The Man in the Iron Mask

---

[DOOR OPENS]

[DOOR SLAMS OPEN]

[HORSE WHINNIES]

[POUNDING ON DOOR]

[POUNDING ON DOOR]

[DOOR SLAMS SHUT]

YOU MUST UNDERSTAND, MONSIEUR,

I HAVE STRICT ORDERS NOT TO LE

ANYONE SEE THESE PRISONERS. BUT,

AN ORDER FROM THE MINISTER, M. FOUQUET.

[SCREAMS FROM TORTURE]

THE RACK, MADEMOISELLE, STILL

THE BEST WAY TO LOOSEN THE

VILLAINS TONGUE.

[FAINT CRY]

TELL ME, MONSIEUR, WHY DOES A

BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADY OF HIS MAJESTY'S

COURT WISH TO SEE A WRETCH

LIKE THIS DE LA VALLIERE.

SHE'S THE MAN'S DAUGHTER.

A FACT THAT MONSIEUR FOUQUE WOULD NOT WANT PUBLISHED.

AS GOVERNOR OF THE BASTILLE

ONE LEARNS TO BE DISCREET.

PLEASE.

MONSIEUR. MONSIEUR, I DEMAND

TO KNOW WHY I'M HERE.

WHAT HAVE I DONE?

WHO IS MY ACCUSER?

WHEN AM I TO BE TRIED?

[DOOR SLAMS SHUT]

TO HEAR THEM COMPLAIN,

THEY ARE ALL INNOCENT.

[UNLOCKS, OPENS DOOR]

ALONE, AS WAS PROMISED.

FIVE MINUTES, NO MORE.

[DOOR CLOSES, LOCKS]

FATHER.

WHO'S THERE?

WHAT DO YOU WANT OF ME?

IT'S LOUISE.

[WHIMPERING]

LOUISE?

GO AWAY.

OH, OH, I'M DREAMING.

NO. PAPA.

YOU ARE NOT DREAMING.

MY CHILD.

HA, HA, HEH, IT IS MY CHILD.

[SOBBING]

FORGIVE ME, WHY, IS I ON THAT ACCOUNT?

LET ME SEE.

HOW BEAUTIFUL YOU ARE.

SO, SO ELEGANT.

LIFE HAS CAUGHT ME SEUKING.

YOU KNEW WHEN THEY

TOOK YOU?

[COUGHING, NODDING]

PLEASE, FORGIVE ME.

WHY, WHY DO YOU

BLAME YOURSELF?

IF I HAD NOT REJECTED

THE ATTENTIONS OF M. FOUQUET.

FOUQUET?

WATCH OUT.

WE MAY BE HEARD.

IT WOULD BE BETTER IF I WERE

TO BE MISTRESS AND YOU WERE FREE.

NEVER.

I'D RATHER ROT HERE.

IF I GAVE LOVE TO HIM.

NEVER, NEVER.

I MUST, IF I HAVE TO, FATHER.

NO. NO.

[CHOKING COUGH]

MADEMOISELLE.

MY FATHER AND I...

- [COUGHING]

THANK YOU:

- [COUGHING]

FOR YOUR KINDNESS.

WHY DO YOU STARE AT ME SO?

IT, IT'S JUST THA YOU RESEMBLE.

WHO?

AN ACQUAINTANCE.

DO NOT BE AFRAID.

HOW COULD I HARM

ANYONE SO BEAUTIFUL?

BUT YOU MUST TELL ME.

I MUST KNOW.

[DOOR OPENS]

IT IS TIME.

MONSIEUR.

YOU THERE.

COME HERE.

UGH!

WHAT IS IT YOU SEE!

LET HIM ALONE.

MONSIEUR, MONSIEUR, MONSIEUR,

[LAUGHTER]

NE.., N'EST PAS QUI, QUI

VOUS APPELEZ GUENARAIS?

QUIET.

[SPEAKING FRENCH]

[SPEAKING FRENCH]

SEE HOW THE HAWK

AND THE FALCON:

CONSPIRE TOGETHER?

I WONDER WHAT EVIL

THEY'RE HATCHING.

FOUQUET.

-THE MASTER JUGGLER

AT WORK.

