"BED AND BOARD" "Two pounds of tangerines, please." "Here you are, mademoiselle." "Not mademoiselle - madame!" " I'd like this magazine, please." " Very well." "What a lovely poster of Nureyev!" "May I have it?" " Certainly." " Thank you." " Help yourself." " Very nice." "Terrific." "How much?" " Two francs." " Thank you." " Thank you, mademoiselle." "Not mademoiselle - madame!" "Go ahead." "You're faster than me." "Hi, there." "I have to run." "I forgot the red." "Hi, Antoine." "How are things?" "Are they going to turn red?" "We used that same trick in school." "We'd dunk a flower in the ink pot till it turned black." "Then we'd press it in our notebook." "Always caught heck for it!" "Look, they're already starting to turn red." "Soon you won't be able to dump that stuff in the sewer." "I saw it on TV." " Why the hell not?" " Water pollution and all that." "Even shaving cream." "Everyone has to use an electric razor now!" " Look how red they are now." " That was fast!" "Because of my immersion heater." "Funny - there's always one that doesn't change color." "Yes, and I never know why." "Hello, Antoine." "Still with the colors?" "Ginette, what are you doing here?" "I don't pay you to goof off!" "You know what I did?" "I bought new pyjamas." "I threw away the bottoms and kept just the top." "What do you say to that?" " Not a thing." "Ginette, sometime today, huh?" "Good day, madame." "So the flowers have arrived, and the blue ones have turned red!" "No, vice-versa!" "It's an old story." "I said, "Listen, Mrs. Fournier, be nice." "My radio isn't bothering anyone. "" "And she said, "So sue me!"" "I pay taxes, and what does she do?" "I should have sued her!" "But that was ten years ago." "What can I do now?" "If I had it to do over" "The yellow ones turned red!" "I've been watching you." "Why don't you start your own business?" "Antoine, telephone!" "Hurry up!" "Ah, hello, Mammy!" "Sure, I'll get Christine." "Don't hang up." "Madame, could you tell my wife her mother's on the phone?" "Hello, Mother?" "I can't hear you." " It's the garbage cans." "Tonight?" "No, I don't think Antoine has plans." "Shall we bring something?" "I said shall we bring something?" "Very well. 8:30 then." "See you tonight, then." "Mother's invited us to dinner at 8:15." " I'll close the shop and be right up." " Okay." "Hello, Ginette." "I want you, and I'll have you!" "Christophe, give me a hand with this, will you?" "I'm coming, dear." "I'm almost ready." "I'll be right there." "You can set your clock by that guy." "It's 7:15!" "He's a singer at the opera." "Always exits on cue!" "You should know - they live next to you." " Yes, our neighbors." "He's always right on time and always furious at his wife." "She's like you with your flowers:" "A little red here, a little blue there." "Antoine, look!" "Christine, would you get the wine from the cellar?" "The personnel wanted to work!" "Antoine, come help me." "Go on, Antoine." "Can you reach that bottle for me?" "Hey!" "The senator's friends told him his Mercedes was bad politics, so he got a Citroen instead, and I got the Mercedes, which I'll sell for a pretty penny." " I see you have striglias." " What?" "People confuse them with oubiglias." "My neighbor gave them to us." "I helped her paint her attic." "Really?" "I thought you brought them for Mother's Day." "Mother's Day?" "I'm so sorry." "I completely forgot." "Mother's Day was invented by the Nazis anyway." " Really?" " During the war, the Germans" "They've held up well." "I put aspirin in the water." "You put aspirin in the water?" "That's nonsense." "You have to cut the stems." "I do cut the stems every morning." "And then you put them back in the water?" "That's no good." "You have to cut the stems in the water." "No air gets in the stem, and the water is pulled right up to the flower." " Did your Japanese expert teach you that?" " Yes." "The Japanese know everything about flowers." "Floral art." "My soup?" " I didn't get any soup!" " I'm sorry!" "By the way, I spoke to the senator." "He's interested in your idea for a self-service flower stand." "He might be willing to invest." "I've lost interest in that." "I gave it some thought and" "Too much spoilage, right?" "It might work near a cemetery, where you could make wreaths with the left-overs." "I'm looking into something a little more interesting." "A process to obtain Absolute Red." "I'll tell the senator to forget about the self-service stand." "In any case, he's promised you'll get your phone within three weeks." "That's great!" "My pupils can call me directly." "Did you get the message about little Marianne?" "Yes." "Her dentist canceled, so she came over." "Who's this "little Marianne"?" "The little virtuoso who plays better than you?" "That's going a little far!" "She's talented, but her mother always forgets to pay for her lessons, and I don't dare bring it up." " Call me." "I'll bring it