Mayeux le bossu Page #5

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I recognize this locket.

It's me. Then it's true?

I told you. She lives.

Please, tell me about my child.

Is she lovely?

Nothing exceeds her beauty

and grace.

Bring her to me.

You're a prisoner.

If you leave, you may fall...

...Into a scoundrel's clutches.

That's the word,

but I realized too late.

There's someone else.

I hear whispering.

Her confessor?

It's not Friday.

Besides, what has she to confess?

She doesn't eat, doesn't drink.

How could she sin?

Well, well...

Such application!

A great labor.

I was hoping to surprise you.

You have. I am surprised.

What sort of labor?

An audit of your entire fortune.

It's all in my head, hunchback.

Why audit it?

The errors! Too many errors!

I see assets belonging to others,

names that come and go,

partners with no firms,

firms without a function...

I see...

That's how records are.

That's business.

But, Your Grace, you're paying

for everyone else.

Tax, surtax, capital gains tax,

capital losses.

You're paying too much!

That's true. When one pays

it's always too much.

But I know the tax collectors.

You cut the loaf in two,

and everyone's satisfied.

Yes, I see. Mum's the word.

God wishes to keep

it among ourselves.

That's it...

God, you and me.

That's enough for a secret.

Perhaps even one too many.

It's a wine from my region.

The Visconti Lugana.

Do you know Mantova?

Lombardy?

I was born there...

Family problems...

We were chased out...

Talk of poison...

Italy means Borgia to people.

Drink up!

Go on, drink!

Life is a deception.

We were three Philippes.

Nevers robbed me of Blanche.

Orleans uses my bank

to squeeze his rump on the throne.

And I, the most gifted, serve

as their cat's paw.

An agile paw, my lord.

You have the money.

That's something.

Money? If you knew

what an illusion that is!

A passerby, it comes and goes.

Greetings money, farewell money...

But there's something big at stake:

the Mississippi.

Who has peopled it,

imagined it, built it?

Who has described it,

sight unseen?

I have. Do you know

what this Mississippi is? Paper!

Orleans will appoint me

viceroy of a paper realm

he believes to be mine,

one I've sold and resold

to a rabble

of humbugged shareholders.

That's the rub:
I've sold too much.

But life is costly...

Why not buy it back?

My treasury is empty.

I have 10,000 francs

and I need 300... 350,000.

If I had a friend...

I'd say to him,

"Help me regain my shares.

"There is a way.

"I can't buy at today's high prices.

"But if prices were to plummet..."

I understand.

When the bottom falls out, you buy.

Do that for me

and you'll profit by it.

But without gold

how can you buy?

Enough wine!

Finding gold takes a clear head.

Have you understood?

Yes, Your Grace.

The shares must drop

very low and very fast.

Rumors, bad news,

panic, bankruptcy...

Yes, Your Grace.

- You're not listening.

- I am.

Is this trinket so important to you?

We all have our little secrets.

- Is she lovely?

- As I am ugly.

You must tell me.

I enjoy tales of grotesque love.

Your Grace...

Patience! It will go up again.

Go up? Has it dropped?

Don't worry.

The bank's still open,

you can be reimbursed.

Have faith!

Faith? I have no faith.

I'm selling. Who will buy at 4,000?

Don't listen to him. All's well!

Sell now and it'll soon drop

to 3,000.

I'm already ruined!

Prices are dropping.

What's going on?

Prices are dropping, it's true.

Then we're on the brink

of bankruptcy.

Bankruptcy!

Hot bread, ten pennies!

Ten pence? For bread?

When war looms,

small merchants make provisions.

- War?

- What war?

Go home!

We've no instructions.

Go home, we're closing!

I want my gold,

you can have your paper.

The ingrates!

I give them a dream,

make them Conquistadors!

Come, hunchback.

A fine beginning.

The closing price?

Excellent. And tomorrow?

Tomorrow, 1,000.

At 800 we make a clean sweep.

And I reimburse.

How did you find all that gold?

A little system of my own,

Your Grace.

A chef never reveals his recipes.

Remember:
only the mother superior

is empowered to give you my gold.

The mother superior.

I'll bring Aurore to the ball.

You shall recognize her publicly.

I look frightful...

To suddenly reappear at court!

Until tomorrow, my lady.

Hurry, hurry!

There won't be enough for all.

Our shares are worth

less than nothing!

It's better than none of nothing.

Hurry!

Is everything all right, sisters?

Hurry, ladies, gentlemen.

Excuse me, excuse me.

No, Papa, 1,300, not 1,350.

You're confusing me. Ah, yes, 1,300.

It's magnificent.

In a week, we'll resell

at 10 times more, 100 times.

It was your idea.

No... yes... Maybe. No matter.

The execution is all. That's you.

Clear up!

It's Versailles here tonight.

- The shares are safe?

- In a convent.

What?

The bank would have implicated you.

True. I don't appear in this.

You think of everything.

My wizard, my four-leaf clover.

How can I thank you?

Of course! I forgot!

A jewel for

the mysterious little lady.

Tell me about her,

her name, age, hump.

Your Grace...

No! To each man his secret garden.

He's blushing!

Tell me. Is she rich?

Is she mute?

She must have something...

unusual. What can she give you?

A family, Your Grace,

a mother for my children.

Paris will crawl

with lively, twisted crabs.

What's the matter?

Great news. Confidential news.

You may speak before him.

Don't be silly.

You two must get along. Well?

- The girl...

- Girl?

- Nevers.

- Found?

- Caught.

- Where?

In her lair:
thieves' quarter.

- You're sure it's her?

- Certain.

She cried "Aurore de Nevers."

Had I killed her,

you might have disapproved.

I've a better idea: Louisiana!

My prudish cousin's daughter

a Louisiana whore!

It will brighten my old age.

Have Baptiste lay out my clothes.

Wait here.

Ship her to the Mississippi convoy.

I want to see her.

Move along!

- Where are you going?

- Don't know!

Hey, you!

Watch out behind you!

When I give the word, jump!

Now!

Enough of this fussing.

Let us be modern,

efficient!

The corpse that kills

shall kill no more.

My triumph is at hand, Peyrolles!

No one, nothing stands in my way.

The future is mine!

But the girl got away.

Just let her dare show herself.

I will milk fortunes

from the Mississippi mirage.

I feel young at heart.

- Find my hunchback!

- I'll see to it, my lord.

Your Highness!

A viceroy is addressed

as "Your Highness."

Start getting used to it.

My hunchback!

There he is!

Hey, Half-Pint!

Look, I found it!

If the bullet hadn't struck

your hump buckle, you'd be a goner!

You need rest.

Have you forgotten

our appointment tonight?

In your condition, Half-Pint?

I'll go make myself presentable.

Meet anyone at the inn yesterday?

Yesterday? That's long ago!

The uncles said something about...

a hunchback.

Oh, yes! An ugly hunchback.

He was very nice.

He talked about love...

someone else's love...

They have little chance

to talk of their own.

- What did he say?

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