"Stefan." "Valerie." "Stefan?" "Tell me." "Do you love me?" "Don't you know?" "I want you to say it." "No." "And you?" "And me what?" "Do you love me?" "Me?" "Why, of course I don't." "Oh, good." "Very good." "Why do you say that?" "I don't know." "You don't love me, I don't love you" "Apparently, we were made for each other." "What's going on?" "We haven't arrived yet, have we?" "Don't be silly We left Switzerland two hours ago." "Two hours already?" "I'll go and see what happened." "Stefan?" "Don't stay too long." "Well?" "Train has run off the tracks further up." "We'll have to wait." "But... we are going to miss the boat to England." "Well, we'll spend the night in Ostend." "Let's catch the next boat." "There's another one in the afternoon." "That's ridiculous." "We'd arrive at Chilton Manor in the middle of the night." "But, Stefan" " Mm-hmm?" "Your mother is waiting for you." "She'll worry." "That can't be good for her." "How?" "You told me that she had a heart condition." "Oh, yeah." "That's the reason that 3:00 in the morning... is not the ideal time for me to tell her... that her son was married three hours ago... to the most adorable girl... in all Switzerland." "And what's the ideal time for Lady Chilton, if I may ask?" "I don't know." "Darling, be reasonable." "I know that your mother will never accept me for what I am." "You will have to tell her one day about our marriage." "She can't be that aristocratic." "And you were brought up in America?" "Sure." "And for years, she's been telling me, 'Stefan, we are different." "That is God's gift to us, and we must never debase it.'" "Stefan Chilton." "You are ashamed of me?" "You are actually ashamed of me." "It has nothing to do with you, Valerie, or what you are." "You're not afraid of her, are you?" "Stefan?" "You are afraid." "Me, afraid?" "When we arrive in Ostend, I'll phone her." "Here you are, monsieur." "The royal suite." "The hotel's very best." "It's rather dead around here this time of the year, you see." "I like the seaside in winter." "Madame is right." "Is much quieter." "Please follow me." "Darling" "Aren't you forgetting something?" "What?" "Your mother." "You promised." "We've all the time in the world." "All right." "All right." "Concierge?" "Yes, monsieur?" "I want to make a call." "Now?" "Yes, to England." "I'll write the number down for you, all right?" "I want you to put it through right away." "It's rather urgent." "Very well, monsieur." "Thank you, monsieur." "Hello?" "What?" "Well, there's always someone at that number." "Keep trying." "No?" "I'll call back." "Thank you." "I don't understand." "Don't you find it odd that no one ever answers the telephone at Chilton Manor?" "Oh." "The food is marvelous here, don't you think?" "Suppose your mother is very ill." "The Rock of Gibraltar will tumble before Lady Chilton." "Don't worry." "Here." "Taste some of this fish." "It's absolutely delicious." "Hey." "Please?" "We've only been married one day." "I'm just a little bit sad." "Because you don't try to understand." "No, I don't understand why you make such a fuss about my mother's opinion." "You see, the fact is she already hates you without even knowing you exist." "Try to talk to her." "Go alone, if you want." "I'll stay here." "I'll wait for you." "You trying to get rid of me?" "All right." "All right." "You win." "I go." "I'll leave tomorrow." "Hmm?" "Or the day after." "Let's hope we'll find something better here." "I'm so tired." "I'll go in first." "You look after the luggage, Ilona." "Ma" " Madame." "I'd like the royal suite, please." "Well?" "Excuse me, madame." "It seems to me that madame has stayed already at this hotel." "Indeed." "Madame isn't one easily forgotten once you've seen her." "But no, no" " It's impossible." "Oh?" "How so?" "It was such a long time ago, and madame looks exactly like a lady who must have changed a great deal since." "Do you happen to remember her name?" "The Countess Elizabeth Bathory." "But that's my name." "You must be joking." "Certainly not, madame." "I was a young bellboy then, but I do remember, even after so many years." "But it cannot be." "My