- THE NATIONAL TREASURY

PLUNDERED.

THE VERY WEALTH OF FRANCE

SMOOTHLY CHANNELED INTO

PERSONAL GLORY IN HIS

CHATEAU AT LOWE.

MAYBE WE SHALL SEE HIM

PAY IT BACK ONE DAY.

BUT LOOK AT THE REAL

SCOURGE OF FRANCE.

THIS WATER LILY WHO

CALLS HIMSELF A KING.

PATIENCE, D'ARTAGNAN, THE REAL

LOUIS STILL WEARS THE CROWN

AND BEARS THE SCEPTER.

ANY ACTION AGAINST HIM

MUST BE A LAST RECOURSE.

IT CANNOT BE:

SOON ENOUGH FOR ME.

FOUQUET HAS EARS EVERYWHERE.

HE MUST NOT GET WIND OF OUR

PLAN UNTIL WE ARE READY TO ACT.

I WILL COUNT THE MINUTES

TILL THE DAY.

SHHHHH.

I TELL YOU...HE LIVES.

WHERE?

IN THE BASTILLE.

GOD KNOWS WHAT STROKE OF FATE

PUT HIM THERE FOR ME TO FIND.

FAITH, UH, THIS IS THE WORK OF THOSE

JEALOUS OF MY POWER OVER THE KING.

COLBERT.

YES, I LONG SUSPECTED THAT.

THE VENERATED MINISTER OF

THE INTERIOR TO HAVE A PLO

TO DO ME DAMAGE.

BUT, A MOVE SO BOLD AS THIS,

IS NOT ONLY AGAINST ME, IT'S UH...

COULD BE TREASON!

DELICIOUS. I'LL HANG

THE OLD FOX YET.

ARE YOU CERTAINLY SURE

IT'S THE BOY?

COULD BE A PROTG OF

CARDINAL MAZARIN,

NOT JUST SOME LOOK-A-LIKE?

THE RESEMBLANCE IS TOO PERFECT.

IT HAS TO BE.

WE MUST BE CERTAIN.

MUST.

[JAIL DOOR OPENS]

WHO ARE YOU?

WHAT DO YOU WANT?

WHO BROUGHT THIS

PRISONER HERE?

I DON'T KNOW

WHO ARRESTED HIM.

THE ORDER WAS SIGNED BY SOME

OBSCURE PREFECTURE IN BURGUNDY.

NO ONE MUST SEE THAT PRISONER

WITHOUT MY AUTHORIZATION.

GUARD HIM WELL:

OR IT WILL BE YOUR NECK.

REST ASSURED, MINISTER.

REST ASSURED.

[JAIL DOOR CLOSED]

[APPLAUSE AND PRAISE]

BEAT THAT MONTFLEURY,

IF YOU CAN.

OH!

IF YOU DARE.

WHAT, AND RISK

ANOTHER TANTRUM.

I SHALL MISS BY:

A LEAGUE, MY DEAR.

HOW BRAZENLY DE LA VALLIRE

FLIRTS WITH YOUR HUSBAND, MADAME.

HOW OPENLY YOUR SON

ENCOURAGES HER, MADAME.

AW!

WHAT A PITY!

[LAUGHTER]

[CROQUET BELL TINKLES]

[APPLAUSE]

AH, FOUQUET, IF YOU'VE

COME TO JOIN THE GAME

YOU ARE TOO LATE.

WE ARE BORED WITH IT, AND

HAVE FOUND OURSELVES

A NEW DISTRACTION.

I SEEK A WORD IN PRIVATE.

WITH YOUR MAJESTY ON

A MATTER OF SOME URGENCY.

WHAT A TEDIOUS MAN

YOU ARE, FOUQUET.

YOU HAVEN'T ASKED THE SCORE.

I'LL WAGER YOUR MAJESTY

PLAYED AS SUCCESSFULLY AS USUAL.

WE HAVE WON EVERY SET.

CONGRATULATIONS, SIRE.

COME TO OUR CHAMBERS

LATER.....MUCH LATER.

HOW CAN WE ENDURE SUCH

HUMILIATION WITH A SMILE?

EASILY, MADAME, IF I KEEPS HIM FROM MY BED

WITH A COMMON COUNTRY GIRL?

