Gabrielle Page #3

You ive in a house

where people love you.

Your life matters to us,

and you talk

as if you were gone.

Does Madam think

all this goes on without our noticing?

- We know what goes on.

- What goes on?

Monsieur is kind enough

to open his door to alk kinds.

He didnt see any reason to close it.

He'll close it now, of course.

Because one man

didn't respect the rules.

It's not Madam's fault.

This man played games. It's his nature.

I was walking back from church

the day I ran into him.

Id never really talked to him before.

Neither had he.

He was uncomfortable.

I was glad to see him it at ease.

I began to suffer

when l realized nothing made him laugh.

Why did I notice at one point

that he never laughed?

And why not earlier?

That suffering

was when I began to love him.

But I didnt know it yet.

Im so slow at everything.

I'm slow to feel pain.

I'm slow to feel happy.

Strange, it took me so long.

Seven months.

Two seasons.

And today a departure and a return.

Coming back I can do very quickly.

I ran.

I ran.

Think of the other time you were happy.

The other time. Good idea.

But that time's not for your ears.

Where is he?

- Who. Madam?

- l can't hear him now.

Go take a look.

Right away.

Leave me.

The surprise and distress

blinded me earlier,

when you came back.

I won't take back what I said.

Anyone would act that way.

But now its all over.

This morning, at this same table,

we had breakfast together.

Now we're having dinner.

What happened between

must be forgotten.

Like things

that can only happen once.

Death, for instance.

Nothing in my life

even vaguely resembles this.

Nothing.

It has its interest.

Are you listening?

Pull yourself together now.

You've tried our nerves enough

for one day.

And there's this other man,

this man who's bound up with us now.

What is he doing? What is he thinking?

Who did he confide in?

And I wont even ask who it is.

The quest on is simply this:

Do we count on the silence

of the man in question,

or wiIl he harm you

in your friends' eyes?

I believe this man,

if he is a man of the world,

will remain silent.

But your girls,

who live off the crumbs of your life,

will get ideas in their head.

How did you hire them?

Anyway, they'I gab to those boys

who wait for them after their service.

How can we present this burning event?

Have some wine.

I dislike that color in your cheeks.

Do you remenber?

You were so sure of yourself

when you chose me.

Weren't you?

You seemed to have thought it all out.

I was grateful,

I remember.

I figured nothing could happen to me.

Since you were sure. l was, too.

Then you Ieft me on my own.

A most right after our wedding.

It took me time to realize it.

- You never came to me.

- And so?

You betrayed me out of disappointment?

A disapointment, indeed!

And does this man know it?

SureIy he must.

Everything turns out

better than expected.

The new Gabrielle is born,

and gives herse f to the first man

she meets. Honestly!

Wasn't the silent sufferer lovelier,

more awe-inspiring?

Honestly. Look at yourself.

It's not an improvement,

is it?

When I understood how you were,

why didn't l become like you?

I should have.

Why didn't you make me

really give everything up,

along with you?

Why didnt you poison me, for real?

Why didn't you killing me, for real?

Let's talk about t!

Are we going to live together

like enemies now?

I can easily live here with you.

You won't be my enemy or hurt me.

I couldnt have come back otherwise.

I don't regret my life with you, Jean.

It led me to him.

Without you he doesn't exist.

My life with you pointed me to him.

It occurred to me

he might be under your orders.

I even imagined you had chosen him.

Its your editor.

I beg your pardon?

Im hungry. Arent you?

Yes,

no, a bit?

The first time I spoke to him,

I felt the same as you did.

The same words came to mind.

Two words you said.

Like what?

Olly?

Olly and vengeful.

Those were your words

the first time he came here.

We both remember them clearIy.

Hes had an unhappy life, I think.

And he does wipe his brow often,

even in private.

But sometimes he stops.

His hands dont shake

when they reach out to me.

His mouth s hard and strong.

l want it to devour me.

I want to flow into him like blood.

Ill keep it.

Must we find something

to tell our friends?

Tomorrow is Thursday, remember.

ShouIdn't we come up with

an announcement?

To decide

what reaches the outside world.

Yes, we should think of something.

That's something we can do together.

My veins are barely visible.

Ever notice?

Very cIear at the cuff, though,

then nothing.

That must be why i'm so fond of yours.

The question, of course, is:

What appealed to him about you?

No, let me guess.

Your hardness with people,

A hardness you dont really need?

Who do you really need?

Who does Mrs. Hervey truly need?

No one.

So you took time to notice him.

How excting to magine!

He, carrying on im my drawning room.

You. back to him. in profiIe.

never really facing him.

And all this for months, no doubt.

The obstinacy of such people

is admirable!

Can people like me really understand?

Yes, but the effort of it!

And to go after you, my wife!

Rather than another...

I won't think him

as evil or merely stupid,

but it comes as a surprise.

Why you?

Do you know?

Wont you help me?

I'll find out.

Will you help, tell me if I'm close?

lf l'm warm?

It makes no sense, Gabrielle!

I want to believe you

when you say it's that damned editor,

that fat, prissy fooI,

and not someone else.

So it's really him?

Imagining that face

makes my head spin,

his neck,

his teary eyes when he laughs...

I want at Ieast

to picture the right one.

AI right?

He's the one,

no one else.

It was already ong ago.

I'd run into him in town once.

But this time it wasnt by chance.

I wanted him to hold me.

I asked him to.

I had to persuade him.

Then I wanted more.

Were making progress.

And then?

We undressed,

separately.

His body was as l'd pictured it.

Isn't that odd?

Heavy, rather thickset,

very white, soft skin.

His veins show, too.

His room is tiny.

He cried the first time.

Yes, the man's had an unhappy life.

He most likely

lost his self-respect,

his sense of situations.

Unhappy affairs can do that.

Up to your ears in misery.

So like hungry children they grab.

They hold out their hands

out of habit

and eat without appetite.

I wanted to experience Iove

once in my life.

Of course.

But you can't bear

to show yourself naked with me.

I don't understand.

Why did you deny me for so long?

The thought of your sperm

inside me is unbearable.

But not his?

THURSDAY:

I'm amazed to see

how this powerful desire,

this absurd and sad desire,

sheds an exciting new Illght

on all that concerns us.

This passion forces us

to rethink everything.

And a new life might be fairly simple.

Your suffering will relieve me,

and suffer you wiII.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes