"France is now a republic but the monarchists are still on the scene." "The girls are running the Paradis as a collective." "But the Moral Order is gaining ground." "You're nothing but a whore." "A filthy whore." "This is all your fault." "You did this deliberately." "Filthy whore!" "Yes, you're nothing but a whore." "Going out, are you?" "Where are you going?" "Going to get laid, are you?" "Bastards!" "Going out, are you?" "What are you waiting for?" "You slut!" " Yes?" " Good evening." "Friends assure us that the Paradis lives up to its name." "This house only receives regular customers." "Then allow us to make a habit of coming here." "Bastards!" "In you come, gentlemen." "Good evening." "In you come." "They're ready for you." "In you come." "Let me in!" " Get lost!" " Let me in!" "Véra!" "Here." "If you wouldn't mind paying a visit to the bathroom." "Those are the rules:" "a clean dick and a condom." "Since when did the whores make the rules?" "What are you doing?" "One step and I'll scream." "It's up to you." "You can leave quietly or I can cause a scene." "And I can ruin your reputation in the blink of an eye." "Come back here!" "Go and see your sister." "She'll have the police onto us." "What the hell is she doing?" "Véra, Véra!" "Hurry." "So that's that." "I'm a whore, just like you." "He said so before he left me." ""You're nothing but a whore!"" "So I've come to the brothel." "And Jeanne..." "Perhaps she too..." "Véra?" "Come on." "This establishment prides itself on a certain propriety." " Shall I send Angele up?" " I want to invest in your brothel." "You know as well as I do that you need a protector." " Monsieur...?" " Mosca, Louis Mosca." "Property developer." "We are not short of protectors, believe me." "The others will drop you at the first sign of trouble." "Listen, Mr. Property Developer, for the past year we have run the Paradis ourselves, despite opposition, not least from the vice squad." "We are hardly going to hand it over now to the first person to come along!" "Move!" "Let me go!" "Let me go!" "Come with me and suck me off!" "I pay your wages." "I'm the customer." "Let her go!" "Thiers is running out of steam, but thanks to him, the Republic has paved the way." "Can't we talk about something else?" "I'm bored of politics." "You should show an interest." "A return of the monarchy will bankrupt me." "No money means no more Valentine." "You could always sell your wife's jewelry." "And you'll see me even if I can't pay you?" "Of course you will." "Of course." "Parliamentarians give Thiers a rough ride." "Goodbye, gentlemen." "Gentlemen." "Goodbye." "Oops!" "Goodbye, gentlemen." " Goodbye, Monsieur." " What's your name?" " Marguerite." " See you, Marguerite." "See you soon, Monsieur." "Well?" "Was that the place?" " That was it." " I was right, wasn't I?" "I was right!" "The police brought her to us." "Her father has apparently left home." "With her mother in here, someone needs to take care of her." "If the mother is sectioned, the girl will end up on the street." "I'll make arrangements." "If you know how to contact her family, do so as soon as possible." "I'll see to it." "Hello, Jeanne." "I don't know if you remember me." "Yes, I remember you." "You can't stay with me but I'll be back soon." "It's only for a few days, anyway." "Isn't it?" "Your mother just needs to rest." "She'll be fine in a few days." " Well?" "How much?" " 100." "And you?" "120." "Not bad." "And I gave my savior a free one." "Angele!" "We can do without your comments." "Get out of here, please." "Go on, go on!" "Off you go." "Go on." " Angelus is here." " Won't you...?" "No, why not ask..." "Hortense?" "220, 230, 240..." "Is it your sister?" "How is she?" "She's been sectioned." "Is your daughter on her own, then?" "Your friend is calmer." "Seeing you will do her good." "Does that mean she can leave soon?" "It's too soon to say but the fact that she has stopped having fits is an encouraging sign." "We must continue to pray for her." "Renovating the Paradis has cost us a fortune." "Let's be honest, outside the Republic is rejoicing and we have the wherewithal to suck it dry." "I am wondering whether we need police protection." "Hortense!" "You and I both know your superior will be replaced one day." "You are going to have to gently and skillfully suggest that his post is filled by someone of high standing." "Be careful." "Success is short-lived." "By the way... the girl gets out today." "It smells lovely, you'll see." " Isn't Véra back yet?" " No." "You can stay for a few days if you like." "I don't want to be any trouble." "Don't worry." "Angelus will turn a blind eye." " Angele!" " It's true." " And Hortense hasn't cracked up?" " Yes." "We've had to keep an eye out." "But no more register, no tokens and no boss." "Come on, Angele!" "We've missed you." " Angele!" " Yes." "You should go and see Adrien." "He's the new doctor." "I reckon he could..." "He'll be here this afternoon." "I'll be fine, honest." "I'll be right back." "You'll be happy here." "There." "The rent in cash on the first of the month." "And don't be late or you're out." "Although we could come to some agreement." "Rose?" "That won't be necessary." "You're shier than your colleagues at Saint-Lazare." "I see no reason to examine you further." "You have no fever." "Your chest is clear." "Have you had sex recently?" "I'll prescribe a camphor ointment." "That should be enough to soothe your rashes." "There." "The privileges of prison." "Eczema and reading Karl Marx." "I don't know which made me itch more." "But that's not what we agreed." "That was before the roof and the plumbing gave up the ghost." "The repairs have cost much more than we anticipated." "We agreed on a monthly rent." "Repairs didn't come into it." "You own the