"Marius, bring some rum!" "Fanny has fainted!" "Where is that boy?" "Give me a hand up here!" "My poor child!" "Open the bedroom door." "Honoré, get rid of all these people!" "Send those idiots away!" "It's nothing, Norine." "Don't get upset." "Look, she's better already." "What happened?" "She fainted when the Malaisie left." "The sailing ship that's left on a five-year trip." "She fainted because the ship left?" "Yes, because Marius is on board." "He's on the ship?" "César's son?" "Yes, and Fanny knows it." "What about César?" "He suspects nothing." "There's going to be trouble." "I pity the first person he meets after he hears of it." "It's a disaster." "He'll take it very hard." "Full speed astern." "Come, Fortunette." "She's better now." "She's conscious, and she's speaking." "Seen Marius?" "Not since this morning." "He must have bumped into a friend." "I won't tell him off yet." "It's too nice a day." "I can say now it's almost official." "The children are getting married." "Very good." "That's good news." "It's just..." "It's just what?" "Just that... it's no great surprise." "Everyone's been expecting it." "But it's given me more joy than you can imagine, Honoré." "It has given me renewed life." "It's almost as if I were the fiancé." "And maybe in a year's time..." "Grand, eh?" "Sure, it's grand." "That is, everyone to his taste." "Some people can do without all that." "There's no need to be so sour." "I know what you're thinking." "You're irritated because you proposed to Fanny yourself." "No, it's not that at all." "Don't try to hide it." "It makes you sad." "Brace up." "You have to take these things "phiso-lophically."" "What do you expect?" "Young people are made for each other." "It's only natural." "You have to resign yourself." "Exactly." "That's a fine thing you just said." "Resign yourself to events." "Accept the inevitable." "Friends - or even just one good friend - will do their best to be a comfort and help in time of trouble." "It's really upset you." "No, I'm all right." "But if one day some terrible blow strikes you, you can count on your old friend Panisse." "That's most kind of you, but today is a day for celebrating." " Gentlemen." " Madame." "After what happened this morning, and in spite of your son's absence," "I insist you ask for Fanny's hand." "Although it gives me no satisfaction, owing to our different fortunes and status - and especially your bad temper!" "" "I ask for your daughter's hand for Marius." "While I'm averse too, for the same reasons, only in reverse, you shall have her hand." "However, I regret it heartily." "What did you do to make her faint?" "I didn't do anything." "Put yourself in Fanny's shoes." "A widow's daughter." "I'm not blaming you." "I know it's not your fault, but there's no man in your family." "What's more, you're poor." " Poor?" " Don't interrupt." "A widow's daughter, almost destitute." "Suddenly, she finds she's to marry a wonderful man - my son." "Heir to a wonderful bar- my bar." "She's overjoyed." "No wonder she faints." "Of course." "Becoming part of your family is such an honor." "We're so poor that if it weren't for you, we'd want for food." "I didn't mean..." "But that's what you said." "The prettiest girl in Marseilles faints because she's to marry a barman." "Your future father-in-law has insulted me." "Don't fight, Mother." "It's not worth it." " He's gone." " Who?" "What?" "He's gone, César." "He's left us." "Where has he gone?" "He left on the Malaisie this morning." " Gone for five years." " What are you saying?" "He's been dying to go for a long time." "Ships were his passion." "He was mad about them." "He found a place on the Malaisie." "He deserted you after what he'd done to you?" "Was that any way to behave?" "He would have stayed if I'd wanted him to." "But I couldn't see him suffer." "He was consumed by his love for the sea." "So I told him I didn't want him any longer." "I didn't love him anymore." "He's gone!" "César, old friend." "You're lucky." "You have no children." "Hold on a minute." "I'm measuring!" "This is crazy." "It isn't crazy." "It's a game of boules." "I'm closest." "Right, my turn." " Hurry up!" " Silence!" "You'll ruin his throw." "You lucky devil!" "At 30 yards, too." "Captain, congratulations." "Right, congratulate the cheat." "He stepped forward four paces." " Four paces?" " Yes, sir, four paces." "Maybe even five!" "César, I can assure you..." "I can assure you I'm leaving." "First I'm robbed, and soon I'll be poisoned." "I wouldn't give your wife's fish soup to my dog, even if I had one." "The fish in it hadn't swum since the last Olympic Games." "As for the water she put in the pan, it was full of tadpoles." "Which of you will deny it?" "Don't say a thing." "Right, don't say a thing." "Give me my umbrella!" "Whatever made you invite that rude man?" "Since Marius left a month ago, he's been impossible." "If you ask me, he's going mad." "Yes, he's going from bad to worse." "I knew a man like him." "His brain softened and melted inside." "When he shook his head, you could hear it splashing about." "A very strange case." "Most odd." " You don't believe me?" " Of course." "Because I know an even odder case." "But instead of melting, this man's brain dried up." " My goodness!" " Shriveled up like a chickpea." "As he walked along, his brain rang like a bicycle bell." "Especially on cobblestones." "Stop it, now!" "You made that up!" "My story's just as true as yours." "Go on, say in front of everyone that you think I'm a liar." "Of course I do." "I regret to inform you." "That you're absolutely right." "Cheers." "What's he doing?" "Waiting for the mailman." "It's the same every day." "I'll bet his son writes him every day, and he's anxious to get the letter." "He's anxious to get the first, more like it." "His son hasn't written once." "Not even to Fanny." "She waits too." "If you ask me, it will kill them both." "Packing up already?" "No, I'm turning it over to Miette." "With Fanny sick, I have to sell at her seashell stall." " Your daughter's sick?" " She's not at all well." "I'm sure Marius hasn't written." "And he won't admit it." "He bottles it all up so it swells inside him and chokes him." "Sadness is like a tapeworm." "You have to get it out." "You're right, Félix." "If we could make him talk to us, I'm sure it would relieve his mind." "Open the valve and reduce the pressure." "Exactly." "Somehow we have to make him tell us." "That won't be easy." "But we can try." "After all, he can't eat us alive." "And it has to be soon." "You're right." "He's bound to bawl us out, but that can't be helped." "It would be cowardly of us to hold back." "We must act." "And we will." "You do it." "Me?" "Why not?" "All right, but you have to back me up." "Of course." "I'm the submarine fleet." "While he's answering your broadside, I dive and torpedo him." "Let's go." "Expecting someone?" "Who would I be expecting?" "I don't know." "Monsieur Panisse, why are you spying on me?" "Who pays you and why?" "I'm not spying on you." "Then why ask if I'm expecting someone?" "I couldn't care less whether you're expecting someone or not." " I'm glad to hear it." " Exactly." " What about your torpedo?" " Wait." " Tell me, César." " What?" "Could it be you're waiting for the mailman?" "Why would I be?" "I don't know." "Maybe a letter from your son." "Stop it!" "Don't meddle in my personal affairs." "I don't ask you if your wife is having an affair." "With the Weights and Measures Officer." "You're not asking - you're telling me!" "Can this be true?" "Your torpedo exploded beneath your feet." "Don't worry." "It's not true, Félix." "True or false, leave me alone." "Learn some discretion from me, all right?" "Don't ask me about Marius." "And the same goes for you." " I asked nothing." " Me neither." "You don't ask anything, but you have a way of talking that sounds as if you want to know." "You force me to speak out." "We wouldn't dream..." "I don't want to know anything." "You mean, after 30 years of friendship, you don't care what happens to me." "Yes or no?" "That's what you meant." "You couldn't care less." "I was humoring you." "Do as you like." "Don't speak if you'd rather not." "I knew you'd end up by asking me." "All right, if you insist." "Nobody is forcing you." "Yes, you are." "Monsieur Brun, shut up!" " Since I must speak, don't interrupt me!" " Go ahead, César." "I can see it in your eyes, and everybody else's, that you feel sorry for me." "I know what you're saying behind my back." ""He's all alone in that big house." "He neglects the bar." "He's had no news from his son, and it's breaking his heart."" "Since that's the way you think, since you attach such importance to something so trivial, let me explain once and for all." "Yes, that's it." "Félix asked if I was waiting for the mailman." "The answer to that question is no." "When a son deserts his old father, and doesn't write even once in 29 days, it's hardly likely he'll write on the 30th day." "He couldn't send a letter before reaching Port Said." "The Malaisie reached Port Said 12 days ago." "Letters take two weeks." "Mail boats take only nine days." "But they don't sail every day." "Really?" "I'm sure of it." "But why waste time talking about it?" "It's not important." "Don't pretend you're not interested." "Look, let's suppose it entered the boy's head to write a letter to his father." "A few words each day to say, "I'm fine, and I'm thinking of you." "I know how sad you must be."" "And suppose he set it aside every night, and, when he reached Port Said, he put the whole stack in the mail." "Suppose the mailman walked in this bar and said, "César, this is for you."" "And he gave me this six-pound package." "Enough reading matter to last the night through." "I tell you I'd take the package and put it under the counter, and I wouldn't open it." "Because it wouldn't interest me." "Come on, you love your son." "Yes, I loved the boy!" "But not after what he did." "What did he do?" "My God, what did he do?" "Exactly." "What did he do to you?" "He left me!" "That's what he did!" "At 20, surely he had the right?" "Not without warning." " That's true." " But what could you have done?" "Stopped him." "With a kick up the backside?" "Exactly." "I'd have soon made him forget the sea." "Good thing he said nothing." "So you approve of his rebellion, do you?" "He approves of the Bolshevik." "You expect me to listen to this in my own bar?" "But, César, if a man wants to go to sea..." " A man?" "What man?" " Marius is a man." "Marius is a man?" "He's 23." "At his age, you were married." "You were a man." "So isn't what's true for you true for him?" "Why?" "I see it differently." "I'm not my son." "With all due respect, I must say I think you're very selfish." "He gave it to you straight." "Well said." "If he wants to sail, you have no right to stop him." "He can sail anywhere he likes, just so long as it isn't on the water." "What good is that?" "There's no need to go to sea." "He could sail like you in the port, or on some river or pond." "Sailing isn't the only way to make a living!" "Does Monsieur Panisse sail?" "No, he has more sense." "He makes sails." "He makes sails so that the wind can carry off other men's sons." "Do you have anything for me?" "No, nothing." "I don't write the letters." "I just deliver them." "A letter from Port Said." "It's very thick." "It's from Marius." "It says on the back." "Read it, César." "Open the letter." "Leave it there." "Read it." "Go on." "For Fanny's sake." "You may be interested in that unnatural fellow, but I'm not." "He'll never read that letter while we're here." "Let's take our leave discreetly." "Good idea." " Are we agreed?" " Yes, we're agreed." "You agree, but you're not budging." "You want to see everything." "After all the gibes I've endured about the Lyonnais," "I'm entitled to say this." "We Lyonnais know the meaning of decency." "Good-bye, gentlemen." "Decency?" "What does he mean?" "He's right." "Come on, let's go." "Curiosity killed the cat!" "You don't look well." "You should see a doctor." " What good would that do?" " He'd tell you what's wrong." "He'd see if you were anemic, maybe give you a tonic." "My mother would fear the worst." "Then don't tell her you're going." "Try Dr. Venelle." "He's my doctor, a nice fatherly man." "Go one afternoon." "I'd be happy to pay." "That's most kind, but I can pay." "Cheer up." "I'm sure there are lots of messages for you in that letter." "I doubt it." "But you hope there are." "What a silly thing love is." "More miserable than silly." "Don't worry." "César's in his kitchen memorizing that letter now." "We'll all know about it by tonight." "Fanny, come here!" "Here he comes." "He's all right." "Reread it to me." ""Dear Dad, forgive me for upsetting you." "I know how sad you must be." "I think of you every night."" "And I think of you all day too, you idiot!" ""It's difficult to write why I left, but Fanny can explain." "She knows of my madness."" "Madness - exactly." "I'm glad he realizes at last." ""I'll describe my life." "At first, I helped in the galley."" "They must have had some fine meals!" "One month and they'd end up skeletons." ""But a sailor fell into the hold and hurt himself, so I took his place on deck."" "The next part is awful." ""I couldn't send this earlier because we had problems." "One of the crew fell sick and died." "The port authorities thought it was the plague and