Gabrielle Page #2

Youre muddy, there.

It's an ugly sight.

Why so silent?

Remorse?

Fear?

What's this letter?

A mistake.

A mistake? Three lines or so?

You leave as note

so theres no turning back,

yet you do.

You, who always knows

the right thing to do...

But here you come back,

the ink still fresh.

l have no time to compose

the appropriate face.

You didn't accustom me to such folly.

There's nothing more to say.

It was honest.

Where's the honesty in all this?

When did you begin to be honest?

What are you now? Still honest?

There's nothing more to tell.

I couldn't do it.

Anyway, the law is on my side.

If at least you he died!

I would have beem offered condolences

and known how to reply.

That's a familar situation.

But no, you come back.

This is very humilliating.

Why on earth would my wife...

A cultured person,

mistress of the house...

throw away respect, comfort,

peace, decency, everything!

For what? For love?

There's no ove in it. It's passion!

Tomorrow every one will know

that you left. and why.

The servants will known tonight.

My wife is a monster,

and everybody will think me a fool.

In fact, youre a stranger to me.

What a horrible platitude!

Yet Im the one who said it.

You're a stranger, but I can be of help,

because Im prepared to listen.

WouId it be of any comfort

if we talked about t?

Talked about him?

Good God!

One surprise after another.

But I know Im right.

You must be in pain.

lt hurts to see you like this.

Would you like a glass of water?

I was just thinking,

do we entertain too much?

It crossed my mind.

But we must entertain.

What else can we do?

Are our attitudes and habits

out of proportion

with others in our circle?

Yes, all those men clinging

to your skirts.

As soon as I asked the question,

I knew the answer.

We simpIy do what we must.

Come over here.

Lets talk.

You must tell me

what you really did today.

You won't tell me who, of course.

So just tell me

where the two of you were?

What did you say?

Thing like that are useful.

Nothing morbid about it.

I wrote

so as not to have to talk to you.

I dont know how to talk to you.

You dont believe that.

Of course you now how.

But youre reliving your meeting today.

Maybe youre starting to feel the shame.

Something must have gone on before.

You didnt just leave on a whim.

Thats not your style.

Look back at the circumstances.

Where were you?

Who? What? When?

The day the idea came up, the idea...

what sort of day was it?

Where you on your way to meet?

Or had you just parted,

surprised by a surge of love?

Was it something long-planned,

or just an idea out of nowhere?

Did he say something surprising,

and you backed away?

Or you walked n

and he'd forgotten you were coming.

He smiled. It wasnt planned,

but he was glad to see you.

Then he saw your imploring gaze...

Others have endured

such misunderstandings.

I thought you cleverer than that.

Your neck has such a lovely brush

when you're nervous.

Your skin reflects you every thought.

I can trace yourlife in each blue vein.

Theyre highly visible.

even the blood pulsing through them.

Some women never color.

Their skin reflects nothing.

not even light.

You have a friend like that,

white like some hideous candle.

The blood in your temples

appealed to me.

It did.

Appealed to me.

What shouId I say? That I forgive you?

is that it?

So here we are,

and I'm at leisure

to trace your thoughts and actions!

How far did you go?

What did you do?

and what brought you back?

I don't know.

And him? What did he expect?

When I decided to go to him,

I wrote the note.

So you saw a lot of him?

Then this letter is not the worst of it?

The worst is my coming back.

Temptation, Gabrielle,

excuses no one.

But there are the weak.

And there are

the envious and the fools.

I'm not to blame for this predicament.

But...

if nothing irreparabIe took place...

Well. I forgive you.

Stop it. Are you mad?

Enough!

Theyll hear you.

Drink this.

Are you mad?

Lets go down to dinner.

- We'll talk tomorrow.

- lt won't change anything...

Then you'I turn in, have a good cry.

I expect you for dinner!

No one should suspect a thing,

not even the servants!

Are we agreed?

I'll wait for you.

Its already late.

You only have to wait on us.

Just wait on us.

Youre devoted

but dont enter my life.

I won't like you more for it.

Why enter my life?

Have I ever reached out to you?

Hurry up.

What do you think of the men

who come here,

who gravitate around us so much?

- Around us?

- You've seen them.

They come,

set eyes on us.

so we have to look at them.

Return their gaze.

Not smile, of course.

You don't smile, I hope.

What gentleness you have.

Why don't I have it?

Maybe I do, when I'm very tired.

When you want less,

it's easy to be gentle.

Isn't it?

Give me your hand.

How could he even look at me?

Ive always avoided people like him,

people with warm hands,

with voices that betray them,

and such emotions inside them.

People who act

as if things truly affected them.

Why did I notice him?

I was very happy,

once.

I was happy a second time.

so remembered the first.

I hadnt understood the first time.

Have you ever been happy, Yvonne?

Certainly, Madam.

Tell me about it.

Who gave you that happiness?

Were you already here?

Do I know him?

I don't know.

Happy?

Because of a man's love?

If that's it. then I'm not sure.

mean,

if anyone has ever made me happy,

I couIdn't say.

I figure Ive given more

than Ive received.

But I'm not caIcuIating

who does what, either.

I wouldnt want to be like that.

So you think

we never know who does what?

Not bad, that haze, clever.

No one says thank you, no one says stop.

Not a word. That's good.

It's good to talk to you.

I should've done it sooner.

So close and so precious.

Excuse me,

I thought Madam

was really asking a question.

Maybe you're poking fun.

Thats it, Im poking fun.

You think just like Monsieur.

Maybe you read his mind.

Is that why you're so aloof

in his presence?

Is there too much to read?

Admit it.

The first time l was happy...

I hadn't taken the cabriolet.

Or else nothing would've happened.

But i had to walk so far.

So I ran into him.

Help me.

Im very hungry.

It's awful

to eat with someone who isn't.

Cou dn't he force himseIf?

Offer him some broth.

I'Il have some with him.

Madam speaks odd y of what she did.

And what did Madam do?

Go on, Yvonne. Speak up.

Yvonne. a pretty name

for such a pretty soul.

But no one knows

what turn things will take.

Yvonne won't turn into a flower,

just a nasty little spy.

And Mrs. Hervey won't go all the way.

She'll stop short.

Did Mrs. Hervey

think of something today?

But then she turned back

on the boulevard.

Amazing how we rush back

from where we go.

What time did l Ieave?

At 3:
30 p.m.. Madam.

3:
30, yes.

The right time.

And when did I come back?

At 7.

That's right.

It went fast.

Draw me a bath.

maybe it'll curb my appetite.

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