up, all right!" " You're down in the courtyard." "Doesn't matter." "I'll nab her when she comes down." "Children, I've got a great idea." "If the mother forgets to pay, let her go." "Don't say a word!" "Soon as she's gone, you play a prearranged tune, and Antoine will know she's on her way down." "Great idea!" "But what should I play?" " Bridge over the River Kwai." " No, too obvious." "Something lively." " Autumn Leaves." " Too slow." "Carmen!" " The Jewel song." " No, no one knows that." "Keep thinking!" " The Marseillaise." " That's it!" "Sure!" "It's a classic." "No one will suspect." "Hold on!" "No!" "You can't." " Why?" " You can't play the Marseillaise." " It'll ruin Christine's violin." " What do you mean?" "I mean, you can't fiddle around with the national anthem!" "I'll hit the switch." "There's something creepy about that guy." "Did you ask Mrs. Martin who he is, where he comes from?" "She doesn't know." "He's a sublet." "Not a single visitor or letter in three months." "Did you see those big, hairy hands with spindly fingers and hairy knuckles that come out at night to grab women's legs?" "Stop it!" "Oh, I forgot the light!" " Don't look." " No, I'm reading." "Naked men are revolting." "If I were a woman, I couldn't stand it." "Naked men are disgusting." " Not all of them." " Yes, all of them." " All except one." " Ah, you're right!" "All except one." "Who's that clown?" "Nureyev, the great dancer." "I think he's very handsome." "The newspaper vendor gave it to me." "Oh, my poor breasts." "If I have a child, I won't breast-feed him." "Well, don't look at me." "He'll have to fend for himself." " Let me see." " Stop it!" "Come on, show me." "What's wrong with your breasts?" "They don't match!" "You're crazy." "One is bigger than the other." " That's not true." " I'm afraid it is." " Everyone's are like that!" " Not true." "You might give them names to tell them apart." "Laurel and Hardy, for example." " Stop!" "No, I'm serious." "Or perhaps you prefer Don Quixote, and this plump little guy would be Sancho Panza." "Antoine, you're not funny." "Now, good night!" "Nothing like a warm, cozy bed at night..." "Antoine, wake up." "My pupil will be here soon." "Five sheep, four sheep, three... two... one... zero sheep!" "Hello, Marianne." "Madame." "My wife will be here in a minute." "Your pupil's here." "I'll leave you now." "Please come in." "Sorry I was a little late." "Did you practice, Marianne?" " Yes." "Did you work on your scales and sostenuto?" " She practiced for an hour every day." " Very good." "Let's start with this piece, all right?" "Pay attention to your attack and tone." "REPAIR SERVICE" "How are you, Doinel?" "Anyone here?" "Concierge?" "Excuse me." "Could you tell me" "Doinel!" " Hi." "How are you?" "Same as always." "What's with the flowers?" "I'm dyeing them." "Did you start your own business?" "No, I work for the shop on the corner." "Looks like hard work." "My grandfather always said, "When the lazy man gets going, watch out!"" "Didn't you get married?" " Yes." "I live here." "Hear that violin?" "That's my wife." "She gives music lessons." "A musician, huh?" "You always did love music..." "and nice bourgeois girls!" "I never thought of it like that." "I don't fall in love with a girl - I fall in love with her whole family." "Her mother, her father." "I like a girl with good parents." "I enjoy parents - as long as they're not mine!" " You there." " What's this guy want?" " Is that your truck parked out front?" " Yes." "Why?" " You can't park there." " Why not?" "I gave you one ticket." "Want to try for two?" "Go ahead, Pops." "Make it a pair!" "I'm supposed to fix a TV set." "You know a guy named Desdoigts?" "Monsieur Desbois?" "He lives up there." "That's strange." " Probably went out for some shopping." " I'd be surprised." "He hasn't gone out in 25 years." "A kind of voluntary confinement." "Says he won't set foot outside until Marshall what's-his-name" " Marshall Juin?" " No, before that." "The guy who led France during the war." " Ah, Marshall Pétain." " That's the one." "He won't come out until they bury that guy at Verdun." "What's he up to?" "This guy's here to fix your TV." "It's about time!" "Come up, and make it quick." "Hold your horses." "I'm coming!" " How's Josiane?" " What Josiane?" "Didn't you marry her?" "No, she left the company to marry an astronaut!" "Seems those guys make a bundle, and they're never home!" "She's living in style on Avenue Foch." "He married her 'cause he knocked her up, and I'm sure she let herself be..." "you know." "Excuse me." "I'll be right back." "She's really doing great!" "Thanks to Mrs. Doinel." "She's an excellent teacher." "Sometimes I can't tell if it's my wife or Marianne playing." "Soon you'll be giving Mrs. Doinel lessons, and she'll be paying you." "Oh, I forgot to pay your wife!" " Don't worry about it." " Please." "I owe her for last time