put us in quarantine."" "The plague!" "My God, on his ship!" "When a schoolmate of his had mumps," "I kept Marius at home for a month." "And now he has the plague up to here!" "He didn't catch it." "No, but he nearly did, and it's an awful disease." "Do you have any idea?" "Your neck swells and your mouth falls open." "Your tongue grows thick as a bull's." "Your navel blows up and turns black." "Marius, when are you going to stop giving us so much heartache?" "Carry on reading." ""The port doctors examined the corpse and said it wasn't the plague."" "I should hope not!" ""So now we're free to leave for Aden." "I'm enjoying the voyage very much." "But, sadly, we haven't stopped once on our way here, though we've passed the islands where Athens lies." "Athens used to be a Roman fortress."" "You can tell he's with educated people." ""Everything is fine, and I like my new life." "I'm now working with oceanographic devices."" "I couldn't read that bit." ""We're going to measure the depth of the Indian Ocean."" "Just fancy, Fanny." "That boy couldn't measure a drink, but now he's measuring the seas." "Not just the sea, but an ocean." "The Indian Ocean at that!" ""The scientists are very kind to me."" "Of course they are." "Now there's a part for you." ""I am well and I hope this finds you and Fanny well too."" "You see, he's thinking about you." ""Let me know how she's doing..."" "See, he asks how you're doing." ""And about her wedding to Panisse." "I'm sure she'll be very happy." "Wish her well from me."" ""From me." You see?" ""Write to me care of the Malaisie in Aden." "We reach there on the 15th." "With all my love." "Your son, Marius."" ""Your son, Marius."" "At the bottom he wrote," ""Don't worry about me." "I'm happy as a clam."" "He's happy." "He leaves us high and dry, but he's over the moon." "That's the way he is." "But there you are." "I don't suppose he has much time to write, and the boat is going up and down all the time." "I could have wished there were a few more loving words for me." "And especially for you, Fanny." "But then, maybe just as he was about to write you something special, he was called away to measure the ocean." "That's the only explanation for it." "Anyway, there'll be lots of other letters." "Come on, Fanny, we must write a reply." "My hands are too clumsy to hold a pen." "You must do it." "Let's go into the kitchen." "Come along." "Keep an eye on the seashell stall and shut the bar." "We're closed for correspondence." "Sit down." ""My dear son," "I received your letter at last." "It's not very long." "I hope your next will run to at least 10 pages, or even 20." "What you say about the scientists is most interesting." "But when you're measuring the depths of the seas, be careful not to lean out too far or you'll go overboard." "And if the sea is very deep, leave the job to another man."" "I know what Marius is like." "We went fishing in Panisse's boat once." "He leaned out to see his line and fell in." "His head was heavier than his bottom then, but that's all changed now." "Where were we?" "Read the last part." ""Leave the job to another man."" "Underline "another." More than once, good and thick." ""And if someone has the plague, don't go near him." "Keep well away, even if he's your best friend." "Friendship is all very well, but the plague is the end of the world." "Everything is fine here." "Except for the anger which seized me when you left and still hasn't passed." "Poor Fanny isn't at all well." "She hardly eats a thing." "She's very pale." "Everyone around here has noticed." "All day they keep repeating," "'Fanny is fading away, and César is going mad.'" "Furthermore, Honorine throws me baleful glances." "Whenever I see her, I'm scared she'll draw a gun." "It sends shivers down my spine."" "Why aren't you writing?" "If you put all that, you'll upset him." "But he upset us, didn't he?" "There's no point in paying him back." "I suppose you're right." "What shall we say, then?" "I'll write it for you." "Don't write it yet." "Tell me out loud first." ""Fanny is much as usual." "Nothing is set yet about her wedding, as far as I know."" "That's excellent." ""Fanny hasn't changed." "From time to time, we talk about you on the terrace outside the bar." "Sometimes, at night, when it's quiet, and Escartefigue, Panisse and Brun are talking," "it's as if you weren't all that far away." "It's as if you'd just gone to the station to get Fanny's baskets." "You'll be back in a moment, wearing your panama hat and your neckerchief."" "You little scoundrel!" "That's Monsieur Escartefigue's hat!" "And that orange was rotten." "Rotten!" "You might at least have used a fresh one." "I didn't recognize you." "Come here at once!" "Bend over so I can give you the kick you deserve." "I took you for an American." "An American?" "I only saw you from behind." " He took me for an American." " It could happen." "Stand at ease." "I forgive him." "But next time you see an American, make sure it isn't me." "Claudine, you go." "It's a man in a top hat." "It isn't the bailiff, is it?" "I'm not in debt!" "Please come in, sir." "My heavens!" "If it isn't Master Panisse!" "Good day, ladies." "How are you?" "Fine." "How about you?" "Never better, as you see." "Yes, you look marvelous." "So do you." "You quite scared me." "I've just been to the wedding of an old friend, Ulysse Pijeautard." "Hence the outfit." "And the gloves." "Very elegant." "Do sit down." "As I was all dressed up, it seemed a suitable moment to renew a request, the outcome of which will influence my entire future." "I wish to marry your daughter." "But you know that already." "Will you give her to me?" "Of course we will." "Keep out of this, you idiot!" "You heard what happened since we last spoke of this?" "Yes, I know." " Marius and Fanny..." " I know." "He said he knows already!" " Perhaps not everything." " I know everything I need to know." "Everything?" "I'd rather not talk about Marius." "The weather, taxes, anything else, but not Marius." "You think I like to speak of him?" "But it's only fair to tell you I found them in bed together." "Did you have to say it?" " Promise me one thing." " What?" "Not to kill her if she cheats on you." "I'm a kind man, as you know, but I can't renounce that right." "That I can't promise." "Murderer!" "It's impossible." "It's my upbringing." "I'm not English." "I have Turkish blood." "What Turkish blood?" "We don't have cuckolds in Constantinople!" "They why didn't you kill your first wife?" "First, she never cheated on me." "Furthermore, she did my accounts." "I'd do anything for Fanny, but if she cheats on me, she dies." "You savage!" "Then it's no, no and no!" "Wait a moment." "Of course, I'd never try