"Are you OK?" "We can't back down now." "Torcy wants Mosca killed." "It's become an obsession." "He's about to renege on our agreement." "I'll do it." "Ideally, we make his death look like an accident." ""The appeal for donations to help build the Sacré-Coeur" ""has been a resounding success." ""Millions of francs have been donated to expiate the crimes of the Commune."" "You obviously don't read the papers, apart from the cartoons." "Was that aimed at me?" " No." "Why?" " Because I can't read." "That's not what she meant." " Shit!" " What?" ""There are new leads ten days after Ferdinand Lubeck's murder." ""The burglary seems to be linked to the dissolute life" ""of the deputy and his wife." ""The couple habitually frequented various salons of debauchery," ""in particular a notorious brothel in the Opera area," ""recently taken over by a well-known criminal."" " What has Mosca got to do with this?" " Why Mosca?" " They don't mention his name." " Berta." "A well-known criminal who runs a notorious brothel in the Opera area?" "Do you know many others?" "Why would he do that?" "Lubeck was a good client." "Mosca refused to play the game so Torcy wants him dead." "That's easy." "He should send him a crate of bottles of Mariani." "Mosca will self-destruct." "And we'll go down with him." "Congratulations." "Overseeing the funding of the Sacré-Coeur was a smart move." "Should you need a right-hand man to complete this noble mission..." "You leave the nobility alone and concentrate on the streets." "The streets around Opera have never been so peaceful." "In fact, since the Butcher's death even Pigalle has become a haven of tranquility." "The hand of God, no doubt." "The Moral Order, more like." "This resounding victory is to its credit." " Where have you put the rest?" " I swear that was all." "I haven't had any more punters." "Charming!" "What's this then?" "Get off her!" "Get off!" "Stop." "Do something." "What are you doing?" "Get up." "Hiding money in her bodice." "Listen to me." "I'm looking for Louise." "Do you know where she is?" "She was carted off to Saint-Lazare." " By Angelus?" " No, because of a punter." "A fence who was being tailed by the police." "We'll get her out." "Once she's out, send her to the Paradis." "Have you got that?" "As for the money, this is your final warning." "Clear off!" "Next time hit her in the ribs so it doesn't show." "Like this?" "No, more like this." "Stop it!" "Go away." "Creep!" "You gave me a fright." "Well?" "How was your crazy day as a shop assistant?" "I have no choice if I want to leave home." "A friend mentioned a furnished flat near Pigalle." "The rent's cheap." "It might be nice." "No?" "My mother will never let me." "You should have seen her when I raised the topic of moving out." "I'm sure you'll find a way to convince her." "Just ask Vera." " She's bound to say yes." " Do you think so?" "Hello, Madame Lubeck." "I'm sorry to trouble you at such a painful time." "Your housekeeper said I would find you here." "Were you curious to clap eyes on a fallen aristocrat, an outcast from society?" "I wanted to speak to you." " What about?" " I need your help." "Why should I help you?" "I helped your husband before he died." " Why else?" " ?" "Le Petit Parisien?" "Torcy has got it in for your Paradis." "What has that to do with my husband?" "Torcy wants Mosca killed for refusing to inform on your husband." "He wanted details of your private life." "He was looking for a way to put political pressure on the deputy." "Was my husband aware of that?" "I felt I should warn him." "To avoid the scandal." "And you thought a deputy might come in useful!" "Torcy's enemies are my friends." "Your husband implied that he had a way of bringing pressure to bear on Torcy." "I read a letter in his correspondence which revealed that Torcy... is a member of the Chevau-Légers, a clandestine group of Legitimist socialites who have no qualms about using force to reinstate the exiled Bourbon." "Do you have that letter?" "Come back to my house and I'll give it to you." "Do you know whether Torcy is making headway in his investigation?" "He is convinced that Mosca killed my husband." "Something to do with a stolen Winchester." "I must admit, I don't know what to make of it." "The irony of fate." "Now we are allies." "Are you OK?" "What's wrong?" "Remember when Mosca and Bak killed the Butcher?" "Did they use rifles?" "They used Winchesters." "Mosca kept going on about it." "He said that's what saved us." "Why?" " Jesus!" " What?" "What's happened?" "What's wrong?" "What's wrong?" "Calm down." "It's Mummy." "It's becoming impossible." "She's on my back all day long." "She reads my letters." "She goes through my things." "And now she wants to send me to a convent school." " I'll talk to her." " I'm not going to a convent!" "You won't have to." "And I like it at the store." "I want to be independent like all the other girls there." "I hear there's a furnished flat about to become vacant near the shop." "Do you want to live on your own?" "Which would you rather?" "That I stay with your sister who keeps going on about how depraved you are." " And how many men you've slept with..." " All right." "I'll talk to her." " Have you got a handkerchief?" " No." "You need a handkerchief." "No!" " What's wrong?" " You want to know what's wrong?" " Look." " You said the head didn't matter." " You moved your legs." " I did not!" "Open them a bit wider." "A bit more." "There." "That's good." " I'm hot." " Me too." "I've got a headache." "If we don't get down to it soon," "I can't guarantee you'll get your money's worth." "You've given me quite enough as it is." "Your vagina is revolutionizing modern art, Angele." "I know it's unique, but..." "It's Courbet's painting that's unique." "The guy is a genius but his painting is not being exhibited so we're making copies." "Why don't you ask him to make his own copies?" "That way you could enjoy your models." "It's such a waste." "Which models?" "You?" " For example." " For example." "Back to work." "Take up the pose again." "And stay still." "Stay still." " It had better be good." " It will be very good." " Can I see?" " Afterwards." " Go on!" " Stop talking." " Can I see it now?" " Yes." "Tell me what you think." "Angele?" "Angele!" "Angele!" "Help!" "Pauline!" "Out of the way!" "Come on, out of the way!" " What's wrong?" " Never you mind." "Come on, into bed." "There you go." "Come on, let's take this off." "It's nothing." "You must have caught a cold." "The doctor's coming tomorrow." "Good timing!" "Berta, fetch some cloths." "Hurry up!" "Comfortable?" "Vera." " Stay with me." " I'll be right back." "I'll be right back." "If I catch the bastard who gave her that!" "It may be an allergy." "We don't know it's syphilis." "You know it is." "We're supposed to report her." "We will do no such thing." "Perhaps it's time she went her own way." "Of course." "She's 1 9." "She's got a job." "Living alone is the next logical step." "Really?" "And what's the next step after that?" "Streetwalking?" "That way you can be sure she's your daughter." "Please, Renée." "Poor Vera." "You must be truly depraved to sacrifice your child out of revenge." "What sacrifice?" "What revenge?" "What are you talking about?" "You're out of your mind." "Do you think staying here is good for her?" "How dare you?" "Why won't you listen to her?" "Let her go, if that's what she wants." "Don't be like that, Renée." "Like what?" "Are you happy now?" "You've won." "I never want to see you again." "It is what you thought." "You're not going to Saint-Lazare." "Hiding a victim of syphilis..." "If they find out, they'll shut you down." " I'll be struck off." " There's cholera at Saint-Lazare." " She's staying here." " Hortense will never agree." "Leave her to me." "You can report her and refuse to treat her but you can also help us." "Doctor?" "I'll prescribe her a mercury ointment." "There's no point." "We know it doesn't work." "There's a new stronger treatment but it's more expensive." "We'll club together." "I'll pay." " Really expensive." " She'll pay." "Madame Vera?" "What?" "I told you not to come back here." "What happened with Renée?" "She won't talk to me." "I heard from a neighbor that you'd been to see her." "What did she say?" " Well..." " Well?" "She said it was OK." " But I'll find you the flat." " Thank you." "Go on, get out of here." "And don't come back." "All right." " Well?" " She said yes." "You're a devious little minx!" "You know how to get what you want." "The only trouble is, I can't take the flat you mentioned." " Vera wants to find me one herself." " As long as you get to leave home." " I'll buy you dinner." " On the grands boulevards?" "the grands boulevards?" "Come on, then." "Not you again." "What do you want?" "To fuck." "You've come to the right place." " He's certainly got an appetite!" " I need a change of scene tonight." "What if Angele came upstairs with us?" "She's gone away for a few days." "She's had a death in her family." " Yes, her mother." " I thought Angele was an orphan." "Not her mother, her uncle." "Yes, it's her uncle." "Her paternal uncle." "On her father's side." " Paternal means on the father's side." " Yes." "So no