"THE CONCLUSION OF THE TRI LOGY" "THAT BEGAN WITH MARIUS AND FANNY" " What brings you here?" " I had to see you, Elzéar." "Couldn't you have attended mass at the same time?" "I'm afraid I just got here." "I came to find you because Panisse is dying." "Honoré?" "Poor Honoré is close to death." "Did he send you?" "No, Fanny did." "She's meeting her son, my godson, at the station." "Yes, I baptized him." "Who's his doctor?" "Félicien." "He says it's his heart." "He had an attack last year." "That gave me a real scare." "He recovered, but last night he had another attack." "Come and hear his confession." "Does he realize he's so ill?" "I think so." "He called us all together to say good-bye this morning." "Monsieur Brun, Escartefigue, the stoker and me." "But he was unable to speak." "I'll come." "Find an altar boy." "Listen." "Elzéar, I don't think you should tell him." "I can hardly avoid it if I give him confession." "Yes, but don't say you came on purpose." "But I'll be bringing the host and I'll have on my surplice." "Exactly." "You'll scare him." "And Félicien said the slightest shock could kill him." "Why don't you leave your surplice and the altar boy downstairs?" "You can say you just dropped by and then break the news little by little." "It would be less hard on him that way." "I know I'm asking you to lie, but it's for Honoré's sake." "If you wish." "Thank you, Elzéar." "You're a good man." "Elzéar is on his way." "How is he?" "He doesn't speak anymore." "Not a word or gesture." " The doctor just left." " What did he say?" "He said he's done for." "Done for?" "Done for." "Poor Honoré." "Monsieur Brun, Panisse is done for." "What was that?" "Did you speak, Honoré?" "He said "poppycock."" " Then he must be better." " Perhaps he's dreaming." "I feel a lot better." "I can breathe now." "You're saved." "Saved?" "Listen, Félix..." "Listen nothing." " I'll say what I think." " Let him speak." "He can hardly breathe and you're interrupting him." "It was worth saying." "What's worth saying on a day like this?" "Tell me, who's dying here, you or him?" "Him." "Then let him talk!" "Honoré, you don't look ill at all." "You look fine." "That's what's so annoying." "I don't look like I'm dying." "My face is like a baby's bottom, and my bottom is like Félix's face." "Minus the beard, of course." "I'm dying, and yet it doesn't feel like it." "It's ridiculous." "I don't mind dying, but I hate to think of not living." "I hate to think I won't see my wife or my son César again." "Or you people." "Or drink a pastis under the plane trees." "Or play boules with you." "Don't worry." "We'll find a replacement." "Wait till he's dead." "I don't want him to worry." "I'll miss not shaving each morning in front of the open window, looking out on the old port, thinking about the day to come, while watching Félix start out on his first trip of the day." "I'll miss the little things." "I'll miss the hairs on my chest." "I'll miss my corn." "It never did anyone any harm, and it forecast the weather for me." "Oh, my corn." "But skeletons don't have corns." "Talking about skeletons!" "You'll lose more weight than me." "Elzéar!" "How are you?" "I haven't seen you in ages." "Hello, César." " Hello, Félix." " How are you, Elzéar?" "The good Lord keeps me going." "What's wrong with you, Honoré?" "Are you ill?" "Yes, it seems I'm ill." "But Elzéar, it seems you're a liar." "Honoré!" "This is a priest!" "Why do you say that?" "Why do you pretend you don't know?" " You have no proof that I know." " That's true." "I suppose you just happened to be passing by chance." " Yes, by chance." " Not exactly by chance." "You just looked in to pass the time of day." " Why not?" " I happened to be passing by, and it seems I chose a good moment." "I know the chance that brought you here." "It had auburn hair and almond eyes and goes by the name of Fanny." "No, it wasn't Fanny." "But let's say it was." "Let's say your wife came to mass and I spoke to her afterwards." "What would be odd about that?" "After all, I baptized her." "I married the two of you." "Quite natural, of course." "Nothing odd about that." "And what if I asked after you?" ""How's your husband?" "He never comes to church." ""He must be knee-deep in sins."" "What if she said, "He's not too well." "Come and see him some time"?" "Surely that's not a crime?" "No, Elzéar, quite the contrary." "The truth is:" "You panicked." "You think you're worse than you are." "But if you're a bit worried, if you think your hour has come," "I can ease your burden." "Since I'm here and you seem well-disposed, why not let me hear your confession?" " It wouldn't kill you." " That's the truth." "Since I'm so well, it's just the moment to give me the Last Sacraments." "Honoré, this is no joking matter." "You're the one joking with me, Elzéar." "You want to hear my confession?" "Is it that urgent?" "It's always urgent." "But you think it's less urgent for Félix or César?" "Well, yes." "Well, then... hear my confession." "Wait a minute." "Elzéar, do we have to be alone?" "The early Christians used to confess in public, but they were saints." "They didn't have much to confess." "I'm no saint, but I'd like you all to stay." "I don't think it looks good when everyone leaves." "They'll hardly start down the stairs before they begin wondering," ""What's he confessing?" "He must have done a lot of awful things."" "Everyone imagines the worst, but I've nothing terrible to say." "Not that I've done nothing but good." "But any wrong I have done," "I regret it more than I regret confessing it openly." "Except perhaps in front of Honorine." "I've committed no crimes, but some things shouldn't be said in front of ladies," "even though ladies were involved." "I'll leave because of the ninth commandment." "Sit down." "Now, my son, at this solemn moment," "I must ask you about your life." "My son..." "Elzéar, I tell you frankly, if you call me your son, I'm going to laugh." "What else can I call you?" "Call me Honoré." "As you wish." "Honoré, repeat after me:" "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned." "May God be in your heart and on your lips, that you may make a full confession of your sins." "In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost." "Amen." "Now, have you done any wrong in your life?" "Of course I have." "One can't live without doing wrong." "Even without meaning to." " Haven't you yourself?" " Of course." "We're all only human." "But I'm not the one confessing." "You are." "What wrong did you do?" "I don't know." "I mean, I don't know what you think is wrong." "God's commandments decide, not me." "César, come over here." "Read God's commandments to us." "You could do with a reminder." ""I am the Lord thy God." "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."" "All right." "I've never worshipped other gods, on my honor." ""Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain."" "That one hits me hard." "I've always sworn a lot." "What Marseillais hasn't?" "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." "I must admit I have lied." " Often?" " Continually." "Several times a day." "When playing boules, or after hunting or fishing." "Especially to customers." "If you told them the truth, you'd never do business." "For instance, you couldn't have sold that boat to Monsieur Brun." " Tell me about that." " No use going into it." "I'm not going to lodge a complaint." "It wasn't a real lie." "Just a tall tale." "Thank you, Monsieur Brun." ""Thou shalt lie with no woman except thy wedded wife."" "Go ahead, Honoré, get it off your chest." "I'm embarrassed to tell you." "There are many unfortunate girls in my parish." "I've heard worse stories, I'm sure." "So go ahead." "Yes, I admit I've sinned." "What's worse, I enjoyed it." "If sinning made us suffer, we'd all be saints." " How often did you sin?" " Often, and with gusto." "Before my first marriage, I knew a lovely girl." "I trust you confessed that before your wedding." "I did, so we can forget that." "Tell us." "We'd like to know." "Félix, you have no discretion." "It happened again during my first marriage." "But I confessed before I married the second time." "And since then?" "The devil has tempted me." "In what guise?" "In the guise of one of my workers." "Which one?" " The redhead." " I thought so." "Your confession concerns you alone." "That's a hard and fast rule." " Félix, leave the room." " Are you serious?" "Go on." "Leave, you big oaf." "Very well." "Did you sin for long?" "Just five or six minutes." "I mean how many months?" "About a year." "Then she got married and had to stop." "You seem sorry it ended." "Yes, I was sorry then, but now I'm sorry that I was sorry." "And now I hear you talking, and I'm sincerely sorry." "But you don't know the worst." "When she finished with me " "I'd better stop confessing." "I can see it's troubling you." "Honoré, I'm listening with all the compassion a priest can offer." "Go ahead." "When she finished with me," "I took up with another." "Now I have a question to ask you." "But, as it concerns a third party, I would like us to be alone." "Gentlemen, would you mind stepping outside?" "What is it, Elzéar?" "What about the child?" "You never told me it wasn't yours." "But you already knew." "Everybody knows." "Everyone knows." "But he doesn't know." "Have a drink." "Keep your strength up." "It's Honoré's white wine." "He knew how to choose them." "It's quite frightening, reading the commandments, don't you agree?" "I'm not a great believer, but there was something about that service I found most comforting." "It comforts you to see that man?" "One thing worries me, though." " What if our God isn't the true god?" " Good Lord!" " What are you saying?" " I know Moslems, Hindus, Chinese, blacks." "Their god isn't the same as ours." "What's a sin for us isn't necessarily a sin for them." "They may not be right, but suppose they are, Monsieur Brun." "That's the question." "Poor old Panisse is well prepared for a meeting with Elzéar's God." "But suppose that up there in the clouds, he finds a god he doesn't know at all." "A red, black or yellow one." "Or one like you see in antique shops, with a big belly and lots of arms." "What could poor Panisse say to a god like that?" "How would he communicate?" "Put yourself in his place." "Tired by your death, and dizzy after your journey, trying to make yourself understood to this god." "You pray and he says," ""What's that?" "What are you saying?"" "All in Chinese." "It's tragic." "You give me the creeps." "So the Bible's all a lie?" "Aren't you ashamed to talk like that in front of an altar boy?" "If you went to church more, you'd know there's only one god - ours." "Yes, ours is the true god, but people are easily duped, and I'm sorry for them." "The priest doesn't scare me." "It's what the doctor said." "I have no faith in doctors." "They often make mistakes." "Quite right." "Sorry, Doctor." "I was speaking in general." "But it's true of Panisse's doctor, too." "You're quite right." "Is he conscious?" "Yes, Elzéar is in there." "Oh, dear, I'm sorry to hear that." " And you" " I forbid you to go up there." " Yes, sir." "One of you up there is enough." "Now everything is in order." "I'm sure, if you're called before God," "He'll be lenient with you." "Don't you feel better for it?" "Yes, it's done me good." "I imagined you to be worse than you are." "I had brought extreme unction with me." "It would do no harm..." "Yes, it would." "Given too early, it can do a lot of harm." "Félicien, what are you saying?" " What are you doing?" " My duty." "But your duty prevents me from doing mine." "I'm the doctor." "Let me speak." "Why come here scaring everyone with your altar boy?" "By the way, that boy has adenoids." "Send him down to my office." "His nose needs unblocking." "Honoré, how are you feeling?" "I'll have a listen." "Don't breathe, Honoré." "Good." "That doesn't sound bad at all." "You sound a lot better." "Of course, you're still not very strong, but there's life in the old dog yet." "I'm done for." "Of course you are." "And so am I." "Elzéar too." "We all have to die sooner or later." "How long would you give me?" "Eternity, if it were mine to give." "I can give him eternity if he merits it." "But your eternity begins with a funeral." "No, with the soul's salvation." "Your salvation caused the deaths of two of my patients only last week." "My salvation?" "God knows I'm no pagan, Elzéar." "When my time comes, I'll call you to perform your little ceremony." " It will give you peace." " That's true." "But the full ceremony, with the oil and everything, makes you go before your time." "For you, who practice religion every day, it's nothing special." "But, for everyone else, it's the first time, and it's very disturbing." "Communion never killed anyone." "The last one can." "I'd have saved your sacristan the other week." "He had heart trouble too." "But no sooner had I left him, after ordering complete rest, when you arrived with your altar boy." "You had him tell his life story, anointed him, and off he went." "I don't know if he's in heaven, but he's certainly not here." "And the tram employee who had his leg cut off." "He was doing fine till you came along." "Then he felt he was as good as dead." "And that was the end of him." "I'd rather you didn't kill off my patients." "I kill enough myself without that." "So I'm a murderer." "No, but you're too eager." "Wait for my call." "I'd be confessing corpses." "Don't you think God knows His job?" "A man always has a moment of clarity at the very end." "We call it "euphoria." That's your call, so wait for it." "If you're so eager to use your oil, make a salad dressing!" "Then there's your altar boy." "A good Christian, but he's got adenoids." "My poor husband had a strange death." "One day he wakes me at dawn." "He puts his hands on his chest and asks, "What if I suddenly died?"" "I said, "That wouldn't be very smart."" "Says he, "Then I'm not very smart," and dies." " That can't be!" " He was 53." "The doctor said he died of an "emboliger."" " An "emboliger?"" " Yes, sir, an "emboliger."" "But everyone has an "emboliger." I've got an "emboliger."" "Mine's as big as a gold coin." "No, it's not a navel." "It's a medical word for a disease." "The doctor said it was like a cork in his arteries." "It stopped him dead." "Like cutting off the gas." "She means an "embolidre."" "Or what some people call an embolism." "Maybe in Lyon." "In any event, he died." "A fine way to die." "For those left behind." "But I'd prefer a poor life to a fine death." "Here's the boy now." "Hello, Aunt Claudine." "Hello, Grandmother." "Monsieur Brun." "Monsieur Escartefigue." " Hello, my son." " Godfather." "How's Dad?" "He's upstairs." "The doctor's with him." "And the priest." "We were there for his confession." "Don't go up yet." "He must be prepared." "Besides, we must see what the doctor says." "Go upstairs and see." "Don't be upset." "There's nothing you can do." "Anyway, he hasn't left us yet." "He's better." "I hope to save him... for now." "But he won't see Christmas." "I'm afraid we doctors know so little." "At least you have your son." "I'll come by again this evening." "See he takes his medicine and keep him quiet." "His son is here." "Break it to him gently." "You have to lie to sick people." "Even when they know, it helps them if you lie." "I have some other visits to make now." "See you this evening, Fanny." "There's something I must tell you." "Elzéar pardoned my sins, but he's still bothered by one thing." " What's that?" " The boy." "I think Honoré should tell him the truth before he dies." "No, I won't tell him." "I've been his father all my life." "I want to die that way." "Am I to lose everything at the same time?" "My life and my son?" "Was bringing up the boy such a terrible sin?" "Of course not, Fanny dear." "It's just that it's not exactly telling a lie, but it's hiding the truth." "A lie by omission." "It's not a sin exactly, but just imagine if Marius had a daughter." "What if Césariot, in ignorance, married the girl?" "That would be incest, a mortal sin." "A terrible state for two young Christians to be in." "And you would be punished." "An omission with such awful implications cannot be absolved." "I refuse." "I refuse to tell him!" "I'll do my time in purgatory like a good soldier." "I fought at Verdun during the war." "Purgatory can't be worse." "And if you keep harping on this," "I'll slip under the covers and die right now!" "I won't have to hear it anymore." "Calm down, Honoré!" "Césariot." "Your father wants to speak to you." "He's better, but don't let him get worked up." "Come along, my boy." "We'll take Our Lord back home." "Why are you here?" "Did they close the school?" "Have you been expelled?" "Not at all." "Mother sent word that you were ill." "That's the way to speak." "And I'll bet you brought your special hat for the funeral." "Just in case." "Here's someone who doesn't lie and doesn't treat a sick man like a fool." "Thank you, my boy." "But I think I've been given a respite." "I'm sure of it." "I've been given a respite." "Perhaps not for very long, but enough to make me happy." "First of all, because it's good to be alive, even when one is ill." "But, above all, because I wanted to see you." " To explain my legacy." " Please, Dad " "I don't mean my legal testament." "That's all been arranged already." "I want to give you my moral legacy." "I want to talk to you about life." "To give you advice for later." "To explain the book I'd have written for you if I'd had more schooling." "But I feel I still have time." "Now I'd like to sleep a little." "Stay beside me." "Will you shut the window?" "Sit down over there." "Find a book to read or something to do." "Maybe you think I'm selfish to keep you here." "Of course not." "I'm happy to stay with you." "Try to sleep." "It'll do you good." "Go to sleep, Dad." " Hello, my boy." " Hello." " Want your money?" " Yes." " It's not like I deserve it, but it's due." " Then come on." "When I think how I don't work for it, your money burns my hands." "Only till you pay your bar tab." "That's what consoles me." "You can laugh, but at night I think, "What have I done for our garage?"" "You put down the cash." "But I didn't earn it." "It was left to me by my aunt." "What work did I ever do?" "None." "All because of my affliction." "And your laziness." "Laziness is an affliction too." "Maybe the very worst." "Listen, Marius." "This morning in the newspaper I was reading an obituary." "You like that sort of thing?" "It gives me something to do." "Something struck me." "I saw your father's name." "My father's name?" "Don't get upset." "I wasn't clear." "Your father's name was there, but not at the top." "At the top it said..." "Here, have a look." ""Madame Honoré Panisse and her son," "Madame Honorine Cabanis and Madame Claudine Foulon announce with great sadness the death of Honoré Panisse."" "You see." ""Sail maker in Marseilles, he departed this life at the age of 66." "Please pray for him."" "Panisse is dead." "Well, he was 66." "Then there's another announcement in much bigger letters." "It must have cost a fortune." "César Ollivier of the Bar de la marine," "Aldebert Brun, customs inspector, Captain Escartefigue, retired, ex-stoker Innocent Mangiapan and Dr. Félicien Venelle have the sad duty to inform you of the death of Honoré Panisse, their dear friend for over 30 years."" "Panisse is dead." "Poor old Honoré." " You knew him well?" " I'll say I did." "I told you about him." "The man who took your wife and child?" "He took them in." "It was more my fault than his." "Any debt he owed me, he repaid with interest." "Without him..." "You mean he " "Yes, he went to see the lawyers and judges." "He saved us from the courts." "And he helped us with the garage in secret." "I thought Peugeot gave me that credit because they trusted me." "Later I discovered he'd guaranteed it." "Of course, we paid it back, but if we had failed, he'd have had to pay." "Then we must go to the funeral tomorrow morning." "No, I can't." "No, I don't want to see my father and Escartefigue." "All those people." "They wouldn't be happy to see me, and I'd find it very distressing." "Let's put our hats on." "This sun is scorching." "No one else has." "Someone has to be first." "Félix, put your cap on or you'll have a stroke." "You think I should?" "It's better than dying at the funeral." "I'm putting mine on." "You're right." " That's very strange." " What is?" " I took the wrong hat." " Where?" "I left mine downstairs when I went up to see our poor old friend." "I must have picked up the wrong one." "César, put your hat on." "No, I can't." "It's not done." " Félicien says you could have a stroke." " Really?" " Maybe it belongs to the dead man." " What a ghastly idea!" "Look, here are the initials - "C.O."" " They're not his." " Too bad." "César, put your hat on." "Honoré would want it." "You must put on your hat." "César, I order you to put on your hat." "You're ordering me?" "Gentlemen, I know my job inside and out." "Of course you do." "No one's denying it." "An aperitif isn't a medicine like cod liver oil." "It's harmless, and better for you." " Better-tasting." " We agree on that." "When I say it's harmless, I should explain." "It's said that aperitifs are bad for the liver." "But aperitifs are made from plants." "Wormwood, gentian... sage, aniseed, orange." " And alcohol." " A vine is a plant." "True." "None of these plants have livers." " They don't know what a liver is." " And neither do I " "Don't interrupt!" "They've never met a liver." "I will not believe that plants can hate a liver they've never met." "What can one say?" "I'd say your whole argument was absurd." "Why?" "Sulphuric acid never saw copper." "But it will attack a copper plate." "That has nothing to with aperitifs." "Maybe not..." "I'm sorry, Monsieur Brun, but this is a scientific matter!" "Maybe it's over Félix's head." "I'm listening!" "You may be listening, but it goes right over your head." "Now, tell me what aperitifs and sulphuric acid have in common." "Perhaps more than you think." "Spoken like a true Lyonnais!" "Hearts are trumps." "Three for me." "Sulphuric acid!" "A spade." "He's really dead." "It's only just sunk in." "Yes." "That empty chair is sadder than his grave." "The poets have said it all." "Listen to these lines written by Sully Prudhomme, a great writer and poet who's taken for a fool these days." "Listen." ""It's when you sit as a family around the table and find the chairs spread further apart that you say your real good-bye."" "That's nice." "We dealt him a hand!" "Out of habit." "He had a good hand!" "How would he have played that hand?" "I played my only spade so I could trump." " What would he play?" " I know." "He'd play his joker." "And he takes mine." "He was right." "He's no altar boy when it comes to cards!" " Now he'd play a spade." " Why?" "He knew I'd played a low card." "He'd be expecting me to trump." "Now I play a low heart." "Why?" "He'll take the trick." "If he were alive, I wouldn't know." "I play a low heart, and he takes the trick." " So he takes the trick again." " That's made him happy." "Now I come in with my trump." "Now what would Honoré do?" "Let's see." "Lay down his cards." "My friends, all the rest are mine." "All the rest are mine." "He's right." "It's the first time I've seen a dead man play cards." "And the first time we didn't cheat." "And we lost." "Do you have to leave tonight?" "It wouldn't matter much if I were a day late, but what's the point?" "Won't you stay for my sake?" "You'll only ask me again tomorrow." "I'd like you to stay, because there are still some things we haven't talked about." "You mean the will and all that." "I'll leave all that in your hands, Mother." "I can't miss classes." "If I'm top of the class in the coming exams, they'll make me a major." "That means first place?" "On leaving the military academy, certain posts are offered to you." "I'd have first choice." "In one way it's not important, as you and Dad have provided for me, but it would be a great honor." "I'm sorry Dad won't know." "He couldn't be more proud of you than he already was." "He was such a good father." "A wonderful father." "I'd speak of him sometimes to my classmates, and show them his letters." "Sure, others had devoted fathers, but I don't think any could compare to mine." "But..." "But what?" "What were you going to say?" "He wasn't your father." " What's that?" " That's the truth of the matter." "Mother, that's absurd!" "That would be awful." "What are you saying?" "The truth." "I know it will hurt you." "I know you'll despise me." "But you are not Honoré's son." "I remember something my father said." "I mean, your husband, since that's all he is to me now." "One day he said to me, "Your mother isn't like other women." ""She's intelligent, devoted." ""She's honest." ""There's no other word for it." ""Honest - that's what she is."" "I know that's what he thought." "That's what Dad said." "What will I think of other women now that I know my mother can lie?" "I never lied to him." "He knew." "You confessed and yet he let you stay?" "No, my son." "He knew before he married me." "Before?" "He knew absolutely everything." "I never lied to him." "But you lied to me for 20 years." "I never said he was your father." "But you let me think it." "Only to make him happy." "He insisted I say nothing." "What could I say?" "For 20 years, he brought me up." "He fed me." "He loved me." "He devoted himself to me." " And he knew." " He knew." "He lived for you and me." "He was a saint." "Devoting his life to us made him happy." "Our marriage was full of his laughter." "Did no one else know your secret?" " Granny knows?" " Yes." "And my aunt?" "She knows too." " I suppose my godfather knows too." " Yes, he does." "It would seem the story was well publicized." "Only I was unaware of the farce playing out around me." "There must have been so much anxious whispering." "It must have made poor Dad look so silly." "What a position to be in." "He was fully aware of his position." "He chose it." "He never stopped thanking me for his son." "I should have been told." "I loved Dad very much, but I'd have loved him even more." "I'd have thanked him for his kindness." "Now it's too late." "Dear Dad, it makes