The Man Who Laughs
1
17th Century
2
ENGLAND
3
His Majesty,
4
King James II.
5
Barkilphedro - Jester
to the King.
6
- but all his jests were
cruel and all his smiles
were false.
7
"Your Majesty - -
Lord Clancharlie is
captured!"
8
"Alive?"
9
"So, the proud rebel who
refused to kiss our hand,
returns from exile to kiss
the 'Iron Lady'."
10
"I came back to find my
little son. What have
you done with him?"
11
"By our grace, he is still
alive and quite well,
I believe."
12
"A Comprachico surgeon
carved a grin upon his
face so he might laugh
forever at his fool of a
father."
13
"Comprachicos!"
14
"And they paid my
Barkilphedro well for
the little fellow."
15
"To the Iron Lady!"
16
"My poor little son -
God help him!"
17
"Leave that boy
behind!"
18
The Comprachico surgeon,
Doctor Hardquanonne.
19
"Bring that boy back!"
20
"We want no victims
to convict us of our
trade!"
21
"That boy is ours by order
of the King - he means
money to us!"
22
"Who disturbs the rest
of Ursus - - the
philosopher?"
23
"Be quiet, Homo!"
24
"My name is Gwynplaine,
and I'm cold and hungry."
25
"What - are there two
of you?"
26
"Blind!"
27
"Stop laughing."
28
"Stop laughing, I say!"
29
"I'm not laughing!"
30
"Comprachicos!"
31
Prosperous years followed
for Father Ursus and
the little green van.
32
Gwynplaine, now a strolling
player - famous through-
out the countryside as 'The
Laughing Man'.
33
In the sightless eyes of
Dea, the image of
Gwynplaine stood always
in a shaft of light.
34
"The Laughing Man
is coming!"
35
"You have a wonderful
clown - he's worth a
lot of money."
36
"I, too, have freaks - a
pig with two snouts
and a cow with five
legs."
37
"You're going to Southwark
Fair, too?"
38
"My name is Hardquanonne.
I shall get better acquainted
with you and - - your
laughing man."
39
Southwark Fair - supported
by the Queen's bounty -
a rattle for the masses to
make them laugh and forget.
40
"See him! Gwynplaine!
The Laughing Man!"
41
"I want you to deliver a
message to a Duchess -
it's important!"
42
"Is this how you rehearse
your part?"
43
"I'll cure you of this love-
sickness - you shall be
married before we leave
Southwark Fair."
44
"Why do you always draw
away from me when Ursus
speaks of marriage?"
45
"Dea, I haven't the right
even to love you."
46
"Gwynplaine, my life
belongs to you."
47
"You would marry me
then, my Dea - without
seeing me?"
48
"Hear how they laugh
at me - nothing but a
clown!"
49
"A message from Doctor
Hardquanonne for the
Duchess Josiana - -
important."
50
The ambitious Barkilphedro
prospered even after the
death of his patron, King
James.
51
"I have a letter for the
Duchess Josiana - and
they won't let me in."
52
"The Queen is inflicting
another concert on the
Court this afternoon -
I'll read the invitation to
your Grace."
53
"Bother her old concert!
Tell me the latest
scandal."
54
"There is a new scandal
on the wing - but rather
close to your Grace,
I fear."
55
"Can it possibly concern
my beloved Dirry-Moir?"
56
"But then, my betrothed
is too stupid to make
an interesting scandal."
57
"You'll be interested, my
dear Duchess - but her
Majesty must be the first
to hear."
58
"It was an apple that got
Eve into trouble - my
dear Duchess."
59
The scandal starts -
60
"I have great news for
Your Majesty, touching
the insolent Josiana."
61
"Dirry-Moir!"
62
"Your betrothed needs
lessons in manners. She
insults us again with her
absence."
63
"My Lady Josiana's disrespect
grieves me deeply. May I not
go and fetch her?"
64
"If I should find this heir,
your Majesty would not
fail to reward her faithful
Barkilphedro?"
65
"It were better for you to
succeed, for I still have
- the Iron Lady!"
66
A more inviting and familiar
seat awaited her Grace, the
Duchess Josiana - at South-
wark Fair.
67
"Are you the Dr. Hardquanonne
who sent a letter to her Grace,
the Duchess Josiana?"
68
"I have the proof."
69
"Take him to the torture
chamber!"
70
"Gwynplaine, you're getting
famous! The crowd is
bigger than ever!"
71
"Gwynplaine! Gwynplaine!"
72
"Gwynplaine!"
73
"Gwynplaine! Bring on
Gwynplaine!"
74
"It's wonderful how my
Gwynplaine makes the
people laugh - even
when he is sad."
75
"This way, to see the
Man Who Laughs!"
76
"Get to the concert as
quickly as you can!
The Queen is raging."
77
"Hey - - we saw
her first!"