YOU ARE NOT THE:

ONLY ONE TO BE UPSET.

LOOK AT THEM THERE.

I ADMIRE YOUR STRENGTH, MONSIEUR.

NO SACRIFICE IS TOO GREAT, DUVALL,

IF ONE PLEASES ONE'S SOVEREIGN.

WHY IS THAT?

MADAME, IF LOUIS TAKES

THE GATES PRIZE.

EXQUISITE.

BUT WE WILL HAVE TO ARRANGE

FOR A NEW WARDROBE.

HIS MAJESTY IS TOO KIND.

NOT AT ALL.

IT IS A PITY:

TO HIDE SUCH ASSETS.

YOU DESERVE GOWNS THA WILL SHOW THEM OFF.

AND ALLOW ONE A:

GLIMPSE OF PARADISE.

COME, COME.

WHY SO SHY?

SURELY YOU HAVE GUESSED

BY NOW THAT I WOULD GIVE

THE WORLD FOR YOU.

SIMPLY ASK,

AND IT WILL BE YOURS.

YOU MAJESTY, I WOULD

NOT PRESUME...

MY DEAR GIRL,

I EXPECT YOU TO PRESUME.

PRESUME TOO MUCH.

DEMAND MORE:

THAN I CAN FULFILL.

THAT WILL BE MY AGONY

AND MY JOY.

SUCH IS THE GAME OF LOVE.

AT WHICH, I PERCEIVE

YOU ARE NEW.

ALAS, I FEAR I WILL

NEVER KNOW THE RULES.

NONSENSE.

I WILL INSTRUCT YOU.

FOR EXAMPLE,

WHEN I SHOWER YOU WITH GIFTS,

DO NOT BE TOO QUICK

TO SHOW YOUR PLEASURE.

POUT AWHILE:

AND LOOK DISSATISFIED.

BUT SURELY THAT WOULD

HURT YOUR FEELINGS, SIRE.

YES. YES. NOW YOU

BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND.

I WILL GROVEL AT YOUR FEET.

LIKE THIS.

AND KISS THE HEM

OF YOUR GOWN, LIKE THIS.

AND BEG YOU TO:

FORGIVE ME.

YOUR MAJESTY.

HMM, HMM.

[CHUCKLING]

[LAUGHING]

AH, MONSIEUR, WE HAVE

BEEN WAITING....

[PLEADING TO SEE THE KING]

WILL HIS MAJESTY

SEE ME NOW?

- HIS MAJESTY CRAVES THE

MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR'S

INDULGENCE A LITTLE WHILE LONGER.

[PLEADING FOR FOUQUET'S HELP]

[FOUQUET] MUCH LATER.

MONSIEUR COLBERT,

D'ARTAGNAN.

MONSIEUR.

YOU ARE LOOKING:

MORE FIT THAN EVER.

THANK YOU.

AND YOU'RE LOOKING MORE

PROSPEROUS THAN EVER, MONSIEUR.

MONSIEUR.

DO YOU HEAR THEM?

HOW MUCH LONGER:

MUST WE SUFFER THIS?

WE MUST NOT AC IMPETUOUSLY.

IMPETUOUSLY?

OUR SHORES ARE:

THREATENED FROM ABROAD.

OUR PEOPLE CRY:

OUT FOR BREAD,

AND LOUIS WRITES

ODES TO PEACE:

AND DANCES THE MINUET.

WHAT IS TO BECOME OF PARIS

WITH SUCH A KING?

[KNOCKING]

THE DOOR.

IGNORE IT,

THEY WILL GO AWAY.

[KNOCKING LOUDER]

ENTER.

[DOOR OPENS]

YOUR MAJESTY.

AH, FOUQUET.

HOW QUICK YOU ARE.

PRAY, FORGIVE THE INTRUSION,

BUT THE BUSINESS THAT I SPOKE OF...

I FEAR IT CANNOT WAIT.

ALAS, MY DEAR, SUCH ARE

THE BURDENS OF MONARCHY.

PLEASE LEAVE US.

UH, NO, THROUGH HERE.

THE GATES TO YOU

NEW APARTMENT.

THROUGH THIS PASSAGE

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