's moved into Mansfield proper, where life is decidedly less expensive for her."

"What joy is mine! So..."

"Now there is a new parson moved into the parsonage, and..."

"...life seems nothing more than a quick succession of busy nothings."

They are half-brother and -sister to the new parson's wife.

I expect you to entertain them with suitable attention and animation,

not to mention alacrity!

I might need the rest of the morning to recover