Dangerous Liaisons Page #3

My dear Madame de Tourvel...

...I have just come...

- Don't move, I said. -

...to my desk...

...in the middle of a stormy night...

...during which...

...I have been...

...tossed...

... from exultation...

... to exhaustion...

... and back again.

Y et, despite these torments...

... I guarantee that at this moment...

... I am far happier than you.

We'll finish it later, shall we?

Your damned cousin, the Volanges b*tch...

...wanted me away

from Madame de Tourvel.

Well, now I am and I intend

to make her suffer for it.

Your plan, to ruin her daughter,

are you making any progress?

Is there anything I can do to help?

I'm entirely at your disposal.

Well...

...yes.

I told Danceny you would act

as his confidant and advisor.

I need you to stiffen his resolve,

if that's the phrase.

I thought if anyone could help him-

Help? He doesn't need help,

he needs hindrances.

If he has to climb over enough of them...

...he might inadvertently

fall on top of her.

I take it he hasn't been a great success.

He's been disastrous.

Like most intellectuals,

he's intensely stupid.

I often wonder how you managed

to invent yourself.

I had no choice, did I? I'm a woman.

Women are obliged to be

far more skillful than men.

You can ruin our reputation and our life

with a few well-chosen words.

So, of course,

I had to invent not only myself...

...but ways of escape

no one has ever thought of before.

And I've succeeded because...

...I've always known I was born

to dominate your sex and avenge my own.

Yes, but what I ask was, how?

When I came out into society I was 15.

I already knew that the role

I was condemned to...

...namely, to keep quiet

and do what I was told...

...gave me the perfect

opportunity to listen and observe.

Not to what people told me,

which naturally was of no interest...

...but to whatever it was

they were trying to hide.

I practised detachment.

I learnt how to look cheerful

while under the table...

...I stuck a fork into the back of my hand.

I became...

...a virtuoso of deceit.

It wasn't pleasure I was after,

it was knowledge.

I consulted the strictest moralist

to learn how to appear.

Philosophers, to find out what to think.

And novelists,

to see what I could get away with.

And in the end I distilled everything

to one wonderfully simple principle...

...win or die.

So, you're infallible, are you?

If I want a man, I have him.

If he wants to tell, he finds that he can't.

That's the whole story.

And was that our story?

I wanted you before we'd ever met.

My self-esteem demanded it.

Then when you began to pursue me...

...I wanted you so badly.

It's the only time I have ever been

controlled by my desire.

Single combat.

Madame de Volanges...

Your note said it was urgent.

It's days now. I haven't been able

to think of anything else.

Please, sit down.

I have reason to believe...

...that a... how should I describe it...

...that a dangerous liaison

has sprung up between your daughter...

...and the Chevalier Danceny.

Oh, no, that's completely absurd.

Ccile is still a child.

She understands nothing of these things.

And Danceny is an entirely

respectable young man.

Tell me...

...does Ccile have a great

many correspondents?

Why do you ask?

I went to her room

at the beginning of this week.

I simply knocked on the door and entered.

She was stuffing an envelope...

...into the top right-hand drawer

of her bureau...

...in which I couldn't help noticing...

...there seemed to be a large number

of similar letters.

I am most grateful to you.

Would you think it impertinent

if I were to make another suggestion?

No, no.

If my recollection is correct...

...I overheard you saying

to the Vicomte de Valmont...

...that his aunt invited you and Ccile

to stay at her chteau.

She has, yes, repeatedly.

A spell in the country

might be the very thing.

Thank you.

You asked for hindrances.

You are a genuinely wicked woman.

And you wanted a chance

to make my cousin suffer.

I can't resist you.

I made it easy for you.

But, all this is most inconvenient.

The Comtesse de Beaulieu

has invited me to stay.

Well, you will just have to put her off.

Well, the Comtesse has promised me

extensive use of her gardens.

It seems her husband's fingers are

not as green as they once were.

Maybe not.

But from what I hear,

all his friends are gardeners.

Is that so?

You want your revenge, I want my revenge.

I'm afraid there's only

one place you can go.

Back to Auntie?

Back to Auntie.

Where you can also pursue

that other matter.

You have some evidence to procure,

have you not?

Don't you think it would

be a generous gesture...

...to show the proper confidence

in my abilities...

...if we were to take

that evidence for granted?

I need it in writing, Vicomte.

- Now you must leave me.

- Must I? Why?

- Because I'm hungry.

- Yes?

I have quite an appetite myself.

Then go home and eat.

In writing.

You'll be pleased to hear,

my dear that Armand is on his feet again...

...and back at work.

Who?

Monsieur Armand!

Whose family you helped so generously.

Oh, yes!

When my nephew was last here

we discovered, quite by chance...

...that he had gone into the village-

Are you feeling all right, Madame?

I'm sorry to interrupt, Aunt.

It seemed to me, all of a sudden...

...that Madame de Tourvel

didn't look at all well.

- No, I'm quite all right.

- Perhaps you need some fresh air.

Do you feel constricted in any way?

I feel sure Madame de Volanges is right,

as usual.

A turn around the grounds, perhaps.

Yes, a little walk in the garden.

It's not too cool, I think.

Fresh air will do you the world of good.

That meal was somewhat heavy, perhaps.

I can't believe that was the cause.

Come back for it.

Mademoiselle!

I've no wish to arouse suspicion,

so I'll be brief.

The letter is from the Chevalier Danceny.

- Yes, I thought-

- Now, the handing over of such letters...

...is a far from easy matter to accomplish.

I cannot be expected to create

a diversion every day.

So...

This key resembles your bedroom key.

I happen to know it is kept

in your mother's room...

...on the mantelpiece,

tied with a blue ribbon.

Take it,

go up and attach the blue ribbon to it...

...and put it in the place

of your bedroom key.

Bring it to me and I will get

a copy cut within two hours.

Then I can collect your letters

and deliver Danceny's...

...without any complications.

Now, in the cupboard by your bed...

...you'll find a feather

and a small bottle of oil...

...so that you may oil the lock

and hinges on the ante-room door.

Are you sure, Monsieur?

Trust me.

Believe me, Mademoiselle...

...if there's one thing I can't abide,

it's deceitfulness.

I trust you are feeling a little better,

Madame.

If I were ill, Monsieur, it would not be

difficult to guess who was responsible.

You can't mean me, do you?

- You promised to leave here.

- And I did.

Would you excuse me, Madame?

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