Angele, then." "Why not take Berta?" "No, it's fine." "Coming?" "What's his problem?" "Why not Berta?" "Don't take it to heart." "He doesn't know what he wants." "Still..." "You need to achieve the perfect balance between opium and cocaine." "I need to conserve enough energy for work." "Forget work." "Pass me a cigarette." "What's bothering you?" "Police business." "Tell me." "Torcy." "That royalist scumbag." "He's abusing his position." "Him and everyone else." "What's your problem with royalists?" "I might not be a radical but I am a republican." "Do you understand?" "That must be why... he wants to keep me on the side lines." "Ever since he was put in charge of raising funds for the Sacré-Coeur he's been walking on air." "What do you plan to do?" "I don't know yet." "But you can't teach an old dog new tricks." "Too right." "No..." "I think tonight..." "Louis?" "Open the door, Louis." "What if we were to get the hell out of here, you and I, and leave it all behind us?" " We'd need cash for that." " You've got cash, haven't you?" "Not enough." "Even with all the money we bring in?" "I can't help it." "I'm becoming bourgeois." "I want to set us up in a nice country house." "Perhaps Kertel was right after all and the streets of Pigalle and Opera are the answer." "I hope you're joking." "I don't know." "You don't know?" "What don't you know?" "If you need cash, get hold of some." "Rob a bank, whatever it takes." "I'll always be here for you, even in the darkest, leanest of times." "But dare to pimp a single streetwalker and you'll never see me again." "You won't abandon me, will you?" "You're going to get better." "You're going to be cured." "We'll go to the seaside, like we said, to my grandmother's house." "We'll be happy there." "You're going to be all right." "You just need to rest." "Everything's going to get better." "You're going to be a great actress." "The whole of Paris will come and applaud you." "They'll worship you." "And I'll be so proud of you." "Is something wrong?" "No." "It's just that I've got out of the habit." "Out of the habit of what?" "Of seeing you at breakfast." "And lunch, and dinner and work." "Come to think of it, I never see you." "And I've got out of the habit of listening to your cheap jibes." "But do you know what?" "I haven't missed them." "What about Angele?" "Don't you miss her?" "How did it go with Angelus yesterday?" "Did he question you about Angele?" "No." "He was too distracted." "Why was he so down in the mouth?" "Ever since Torcy was put charge of funds for the Sacré-Coeur he's been treating him like a piece of shit." "You must admit..." "What?" "Do you know Angelus?" "You know I'm right!" "You are right, Berta." "I should come downstairs more often." "Steal the funds for the Sacré-Coeur?" "It will be quite a haul." "We'll go down in the history books." "Stealing from those religious cunts while tricking that bastard Torcy will be a real coup." "It's a job that takes careful planning." "Don't worry." "We'll have inside information." "Angelus can't wait to stick the knife into Torcy." "Angelus?" "You're letting a cop in on the job?" "Why not?" "We can trust him, can't we?" "No?" "Don't you like Angelus?" "I like him." "What about you?" "Put it to good use." "I've got something else to ask you." "It's about my daughter." "She needs somewhere to live." "Do you have room for her?" "She'd be protected from the dangers of the street there." "I'll pay you, of course." "One room would do, something simple." "It's hard to find a trustworthy landlord for a young woman on her own." "So I thought..." "I have a furnished flat with a separate entrance." "The figure you have in mind will be perfectly sufficient." "It will give us a chance to meet again." "We don't know what the future holds for us." " Thank you." " Don't mention it." "You disgust me!" "Louis!" "Let me in, Louis!" "Louis!" "Cyanide in a bottle of Mariani." "I'll leave it on his desk." "I'll do it." "Welcome to Rome, gentlemen." " Empress!" " Good evening." "What's your problem?" "Have we done something wrong?" "You've done plenty wrong, only I don't talk to flunkeys." "Don't get on the wrong side of us." "Mosca is Mosca." "We're a different matter." "Things are about to change around here, if you get my drift." " I need to talk to you." " Now is not a good time." "Is he your secret plan?" "Are you abandoning us?" "Don't think I don't know what you're up to." "There you are, Kertel." "There you are!" "I love this girl." "Do you understand that?" "I can tell you this." "We're going to leave." "We're going far away." "I've been unfair to you." "So