Jane Eyre (1983) - Episode 7

BBC 1983 TV Mini-Series

Timothy Dalton ... Edward Rochester
Zelah Clarke ... Jane Eyre

Hello.

There you are.

Well, come on!

If you please.

And this is Jane Eyre.

Yes, just one of your
tricks to come on foot.

What the devil have you
been doing this last month?

I've been with my
aunt, sir, who is dead.

A true janian reply.

Good angels be my guard.

She comes from the abode of the dead.

I said you were an elf.

I'm no elf, sir.

Truant!

Absent from me a whole month.

And forgetting me quite, I'm sure.

I thought you were in London, sir.

I suppose you found
that out by second sight.

But I'm back.

I had a letter from mrs. Fairfax.

Stay still.

And did she inform you
of what I went to do?

Oh, yes, sir.

To buy a new carriage
and to make arrangements

for your wedding to miss Ingram.

Ah, you should see the carriage, Jane,

and tell me if you
don't think it would suit

mrs. Rochester exactly.

I wish at times I were a trifle

better adapted to match with her...

externally.

Tell me now, fairy that you are,

you couldn't give me a charm or a

philter or something of the sort?

It would be past the
power of magic, sir.

Off with you, then.

Go and stay your weary
little wandering feet

at a friend's threshold.

Thank you, mr. Rochester,

for your great kindness to me.

I'm strangely glad to be back again.

And wherever you are is my home.

My only home.

A fortnight of dubious calm followed.

Nothing was said of
the master's marriage.

I saw no preparations.

Mrs. Fairfax knew nothing.

Strangest of all, he never
rode over to Ingram Park.

Then, one morning, he summoned

me to the drawing room.

Sit down.

Now, Jane...

Thornfield is a pleasant
place, is it not?

Yes, sir.

And you must have

become, in some degree,
attached to the house.

I am indeed, sir.

And to that foolish little child Adele.

Even to simple dame Fairfax.

I have an affection for them both, sir.

And would be sorry to part with them.

Yes, sir.

Pity.

It's always the way.

No sooner are you settled
in a pleasant resting place

than you must rise and move on.

Must I? Must I leave Thornfield, sir?

Yes, I'm sorry, Jane. I
believe indeed you must.

I shall be ready when
the order comes, sir.

It is come now.

Then you are to be married.

Exactly.

Precisely.

With your usual acuteness,

you have hit the nail
straight on the head.

Soon, sir?

Very soon, my...

...miss Eyre.

And you'll remember the
first time I intimated

that I intended to take miss Ingram

to my bosom, you said, with

that discretion I admire in you,

that you and little Adele
had better trot forthwith.

I shall seek another
situation immediately, sir.

In a month, I hope to be a bridegroom.

In the interim, I will myself

look out for employment for you.

I'm sorry to put you to
any kind of trouble, sir.

No need to apologize.
You've done your duty well.

You have a sort of claim upon me.

Indeed, I had heard of a
situation that may suit.

The five daughters of
a mrs. Dionysius O'Gall,

in Western Ireland.

Ireland?!

Oh, you'll like Ireland, I think.

They're very warm-hearted
people there, they say.

But it is so far away!

From what?

Well, from England and
from Thornfieldand...

And?

From you, sir.

We've been good friends, Jane...

have we not?

Yes, sir.

Then we shall sit
together in peace tonight.

Even if we should be
destined never to do so again.

It's a long way to Ireland.

I'm sorry to send my little
friend on such weary travels,

but if I cannot do better,

how is it to be helped?

Are you anything akin to
me, Jane, do you think?

Because I have a strange
feeling with regard to you.

Especially when you're
near to me as now.

And if that boisterous channel

and 200 miles of land
come broad between us

I'm afraid some cord of
communion will be snapped

and I shall take to bleeding inwardly.

As for you...

you'd forget me.

That I never should, sir.

Do you hear the nightingale
singing in the wood?

Listen.

I wish I'd never been born.

I wish I'd never seen Thornfield.

Why? Because you're sorry to leave it?

I love Thornfield.

I love it because in it I've
lived a full and delightful life.

