The Diary of a Chambermaid Page #3

Telegram for the Lanlaires.

- Is it from the son?

- Never mind, see?

- Good news or bad.

- Depends on how you look at it.

It's from the son, all right.

- Then it's bad news.

- I hope so. Stingy old skinflints.

The goose is delicious,

Mariane. Congratulations!

You have Joseph to thank for that,

It's the way he kills them.

He sticks a long

pin through their heads...

and that way

they die very, very slowly...

and the blood stay inside

It's what makes the gravy so rich.

Oh, my pudding!

A wire for Monseiur

or Madame Lanlaire.

I'll take it.

We didn't see you girls in our village

in the last couple of weeks.

Don't you like us any more?

- Telegram, Madame.

- George!

Funny isn't it

we were talking about him.

Oh! My prayers have been answered!

Celestine, come with me!

- Stop! Stop!

- Put it down!

- Put it down!

- Let me take it

Joseph, take the tray

Mariane, Louise!

Charles!

Do something, help them!

Get the roses

Put on a decent suit!

- My other suit has a hole in it

- Joseph will have to weave it.

Your figure is excellent

but I'm not satisfied...

with your clothes

we'll do something about it.

- Do something about it?

- Yes, undress please.

- Undress?

- I said undress.

I sent all the

way to Paris for this.

Hurry up. It shouldn't take you

long to get out of that thing.

- It will fit. Very proper.

- Madame...

I'll explain. I told you I was

expecting a very particular guest.

Monsieur Lanlaire and myself

are not as young as we were.

Our friends don't wish

to visit us as they used to.

No, Celestine.

The other way. Yes, that's it.

Perhaps a pair of

fresh faces, yours and Louise.

Louise isn't much help,

heaven knows, will make it

a little more gay.

Let me see. Very proper

We can take it up here.

We'll try

these other dresses later.

- Madame, I...

- I almost forgot! You haven't any...

proper perfume, have you?

- No, well, I...

Cheap perfume is unforgivable.

Now let me see...

Here was what I was looking for.

I want you to keep

yourself scented at all times.

- But a chambermaid...

- I don't like your hair.

- I wear it plain for work

- That's not proper. Sit down.

I want you to copy these exactly

And by the time our guest arrives

I want your hair like this.

My fine boy, you're home.

Everything we have

is for you George.

Father! Hello.

I'll see that he never

leaves me again, never!

Celestine, go in!

Good afternoon, sir.

Sir? Good evening.

Madame would like you to enjoy

a bottle of Boef Piquot'65, Sir.

- Boef Piquot?

- Yes, Sir

- I've had it.

- Yes...

- It's still in the bottle, Sir.

- Go ahead and serve it.

Yes Sir.

Come here against the light.

Your hair is very nice

Where did you come from?

I come from Brittany, Sir.

I was born on Odeire,

where it's windy and foggy...

and rough but I love it.

Why, ever since I was...

- Little girl, I've always...

- Never mind.

- I've had that story.

- You've had it? Pardon.

- Then you don't want the champagne

- Yes I do.

How long have you been around here?

A little over two weeks, Sir.

I'm sorry, Sir!

- Don't worry about the champagne

- Yes, Sir.

- You have a cold, Sir

- For about six years.

- I'm sorry Sir.

- That's all.

- Wait, what's your name.

- My name's Celestine.

- Not actually Celestine, is it?

- Yes it is.

- Pretty fancy uniform you're wearing.

- Thank you. It came from Paris.

- Did you bring it from Paris?

- Me, Sir?

- Or did my mother?

- Your mother?

- Is she your mother?

- She is.

And I'm the scapegoat

of the Lanlaire family.

Haven't you heard about me?

Captain Mojuet said

that you had two heads and...

For heaven sake...

So the Captain gave me

a black mark, did he?

The Captain's talks means

nothing, I've had it.

Listen to him and

you'll wind up eating beetles.

- Anything more, Sir?

- More than beetles?

I mean anything

more for you, Sir?

I like what, for instance?

I could read to you.

I could read aloud very well.

That would be nice, here.

Wait a minute, did they tell

you to entertain me too?

- Why?

- Never mind, I've had it.

Very well, Sir.

- Marianne, do you think I'll do?

- You'll do.

I'm so excited.

Celestine, come here.

I want to talk to you.

- Where are you going?

- To the village, it's my day off.

Why do you ask?

No a good plan

to be seen with Mr. George.

I thought I was

brought here to entertain him.

Yes but not in public. Neither

Madame nor I would approve of that.

Is that all you wanted to tell me?

No, but I have patient

I can wait.

- Hello, Celestine.

- Hello.

- Taking a walk?

- It's my day off.

That's fine.

There's someone following you.

- Pierre!

- Where's Lousie?

- She's working today.

- I was to wait and the tree and...

What's he talking about?

He wants to sit with

her under the wishing tree.

- Wishing tree?

- The story goes that a...

prince sat there with

a shepherdess and she...

made a wish and

he up and married her.

Just like that?

So when young people want

to get married they sit...

there and wish

- Does it work?

Well, it did with me, blast it.

Good day Sir.

- Hello, Celestine

- Hello, Mr. George.

I want you to meet my friends,

the postman and Pierre.

- Pleased to know you.

- Say something.

- I...

- Tell me.

He says he used to see

you go by in a carriage.

I used to see him

playing in the fields.

I remember the day you were born,

Your father let me peek in at you.

I'm glad we've met formally at last.

- Well, goodbye, Celestine

- Goodbye.

- Goodbye, and come back often, Sir

- I will.

- Goodbye Celestine.

- Celestine

- Goodbye

- Goodbye

- Goodbye

- Goodbye

I hope you didn't mind

meeting my friend's, Sir

I wanted to meet them before

I never knew how to go about it,

Thanks to you, it was quite simple.

You've been away

so much and of course...

- Do you mean how I was brought up?

- I didn't mean that.

It's so good to see you

walking in the sunshine.

You seem to be

getting better everyday.

I have you to thank for that, too

I'll be going along.

Mr. George...

- You know why I came to the village?

- Yes, it's your day off.

I overheard you

saying you were coming here.

- You eavesdrop. Do you?

- Always

That's practical.

You had something to ask me?

I wondered if I could walking

with you this afternoon as usual

as a matter of fact,

I was just going some place to read.

Let me read to you,

please. Just one sentence

- One sentence?

- Please

Go ahead

I could a tale unfold

who's lightest word...

would barrow up thy soul...

freeze they young blood

make thy two eyes...

I like stars start

from their spheres

- I'll bet you thought I could read

- I did

Why do you read such frightening things?

- Makes me feel better by comparison

- This is not good for you.

I know a more

soothing kind of poetry

- I composed it myself

- Go ahead

Little flower, how I pine

For the secret of your beauty

to keep my hands

as soft as thin,

And still to do my duty.

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