The White Countess Page #7

Get out! Get out of here!

That man....

Here.

I'll leave you alone.

But you stay up here and sleep.

I don't think you've been sleeping enough.

How is he now?

Let him rest.

-Feeling better?

-Oh, yes. Yes, I am.

Here.

I'm grateful to you.

I rather let myself down,

and I let all of us down.

You've been different lately...

-not yourself.

-I guess that's right.

As it happens, I've notnced

that you haven't been yourself, either...

these last few evenings.

-ls your daughter well?

-Yes.

Yes, she's fine.

I've been thinking lately

maybe my relatives are right that...

I've done what I had to do for Katya.

But now perhaps I am harming her...

just by being near her.

You shouldn't be thinking these things.

But she copies me...

and I don't want her to have...

a sad life.

You shouldn't be having these thoughts,

not even for a minute.

You belong with each other.

I had a daughter.

I lost her.

You asked me once...

a while back, how I lost my sight.

Yes.

Do you want to know?

Yes. I'd like to know.

My daughter, Christina...

she was around the age your Katya is

right now. No, maybe she was a little older.

I made her a promise once.

I made her a promise, and it was foolish...

because I wasn't able to keep it.

When I'm grown, and I'm married...

-and I have children of my own.

-Yes?

Promise you'll stay with me.

Promise you'll live with me forever.

Christina....

Christina.

It was instantaneous.

That's what you're saying?

She wouldn't have suffered.

I was afraid.

See, I was afraid...

that she might have had a little time

while she was lying there.

Time to realize...

that I'd let her down...

once again.

Oh, but she didn't.

You know, I was thinking.

I'd like to meet Katya again.

Maybe This time, we can meet properly.

I was thinking, perhaps if you wanted...

the three of us, we might go to

the public gardens one Sunday afternoon...

and we can listen to the brass band.

Do you think that Katya might like that?

Yes, I think she would.

And I would, too.

When you used to be a dilpomat--

Diplomat. Dip-lo-mat.

Sometimes, people will say "diplomatist."

Were you always a diplomat?

When you were young?

No. Before that,

I worked for the U.S. State Department.

What that means is

I worked for the American President.

And then I came out here to China,

because I wanted to be a diplomat.

When you were a diplomat,

did you go on boat trips?

-Boat trips?

-Now, Katya....

On boats that go to Soochow

and places like that.

-did you ever go?

-Well, yes, we did go.

We did go a few times, in fact,

and it was good.

We had a good time in Soochow.

will you take us soon?

Me and Mama. Aunt Vera, too.

You don't have to take the others.

Katya, stop annoying Mr. Jackson like that.

-I'm not annoying him.

-No, no, she's not annoying me.

Well, let's see...

maybe one day we'll do just that.

A boat trip.

-Well, why not? It's very pleasant upriver.

-will you take us?

Well, maybe your mother and I

can talk it over.

A boat trip!

Well, I'm not promising anything.

The other evening,

you asked me what was on my mind.

-You wanted me to tell you.

-Yes.

I need to...

fnnd $300. Very soon.

That's what was on my mind,

along with all usual things.

How do you intend to raise it?

I'll earn it, somehow.

-It's for something important?

-Yes.

Well, I guess

you're not going to tell me what.

You wouldn't like to hear about it.

Mr. Feinstein!

Katya. My sweetheart.

How are you?

-Samuel?

-Countess Sofia, good afternoon.

This is my employer,

my friend and employer, Mr. Jackson.

This is our neighbor, Mr. Samuel Feinstein.

Very good to meet you, Mr. Jackson.

I've heard a lot about you from Katya here.

Really? How do you do, sir?

If you'll excuse me for a moment,

I'll just go and see to the store.

How's that, Katya?

will you lead the way, my friend?

Thank you.

Jew! Dirty Jewnsh scum!

It hasn't been a good day.

Not a good day at all. A lot of arguments.

I'm so glad the Countess

has found a good employer.

Do you have to put up

with a lot of that around here?

Was someone shouting something bad?

I didn't listen. Lucknly, I'm hard of hearing.

Driving around on that old wreck

ruins your eardrums.

Well, maybe that's just as well.

I suppose you left Europe

to get away from that kind of thing.

To get away from that kind of thing?

Mr. Jackson,

we had a terrible journey coming here.

The children lost their dear mother

and their grandfather.

But we're here now. It's safe.

They can learn and play and grow up.

That kind of thing...

after what we've endured, what is it?

Nothing. I don't hear it.

The children don't hear it.

Sofia?

Yes? I'm here.

I had them put it in This tired little bag,

'cause I didn't want you getting robbed.

I'm not expecting a child.

I realize you might have thought that.

I don't want to deceive you.

-It's not for that.

-No, no, no.

I didn't think it was for anything like that.

I realize I might be helping you

go away from here...

away from me.

-You see, it's just--

-No, no, let's just leave it like This now.

No questions and no answers.

How much longer

do you think you can hide away in here?

I grew up with people

who believed in big heavy doors...

just like you.

But those doors

weren't so strong in the end.

I know.

Back when we first met...

you offered to let me touch your face...

so I could...

I could see what you looked like.

You remember that?

Yes, I remember.

Well, I was wondering if I could now...

take you up on that offer.

All right.

If you like.

Strange to think that all This time...

I never knew how beautiful you were.

But then, you see, I'm a blind man.

Thank you.

So what do you think? Am I magic?

No, you cheated.

Ths was announced yesterday.

Though it is barely a week since Sir James

declared it an impossibility...

for the Great Powers to stand back...

and leave the city

to the mercy of Japanese troops.

The question present just now is this.

What actions are realistically open

to any of the Powers?

Is it really practical

for Great Britain or France...

or indeed, the United States...

to take up arms at this time?

Mama!

We're going to Hong Kong.

There's a boat tonight.

-Tonight?

-Katya, we need to tie our things together.

Come and help me.

Sofia.

The boat is leaving tonight.

We don't have much time,

but we must take This boat.

There will be no other.

Sofia, nt's been decided.

You will want a little longer. Want here.

Decided? Decided by who?

The family.

Hong Kong is British,

very hard to buy the correct papers.

In the end...

we weren't able to buy papers for you, too.

But...

you're leaving me behind?

Only for a little while, then we send for you.

Oh, you'll be all right, my dear.

Sofia, it's for the best.

In Hong Kong,

family has a chance to start afresh.

We have old friends there.

We'll be accepted in society.

Katya will have a future there, a real future.

But none of This will be possible

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