too." " There's no rush." " This is for two lessons." "Thank you." "Good-bye now." " What's that, Doinel?" " A library staircase." " Could you lend me 30 francs?" " Sure." " Is it heavy?" " Not really." "Okay, then." "Thanks." " See you." "What are you doing up there?" " Playing scales." " Can't you play scales down here?" "It's for stage fright." "I panicked at my last concert." "I realize now it must have been the orchestra pit." "So it's actually vertigo." "I'm practicing to get over it." "Hey, what are you doing?" " I'm thinking of something." "I'll bet!" "Let me down." "Wait." "Close your eyes and don't move." " I know what you're up to!" " It's not what you think." "Close your eyes." "I won't touch." " You swear?" " Scout's honor." " You were never a boy scout." " You bet I wasn't!" "Keep your eyes closed." "Are they closed?" "You can open them now." " What's this?" " A library staircase." "I've always wanted one." " But we don't have a library." "You have to start somewhere." "I have a surprise for you, too." "The senator came through." "We've got a pretty little phone." "Not bad, eh?" " Sure." "I promised Lucien you'd write the senator a thank-you note." "First let's see if it works." "What's the number for time?" " Odéon 84-00." "Cochin Hospital?" "Sorry, wrong number." "I called time and got a hospital!" "Then call the hospital and you'll probably get time." "How's the letter coming?" " Almost finished." " May I read it?" ""Dear Senator, thanks to you I got in one week what the common man waits years for in France. "" "You're crazy." "You can't send this!" " It's the truth, isn't it?" " Antoine, listen to me!" "Lucien went to a lot of trouble." "The senator's one of his customers." "That's how I feel." "If you don't like it, write it yourself." "I'll do that!" "You're a selfish man." "Everyone has to help you, never vice versa." "I never asked for anything." "I never wanted the damn thing." "I know." "Then friends could call us, or we could call them when we're bored." "Bored?" "I don't know what boredom is!" "I've heard people talk about it, but I don't know what it is." "There's always something to do:" "Cut the pages of a book, do crossword puzzles, take notes." "I wish there were 30 hours in a day, 'cause I never get bored!" "I can't wait to get old so I can get by on five hours' sleep!" "Why am I even discussing this?" "I'm going to the bathroom." "Off to school, Christophe?" "No strike today?" "Hello, Marcel." "Up bright and early, eh?" " Chilly today." " I should give you a set of keys." "You're not too bright, eh?" "They're right here!" "Give me a hand here." "Pick up the pace, Marcel!" " Are these cans quieter?" " Yes." "They're from the new management." " Have they got wheels?" " No." "The new management got them." "They don't make noise." "You look a little nervous this morning, Antoine." "I'm testing a new invention of mine." "If it works, I'll get Absolute Red." "If it doesn't, I'll be reading the want ads." "I checked our horoscope." "It's very favorable." "There are big things ahead for you and me!" "I used too much." "What do you think?" "That's not really red, is it?" "Better start reading the want ads." "Important American hydraulics company, recently established in Paris, seeks ambitious, dynamic young man with English skills." ""Dear sir, allow me to introduce the son of my good friend Baumel." "This young man distinguished himself in the boy scouts before joining the Young Patriots." "He's an exemplary young Frenchman, at home as well in the language of Shakespeare." "His dynamic energy will be a great asset to a fine American company like your own. "" "Excuse me, miss." "I have an appointment with the manager." "Would you kindly give him this letter?" " Of course." " Thank you." "The manager will see you now." "Please follow me." "Wait a moment." "Tell Mr. Max the applicant is here." " You could say good morning." "Good morning." "Now hurry up!" " You look good enough to eat!" " Hands off!" "Yes, he's here." "Very well." "You better watch out." "I'm hungry!" "If I had breasts, I'd fondle myself all day long." "This letter is very flattering." " You speak English well?" " I speak a little." "You read better than you speak." "The problem for our employees is transportation." "Do you have a car?" "I can't start you out at the top, but I'll give you a chance on the scale models." "We've built a model of a harbor, with port installations." "You'll maneuver the boats." "You like the job?" "You'll see." "My employees are so happy working here, they hate to stay home on Sundays!" "There's the port based on developers' plans." "The problem is, the harbor silts up." "We built a dyke from there to there." "Everything else is built to scale." "Your job is to steer the boats by remote control." "Push a button and off they go." ""You like the job?" "You'll see." "My employees are so happy working here, they hate to