78
"To the Royal Palace!"
79
"Never fear, dear Duchess,
I am ever near you."
80
"You allow ruffians at
Southwark Fair greater
liberties than your
betrothed, my dear."
81
"I do what I please and
I'm going there again
to see that laughing
clown!"
82
"We have a great lady
with us, tonight. Nothing
less than a duchess,
I'm sure!"
83
"I wrote this play myself,
after the manner of a
certain Shakespeare -
only much better!"
84
"What a success! And
did you see that
beautiful lady in the
box?"
85
"Was she really so beautiful,
Gwynplaine?"
86
"What a lucky clown you
are - you don't have to
rub off your laugh."
87
"A woman has seen
my face and yet may
love me!"
88
"If such a thing is possible,
then I have the right to
marry Dea."
89
"Forget such nonsense.
Dea loves you - and
she'll never see your
face."
90 [in small type]
"Gwyn - plaine!"
91
"You stay with Dea -"
92
"She laughed, Homo -
like all the others!"
93
"God closed my eyes so
I could see only the real
Gwynplaine."
94
"Where is the clown,
Gwynplaine? He's
under arrest."
95
"Don't tell Dea -"
96
"Go to sleep, Dea. Gwynplaine
and I have business at the
Inn."
97
"They are taking him to
Chatham Prison. Dea
must not know!"
98
"Those who go in there
never come out - don't
wait."
99
"The show is over -"
100
"Dr. Hardquanonne died in
Chatham Prison. His
confession proves beyond
doubt that Gwynplaine is
Lord Clancharlie's lost son."
101
"My poor Josiana -- it
grieves me that she
must marry a clown to
retain her fortune."
102
"Your Majesty is always
the kindest of monarchs."
103
"The clown, Gwynplaine, is
still a prisoner. Tomorrow
he will be made a Peer in
the House of Lords."
104
"It must be time for the
performance."
105
"How can you tell Dea -
and break her heart?"
106
"Dea must not know. The
performance must go on."
107
"Gwynplaine! Gwynplaine!"
108
"Gwynplaine! Bring on
Gwynplaine!"
109
"Gwynplaine! Gwynplaine!
We want Gwynplaine!"
110
"The crowd is gathering
bigger than ever. Listen
to them calling for
Gwynplaine!"
111
"I will now introduce
the great playwright -
Ursus."
112
"You shall see - my Mystery
Play - like Shakespeare -
only much better!"
113
"It is called 'Chaos Vanquished'
- it ends in light and - -
laughter - - !"
114
"It is your entrance,
Dea."
115
"For reasons of state, you
are banished from England.
You leave tomorrow."
116
"Gwynplaine, the laughing
mountebank, is dead."
117
"My Gwynplaine - I can't
believe it!"
118
"Make way for a Peer
of England."
119
On their way to the
London docks.
Banished!
120
"Make way for a Peer
of England!"
121
"Some buffoons have stopped
our progress. It is but a few
steps - - will you deign to
walk?"
122
"Where are you taking
me, Homo?"
123
"It's outrageous - a clown
in the House of Peers -
behold his banner and
his crest!"
124
"So they all have forgotten
the Laughing Man's little
sweetheart!"
125
"Come with me. We will
surprise my Lord Gwynplaine
and overwhelm Her Majesty,
the Queen."
126
"Lord Clancharlie, Baron
Clancharlie, Marquis of
Corleone, be you welcome
among your peers, the
lords spiritual and temporal
of Great Britain."
127
"- and the Queen also
decrees that Lord
Clancharlie shall take to
wife, her Grace, the
Duchess Josiana."
128
"He laughs at the
Queen's command!"
129
"He laughs at the
House of Lords!"
130
"Can't you tell he's
in there? Listen to
them laugh!"
131
"You must not go in that
door, child - come, I'll
show you the way."
132
"I protest!"
133
"I shall not be forced into
this hateful marriage - -
not even on the Queen's
command!"
134
"How dare you refuse the
hand of a Duchess - -
you clown!"
135
"A King made me a
clown!"
136
"A gracious Queen has
made you a Lord - -
you will honor her
Majesty's command!"
137
"A Queen made me
a Lord -"
138
"But first, God made
me a man!"
139
"Make way for a Peer
of England!"
140
"Seize this laughing clown,
who dares insult the
Queen of England!"
141
"Gwynplaine, the clown,
goes back to his people!
You go to the Queen
for your reward!"
142
"It's Gwynplaine! Our
Laughing Man is back!"
143
"Dea - where is Dea?"
144
"They were ordered to
leave England. You
may still find them at
the docks."
145
"To the tower! He's
trapped!"
146
"Quick! Drive to the
docks!"
147
"Dea!"
148
"DEA!"
149
"DEA!"
150
"Homo!"
151
"Search the docks!"
152
"DEA!"
FINIS
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