building." " Our rent should cover repairs." " It's your responsibility." "We can't have the war minister getting his feet wet." "He's come to expect a degree of luxury here, not cracked bidets and dripping ceilings." " It's not that bad." " It is that bad, Angele." "I'm doing these repairs for you, too." "Don't you see?" "The Paradis is your place of work." "You were burning with enthusiasm for a hand in running the place." " You have responsibilities now." " So what do you suggest?" "If we can't put up the rent our only option is to borrow." " What?" " Together, over several years." " A period of five years, say." " Five years?" "Nothing's changed." "We're prisoners again with another debt to pay off." "Only this time we're consenting." "Do you honestly think a banker is going to offer you guarantees?" "A year ago you decided that you didn't care what happened to the Paradis." "That guy from last night, Mosca, didn't he offer you his protection?" "What's this?" "We all watched him spending money all night." "A wad of notes won't offer guarantees." " Why didn't you say anything?" " Because it's of no interest." "You beg for independence and at the first obstacle you sell out to the first crook who comes along?" "All I want... is for us to face up to our responsibilities." "You chose independence, and to work your arses off." "There's a price to pay for that." "I'm prepared to pay it." "But not on my own." "What do you think?" "Five years is a long time." "It's a big commitment." "You shouldn't have come out of your way." "You said you worked as a milliner." "You know, your mother and I..." "I thought an on-the-shoulder tulle dress would look nice, and they are in fashion." "A girlfriend has invited me to a ball at the Saint-Sevrins', the people who run the store at the opera." "It's my first ball." "I'll pay you back." "Unless you can wait for my mother to return." "I'll sort it out with her later." "Thiers has resigned." "He's being replaced by a monarchist, Mac-Mahon." "Now she's learnt to read, she never stops." ""With God's help, our army's devotion and the support of honest folk" ""we shall continue to strive to liberate our country and to restore moral order in France."" "See?" ""With God's help, I promise to restore moral order," ""except on Saturdays when I get laid" ""with my monarchist friends."" "Don't you realize?" "This might be the end of the Republic." "They're all the same." "They all make these grand statements to the press." "They're not all the same." "You can't say that." "Some do it missionary style and some doggie style." "Moral order or no moral order, they all love fucking you up the arse." "Can you feel my moral order?" "Oh, yes." "Harder, Marshal, harder!" "I'd be wary if I were you." "I doubt the Marshal's friends will want their whores to be liberated." "Come off it!" " Here's to the moral order!" " To the moral order." "Gentlemen, as decreed by the new president and his policies for restoring moral order I regret to have to inform you that fellatio is banned at the Paradis." " We are most terribly sorry." " But, ladies..." "The moral order states that we must finish what we have started." "Then I am all in favor of the moral order." " Here's to the moral order." " To the moral order." " Superintendent Torcy..." " Chief Superintendent Torcy." "Vice squad." "I have chosen to make my first swoop since my appointment on the most popular brothel in the capital." "That way I can be assured that all of Paris will hear about it." "Please excuse us, gentlemen." "We are going to inspect the premises." "Whatever for?" "We are above board." "We always have been." " We shall see about that." " Right." "I found her upstairs." "You have a girl working here without declaring her." "That crime could cost you dearly." "And I could arrest you for illegal prostitution." "Rose is just staying here as a friend for a few days." "Mademoiselle Tranier will get herself sorted out." "Meanwhile, I will hang on to your account books." "You can come and fetch them tomorrow." "You will have to wait, Monsieur Mosca." " What's wrong?" " I'm sorry." " What is it?" " The vice squad have shown up." "This is the first time the cops have spoilt our fun." "I'm counting on you, Monsieur Mosca." "You have one week to bring the Paradis in line with the law." "I demand that you restore a system of tokens." "We need brothels to prevent society from being infected by your depravity but you can no longer continue to flout the law and rule with impunity." "This house only exists because of our tolerance." "I want this brothel brought into line." "Marguerite, can you see to the customers, please?" "Go on, go on!" "Don't give up!" "Véra!" "Véra!" "Véra!" "You can do it, Véra." "You can do it!" "Do you give up?" "Go on!" "Your house is in a precarious situation." "Your debts are accumulating and the competition is growing, both from other brothels and the illegal prostitution polluting our streets." "It would be sensible to consider leaving the Paradis and to take advantage of a well-deserved retirement." "Madame Bernardeau has offered to purchase it." "She already owns one establishment in Bourg-la-Reine." "She is an honest woman, already on our books, with an unblemished reputation." "She has an excellent record." "Chief Superintendent," "I appreciate and understand your fears about the Paradis." "Putting prostitutes at the helm in your brothel rather proves the opposite." "I was so upset by my brother's death that I allowed myself to be drawn into this arrangement." "Chief Superintendent, we are so close to restoring order in your brothel." "Trust me." "I am already working on it." "Times have changed and I want to see probity inside the Paradis." "Torcy was bluffing." "I bet you he will have forgotten us in a