stay home on Sundays!"" "He uses that line on all the new hires." "They've got nerve..." "printing that in the paper!" "It's about the Common Market in Brussels." "Listen." ""The meeting adjourned at 8:00 p. m." "Upon returning to their rooms, each delegate found a lascivious broad. "" " That can't be." " I swear." "Listen." "Imagine... in Le Monde!" ""Upon returning to their rooms, each delegate found a lascivious broad. "" " I don't believe you." " Read it yourself." ""Upon returning to their rooms, each delegate found... a lavish spread. " You liar!" "Lights out." " I had you there, huh?" " Yeah." "Remind me to tell you something tomorrow." " What?" " I'll tell you tomorrow." " Why not now?" " You won't be able to sleep." "I bought some." "Just a minute." "A new brand." "It's great!" "I know that guy!" "He owes me money." "Hide me!" "I don't want to embarrass him." "Hey, Doinel." "How are you?" " Hi." " I owe you 30 francs, right?" " Well, yes..." "Lend me another 20, and I'll pay back the 50 all at once." "How're things?" " Fine." " See you around." " Thanks." " You can leave me here." " Here?" "You don't have your violin." " I'm not giving a lesson." " Where are you going?" " Do you always tell me where you're going?" "See you tonight." "DRESSMAKER GYNECOLOGIST NOTARY PUBLIC" "NATURAL CHILDBIRTH" "Focus on the contractions." "Short, quick breaths." "Keep going!" "Pay attention to your breath..." "Very good." "Keep going... stay relaxed." "Very good..." "Mrs. Doinel, I have something for you." "An ad for expectant mothers." " Hello, Césarin." " Mr. And Mrs. D." "Looks like Mrs. Doinel got stung by a mosquito!" "That was no mosquito!" "Watch out." "Here comes the strangler!" "Mean-looking guy." "I'm coming, dear." "Let me help you." "Thanks a lot." "Any day now, huh?" "You're so lucky!" "No, Mr. Doinel isn't in." "Wait!" "Don't hang up." "Is this the hospital?" "No, but I can give him the message." "Is it a boy or a girl?" "Mr. Max, a little further that way with the boat." "Call Antoine." "It's a boy!" "Congratulations, Antoine!" "A beautiful little boy." "Under the sign of Aquarius." "I'd say he's in the arms of Morpheus!" " Join us for dinner?" " No, I'm staying with Christine." "Go, then." "Don't keep her waiting." "He could have brought her some flowers." "He ran here from the office." "He had no time." "Now's the time to buy them the apartment next to them." "Knock out the joining wall and it'll be perfect." "Careful!" "Support his head." "This is a remarkable baby!" "I knew he would be, but he's even more than I expected." "I'll make him what I could never be - a great writer." "Victor Hugo or nothing!" "What Napoleon achieved with the sword, you'll achieve with the pen." "Did you see him smile when I picked him up?" "You're crazy." "Babies can't smile until three weeks." "Well, he smiled at me." "Madame, would you like to have a picture taken?" "No, I'm tired." "Another time." "Well, I'm not tired." "Send the photographer in." "I'd like to be alone." "You can have dinner with my parents." "They invited me, but I said I was going to stay with you." "I can tell you a story, or we can listen to the radio." "Go away!" " Fine." " Please." "Very well." "See you tomorrow." "On a night like this, I didn't want you to be by yourself." "I waited for this baby all by myself." "Jacques!" "How are things?" " Fine." "Great news:" "I'm a father!" " No kidding!" " I've got a son!" " You must be happy." " Incredibly." " Don't I owe you 50 francs?" " Yes, you do." "Lend me another 50?" "I'll pay it back all at once." "Sure, happy to." " You must be really happy!" " You bet I am!" "See you." "May I speak to Jean?" "Ah, hello, ma'am." "May I please speak to Jean?" "Please tell him Antoine Doinel is a father." "Tell him Antoine Doinel has a little boy." "Thank you." "Don't forget to give him the message." "Good-bye." "We have to stop by City Hall tomorrow to register him." "Have we decided on a name?" "I prefer Ghislain." "Ghislain sounds snobbish, like he wears little velvet knickers." "Then you think of something better." "I really like Alphonse." "Sounds like a peasant." "Besides, Ghislain is my uncle's name." "Christine Darbon Doinel." "What name have you chosen?" " So how did it go?" "A little boy?" " Yes." "How did it go?" "It was a little hard at first, but she's doing fine now." "Congratulations!" " Antoine, give me a hand." " I'm really happy." "Is your wife in the hospital for a week?" "Yes." "Don't you get bored in your bed..." "at night... all alone?" "No, I'm just fine." " Is he cute?" " Yes, he's all pink, with tiny hands." "Congratulations on the blessed event!" "Better watch out for him, with all the babies kidnapped lately." " The strangler!" " So you call him the strangler too?" "Stop staring!" "She's right." "Everyone inside." "The drinks are on me." "You're paying?" "Then it really is a blessed event!" "Drinks for