mother, perhaps?" "Well?" "Uh, I'm sorry, but I don't think we can accommodate the countess." "Why not?" "Surely there's no one staying here at this time of the year." "You see, the suite madame asked for... is already occupied by, um" "Oh, I see." "Newlyweds." "Natural, if the countess so desires, perhaps I can ask them to switch rooms." "Of course not, Pierre." "The adjoining suite will do." "Um" " We can still make the necessary arrangements... when they leave tomorrow." "Tomorrow?" "How?" "What's happening?" "Look." "How perfect they are." "Stefan?" "Unfortunately, they're leaving tomorrow." "Too bad." "We've changed our minds." "We aren't leaving tomorrow." "Oh." "The day after tomorrow, perhaps." "I don't know yet." "Very well, monsieur." "As you... wish." "Tell me, who is that lady who has just arrived?" "An actress or something?" "No, madame." "That's the Countess Bathory." "A countess?" "What a fascinating woman." "Indeed." "Wait." "Did you say 'Bathory'?" "Yes, monsieur." "The Countess Elizabeth Bathory." "What are you thinking about?" "The same thing you are." "What else could I think about?" "We are going out tonight?" " No." "Not tonight." "Why?" "I won't be able to wait another night." "Yes, you will, because I want you to." "Isn't she beautiful?" "You haven't stopped talking about her." "Did you see her skin, her lips?" "She's leaving tomorrow." "By that time, many things can happen." "Come here." "Closer." "Show me your eyes." "You're jealous." "Well, well, well." "I wish I could die." "The light." "The light hurts my eyes." "Darling, your tea's getting cold." "Just a minute." "Stefan." "Yeah?" "When are you leaving?" "Oh, there's no hurry." "Damn." "What's taking you so long?" "I'm coming." "Coming." "Thank you." "What's that?" "It's nothing." "Oh, you" " I said it's nothing." "Come on." "It's nothing, I tell you." "All right." "All right." "Is it interesting, what you're reading?" "None of your business." "I'm just looking at the pictures." "Oh, you can't read, huh?" "Ha, ha." "Very funny." "No, I can't read Flemish." "Can you?" "No, no." "But you speak German." "It's almost the same as Flemish." "Try it." "You'll see." "'Derde'-..." "'Third... bloody night... in Brugge.'" "'Another..." "atrocious... murder.'" "Hmm." "See how easy it is?" "It's not easy, but I'm supremely intelligent." "Read." "'No clues'-..." "'Another young girl-... throat cut.'" "That's revolting." "There are more maniacs loose than one thinks." "Why did you make me read a thing like that?" "Three young girls." "And that one's so pretty." "Mmm?" "Let me see." "Brugge." "It's a lovely place, Brugge." "What's going on over there?" "Let's take a look." "Sorry, I don't understand." "The gentleman is a tourist?" "Yes, I'm a tourist." "What's going on?" "Oh, monsieur." "It's horrible, incredible." "It's the fourth in one week." "One week." "Young girls, all of them." "And this one so pretty." "She must be lying there a few days, mutilated like the others, with gaping wounds in her neck." "Exactly like the others." "And every time, not a trace of blood anywhere." "What do you mean?" "Exactly what I'm telling you." "No blood." "Not a drop of it." "Nothing." "I don't understand." "No one understands, monsieur." "Not even the police." "Ah." "Here she comes." "Come, Stefan." "Come, Stefan." "Let's go away." "Let's go back to Ostend." "Is anything bothering you, darling?" "Me?" "Nothing." "You haven't said a word to me since we left Brugge." "Stefan, I'm frightened." "Frightened?" "Of what?" "Of you." "You can't be serious." "Oh, yes, Stefan." "I know what I saw." "Come on." "I was just looking, like everybody else." "Like you." "Don't lie to yourself." "You were pleased." "It gave you pleasure." "You actually enjoyed seeing that dead girl's body." "And you enjoy telling me." "We're getting to know each other." "Were you thinking of going anywhere, Ilona?" "I'm leaving you." "Not again." "Don't be ridiculous." "Please." "You can't go out in this weather." "You realize that, Ilona?" "Let me go away." "I never would and you never could." "After all these years, you still don't understand, do you, Ilona?" "Set me free." "I