to find out." "I'd never stoop to spying on her." "Even if I had proof or saw her in her lover's arms, my faith in her is such that I wouldn't believe it." "That is my position." "That's different then." "I'll give you an answer tomorrow evening." " May I hope a little?" " A lot, Panisse." "Forgive me, Father." "I loved him too much." "Make him come back." "Bring him back so he can give my baby a name." "Holy Virgin, free me from evil thoughts." "Give me the strength to live." "Give me the courage to confess to my mother." "It will cause her such pain." "So there you are." "Do you want every day off now?" "Hello, little one." "Been out for a walk?" "Listen, Claudine doesn't want to see you sulking." "She's not sulking." "Just look at that long face." "Don't scold her." "It's passion, can't you see?" "Let's eat." "I'm dying of hunger." "Fanny, help me set the table." "You must be hungry too." "I'm going to have a baby." " What did you say?" " My God!" "A baby?" "Get out!" "You're a disgrace!" "If your father were here, he'd kill you." "Leave this house!" "Go out on the streets like the others!" "Pack up and go!" "Stop it!" "You're worse than Zoé." "You've shamed the family!" "Get out before I take this broom to you!" "Oh, my God!" "Get the vinegar." "You should be ashamed of yourself." "Fanny, darling." "She's deathly pale." "Fanny, my darling, don't die." "I forgive you, my dear." "Don't die!" "Don't worry." "I'm better now." "Take a sniff of this." "There, the color is coming back into her cheeks." "Yes, you should blush for shame." "Norine, stop it!" "You cry when she faints, and then you start in on her again." "Of course it's a tragedy, but you might have guessed." "When a girl has a lover, it's to be expected." "Let me talk to her." "Fanny, dear, you're quite sure?" "And is Marius the father?" "Of course he is." "She didn't slept with all of Marseilles." "So it's Marius!" "I could kill him!" "He hasn't behaved very well, and he had no right to do it, but what's done can't be undone." "Tell me, darling." "When did you find out?" "I haven't felt well ever since he left." "I wasn't myself." "I felt sick in the mornings." "I was scared." "I thought of nothing else, night and day." "I cried so much, I was in a stupor." "And Marius never wrote." " I wanted to drown myself." " Don't say that!" "So this morning I went to see Dr. Venelle." "He's a good man." "What did he say?" "It will be in March." "A good month." "The month of the March hare." "No use crying over spilt milk." "It's sad losing one's honor, but once it's gone, it's gone." "What are you going to do now?" "Anything you say, so long as I can stay." "Then it's all right." "There's no problem." "Marry Panisse." "You think he'd have me?" "He asked again this morning." "And this time it's yes." "What do you think?" "I earn a good living." "I can manage on my own." "I'd rather not get married." "I'd prefer to look after the baby alone till his father returns." "If he ever does." "That sounds fine, but it's hard." "It's not hard." "It's impossible." "Listen, Fanny." "There's a black sheep in every family." "Nobody thinks twice about it." "It's natural." "But Aunt Zoé has taken that place already." "We'll be disgraced if you don't marry Panisse." "Does he still want me?" "He asked again." "But I'm pregnant." "Fortunately he doesn't know that." "You'd lie to him?" "It would be stupid to tell him." "Not to tell him would be criminal." "After all, you can't be sure." "Dr. Venelle said I was." "What does he know?" "He's senile!" "Then I don't need to get married." "You don't have to be pregnant to get married." "Take Panisse and say nothing." "That would be monstrous." "It's dishonest." "It's not dishonest." "One man gets you into trouble." "Now another must pay." "No, it's my fault." "I must make the best I can of it." "Just because he's kind, I can't foist a bastard on him and steal his name!" "I'd never be able to look people in the eye again." "I'd feel terrible." "I'd be worse than a prostitute." "How can you suggest it?" "You're in no position to lecture us!" "You wicked, ungrateful " "Stop it, Norine!" "Don't start again." "I know it's a tragedy, but we still have to eat." "Come on, Fanny." "Sit down." "I'm not hungry!" "When you have no children, you're jealous of those that do." "Yet when you have children, they drive you crazy!" "Our Lady had only the one child, and look at the trouble he caused her." "And she had a boy." "Sit down and let's eat." "Do you think a love child is less pretty than other babies?" "Actually, sometimes they're stronger and cleverer." "Then what are you worrying about?" "Did you have a look at the dinghy, Monsieur Brun?" " Yes, I inspected it." " And?" " It seems a good price." " You bet it is." "And it goes like the wind." "So I'm to make the sails?" "Here we have a model." "And this is the cloth I suggest." "See how it feels." "It's light, and it won't get wet at sea." "Feel the texture." "Yes, it looks good." "Isn't it a bit stiff?" "Is it sails you want, or ladies' trousers?" "For sails, it's just what you need." "How are things?" "Buying sails, are you, Monsieur Brun?" "Yes, I need a set for my new boat." "What was that?" "You've bought a boat?" "The Pitalugue, on Panisse's advice." "The Pitalugue?" "That long, narrow thing?" " You know it?" " That boat has quite a reputation." " Didn't you warn him?" " About what?" " César means it's touchy." " What, César is?" "No, the boat." "She tends to list a bit." "Is it serious?" "Climb aboard and she capsizes." "But don't worry." "Once her keel is in the air, she won't budge." "Does that happen often?" "The boat is well-known." "They call her the submarine." " You're joking!" " Of course he is." "You're saying I'll capsize?" "Who's to say?" "She's done it so often now, maybe she's grown tired of it." "What makes the boat do it?" "The propeller is too big for the boat." "Instead of the propeller, it's the boat that turns over." "Stop this foolishness now." "Monsieur Brun knows the boat isn't new." "He's paying a rock-bottom price." "It's a bargain." "Even with its problems, it's worth buying, don't you agree?" "Yes, if you fancy drowning." "Panisse, you advised me to buy the boat." "Tell me honestly." "Will it capsize?" "Capsizing is to be expected, especially where boats are concerned." "And especially that one." "I can't guarantee she won't capsize." "You bet you can't." "That's the risk in sailing." "If you'd rather not take that risk, buy an island, not a boat." "Buy the Château d'lf." "Panisse will make you the sails." "You're in deep waters." "Not at all, my dear César." "You like to tease, but I don't care." "And to put an end to your quibbling, I will try the boat at once." "Will you come with me to try out the Pitalugue?" "All right." "But after what César said, it will cost you more." " Fine." "Will you come, Panisse?" " I can't." "I'm sorry." "I bet you are." "Some of us have to work." "You murderer!" "Monsieur Brun, wait!" "Take this life preserver." "You won't need it, but it can't hurt." "I'm not worried." "I know a good boat when I see one." "I can tell that." "I've examined the boat thoroughly." "The design is such that it cannot capsize." "But I will do my best to overturn it." "There's no need." "Just leave it to the boat." "Can you swim?" "God be with you, Monsieur Brun." "What do you mean?" "We'll meet in heaven." "Let's go." "You see what you've done?" "You lost me a tidy sum there!" "Not if the boat stays afloat." "You know full well it won't." "Why did you have to come over in your fancy hat?" "Because I've got something important to say." "And what is that?" "A letter for Monsieur César from Makassar." "Is it from Marius?" "I'll come back and tell you my news after I've read my letter." "Can't you read it here?" "No, I have to read my boy's letters at home." "That'll be ten francs, Monsieur Brun." "Careful!" " Hello, my dear Fanny." " Hello, Master Panisse." "May I speak with you?" "By all means." "It's something very serious." "Go on in." "So you have something serious to tell me?" "The same thing as César?" "No." "He knows nothing about this." "Two serious matters in one day." "What a busy day!" "I can guess what it is." "Your mother told you I'd asked for your hand again." "Yes, she did." "You've come with your answer, and you don't know how to put it." "I understand." "Let me make it easier for you." "You're going to refuse me again." "But no matter." "You mustn't worry on my account." "If it's no, that's just too bad." "It can't be helped." "You're wrong." "I didn't come to say no." "You came to say yes?" "I would have, if it were possible." "But it isn't." "There's something you don't know." "And when you know it, you won't have me." "I owe you the truth, even if you despise me for it." "Despise you?" "I'd never do that." "Besides, I already know, and so do most other people." "Marius was seen twice leaving your house at dawn." "What difference does that make?" "If anyone remarks that I wasn't the first, I'll reply," ""I'm no virgin myself." "What difference does that make?"" "Who cares?" "I don't... quite the reverse." "And I'll tell you why I don't mind." "An elderly man marrying a young girl doesn't seem quite decent." "But if the girl has had a lover, that rights the balance." "I don't lose my self-esteem or self-respect, which I prize enormously." "That's how I see it." "You're so good, Panisse." "But there's something worse than that." "Something that can't be dismissed or undone." "What is it?" "Don't make me say it." "Can't you guess?" "I'm trying to." "No, you're not." "You already know, but you're pretending not to, because I fill you with horror." "You don't have to hide it." "You're right not to have me." "I'm disgraced!" "I don't even have the right to kill myself!" "Is it a baby, Fanny?" "Fanny, tell me." "Is it a baby?" "You're sure?" "The doctor told you?" "That's why you were looking peaked." "Don't despise me too much." "You asked my mother for my hand." "I could have said yes." "But I had to tell you." "I'd be happy to be your wife." "You'd marry me?" "I'd be so grateful." "Maybe I'd come to love you." "And you'd give me the baby?" "You'd let him carry my name?" "That's all I ask." "Oh, Blessed Mother!" "Tell me, is it true?" "Do you still want me?" "Fanny, did you ever look at my sign?" "It says "Honoré Panisse, Sail Maker."" "The letters are squashed to the left to leave a space." "Come and take a look." "See these letters?" ""And Son."" "They've been in that drawer for 30 years." "I've never been able to put them up." "But back to the matter at hand." "Have you told anyone else your secret?" " The doctor knows." " Of course." "Anyone else?" "Mother and Claudine." "They won't talk." "You're sure no one else knows?" "No, no one knows." "Right." "So when will this child..." "my child be born?" "February or March." "Two months premature!" "When shall we get married?" "You mean it, Panisse?" "Have you given it enough thought?" "Will you save the baby?" "Since we've come to an arrangement, I'll tell you everything." "I'm not making a sacrifice." "Come sit down." "Sit down, my dear." "When I married Félicité, we were both very young." "We had to borrow money to buy the shop." "It didn't cost much." "The shop wasn't worth that much then." "We hired one worker, then two, then 10, then finally 30." "One evening, I said to my wife," ""Félicité, let's have a baby."" "She blushed." "She hid her face in her hands and said," ""I've wanted one so much, but I never dared tell you."" "But then, my poor Fanny, we failed utterly." "I can't tell you the doctors we saw, the candles we lit." "All the pilgrimages and gymnastics we did, let alone the rest." "We'd been scared to have a baby, and then, when we wanted one, God refused us." "I grew mad for a child." "When I saw a man out pushing a baby carriage," "I was terribly jealous." "I longed to look as ridiculous as he did." "To talk baby talk." "It was a terrible blow." "I was angry with Félicité, and we began to quarrel." "I'd say things like, "Why are you so fat, if you're not carrying a child?"" "And she'd retort, "If you drank less, we'd stand a better chance."" "Little by little, we grew resigned." "But we lost interest in the shop." "While I fooled around playing cards, others came into the business." "Renault and Peugeot and all the others started making motors." "Our poor old port is polluted now, all because Félicité was barren." "But now everything has changed!" "I'm to have a wife and a child of my very own." "You're so good, Panisse." "I'm very grateful." "But give yourself a couple of days." "Why?" "You might change your mind?" "If Marius writes?" "I'm not counting on anyone anymore - except you." "But I don't want you to act out of pity." "Pity?" "You haven't understood a thing I've said." "Believe me, no man ever acted more selfishly than I'm acting now." "I couldn't be happier!" "Of course, it's best to make babies oneself, but, if you've hit 50 and there's a baby ready-made, you'd best take it and keep quiet." "I ask only one thing, Fanny." "Don't tell your mother or anyone else that I know." "You won't tell?" "I'll say nothing." "Despite everything, I'd still like it to be a white wedding." "That way, everyone will think the baby is mine." "Come quick!" "I think Monsieur Brun has drowned." "His boat capsized." "I doubt if it's true, but I must go." "Wait for me in the dining room." "It