After Miss Julie 15?

I
the sink and has a sip of water.
Sfiegoes to
i,fi an ashtrav and.finds one on the table. She stares at it.
Slit 1,oo,.., or :,,
j the beer glasses, one with lipstick on the rim. .
Size sees
Slit sees Miss Julie's bag and the potion bottle are still on the table.
Size thinks, takes a drag, I.eaves her cigarette smouldering in the ashtray.
She exits in the direction of John's room.
Thir!Y seconds.
I
I
Christine comes back, distraught.
they're
·· mad. She heads back towards her room. Remembers. Returns and picks up
lzer cigarette, takes a drag, stubs it out, unfinished.
I
I
Size exits.

I Fade.
Later. Dawn. Morning light through the cracks in the shutters.
szve,
I Miss Julie enters, hair down, smeared make-up, tired. She carries
her shoes. ·
I
1
'I

1'
I She goes to her cigarette case on the table but it is emp~.
She goes to the sink, washes herface, drinks from her hands.
(I
'i ,

I
I

I 1lzere is a small patch of blood on her dress. She takes a rag and rubs
at the dress.
I John enters in trousers and loose shirt, no shoes. He watches her. She
I sees him, holds up the bloodied rag.
Julie Where . . . ?
! John Here . . .
He sees the blood on the rag.
Julie Sorry.
·t ·n the bin.
He takes the rag and puts z z
John You all right?
II
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\...
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tA--·----~---~------- --
 152 After MissJulie

She nods. ~ kiss, tender!,.

Silence. Exclzange ofwoks.
John You 're all right?
Julie Mmmhm.
He offers her a chair, size sits.
Julie Are there any cigarettes around?
John searches Christine's desk.
John 'Fraid not.
Miss Julie spots a ludf-smoked butt ~n the ashtray. She_ extracts it
happil,y.Johngrins andfetches her a light. She strokes hts hand as he
offers theflame.
Julie Mera, ma chirie.
John Mon plaisir.
He sits with her as she smok£s.
So . .. New York. That's the place for us. Yeah? New life,
new people. 'I met some Gl's during the war, I got their
addresses, everything. They live in ... the Bronx. We'll
have? to_fook_the?! up. Maybe they'll help us with the night-
club._ I _unagme 1t ll be very English, glamorous, ·
sophisticated. They love us over there they die for the
accent. I'll d0 the books, the bar ... you'll
' be front of house,
charm everyone ...

Misa Julie nods, smi/,es.

Have to hurry though Ch . .
father's due back I'll c1n'• nstme'll be up soon and vour
.
tram, · veustoth st · '
on the boat we' th e ation, we'll catch the
Two, three days? · · · re ere· H ow long does it take?
Julie A week.
John Aweek.
Julie Tell me you love me.

&£ l I
 After Miss Julie \53

I \ove you.
Jo~
Corne here.
J"1ie
fie kisses her-
We have to go, Miss Julie .
John .
• How-can you cal\ me Miss now?~
Julie
hn Because we're here . .. in this house with your
{:ther's shoes waiting to _be dea~ed. And ~e sitting here full
f respect . .. that bell nngs - l Jump. But 1n America it'll be
ilifferent ... I won't feel suffocated ... I'll be rich.
Julie I don' t care if you're rich. Tell me you love me.
John I love you.
ThtJ kiss.
· Come on, be practical. New York, the nightclub, what do
you think?
Julie It sounds fine but a business requires capital,·do you
have any?
John Of course: experience, expe~tise, nous - that's
capital of a sort.
Julie It won't buy you a railway ticket.
John So ... we need a backer ...
Pause.
I don't have a bean.
Julie John, I don't have any money·
It's all in ... trust.
Lmg silence.
John Oh well . . •
Julie What . •.?
John We stay here.

-
154 After MissJulie
Julie I can't stay here ... as your mistress. My fath
people - we can 't stay here, sureJy you see that? er -

John (cola) I don't see anything.

Julie But we won't need money, we'll be together.
John We need money to be together.
Silence.
Julie What have I done?
John Fallen . . . briefly ... but pleasurably, I trust.
Julie You hate me . .. ?
John No.

Julie You took advantage of me?

John Vice versa, I think.

Julie But you just said you loved me .. . ?

John You confuse love and desire.

Julie I love you.

John Congratulations.
Julie How can you ... what are you?
Jof:m JuSt a man. ~top acting the weeping debutante, Miss
. hay, forget 1·t, have a dr'nk
Juhe. We had a roll m the
more fiun when you're tight.
1
'
you ,re
I
I

Julie you owe me respect at least.

