Deception Page #3

...to reveal to him.

Shall I, darling?

Please, Schatzi.

What shall I play?

You know.

of course.

But I haven't played it for such a long time.

Schatzi.

- Tell me, are you a musician?

Cellist,

yes. - Mm-hm.

Extraordinary thing, teaching a person.

Pygmalion and all that.

- Yes, I was surprised to hear you did it.

oh, I found it stimulating.

A labor of love, so to speak.

I told her to take a pupil, she

might learn more than she taught him.

But no, said she'd absolutely vowed

not to. obstinate, you'll find out.

CHRISTINE:
I've been asked

to play. GUESTS:
Wonderful.

[APPLAUSE]

Something tender it

should be, and pathetic.

A little absurd, Chopin perhaps.

Karel has asked me to

play the 'Appassionata.'

[GUESTS CHATTERING, APPLAUDING]

CHRISTINE:
I haven't

tried it for a long time...

...so you'll have to bear with me.

Has everyone a comfortable place to sit?

GUESTS:
Yes.

- Good.

[PLAYING 'APPASSloNATA']...

...[GLASS BREAKS]...

...[GUESTS GASP]

Hollenius, let me see.

Like all women, white as a sheet at

the sight of a couple of scratches.

Calm and smiling like a hospital nurse

in the presence of a mortal wound.

Good night.

You will go on playing, won't you, Chris?

That's sweet of you, Norma, but I

think champagne is more in order.

Pollard, will you see that

everyone has champagne.

It's already late. Again let

me wish you every happiness.

It isn't late.

- Yes, it is.

Thank you and good night.

Good night.

Good night, Norma.

- Good night, dear.

Good night.

- Good night.

Good night.

- Good night.

MAN:
Good night. CHRISTINE: Good night.

MAN:
Nice party.

CHRISTINE:
oh, thank you.

I'm very glad you could come. Good night.

Christine, darling. Thank you.

- Good night.

Good night.

- Good night.

oh. That will be all, Pollard, for tonight.

Just put out the candles in the

dining room, come back in the morning.

very well, madam.

- Thank you.

He gets terribly upset by music sometimes.

KAREL:
And everything

else he said before?

oh, that was just Hollenius.

He was hinting I'd taken you from him.

- Hinting?

Good heavens, he said it

straight out half a dozen times.

I thought it was quite

wonderful of him to admit it.

You must remember, Karel,

he's a very great man.

Too great, I should have thought,

to be jealous over a pupil.

Well, he's not the sort of teacher who

gives a lesson once or twice a week.

To Hollenius, music is everything.

The whole world, part of his life.

He took me into his life.

We ate together, we traveled

together more than once.

When he was working or

talking to other composers...

...I sat in a corner and listened and learned.

He liked having me there.

As though I were... Well, as though

I were a cat or a dog he was fond of.

Why did your friends look so frightened

and so gleeful when Hollenius came in?

Well, I just told you,

I was part of his life.

Good night, Pollard.

- Good night, Mrs. Novak.

I suppose there has been

a certain amount of gossip.

I don't know.

What does it matter?

To be honest, I think the old rascal...

...rather liked giving the impression.

And...

...this I'm sure you'll never understand.

Heavens, I seem to be

taking off every shred l...

Well, I confess I was a little vain of it myself.

I understand that.

Do you really?

oh, you brighten me so.

Do you love me terribly?

Mm.

Darling, don't you think we could

forget Hollenius just for tonight...

...in view of the occasion?

While we drink the

champagne he gave you?

He's a terrible old emperor.

He gives cases of the most incredible

wines and brandies to all his friends...

...and makes no bones about it.

'So that I shall have something

fit to drink when I visit you.'

[GLASS BREAKS]

A picture fit to look at when he visits you.

The finest piano in the world to listen to.

The most expensive clothes.

He gives those to everybody?

I told you how I came by those.

- oh, yes, from pupils.

Wealthy pupils.

- Yes.

Unfortunately, he told

me you never had a pupil.

Well, to his knowledge, perhaps no.

To his knowledge? When you

spend all your time with him?

When he calls you obstinate

for refusing to take a pupil?

No, Schatzi, you kept that

vow at least. Don't deny it.

Poor Karel. And I tried too.

Now you'll never believe me.

And you're right, of course.

It was all so perfectly innocent.

So many lies to cover something innocent?

Nothing in your eyes has been innocent.

In the old days you were always jealous.

And you were wrong.

You were completely

proven wrong, weren't you?

Weren't you? Proven wrong.

And you were just as sure as you are now.

A few miserable gifts.

Christmas.

Last Christmas. oh, it's all so simple.

My birthday this year.

My birthday the year before.

He's rich, immensely rich, he's like a king.

When he likes people, he

transforms their lives.

one day, I played a composition of

his and he liked it, the next day this.

oh, how can he know

someone who's poor?

How can he go about with

someone whose clothes offend him?

He can't visit you in a lodging-house room.

I tell you, he furnished my life

as he would a back hallway...

...that he passed through

once a year. And he likes me.

He told you himself I

was his daughter, his pet.

[VOICE BREAKING] Isn't it understandable?

The more understandable, the

more strange you didn't tell me.

I wanted to when you first came in here

but you looked so... So hurt and so ill.

[SNIFFLING]

And afterwards?

Afterwards, I couldn't.

Don't you remember what happened?

You can't choke the truth out of someone.

oh.

oh.

Promise me you'll never,

never think of it again.

oh, but you will.

You see, Schatzi...

...the thing that tortures me is when

I feel you're not telling me the truth.

[PHONE RINGING]...

...[PICKS UP PHONE]

CHRISTINE:
Hello.

Uh... Tomorrow morning?

No, I'm afraid I couldn't.

Wouldn't it do later on in the week?

All right.

All right, Alexander, I'll try.

Yes, all right.

Good morning, Jimmy.

- Good morning, miss.

Where is the master?

- In the study, miss.

[PIANO PLAYING]

It's wonderful.

Extraordinary, isn't it?

That music can exist in the same world

as the basest treachery and ingratitude?

So you remember the concerto

I started last winter.

Well, I finished it.

- You haven't been to bed.

That is no longer any business of yours.

What are you here for?

- You insisted I come.

To exult over the damage you've done.

Have you changed your mind

after a single day of marriage?

Some people find it easy

to change their minds.

or has he seen you for what

you are and thrown you out?

Not yet, eh?

[SCOFFS]

Doesn't he know?

No.

Amazing creature.

She deceives everybody.

Don't talk like that.

- I'll talk as I please.

[CAT MEOWS]

But I didn't summon you here to bully you.

Come on, sit down.

I've been thinking about this miserable

business all night. You're insane...

...and you must be humored.

We must be reasonable

and we must be realistic.

I gave you a great deal.

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