All This, and Heaven Too Page #15

...there isn't any yes or no.

Your suicide is your answer.

We only require a confession

of your motive.

Was it not your entanglement

with Henriette Deluzy...

...that drove you to the madness

that possessed you?

My... My strength fails me.

Some other time.

Bring the woman in.

Who?

Did you...? Did you bring her here?

You still have a chance to speak.

Bring her in.

You go to meet your creator.

I beg you not to add further guilt

to your soul...

...by shielding another

who's guilty with you.

Did you love this woman?

L... I cannot answer anymore questions.

Is not your bodily pain

less than the suffering of your soul?

- Did you love her?

- Will you never be satisfied? I am dying.

What more do you want of me?

Then the last chance comes to you,

mademoiselle.

Is there anything you wish to say

to this man?

There is nothing I need to say.

It's useless to try further. Take her away.

I've done everything possible

to help you...

...but I see it's been in vain.

May God have mercy on you.

Pierre.

Monsieur.

Lean close.

Listen carefully.

We have little time.

I want you to tell her something.

Why I took poison.

She may think that I was afraid.

But I wasn't afraid for myself,

do you understand?

No, monsieur.

You should have heard them, even now.

"Did you love her? Did you love her?"

I couldn't have borne it for long.

I would have said it to their faces.

"Yes. Yes, I love her.

With every drop of blood in me,

I worship her.

She's my heart, she's my lost soul...

...I've been searching for."

They would have sent her to her death.

- I'll tell her, monsieur.

- Yes.

Yes, Pierre, tell her.

Say the words

that I could never say to her.

Perhaps she knew.

I think so.

I think she knew.

They can never harm her now.

She was free at last.

Free of every prison

except that of her memories.

And this is what he had come to.

A grave in an unconsecrated ground...

... a number on his tombstone

such as convicts wear in life.

This is all that remained

of the noble Duc de Praslin.

And their love...

... thwarted in life,

twisted into an ugly horror.

Well, it had taken his death

to give it everlasting life and beauty.

Yes, she wished that she might die,

but that was not possible.

She was alive and she must go on living.

A friend with great tenderness

talked to her of her future.

But what future was there for her

in a country where she was hated...

... where the mobs would gladly

have torn her apart?

And so for the first time

he talked to her of a new country.

A land far away

to which he might arrange to take her.

He tried to make her see that it was

no longer safe for her to remain in France.

He was right.

The people were angry,

they felt they had many grievances.

That the king and the courts

could let this wicked woman go...

...was the last straw.

So they fought the revolution of 1848

and pulled the king from his throne.

It is strange how the fate of one governess

could so affect history.

Then after many months...

...there came from America

a surprising offer of employment.

She could not know then that it was

her kind friend that had arranged that too.

I cannot tell you her emotions...

...as she approached this strange,

new country.

Suppose the terrible things that she wanted

so much to forget should follow her.

People can be as cruel in one country

as another.

They can find copies of old newspapers

and stir up what is best forgotten.

They can exchange sly glances

and whispers.

And though perhaps

they may mean no harm...

...the ugly story grows and spreads

until there is no peace for her.

No, not even in America.

Oh, please, mademoiselle, don't go on.

Well.

It is for you to tell me the end

of my story.

Does this governess deserve

to suffer the rest of her life?

Or does she earn the right

to continue her work...

...in this country where so many before her

have found refuge?

I thank you.

I thank you with all my heart.

But you, Emily Schuyler...

...you have said nothing.

That surprises me.

I thought you would be the first

to ask me a question.

Uh...

I haven't any question, mademoiselle.

But, Emily, I'm quite ready

to answer anything.

No, mademoiselle.

No, you needn't tell us anymore.

I guess you know how we feel.

We're just plain skunks.

Emily Schuyler,

if Miss Haines heard you say that word...

...we'd be sent home for good.

That's what we are

and I don't care who hears me say it.

I'm going to burn those newspapers...

...and never mention a word

to anyone as long as I live.

Let's all cross our hearts and hope to die

and be cut in little pieces if we do.

We're sorry.

Mademoiselle,

I'm sure Emily didn't mean it.

- Oh, please.

- I'll never forget this day.

Mademoiselle, say that you'll forgive us.

- You do, don't you?

- Oh, I do. I do.

All right, mademoiselle.

We will resume our lessons tomorrow.

You may not have learned

much French today...

...but I think you have learned

a little patience and tolerance...

...and that is the same in every language.

Hurry now.

- We'll see you tomorrow, won't we?

- We'll look forward to it.

- Oh, dear, dear, mademoiselle.

- We're so glad you're with us.

Mademoiselle, l...

I just wanted to tell you

that we love you very much.

How long have you been standing there?

Long enough to see your triumph. You've

won their love for the rest of their lives.

- Do you really think so?

- Yes.

Then I am content with the future.

If you could only see

into your future...

...you would see

that there is so much more there waiting...

...if you'll accept it.

The first snow.

Then if you looked closely enough...

... the whole rest of the world

seemed to be obliterated...

... and shut out.

Henriette, there are many kinds of love

possible between a man and a woman.

And peace and gentleness

and companionship...

...are not the least of these.

I promised you once that you would

find a heaven on this earth...

...and I'm going to keep that promise

if it takes a lifetime of devotion.

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