John That's the last thing you w d.
know, you actually shocked me. ante m there. Do you
I
Julie You're disgusting. /
John No,you're disgusting. I told . I
I have work to do. you it would end in tears. /

He starts polishing the shoes.

 After MissJulie 155

. th' where we started?

Jsn t is
ulie But the things you said ... ? What about your story?
,he white dress, the pony ... ?
John . I told you what you wanted to hear, it's called
seduction.
Julie Am I your conquest? Nothing more?

John Don't force me to be cruel.

Julie Tell me what I am.
Pause.
John A fuck.
Julie (childlike, to herself) I'm all dirty.
John So wash.
Julie STAl'ID UP WHEN YOU SPEAK TO ME!
STAl\TD UP! REMEMBER YOUR POSITION!
He stands.
John \Vhich one, Madame? There were so many.
Julie You're still a servant, you scared little squaddie,
you're still a servant.
John And you're a servant's slut. Don't come on all uld
. Jul" N woman of myanclass
superior with me, Miss ie. 0
wo
of my class
accost me the way you did laSt nigh~, no worn · d
t d last mght; sweatmg an
would want what you wan_e b'tm' gyour hand to stop
· the pillow 1
r.
braying, your ,ace m d' You'd shame a two-b'1t
· th house own,
yourself screaming e
tart in Piccadilly. ·
. ?
ulie D I deserve this.
J o h'nk if you beg him to beat you?
Wh at's a man tot I
John
She breaks down.

L
 156 After Miss Julie

Julie Please no more ... I know .. . I'm bad ... ,

bad girl. 1 Ill a
He puts his arms round lzer,fall ofPi!Y and desire.
John No you're not ... I'm as much to blame . .. I didn'
mean what I said ... please, I'm sorry . . . t
Julie Hurt me again.
John You mustn't say that, things just .. . went too far.
No one knows, you must try to forget about it.
Julie Did you love me? At least in bed?
John Of course I did, couldn't you tell?
Julie How could I? I have no experience, I haven't lived:
John Come on, you 're being -
Julie DON'T TELL ME WHAT I'M BEING!
Beat.
Do I look ugly?
He stares at her.
Is this what you wanted? Me - reduced? Is this your
revenge? Your little class victory?
John No. I've dreamt about you all my life ... and now I
have to wake up. I'm not saying I couldn't Jove you, of
course I could . . . I only have to look at you . . . you 're
gorgeous.
He lru!s to kiss her.

J~e Get o~ GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME! What

kind of a man IS excited by a woman's despair?
John Any man, I imagine.
Size paces round the kitchen, almost oblivious to him.
.fulie I must run away. I can't stay here, I could never live
1t down and when my father finds out he'll kill me. He plays
 After Missjulie 157

the Labour pdeedr_but he_ d~spiseHs t~de lower classes, they're

stupid an 1sappomtmg. e sack you on the spot d
too . a misery.
rnake my life . And I wont' bea laughing stock for an
the servants - you say they find me condescending?
John Patronising.
Julie Shut up, I'm trying to think. Give me a drink.
He fetches the wine bottle and a glass.
Come on! Come on!JUMP!
He pours her a glass and she gulps it doum. She holds out the glass for
more.
John You've had enough.
Julie No such thing. POUR.
He does so.
God I want a cigarette, where the hell are Christine's?
John No idea.
Julie I don't regret anything. Everything's just dandy. I'll
run away just like the pictures -
John Miss Julie -
Julie Shut up! Have you seen that one with . .. I've lost
my thought . . . did I tell you ab~ut ~y mother? She had ,
this thing about women's emanc1pat10n ••·she ~ore shed f
d my father she would be his lover but
never marry so she tol
never his wife. 1

Pause.
But then ... I was born. I was .. . a mistake, really.

John You're illegitimate? .

So they had to get roamed
. , •?
e Mnun, funny tsn t it. as a child of nature. She
Juli b
and my mother roug
htmeup · · ·
the equality of the sexes. She
to demonstrate
wanted me
 158 After Miss]ulie

used to dress me up in boy's clothes and made

1
about fanning - she made me kill a fox when I : e earn
. as .. .
She pauses briefly, remembering.
And then she reorganised the estate, the women had t d
the men's work and the men the women's. We were tho 0
laughing stock of the whole county. Finally, my father e
snapped and she fell into line. But she began to stay out an
night .. . she took lovers, people talked, she blamed my
father for the failure of her experiment . . . her infidelities
were her revenge. They rowed constantly, and fought, she
often had terrible gashes and bruises .. . he did too, she was
very strong when she was angry . . . and then there was a
rumour that my father tried to kill himself . ..
John is stunned.
Yes, he failed ... (Smiles.) obviously.
Pause.
I didn't know whose side I was on ... I think I learnt all my
emotions by the age of ten and never developed any more.
(So.ft!y.) A child experiences the world so deeply . . . without
the sophistication to protect itself ... it's not fair really.
Pause.
My-mother - almost on her deathbed - no, on her deathbed,
made me swear that I'd never be a slave to any man.
John And the Officer?
Julie He was to be my slave.
John But he did a runner. . /

Julie It was more complicated than that.

