Dangerous Liaisons Page #7

after an absence of over two months.

Now what do you suppose

is uppermost in her mind?

Answer, of course, the longed-for

reunion with her beloved Chevalier.

Vicomte, this is no time to make mischief.

Nothing could be further

from my mind, Madame.

Go on.

Imagine her distress and alarm when

her loved one is nowhere to be found.

I have had to do more improvising

than an Italian actor.

How is she? Is she all right?

Oh, yes. Well, no, to be quite frank.

I'm sorry to tell you she has been ill.

- Ill!

- Calm yourself, my friend.

The surgeon has declared her

well on the road to recovery.

But you can well imagine how

desperate I have been to find you.

Of course, I...

My God, how could I have

been away at such a time?

How can I ever forgive myself?

But look, all is well now with Ccile,

I assure you.

And I shan't disturb you further.

It is only that I have a little

something to show the Marquise.

Wait in my dressing room.

- It is through there.

- I know where it is.

I see she writes as badly as she dresses.

Is it really true the little one's been ill?

Not so much an illness,

more a refurbishment.

What do you mean?

Miscarriage.

Vicomte, I am so sorry.

Your son and Bastide's heir.

Isn't there something else

that we should be discussing?

I do hope you are not going

to be difficult about Danceny.

I know Belleroche was pretty limp...

...but I do think you could have found

a livelier replacement...

...than that mawkish schoolboy.

Mawkish or not,

he's completely devoted to me.

And, I suspect,

better equipped to provide me with...

...happiness and pleasure than you are...

...in your present mood.

I see.

If I thought you would be

your old charming self...

...I might invite you to visit me

one evening next week.

Really?

I still love you, you see...

...in spite of all your faults

and my complaints.

Are you sure you are not going

to impose some new condition...

...before you agree

to honour your obligation?

I have a friend who became involved

with an entirely unsuitable woman.

Whenever any of us

pointed this out to him...

...he invariably made the same feeble reply:

"It's beyond my control," he would say.

He was on the verge of

becoming a laughing stock.

At which point, another friend of mine,

a woman...

...decided to speak to him seriously.

She explained to him

that his name was in danger...

...of being ludicrously associated

with this phrase for the rest of his life.

So, do you know what he did?

I feel sure you are about to tell me.

He went round to see his mistress and

bluntly announced he was leaving her.

Well, as you can expect,

she protested vociferously.

But to everything she said...

...to every objection she made...

...he simply replied:

"It's beyond my control. "

Good night.

You're only five minutes late,

but I get so frightened.

I become convinced I'm never

going to see you again.

- My angel.

- Is it like that for you, too?

Yes.

At this moment, for example,

I'm quite convinced...

...I am never going to see you again.

What?

I'm so bored, you see.

It's beyond my control.

What do you mean?

Well, after all, it has been four months.

So, what I said:

It's beyond my control.

Do you mean you don't love me anymore?

My love had great difficulty

outlasting your virtue.

It's beyond my control.

- It is that woman, isn't it?

- You are quite right.

I have been deceiving you with Emilie,

among others.

It's beyond my control.

Why are you doing this?

There's a woman.

Not Emilie, another woman.

A woman I adore.

And I am afraid she is insisting

that I give you up.

It's beyond my control.

Liar! Liar!

You are quite right, I am a liar.

And it's like your fidelity, a fact of life.

No more nor less irritating.

- Certainly beyond my control.

- Stop it!

Don't keep saying that!

Sorry. Beyond my control.

Why don't you take another lover?

Whatever you would like.

It's beyond my control.

Do you want to kill me?

Listen. Listen to me.

You have given me great pleasure.

But I simply cannot bring myself

to regret leaving you.

It is the way of the world.

Quite beyond my control.

- Tomorrow morning, early.

- Yes, my Lord.

This is not your appointed night.

That story you told me, how did it end?

I am not sure I know what you mean.

Once this friend of yours had taken

the advice of his lady-friend...

...did she take him back?

Am I to understand?

The day after our last meeting,

I broke with Madame de Tourvel...

...on the grounds that it was

"beyond my control. "

You didn't!

I certainly did.

But how wonderful of you.

You kept telling me

my reputation was in danger...

...but I think this may well turn out

to be my most famous exploit.

I believe that it sets a new standard.

Only one thing could possibly

bring me greater glory.

What is that?

To win her back.

You think you could?

I do not see why not.

I'll tell you why not.

Because when one woman strikes at

the heart of another, she seldom misses...

...and the wound is invariably fatal.

- Is that so?

- Oh, yes.

I am also inclined to see this

as one of my greatest triumphs.

There is nothing a woman enjoys

so much as victory over another woman.

Except you see, Vicomte,

my victory wasn't over her.

Of course it was, what do you mean?

It was over you.

You loved that woman, Vicomte.

What's more, you still do.

Quite desperately.

If you had not been so ashamed of it...

...how could you have

treated her so viciously?

You could not bear even the vague

possibility of being laughed at.

And this has proved something

I have always suspected.

That vanity and happiness...

...are incompatible.

Whatever may or may not be the truth

of these philosophical speculations...

...the fact remains,

it is now your turn to make a sacrifice.

Is that so?

- Danceny must go.

- Where?

I have been more than patient with this

little whim of yours. Enough is enough.

One of the reasons that I never remarried...

...despite a quite bewildering

range of offers...

...was the determination never

again to be ordered around.

I must therefore ask you to adopt

a less "marital" tone of voice.

She is ill, you know.

I have made her ill for your sake.

So the least you can do is

get rid of that colourless youth!

Haven't you had enough of

bullying women for the time being?

I see I shall have to

make myself very plain.

I have come to spend the night.

I shall not take at all kindly

to being turned away.

I am sorry.

I have made other arrangements.

Yes, I knew there was something.

What?

Danceny isn't coming. Not tonight.

What do you mean. How do you know?

I know, because I have arranged

for him to spend the night with Ccile.

Come to think of it,

he mentioned he was expected here.

But, when I put it to him that he would

really have to make a choice...

...I must say, he did not hesitate.

He is coming to see you tomorrow,

to explain.

And to offer you...

- Do I have this right? Yes, I think I do. -

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