will soon be yours." "Go and make yourself at home." "Something's ticking, but I can't tell if it's his heart or his watch." "I'll be off." "If he's not drowned, he'll be after me." "So, César, you had something to tell me?" "I hear you asked Norine for Fanny's hand some time ago." "Yes." "So?" "Lately, I've heard rumors, and I've noticed things myself." "I keep my eyes open." "I also know you're an old devil." "Everyone says you're still courting the girl discreetly." "They say you intend to propose again." "Is that true?" "Though you're a neighbor and a friend," "I must say that's none of your business!" " None of my business?" " Not in the least." "But seeing as I've absolutely nothing to hide," "I will tell you that I have proposed again." "I've been accepted, and we decide the wedding date tonight." "It's gone that far?" "Even further." "I'm sorry, but this wedding will not take place." "Why?" "Is your son coming back?" "I'm afraid not." "He won't be back for another 26 months." "They have to finish their measuring." "But I say there'll be no marriage." "Very funny." "What right have you to forbid it?" "Fanny is Marius's wife." "The town hall is a formality we can attend to when Marius returns." "What if Fanny doesn't want to wait?" "She'll wait." "She loves him." "So much so that she's accepted me." " She's accepted you?" " That's it." "Exactly." "She herself said yes to you?" "Fanny herself said yes to me." "To me personally." "I don't understand it." "Oh, yes, I do - only too well!" "You bought her from her mother." "You went to Honorine, promising her an annuity if she sold Fanny to you." "Own up, you old slave trader!" "You can't buy a girl, especially not one like Fanny." "You must realize that." "I realize that this marriage is an outrage, a sinecure, and a boondoggle." "You know very well it's a boondoggle." "What's a boondoggle?" "It's something quite distasteful." "Something dishonest." "I'm not here to play dictionary!" "Just because two women are mad, that's no reason to take advantage of them." "Answer me this, Panisse." "Are you going to marry her?" "That's right." " Why?" " Because I choose to." "Listen." "I'm afraid tempers will rise." "We may begin shouting at each other." "And I'll end up strangling you." "So..." "let's keep calm." "Take it easy." "That's fine with me." "Forgive me, but when an elderly man marries a young girl, it's not very nice." "In fact, it's unpleasant." " It's displeasing." " Not to me." "Now we see what you're really after." "You're marrying Fanny because she's pretty, and you want to rub your leathery old hide up against her soft skin." "Not only that." "But that's partly it." "I find it disgusting." "I am disgusted!" "And that is your right." "But I don't want to be disgusted!" "In such delicate family matters, you should behave like a gentleman, not some small-time crook!" "If you refuse to listen to my advice," "I'll meet you at the church on your wedding day." " Coming out?" " No, going in." "And?" "The first thing you'll feel is a hammer blow to your head!" "Then I'll grab you like this and give you a good shake." "I'll mash you to a pulp and throw the bits to the winds!" "Very well." "But if you so much as tap me with that hammer, I will shoot you." "With a good regulation gun!" "Good Lord!" "Put wheels on that thing and you'd have a cannon." "For 40 years, you've called yourself my friend." "More like a damned nuisance!" "No need to be rude." "All that time, you tyrannized and belittled me." "At school, I had to play your games." "You made me carry your satchel." "When you were given lines to write on the board, I had to write them while you ate my sweets!" "You made my life hell!" "I used to write it all down in a notebook." "I used to pray I'd become stronger than you so I could give you a good thrashing!" "But you grew faster than me." "You've got a persecution complex." "Then, when I fell in love with Marie Frisette and she liked me, out of jealousy, you came between us!" "She was ghastly." "As thin as a rake and cross-eyed." "No, she wasn't." "She was slim, and it was only a slight squint." "Not that you were jealous of her." "It was just to get at me!" " You?" " That's right!" "Because I'd ceased to be your slave." "That's why you parted us." "Do you think I'll let you do that again?" "You can't stop my marriage!" "Before I'd allow that, I'd put a bullet through your head!" "You killed the diver." "Let that serve as a lesson." "Because I'll kill you like I killed him." "Don't be an idiot." "You were so scared, your legs were shaking like jelly." "I've got nothing more to say to you." "I'll speak to Fanny." "This wedding shall not take place." "You want to talk to Fanny?" "Then come this way." "César is determined to stop our wedding, even by criminal means." " Speak to him." " Not yet, Fanny." "He's not being fair." "You're engaged to Marius." "He's away at the moment, but he'll be back." "Am I right or not?" "I can't wait two years." "Those women put you up to this." "Mother is right." "You can't understand." "I understand only too well she's putting you in Panisse's bed." "But your mother never used to stand on scruples." "Wasn't she your father's mistress before they got married?" "And what difference did it make?" "Did it stop them from being happy?" "Tell Panisse you were frightened." "He'll release you from your promise, and I'll talk to your mother." "No, I must have a husband." "What did you say?" "You must have a husband?" "You'll take any old codger who comes along, provided he's rich?" "César, I'd wait another 10 years if I could." "But I can't wait any longer." "Not anymore." "If Panisse wants me, I'll marry him." "This isn't possible." "Now I see your little scheme." "You sent Marius away." "You said so yourself!" "You sent him off so you'd be rid of him." "You wanted Panisse's money, and this old fool couldn't be happier." "Stop it." "You're talking nonsense." "You're just like your Aunt Zoé." "She had all the old men dancing round her." "I'm very glad now that Marius left." "He did the right thing." "You didn't love him!" "Be quiet!" "I'll write and tell Marius the truth." "I'll destroy every vestige of love he has for you." "Leave the poor child alone!" "Tell him everything, Panisse." "He must be stupid if he still doesn't understand." "What is it?" "Tell him, Panisse." "What is it?" "It's like this." "Fanny finds herself in a delicate position." "She has to find a decent man to repair your sailor boy's misdeeds." "A baby." "You're expecting a baby?" "And you want to steal it from me?" "Steal it?" "It's my child." "It's my son's baby." "You want to steal my grandchild." "You're crazy, both of you." "Fanny, think." "I have to