no difference." "Though you weren't my father, you were always my dad." "And he always will be!" "And my real father?" "I've just confessed something to you for which I will pay dearly." "You'll despise me." "You despise me already." "I only told you because the priest insisted when Honoré was dying." "He said I had to tell you you weren't Honoré's son." "But not the rest of the story." "After all, what good would it do?" "What good, indeed." "Is my real father dead?" "Perhaps." "What do you mean by that?" "Don't you know?" "I don't care much, but maybe you still do." "Césariot, don't talk to your mother like that." "I don't mean to hurt you, but since you've gone so far, why not tell me everything?" "Forget it." "Let sleeping dogs lie." "Is that really possible?" "Maybe you have reasons for not telling." "Perhaps you've seen him and are seeing him still." "So it would be awkward if I knew." "You're hurting me." "I'm sorry, Mother." "But it could be a man I see here sometimes." "I feel as if" "I've lost my father twice over, yet you're not quite a widow." "Is he still alive?" "A moment ago you said perhaps." "I can't be sure." "I haven't seen him for 15 years." "Did he write?" "Never." "Do I know him?" "You saw him 15 years ago." "Really, I have no desire to know who it is." "Some rich young man who ran off and left you with a child." "But he's a swine!" "He wasn't a rich man." "He didn't know about you when he left." "Nor did I." "You couldn't have known him long." "So you did it just like that?" "No, my son." "I'd known him a long time." " He loved me." " And you loved him?" "If I hadn't loved him, my dear, you wouldn't be here to criticize me." "If he loved you so much, why did he leave?" "He was mad about the sea." "He wanted to be a sailor." "It was like an illness." "Like Marius, César's son." "Like..." "Marius, César's son." "It was him." "It was him?" "I'm Marius's son?" " Who's there?" " Me." " Me who?" " Césariot." " Has there been an accident?" " Yes." " Fanny?" " No, not Mother." "Me." " I don't understand." " The accident involves me." "What's wrong?" "Are you ill?" "No." "Shut the door so we can talk." "I'm ordered to shut the door, am I?" "I'd do it if I knew how." "I wouldn't give orders to my grandfather." "Grandfather?" "Why are you calling me grandfather?" "Am I suddenly so old?" "I'm calling you grandfather because that's what you are." "Who told you that?" "Mother." "She just told me." " Is that the accident?" " That's it." "A funny sort of accident." " Are you just taking a stab in the dark?" " I'd never do that." "Tell me what happened." "When that priest Elzéar heard Dad's confession, he insisted I be told the truth." "Dad refused and left it to Mother." "I just learned Dad was nothing to me." "It seems the man who made my mother pregnant was your son Marius." "That's why I called you grandfather." "What do you say to that?" "I've been walking around the port." "I couldn't decide whether I'd dreamt it or Mother had gone mad." "I saw your light was on, so I knocked." "What do say to all that?" "It's too bad poor old Honoré had to go and die." "This is madness." "You can say that again." "What about you?" "How do you feel?" "Different." "Yes, but what do you feel about it?" "Are you glad I'm your grandfather?" "You've always been my godfather." "I've always loved you." "I may not have always shown it." "Yes, I know." "It's not something you say." "Your being my grandfather doesn't change anything." "You're annoyed to find you're grandson to a bartender." "I'm surprised to be Marius's son, a man who's produced so little in life." " Except maybe you, of course." " He had some help there." "So your Marius slept with Mother." "I imagine so, since you're here." "It disgusts me." "Why?" " Why should it?" " It just does." "So where is Marius?" "In Toulon, running a garage." " You've seen him?" " Thirteen years ago." " Toulon isn't far." " It's far enough." "Why didn't he come here?" " He wanted to be a sailor." " I know." "So at 21 he joined the navy." "He didn't want to see Fanny and her husband." " I'm not surprised." " He used to come here in secret." "Then he met a woman." "That's too good a word for her." "A loathsome woman." "The kind you wouldn't touch with a barge pole." "Did he love her?" "He was living with her." "So I have a host of brothers not to be touched with a barge pole." "No, you're his only child." "Thank heaven for that." "This woman introduced him to a lot of disreputable people and some dubious business." "So he's in prison." "No, it was a close shave, but he avoided that." "Then one day I said, "Leave that girl or don't ever come back."" "It happened right here." "And, well... he replied... rather rudely." "He swore at you?" "Worse than that." "He said, "I thought you'd be more tolerant."" "And?" "Tolerance." "All this talk of tolerance!" "You just listen to me, Marius, you little bastard." "You've been in the military." "I can't slap you anymore." "But my dad would have thrown me out for such insolence, and I won't take it either." "Beat it!" " Just like your father." " My father would have killed me!" " Then he was as stupid as you." " What?" "Calm down or you'll have a heart attack." " You think I'm weak too." " Weak like a bull." " Listen, tolerance " " What about it?" "Not you too!" "Tolerance means being generous, accepting of their faults." "Listen, I speak French too." "Not very well." "Of course, I didn't get an education like you!" "At 20, I was washing glasses!" "I'm merely trying to point out something to you." "Marius thought you'd be more tolerant." "He expected kindness, yet you threw him out." "Wasn't that very stupid?" "Stupid, eh?" "It wasn't only that." "He bore a grudge for something else." "What?" "Ayear after your mother married, he came back from Australia." "Honoré wasn't home." "He had gone to Paris on business." "Marius visited your mother that night." "When I found out," "I rushed over and arrived just in time." " I made him leave." " You think if you hadn't " "She loved him too much." "Mind you, she was very glad I came, because she was about to give in." "That time he obeyed me." "I may not have book learning, but I spoke about family honor." "I said what had to be said." "At the time, he understood, but later he resented what I'd done." "And one evening it all came out." "From that night on, it was all over." "He wasn't my son." "You took his place." " Didn't you love him?" " Me?" "He meant everything to me." "He's the reason I never married again." "I was his father, and when his mother died, I had to be his mother too." "Of course, I didn't speak too fondly to him." "It wouldn't do." "And I shouted at him." "That's my way." "I thought he'd understand, but he didn't." "And one night - maybe he'd drunk too much - the irreparable happened." " Nothing is irreparable." " Yes, some things are." "I've never told anyone this because I'm ashamed, but that night, while we were quarrelling," "I was in such a rage that I hit him." "He hit me back." "My child hit me." "It's terrible when a son hits his father." "It's almost patricide." "He didn't hit me hard, but all the same..." "Afterwards he thought I'd kill him." "But I didn't say a word." "I opened the door and he left." "Here I thought I was the son of an honest tradesman and a decent woman." "Now I learn my mother was a bartender's mistress, and my father and grandfather were at each other's throats." "A noble lineage indeed." " Upset?" " A bit." " Too bad." " For me." "We were wrong to give you an education." "It wasn't necessary." "We made a gentleman of you." "Now you sound like a Parisian." "You've come back with a foreign accent." ""A noble lineage indeed."" "It's not my fault." "We need an interpreter to talk to you!" "I don't understand half of what you say." "Not that anything you've said is very nice." "Your father was a César too?" "And your grandfather?" "I wouldn't ask too many questions, if I were you." "You're less likely to find a king than a slave trader in your background." "So this is the cradle of my race, my inheritance." "And this bar is my family emblem." "It's hilarious." "Education may have improved your mind, but it's destroyed your heart." "Why do you say that?" "Because I don't come here and drink?" "Godfather, I'm sorry if I've hurt you." "It's not your godfather you've hurt." "It's your grandfather." "Well, I'm sorry, Granddad." "I'm taking the 6:00 train." "We mustn't fight before I leave." "I'm glad you found out the truth." "What do you intend to do now?" " About what?" " About your father." " You want to see him?" " Not on your life." " Perhaps later on." " What would be the point?" "Yes, what would be the point?" "Césariot is leaving this morning." "He's going with the stoker on his mother's motorboat." "Césariot said he was going off to meet a friend." "I wouldn't mind betting that friend is a girlfriend." "If he said it was a friend, what makes you think it must be a girlfriend?" "He's lying out of discretion." "Don't you know what a lie is?" "Now you've gone too far." "He asks if I know what lying is!" "I've done nothing else since I was born!" "I lied to my nurse, my parents, my brothers." "I lied to my boss, my wife, my friends." "Yes, I've lied to all of you!" "In fact, who's to say I'm not lying now?" "And I don't know what lying is?" "After a confession like that, we must admit he's an accomplished liar." "And that liar says Césariot wasn't lying, and it's not a girlfriend." "But then why lie?" "I used a word that Félix perhaps doesn't understand." "Discretion." "Discretion is a delicate sentiment." "It's subtle, refined, beautiful." "Quite different from anything you'd know!" "Here, take this." "Thanks, my flower." "Don't get fresh!" "I only called you that because I admire you." "The words just came out." "Is our captain ready?" "He'll be here in a minute." "Are you ready?" "I've cleaned and polished everything." "Even the brass." "The Fanny has never looked so good." "Almost as clean and shipshape as you." "I just have to crank her up and we'll be off." " Where are you going?" " East." "That's the east." "We're heading east." " Where to?" " No idea." "You know, but you won't tell me." "If I know where we're going, may the good Lord strike me dead!" "May I have to do my war service again." "You never went to war." "I know" " I was only 16." "It was just a manner of speaking." "But I swear on my parents' grave I don't know where we're going!" " You believe me?" " Yes." "Don't." "He's visiting friends in Les Lecques." " Then why did you lie?" " For the fun of it." "But you swore on your parents' grave!" "They're already dead." "What worse could happen to them?" " We're going to Les Lecques." " You're sure?" "May I be struck by lightning " "Listen, here's what I want you to do." "Call me every other day with news about my son." "I don't want to bother Césariot." "There's no need." "I can't leave the shop, but you'll keep me informed." "I'll tell you about the people he meets, the fishing trips " "What if I see him with a girl?" "Shall I tell you?" "Of course." "If he does anything silly, let me know." "And the people he meets." "If I see him with a woman, I'll take a good look at her." "I'll take a picture of her up here." "And I'll send you a full description by phone." "Buy yourself some cigarettes." "It's nice weather." "I wish I could go too." "Next time." "Of course." "Anyway, I don't know these people or your friend's mother." "And I've got the shop to attend to." "Let me hear from you." "Every day." "I can call while he's out fishing and give you the news." "That's it." "Let him call." " We're not going to Australia." " I know that, silly." "Anyway, I should be going." "Thank Madame Dromard for me." "Good-bye, my child." "Don't go out in the boat if it's rough." "And keep in touch." " I promise." " Good-bye, son." "Let's get under way." "The bicarbonate is underneath your drawers!" "What for?" "For your digestion!" "All right." "Good-bye." " Tell me something." " What?" " Why have we come here?" " You'll see." "Take this screwdriver and remove the boat's nameplate." "Put this one in its place." "Le Pescadou?" "That's a nice name." "You're dechristening the boat?" "For the time being." "I found the nameplate in the shop." "Hand me those pliers." "I'm not inquisitive." "I mind my own business." "But I'd like to know what we're up to." " I'll tell you what you're to do." " Not the same as you?" "No, I'm leaving you in Les Lecques." " You're leaving me behind?" " Just for a few days." "You'll go see Monsieur Dromard." "Villa Canaris." " And you'll give him this letter." " And after that?" " I've got 500 francs for you." " Five hundred francs?" "You'll go to the Palm Hotel, book a room, and wait for my phone call." "Excuse me." "Monsieur Dromard?" "You want to see Monsieur Dromard?" "He's dead." "Dead?" " It must have been very sudden." " Exactly." "All at once." "That's too bad." "It changes everything." "Yes, especially for him." " And so young, too." " Yes, he wasn't very old." "Seventy-two maybe, but he didn't look it." "You had me scared for a moment, pops." "I meant the younger one." "He's not dead, is he?" "The young fellow with the black beard?" "He's gone to Paris with his mother." "I don't know exactly, but my daughter works for them, and she was complaining that they'd left." "When they're away, she doesn't get paid, of course." "This is bad." "Now what do I do?" "This is a catastrophe!" "Most inconvenient." "Excuse me." "I'd like to speak to Marius Ollivier." "He's under that car." " Marius Ollivier?" " The very same." "What can I do for you?" "My boat has engine trouble." "A sailor suggested I come to you." "I don't know that I can help." "Cars are more my line." " If it's a Diesel..." " No, it's a Baudoin." "Ah, I serviced one of those for two years." "Monsieur Frère's boat." "Do you know him?" " No, I'm not from around here." " No matter." "Let's go and have a look." "Listen, I'm going down to the port to see - What's the name of your boat?" "The Pescadou." "Nice name." "I'll just get my tools." "Come along, young man." "Excuse me." "What is it?" "Madame Fanny, one of Césariot's friends is outside." "From his look and his accent, I'd say he's from the north." "Show him in." "Hello." "Please come in." "Césariot's friends are always welcome here." "Please sit down." "I'm afraid Césariot is away visiting some friends." "Let me offer you a drink." "That's very kind of you." "So you and he are classmates?" "Yes, for three years now." " So you're going into the army too?" " Yes, I'm making it my career." " Are you from Paris?" " No, from Valence." "But I know this area because we have a house on the coast." "But I had to return to Valence for a family wedding." "Now I'm off to the Balearic Islands." "Maybe I can catch up with Césariot on my way home." "You go back in October too?" "I hope you'll allow me invite Césariot to stay with us before then." "Our place is so close." " Where are you exactly?" " At Les Lecques, near St. Cyr." "What is your name?" "Pierre Dromard." "I met you once." "Last year in Paris." "Yes, I think I remember, but didn't you have a beard then?" "I'm quite impressed." "I shaved it off for this wedding." "Come in." "Hello, Fanny." " Did he call?" " Even better." "Meet Monsieur Dromard." "He's passing through Marseilles." " Césariot's godfather." " Pleased to meet you." " For my part, I'm so sorry." " Why?" "Oh, no reason." "No reason at all." "So you've set out from your villa in Les Lecques, leaving my godson at your home." "Césariot has the run of the place." "My place?" "At Les Lecques." "Your house at Les Lecques." "You invited my godson to spend a few days with you." "But you know that." "He's with you." "Oh, yes, of course." "So I'm given to believe." "That's why the cook telephoned the other day." "I didn't quite understand." "Yes, he must be there." " I'm sure of it." " You're as bad a liar as my son." "If they're all like you, you'll make a fine regiment." "I'm sure you know where he is too." "You're aiding and abetting his debaucheries!" "It runs in the family!" "She's always been a bit quick-tempered." "Some people have quick tempers, but it doesn't mean anything." "Phone call for you from Les Lecques." "You can take it here." "It must be news from the Dromards." "It's the stoker." "Is that you?" "How are things?" "Just fine." "Tell me, what's this Monsieur Dromard like?" "Charming." "Very well educated." "I like him." "And I think he likes me too." "He gave me some money this morning." "What are they doing right now?" "Playing boules." "I can see them from here." "What do you mean?" "Through the window." "They're having great fun." "Dromard is about to make a throw." "Yes, that's him." "That was a marvelous hit!" "It's a wonder you didn't hear it." " You don't fish?" " I'd like to learn." "But you've got some fine equipment on board." "My father's." "He went fishing twice a week." "He knew where to go." "That's what makes a serious fisherman." "Marius knows the best spots all along the coast." " Let's go tomorrow." " I set out at 4:00 a.m." "That's fine by me." "How about you?" "I won't be going along." "I never go." " Why?" " It's too early." "Didn't she love you?" "Yes, she did, but there was the family honor to consider." "All that baloney." "So I never knew my son." "Her husband brought him up." "Did that bother you?" "A bit." "Not enormously." "They told me the real father was the one who loved the boy." "And you didn't?" "How can you love deeply what you don't know?" "I would have loved him, but the other fellow was paying." "They said he loved him the most." "Why?" "Nowadays, loving and paying are the same thing." "But a father gives you life!" "A friend gives you food!" "An elephant eats coconuts, but the coconut tree isn't his father." "An elephant isn't a coconut tree with a trunk!" " Right?" " Yes." "We'd better move on." "We're wasting our time here." "So the garage is thriving?" "It doesn't make much, but it's good camouflage." "A good front, you know?" "Marius had the idea, and it's worked well." "You can keep all sorts of tools in a garage." "Slim-jims, for instance." "And locksmith's tools." "Keys, picklocks." "You get my drift?" "And especially welding gear and blowtorches." "The blowtorch is a fine tool." "And Marius is an expert." "The only stuff we don't touch is stolen cars." "You know why?" "No, I'm not an expert at theft." "Where do you look for a stolen car?" "In a garage." "So we don't touch them." "There are other things that pay a lot better." "Like what?" "For instance, right now there's a good job." "But maybe I shouldn't tell you." "Marius hasn't said anything?" "He's a little shy." "He doesn't dare." "But I trust you." "Henri, come here." "Should I tell him?" "All right, but if he doesn't like it, he has to keep his mouth shut." "I'm sure I can trust you." "But I'm warning you - don't talk." "It would be dangerous." "What's the job?" "Three hundred fifty pounds of opium." "They'd never suspect your boat." "Join us on the job." "It could be worth your while." "What do you say?" " Is Marius in on this too?" " Of course." " I think it's stupid." " Why?" "He's a very likeable boy." "He's no more a journalist than I am." "It's a nasty sort of joke." "Marius, listen." "The false customs officer will catch us, fire a few shots in the air..." "It's absolutely crazy!" "I'll tell the boy everything when I see him, and hope he forgives you." "It's not funny." "Just because he's educated, you want to make a fool of him." "He'll think I'm a swine." "All right." "Don't get upset." " Right, Henri?" "We'll say it's off." " Tell the truth." "No need to say anything." "He's leaving." "There goes his boat." "Here's my ship now." "It's difficult." "Were you bored here?" "Quite the contrary!" " Where's Dromard?" " He didn't come." " He must have got the letter." " No." " Why not?" " I never saw him." " I don't follow." " Listen, and don't be angry." " I fear the worst." " You may be right." "But I think I was smart and acted in everyone's interest." "I took the initiative, and it's turned out very well." "Now I do fear the worst." "Let's get going." "They're back." "The boat is just pulling in." "I'm afraid Fanny's going to yell at him." "Don't worry." "It's not worth it." "You say that, but you're sure to yell at him." "So will you, César." "Why would I do that?" "Why would I yell at him?" "Why should I?" "I mean, what has he done?" "After all, he's 20 years old." "We'll ask him to tell us about his holiday and see what he says." "Hello, ladies and gentlemen." "We're back." "What nerve!" "Madame Dromard sends her regards." "And there's the regards you deserve!" "Is something wrong?" "Yes, there is." "You and your lies!" "It's a wonder they didn't destroy the telephone!" "Get out of here, you little rat!" "The other door!" "You said you wouldn't yell." "This is going to be fun." "Hello." "Godfather." "Grandmother." "Aunt Claudine." "Hello, child." "Your skin is all salty." " Mother." " No, don't kiss me!" "Why?" " She's angry because you left." " I wasn't gone long." " And I bet you're sorry you're back." " Not at all." "It's always fun being at the seashore with friends." "I'd feel the same." "Was the fishing good?" "The fishing?" "Oh, right, the fishing." "We were lucky with the weather." "It seldom snows in Les Lecques at this time of year." "I'd have liked to see the masked ball." "Where?" "At the Dromards'." "The stoker told us." "What was your disguise?" "I wouldn't call it a disguise." "More like a costume " "But what did you go as?" "Well, as a..." " As a liar!" " What do you mean?" "You're a liar, and a lousy one too!" "I'm ashamed a son of mine should be so stupid!" " Why do you say that?" " Dromard was here two days ago." "He dropped by to see you on his way from Valence." "That was smart." "You should have warned him." " We said you were at his house." " He must have looked a fool." "No more than you right now." "He tried to lie to help you out, but I showed him the door in a hurry." "As for the girl you were with, I'll find out who she is." "You'll go to the doctor immediately and have a thorough checkup." "Your clothes must be disinfected!" " Mother" " Go take off those clothes!" "You shouldn't speak to him like that." "I'll bring up my son as I choose." "You're one to criticize!" "You couldn't keep your own at home." "She's very hot-tempered." "She can't help it." "Yes, have me disinfected." " You admit it?" " Yes." "I was in Toulon with Marius Ollivier, my father." " You saw Marius?" " I spoke to him." "What did he say?" "He didn't know who I was." "Despite what I'd heard about him," "I was curious and foolishly wanted to see him." "Well, I saw him - and I can't say I'm proud of it." "He's a hoodlum, and I'm his son!" "Who told you that?" "A man in his gang told me all about him." "They wanted me to join in some drug business." "They're not criminals, just shady characters." "They financed their garage by selling their women." " How was he?" " Don't worry." "He's very young-looking." "You'd never take him for my father." "He was 20 when you were born." "He's only 40." " So you felt nothing when you saw him?" " We went fishing together." "He has a mole just like mine." "Lower down." " You have a good memory." " Memories are all I have." " This is awful!" " Why?" "You loved him!" "Yes, passionately!" "And you probably still do." "I lost my father three months ago, and now I feel I've lost my mother." " A man like that..." " It's all lies!" "I don't know why, but they lied!" "My dear, if you'd known him when he was your age." "He was such fun." "He was handsome." "He was strong." "I loved him right from the time we went to Sunday school together." "He wasn't like the other boys." "They were so rude." "They taunted the girls on purpose with their words and gestures." "But he never did." "He was so gentle." "I loved him more than anything." "Later, when I was older, when I was selling my shellfish," "I could hear him at work in the bar." "Sometimes he'd come outside and we'd have a chat." "When he spoke to me, my knees used to tremble." "In the afternoons, I often sat on the terrace." "I'd put my legs up on a chair, pull my hat over my eyes, and pretend to be asleep." "Then he'd come out of the bar and stand there with his arms crossed, looking at me." "Through the little holes in the straw, I would watch him." "He was so handsome." "In his blue apron." "His arms all golden." "His hair in his eyes." "You still love him!" "Selfish boy!" "No one is more selfish than a child." "First you took my blood to make yours." "So your little body could become strong." "And then you took my milk." "You woke me each night." "I was your slave." "Your teething, your whooping cough, your homework, your scarlet fever, your exams." "You took everything." "Or rather, I gave you everything." " Even the other children I couldn't have." " What other children?" "It was you who forced me to marry Honoré." "Because of you, I lost the children he couldn't give me." "And I haven't lived." "I've spent my life watching you grow." "And you'd criticize me now for what happened before you were born?" "I wasn't always a mother." "I was a woman like any other." "I had a right to my own life." "I was 18." "Don't despise me because my life began with a wonderful love." "Nothing was missing, neither tears nor secret thrills." "Secret thrills?" "And you have no sense of regret?" "I've paid dearly enough for the right to love him!" "Yes, of course." "I never thought of you as a woman." " Good day, gentlemen." " Monsieur Brun." " What's that?" " A bowler hat." "Why didn't you kick it away?" "I didn't see the need." "That's because you're from Lyon." "A Marseillais wouldn't hesitate." "He couldn't resist." "He'd take a shot." "Take a shot?" "Then what happens?" "It's like this." "There's a stone under the hat." "Whoever kicks it will break his ankle." " And so?" " And so that's funny." "We call it a fool's decoy." "You might as well call it a leg breaker." "You want to maim someone?" "As many people as possible." " That's crazy." " Stupid." "Even criminal." "But amusing." "I don't see what's funny about it." "You're pulling my leg." "There's no stone under that hat." "Yes, there is." "Take a look." "See for yourself." "My gosh, it's true!" "But it's