"I didn't expect you till tomorrow." "My goodness, you've grown!" "This is my cousin, Michelle." "You said she was coming tomorrow." "Well, she's here tonight." "That's just fine." "Introduce me." "This is Pierre." "I'll show you your room." "It's a bit small, I'm afraid." "I don't mind that." "What do you think of Pierre?" "He seems nice." "He lives here, you know." "You're married?" "More or less." "I was so fond of your papa." "You're tired." "I'll get you some food then you must go to bed." " Your father's back." " Thank you." "No, that's not what I agreed at all." "Now I don't care if your lawyer was there, my accountant knows what we agreed." "Paul, can't you see I'm busy?" "That wasn't what we arranged." "Paul." "All right, Paul, tell me, what have you been doing while I've been away?" "Nothing much." "So it seems." "I'm very disappointed in you, Paul." "A report from the Institute of Languages' 12-day vacation course." "Paul Harrison." "Days present, one." "Days absent, eleven." "Now, if I'd known your intentions," "I could've spent the money more profitably." "I suppose I can't blame you." "When I'm away, there's no one to encourage you to take an interest." "That's right, isn't it?" "Yes." "Paul, what would you say if I told you I was going to get married again?" "Not such a bad thing, hmm?" "Well, it's true." "Here's something you will like." "The lady I'm going to marry has a son." "He's a little younger than you." "Just the companion you've always wanted." "He'll share your room." "You'll both go to the same school." "He'll be a brother for you, Paul." "Now then, what do you think of that?" "They're coming to dinner in a day or two." "Hello?" "Ah, New York, good." "You can start getting to know one another." "Norman?" "Oh, I'm fine, thanks." "How was the golf match?" "Good." "Look, I hope to be over myself in a few weeks, we'll have a game." "Now listen, Norman, I'm very worried about this Jackson deal." "There seem to be all sorts of conditions that we certainly didn't agree." "Yes." "Are you sure?" "Yeah." "Make me some coffee." "I've got a thick head." "All that drink you gave me." "I gave you!" "I like that!" "Hurry up- ...I'm late." "So am I. Get your own coffee!" "Why the hell do I stay here?" "You don't have to." "I'm sick of being ordered about." "Get out- and don't come back!" "I'm going- and to hell with you!" "I've had enough." "We're through." "That's right." "There are others who'll have me." "Nobody's that stupid!" "Tidy up." "Aren't the baboons funny?" "Not very." "You are English?" "I can speak English." "You are here on holiday?" "No, I live here." "Do you live in Paris?" " Since yesterday." " You mean, you're on holiday." "No." "My father died." "I had to come here." "I stay now with my cousin." "In Montmartre." "There was no one else." "You know many people in Paris?" "I know hundreds of people, and I hate them all." " What's your name?" " Michelle Latour." "I'm Paul Harrison." "Can I drive you anywhere?" " Drive?" " Yes, how else can you get around?" "This is my car." "You sure I can't drive you anywhere?" "No, thank you." "Well, goodbye." "See you here tomorrow!" "The bathroom's disgusting- as usual." "I've got to wash." "Well, next time clean it." "Have you seen my lighter anywhere?" "You're a pretty girl." "Not frightened of me, are you?" " Tell me about your father." " I don't want to talk about him." " Why not?" " Oh, he's such a silly bastard." " What does that mean, "Silly bastard"?" " Just a fool." " A fool?" " Un idiot." "Let's sit." ""Silly bastard" " ls that right?" " Near enough." "I want to speak good English." "You will teach me some more?" " I've got to go back to school soon." " I wish I could go away to school." "Your e crazy." " I don't like it at that place." " Home?" "Who does?" " What is,"Home"?" " - - - iTa maison." "C'est chez toi." "I haven't got a home." "Cigarette?" "No, thanks." "I forgot, you're only 14." "Fourteen- and- a- half." "You're not much older." "A year." "But I feel I'm old enough to be your father." "Silly bastard." " Merde!" "They're coming this evening." " Qu'est ce que tu dis?" "I'm getting a readymade family, and they're coming this evening." "And I'm late." "Au revoir." "You're late." "Come in." "My untidy son, Paul." " Mrs. Gardner." " How do you do?" "I've been looking forward to meeting you so much, Paul dear." "And this is Gerald." "You two will be great friends, I'm sure." " Go and change at once, Paul." " You go with