consider my family." "To hell with them!" "We're your family!" "Marius, the baby and me!" "This man has nothing to do with it." "He should keep his nose out of it." "You understand?" "Come along home." "There's something you've forgotten." "Marius won't be back for another two years." "My mother would die of shame." "People don't die that easily." "Soon people will start saying," ""Look at Fanny." "She must have a bun in the oven."" "Imagine Mother at the market." " Everyone will know it was Marius." " Yes, and they know he's a nice boy." "So they'll think he had his reasons for leaving." "They'll say, "He wasn't the first." "He didn't know if the baby was his."" "Or, as you said yourself a moment ago," ""It runs in the family." "Look at her Aunt Zoé."" "Would you let her family suffer that?" "But he'll marry her one day." "And I'm here to protect them." "She'll have a husband in two years' time." "That remains to be seen." "Are you sure he'll marry Fanny when he returns?" "He's only written twice since he left, both times to you." " But he always mentioned you." " Like a stranger." "Does he mention Fanny in that letter you just received?" "No, he doesn't." " What do you know?" " You would have mentioned it already." "And does he speak about his return?" "No, he doesn't." "Fanny's future and honor are at stake." "Admit it." "He didn't actually write about her." "He sent his regards." "Most considerate of him." "But I'll see to it he marries Fanny!" "What good is that, even if he does return in two years?" "And what if he doesn't?" "How dare you think such a thing!" "Well, don't you sometimes?" "Are you in charge of typhoons and cyclones?" "Is it you that makes the storms?" "What if his ship sinks?" "Can you swear that Marius will come back and marry Fanny?" "There are eight chances in ten he will." "Well, seven chances in ten." "Or six." "Or five." "The child's life could be ruined." "For now, no one knows." "If she gets married now, the baby will have a name." " But if he's born without a father..." " He'd be a bastard." "That's true." "Later on, at school, his friends will say," ""My father's a baker or carpenter." "What's yours?"" "He'll blush and say, "I don't have a father."" "My God." "Do you think I haven't thought about it?" "About my mother, my family, and the baby..." "My marriage to Panisse will please everyone, including Marius." "And the child will have a name." "He'll be called Panisse." "Well, if by chance he's called Panisse, he'll be Marius Panisse." "Of course, since you'd be godfather." " Is that a promise?" " Naturally!" "You'd see him as often as you wished." "He'd be yours too." "What's more, he'd be rich." "Listen, I've never owned up to it before." "I've always said I had a modest fortune." "But actually, I've got twice what I've always said." " You're a millionaire, then." " Plus the shop." "Even Fanny didn't know." "But it could be relevant." "And you'd leave it all to the child?" "Of course." "He'd be my son." "He'll be even richer if I leave him the bar." "Just think." "At 20, he'll be smoking cigars as long as my arm." "If it's not a girl." "A girl?" "Don't even mention the word!" "I won't have husbands in the room." "You've done your job already." "Anyway, husbands always faint." "I'll call you when it's born." "Go back to her." "Quickly." "It's a premature birth." "Yes, seven months." "Be sure I'm the first to kiss him." "César!" "Monsieur César!" "Master Panisse says the baby is on the way." "Good." "I'll be over." "I'll be right there." "Long distance?" "Get me Vaison, please." "Number 18." "Hurry up, can't you?" "My brother's baby is on the way." "A little Panisse." "Your future boss." "He'll inherit all my vineyards." "If it's a boy." "I hope it's a boy." "Thank you, Honoré." "Of course." "We'll be on the first train." "Honoré phoned to say the baby is expected tonight." "Good Lord!" "Two months premature?" "What does it matter?" "He'll soon be here." "But we haven't finished the blanket." " You think everything's all right?" " Of course!" "We men look rather silly when it comes to labor, don't we?" "She's in there, in pain, while we just stand around." "I wish I could suffer in her place." "She's quiet." "She's so brave." "I was holding her hand earlier on." "The pains were so strong, she dug her nails into my hand." "Look." "Poor Panisse." "Come and sit down." "Do you think they'll let us have it now and then?" " What?" " The baby." "Will they let us have him?" "Of course they will." "The sun's rising." "The day is being born just as my son is." "And Easter Sunday." "He'll arrive to the sound of bells." "It's a boy!" "Let me see him!" "PANISSE  SON" "Come and see." "The mother needs to rest." "I won't have you all trooping in." "He's right." "Listen, Doctor, I'm Elzéar Panisse." "Wine grower, brother to Honoré, and senior member of the family." "I'd like to see Fanny, just for a second." "Please, let him in." "He's the head of the family." "Come along." "He's a fine boy." "A fine boy." "Sister-in-law." "I've only seen you once." "At your wedding." "But I address you as one of the family." "Ours is an honorable and wealthy family." "But lately it's been a sad one, because there have been no children." "We knew, when we died, our name would die with us." "But then you came along." "You were brought to bed, and presented us with a boy." "As the eldest member of the family, on behalf of all our cousins, aunts and relatives, and even of our dead," "I have traveled through the night to express our joy." "It's a boy." "Thank you, sister-in-law." " Things are well, Norine?" " Just fine." "Panisse is a good son-in-law." "He may not be young, but he spoils Fanny so much that in the end..." "In the end... it's all right." "So you don't regret the marriage." "No, not any longer." "She was fond of your son, but he chose to leave." "He wanted a sailor's life, the idiot." "Where is he now?" "Where is he now?" "I don't know exactly." "Three weeks ago he was in India." "That reminds me." "I've got a letter in my pocket from him." "I haven't read it." "What does he say about the baby?" "He doesn't know." "I didn't tell him." "You did right." "Does Fanny ever speak of him?" "Only in passing." "He's been gone two years now." "She's a married woman now." "Her husband gave her a child." "Right." "Her husband." "I was amazed when she announced it." "And I was flabbergasted!" "Who'd have thought it?" "Who'd have thought Panisse had it in him?" "He seems so calm and passive." "He must have hidden reserves." "Anyway, he made a fine boy." "Yes, he made a fine child." "He's superb." "I sometimes wonder whether Marius would have done any better." "There's no harm in wondering." "That's very true." "Especially