The Winslow Boy (Nick Hern Books) by Terence Rattigan

Author:Terence Rattigan
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781780012155
Publisher: Nick Hern Books
Published: 2013-05-16T07:00:00+00:00

Act Three

Scene: the same, nine months later. The time is about ten-thirty p.m. ARTHUR is sitting in his favourite armchair, reading aloud from an evening paper, whose wide headline: ‘WINSLOW DEBATE: FIRST LORD REPLIES’ we can read on the front page. Listening to him are RONNIE and GRACE, though neither of them seems to be doing so with much concentration. RONNIE is finding it hard to keep his eyes open, and GRACE, darning socks in the other armchair, has evidently other and, to her, more important matters on her mind.

ARTHUR. (Reading.) – ‘The Admiralty, during the whole of this long-drawn-out dispute, have at no time acted hastily or ill-advisedly, and it is a matter of mere histrionic hyperbole for the right honourable and learned gentleman opposite to characterize the conduct of my department as that of callousness so inhuman as to amount to deliberate malice towards the boy Winslow. Such unfounded accusations I can well choose to ignore. (An honourable Member: “You can’t.”) Honourable Members opposite may interrupt as much as they please, but I repeat – there is nothing whatever that the Admiralty has done, or failed to do, in the case of this cadet for which I, as First Lord, need to apologize. (Further Opposition interruptions.)’ (He stops reading and looks up.) I must say it looks as if the First Lord’s having rather a rough passage – (He breaks off, noticing RONNIE’S head has fallen back on the cushions and he is asleep.) I trust my reading isn’t keeping you awake. (There is no answer.) I say I trust my reading isn’t keeping you awake! (Again there is no answer. Helplessly.) Grace!

GRACE. My poor sleepy little lamb! It’s long past his bedtime, Arthur.

ARTHUR. Grace, dear – at this very moment your poor sleepy little lamb is the subject of a very violent and heated debate in the House of Commons. I should have thought, in the circumstances, it might have been possible for him to contrive to stay awake for a few minutes past his bedtime –

GRACE. I expect he’s over-excited.

ARTHUR and GRACE both look at the tranquilly oblivious form on the sofa.

ARTHUR. A picture of over-excitement. (Sharply.) Ronnie! (No answer.) Ronnie!

RONNIE. (Opening his eyes.) Yes, Father?

ARTHUR. I am reading the account of the debate. Would you like to listen, or would you rather go to bed?

RONNIE. Oh, I’d like to listen, of course, Father. I was listening, too, only I had my eyes shut –

ARTHUR. Very well. (Reading.) ‘The First Lord continued amid further interruptions: The chief point of criticism against the Admiralty appears to centre in the purely legal question of the Petition of Right brought by Mr. Arthur Winslow and the Admiralty’s demurrer thereto. Sir Robert Morton has made great play with his eloquent reference to the liberty of the individual menaced, as he puts it, by the new despotism of bureaucracy – and I was as moved as any honourable Member opposite by his resonant use of the words: Let Right be done

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