I have not been trampled on.

I've talked face to face with
what I reverence

with what I delight in.

I've known you, mr. Rochester.

It strikes me with
terror and with anguish

to be torn away from you forever.

I see the necessity of departure

and it is like looking
on the necessity of death.

Well, where do you see the necessity?

You have placed it before me.

Miss Ingram. Your bride.

My bride? What bride?

I have no bride.

But you will have.

Yes, I will.

Then I must go.

No, Jane, you must stay.

I swear it.

I tell you I must go.

Do you think because I am
poor, obscure, plain, and little

I am soulless and heartless?

I have as much soul as
you and full as much heart.

And if god had blessed me with

some beauty and much wealth,

I would have made it as
hard for you to leave me now

as it is for me to leave you!

It is my spirit which
addresses your spirit...

just as though both had
passed through the grave

and we stood at God's
feet equal as we are.

As we are.

So...

so, Jane...

you are a married man,
or as good as married.

Married to one inferior to you

whom I do not believe you truly love.

I would scorn such a marriage,

therefore I am better
than you. Let me go!

Jane, don't struggle so,
like a wild frantic bird.

I am no bird.

I am a free human being
with an independent will

and I shall leave you.

It is your will that
shall decide your destiny.

I offer you my heart...

my hand and a share
of all my possessions.

You play a farce with me.

I ask you to pass
through life at my side.

To be my second self and
best earthly companion.

Come, Jane.

Come hither.

Your bride stands between us.

My bride is here.

Because my equal is here...

and my likeness.

Jane, will you marry me?

Do you doubt me, Jane?

Entirely.

You have no faith in me?

Not a whit!

Am I a liar in your eyes?

What love have I for miss Ingram?

None! And that you know!

What love has she for me?

I shall never marry that mercenary.

You... you strange, you...

you almost unearthly thing,

I love you as my own flesh.

I entreat you.

Accept me as your husband.

Jane, I must have you for my own.

Entirely my own. Will you be mine?

Accept me.

Marry me.

Mr. Rochester, let me look at your face.

Are you in earnest?

Do you truly love me?

Do you sincerely wish
me to be your wife?

I do.

And if an oath is necessary to satisfy,

I swear it.

Then, sir...

I will marry you.

Make my happiness.

I will make yours.

God pardon me and man
meddle not with me.

I have her and will hold her.

Edward, there is no one to meddle.

I have no kindred to interfere.

No, that's the best of it.

Are you happy, Jane?

Yes.

It will atone.

My love and constancy will expiate.

God will judge me kindly.

For man's opinion... I defy it.

Edward?

Oh, come and bid me good morning, Jane!

Oh, you're blooming
and smiling and pretty,

truly pretty this morning!

Is this my pale little elf?

Is this my mustard seed?

It is Jane Eyre, sir.

Soon to be Jane Rochester.

In four weeks, Janet, not a day more.

What, you're blushing! What's that for?

Jane Rochester. It seems so strange.

Yes, mrs. Rochester.

Edward Fairfax Rochester's girl bride.

Human beings never enjoy

complete happiness in this world.

I am no exception. It's a daydream.

Which I can and will realize.

I wrote this morning
to my banker in London

to send me certain jewels
he has in his keeping.

- I shall pour them into your lap.
- No.

I shall hang diamond
chains around your neck.

Oh, please do not speak to

me as though I were a beauty.

I am your plain quakerish governess.

You are a beauty in my eyes,

and I shall make the world
acknowledge your beauty.

Then you won't know me.

I shan't be Jane Eyre any longer.

I don't speak to you as
though you are handsome,

though I love you dearly.
Too dearly to flatter you.

Please, don't flatter me.

Please don't send the letter.

But you must ask me
for something else.

Very well

My curiosity is much
piqued on one matter.

What? Curiosity is a
dangerous petition, Jane.

Why did you go to such
pains to make me believe

you wished to marry miss Ingram?

Is that all? Thank god it's no worse.

Well, I confess I...

even though I risk rousing
that fiery indignation of yours,

that I wanted to make you as madly

in love with me as I was with you.

