Devotion Page #6

---

Good day, Mademoiselle.

Recommenc Mathilde.

"Neither a borrower nor a lender be."

"For loan oft loses

both itself and friend."

"And borrowing dulls

the edge of husbandry."

"This above all.

To thine own self be true."

"And it must follow,

as the night the day."

Asseyez vous, Mademoiselles.

What are you doing this

afternoon, Miss Emily?

This is a musical-accomplishment

class, Monsieur Heger.

And what has been accomplished?

Well ..

That is perhaps, something

I should judge for myself.

Now, Marie. Will you be kind

enough to play for me?

No, Marie. You must show

a little more reluctance.

I am very sorry Monsieur Heger, but

I have forgotten to bring my music.

Surely, there is something

you can play by ear?

Well, there is one little piece.

She was right.

She has forgotten her music.

Now, Marie. You can do better than that.

Play the Chopin Prelude in A-Major.

You know that very well.

Oh, charming.

One of my favourite pieces.

Please continue, Marie.

She cannot continue what she has

already finished, Monsieur Heger.

Of course.

Of course. What was I thinking about.

[ French language ]

Miss Emily.

It seems that I grow

absent-minded in my old age.

That will never do, will it.

No Monsieur Heger,

I don't think it will.

Are you coming out, Emily?

Ah, Miss Charlotte.

There is one thing I must say to you.

It is natural enough that you should take

an interest in your sister's teachings.

But in future I would prefer if you would

confine your attention to your own class.

My attention does not always

follow my eyes, Monsieur Heger.

And I am well aware of my duties.

Oh, you mustn't take me so

seriously, Miss Charlotte.

She has not forgiven me for seeing more

in her writing than she want to be there.

That is not true, Monsieur Heger.

But since you have raised the point.

Why should it be so surprising that a

writer should know something of life?

Do not misunderstand me, Miss Charlotte.

My little laugh was a kind one.

I was merely curious in view

of your quiet background.

As to where you might have observed

these mature and worldly passions.

Which you write of so brilliantly.

Naturally, she makes them up.

And I think that an even

greater tribute to her talent.

Allow me to speak for myself, Emily.

Monsieur Heger, you can't possibly

know what my past life has been.

As a matter of fact, my experiences

in the world you mention ..

Have been quite revealing.

Charlotte!

Oh, there is a letter for you

from England, Miss Charlotte.

Thank you, Madame.

Run along.

She'll have success, that Charlotte.

Certainly, she works hard enough.

So, father's eyes are troubling

him, Aunt has a cold ..

Branwell behaves disgracefully

and Keeper is losing his hair.

You know, Emily, in the three

months we've been here ..

I don't believe Anne has sent

us any good news once.

Charlotte .. will you please

tell me something?

What caused you to act that extraordinary

little scene for Monsieur Heger?

Act?

Yes.

Hinting of non-existent romances.

And presenting yourself as a rather

disillusioned woman of the world.

There are some things, Emily, which

I thought it better not to tell you.

But now perhaps, you might as well know.

I did have one rather, well .. unpleasant

experience while I was at Stone Gap.

And only my ability to cope with such

things, saved me from having another one.

Much nearer home.

What do you mean, Charlotte?

I haven't mentioned this to

you before, Emily, because ..

Well, because I was too ashamed.

But you might as well know now.

On the evening of the

Thornton House ball.

That insufferable Mr Nicholls

tried to kiss me.

In fact, he did kiss me.

Mr Nicholls?

Yes.

That was hardly the action

of a gentleman, was it?

There is no need to look startled.

It all happened a long time ago.

And I can assure you I was

quite equal to the situation.

Now let us see what Anne has to say

in this important looking postscript.

Emily! They are going to

publish two of our poems.

In "The Cornhill" magazine.

Thackeray has read them and asks:

"Who are these brilliant brothers"?

Mr Nicholls does you

the honour of loving you.

Why do you always speak

so slightingly of him?

The honour of loving me?

You must be mad.

He'd probably been overindulging

himself with the elderberry wine.

Oh Emily .. it has begun.

It's started to come true.

I must go and tell

Monsieur Heger at once.

Monsieur Heger was

delighted about our poems.

He's promised to take us to the

exhibition. Won't that be wonderful?

What is the matter with you, Emily?

Monsieur Heger said ..

Charlotte, my dear. Do you mind?

I believe I've heard enough of

Monsieur Heger for one day.

Why are you so unfair to him?

I've never known a man more gentle

and considerate in every way.

I can quite appreciate his

gift of charm, Charlotte.

But I want you to be happy, that's all.

Let us forget the subject.

Of course, you write

like an angel, Emily.

But I tell you, love is not the tormented

thing you are making it in your book.

And you know, I find

your people very strange.

Somehow, they do not

seem very real to me.

When are you going to

finish your book, Charlotte?

I don't know.

I don't want to write now.

I'm much too busy living.

Or is it dreaming?

Well .. whatever it is.

It suits me admirably.

There are those whom it may

not suit so admirably, Charlotte.

Oh!

Whatever is the matter, Emily?

The rider on the moor.

I saw him.

Oh do go to sleep, dear.

I saw his face.

There is so little time.

Wonderful.

Oh no, my dear Carlotta.

It was not wonderful at all.

It was the China duck

at which I was aiming.

Then I'm glad you missed because I

would rather have the clock. Thank you.

Oh, I wish Emily were

here to enjoy all this.

Why did she have to have a

headache tonight of all nights?

I do not think she has a headache.

She is just very unhappy, poor child.

Whatever makes you think that?

You must take good care

of your sister, Carlotta.

You must guard her as if she

were your own conscience.

For that is exactly what she is.

I have a perfectly good conscience

of my own, thank you.

Oh, no you haven't.

But don't look so distressed, my dear.

You are probably a great deal

more attractive without one.

I wish you'd treat me

as a grown-up person.

Ah, that would be a very

dangerous thing to do.

Oh, the "Tunnel Of Mystery".

Would you care to try this

experience, Carlotta?

I would like it very much.

Oh, then you are very brave.

I wonder why it is called

the Tunnel Of Mystery?

That is what we are going to discover.

Well?

Now the mystery of

the tunnel is explained.

Monsieur Heger.

I shouldn't have.

I thought you wished to be

treated as a grown-up person.

Oh, but surely, you must realize

that it was wrong. I mean ..

You are married.

Yes, I am married.

But that is a detail which has escaped

your attention until a few moments ago.

Monsieur Heger.

Carlotta, you can't have it both ways.

You are a dreadful, though

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes