"What will they do without me?" "The pain in my chest  as if I had a stone inside." "Mouchette?" "Him again." "Go home, Arsene!" "Don't stay here." "Please, go away!" "But come back again." "It's warmth I need." "I can breathe better." "Mouchette!" "Mouchette..." "Look!" "You promised, Louisa" "Did I get you wrong?" "I may have promised  but now I wonder if I like you ...I'd like to please you but..." "You love someone else?" "Answer me!" "He's making a fool out of you." "Arsene." "Of me?" "I'll get him." "Arsene's in love with you?" "And you love him!" "It's none of you business." "I'll get him." "You won't hurt him." "You're afraid of him." "We'll see." "He's going to spend the night outdoors." "Arsene'd better be careful." "Take it if you like." "Take it!" "No?" "You won't get away with it." "And while I'm about it leave Louisa alone!" "You're an odd game-keeper, Mr. Mathieu." "Let me warn you don't stand in my way." " If that's a threat..." " Just try!" "What are you doing here?" "I..." "I lost my way." "Why didn't you go." "with the others?" "You'll be spanked for losing a galosh." "Where not staying." "But dry yourself first." "What time did you leave school?" "This'll warm you up." "At six." "Just before the others." "Alone?" "Nobody saw you?" "I don't think so." "You went through the woods?" "Listen carefully!" "You didn't go through the woods..." "You took the Lignieres road." "You went to by some marbles there." "Marbles?" "Or sweets if you like." "Buy... with what?" "Here's some money." "You stopped by the cross-roads..." "You saw me leave the pub." "I told you I'd collected my snares." "Should I mention them?" "Even to the police?" "I'll look for your galosh." "We didn't come here." "Understand?" "Hold this!" "No one will know." "No ashes here." "Shine the torch here." "Listen... the cyclone." "Come." "I've got a plan." "We'll manage without him." "Wood and candles." "We'll make a real good blaze." "There'll be a heap of ashes in the morning." "I'll pretend..." "...I spent the whole night here." "D'you understand?" "You already know to much." "I'll tell you the rest." "Look me straight in the eyes." "I may be drunk but I keep my head." "I think I killed a man." "Mathieu, the game-keeper" "How did you know?" "He took his blanket with him I knew he'd stay out all night." "To get you, as he said." "I got him this time." "We fell into the water while fighting." "The cork of my flask came out." "I handed him my flask..." "... We were friends again." "Then I don't know what happened We were both drunk." "Don't worry I have these spells." "Blackouts." "There I was holding the snare by its spring." "He dived forward his legs shaking." "After a while he stopped moving..." "The water turned red." "But when I heard the shot..." "I thought:" ""He isn't dead..." "... he calling for help."" "It was his gun And old English "12"." "If he isn't dead  why should I say I saw you?" "We must find something else." "He'll talk." "Let him talk He'll say yes, I'll say no." "The press'll like that." "I'd like to help." "Try to remember!" "There he was  his head in the water..." "...his legs shaking." "I'll tell them I was there  that I saw you  that the game-keeper hit you..." "Shall I say he was drunk." "You can count on me I hate him, I'll stick to my story." "I can't see anything." "I feel a fit coming on." "You're singing." "Come I'll take you home." "Where are we really going?" "To your place." "And Mathieu?" "Did you kill him?" "With my gun perhaps?" "With the snare." "You held it by the spring." "My snare?" "Let me go!" "Where do you want to go..." "... at this time of night?" "Home, Mr. Arsene..." "... I swear it." "I'll remember, don't worry." "Just a minute." "What's it got to do with you?" "If you mention it to anyone, I'll strangle you." "I'd rather die than harm you." "Why are you so afraid of harming me?" "Where have you been?" "Your father and your brother are out." "Warm up the baby's milk." "Take a dry clothe." "He can't stay wet all night..." "... or he'll howl." "What's the matter?" "Stay here I can't blow out the light." "What's the time?" "I can't hear the church clock." "The wind changed because of the cyclone." "What's that about a cyclone?" "My poor girl." "It was a cyclone..." "... wasn't it?" "I want to tell you..." "Give him to me." "Make him stop crying." "I can't breathe." "Get the bottle of gin it's hidden behind the cellar door." "Death'll be less painful." "I'm a real slut!" "Try to be a good girl..." "...Beware of drunkards." "Mother, I want to tell you..." "Where are you going?" "To get some milk for the baby." "She was a brave woman." "Stop staring at me you ill-bred girl!" "Damn you!" "Like a cup of coffee?" "You're poor mother's dead." "And so sudden." "Don't you worry." "We all die some day." "At least, she didn't realize..." "What's the matter?" "You slut!" "Rat face!" "What brings you here?" "I want to talk to you." "Arsene and I had a row last night." "He was drunk." "But it's a personal affair." "It's our business." "But the police arrested him this morning." "They say he dynamited the river." "He pretends you were with him." "If that's true..." "It is!" "He went to see you to arrange an alibi." "That's why you came." "I saw Mr. Arsene in his hut last night." "What were you doing there?" "I took shelter during the cyclone." "The rain." "How delicate you have grown." "Mr. Arsene took me there." "Where did you meet him?" "Don't lie." "On my way from school." "You go to school at night?" "It wasn't night then I was in the woods  and he said to me..." "Was he in his right mind?" "He walked straight." "You idiot!" "It's when he's drunk he walks straight." "He told me you had a fight and that you were drunk too." "All right." "You took shelter in his hut." "The rain stopped at 12." "Then you went home, I suppose!" "I went home at daybreak." "I spent the whole night there." "You spent the night with Arsene?" "The whole night?" "Leave her alone!" "I knew it." "Smell for yourself." "She stinks of gin." "Arsene got her drunk, for sure." "I knew you hadn't slept at home." "Look at your hair!" "You've been drinking." "I can see it in your eyes." "You're telling the truth but not the whole truth." "Leave us alone, Mathieu." "Don't go away!" "Let her go." "Don't torture her." "As you wish." "A single rabbit but you don't care if he got her drunk." "That's not my business." "Leave it to the police." "Her father can sue him." "You call him a father?" "Your mothers dead." "Come back tomorrow." "I'll give you ten francs." "You'll only answer if you feel like it." "Mr. Arsene is my lover." "Ask him, he'll answer." "Aren't you feeling well?" "I must go home." "I bet you don't have a shroud for the burial." "They used to be embalmed with perfume and aromatic plants." "They don't even wash them now." "For the priest,they're in heaven." "I didn't want to argue." "They used to worship the dead." "They were the gods." "That should be the true religion." "A couple of dresses for you to wear." "I've know you for a long time." "Remember I gave you a green apple." "They should fit." "I'll stay with your mother." "I'll bring this sheet." "I like the dead." "I understand them." "They frightened me when I was young." "Now I walk with them..." "they reply... in hushed tones." "Have you thought about death?" "Are you dreaming?" "You're heart's asleep." "Don't wake it up." "There's still time." "You disgusting old witch." "It's for your own good." "But you're bad." "You just don't understand." "There's evil in your eyes."