week." "That bastard Angelus didn't even warn us." "Our prophetess has something to say." "We're listening, Rose." "This business of instilling a moral order is perfect for you." "You get to be the madam again, not that you ever really stopped." "What are your accusations based on?" "You've only just been released." "You must admit, you do still behave as if you were our boss." "Well, this is my house, isn't it?" "I own this building." " Did you get hold of the family?" " I'm afraid not." "She has no close family." "Where have you been?" "You know you're not allowed out." "The doctor is here to examine you all." "But he was here two days ago." "Torcy has sent a consultant." "Doctors like you are responsible for the spread of syphilis." " The customers have no complaints." " Be quiet." "The brothel must be inspected to stop venereal disease from contaminating our society." "We must fight to stem the spread of this modern plague." " Together." " As I have explained, each girl is responsible for filling out her records." "When she is ill, she stops working." "Do you seriously believe that girls disposed to vices can act responsibly?" "I have never found any of them to be at fault." "Angele Desforges." "Lie down, please." " Spread your legs." " With pleasure." "It's my job after all." "A comedian to boot!" "There's no need to be brutal." "Do you want that report?" " What are you doing?" " There's no one here." "Can you hear the bell?" " All right, I'll go." " You do that." "Ah, my dear Edmond." "How lovely to see you." "The pleasure is all mine." " Any word on our arrangement?" " Our arrangement?" "The helping hand Crédit Général was going to give the Paradis." "Ah, yes." "I'm afraid, Madame Gaillac, the economic situation is hardly conducive to acts of extravagance." "These past two months our neighbors' stock markets have been hit by an economic recession." "We must proceed with the utmost caution." "Why the funeral expression?" "Don't tell me the moral order has been the death of the Paradis?" "You?" "Retire?" "What do I need to do?" "If I am to start a new life, I must be released from my obligations." "But you are the most reputable whore in Paris." "Precisely." "It's important to know when it's time to go." "I'll think about it." "But the Paradis will miss you, Véra." "And I wouldn't be at all surprised if you missed the Paradis, too." "I am not known to the police." "I would simply be the new protector who is reviving the old traditions." "How would it work in practice?" "I have no legal right to run a brothel whereas Hortense is respected throughout Paris for her skills as a brothel madam." "Customers will buy tokens which you hand to her." "Once I have taken my commission I will pay you in cash." "I will fix the rent and the charges." "I can even employ your doctor for medical care, if you so wish." "What do you want in exchange?" "To have an office here and for my men to be free to come and go." "I'm not going to lie." "I am no saint." "My affairs are not all above board." "But with me you will have no more money worries." "Excuse me!" "Madame!" "Excuse me!" "Stop!" "You are going to have to come with us." "I gather you were thinking of leaving and hoping to be discharged." "You know full well that whores are forbidden from wandering the streets before seven in the evening." "The people of France have a right to know they are dealing with a whore." "Hortense Gaillac promised me yesterday that she would take her girls in hand." "Somehow I doubt her ability to do so." "On the other hand, they listen to you." "They respect you." "If you help us, the Chief Superintendent will show you his gratitude." "Once order has been restored, he may consider discharging you." "You are right." "I shall leave you time to think about it." "I'm afraid we have no choice." " You want to give in to Torcy?" " Look what he did to her." "You promised to restore order." "What was I supposed to say?" "He was threatening to close us down." "We are no match for the police any more." "We may not be, but Mosca is." "And he's got lots of money." " I've seen it." " Mosca?" "He's a rogue." "So what if he's a rogue?" "All those bankers, spies and politicians happily come here to get their rocks off but when we need their help, they are nowhere to be seen." "If Mosca has money, let him finance the deficit and take over the reins." "See?" "We can negotiate the best conditions with him." "We?" "Rose?" "Do you remember what I did?" "So that you could fulfill your dreams of independence?" "So those dreams have been dashed and your solution is some man?" "He's not just "some man."" "But as for you, never again." "We don't want to go backwards." "Who is it?" "Do you know who I am?" "Superintendent Angelus, vice squad." "Young Pauline Bois' procurer." "And she is not the only girl you pimp on the streets around the opera." "What of it?" "I'm taking over the Paradis." "Is that what all this fuss is about?" "Your boss will see proof that order is being restored:" "medicals, up-to-date registers, a madam." "Your job is to temper his militant tendencies." "Your commission will depend on how glowing the reports are." "The moral order is to Torcy what the Virgin Mary is to Bernadette." "He won't let it go." "He's handsome!" " There you are!" " Sorry." "Right." "You position yourself there." "How long?" "Too long." "You stay in position." "You see something, anything, a cop or someone who looks like a cop, whatever it is, you whistle twice, OK?" " Then you..." " Hang on, I don't get it." " How long?" " Still too long." "You need to act fast and silently." "The staff sleep upstairs in the servants' quarters." "You two find a hideout, OK?" "Hang on." "Next..." " How long?" " Too long." "As soon as we've opened it, we scarper." "How long?"