all - even you!" "You all right?" "That's that!" "You have to be in shape for this!" "This is fantastic!" "You like it?" "This will be our room." "No noise from the street." "I can wave from our window right over there." "The baby's room will be over there." "Do you like it?" "Terrific!" "Go ahead." "Bye for now." "I have to make dinner." "Good-bye." " I saw you." " What?" " I'm not blind." "You like her." " Who?" "Silvana!" "You like her!" "A pretty Italian woman with big breasts and luscious lips." "Bastard!" "You remember our first kiss?" "I was terrified." "I couldn't move." "What?" "You made the first move!" " You've got it backwards." " No, I remember perfectly." "The taxi stopped and I leaned over to give you a little good-bye kiss on the cheek." "I saw you had your lips slightly apart." ""She really wants me to kiss her!"" "You're hallucinating." "I'm not saying I didn't like it, but you made the first move." "That's your story!" "You lunged at me and I just went with it." "No, I remember perfectly well how it was." "Your head was tilted back, eyes closed, lips slightly apart, just like this." "You'd been thinking about it." " About what?" "About the fact we'd kiss one day." "Well, of course." "Every girl thinks about that." ""Every girl thinks about that. " So you admit it, then?" "I've come for Ghislain." "He was very good." "He didn't cry." "Soon I'll be able to give lessons at home again." "Hello, little fellow." "There's a letter for you." "Where did I put it?" "A declaration of some type." "Did you name the child Alphonse?" " Alphonse?" " Yes." "Look right here." "This is Antoine's doing, and he won't get away with it." "He knew I didn't like that name, but he wanted the last word." "I'd lay her badly but I'd lay her gladly!" "Alphonse will be a great writer." "You know what?" "I'm going to teach Alphonse myself." "He will never go to school." "That way he'll only learn important things." "We'll see about that later." "Come, my little Ghislain." "What a pretty little bottom this baby has." "Like his mother!" "Watch your daddy." "He's on his way to the bathroom." "He'll take enough gear for an arctic expedition." "A flashlight... a book..." "Oh, the pages aren't cut yet." "A knife... and now what's he looking for?" "The newspaper." " Didn't you do the shopping?" " What shopping?" " I left a list on the table." " I didn't see any list." "There's nothing to eat." " Nothing to eat?" " No, it was all on the list." "Ask Mrs. Martin to come up and we'll go out to eat." " She's not home." " What do we have in the fridge?" "Alphonse's baby food." "Good." "We'll have that." "You think so?" "What if he wakes up?" "You know he never wakes up once he falls asleep." "We'll buy some more tomorrow." "Come on, let's eat." "Tonight, direct from Marienbad..." "Antoine, look." "It's our neighbor - the strangler!" " Did you know he was an actor?" " No." "Is he a singer?" "No, he does impressions." "You kept an old picture of me." "He's not bad!" "He's great!" "Perhaps it was in Karlsbad, or Marienbad." "Once again I walk through the drawing rooms, the long corridors, luxurious, lugubrious." "But I'm not an apparition." "I am a woman, which is just the opposite." "You say I'm exceptional." "You're right." "I am." "We saw you on TV last night!" "You were great!" "You little sneak!" "You never told us you were an actor." " I recognized him right away!" "Hello, Doinel." "I see you're doing fine." "THE NEXT MORNING" "Remember me?" "I work at the hydraulics company." " I brought you something." " Come in." "You saw me lose this?" "Yes, I saw it fall in the water." "I was very surprised you didn't say a word." "The American gentleman told me the model was very fragile." "I was sorry to lose my bracelet, but I didn't want to bother you." " I thought you'd like to have it back." " Thank you very much." "Come in." "Miss Maki, my friend and roommate." "Won't you sit down?" "Thanks, but I really should be going." " We were just having some tea." " I'm afraid I must be going." "I'm sorry." " Well..." " I'll show you out." "Good-bye." "Hello, Antoine." "We don't see much of you since you changed jobs." "Working for the Americans now, eh?" "Do they pay you in dollars?" "Yes, but the best thing is I have time to think." " 'Cause I'm writing a novel." " No kidding!" "Don't tell my wife." "I write at night while she's asleep." "So you're a novelist like Baudelaire." "Did you know he started out in flowers too?" " Baudelaire wasn't a novelist." " What about Les Fleurs du Mal?" " That's poetry." " Listen, I know more about him than you." "I just read an article about him." "Did you know he was a priest's son?" "His father was an ordained priest, and later worked for the Choiseul-Praslin family as a tutor for the children." "So what's your novel about?" "Oh, you know:" "Life in general, my youth, moving from the personal to the universal." "I trust