him, Gerald." "The sooner you two get to know each other, the better." "Needs a mother's touch, you can see that." "I hope you can manage the both of us, Jane." "It hasn't been easy for me, Jane." "He was only five, you know, when his mother left me." "Poor Robert." "Never mind." "Gerald will be a good influence on him." "Now we have two smart young gentlemen." "I bet you two have been chattering away like old friends." " This way, lads." " You sit here, Paul darling." "Gerald, over there." "Ah, thank you, darling." "Thank you." "Oh, I'm so glad you have a piano, Robert." "After dinner, Gerald will play something for us, won't you, darling?" "That pretty little piece." "Sonata in C minor, Mozart, K.457." "Jump in." "You're underage." "Paul, what if you were stopped by the police?" "They've got to catch me first." "Where do you get them?" " What?" " The cars." "I steal them." "Stop, Paul!" "Let's go back." "You'll get into trouble." "I'm always in trouble." "I'm thinking of taking it up professionally." "It's wrong, Paul." "We're doing wrong." "Nothing's wrong if you like it." "What's happened?" "Why are you like this?" "My bloody father, and my new bloody mother." "And bloody Gerald with his bloody Mozart." "Poor Gerald." "Paul!" "Come on, let's go." " Oh, my God!" " What's the matter?" "That was my father's car." "Oh, that's terrible." "What will you do?" "I don't know." "I suppose I'd better find a phone." "He'll murder me." "I'll be paying for that car for the next 20 years." "We'll never find a phone." "It's hopeless." "You don't want to talk to your father?" "Would you?" "Anyway, what about your cousin?" "Won't she worry?" "She wouldn't worry if I stayed out all night." "Why don't we then?" "Stay out all night." "What's the matter?" "Are you afraid?" " Forgot, you're only 14." " Fourteen- and- a- half." "In that case, let's find somewhere to sleep." "We'll stay here, it's the best." " L'm still wet." " Take your dress off then." "No one's going to look at you." "You all right?" "Will you tell your father about me?" "Not likely." "I'll tell him I was kidnapped." " Kidnapped?" " Stolen." "By a man with a livid scar down his cheek." " Will your father believe that?" " He might." "Then he must be a very silly bastard." "Yes." "Well, I shall have to think of something else tomorrow morning." " Good night, then." " Good night." "It's not uncommon." "Fourteen children disappeared last week in Paris alone." "My son isn't just any child, Inspector." "Is that true, Robert?" "Fourteen children missing in Paris last week?" "The man's a fool." " And if it is true, an incompetent fool!" " Try and be calm, darling." "They'll find Paul, I'm sure." "If they don't, I'll employ somebody who will." "Have they caught him yet?" "Not yet, darling, go on with your practice, there's a good boy." "Poor Gerald, he's missing Paul already." "Where can he be?" "Why run away?" "I've always given him everything he wanted." "He's a most ungrateful boy." "And I hope by now he's feeling thoroughly miserable." " Give me some food!" " Say, "Please."" " Please." " No." "Please!" "I won." "We've got some ham." "I hope you like it." "There was a telephone in the shop." "Why didn't you phone?" "Why didn't you?" "Michelle, let's have a day, just one day free." "I'll phone my father tonight." "What do you say?" "If you think it's all right." "If he's getting married again, I'm gonna have a day off." ""I meant to do my work today," ""But a brown bird sang in the apple tree..."" "I know that one, too." ""And a butterfly flittered across the field."" ""And all the leaves were calling me."" ""And the buttercups nodded their smiling heads," ""greeting the bees who came to call." ""And I asked the lizard the time of day," ""as he sunned himself on the moss- grown wall." ""And the wind went sighing over the land," ""tossing the grasses to and fro." ""And a rainbow held out its shining hand," ""so what could I do but laugh and go?"" ""My mother died when I was born." ""I lived with my father, on our own," ""and we had a cottage where we'd go." "And he died, too." ""Now I'm alone."" "That's a poem, too." "I made it up, but it's true." "Now it's your turn." "My mother ran away and my father's got a lot of money." "That's all." "Poor Michelle." "Poor Paul." "Rich Paul." "Poor little rich boy." " I'll definitely phone in the morning." " All right." "Oh, what a day!" "We used to have days like this every day." " Were you happy with your father?" " Very happy." "Always." " We had a house in Arles." " Arles?" " That's right down south, isn't it?" " Yes." "My father was an artist, and in the summer we'd go to the Camargue," " and he would paint." " I wish my father did something useful." "We had a cottage, a tiny cottage that only he and I..." "Only I know." "Camargue." "It's miles away." "It's in another world." "Why don't you wash?" "Why should I?" "I'm new." "I'm brand new this morning, in a new world." "You can still wash." "And then you've got to phone." "You're going back today." "Well, aren't you?" "Michelle?" "They don't want me." " Where are you going, then?" " To the cottage I told you about." "In the Camargue?" "You can't live there." "Yes, I can." "Nobody cares about me." "They'll never find me." "Why don't I come, too?" "Just for a day or two." "You haven't been asked." "You've got to wash first." " That's the way to wash!" " Come back!" " That leaves us 20 francs." " That's good." "We would have had more if you hadn't phoned your cousin." "Was she very angry?" "She has Pierre." "She doesn't want me." "They're all the same, as long as you don't bother them." "Paul, look!" "Arles!" "It's a bit small." "Michelle!" "I didn't mean it." "It's a lovely cottage." "Michelle." "It's got every modern convenience." "Food?" "I told you, we used to stay here, sometimes for quite a while." "And when you came to Paris it was just locked up?" " I came alone and put everything away." " Can I help?" "You can split some logs." "Do you know how?" "Oh, bloody!" "Come here!" "Stand back and I'll show you." "You?" "Like that." "Why are we moving everything about?" "I'm tired." "That was my father's place." "I want everything to be different." "Is this for you or me?" "Or both of us?" " I didn't mean it." " Then you shouldn't have said it." "I don't think much of you anyway." " He ever sell any?" " Of course he did." " To the tourists in Arles." " Tourists will buy anything." "I was only joking." "How are you going to live here?" "I can work." "You don't stand a chance." "You'll starve to death in a month." "Maybe if I stayed with you." " Perhaps that wouldn't be right." " lt would if we said so." "If we were shipwrecked on a desert island, all on our own." "There'd always be someone old to tell us what to do." "You haven't got any imagination, that's your trouble." " And you've got too much." " Have I?" "Guess what I'm imagining now!" "Stop, Paul!" "Let me go!" "Stop!" "Paul!" "Good night, Michelle." " Dream about me." " I hope not." " You're sure there's a telephone there?" " Of course there is." "What shall I say?" "I mean, shall I tell him about you?" "He's your father, tell him what you like." "I'm going back to the cottage." "Paul." "Paul, what happened?" "I told him I was never going back to him." "Never." "Oh, Paul!" "I hoped and hoped and..." "What did he say?" " He'd find me." " He won't, he won't!" "We'll live here together like brother and sister and..." "Was he very angry?" "He'll get over it." "Hey, look in there." " Wonderful!" " We didn't have any." "Michelle, that's for you." "Michelle, would you have stayed here on your own?" "Put it on me." "Would you?" "I wouldn't have stayed here without you." " I won." " Now for your reward." " Do you want some licorice?" " Yes, please." "Then come and get it." "You'll have to get a job, you know." " There's not much money left." " Shouldn't be difficult." "What can you do?" " Nothing." "I'm educated." " We'll have to un- educate you." "You can't go around looking like that, for a start." "They cost a lot of money." "That's it." "No one nice has a lot of money." "Here." " Should I?" " He'd like you to have it." "With your shirt and my education, we'll starve." "The man said I could sell programmes tomorrow." " Will that mean more money?" " No, but it's more important." " How long are they there?" " Only till Saturday, worse luck." " Wow!" "It's hot." " lt's meant to be." "All right, you can get in now." "Get in." "Would you go and fetch me the soap?" " I can do that." " No, you can't." " Hey, steady on!" " You've got to be clean." "I'll be raw!" "I'll find it." "I can do the rest." "Would you go and fetch me a towel, please?" "Baby." "Then it'll be your turn." "What?" "I'm good at scrubbing, too, you know." " Enough?" " Yes, thanks." "All right, you can get in now." "Go on, get in." "Go and put some wood in the stove, please." "Silly bastard." " Nice and hot?" " Yes, thanks." "Right!" "Now it's my