Anastasia Page #7

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you must know that I am not a fool.

I too have gone through

the revolution into the world.

The effects of your journey

are not visible.

You know perfectly well this woman

is not my granddaughter.

Quite honestly,

I don't know who she is.

But there is so much that cannot be explained

unless she is the woman she believes she is.

- I see now that it mattered more to you than I thought.

- I beg your pardon.

You really wanted that title you never

got. You're not doing this simply for money.

You have never forgiven

my family, have you?

I'm here simply to tell you that whoever

this woman is, she asks only one thing...

- To see you.

- Unfortunately, there are not enough years remaining for me...

to see every madwoman

with a royal obsession.

If she must see me, show her

my photographs again.

- Your Majesty...

- Go back to Paris, Bounine. You are wasting your time.

General, good evening.

- Your Majesty, I thought perhaps that you...

- Save your nonsense. My cape.

So Bounine is still attractive.

Yes, Your Majesty.

- Madly attractive.

- Yes, Your Majesty.

Livenbaum, your voluptuous

fancies are disgusting.

To a woman of your age,

sex should mean nothing but gender.

Yes, Your Majesty.

You saw her?

What did she say? Did she...

I did not see her.

What did he say?

He was very charming. I like him much more

than I thought I would from your description.

- Do you?

- Don't you want me to?

I want you to make him like you

more than he thought he would.

- Forgive me, Aunt Marie. I just ran into somebody...

- I forgive you.

You ran into a blond.

Very pretty.

Is she married?

- And who is she?

- I don't know yet.

- Go on, you can tell me.

- Livenbaum, I came for the other performance.

Your Majesty.

- The jewels, please.

- Jewels?

Yes, the jewels.

Please, Andrei, will you put

these in the safe downstairs?

Why? They are fake.

- You know that, but the manager won't.

- Oh, public relations.

- Anything else?

- No. See you in the morning. Good night.

Good night.

You did very well tonight.

Thank you.

Am I dismissed now too?

Yes, you had better

get some rest.

Prince Paul will be calling

for you tomorrow evening.

Thank you for achieving

the invitation.

You achieved it.

I merely accepted.

The empress doesn't want

to see me, does she?

- She will see you.

- I'm sure she said no tonight.

So now the route

is through Paul via me.

You don't hesitate to use anybody

for anything, do you?

Oh, I hesitate.

I hesitate until I'm sure

of the desires of those concerned.

Good night.

To begin with, a nice,

clear champagne soup.

And then, uh, I think

a fricassee of champagne.

- No vegetables.

- But a crisp champagne salad.

- Excellent.

- And for dessert?

- A small champagne souffle.

- 1921 is a very good year for souffle.

I really don't like champagne.

I only like what it does to me.

- You won't like it in the morning.

- Mmm.

I'll adore it in the morning. I'll have

a fantastically enormous hangover...

and your friend Bounine

will be furious.

You know what he is?

Vodka. Quick, hard, sharp.

- And you?

- Champagne, I hope.

- Don't be greedy. Mmm.

- As a little girl you used to say that...

Oh, no, no.

Not tonight.

- How many times have we been together? Four, five?

- Three.

And every time...

Well, every time I've heard your mind "click,

click, click. Is she? Isn't she? Is sh... "

It's very, very unattractive

of you, and very noisy.

Tonight I just want

to have a good time.

Do you know who I am?

No. A woman.

- An extremely attractive one.

- Then behave accordingly.

Well that's...

That's difficult.

- No "click, click, click. "

- Not a one.

1921. Definitely.

Excuse me, Your Highness.

I apologize for the intrusion...

but Her Highness has not

yet recovered from her illness.

Her doctor has given

strict orders that she retire early.

Vodka, pure vodka.

That poor Cinderella. The coach

turned back into a pumpkin...

- and the footman into a big white rat.

- Your Highness.

- Don't you think the glass slipper cut her foot?

- Good night, Your Highness.

Oh, that ugly stepsister!

Good night. Thank you.

Thank you.

And thank you.

Thank you.

Pleasant dreams.

Good evening. Ah...

I forgot. My compliments to the chef.

- Good night.

- May I speak to you for a moment?

- It's very late.

- It's very important.

All right, I enjoy her company.

And I agree she's a beautiful woman.

With the possibility

of inheriting ten million pounds.

Bounine, everyone is boringly aware

of my weakness, and yours...

For beauty and money.

I don't think it so inhuman of us. They are

the two most desirable items in the world.

All right.

What do you propose to do?

At times you push too hard.

Her visa expires in four days.

- If she hasn't seen the empress...

- You've been knocking too loudly on the door, Bounine.

It is precisely when my aunt thinks somebody

is trying to force her to do something...

- that she does nothing.

- When do you do something?

- Depends.

- On the odds?

You're pushing again.

They are high this time,

my dear prince. Very high.

Good night.

One, two...

Three, four...

General...

General, I'm hungry.

You just came from

a restaurant, didn't you?

Oh, but, but such

a funny restaurant.

No food! Why don't you

take me there tomorrow?

You've had too much to drink.

No! Not quite enough.

Shall I call for some more?

- No!

- "No! '"It must be very dreary in your room.

Everyone in mine

is having a wonderful time.

Would you care tojoin us?

Please stop the nonsense

and go to sleep.

Go to sleep.

When we sleep, we sleep.

General, I have

a confession to make:

I was lying.

There's no one here but me.

Can you hear me? General!

Why don't you

make a concession?

Uh, I mean confession.

Well, it's the same thing.

Come on, General.

One little confession.

One sweet tiny confession.

Prince Paul was asking

for you twice, Your Majesty.

Thank you, Fedya.

Good afternoon, Your Majesty.

Did Her Majesty enjoy the drive?

Yes, it was quiet for a change.

- Prince Paul...

- I heard. He called twice.

He's still waiting, Your Majesty.

- Sorry, Your Majesty, to be so persistent, but it is a...

- Money?

- Much more important.

- Oh, a woman.

Very well, come in.

Well, who is she?

- I'll come straight to the point.

- You usually do.

- Is Her Majesty back?

- Yes.

Late, dear Countess, late.

Livenbaum, I'm in

no mood for you.

I had to go all the way

to town on the trolley.

- On the trolley, my dear, while you...

- Oh, your bursitis again.

- I do not have bursitis. I have migraine.

- In the shoulder?

Another area wouldn't

surprise me as much.

Livenbaum, enough is...

- Is there someone in there with her?

- Paul.

Paul? You know he's been seen

publicly with that woman?

- Which woman?

- The impostor.

Prenez garde, Comtesse. Perhaps

the empress will accept her?

- You mean he's going to talk her into it?

- She's getting old.

- Never.

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