such a stupid game!" "And dangerous too." "Quick." "Someone's coming." "He's just the type." "You think he'll fall for it?" "Oh, my Lord!" "Another Lyonnais!" "The mere fact we're sitting here makes us accomplices." " We look on, but we disapprove." " And even condemn." "Here comes another." "He's the one!" "Are you hurt?" "Just let me catch the creep who did that!" "They put it there on purpose." "And these are new shoes, too!" "Did you break anything?" " Yes, my barometer." " You have a barometer?" "A corn, gentleman." "A superb corn." "It forecasts the weather three days in advance." "I can't feel it anymore." "I'm sorry, but I really needed that." "It hurts all the way to my shoulder." "My foot will be numb for days." "What an idiotic thing to do!" " A crime!" " Without a doubt." " I could have broken my leg." " Not likely." "Don't you know that kicking a stone like that can kill you?" "No, that can't be." "Just watch." "Put the hat back over the stone." "Wait and see." "Someone may be disabled for life." "With any luck, an old man will come along, and you'll hear his bones snap." "Let's wait." " What brings you here?" " Business." " Are you alone?" " I'm a big boy now." "You'd better go, even if your partner sent you." "Why do you talk to me in that tone of voice?" "It's the way I talk to scoundrels." " Where's my godfather?" " Inside." "He was a bit rude." " Just his little joke." " Didn't seem very funny." "I know the fellow better than you." "He's a journalist from Martigues." "What's this?" "Césariot, a journalist?" "You know better?" "I've known him all his life." "He's Panisse's son." " We grew up together." " But at different schools." "Yes, he went to the academy." "Wait a minute." "Did you say he was Panisse's son?" "The sail maker?" " The one who died last month?" " Exactly." "Then he's Marius's son." "That's what they say." "And lots of people believe it." "Oh, this is a catastrophe!" "This is terrible." "I've committed a crime!" " I'm a criminal." " Shut the door." "You're certainly a cad." "Call me whatever you like." "It's quite stupid." "Mother, I have to talk to you seriously." "I've been called up." "Of course, that's no surprise." "But I have to be in Fontainebleau tomorrow." "Now another thing." "I've just seen the tattooed man I told you about." " What tattooed man?" " The one who knows Marius." "Why bring him up again?" "The man says he lied." "I want you to speak to him." "I don't have to speak to him." "I know he lied." "What's more, Marius is here." "He's come to order some spare parts." "I'm going to see him." " Why?" " Wait for me at my godfather's." " Well, now, what are you doing here?" " Waiting for you." " Who told you I was here?" " Your partner." " Where is he?" " With your father." "What's he doing there?" "I don't know." "But we were very glad to see him." "You know my father?" "I'm..." "Césariot." "What?" "I'm Fanny's son." "What did you say?" "I'm your son." "I wish I could say something fatherly." "I wish I could find the words, but I can't." "Me too." "I'd like to say..." "something a son would say." "It's very difficult." "We must look very silly talking like this." "Did you come to Toulon to see me?" " You knew I was your father?" " Mother had just told me." "I wanted to get to know you, but they said terrible things about you, so I left." "Did you repeat that nonsense to your mother?" "What did she say?" "She was very upset." "But she didn't entirely believe me." "Not entirely, but a little, eh?" " Where are we going?" " Your father's waiting for us." "Do you mind?" "I'll go anywhere you say." "I have a taxi waiting." "Oh, yes, you're rich." "Here he is." "Fernand, I knew you were a fool, but you're dangerous too." "I know you're going to insult me, and I'm sure you're right." " Go on now." " But there's no time for that now." "I have a feeling there's a family scene brewing." "You'll find me outside on the terrace." "Hello, Father." "Yes, it's a family scene..." "the first and the last." "I want to clear my name once and for all." "If that's possible, Marius, no one would be happier than me." "Well, then." "When this boy wanted to meet his father, why did he have to come in secret, like a spy?" " I wasn't sure how you'd react." " You expected a crook." "Or at least a scoundrel." "Why did he believe Fernand?" "Because you had led him to expect trouble." "He feared the worst." "So Fernand fed him all those ridiculous stories." "And he believed them." "Why?" "Because you'd brought him up to despise his father." "That's a crime, a real crime." "I never said a word against you, never." "All he knew was that César had a son." "A son who never visited." "No one ever talked about you to him." "One day a long time ago," "Monsieur Brun said to my godfather," ""What's this I hear about Marius?" "Is he getting into trouble?"" "You put your finger to your lips and took him into the kitchen, out of my hearing range." "Another time I asked Mother, "What does godfather's son do?"" "She blushed and said," ""He's a sailor, far away at sea."" "I wondered who this man could be that everyone spoke of in hushed tones and who never came back." "Marius, if you had always behaved honestly..." "When was I dishonest?" "One day a man came into this bar." "He was drunk and talking to himself." "He said, "I know your son well." ""We were in prison together."" "He said it in front of Monsieur Brun and Escartefigue." "I didn't dare speak." "I came into the kitchen, and I wept." "What did he look like?" "The fellow's name was Padovani." "He spoke the truth!" "When we were in the navy, we spent a fortnight in the cells." "We were crewmen together." "After a spree one night, we hassled a petty officer." "Padovani has come a long way since then." "He's even been decorated." "What about the smuggling?" "That was foolishness, not a crime." "I was with some friends." "You landed up in court." "So did your brother Emile." "My family seems to keep the law busy." "But Uncle Emile was different." " What did Emile do?" "Burglary, theft?" " Quiet!" "He's just making good use of his education and being witty." "What did Emile do?" "One day, in the country, he set some traps to catch birds." "He was caught and charged with three crimes." "Poaching with a snare, trapping a bird that shouldn't be killed, and out of season at that." "And for that he was brought before a judge!" "Which proves my point." "I was only 20." "I was led astray by my friends." "You chose them." "I was alone in Toulon." "I didn't know a soul!" "What do you expect?" "I found my friends in bars." "Not in high society!" "Besides, I couldn't find work." "Hunger makes you do silly things." "You were hungry?" "I've been hungry." "And cold." " You could have said so." " To whom?" "You?" " You threw me out last time you saw me!" " Threw you out?" " Yes!" "You were drunk!" " So were you!" "You hit me." "I tried to protect myself, and you made a big drama out of it." "Since then, I would have died rather than ask you for anything." "A fine excuse." "As good as yours." "You might at least have sent me a postcard, or telephoned!" "You never even asked about me!" " Who says I didn't?" " Well, how did you, then?" "Ange kept me informed." "Every time he came to Marseilles, he drank in the bar and watched you." "Ange?" "Is he the guy with a blue birthmark on his face?" "So that's why he was always watching me." "When he came back, I'd ask him how many people you'd shouted at." "He'd say two, three or four." "It always made me laugh." "It's not very respectful, but I'm glad to hear it." "Since we're getting everything out in the open, suppose we talk about that woman?" "What woman?" "You mean the one I "sold"?" "Listen, Fanny, I was sick." "Sick of being alone, of having no job." "She lived across the hallway in a cheap hotel." "That's how I knew her." "She looked after me for four months when I was ill with a fever." "Don't you think I would have too?" "You weren't there." "And she fed me." "So I kept her for five years." "Where is she now?" "She left long ago and took my savings with her." "Fortunately, I didn't have much." "That's the woman whom, according to my son, I sold." "That's all there is to it." "That's the extent of my crimes." "Except for the sentence that started it all." "What sentence?" "I was banished." "When?" "You sentenced me 18 years ago." "You refused to let me stay here, the only town where I wasn't alone." "You knew that if I'd had a family, things would have been quite different for me." "I always knew that, Marius." "We did it for the boy's sake." "Why did you accept that?" "You knew that if I'd had a son bearing my name, I'd have come back." "Marius, Honorine was in tears, and Fanny was threatening to kill herself." "Panisse ensured the boy's future." "Now we're