turn." "Paul!" "Stop, Paul!" " You're hurting me." " Do you good." "No!" "Stop, please!" "Please!" "All right." " That better?" " Yes." "That's enough." "I liked the bull ring, it was fun." " And the money was good." " You'll soon find another job." "I'll stall looking tomorrow." "Come and tuck me in." "Aren't you a baby!" "Aren't you going to tuck me in and kiss me good night?" "And a kiss." "Stay here." " No, stop it, Paul." " Why not?" "Because you grabbed me." "You can grab me if you like." "That's not the way at all." "The sun used to mean holidays." "You'll get a job tomorrow." "We can go on a bit longer." "I'm hungry" "I'm hungry, too." "Michelle!" "Michelle!" "I might as well go to bed and dream of dinner." "Things will be better soon." "I'm no good at anything!" "That's the trouble." "Go on, you might dream of dinner, too." "Paul, can I get into bed with you?" "Please, Paul." "Why?" "Because you're hungry." "Yes, I'm hungry." "I love you." "Then..." "Go on, go on." "I can't." "It's finished." "I'm sorry." " It wasn't your fault." " I told you." "I'm no good at anything." "I don't even know..." "Paul." "I don't want to talk about it." "I'm going now." "I might get a lift into Arles." "It's a long way to walk." "When I get a job, I'll go in by bus." "There are the rice fields." "They're not so far." "No." "They're not." "I should try there first." "Yes, all right." "Paul." " Good luck." " Thanks." "See you later." "See you later." "Michelle..." "See you later." "What are we doing here?" " What are we doing?" " Living here." "Why?" "Why, Michelle?" "Why do I have to work like I do?" "Why do we have to go hungry?" " Just tell me why!" " You didn't have to come here." " You can leave if you want to." " But I don't want to." "I mean, I got you into this." "You didn't get me into anything." "This is my home." "I haven't got anywhere else." "You have." "If we went back to Paris and I explained to my father..." "That you couldn't live without him?" "I was going to ask you to come back with me." "Don't bother." "I thought you were man enough to..." "To what?" "To what, Michelle?" "You never finish anything!" "Neither do you." "If that's how you feel, I'm going." "I'm going home." "I hate my father, but not as much as I hate you!" "Go on, go on, I hate you!" "I hate you!" "Paul!" "Paul!" "Paul!" "Michelle!" "Michelle!" "Paul!" "Paul!" "Michelle!" "Paul!" "Michelle!" "Paul!" "I love you." "Forever." "Always." "Michelle." "Michelle, last night..." "What if you find you're going to have a baby?" "I am going to have a baby." " What?" " Of course I am." "But you can't be sure." "I mean, it doesn't always happen." "Not every time." "Well, it happened this time." " Well, how do you know?" " I know, that's all." " You don't mind, do you?" " I don't know." "Well, do you?" "It's the most wonderful thing that's ever happened to me." " Is it?" " Of course it is." "You and me and a baby." "What could be better than that?" "Can you think of anything better?" "No, I can't." "You're right!" "It's wonderful." "It's ours!" "I always wanted a real baby." "A real baby." "Did you get them?" "Good boy." "It was quite difficult getting those gherkins." "Lovely." "I was so sick this morning." "Are you really sure?" "Quite sure." "I've missed two months now." "Oh, wonderful, wonderful!" " I'm so happy." " So you should be." "You're going to be a father." "That's the only thing." "I hate fathers." "Paul, it's late." "I've been thinking." "We'll have to find a hospital where you're not known." " Hospital?" " To have the baby." "I'm not going to hospital." " But you can't have it here." " Why not?" "The doctor would find out about us." "Paul, you don't need a doctor to have a baby." " What?" " Sometimes the midwife come." "But if not, well, you just have it." "But you can't have a baby like that, without anyone to help you." "Can you?" "I think so." "Anyway, you'll be here." " So you can help me." " Me?" "Why not?" "But I don't know anything about having babies!" "You'll have to find out then, won't you?" "Michelle, something might go wrong." " Nothing will go wrong." " Well, it might." "You said your mother died when you were born." "That was different." "She was quite old." "She was 28." "And you can't do that any more." "I wasn't going to." "Oh, well, I was looking for a cookery book." " Pardon?" " A cookery book." "Now do you understand what I mean?" "I want a book about cooking." "Oh, dear." " Shall I tell her for you?" " Oh." "Could