beg you." "I have to leave." "Why?" "The other one, more beautiful." "You don't need me anymore." "Ah, but you need me." "Without me, you'd have no life." "You call this a life?" "The concierge is not here." "I'll get the keys." "They haven't left." "No." "They haven't left." "Leave me now." "Oh, I am so pleased." "I thought you'd left us all alone in this huge, drafty hole." "So you'll be staying a few days more?" "Well, I haven't decided yet, madame." "Oh, but I'm completely, utterly, absolutely mad." "You're soaked." "You'll die of pneumonia right before my very eyes while I jabber on like this." "Run, put on some dry clothes, and then you can join me for drinks in the lounge." "Madame, we haven't had the- Oh, please." "I beg of you." "Run." "Hurry to your rooms." "If you had the slightest hint of a cold, I'd never forgive myself." "Pierre?" "Pierre?" "Ah, there you are." "Bring some hot rum to the lounge." "Don't be too long." "I'll be waiting for you." "Your countess has a way of throwing herself at people." "She's not my countess, madame." "What a temperament." "No, madame." "The countess is Hungarian." "Oh?" "You seem to know her well." "The Countess Bathory stayed at this hotel 40 years ago." "What?" "Why not?" "When she was a little girl. oh no, madame." "She looked exactly like the countess looks today." "You've seen so many people in all those years." "You must be mistaken." "Madame, I remember quite distinctly." "Uh, this must be the daughter." "I can't tell you how completely happy I am to have you here tonight." "You're both... so perfect, so good-looking, so sweet." "Oh, I know I shouldn't say such things, but I just can't" " I can't behave like everybody else." "When I think something, I have to say it." "I know I'm too forward, too open." "What was it that poor old archduke used to say?" "Ah, yes." "'Elizabeth, you are an innocent.'" "How true." "Then there were those other people, those terrible, vulgar people... who didn't trust me as I trusted them." "But you're not like them." "I know we're going to be good friends, the three of us." "Oh, well." "Anyway, as long as we're stranded here together... in this sinister, deserted caravanserai" "I can't tell you how much I despise this sort of... place, especially in winter, when there's no one." "I just fled from exactly" "Here we have our pretty Ilona." "Come." "Let me introduce you to my new friends." "Mr. and Mrs. Chilton." "Mademoiselle Ilona Harczy, my secretary." "Would Mademoiselle Ilona care for a drink?" "No, thank you." "I'm not thirsty." "Don't sulk." "There's no reason for it, not one." "We just had a little squabble, just now." "What do you expect?" "We've been friends for so long." "You know, they were married only two days ago." "How very happy they must be." "Yes." "Very." "The evening paper?" "You don't have any accent at all." "Brugge must be lovely." "Did you like it?" "Oh, yes." "I did." "But how do you know?" "Here, look." "I'm not a sorceress." "Oh." "That's you, darling." "Aren't those crimes horrifying?" "And yet so fascinating." "I knew where you'd spent the day because Pierre told me." "Pierre?" "Our concierge." "Whenever one wants to know something, one asks Pierre." "You seem to take quite an interest in us." "And you in me." "Surely Pierre must have told you I was Hungarian." "We're all very nosy, you know." "And what else did he tell you?" "Th-That you had been here 40 years ago." "Which is absurd, of course." " Of course." "Excuse me." "This is my newspaper." "Oh, I didn't know it was yours." "Never mind, never mind." "So we have a new guest in the hotel." "I'm no guest here, ma'am." "I was just passing by and stepped in, out of the rain." "We were just interested in reading about the murders in Brugge." "So many people are taking an interest in those murders." "Like you, monsieur, this afternoon." "You seemed rather... disturbed." "Did I?" "May I ask what you're doing here now?" "Monsieur is a policeman, so that's not surprising at all, not at all." "So you're just passing by?" "I'm honored, madame, to be remembered... after such a long time." "Is there anything to remember?" "I, for