The Bride Wore Red Page #3

I'm on top of the world.

- For two weeks, I'm a lady.

- And then?

And then, I..

Well, I'll think about it then.

Oh, Maria, tell me.

What brought you from

Cordillera bar to Turin?

I'm happy here, Anni.

I sweep, wash dishes,

scrub floors.

Sometimes I help

as a personal maid.

I work from morning till night.

And for the first time

in my life, I'm truly happy.

- Can you believe that?

- No.

One night at the bar,

I-I looked into a mirror.

I was frightened at what I saw.

How heavy the rouge had become

wrinkles I couldn't hide.

Anni, I saw my finish

in that mirror.

I lied to an agency,

I forged references.

Here I am.

I love it here.

If I had to leave,

I think I'd die.

I know, you want to grow strong

with the poplars

and laugh with the pines,

or is it the way around?

Oh, Maria,

it's so good to have you here.

I've had to be so careful,

so correct.

I feel like a fat woman,

with her corsets off.

Keep on being careful

and correct.

You'll have to watch out.

'The very finest people

stay here.'

They don't come too finer,

too elegant

for Signorina Ann Vivaldi.

I can't help it,

I don't like it, Anni.

I have a feeling someone's

playing a dirty trick on you.

Not on me.

On themselves, maybe.

Lay out my red dress with beads,

I'll wear it to dinner tonight.

Not this red dress.

Not here.

'You might as well wear a sign.'

But when will I wear it?

Perhaps, two weeks from now.

- Signorina Vivaldi?

- Yes.

You've never seen

Armalia like that.

He's going to turn the

whole world upside down.

We were all little roulette ball

and waiters would

become gentlemen

and cabaret girls

countesses and..

And..

I had a night like that once.

I took the pants off of

half the policeman in Trieste.

It seemed to me that, uh..

That, uh..

Upto a moment ago

we were dining with

retired admiral, your father.

And a not completely

retired bachelor, your fiancee.

We are now quite alone.

- Rudi, darling, remember me?

- Oh.

The girl you're engaged to,

Maddelena.

Was here just a moment ago.

Think hard.

Where was I when I was

so rudely interrupted?

What would the signorina wish?

Oh, uh,

something very light, I think.

Brodo caldo, perhaps.

'And then, uh, perhaps,

frittata ponerte.'

I'd like that, yes.

'And then, a salad.'

Yes, a salad.

Thank you, signorina.

Rudi, while we're here,

let's climb to the pines

once in the early morning.

They're supposed to be at their

very best as the sun comes up.

You know,

it's a very funny thing.

And if the sun comes up,

I'm at my very worst.

Darling, in all the years

we've been coming here

and all the time

we've been in love

you've never asked Rudi

to get up at dawn

to see a pine tree.

Please don't start now.

Yes, sir,

it's a very funny thing.

You just said that, admiral.

We're ready

for the next sentence.

I know that, young lady.

I know well.

Then by all means, father,

ask her to coffee with us.

- I'm sure she's very nice.

- Well, of course.

It's a very long time

since we met.

It must be years and years.

She's 21 if she's a day.

Do you doubt my word,

young lady?

Waiter.

Something on which to write.

You see that lady

at the table alone?

By the window.

Signorina Vivaldi?

Of course. Vivaldi.

That was her name.

Vivaldi.

Give her this.

The flag goes up.

Uh, pardon, signorina.

I was to give you this.

The flag comes down.

Would the signorina care

for some hearts of artichokes?

Stuffed egg?

Yes, please.

Some celery?

Work from the outside in,

signorina.

I'm sure the signorina

will enjoy her coffee here.

Is there anything else

I can do for the signorina?

No, thank you.

And thanks for everything.

Good evening, signorina.

Good evening, postman.

Or are you the official

village flute player at night?

No, signorina.

But that is your

grandfather's flute, isn't it?

And his father's before him.

Have you any reason

for making fun of me?

I'm not making fun of you.

Tell me why did the music

go away? I liked it.

The dancing will start soon

in the hotel.

And besides,

they preferred to go away.

Tonight there's

stars and a moon.

And a picnic.

What do you do on a picnic?

The signorina never been to one?

Unh-unh.

We walk in the night air.

In the summer, we swim, in

the winter, we ride in sleighs.

We have a basket of food to eat

when we grow hungry.

Sausage, beer and cheese

on wet grass.

Oh, I shouldn't like that.

Cold chicken and wine.

And when the grass is wet

it smells of the earth,

and the rain.

And you sing and play and..

...make love to your girl?

Are you in love, postman?

'No.'

I'm surprised. Why not?

- 'Too busy perhaps?'

- Is the signorina in love?

That's none of you business.

Exactly, signorina.

It's none of my business.

And why is it

that you feel privileged

to question and examine me

as if I were a three legged cow?

Pardon me

if I have offended you.

No, postman!

'Pardon me, I..'

I-I should have known better.

'Please, signorina.'

You may ask me a question

if you like.

Is the signorina in love?

No.

No, I'm not.

As long as I can remember

there's been a balustrade

between a terrace and a lawn.

I've always imagined

it was to keep those

on the terrace

from falling to the lawn.

Now I realized

it also keeps those

in the lawn

from rising to the terrace.

'Good evening, Giulio.'

Good evening, Signor Pal.

Goodnight, signorina.

Goodnight, postman.

Signorina Vivaldi.

You are the Signorina Vivaldi,

are you not?

Yes?

I've come to apologize to you.

To me? Why?

- The note.

- Oh.

Well, that.

- You shouldn't have done that.

- I didn't.

It was my very good friend,

the retired Admiral Monti.

He imagined

he knew you from somewhere.

From where?

'Oh, please

don't give it a thought.'

The admiral has

all the impetuousness

of a middle age man

with nothing to lose.

Tell him I accept his apology,

and thank you for bringing it.

Permit me.

Oh, I..

Again I apologize.

- I make a very poor waiter.

- Thank you.

I, uh, was also to ask you

to join us to have liqueur.

Thank you, no.

Please don't be angry.

We're really

very pleasant people.

But I don't know you.

I'm not accustomed to sitting

at strange tables on command.

My name is Rudolph Pal.

Counting this, I've apologized

to you three times.

Therefore, I must have

insulted you three times.

We must be

very old friends by now.

Well, at least

we know each other's names.

The peasant music again.

Oh, you'll get used to it.

Like the bullfrogs in the pond

in the back of the hotel.

After a while,

you don't even notice it.

But I want to notice it.

I like their music.

You'll like it at first.

They're, uh,

having a picnic tonight.

Soggy black bread and wet grass.

It smells of rain, and of earth.

It's still wet.

Well, it's fashionable,

I know, to think that

the simple and humble

things in life are best.

They're nothing of the kind.

In my opinion, most people

prefer sardines to caviar

simply because most people

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