unfair." "We've built the Paradis together." "After I've gone, you'll be the boss." "Do you see?" "You'll be the boss." "Wake up." "Move it." "Come on, get a move on." "Come on." " Come on, Louis." " Louis?" "This will do the reputation of the Paradis the world of good!" "What's bugging you, Vera?" "Spit it out." "You only came back here after prison to pick a fight with us." "You'll pay for this, you know." "Where is the old Rose?" "The old Rose?" "What old Rose?" "It's important to keep fighting, Vera." "Is that why you burgled Lubeck and shot him like a dog?" "Shut up." "There was nothing else for it." "I couldn't let him choke on his own vomit." "He wants to leave me the Paradis." "He's going to give it all up to go away with Rose." "When?" "Torcy won't let us off the hook." "I can't do it." "Madame Lubeck is expecting you." "What is it?" "Louis?" "Angelus is here." "Louis?" "What does he want?" "It's the day for his envelope." "Coming." "Wait here." "You look as if you had a skinful last night." "You look like a Vandal after the sacking of Rome." "What about the Artiguste girl?" " Who?" " Louise Artiguste." "A Pigalle streetwalker I released from Saint-Lazare." "What are you talking about?" "You guys should get your stories straight." "Kertel asked me to get her out so he could move her in here to replace Valentine." "Since when did you deal directly with Kertel?" " He said you were in the loop." " Did he, now?" "Stop trying to hoodwink me, Angelus!" "What are you hiding from me?" "It's just idle gossip, to be taken with a pinch of sat." "Come on, spit it out." "I have heard... that Kertel has taken over several streets in Pigalle." "With Bak." "But since it's not my zone..." "Hang on!" "Hang on." "That's for the girl." "And that's a down payment for a favor." "I want to be informed of Kertel's every move." "Find out what he's up to behind my back." "You can go now." "Kertel has taken over several streets in Pigalle." "He told me you were in the loop." "Angelus?" "You're letting a cop in on the job?" "I need to know who is behind the job." "You would do the job without me?" "It's a job that takes careful planning." "We've built the Paradis together." "When I've gone, you'll be the boss." "You'll be the boss." "You'll be the boss." "The boss!" "Put that down." "When were you planning to tell me about your schemes in Pigalle?" "I was going to leave all this to you." "Meanwhile, you stab me in my back." "With the Butcher dead, there was a job going on the streets." "I couldn't pass up the opportunity." "I was going to tell you once I'd set things up." "I sent Torcy packing." "I have no intention of backtracking." "You don't need Torcy." "All the pimps in Pigalle want to work for us." "What is it you're after?" "Is it money?" "You know where it is." "Help yourself." "Is it power?" "What would you do with power?" "I did it for us." "We have the same dream, Louis." "I should shoot you in the face, you traitor." "But I can't." "You might as well be some slut who wants to fuck me." "I can't do it." "I can't do it." "I'm not after anything." "You want us to drop Pigalle, we'll drop Pigalle!" "Can I still trust you?" "What do you think?" "I'll join you in the bedroom." "You two have become inseparable." "You're boring me, Vera." "Your whispering with Kertel has set tongues wagging." " Was there anything else?" " Angele has syphilis." "We're keeping her here and looking after her." "What are you plotting with him?" "Well?" "Tell me." "What are you two up to?" "Are you jealous?" "You're manipulating that poor fool." "You hate men." "We're the same, you and I." "You're jealous." "You don't know me, Vera." "After all these years you barely know me." "I hate men." "But I don't like women much better." "Mosca?" "I'm going to do the Sacré-Coeur job." "I have no choice." "That's good." "On top of his daily commission," "Torcy wants Mosca killed." "We'll oblige him and help him catch the others red-handed." "Torcy, the church's savior." "He'll love it." "Mosca?" " Louis?" " Drat!" "Hortense!" "Did you know Bak was sending us..." "What's your name?" " Louise." "..." "Louise to replace Valentine?" "His taste is crap, Hortense." "I wish you'd leave it to me." "She's a lovely girl." " She has no bum or tits." " So?" "Get out of my sight." "You're annoying me." "Pick that up for me." "Well?" "What do you think?" " It's lovely." " We'll be happy here." "Stop it." "I said stop it!" "Get off me!" "Stop it!" "Stop!" "Stay!" "Angele!" " She's hot." " Have you got a towel?" "Angele." " I'll go and get Marguerite." " Yes." "You're going to be all right."