one, madame, could never forget." "I really don't know what you're talking about." "It has been a long time." "I'm retired now, and murder can only be a kind of hobby to me." "A girl's death is hardly a source of amusement, monsieur." "Ah, madame, those Brugge murders are rather special, one might say classic." "The kind of things you read about in medieval manuscripts." "You know, silly tales about ghosts chased away by garlic... and vampires shrinking from crosses... and running water and daylight." "Satan's ritual under a full moon." "I don't know about my friends here, but I find your conversation..." "almost distasteful." "I seem to have, uh, dampened things." "Let's put all unpleasant people and unpleasant things out of our minds." "Let's resume the conversation, Stefan." "You don't mind my calling you Stefan, do you?" "If you like." "How old do you think I am?" "Well, I don't know really." "Uh" " Thirty." "Maybe 35." "Thirty-five?" "Do you hear that, Ilona?" "Oh, I'm much, much older than that." "But you're so young and beautiful." "How very sweet of you, Valerie." "Isn't she sweet, Ilona?" "Then you must have a secret." "Every woman would sell her soul to stay young." "Oh, it's very simple." "A very strict diet, lots of sleep" "Stefan, I'm just dying for another drink." "A very likable man, your husband." "Slightly nervous, perhaps." "How revolting it may be, but then things were slightly different in those days." "A holy king of France- even a pope- drank blood to stay young and healthy." "And then perhaps things aren't so different today." "Think of all the bloodshed caused by war." "Isn't that so, Stefan?" "Sorry, I couldn't find that concierge." "What was it you said?" "I was telling Valerie about the history of our family, the Bathorys." "Listen to that." "It's so " "So revolting and yet so interesting, even though the countess was buried over 300 years ago." "The Countess Erzsebet Bathory, my ancestor." "'Erzsebet' is 'Elizabeth' in Hungarian, but she was best known as the scarlet countess." "Imagine." "She bled 300 virgins to death." "Some say 800." "A woman will do anything to stay young." "But drinking human blood" "She believed human blood was the elixir of youth." "Exactly." "Do you know about her?" "Yes, I've read of her." "She kidnapped young girls and kept them chained... to give blood- blood for her to bathe in and drink." "No." " Oh, yes." "Yes." "And she hung them up by the wrists and whipped them... until their tortured flesh was torn to shreds." "Oh, yes." "That's it." "And she clipped off their fingers with shears." "No." " She pricked their bodies with needles." "Yes." "Yes, she tore out their nipples with silver pincers." "No." "No." "And she bit them everywhere." "And then she pushed white-hot pokers into their faces." "And when they parted their lips to scream, she shoved the flaming rod up into their mouths." "Stop it." " Oh, yes, yes." "Go on." "Go on." "She pierced their veins with rusty nails... and slit their throats." " Stop it." "So that their white bodies pumped out young blood over her naked skin." "Stop it." "Blood, beautiful red blood" " Stop it." "over her hands and her arms and her legs" " Stop it." "and her face." "Stop it." "Stop it, both of you." "What's gotten into you, Stefan?" "What have you done to him?" "You're both" "Valerie's very much in love with you, isn't she?" "And you- do you love her?" "How does the story end?" "She was condemned to be walled... up in her room." "Her accomplices were executed." "And then?" "Who knows?" "What was that?" "Sounded like a scream." "It's Valerie." "Valerie?" "Valerie, what's happened?" "What's wrong, dear, huh?" "The balcony." "There was someone on the balcony." "There's no one there." "But Ilona's window is open." "Maybe she heard something." "Stay where you are." "I'll go and look." "You couldn't wait, could you?" "Come on." "Calm down." "Shh." "It was nothing." "It's over." "There's no one there." "Ilona was sleeping She hadn't heard anything." "Valerie must have been seeing things that weren't there." "We should never have discussed those things in front of her." "Can I be of any