Corridor of Mirrors Page #2

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I'd like you to see my house.

It might interest you.

Would you care to

continue the adventure?

Yes .. I would.

Drive us home, Mortimer.

Very good sir.

Would you wait, Mortimer.

There's no key. The Florentines

like mechanical gadgets.

Come along.

"As we came in, I could feel

somehow that it was watching me."

"And even now, after all these years."

"I can still remember this

house of his in Regent's Park."

"Perhaps if I saw it today, it would

seem much smaller, and more ordinary."

"And everywhere the scent of flowers."

"So strong, so sickly-sweet,

that I felt almost suffocated."

I really ought to explain. You see,

there is no-one here except myself.

I keep my staff out of

view as much as possible.

I like to attend to the needs

of my guests myself.

Girls?

I rarely invite anybody to my home.

It has to be the appropriate person.

You need not come any

further unless you wish.

I wish.

I strongly advise you not to,

unless you feel the inclination.

Oh, I feel the inclination ..

you've no idea how much.

"It was then, for the first

time, I was to learn .."

"Of the strange affect that

laughter had on Paul Mangin"

How do you like this room?

Highly effective.

Thank you.

I never quite thought of it like that.

Oh, how intriguing.

What's that? In the scent

bottle. It must be very old.

It is.

The scent is still there.

The scent of an age to

which you really belong.

It smells of musk, and thyme and

amber. Juliet might have used it.

Not Juliet .. the Borgias, with their

lusts, and passions and murders.

I'm glad you like the

little scent bottle.

It happens to be one of the

most lovely things in the house.

You've got very good taste.

I should have said that of you.

It means something

more than mere taste.

It's an attitude towards life.

A Hansom cab, 1066 and all that?

A Hansom? I have the

courage of my convictions.

Did you enjoy your ride?

It was a novelty.

I was very disappointed that none of

my friends passed in a car and saw us.

No doubt, you wonder why I surround

myself with an atmosphere of the past.

It's not exactly what

you think, Mifanwy.

Most people think they were born

before their time .. I'm after mine.

Everybody wants to

belong to the future.

Nobody wants to belong to the past.

Except me.

But perhaps you'll be there

with me sometimes.

I hope you like this.

You know, you mustn't think that.

I belong neither to the

past, nor the future.

I'm up to the minute, neither

a second behind or beyond it.

The present.

Whether you like it or not,

we are all products of the past.

Even the present you think you

belong to, will soon become the past.

We don't know if the future will be

good or bad, but we gamble on it.

But I've given up gambling.

I prefer a certainty .. the past.

Tell me something.

Remember you said after our little

waltz, that you dare not come too soon.

That you mustn't stay too long.

What did all that mean?

I've always found that whenever I'm

very attracted to anything or anybody.

I always move very slowly

in the opposite direction.

You know ..

Mentally, I pushed back that curtain

at the nightclub many times ..

Before I actually went there again,

though it was difficult to keep away.

The chance was worth taking.

What chance?

The chance that you

might be interested.

Some more wine?

Only .. interested?

Interested at first.

I'm going to set out to charm you.

Lots of men have tried that.

It's my form of seduction, if you like.

Strange.

No man of any shape

or kind I've yet met ..

Has ever suggested charm as

his entire plan of campaign.

Very well .. charm me.

You don't understand

me .. I mean my ideas.

My way of looking at things.

My .. attitude towards life.

That's a new approach.

Don't you like this wine?

Oh?

Alright. Show me round.

Show me your studio.

I don't paint any more.

Why ever not?

Have you noticed this?

It should interest you.

Do you recognize it?

I'm ashamed. Should I?

Is it so famous? It's a mirror.

Has it a special significance?

Only for me Mifanwy.

I'd like you to have it.

No, I couldn't. Please.

It would give me a particular

pleasure if you accept it.

Paul.

Do you know what you put

in that wine you gave me?

I'd swear I've just seen a

white cat ..in the mirror.

Cat? Nonsense.

I did .. there!

Get out .. get out .. get out!

A lovely cat.

I do apologize .. I'm afraid I've ..

Well ..

I must be going. I promised to have an

early night and it's getting rather late.

But I thoroughly enjoyed

myself .. I really did.

Please don't go yet.

It's not very, very late.

Stay and have another glass of wine.

Well .. maybe.

Perhaps it is a little late.

I'll get you your cloak.

You've been interested, I hope.

Yes .. enormously .. enormously.

I'm glad.

Mifanwy I wanted to call it.

But the natives couldn't pronounce it,

so they gave it a new name: Devil Girl.

Particularly suitable.

Your prejudiced in her favor

because she's your daughter.

Sir David Conway,

the over-indulgent father?

I wonder what the quivering

prisoners at the bar would think ..

If they could see me as I am.

Well she certainly keeps

the most fantastic hours.

You know, it's none of

my business but ..

Don't you think this night-club

life is bad for a young girl?

Put it this way.

The gawky schoolgirl that you remember

has turned into something of a beauty.

Oh that's rather a fine peak.

Oh, I'm not very worried about her.

The people she runs

with are all like her.

Just marking time, waiting for

something to happen to them.

Here! End of film.

And so we say .. farewell.

Owen Rhys.

My dear girl.

Well, say something .. preferably

something about me.

Well, four years in the wild hasn't

exactly improved my small talk.

Well .. have I changed? Said

she, expecting the answer "yes".

No .. you still have a

brace on your teeth.

And I can't see your legs but I

expect you're still knock-kneed.

And quite honestly between you and

me .. your nose is still very shiny.

Oh you beast .. you're probably right.

Well go on talking about your months in

the wild or the bush or wherever it was.

Well, I'm home for a short time,

and then away for a couple of years.

I think that's all.

Why do grown men do these things?

To get away from young

women who write poems.

I have still got that one about

"love and dove" you knocked up.

I find you quite terrifying.

Flattering, quite flattering.

How do you turn this

infernal thing off, Owen?

Unorthodox, but effective.

If think I'll leave the infernal

machine until the morning.

Of course. Goodnight Ed.

Goodnight.

Nice of you to have

looked in on us first.

I'll see you to the door.

I hope we see a lot of each other.

That would be lovely. Goodnight Owen.

Goodnight Mifanwy.

I want a word with you, young woman.

I'm very tired David. Can it wait?

No .. come here.

Nearer .. what's that great thing

you've got on around your neck?

Now David .. this is not the

quivering prisoner at the bar.

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