getting to it." "You were so poor you thought money was the answer, and Panisse had plenty." "You were 10 months old when I came back." "I tried to claim my wife and child." "You used the boy as the reason to send me away." "You'd taken my place." "Theirs was a ferocious love." "I was a threat to the child's security." "When you're scared, you easily believe evil of your enemy." "It suited you to believe I'd gone bad." "It saved you from feeling remorse." "Remorse for what?" "For years they've painted me as the villain and themselves as saints." "Especially Panisse." "Saint Honoré." "He gave the child a name." "But I gave him a son!" "I'm not criticizing him." "He was very kind." "But I ask you, where was this great sacrifice he made?" "At 50, he took on a young, beautiful woman." "If that's a sacrifice, I know plenty who'd do the same any day." "And you were happy to see me go." "Because if I'd married Fanny, I'd have had authority over the family and the boy." "Whereas you could have your way with Honoré." "As for you, Fanny..." "You're going to say I was happy." "I know you were miserable some of the time, especially at night." "You sacrificed yourself, but you became a lady." "You don't sell shellfish now." "You have them served to you." "You sacrificed yourself surrounded by servants, seated in an armchair beside a warm fire." "You had a nice meal every day, and you brought a good appetite to your sacrifice." "I know." "I've thought about it often." "Should I have thrown away the few advantages I had?" "You did right to enjoy them." "Never refuse a drink if it's offered." "Your mother saw only three things:" "saving the family honor, sleeping in late and listening to the radio." "So everyone got something from the arrangement but me!" "You painted me as the villain when I was the victim!" "A fine victim, coming back to yell at us." "It's my right!" " "Right" is a serious word." " What?" " There's duty too." " Shut up." "Your father's speaking now." "Reunited for five minutes and he's already shouting at him!" "Naturally, that shocks you." "Why are you blaming everybody?" "I have every right!" "Your stupid solution didn't save her honor." "Nobody said Fanny had done wrong, but they thought it!" ""Fanny has her head screwed on right." "The old guy will make her child rich."" "And look at the result." "My son doesn't have my name, my wife is a widow, and my poor father is a grandfather in secret." "And none of us has a place that's really a home." "Yes, it's a real mess." "That was a fine idea of yours, sailing off on your oceanographic measurings." "Don't cry, Fanny." "That won't help." "I didn't come here to make you unhappier than you've already been." "I only brought these things up because of him." "Our story only has relative importance, now that we're parents." "But I felt I had to tell him he's the son of an honest man." "Come here." "You're old enough to make up your own mind." "You've seen me at work." "You know what I do." "I do my best." "I'm no great thinker, but..." "By the way, when you got me talking on the boat," "I realize now you were putting me through my paces." "Maybe my theories on motors were far-fetched." "But when you've got teachers, it's easy." "They're knowledgeable and they can communicate that knowledge." "You only have to take it in." "But I studied alone, at night." "The little I know wasn't given to me." "I had to work for it." "I had to work for it!" "So you know where to find me now." "Maybe we could go fishing again sometime." "Garage Marius Ollivier in Toulon." "You'll find me in the phone book." "Where are you going?" "Back home." "Well, what serves me as home." "Good-bye." "Hello, Marius." "You came in that car?" "I'm breaking it in for a customer." "Is the Torpedo yours?" "They're good cars." "Well built." "Does the boy know you're here?" "He left for Paris last night, to join the army." "As a soldier or officer?" "In the ranks for a year." "That'll do the spoiled brat some good." "I almost didn't come." "I was scared." "And I was right." "Scared of what?" "I still love you, Fanny." "Just as I always did." "Even more than before." "But it's no longer possible." "Why not?" "I'm free now." " Are you suggesting I marry you?" " Why not?" "That really would be dishonorable." "Putting on a dead man's shoes while they're still warm." "I'd take Honoré's wife, his shop, and his money, and good-bye poverty!" "No, Fanny, it can't be." "I helped earn that money." "If I only kept my share, would you have me?" "No, I wouldn't." "I want you with nothing." "That's to say, as you were when I first knew you." "That's easy." "We can get rid of the money." "Sure, real easy." "But the other day in Dad's kitchen, you didn't seem the same girl." "You don't speak like you used to." "You have another look about you." "You've been with educated people." "I'm just a worker." "You might say an artisan." "I don't pare my nails with a knife, but if I were lucky enough to live with you," "I might make jokes you wouldn't find at all funny." "Perhaps when I tried to please you, I'd only shock you." "I'd displease you." "You, Marius?" "Displease me?" "Yes." "I feel awkward in your presence." "I don't dare look at you." "In bed, I'd feel I was sleeping with the boss's wife." "Maybe I'm too old." "Too old?" "Of course not!" "You could be your son's sister." "No, it's not that." "I'll tell you." "I think you're too beautiful for me now." "You have your hair done in a salon." "You paint your nails." "Not that I object." "And if I had the money to give you what you're used to, the house, the servants, the couturier clothes..." "You've had that money, and it's marked you." "On the contrary!" "The money protected me." "Listen to me." "I can tell you everything." "I wasn't a good wife to Honoré." "I did all I could to make him happy, but very often I had the vilest thoughts." "I often thought," ""He's 30 years older than me." ""If life is anything to go by, he'll die 30 years before me." "If Marius is still free then..."" "You thought that?" "I know it was horrible of me." "Not that I wished he were dead." "I nursed him like a daughter." "And I mourned him sincerely." "But he had to die one day." "My great fear was" "I'd only be free when I was an old woman." "It was the money that helped me stay young." "Marius, if you want me, your love is all I desire." "I'll keep all your accounts." "I'll do the housework." "I'll bring you your coffee." "Marius, don't turn me away." "Our son is grown up now." "He's a man." "He'll soon find a girl and marry." "I'm alone, Marius." "You're all I have." "I feel it would be dishonest to accept such a sacrifice." "Give me a few days." "I must decide what we should do." "And whether we have the right to do it." "Forgive me." "I want to kiss you so much." "I'll call you tomorrow." "He's such a fool." "You were listening!" "I wasn't listening... but I heard." " Who told you we were here?" " Someone heard you phone Marius." "And you've come to interfere once again." "If you and my mother hadn't meddled, I'd have been happy long ago." "Even now you want to throw a wrench into the works." "Don't yell at me, Fanny." "I don't mean any harm." "I've always thought of you as a daughter." "I came with a message for you and Marius." "He's gone." "No, I believe he might be having trouble with his car." "Who sent you?" "Follow me and you'll see." "What are you doing here?" "I came to be yelled at for a change." "What's wrong?" "She won't start." "And you're a mechanic?" "Well, even so..." " I think it might start with this." " What?" "It's a piece you take out of the motor so a boat won't start." "Where did you find that?" "Right there." "To keep you here longer." "That's a switch." "You usually want to get rid of me." "Children, I overheard some of what you were saying." "I think you talk too much - or not enough." "Marius, you're stupid to say Fanny would despise you." "You're afraid of your son and of what he'd say." "I know what he'd say." "He already said it." " When?" " The other night." "He's the one who heard you on the phone." "To his mind, there are only three solutions." ""Either mother will live alone," ""and, if I get married, she'll make my wife's life hell." ""Or she'll see your son in secret," ""meeting him in squalid hotel bedrooms." ""Or else they'll get married." ""I'd prefer they get married."" "He said that?" "In his ceremonial hat." "Now that I've delivered my message, I'll leave you so you can start your discussion all over again." "I'll run you home." " I'll take the bus." " No, let me run you home." "Didn't I say I was taking the bus?" "Father." "Will you be happy if I marry Fanny?" "No." "I'll be furious." "What do you think?" "Césariot will never have our name." "No, he won't." "But others might..."