help?" "Leave us alone." "She'll calm down." "She'll need something to sleep." "I've got pills in my room." "No." "I don't need anything from you." "I need to be alone with Stefan." "Alone." "Stefan, tell her to leave, please." "Make her go away." " All right." "Calm down, darling." "I'm sorry, madame, uh" "Take good care of our sweet little girl." "Good night to both of you." "Tomorrow, maybe?" "Tomorrow night." "Hey." "Come on." "Good night, madame." "Good night." "Good night, Pierre." "Elizabeth?" "Forgive me." "You must sleep now." "It's all her fault, that old hag." "She's not a hag, and she certainly doesn't look old to me." "Stefan?" "When are you leaving?" "I don't know." "When?" "I've told you." "Tomorrow, the day after tomorrow." "I want to leave with you." "I thought we decided you'd stay here and wait for me." "I'm afraid to stay here alone, all by myself." "You're being silly." "When?" "All right." "Tomorrow morning, I call my mother and tell her we are arriving." "I'm so happy." "Hello." "Chilton Manor." "Oh, Master Stefan." "Uh, yes." "Yes." "Having breakfast in the conservatory." "Master Stefan." "What's the matter?" "What's taking your mother so long?" "Stefan." "Yes, I'm fine, thank you." "I hope you didn't do any foolish things in Switzerland." "What?" "Where?" "In Ostend?" "Good heavens." "What are you doing in Ostend at this time of the year?" "You missed a mail boat." "Why?" "Well, it's rather difficult to explain." "You did do something foolish." "No, I can't explain now." "But I have to" " Oh, no, no." "No accident." "Valerie, not now." "You're not alone?" "Is there someone with you?" "Valerie." "Well, you see, Valerie and I were married three days ago in Switzerland." "What a nice surprise." "I'm glad you're taking it so well." "As always." "I was wrong after all." "What you did wasn't foolish, Stefan." "It was merely... unrealistic." "I should have known you'd say that." "But, Stefan" "Besides, whatever in the world will we do with her?" "Well, now, think of it" " You working at whatever it is you can do, and that poor little, uh, Valerie, the day she hears about us" "Oh, I hate to think about that." "And you too." "Of course, that's why you called." "Surely you don't really believe you would ever, ever do such a- such an ungrateful thing." "I can't wait for you to see our newest Laeliinae." "Cattleya violacea." "And by the way, Stefan, be sure to tell the young woman... that Mother sends regards." "Didn't work out?" "Don't worry." "It doesn't matter." "Everything is going to be all right." "I wonder." "Leave me alone." "Come here, you." "Ilona." "Do as I told you." "Mrs. Chilton" " Did you see her?" "She left in a taxi." "Where to?" "The train station." "She was in a hurry." "You again." "Oh, I'm so sorry." "But I'm lucky to run into you." "I was just coming around to have a little... chat." "Out of my way." "I've no time for you now." "Valerie." "Valerie, you're leaving just like that?" "Not a word of warning?" "I was looking forward to" "Oh, but it's not a departure, it's a flight." "How very wrong of you." "I hoped so that the two of us- or the three of us" "By the way, where is Stefan?" "I'm leaving alone." "Good-bye." "Oh, then it's not a flight, it's a tragedy." "I won't allow you to leave before you explain." "It's a personal matter." "Come now, what happened?" "I'm gonna miss my train." "There are other trains." "You have only one life." "You're both so young." "You can't give up after just a few days." "Believe me, love-... nothing in life is ever that serious." "Valerie?" "What are you doing in the dark?" "No." "No light." "What are you doing here?" "What do you want?" "I was waiting for you to wake up." "This is ridiculous." "Who- Where's Valerie?" "Where's my wife?" "Your wife is with the countess." "Please don't send me away." "I have to talk to you." "I don't understand." "You have to listen to me." "What do you want?" "I'm so unhappy." "Unhappy." "What's wrong with you?" "You're white as a sheet." "No, no." "I'm frightened." "I don't know what's going to happen... to any of us." "You didn't understand anything yet." "No, I'm afraid not." "How could you?" "Anyhow, it doesn't matter anymore." "Ilona." "I won't let you leave until you've explained." "There's nothing to explain." "It's too late." "How silent you are." "Do my questions upset you?" "No." "The answers" " Not always pleasant, eh?" "But as I always say, one must never be afraid... to look deep down into the darkest deeps of oneself where the light never reaches." "But you cannot imagine what" " Oh, yes, I can." "It's not so difficult to see through your Stefan." "Tell me, Valerie, whatever Stefan demands of you-... do you consent to do it?" "Ah, yes, naturally." "But you don't feel any pleasure." "You're wrong." "Shared love knows no bounds." "But it's so degrading." "Sometimes I just feel different." "Just as I thought." "You don't understand Stefan." "Don't you think I've tried to?" "I can't help it." "He frightens me." "You should have seen him in Brugge." "He looked so fascinated by death." "Why did I fall in love with him?" "You had nothing to do with it." "Love can be stronger than life." "Stronger even than death." "Are you so sure you love him?" "I thought he was the only one to whom I could give everything, holding nothing back." "The only one?" "Yes." "Yes, I think I love him." "Enough to take the hell of pain he throws you in?" "Stefan?" "Throw me in the" " Answer me." "Do you love him enough for that?" "Don't say such things." "Don't lie to yourself." "I'm right, aren't I?" "That's why you're leaving." "You'd have already left if I hadn't held you back." "You won't hold me back." "I'm not afraid of you." "Oh, yes, little edelweiss." "You are afraid of me." "You're terrified." "Give me your hand." "Give it to me." "Oh, give it to me." "I won't bite." "Can you read palms?" " Depends." "Let's see." "Let's see." "Ah." "That tiny line that wanders off the heart line there, that's Stefan." "I see him going away." "Very far, far away." "Oh, come." "It's only a pastime." "What a soft, white hand." "As soft as silk, as white as sin." "Valerie?" "Look at me." "No, no." "Don't say anything." "You must be nice to me." "Soon you'll love me as I love you now." "What's the matter?" "What's got into you?" "I despise you." "You're disgusting." "Valerie." "Where do you think you're going, Valerie?" "Let me go." "You're hurting me." "Will you let me go?" "No." "Not till you've answered me." "I'm going back to Stefan." "That's what you wanted, isn't it?" "I'll tell him." "You'll tell him what?" "That you understand him now?" "That you understand his kind of love?" "Stefan loves me, whatever you may think." "'Stefan loves me, whatever you may think.' Of course he does." "That's why he dreams of making out of you what... every man dreams of making out of every woman-... a slave, a thing, an object for pleasure." "So you despise me." "So I disgust you." "Ha." "Come." "I'll show you what men are really made of." "Every man." "Yours." "Come on." " No." "Come on in." " No." "What's the matter?" "You're not afraid of a little water, are you?" "No." "No." "No." "No." "No." "Yes." "No." "No." "No." "No." "No." "No." "Stefan." "I" " I'll get someone to" "Are you out of your mind?" "No one will ever believe it was an accident." "You are out of your mind." "Now we must get rid of her." "The towels." "Rinse them in the washbasin." "Get every drop of blood." "Look everywhere." "Get me a sheet." "There must be one in the closet." "Not that one." "In the closet, I told you." "Dress." "Hurry up." "We must be finished before daybreak." "I'm so cold." "The sun rises in a few hours." "Deep in my bones I feel it." "The night is dying." "Hurry." "Hurry." "Come." "Help me." "The day." "The day is coming." "Time is running out." "What was that?" "He's already up." "When does he sleep?" "Don't be afraid." "Do exactly as I tell you." "Good morning, Pierre." "Madame." "Good day to be alive, eh?" "Uh, these young ones, they can't take a drink." "Indeed." "Come on, children." "It's time to turn in." "Let's have dinner in my suite tonight." "Just give her a little time." "Everything will be different tonight." "Sleep well." "Elizabeth." "Go and fetch him." "Does it hurt?" "No." "Not at all." "Close