I'll get an autographed copy." "Of course. "For Césarin. "" " What's the title?" " I haven't found one yet." "Oh, that's not hard." "Any singing in your novel?" " No." " Any dancing?" " No." "Then call it "No Song and Dance"!" "Not bad, huh?" "Well, see you later." "What do you want?" "We're closed." "What are you looking for?" "A fight!" "Okay, listen." "Behave yourself." "You're among friends, okay?" "Nothing here but old folks and kids." "You wouldn't pick a fight with them, would you?" "Go out here and take the first right." "You'll find what you're looking for." "What are you reading?" "Japanese Women?" " It's for work." "Let me see." "Those glasses look great on you." " I don't like them." "No, they look great." "I'm done." "I know why you say that." "She wore glasses." " Who?" " The girl from the Youth Concerts." " She didn't wear glasses." " I thought she did." "She made you suffer, huh?" "She really put me through the wringer." "What a nightmare!" "But one night I just fell out of love with her." "One moment I was in love." "An hour later I couldn't stand her." "I was over her." " It must be something she said." "Exactly." "I can't even remember what." "But it was a relief." "If I asked you a favor, would you do it?" "Depends." "Dodging, eh?" "Will you do it?" "That depends." "Just ask!" "Would you put your glasses back on?" " Am I early?" " Not at all." "Come in." " How are you?" " Fine." "Yourself?" " What shall we do tonight?" " I thought we might go to a movie." "I've got a program, but I haven't had time to look yet." "I thought we might have dinner here." "That would be nice." " We could go to a movie later." " Fine." "You take a look." "I'll be right back." "My friend says she's sorry, but her mother is very ill and she can't join us for dinner." "I hope it's nothing serious." "Oh, yes, she's very sick." "She has to leave this instant." "DO NOT DISTURB" "You're just getting home?" "I had to work late." " You know what time it is?" " I had to eat!" "He sneaks in, thinking I'm asleep." "It was 3:00 a. m.!" "I demand an explanation." "You know what he says?" ""I had to eat!"" "Kyoko loves Antoine." "Come when you can, but can soon." "She says good night and thinks of Antoine." " The porter gave me these." " For whom?" " He didn't say." " Must be for you." "No one would send me flowers here." "They must be for Nicole." " I don't know." "Oh, I know now" " Are you crazy?" "Keep dreaming!" "They just might be for me." "Let's see." "There's a name here in small print." "They're for Doinel!" "Congratulations!" " What floor?" " First." "Hello, Christine." " How are you?" " Fine." "Was someone with you?" " No." "Hi, Christophe." "What's that?" " May I see Alphonse?" " Of course." "He's in there." "See what Christophe brought?" " I know what those are." "I brought them for you." "I must have dropped them on the stairs." "Besides, I was afraid you'd think it was silly." "Not at all." "They're lovely." "Aren't you going to change?" "We're going out tonight, remember?" "I didn't forget, but I can't tonight." "I have to go back to work." " How do you say that?" " Nose?" "You said mashi mashi on the phone." "What does that mean?" "Not mashi mashi." "Moshi moshi." "It means hello." "Hello?" "If you say "hello, hello," is it moshi moshi, moshi moshi?" "No, just moshi moshi." "This is nice, isn't it?" "If I commit suicide with someone," "I'd like it to be you." "Her name is Kyoko, and she loves you." "I'm coming!" "If she were just another woman, I'd understand you being jealous." "But Kyoko is another world." "You understand?" "She's another world." " What's that?" " I'm giving a lesson." "At this hour?" "Where's the violin?" "I'm staying at a hotel." "I'll come for Alphonse tomorrow." "Listen, you sleep in the bed, I'll sleep in the chair." "It'll be fine." "I won't sleep in the same room as you!" "Fine!" "Then we won't sleep in the same room!" "Evening." "It's like a smokestack in here!" "You snuck out bright and early this morning." "At least let me give Alphonse a kiss." "We were supposed to have a talk." "Remember?" " We've all the time in the world to talk." "Besides, I can't be late to work." "Your parents are coming to dinner." "They want to see Alphonse." "They'll be here any minute." " My parents?" " Didn't you tell them no?" " What was I supposed to say?" "You're crazy!" "I haven't even told my mother what's going on." "Call and tell them they can't come." "It's no use." "They've left by now." "Besides, they'll figure out what's going on when they see this." "You're revolting!" "My mother will have a heart attack!" "Help me put this back." "It's the only way." "Give me a hand." " You go on that side." "Careful with my manuscript!" "A lot you care!" "Did Antoine tell you we were coming?" "Here, we brought dinner." "I'm going to see Alphonse." " What's that?" " A little duck for Alphonse." "You're looking strange." " I'm