I tried to arouse your jealousy.

That was a burning shame, sir.

Did you not think of
miss Ingram's feelings?

Miss Ingram's feelings were
no more than pride and greed.

She was glad of be rid of me.

You have a curious,
designing mind, mr. Rochester.

Well, my principles were
never trained, miss Eyre.

I am so astonished,

I hardly know what to
say to you, miss Eyre.

Have you accepted him?

Yes.

I could never have thought it.

He means to marry you?

He tells me so.

Well, it passes me.

Well, no doubt it is
true since you say so.

There are 20 years of
difference in your ages.

He might almost be your father.

Oh, no, indeed, mrs. Fairfax.

And no one who saw us together

would suspect it for an instant.

Mr. Rochester looks as
young and is as young

as many men at five and twenty.

Is it really only for
love he is marrying you?

Oh, I'm sorry. I do
not wish to grieve you.

But you are so young

and so little acquainted with men.

I wish to put you on your guard.

Against what, mrs. Fairfax?

In this case, I do fear
that there may be something

found different to what
either you or I expect.

Why? Am I a monster?

Is it impossible that mr. Rochester

should have a sincere affection for me?

No, I daresay he is fond of you,

but gentlemen in his station

are not accustomed to
marry their governesses.

There have been times when for your sake

I have been a little uneasy
at his marked preference

and have wished to
put you on your guard.

But I did not like to suggest
the possibility of wrong.

Wrong? Mrs. Fairfax, we are marrying.

Last night I cannot
tell you what I suffered

when I saw you coming in
with him at such a late hour.

It is enough that all was right.

I hope all will be right in the end.

Sophie?

Are you?

Sophie, what are you doing?

This much I can tell you,
it was not Grace Poole!

It was nothing but a
creature of your imagination!

Oh, I must be careful of
your nerves, my treasure.

Sir, the thing was real.

And your dreams
beforehand, were they real?

Now, is the hall a ruin?

You had another dream, Jane.

And this? This veil,
your special gift to me!

Well, thank god
anything malignant

did come near you last night,

it was only the veil that was harmed.

Oh, to think what might have happened.

But tell me who or what that woman was.

Now, Jane, I'll tell you.

It was half-dream,
half-reality.

Now, clearly a woman
entered your room last night.

That woman was Grace Poole.

You said yourself she's
a strange creature.

Now, what did she do to me?

To Mason?

You were between sleeping and waking.

You were feverish, almost
delirious after that dream,

and you saw her in a goblin shape,

horrible features, quite
different to her own.

You had a nightmare, Jane,

but the spiteful tearing
of the veil is real,

and it is like her.

Then why do you keep...
I see you would ask me yet again

why I keep such a woman in my house!

When we are married a year and a day,

I will tell you. Not before.

Are you satisfied?

I'll go and finish my packing.

Oh, wait.

Doesn't Sophie sleep
with Adele in the nursery?

Yes.

You'd better share it
with them tonight, Jane.

I will do so gladly.

And lock the door on the inside.

Sleep well. No nightmares
tonight, dearest.

Dream of happiness.

Welcome, sir. Welcome, madam.

Would you kindly come up
to the communion rails?

This is a most happy occasion.

Mr. Rochester, I have had
the privilege...

many times...
-shall we proceed, mr. Wood?

Why, of course.

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here

in the sight of God and in
the face of this congregation

to join together this
man and this woman...

...just cause why they may not
lawfully be joined together,

let him now speak or else
hereafter ever hold his peace.

I require and charge ye both,

as ye will answer at the
dreadful day of judgment

when the secrets of all
hearts shall be disclosed,

that if either of ye know any impediment

why ye may not be lawfully

joined together in matrimony,

ye do now confess it.
For be well assured...

I declare the existence
of an impediment!

The marriage cannot go on.

Proceed.

I cannot proceed without some

inquiry as to what has been said.

I am in a condition
to prove my allegation.

An insuperable impediment
to this marriage exists.

Please explain, sir.

It consists in the existence
of a previous marriage.

Mr. Rochester has a wife now living.