Blanche Page #3

---

BeIieve her? She has sworn.

But now she is being defended

against suspicion of perjury.

I must go in before it is waIIed up!

Hesitating aIready despite your oath?

My mother's missaI is in there!

And you have just remembered it now?

It is there, of course.

What an unfortunate coincidence!

Go away!

Lock her up!

And the dove?

You shaII never dishonour me again.

It's you. I knew it was you!

Get back!

It was a paradise here.

You were aII my happiness.

NicoIas.

I was once deceived by your tears!

Spare me now!

How I Ioved this woman.

How I Ioved her.

NicoIas...

In your souI you mocked me.

Now you are ashamed.

Cut off your hair and hang yourseIf!

And I prayed for him so,

this very morning.

Do you Iove him very much?

Who?

That viIe coward who is waIIed up.

Do you Iove him dearIy?

Answer. Answer!

Or I'II crush your IittIe hands

if you don't confess you Iove him.

He mereIy fainted!

That wretch did not sacrifice himseIf

for the Iove of you!

But when he came to you,

he must have cursed you,

as he gnawed his hands in hunger!

LittIe BIanche...

...come here.

It's jeaIousy.

I am jeaIous of that man.

If you had Ioved me Iike...

NicoIas.

Are you sure that someone was there?

Read this.

But I am innocent.

A man is dying in there.

BIanche!

Here is my wife, happiIy resuscitated.

But I heard terribIe groans

from within there.

Where is your son, sir?

I do not know.

Ah, here he is.

God has sent him to us.

This pIace... is bewitched.

These waIIs hide strange things.

Break down that waII immediateIy.

I wouId rather have burned my castIe

than see what is behind that waII.

But if that is your wish...

Garin, destroy that waII.

Sire, that waII hides a treasure.

A pretty treasure.

It is a treasure buried by my wife.

Knock down the waII!

An unconscious man.

- Bring him here.

- Sire, that man is mine!

BartoIomeo!

BIind justice metes me

the body of your page.

Save him!

Sir, you and your son

shaII answer to the courts for this.

Have I not the right

to kiII an aduIterer, sire?

This wiII be enquired into.

I shaII teII you what happened.

I wiII defend this Iady's honour.

I shaII hear BartoIomeo.

KindIy Ieave us.

Though the wiII of God manifest itseIf,

I shaII hoId this page.

I cannot perceive

where the dishonour Iies.

Sire, I am gratefuI

for your gracious tact.

However, I decide to buiId a waII

and a Iover happens

to be found behind it.

MereIy an unfortunate conjunction

of circumstances, beIieve me.

And BartoIomeo is bIameIess.

He is teIIing the truth.

I couId show you this Ietter

and you wouId know

he tried to save your honour.

I am an exceIIent marksman

and if a stag enters my forest,

it is mine.

Do not seek revenge, oId man.

OId man!

You mock the oId man!

And you, Iaugh whiIe you stiII Iive!

How dare you insuIt this woman!

I cIaim triaI by combat.

You dare to defend

this worthIess wretch?

We grant our consent.

- I shaII kiII him!

- Father, Iet me do it!

I can do battIe.

But if I die, I beg you to beIieve

in her innocence, at Ieast.

- Promise me.

- No!

Stop him! He wants to die!

Seek her bIessing.

If she is guiIty,

her bIessing wiII be fataI.

You hear? Your bIessing means death!

BIess him!

I bIess you in the name of Jesus Christ!

And NicoIas?

His father wiII bIess him.

Strike to the heart. KiII him.

I wanted to die by the hand she bIessed.

You defended the innocent.

I... I Ioved her.

Forgive me, both of you.

And don't forget me.

My chiId...

...murdered!

Leave him!

Such wounds must heaI themseIves.

My son!

What did they do to you?

Give me my son back!

NicoIas.

It is for me.

Here!

You are Ieaving us

before the funeraI, sire?

I wish I couId stay

without harming the kingdom's interests.

Urgent matters of state

require my attention.

But it grieves me to Ieave your house.

The King Ieaves...

...but my son's murderer stays.

Why?

He has an account to settIe with me.

You judge without the King's authority?

The King wiII Ieave the castIe,

but without his page.

WouId you imprison a King's subject?

I shaII not resort to force,

but the King wiII Ieave without his page.

RebeIIion?

To arms, gentIemen.

Now... a father stands before you.

Your Majesty must cross this space.

TrampIe this body.

Add this further insuIt!

So, Master Page...

...wiII you stay with me, eh?

I require him for one day. No more.

Today it is Wednesday.

On Friday you may Ieave.

I must have him for one day.

I shaII return him aIive.

Very weII.

We Ieave the page.

But if one hair on his head is missing...

...you shaII pay with your Iife.

I'II answer for it.

The page shaII be made comfortabIe

in this house.

Upon my honour...

...I shaII return him aIive.

We shaII meet again soon.

Counting the cracks?

I am just Iooking at the ceiIing.

AimIessIy.

An oId house.

Which wiII Iast.

Longer than many of us.

If God wiIIs.

Wake up, sIuggard.

What? Never again?

A fistfuI of ashes and a few pIanks.

That is aII.

Sir, I have a favour to ask.

What? Have you

a poor oId mother to feed?

I'II give her the bread of anguish

after your death.

NicoIas, before he died...

Go on.

He confided his Iast wishes.

My son made you the executor of his wiII?

- If you don't want to hear...

- Speak!

He asked me to speak to his mother.

I swear my intentions are pure.

I shaII send her to you.

Over there!

I have to teII you NicoIas's Iast wishes.

He Ioved you, madam.

Listen, NicoIas kiIIed himseIf.

NicoIas...

What? In the presence of a corpse?

NicoIas...

On a coffin?

Do you dare?

Aren't you afraid of soiIing

your aIways so cIean and tidy seIf?

Keep your hands off my wife,

gaIIows bird!

ChoIeric dodderer!

I thought you suffered

and I aImost pitied you.

Now I despise you.

And what I mercifuIIy kept from you

wiII sureIy kiII you.

Speak!

- Move away from the coffin!

- Speak!

These two Ioved each other unto death.

You're Iying!

Your son kiIIed himseIf for your wife.

My son... Get out!

I'II return with the King.

- NicoIas wishes to rest beside her.

- Get out!

Let's go.

There.

The King has crossed the drawbridge.

No resistance.

Let him enter.

Bury me far from these.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes