The White Countess Page #2

It has several places

of comparable standard.

These places you say

are of a comparable standard...

-just which ones did you have in mind?

-Not far from here, there is the Navy Bar.

-Navy Bar.

-I personally fnid it very interesting.

Then there is the Wha Kim

in the French Concession.

And perhaps...

the Last Chance in Foochow road.

Myself, I'd add the Ching Lieng to that list.

Ching Lieng, I wonder--

Ching Lieng isn't so much to your taste?

It is very interesting,

but in my personal opinion...

perhaps not at quite the same level as...

-well, for instance, here.

-You may be right.

But I like him very much.

I'm pleased

to make your acquanitance, Mr....

-Matsuda.

-Matsuda.

And you, sir.

I believe you are Mr. Todd Jackson.

The distinguished American diplomatist.

Not so distinguished.

The same Todd Jackson, I believe...

whom the English Foreign Minister

once referred to as...

-the last hope for the League of Nations.

-That was all a few years back.

A lot's happened since then.

I have no quarrel with your countrymen

anymore, Mr. Matsuda.

Or with anybody else.

Besides, I came in here

to get away from all of that.

I quite agree, Mr. Jackson.

In a place like this, we should be allowed

to forget the world outside...

and its many diffniculties.

At least until the morning.

Hey, I bet you've never been in this place.

Come on.

-Where?

-Here. Let me show you somethnig.

The bouncers here, they're no good.

Now listen to that.

In the bar of my dreams, Mr. Matsuda...

I'd have the best team of bouncers in town...

and in the whole of Asia.

They'd be hand-picked,

and they'd be well trained.

Only then can you have control. See that?

The bouncers are like your dials, you know.

You control the mood with them.

You can turn it this way or turn it that way.

with a good team of bouncers, a fellow, you

could conduct the place like an orchestra.

Do you know, Mr. Jackson...

the establishment I would most

like to visit just now?

No. Which is that?

this bar of yours.

this bar of your dreams.

Well, who knows? Maybe one day you will.

I'm not a rich man,

but I've got a little stored away.

Now, sometimes I think about it.

So you may really build this establishment?

this bar of your dreams?

right now, I don't have enough...

but, you know, in a town like this,

you can have a stroke of luck, and then....

I thnik about getting up one morning

and taking every dollar I have...

and going out and putting it on a horse.

The women, of course,

you'd have to choose very carefully...

as carefully as the bouncers.

You need a kind of balance

between the erotic...

and the tragic.

Very important to choose

just the right women.

Excuse me, but I must be going.

My driver will be waiting for me.

Mr. Jackson,

perhaps I can offer you a lift somewhere?

No, thank you, my own man will come

and find me before long.

He always does in the end,

whatever I do to try and lose him.

Then may I thank you

for an unusually enjoyable evening?

Mr. Matsuda, this has been a true pleasure.

Really.

-I hope we meet again.

-I hope so, too.

-Good night.

-Good night.

Excuse me.

I believe I have the honor of greeting

Countess Sofia Alexeyevna Belinskya.

Forgive me.

It's quite possible you won't remember me...

but we were friends.

Well, that's to say,

we sometimes played tenis together...

at the Skopichenkos' house in Petersburg.

Of course, I was small then.

-I'm sure you won't remember me, but--

-No, of course.

How could I forget

Count llya Vladimirovitch Litvanoff?

You always beat me.

I'm truly flattered you should remember.

How nice to see you again.

I'm sorry. I must return to my work.

Me, too. It was very good of you

to come over like this.

Well, I just happened to see you.

Please, excuse me.

Thank you very much.

Three.

Here, take my arm. Leave with me.

Miss, if your intention

was to be kind to a blind man...

well, I thank you,

but I can get along just fine.

If you were proposing something

altogether different...

well, I have to tell you that kind of thing

doesn't interest me so much just now.

I wasn't proposing anything like that.

But if you leave here alone...

there are two villains over there

who will follow you...

hit you over head with their little...

blackjack and then...

steal your wallet

and perhaps your shoes, too.

You shouldn't wear such fine shoes

when you come around here.

You really suppose I'm in danger?

I know it,

but if you leave with me you'll be safe.

They'll think you're my client, and

they don't dare interfere with such things.

Why....

Don't worry. You'll be safe...

from them and from me.

Okay.

I should wear shabbier shoes, you say?

Much shabbier,

and try and look like you have friends...

dangerous friends.

Well, thanks for your advice.

I'm beholden to you.

You Russian?

Yes.

I was listening just now when you were

talking with your friend, and l....

I'm sorry,

I shouldn't be eavesdropping on people.

You know, it's just that

since I lost the use of these eyes...

-I can't--

-No, no, it's all right.

That's all right.

I know that times are hard for you people.

You've been thrown out of your country,

and no one willing to take you in.

I just want you to know

that I understand why you--

-We carry on.

-He's found me, always does.

Well, tonight you got me out of trouble.

I thank you for that.

I've always tended

to get a little overconfident.

I need someone to check on me

from time to time.

-You have someone like that?

-I don't know.

I guess one time my wife

used to perform that function.

Nowadays I just have my man Liu over there.

He's a clever fellow,

but I guess it's not his busniess...

to stop me maknig a fool of myself.

Tonight, though, you helped me out.

-Thank you.

-A pleasure.

-Good night.

-Good night.

-You said you'd be out here at 11:30.

-Who cares what I said?

-Now it's 12:
17.

-What are you? A railway service?

-You said 11:
30.

-Do you see her?

You see her? The one I was talking to?

The Countess?

The one I was talking with just now?

-She's still there.

-She's still there?

She's the one.

Liu Chi, she's the one,

the one I've been looking for.

Yes, yes.

Child, come back here. Do you hear me?

Mama.

-Katiushka.

-Child, come back here, please.

Come here, child.

Mama, can I please come with you

to the market?

Yes, of course you can, my darling, but keep

your voice down, Uncle Peter's sleeping.

He's not sleeping. He's just pretending.

-When are we going?

-I have to sleep first. I'm very tired.

Mama, I want to go and see the boats

before they're all gone.

All right, but I need to sleep first.

Katya, come here, please.

I told you to stay here. Did you hear me?

Your bed is free.

It was a good night's work.

Dear Sofia Alexeyevna, you sleep on this.

So soft.

But you promised me. You promised me.

And I kept my promise.

I kept the dress for you.

Many people wanted it. Do you understand?

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