The Bride Wore Red Page #6

for just one minute?'

Of course, I'm not mentioning

the money you owe me.

All my savings.

I could have had more fun

throwing it off a mountaintop.

You'll get it all back.

Every penny of it and more

with a check

signed by Signor Rudolph Pal.

And when is he going to ask you?

After the contessa

gets her telegram?

At the festa.

He's got to propose

at the festa.

That means the contessa

must not receive that telegram.

I'll need more time, Maria.

I've got to have more time.

And now where are you going?

To a little house on a hill.

Ready, cousin.

Remember, no blackberries,

cousin.

No blackberries.

Wait a minute.

I'll take it myself.

Don't you trust me anymore,

cousin?

Well, I'm trusting you with

the whole telegraph station.

That's much more important.

Take good care of

the government office, cousin.

I will.

Remember,

no blackberries, cousin.

No blackberries, cousin.

- Hello, postman.

- Hello.

Well, you see,

I'm accepting your invitation.

Thank you.

It's been quite a climb.

This can't quite make up its

mind whether it's a road or not?

It's a road.

It belongs to me.

Did you build it?

My grandfather cleared it

himself.

It needs work again.

I may get at it tomorrow.

Or next week.

Or next year.

Did I ever tell you you were the

strangest of all close to me?

Often. At times, I thought

you were very strange too.

Well, do you want me

to look at your little house?

I'll be honored.

- This is the outside.

- Yes, I imagined it was.

It's very nice.

How lovely the flowers are.

Who takes care of them for you?

They take care of themselves.

Plenty to eat and drink.

Mountain air to breathe.

The sun to keep them warm.

In the winter, they sleep.

People are cruel to flowers.

They separate them stupidly.

It's as though suddenly,

all the men named Antonio

must live here, and over there,

all the men named Pietro

and over there,

all the women named Anni.

And, uh, the inside,

I'm anxious to see it.

Please!

Because you're used to

so much more than this

it must seem like very little

to have to live in.

No.

It's the only home

I've ever known.

I was born in the room

above this.

- Who cares the house for you?

- I do.

And Pietro,

he's the chambermaid.

We live here together.

Where is Pietro?

'I left him in charge

of the telegraph station.'

'I have a telegram to deliver.'

These curtains need cleaning.

I, uh, thought Pietro

delivered the telegrams.

There are too many blackberries.

This is an important telegram.

- For the hotel?

- Yes.

Why don't you deliver it?

It can wait a little

while longer.

Tell me about where you

come from. About Trieste.

The way you live there.

Why do you wanna know?

So many elegant

ladies and gentlemen

come here from everywhere.

I've often wondered

what they left behind them.

Well, it would be difficult

for you to believe.

It's so different from anything

you've ever known.

It must be.

Well, we, we live in a big,

white stone house

my mother and I, in the very

finest section of Trieste.

It's a wonderfully big house

with a driveway leading up to it

and an enormous hall

with marble columns.

- Must be difficult to heat.

- Oh, no.

We, we have special servants

for the cellar.

Uh, we have two automobiles,

one's a shiny limousine, and..

...the other one's open

for when the sun shines.

We, uh, we have a chauffeur

to drive

and a footman to open the doors.

Uh, they both ride up in front.

The doors have my initials

on them.

In the harbor, we have

a white yacht with two funnels.

On nice days, we go sailing

along the waterfront of Trieste.

We had a sailboat here once,

on the lake.

One day, it turned upside down

and sank.

Downstairs,

there's an enormous kitchen

with a special baker,

and cook, and scullery maid.

We have, oh, I don't know,

how many butlers to serve

our dinner with the,

the very finest vintage wines

you understand?

And then sometimes,

there's an orchestra. We dance.

You have more servants

than I have cousins.

Then we have 20, uh, no, no,

15 bedrooms in the house.

I have one all to myself.

I have an enormous bed

with a swan at the head of it.

And with white fur spread that

we just cleared off the floor.

Everything's in white.

Even the telephone.

And the parties, Giulio.

The elegant people

who come to our house.

Dukes and duchesses.

Princes even.

When they come in,

they kiss my hand.

When they leave, they thank me

for a wonderful time.

Poor Anni.

Poor, lost Anni.

Believe me, it doesn't matter.

I love you.

What right have you to love me?

You're a postman. I'm a lady.

I've loved you

from the moment I saw you.

What you were the moment before

that has nothing to do with it.

I'm a lady, do you hear?

You've got no right

to talk to me like that.

- You've got no right.

- Careful, it's steep.

Anni!

Anni, are you hurt?

I guess I'm alright.

Rather unexpected.

Ow!

My shoulder, it..

It hurts a little.

Let me see.

- Anni.

- Won't you ever learn to knock?

Too busy. I'm getting Cinderella

ready for the ball.

- Birds have flown away.

- Oh, too bad.

Say, this is no time

to worry about birds.

You've got work to do tonight.

They're waiting for you.

Oh!

- Maria?

- Scared a little bit?

If you saw a chance

to come out of the gutter

and live as you never dreamed

you could live

that half the things

you never dreamed could exist

you'd sacrifice anything to

take that chance, wouldn't you?

If-if-if you were me,

you'd-you'd give up anything

in the world no matter what,

wouldn't you?

I think I would, Anni.

If I were you.

Oh! Wish me luck,

and pray for me.

You know I will.

You see, signorina,

Count Armalia engaged your suite

for only two weeks.

I have a guest waiting to hear.

If you could let me know when

the suite will be available.

Soon, Signor Nobili.

You, you shall know very soon.

In the meantime, send me another

bill. I've mislaid the others.

Why, Rudi, no costume?

No one but you, Anne, could

be the most beautiful lady

and the most beautiful peasant

at the festa.

Maddelena's waiting

for us, darling.

I'm sorry I'm late,

but I couldn't get my dress

to fasten properly.

Oh, you're beautiful, Maddelena.

Oh, you're just saying that.

I'm not the type at all.

But you really are gorgeous,

right now, I can hear

the peasant hearts

breaking all over the festa.

What you will hear

are my knees knocking. I'm cold.

Are we going? If not,

I wanna put my pants back on.

Yes, now that we've decided

we all look divine

except the admiral,

who looks like nothing

I've ever seen before,

let's get it over with.

You can knap

both their heads together

with one hand, Cousin Giulio?

Well, the evening

is still young, Cousin Pietro.

Giulio, you are to choose

the most beautiful girl

of all the peasants here.

Remember, I'm your cousin.

Is it pleasant to have all

of the most beautiful girls

in the world in love

with you, Cousin Giulio?

One is enough, cousin.

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