Cousin Bette Page #4

I have a very deep

affection for you.

- Marry me, Wenceslas.

- That's insanity.

Was it insanity to bring you

back from the dead?

Was it insane to spend my nights

working beside you,

handing over my life savings?

Stop!

Please, Mademoiselle...

I do love you.

You'll always be

the mother I lost.

Let me be happy, my good angel.

I love a divine young girl,

and she loves me.

May God protect you.

MAN:
Everyone knows

if the baron died tomorrow,

Hortense would be left

to beg on the streets.

How can he have hatched

such a wedding?

MAN:
I made him a small loan.

Seventy thousand.

What a happy occasion, Baron.

Must've cost you a fortune.

Yes. Amazing how you manage.

CREVEL:
Hector,

I was telling the prince,

it seems romance counts

for everything these days.

I've been rejected by your

daughter for a penniless artist.

But I find myself consoled.

I hope you don't mind.

She implored me to bring her.

Mind? Certainly not.

Why should two old friends like

us quarrel over a... petticoat?

[Children shouting]

[Music stops]

Wicked boy.

You should have told me

it was Hortense you loved.

I thought you had deserted me,

but now you are my cousin.

Thank you for being sweet,

Cousin.

I owe my happiness to you.

I'm sure you'll have

all the happiness you deserve.

[Music resumes]

[Baby crying]

JENNY, SINGING:
What is the fire

that burns forever?

Who is the beast

that never dies?

What is the blade

that cuts so deeply?

Who is the god

that hears no cries?

Nothing you do, nothing you say

Nothing, no, nothing

can take it away

Nothing can cure,

nothing can save

Love is the master,

you are the slave

You are the slave

What is the storm

that gives no warning?

What is the flash

of blinding light?

Why is there darkness

in the morning

While an inferno burns at night?

Nothing you do, nothing you say

Nothing, no, nothing

can take it away

Nothing can cure,

nothing can save,

Love is the master,

you are the slave

You are the slave

[Wenceslas and Hortense

laughing]

Love is the master,

you are the slave

You are the slave

You are the slave

How can one improve upon it?

- Italian?

- Greek.

- Intimidating.

- Not at all.

MAN:
I mean, the space.

It's larger than Medais.

So is my talent, dear friend.

This mountain of marble is to be

my first major work.

It is to my future works...

what Raphael's "'Marriage

of the Virgin"' was to his.

Show me the plaster model.

There isn't one.

- You are a genius.

- Ah, it's all up here.

You know what they say. Between

the plaster and the marble,

a masterpiece may be ruined.

Claude Vignon wants

a studio visit.

Claude Vignon?

He's lining up next season's

salon exhibition.

Will next week do? You'll

have made progress by then.

I intend to do nothing but work.

I will snatch fire from heaven

like Prometheus.

Are you sure

you don't mind taking him?

BETTE:
Going out again?

Bette...

You always know how to deal

with the difficulties of life.

What is it?

Wenceslas hasn't worked a day

since we've been married.

A sensible girl

marries an artist...

after he's made his fortune.

He talks about working,

but nothing has been done.

The committee is threatening

to take back the commission.

[Knocking on door]

Hello, Elizabeth.

Will you be long?

I'll be waiting in the carriage.

I don't want to go.

You'd be wise

to keep an eye on him.

An eye on Wenceslas?

What begins as a flirtation

more often than not...

- Is Daddy a flirt? No.

- Especially for an artist.

You're the flirt, aren't you?

A man with

a passionate temperament.

- What is it, rabbit?

- Never mind.

I'm sure there's nothing

to the talk.

Wenceslas worships

his beautiful young wife.

He hasn't a devious bone

in his body.

- No.

- No.

- Idle gossip.

- [Baby cries]

Don't give it another thought.

WENCESLAS:
The noble soldier,

heart and muscle bursting

the bonds of his marble prison,

daring the enemy to meet him

on the field.

Marble speaks to me

in a cold language.

Bronze whispers hotly.

I've always said

it's a question of temperature.

WENCESLAS:

Sometimes I sit for hours...

and listen to the murmur

of the marble.

Champagne at once.

We're about to conquer Paris.

- I'm not feeling very well.

- None of this is real.

What is real is the secret

language of the stone.

It tells me when

I'm ready to create.

It shouts at me,

"'I am ready. I am ready now!"'

Or..."'Not yet. Not just yet."'

[Laughter]

Let bankers and politicians

meet deadlines.

Let carpenters and shoemakers

produce on demand.

It's inspiration

I'm speaking of.

A vision. Mystery.

The mystery is how much longer

they'll wait for the statue.

[Laughter]

MAN:
I have a case

of diphtheria.

I've always said you were the

only sensible one in the family.

Deplorable. Bottomless pit.

He'll end up in the poorhouse.

You can always turn

to a moneylender.

- He'd never stoop so low.

- Oh... one never knows.

His name is Vauvinet.

BARON, SINGING:

Nothing you do, nothing you say

Nothing, no, nothing

can take it away

Nothing can cure,

nothing can save

Love is the master,

you are the slave

VICTORIN:
Father, we must speak,

or I'll do something desperate.

Still a young devil, am I not?

I must point out that our

financial resources are limited.

- Oh, money. Always money.

- It's far worse than I thought.

According to my calculations,

we need 75,000, or...

- Go to Wissembourg.

- You owe him 85,000 already.

- Try Nucingen, then.

- You owe him 37.

What about

your Uncle de Forzheim?

If you don't repay him,

he'll end up in debtor's prison

before we do.

Now, Louis Phillipe

or Americana?

[Violin plays]

Last month,

they only held 60 francs.

You'll make a pauper

out of me yet.

And what coquette

has had the privilege...

of making a pauper

out of you, Monsieur?

[Both laugh]

- We've reviewed your situation.

- Yes.

- And it doesn't look good.

- No.

But... I think we can help you.

Your background and

your excellent credit record...

give us confidence that...

- Yes?

- You will make good...

on any financial assistance

we extend.

- Oh, certainly.

- So...

We are pleased to inform you

we can lend the full 75,000.

- Oh, stupendous!

- At an interest rate of...

Twenty-five percent.

Baron Hulot!

[Knocking]

Sweetheart, it's your Hector.

- Jenny, my darling.

- Hector.

The sign said

you were indisposed.

- I wasn't expecting you.

- I couldn't wait any longer.

- Oh, my pet, my prize.

- Mmm.

- Mmm.

- Mmm!

- Ahh!

- Yes...

- Yes.

- Yes!

- Yes!

- Now!

- Now?

- Now! Now!

My darling, I've never seen you

so amorous. I'm speechless.

- Then don't speak.

- No.

God!

[Jenny moaning]

BARON:
What?

BARON:
Good God, man!

CREVEL:
Baron.

JENNY:
Hector, you know

Monsieur Crevel, don't you?

We're going to supper.

You may join us, old dear,

under one condition...

that you immediately drink

two bottles of champagne...

to catch up.

- We're at the quacking stage.

- Quack!

- Quack!

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