The Swan Page #6

be talk.

Now, pull yourself together.

All right, Karl.

All right.

Just find me

some smelling salts.

Here's the memorandum, sir.

I thought

we'd never get to it.

May I?

Thank you.

Oh, um, by the way...

Where did they go?

Sir?

One has to admire

such courage, sir,

for a lowlander

like the professor

to tackle Mont Blanc.

Permission to retire.

Your royal highness.

Princess...

If I may ask,

don't go in

for a moment.

There's nothing

that needs to

be said.

But there is something.

There have been times

when a man thought

what he saw was a mirage...

And it was the real thing.

Before tonight,

everything

you've said to me

has been curt

and sharp, official.

Even your politeness

was a formality.

It was only

your indifference

that was genuine.

But now, all of a sudden,

everything has changed.

For the first time,

you look at me as

if I were a man, as--

no, no. Don't say anything more.

No. I must say it.

Every day since I've been here,

you've seen someone

whose face, whose voice,

whose whole manner

has been composed

and official, too,

while in his heart,

there's been

a raging fire.

All this time,

I've kept a discipline

over myself,

but now...

I didn't want it

to be like this.

A thing can't always

be helped, can it?

I'm so ashamed.

Is it so shameful?

If there

is something

you can tell me,

won't you tell it?

I wouldn't have said a word

if I hadn't seen

that something was

troubling you, too.

Never mind what

happens afterwards.

Give me that much happiness.

You don't understand.

How could you?

But if it's happened,

that's all that matters.

There is something...

But it's not what you think.

I must tell you.

If I don't,

I'll never

respect myself.

You serve our family.

I serve it, too...

And the family--

My mother--

has but one aim in life--

to make me the wife

of the crown prince,

to regain the throne

that was lost.

But so far,

it doesn't seem

as if anything...

As if it will happen.

Oh, can't you see

how difficult

this is for me?

How shameful it is?

The prince paid

no attention to me,

and so my mother thought

that if there

was someone else,

another man,

that it might have some effect.

I never hurt anyone

in my life before,

not knowingly.

You're the first person,

and I wouldn't have

hurt you either.

Why do you think

I was always cold

and curt to you?

Just because I always suspected,

I always felt that

somehow, with me,

you weren't at ease,

but I was weak.

Ever since I was a little girl,

I've never said no to my mother.

It was my mother who

suggested I invite

you this evening.

If I had known what

that would mean...

If I had known

how a man's eyes

can look

when he feels like this

or that anyone

could look at me

as you have...

I don't ask you

to forgive it,

but...

Can't you respect me

a little for having

told you?

Haven't you anything to say?

Oh, won't you please

say something?

You only did what you were told.

I had no right to blame mother.

That was hateful.

I'm guilty, too.

I want to be a queen.

Then I can go.

The decoy must have

done its work by now.

The rest of the evening

is for making the kill.

Don't reproach me.

Why should I?

We all have our place

in the scheme of things.

Have I hurt you so much?

No. It was just

a box on the ear.

I respect you,

and I want you

to forgive me.

Will you?

No, your highness.

Don't go through

like an express train.

We have missed you.

Princess--

and here's the professor,

of course.

You look much better

for the fresh air.

What's been going on--

some outdoor tuition?

The professor's

been telling me

about the stars--

Vega and Capella.

His talents run

in so many directions,

one's quite overwhelmed.

Are you an expert on roses, too?

Roses?

Oh, apparently not.

You should get

the Princess to teach you.

Since you live here

and her rose garden

is so available,

you shouldn't miss

the opportunity.

But we're keeping you.

We mustn't do that.

Albert, I--

well, here we all are.

Splendid!

Some of us have just come

back from a little visit

to the heavens.

Yes.

Back to earth.

And poor cousin Albert

was resting.

After all, the bass viol

is really quite strenuous.

Alexandra!

I hope you didn't have

too much fresh air.

Beatrix...

Oh, thank heaven.

Albert, we're serving

a little aperitif now

and then supper.

I thought you'd

prefer it privately,

just the family.

The family circle.

Delightful.

Give me circles every time.

Triangles are such a bore, eh?

Shall we go in?

I'm very much honored.

I always wish

I had an appetite

like the bourbons.

You know, Louis xv once ate

10 cutlets at a sitting.

Or was it Louis X

and 15 cutlets?

Professor...

I'll have some supper

sent up to your room.

You get up so early,

I expect you're tired.

I'm not tired.

If you

want to go to bed,

don't be afraid to admit it.

Bed, your highness?

I just woke up,

barely 5 minutes ago.

Those two...

Something's happened.

I knew it!

I don't think Albert likes it.

And you know nothing

at all about music?

Then I must congratulate you

on your courage.

I fail to see

why, your royal

highness.

Do you?

I doubt if many

a practiced performer

would try to take part

in a duet, a trio,

and a full orchestra

all at the same time.

Thank you.

I think

cousin Albert feels

quite triumphant, mother.

At last he's found a subject

where he knows more

than the professor.

And that's not

so easy, after all.

Alexandra, I have

a complaint to make.

You haven't looked

my way the whole

evening.

Perhaps

I have learned one

thing on the subject.

The greatest

musicians aren't

always the ones

who blow their own trumpets.

Huh.

Alexandra, see that

Albert tries some

of the salmon canapes.

I insist on that.

If you don't

feel well, professor,

I'm sure we can excuse you.

I feel splendid.

To the beautiful

daughter

of the house.

Health and happiness.

Quite a healthy gulp, too.

Prosit.

Why, son, this is a heavy wine,

and one shouldn't

take it that way.

It's a wine to be sipped.

I must

confess something

to you, father.

That was the first

glass of wine I ever

had in my life.

It was?

Yes, it was.

But tonight,

anything

can happen.

Alexandra!

Alexandra.

That was a little foolish,

my dear.

I just explained

that one

shouldn't drink

this too quickly.

I think she felt

obliged to keep

the professor company.

It was

quite unnecessary.

You're not accustomed to wine.

No, mother.

So tonight I've had

a new experience, too.

I should like to drink

another toast.

To yourself?

To Napoleon...

Who made kings

and destroyed them.

And who also

made that profound

contribution to thought--

"an army marches

on its stomach."

Oh, how very uncomfortable.

He was a genius,

and he knew that

even the smallest

detail was important.

In astronomy,

I've learned that, too.

One should never despise

even the smallest specks

in the universe,

those little specks in the sky.

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