you?" "Cookery books are over there." "Thank you." "How clever of you." "And what have you found for yourself, dear?" "A nice adventure story?" "Oh, really?" "At your age?" "If you must know, it's for my sister." "Oh, well, in that case..." "How old is your sister?" "Seven." "Of that building, only the entrance now remains." "The archway took 18 months to construct." ""By seven months, the baby is firmly attached to the placenta" " "by the umbilical cord."" " The what?" ""About this time, the baby turns in the uterus until the head is lying" " "downward in the pelvic basin." - lt sounds like geography." "I was never any good at geography." ""The first stage of labor is called dilation, when the cervix dilates."" " "Dilates?"" " That means, "Opens up."" "Jolly good piece of cake." "Yes, I think I'll have another." ""As the second stage of labor develops, the contractions at first" ""occur at intervals of five or six minutes." ""The average contraction lasts about 30 seconds," ""and they come with increasing frequency and regularity." ""The final contraction which pushes the baby into the birth canal" ""usually lasts eight seconds."" " Go on." " That's it." "It comes out blue, but soon turns pink and cries." "It doesn't hurt it, it just means it's started to breathe." "The cord is tied in two places and cut in the middle." "And now you have a baby." "Paul, isn't it wonderful?" "Paul, do you like having a baby with me?" "I want everything with you, for always." "Everything, always." " I only wish..." " What do you wish?" "That we could be married." "Do you think he'd mind if he knew he was marrying us as well?" "As long as we know, that's all that matters." "And now Michelle has found a good man at last." "I know she's getting on a bit, but there are still a few good years left in her yet." "I give you a toast, Michelle and Paul." "The bride and bridegroom." "To bride and bridegroom, and the baby." "May they live happily ever after." " For ever and ever." " Amen." " Paul, breakfast." " Coming." "What do you think you're doing, child?" "You shaved last week." "It's grown again." " I do wish you wouldn't call me "child."" " All right, Papa." " L'll be late this evening." " You're lucky, you're going shopping." " You'd like to come, too, wouldn't you?" " I can't." "I'd hate to be seen like this." "Why?" "You're beautiful." "Am I?" "You know, Christmas is coming." " And the goose is getting fat." " Pig!" " What's the matter?" " He kicked me." "Silly bastard." "Bye ." "Enter." "One Father Christmas, with one turkey." "It's huge!" "It won't go in the oven." " What's that?" " I started a snowman." " You started a snow- baby." " It's beautiful." " If only he was here to see that." " Who?" "The baby, of course." "Who else?" "Michelle, if something does go wrong and I have to fetch a doctor..." "You must not." "Sometimes you have to." "If something goes really wrong and your life's in danger." "We're talking about your life." "We might have died when the car went into the river." "We might have been parted at any time." "When you went and phoned your father, you remember?" " I thought you wouldn't come back." " Michelle, I didn't phone." " I said I did, but..." " Paul." "Why not?" "He would've made me go back to him." "I wanted to stay here with you." "It's all been so wonderful." "That's only because we've been together." "Promise me, Paul, you'll never do anything to change that." "I wouldn't want to go on living without you." "Promise." "I promise." " What's the matter?" " l'll be all right in a minute." "We shouldn't have come all this way." "I wanted him to hear the carols." " What shall we call him?" " You say." "Paul." "I can't have two children called Paul." "Michel!" "No, I know." "There's only one name for him." "We'll call him Richard after your father." " Richard Harrison." " That's a lovely name." "I wonder why I'm so happy here?" "I have to work." "I'm a man with responsibilities." "You're a child with responsibilities." "To you, from me, with all my love." "Thank you." "Paul, I haven't got a present for you." "Yes, you have." "To me, from you." "I wonder what it is." " Open it." " No!" "It's for you, with all my love." "Paul, it's lovely!" "It didn't cost much." "I'd rather have this than the biggest diamond in the world." "Come here and be kissed." "Open yours." "What have I given you?" "I think I'm going to be disappointed." "Oh!" "But you haven't got a present!" "I've got the best present