Fanny and Alexander Page #9

And entered the bedchamber

of His Grace the Bishop.

According to the bishop's sister,

Miss Henrietta Vergerus,

His Grace was sleeping heavily,

due to the effects of a soporific

that you, Mrs Vergerus, had given him.

Miss Bergius flung herself on

the sleeping man, thus igniting him.

His Grace woke up, and succeeded in

freeing himself from the dying woman.

But he was unable to extinguish the

flames that now were engulfing him.

His mother found her son

with severe burns below the waist...

...and a charred face.

He showed faint signs of life,

and cried out in torment.

Although I cannot overlook the fact

that the sleeping draught

may have aggravated the events,

I cannot justify

taking action against you.

This sorry event

is a dreadful combination

of particularly

unfortunate circumstances.

My dear, dear friends...

I am moved more than I can say.

My wisdom is simple.

Some people may despise it,

but I don't give a damn.

Forgive me, Mama. I can see

that you think I talk too much.

But I promise to be brief. Well now...

We Ekdahls were not born

to see through this world we live in.

We are not equipped

to undertake such expeditions.

We do best

to avoid the larger aspects.

We should stick to the smaller ones.

We should live in a small world.

We should be content with that.

Cultivate it, and make the best of it.

Suddenly death strikes.

Suddenly the abyss opens.

Suddenly the storm howls

and disaster is upon us.

All this we know.

But we do not care to dwell on it.

We Ekdahls love our subterfuges.

Rob people of their subterfuges

and they go mad.

But we have

to be able to understand people...

...or we'll never dare

to love or despise them.

Our world, our reality,

needs to make sense to us,

so that we can complain of its

monotony with a clear conscience.

Don't be sad, dear splendid artists...

...actors and actresses,

we need you all the same.

You are there to provide us

with supernatural shudders...

...or, even better,

our mundane amusements.

The world is a den of thieves...

...and night is falling.

Evil breaks free of its chains

and runs wild like a mad dog.

The taint affects us all,

us Ekdahls and everyone else.

No one escapes...

...not even Helena Viktoria,

or little Aurora.

So it shall be.

Therefore, let us be happy

while we are happy.

Let us be kind, affectionate and good.

It is necessary,

and not in the least shameful...

...to take pleasure

in the joys of the little world.

Good food.

Sweet smiles.

Fruit trees in bloom.

Waltzes...

And now, my dearest friends,

I'm done talking and

you can take it for what you like:

The effusions

of an uncouth restaurant owner,

or the pitiful babbling of an old man,

it doesn't matter to me.

I am holding

a tiny empress in my arms.

It is tangible, yet immeasurable.

One day she will prove me wrong.

One day she will rule not only over

the little world, but over everything.

Everything...

There, my sweet.

Be a good girl, so Mama can go to

bed. I think you've had all you want.

- I'll take her.

- Thank you, Rosa.

- How do you like it here?

- Everyone's so nice.

Especially Mr Ekdahl.

He seems ever such a good man.

He's a nice man, and he's

particularly nice to young girls.

- So you watch out, Rosa.

- Oh, my...

- Good night, madam.

- Good night, Rosa.

I'm not tired,

let's have some champagne.

- We're going to have champagne...

- I'll get you a sandwich. Come.

I'm sure Emelie

would like a glass of champagne.

We'll toast our daughters.

- Go to bed now, Gusten.

- I'm so bloody happy!

That's good, but by tomorrow

you will have a headache.

We're together again!

I'm going to speak

to the workmen tomorrow.

- And I'll be staying 'til Thursday.

- I'll be there Tuesday.

I have the world's best wife.

A better wife than you deserve.

And the prettiest mistress

to be found anywhere. A real sweetie.

- Are you leaving early?

- No, not until two.

When I see you,

I want to cry tears of joy.

To think you're back with us again!

Good night, Gusten.

Be a good boy and remember

that Alma needs her sleep.

I know what Alma needs...

Aunt Emelie...

- What do you want at this hour?

- We want to move to Stockholm.

A friend is opening a milliner's shop,

and has asked us to join her.

- And we'd really like to.

- Awfully much, in fact.

- But we have a problem.

- Papa insists on that coffee shop.

He's so kind...

- He's always telling Maj what to do.

- It's hopeless...

- She wants to decide what's best.

- I don't know what to do.

We've spoken to Mama, and she

said we couldn't do this to Papa.

Then she calmed down

and said that life must go on.

That you mustn't

impose your will on your children.

Though she was sorry for Papa's sake.

- It's awful...

- You must think of yourself first.

Papa's an old man, after all.

- Don't you agree?

Go to bed,

I'll have a word with Grandmama.

- Helena...

- Emelie, how nice.

- I would like to confer with you.

- May I get you some brandy?

Is it anything serious? Oh, I know,

the girls wish to move to Stockholm.

Well, what do you think?

You will never be rid of me.

- One last thing...

- You're absolutely right.

On his death bed, Oscar asked you

to take charge of the theatre.

- I know, I was there.

- Gustav Adolf will be terribly hurt.

I can't understand

why everyone caters to him.

Gusten has a good head for business,

but knows nothing about the theatre.

It's your theatre, my dear.

It's time our second-rate Napoleon

realizes that he's facing his Waterloo.

I'd like you to read

a new play by August Strindberg.

That abominable misogynist!

No, thank you...

It's called "A Dream Play".

- There are parts for both of us.

- Impossible!

- It's been ages...

- All the more reason.

- I won't disturb you any longer.

- You never disturb me, dear.

What's so amusing?

- Now we're in charge, aren't we?

- Is that what you think?

- Good night, dearest one.

- Good night, dear girl.

"Anything can happen.

Anything is possible and likely.

Time and space do not exist.

On a flimsy ground of reality

imagination spins out

and weaves new patterns."

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