the door." "The countess is waiting for you." "She has a long wait." "You're leaving?" "You too." "No, I'm not." "Do you think I'm going to let you stay with her?" "Without her, you would have been arrested already." "It was an accident." "Do you hear me?" "An accident." "And making love to Ilona, that was also an accident?" "That was the countess's idea." "She told me that you would accuse her." "I'll tear you away from her." "Are you out of your mind?" "What happened to us, Stefan?" "Why did she cross our path?" "You'd speak differently if she were here." "When she's near me, I become someone else." "Let's leave now." "Please." "Let's leave." "Don't you realize what she is?" "The way she disposed of her friend's body." "We must leave quickly, before it's too late." "Get ready, please." "I would like to go with you, Stefan, but it's too late." "Aren't you ready?" "I'm sorry, madame." "We won't be having dinner with you." "Oh." "You're leaving." "You too, Valerie?" "Valerie will do as I tell her." "What if I ask her to stay?" "That is a matter for me to decide, madame." "Oh, you sound as if you hate me." "I want to be loved." "I want everybody to love me." "You do love me, Valerie, don't you?" "Yes." "Believe me, Stefan, you'll find it greatly to your advantage to be nice to me." "Isn't that right, Valerie?" "Yes." "You go and spend the night with the police... trying to explain things they'll never understand anyway- an accident." "I admire your poise." "Let the dead bury the dead." "Stefan, tell me you're happy to be here." "I want you to be." "You know if it depended on me, I'd be far from here right now." "Oh, but we couldn't manage without you." "That's what the police will also think." "Don't worry." "You're safe with me." "I killed no one." "Again?" "It's difficult to forget." "Ah, you will." "After a while, it'll only be the remembrance of a... bad dream, and then the remains of a remembrance." "More and more faint in your mind." "I've seen many a night fall away into an even more endless night." "Nights like last night?" "Or even worse?" "Who do you think I am, just because my name happens to be Bathory-... a kind of ghoul, a vampire?" "Oh, no, my dear." "I'm just an outmoded character, nothing more." "You know, the beautiful stranger, slightly sad, slightly... mysterious... that haunts one place after another." "Two weeks ago in Nice and Monte Carlo." "Two days ago in Brugge." "You were in Brugge last week." "Yes." "Why not?" "Death seems to follow in your wake." "From one place to another." "Perhaps it's looking for me." "Don't worry, my love." "We'll all be away by morning." "Somewhere else- far, far away." "It's been so many years since I've crossed the River Oceanus." "Don't touch me." "I don't want you to touch me." "Valerie, go and kiss your husband." "Ask him to forgive you." "Better than that." "Be soft, Stefan." "Be soft." "Let me go." "You cannot love." "You can only destroy." "That's not true." "What would Ilona say?" "I didn't kill her." "Stefan." "Enough." "Enough." "You, Bathory, it's finished." "You hear me?" "Finished." "I am a man and she is mine." "How was she yours last night?" "Would she be yours if you let go of her now?" "You go with me." "No." "Elizabeth." " Don't let him out." "Elizabeth." "Elizabeth." "Valerie, help me." "Help me." "Oh, the blood." "The blood." "The blood." "Faster, my love." "Faster." "We must arrive before day." "Faster." "Soon, the border- the other side." "Oh, Elizabeth." "You forever." "Your hand." "Your hand." "Faster." "We must go faster than day." "Don't let the light catch me, Valerie." "Don't." "My love." "My love." "My only one." "There's so much of life still to taste." "So many nights tumbling and tumbling away... into the abyss of time." "Faster." "Faster." "Eternally." "I can't behave like everybody else." "When I think something, I have to say it." "I'm sure we're going to be such good friends, the three of us." "Anyway, as long as we're shipwrecked here together in this fortress" "I can't tell you how much I despise this kind of place." "Especially now, when there's no one." "I've just fled from such a place."