John Didn't look like it.
Julie From your vantage · t b bl
see? You watch the wo ld thrpom hpro a y not. How canyou
r oug eyes filled with acid. .
John You hate me too?
 After Missju\ie 159

Julie Of course.
But not when I was inside you.
Johll
Julie I was weak, I won't be agai~. If it were up to me l'd
have you shot and fed to the dogs, hke a fallen horse at the
Grand ~arional.
John Only thoroughbreds run the National.
Julie They let the odd nag in, ones with weak chests, 'pour
encourager Les au tres.'
Hegrabs hol,d of her and forces her down on the tab I£, head first.
You v,rouldn't dare!
Hepulls up her dress.
Supposing your sow squeals for her pig? Supposing Daddy
rings his bell? ·
He l,ets her go.
The truth is, I must bolt. Enjoy myself for a couple of days,
a week if I can stand myself that long and then • • ·
She gestures across her throat, unseen by him.
John New York sounds more attractive.
Julie You?! In the capital of the world?! You wdouldnd't
.h clumsy han s an
survive five minutes! You, wit your ind Your pub
. k .t but slow s1ow m .
grubby nails, your qmc W1 ou ~will your beer like a_
talk and your pools and the w_ay Y y k _ in your ill-fittmg
ld 't it New or
mouthwash. You wou n s\ ked together by some
suit - your demob disaster - yac ? Run a nightclub? I th
. h E t End. ou. d , ven run e
gnarled troll mt e as_ f; ir you coul n t e
remember you at the village :ry'our 'weak chest'!
e because · ti blut>-
egg-and-spoon rac eaks! The ht e
e blue blood sp b? I read up on
t the trU all d ·me a sno · d
John A t 1as ' And you c e f: ther's stu Y·
blooded bastard! that book in youhr ayour earliest
d' ee' once, know w o
your 'pe igrWould you like to
(Glances up.)

#ti .:d
 160 After Missjulie

ancestor was? A farmer~ a stinki?g, ~tupid farmer and five

hundred years ago he prmped his wife to the king. And .
return ... all this. Doubtless she enjoyed it, the slag.
blood of a whore runs through you for centuries.
n:
He holds herJace. 17zey stare at each other.
Julie Die with meJohn, a suicide pact.
John Suicide's for cowards.
Julie Chicken.
John It's a crime against God's law.
Julie You believe in God?
John Passionately. I'm in love with the bloke.
He breaks.free ofher.
I'm going to bed.
He starts to exit.
Julie You forget who I am.
He stops.
John Oh yeah, sorry.
He takes some loose cluinge.from his pocket and throws it on the tabk.
John Cheers, darling.
Julie (calm) Not enough. You take my virginity, you
humiliate me, you abuse me and my family's honour -
there's a price. You don't leave this room. You listen to what
I say or help me God I will scream rape and I will not stop
screaming until you are in prison.
John MissJulie ... I'm sorry. I'm sorry I've hurt you. I
know y~u're su~e~ng, I'm sorry for that, truly. But I'm to
be mamed. This 1s where I belong and so do you. In time
you'll forget about this until it's just a dull ache. You'll Jive
with it, that's life.
 After Miss Julie 16 l

,,;n hurts, I won't tolerate it.

Jolie P~·
You have to.
Jolul
pause.
Julie Why don't you love me?
John I do.
Julie No. Why can't you love me?
Pause.
John Fear.
Pause.
Julie John .. . tell me what to do. Order me. I'm so tired
I can't think. My legs feel hollowed out, as if I've no blood.
John Go upstairs. Get dressed. Get money for the journey
- from your father's desk, second drawer down, the key's on
the mantelpiece under the clock.
Julie Come with me.
John I can't.
Julie No, to my room.
He hesitates.
John I can't.
Julie Please.
, d I'll drive you to
John Go. Come down when you re rea y,
the station.
Julie Be nice to me. Go
. Now you know. .
Orders never sound mce.
John
She exits. z· , the room: he pockets
. to 'norma zse
Jobn operu t!zt shutters:::;:~ides the clutch bag, empties the
his change, bins the dog

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