fine." " No, you really look strange." " I'm fine." "Listen, the duck's for Alphonse, not for you." "I say that 'cause I just read an interesting novel called The Mischievous Duck." "It's about this bourgeois judge who goes crazy for a little duck someone bought for his son." "Very strange." "No chance of that happening to Antoine." "He doesn't like things." "He prefers people, though he's very partial to yellow." " Look at this little sweetie." " He's so cute." "He's grown, huh?" "See the little duck Lucien brought you?" "Want to go to Mommy?" " Watch." "He's almost walking." " Christine, he's too young!" "He doesn't like that at all." "I'll call you." "Good." "We'll go see Colette at the hospital." "Good-bye, Lucien." "Good-bye, Lucien." "Please forgive us." "I was very tired tonight." "Don't worry." "We were all a little off our game tonight." "Go on, now." "You'll catch cold." "Come help me move the mattress." " Is that really necessary?" " Yes, it is." "The world won't stop turning if we sleep in the same bed, you know." "I'm not like you." "I don't like things fuzzy and vague and ambiguous." "I like things to be clear." "Listen, Christine" "Don't come near me." "There's nothing between us." " Then what the hell am I doing here?" " Good question!" "Fine!" "I'm splitting!" "TUESDAY" "THURSDAY" "SATURDAY" "I don't know what I'm going to do." " You're living alone for now?" " More or less." "Isn't that hard?" "Oh, I don't mind being alone." "I get scared when I'm alone at night." "I'd marry a streetlamp if it could carry on a conversation." "Oh, it's you, Silvana." "Antoine stopped by yesterday, so I thought" " Listen, I know life." "He'll be back." " I don't think so." "I handled it very badly." "When things started to go wrong, instead of fixing them," "I got scared and made them worse." "You have to be patient!" "All men are children." " I thought you loved your wife very much." " Yes, very much." "When we met, I was astonished at her good manners." "She was so polite I had to laugh." "It was very touching." "Then it got on my nerves." ""Thank you, sir." "Thank you, ma'am." "Thank you for coming." "Thank you for the wonderful meal." "Thank you for calling. "" "At first I called her "Peggy Proper. "" ""Peggy" for her reserved, British side." "And "Proper" because that's how she is." "Know what I mean?" "I was a virgin when I met him, and don't think I'm proud of it." "My parents let me date all I wanted, but I was afraid of guys and believed certain things." "A virgin at 20- can you imagine?" "A walking fossil!" "A real idiot!" "I had some crazy ideas about life too." "Still, it's very exciting." "No, now I know the truth, and I realize life is disgusting." "You should see her smoke." "She doesn't know how." "She holds it clumsily between her fingers, like a little girl pretending to be a woman." "He's really funny." "And despite everything he's done, he never bores me." "Ever notice how he always has a cold?" "That used to bug me so much when we first got married." "I felt like saying, "Would it kill you to use a handkerchief?"" "Now if he's not sniffling, I think he's sick." "See there?" "That must be my husband." "Good-bye." " Good-bye, Silvana." "Was Alphonse good?" "He was great." "He smiles and blows kisses." " You noticed too?" " Yes." "One of his lower teeth came in yesterday." "He's got a little tooth!" "I packed your summer clothes for you." "I'll pick those up another day." "Could you zip me up?" "I'm very late." "He's playing with a program." "Can he have it?" "No, he'll tear it up." "I went to the ballet the other night." " What's this written here?" " Nureyev's autograph." "We went backstage to see him afterwards." "Frankly, I find that very provincial, bothering some guy backstage who's just danced for two hours." "Don't start, okay?" "I've come to look after Alphonse." "Am I early?" "I'll come back in a bit." " Not at all." " Evening, Mrs. Martin." "Come in." "Go say hi to Alphonse." "What's Mrs. Martin doing here?" " Yes." "What's she doing here?" " She's going to watch Alphonse." "I'd like a cab at 17 Rue Descazes." "Six minutes?" "Thank you." " Are you going out?" " Yes." "Stay a while with Alphonse if you like." "Mrs. Martin will make dinner." "No, I'll walk you down." "Good-bye, my little man." "Be good." " You know how to turn on the TV?" " Yes." " Take good care of Alphonse." " I certainly will." " Take this picture." " No, I gave it to you." "It's yours." " Please take it." " It's yours." "You keep it." "All right." "Remember when we'd go out and you'd say," ""I'm taking my keys too in case we get into a fight"?" "I'm glad to see you in a good mood." "Surprised?" "I know when you come here you must think," ""She's going to yell at me again!" Admit it!" "I admit nothing of the kind." " Don't kiss me." " I just thought" " Let me go." " I was trying to help you." "I don't need help." "You can be so