The Prince and the Showgirl Page #9

. . .and I will look to the world

as the true freedom-loving democrat.

And so will I win my election

by a landslide.

Brilliant, brilliant!

Quite, quite brilliant.

I can see they don't call you the Fox

of the Balkans for nothing, do they?

Am I called so?

Didn't you know it?

The Fox of the Balkan.

And you look so like a fox

with those eyebrows.

Like a sleek, dangerous animal.

But such a lonely one.

Oh, my child.

It is my lot to be lonely.

But must it always be so?

It must. It must.

Darling, if you could only under--

Where is that music coming from?

Never mind, darling.

It must be that Hungarian.

You told me he played every night.

Oh, yes, every night.

Never mind, my darling.

Ah, my child.

If only you knew how I longed

for that kind of freedom.

My sweet.

Go on with what you were saying.

What does it matter? What are words?

What are words where deeds

can say so much more?

Not that again, darling. Can't you

think of something else to say?

I didn't quite catch that.

I love you.

I love you.

Oh, gosh, Your Grand Ducal Highness,

how I love you!

Northbrook, you're overstepping

your bounds! How dare you?

But the ambassador has arrived,

if you know what I mean.

Do not argue with me.

Leave the room at once.

You're lucky I'm not calling

the foreign secretary!

From Lady Sunningdale.

Mr. Northbrook.

Good morning, sir.

Is my father quite well?

I've heard nothing

to the contrary. Why?

He has just. . .

. . .embraced me!

He's surely done that often before.

In public, of course.

But this was in private.

In his bedroom, with only

his valets to see it.

And he called me his darling boy.

How nice.

It is most suspicious.

He was asking too

the most extraordinary. . .

. . .not to say embarrassing, questions.

Was I not sometimes very lonely?

Had he not always been

a good father to me?

Did I not sometimes feel

the lack of love in my life?

Mr. Northbrook, my father asked me. . .

. . .if I felt

the lack of love in my life.

Yes, sir, I heard you.

You are not surprised?

You have heard something

already perhaps?

Is there cause for concern?

Let me tell you. . .

. . .I strongly suspect some Foreign

Office hocus-pocus in all this.

The Foreign Office never

resorts to hocus-pocus.

You are doubtless thinking

of the Wilhelm Strasse.

Good morning, Northbrook.

Punctual as usual, I see. Splendid.

How handsome you look

in that uniform of yours.

And yesterday too. I meant to say

something, but it slipped my mind.

And Nicky, my darling boy.

-Yes, Father?

-Nothing, just my darling boy.

Careful, Franz.

You better get ready.

We leave in five minutes.

Yes, Father.

Give me a kiss, Nicky.

Another kiss?

Why not?

One can overdo it.

Nonsense.

Fathers should kiss their sons.

When they are children, not--

Nicky, come and give me

a kiss this instant!

Well, Northbrook. . . .

-Well, well, well.

-Well, well, indeed, sir.

-Wonderful morning, is it not?

-Wonderful, sir.

I have a letter for your Grand Ducal

Highness of a private nature.

Oh, dear.

You know, Northbrook, what I think

is the trouble with Lady Sunningdale?

She has not enough love

in her life, sir?

Too much. One should keep

a balance in these things.

Now, I have one or two commissions

for you to perform after we leave.

First, a special passport must be

obtained for a journey to Carpathia. . .

. . .made out in the name

of Miss Elsa Stolzenburg.

Citizeness of the United States.

Profession, actress.

Stage name, Miss Elsie Marina.

I was beginning to wonder.

Second, a special coach must be

attached to the Orient Express.

A French chef must board at Ostend.

Bowers of flowers

in the saloons and bedroom.

You will attend to

these petty details yourself.

Now for the journey. She may require

dresses, furs, personal ornaments.

You will see to it that in that

respect she is given carte blanche.

Carte quite blanche, sir?

As blanche as she cares to make it.

-That was myself speaking?

-It was, sir.

I suppose it cannot be helped.

Dispose of this, please.

-Father is still dressing?

-Just finishing.

Thank goodness. You will

be seeing Miss Marina soon?

Quite possible.

Good. Say goodbye to her for me

and give her this small parting gift.

Also this photograph.

Tell her I enjoyed myself

last night immensely.

-And thank her most gratefully.

-I will, sir.

-Mr. Northbrook.

-Sir?

Has he kissed you too?

Not yet.

I should not be too confident,

Mr. Northbrook.

-Playing with fire?

-What?

Good morning, Miss Marina.

Yes, I am.

That's a sport you should leave to me.

It was a lovely sunrise

this morning, wasn't it?

I doubt if I paid it quite

the same attention as you have.

You might have taken cold.

Were you out there long?

Almost all night.

I didn't want to go back to Brixton.

I wanted to see them off.

Weren't thinking

of going to the station?

No.

I see.

These are with the king's compliments

and his thanks for last night.

He says it was the pleasantest evening

he ever spent in his life.

How sweet.

He signed it too.

The Royal Carpathian Arms.

Well, wouldn't you know it?

I shall await Your Grand

Ducal Highness in the hall.

I won't say goodbye. We shall

be seeing a lot of each other. . .

. . .what with passports

and other things.

That was intended to be a surprise.

Oh, I'm so sorry. I wouldn't

have spoilt it for the world.

Good morning.

Good morning.

My dear.

I have been making

such a spectacle of myself today.

Behaving like a schoolboy

and what is so surprising, loving it.

Oh, dear.

This morning it's up to me

to be the grown-up one, isn't it?

It's hard for you to remember,

I suppose sometimes.

You're quite an important man,

aren't you?

I rule a small country

which is not my own. . .

. . .for which I have some loyalty

but no feeling.

I rule it as well as I can.

No better and no worse

than any other man in my place.

Is that so important?

-They say it is.

-They? Who are they?

People.

Last night one man said:

"You wouldn't think it

to look at him. . .

. . .but there goes the best

political brain in Europe. "

Would not think it--?

But, my darling, in 18 months

I shall surrender my power to Nicky.

I shall then be a free citizen.

In 18 months I'm free of

my contract with George Edwards.

So there we are, aren't we?

My dear child.

You do not realize. . .

. . .what can happen

in this world in 18 months.

Yes, I think I do.

I really think I do.

This is goodbye then?

Au revoir.

Au revoir, of course.

Could I have

my parting present now, please?

But it is real.

Of course it is, my darling.

I just want to remember

which one it is.

Pin it on for me, please.

Poor darling, do you feel

so terribly disconcerted?

Yes.

I do.

Childishness isn't all fun, is it?

No.

Good morning.

How good of you to be here so early.

Is it not, Charles?

My dear, such a night.

Not a wink of sleep.

Some drunkard fiddling

in the corridor for hours. . .

. . .and the night before too.

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