in the world, only it hasn't arrived yet." "Look, this is for him." "He won't want that until he's as big a baby as you are." "You've got a clock inside you." " A what?" " A clock." " Listen." " I can't." "You listen." " It's a time bomb." " Paul..." "It is." "It's going, "Tick, tick, tick..."" " He's going to blast his way out." " Don't be silly." "Listen again." "It's his heart." "It's his heart beating." "He's alive." "Someone entirely new." "It's beating so fast." "His head?" "My little son's head." "He's not very bright." "All he says is, "Tick, tick, tick."" "I feel like it's always winter." "Can't be long now." "Not unless I'm peculiar." "We won't catch anything today." "Paul." "Come on." "Michelle, is it coming?" "Wait for me." " Sorry." " What for?" "False alarm." "That's all right." "It's all in the book." " Paul?" " Yes?" "I want to do something." " Not again!" " No, something else." "I want to tidy up." "What's it all about?" "I can do that afterwards." " Is it coming?" " He's moving." " Have you got everything?" " Yes!" "I think the waiting's nearly over." "Michelle." "Michelle, tell me what to do." "I'm so hot." "Was it terrible?" "Like toothache in my tummy." "Well, this time it's real." " You all right?" " l'm all right." "Can you bear it?" "Yes, I can bear it." "Can you?" "Yes." " Have you got a cramp in your legs?" " A little." "Don't worry, it's normal." "It's in the book." "Michelle." "Michelle!" "Help me!" "Help me!" "I can't do it." "I'm going for help." "I'm going to fetch help." "Please, help me." "He's coming down!" "Paul, where are you?" "Pig!" " Where are you going?" " Nowhere." " You all right?" " Of course I am." "You're at the wrong end." "Come on, baby." "Come on, you silly bastard." "Being bloody difficult." "I can see him!" "I can see his head!" "He's coming." "He's coming." "I've got him!" "He's out!" "He's enormous." "Paul, is he a boy?" " I don't know." " Well, look." "He's a girl." "I always wanted a girl." " So did I." " Go on then, do what it says in the book." " Why is she crying?" " I don't know." "She's just lying here." "Please, show her to me." " Is she beautiful?" " I don't know." "Is she pretty?" "She's beautiful." "She's so beautiful." "You know what to do?" "I suppose we're doing right." "I suppose it's what we ought to do." "It's wrong if we don't." "Go on." "Hurry up." "I baptize you Sylvie Marie Helene." "Michelle Pauline." "Michelle Pauline." "In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost." "Amen." " Sylvie Marie Helene." " Michelle Pauline." "You always forget the last two, and they're us." "To the future." "What is the future, Paul?" "It's here." " It's us." " Always?" "Until we're old enough to get married properly." "It was properly!" "Until we're old enough for no one to say that we're too young." " Can you wait for that?" " Yes." "Can you?" "I'll save up." "And in a few years, I'll have a vineyard of my own." "And I'll be drunk all day long." "Idiot!" "And what about me?" "Oh, you'll have a dozen babies to care for." "Kiss me." "It's getting late." "Time for Sylvie's dinner." "Police." "Can I help you?" "Do you know this boy?" "Yes, it's Paul Dupont." "He works here." "You can see him in the morning." "It's your turn." "Go on, she's lonely." "She's hungry." "She takes after you." "Come on." "There." "Paul?" "Do you remember when we first came here?" " Shut up!" " One whole year ago." "Do you remember?" "If you say that again, I'll wish we had nothing to remember." "Do you?" "I can't help it." "I want to remember everything so much." "You're too young." "You're not allowed to remember anything until you're old" " and have got nothing to look forward to." " How old?" " 30." " Why, that's awful!" "When I'm that, Sylvie will be 15." "Do you think she'll run away with a boy?" "I hope so." "I don't want to have to support her forever." "So do I. If he's a boy like you." "You were an awful boy!" "Do you remember the zoo?" "Sorry." " I'll send you to bed." " Yes, please!" "Then I won't." "Do you remember the first time..." "The first time what?" " I shan't tell you." " I remember." "You weren't very good." "I was going to say the first time we went fishing." "You weren't very good at that either." " I'm better now." " You're very good now." "Shall we then?" "Go fishing?" "Yes, please." " Bye- bye, Sylvie." "Bye- bye" " Bye- bye." "See you tonight." " Goodbye." " Say goodbye to Daddy." "Good bye." "Goodbye, you silly bastard." "Good bye."