unpleasant!" "And you're insensitive!" "Always what you want!" "Kiss you when you want, leave you alone when you want." "I'm not at your beck and call." "At least not anymore." "All right!" "I'm sorry." "Forgive me." "I understand" " No, I know that trick too." ""I understand." "I'm rotten." "You're too good for me. "" " I'd never pull that." " You've pulled that a hundred times." "You can put it all in your book." "Just so happens I've almost finished." "It's all I think about." "If I'm a little confused, that's why." "I'm sure things will be better between us once it's finished." "Don't bother sending me a copy." "I won't read it." "I don't like this business of writing about your childhood, dragging your parents through the mud." "I don't know much, but one thing I do know:" "If you use art to settle accounts, it's no longer art." "I've been thinking the same thing myself recently." "Do what you have to do, but let me be." "I'm not proud and never have been, so I can tell you:" "I still love you." "But I'd rather not see you anymore." "Call me when you're coming to see Alphonse so I can step out." "Come on." "The taxi's coming." " Where the hell is it?" " They said six minutes." "Anyway, I hope you're happy." "I don't think that way anymore." "It can't work." "She and I hardly talk." " You just have to smile lovingly." " That's exactly what we do!" "I have lockjaw from so much smiling." "Restaurants are the worst, waiting between courses." "She smiles and expects me to make small talk." "I can't even eat." "It's terrible!" "I said I was going away for a few days for some peace and quiet." "I feel sorry for you!" "Here we go." "Where are you going?" "I don't really know." " Shall I drop you off somewhere?" " No, that's all right." "Just a minute." "Shall I cancel my plans and stay with you?" "Shall we go to a movie?" "No, I'd like to be alone, wander around a bit." "You're sweet." "Kiss me." "You're my little sister, my daughter, my mother." "I'd have liked to be your wife too." "Wait here a moment." "No, wait here." "I'll be right back." "Where are you going?" "Don't you like any of them?" "I didn't know it was like this." "It's a little awkward." "It's easy." "Look and choose." "Come on." "Follow me." "It's slow around here now." "There used to be clients until the 23rd." "Now everyone's broke by the 15th." "Some administration!" "When I saw 'em on TV, I knew they'd screw us over." "Are you interested in politics?" " A little." "I agree with you." "They're all crooks." "Yeah, but some crooks take more than others." "If you don't follow politics, it'll get you in the end." "Especially the end of the month." "The end of the month, the end of the road, the end of the movie." "I hate things that end." " What's that?" " Nothing." "I said you're really pretty, Marie." "Hey, Antoine!" "Evening." "You look like you're sleep-walking." "I'm really glad to see you." "Nothing like a good house to complete a happy home!" "Hi." "Don't I owe you 100 francs?" "No, not me!" " It's me, Antoine." " Where are you?" " In a restaurant." " And?" "And nothing." "Nothing special." "Just wanted to talk to you." "Is something wrong?" "No, it's just that..." "I'm with someone." "Mademoiselle Butterfly?" "Right." "I can't take it." "She never says a word." "She just smiles and smiles." "She expects me to be funny, tell her stories." "I'm fed up." "I'm not gonna try anymore." "Antoine, you don't have to be mean." "Oh, all right." "It's good to talk to you." "Good-bye." "Did you make your call?" "You should have started." " The next course, please." " Would you like some cheese?" "Oh, I'm sorry." "Kyoko?" " Yes." "Cheese for the lady." "Excuse me." "I need to make another call." " Christine, it's me again." " Still at the restaurant?" "It's dragging on terribly, just as I expected." " I hope the food's good." " Guess again!" "Rump steak!" "We haven't spoken a word." "I feel like we've been here all day." "Try to make an effort." "I can't!" "I'm bored stiff." "I just want to get out of here!" "Now she's ordered cheese!" "I've got to go." "But if she orders dessert, I'll kill myself!" "Sure you wouldn't like some cheese?" "It's very good." "Excuse me." "I have to make another call." " Is that our coffee?" " No, sir." "I'll bring yours after dessert." " Bring the check with the coffee." " Very well, sir." "With the coffee." "Christine, it's me again." "This is unbearable!" "She just ordered a souffle." "Another 20 minutes!" "Are you there?" " Yes." " Why don't you say anything?" " I'm listening to you." " You know, Christine..." " Yes?" "I can't talk here anymore." "I'd like to kiss you." " Me too." " Tenderly." " Me too." " Really?" " Yes, really." "Good-bye." "DROP DEAD" "EPILOGUE:" "ONE YEAR LATER" "Let's go." "Go back inside now." "I'm coming." "Thanks." "I'm really late." "Thank you very much." "See, darling?" "Now they're really in love." "THE END"