when no one's around." "Who is it?" " Who is it?" " Me." " Who?" " Marius." "Is that you, Marius?" "It can't be!" "What's happening to me?" "Is it really you?" "You're a bit bristly." "I need a shave." "You're like a hedgehog." "Come inside." "It's cold out." "Let me have a look at you." " Was the power turned off?" " No, a fuse blew." "You got strong!" "But why are you here?" "Did you jump ship?" "Are you ill?" "Didn't you get my letter?" "No." "Yes." "I just received it." "There's nothing wrong." "I'll explain." "You were eating?" "I'm hungry myself." "Smells good." "How your uniform suits you!" "Have a seat, son." "I can't eat alone." "Go on." "I'm not hungry." "Was all this just for you?" "Yes, just a little snack." "Good." "That proves you're fine." "Eat up." "Eat it all up." "Try some tomatoes." "And some artichokes." "Tell me about yourself!" "Well, when we reached Sydney" " about eight weeks ago - we had serious problems." "He's a bit feverish." "Yes, he has a bit of a fever." "He's teething." "It's one of the molars in the back." "You can feel it." "That's children for you." "They always have something." "He was very fussy yesterday." " Where are you going?" " Paris." "Is it about those motors?" "Yes, to sign a contract." "I'll be their sole agent." "You're going to sell motors - you, a sail maker?" "It's treason!" "I know." "But I'm doing it for the boy." "Take these to my wife and tell her I caught the train." "Who's that?" "It's me, Marius." "It's you!" "I just got back tonight." "I wanted to talk to you." "I wanted to say hello." "Are you alone?" "I went to bed, but I couldn't sleep." "So I climbed out the window, just like I used to." "Like in the old days." "I've been outside quite some time." "Sit down." "Have a drink." "Gladly." "Won't your husband have one too?" "He's already in bed." "Are you back for good?" "As things stand, I leave in the morning, two hours from now." "Your ship is here?" "No, she's in Sydney." "In dry dock, being repaired." "A warship was on its way home, so they sent us back on it with some damaged equipment." "Devices that can be repaired only by the makers in Paris." "Precision instruments, you see." "It's all highly scientific." "I asked to be part of the team." "I was homesick." "Of course." "You would be homesick for your father." "For my father and Marseilles." "For everyone." "Everyone." "But I could stay if I exchanged postings." " What do you mean?" " I could swap places." "Lots of guys would swap with me, because the pay on the Malaisie is very good." "Chauveau and I have always kept in touch." "He's on the Corsica run, but he'd take my place like a shot." "He has the same craving." "You know..." "For faraway places." "You don't crave them anymore?" "You're not happy at sea?" "If it's the life you choose, you have to like it." "You'd be silly otherwise." "Of course I'm happy." "What about you?" "Yes, I have a good husband." "And a nice home." "A nice home." "A nice home and a lovely child." "A truly lovely child." " Your father told you?" " Yes, but only just now." " What else did he say?" " About what?" "About my son." "What else should he say?" "I suppose you think your son is wonderful and unique." "Of course." "And he is." "He's beginning to walk." "Already?" "My father said he was only eight months old." "That's a bit soon." "He's a little over eight months, and he's very precocious." "You're very happy then." "It's all worked out well." "I'm glad to see you so happy and looking so well." "You look well too." " Thanks to the sea air." " Thanks to a quiet life, in my case." "And happiness." "Yes, Marius, my quiet life and happiness." "Well, good-bye, Fanny, my dear." "You'll be back after Paris?" "No, we're sailing on a British steamer." "They're good boats." "Well, tell your husband I was sorry to miss him." "Who's that?" "Madame Panisse, I've got a message for you." "My dear Madame Panisse, these flowers are from your husband." "You see, it was like this." "We were just leaving this party given for railway employees..." "Let me talk!" "...when we met Master Panisse, who gave me these flowers and asked me to deliver them and tell you he caught his train." "So here you are." "For the lovely lady!" "By now the express will have left." "Monsieur Panisse will be on his way to Paris." "That's a long trip." "May the good Lord protect him." "May Our Lady and St. Christopher watch over him." "Amen." "The wind blows in the sails" "In the sails" "Was that true about your husband?" "Why didn't you say so?" "Scared of me?" "Of course not." "It's no use talking." "Go away." "We mustn't stir up the past." "We don't have to." "It's boiling up on its own." "Why did you marry Panisse in such a hurry?" "Why wasn't I told about your son?" "How is it Panisse suddenly became a father at 50?" "I don't know." " After only seven months." " What do you mean?" "So his baptism card says." "It gives the date of his baptism and the birth." "He was premature." "These things happen." "Yes, these things happen." "Why say he was eight months old when he's ten?" "Didn't want me to get any ideas?" "It's no use." "Go away." "I know the truth now." "That child is mine, isn't it?" "And I'm a criminal." "No, you're not a criminal." "It's not your fault." "Why didn't you tell me, instead of sending me off?" "Why didn't you write?" "You left for five years!" "For Mother's sake, I told Honoré." "He took me as I was." "My dear Fanny." "Forgive me." "I forgave you a long time ago." "You just didn't understand my love." "Nor my own." "I didn't know how much I loved you." "At first, I was happy on that ship." "I know." "I read your letter." "I hardly thought about you." "It was all over." "But then it started to come back." "Especially at night." "I kept thinking of you." "Stop it, Marius." "I began to realize I'd been stupid." "But I thought I could put it behind me." "It would soon be over." "But no, it wouldn't go away." "On the contrary." "As we entered the South Seas, it grew worse and worse." "When I closed my eyes, it would all flood back over me." "I saw you with your big straw hat." "I saw you on the quay." "I heard the clacking of your wooden shoes." "I smelled your skin." "Stop it, Marius." "You mustn't." "It's not right." "It's too late now." "I saw you everywhere." "Then, one day off the Carolinas, a terrible thing happened." "Try as I might, I couldn't remember your face." "I couldn't remember you anymore." "I closed my eyes and tried with all my might." "But it was all black." "I'd lost you." "So I asked Dad to send me a picture of you." "And when we arrived in Tahiti, there was the mail with the picture Dad had sent." "Your wedding picture." "You'd been married a month." "Since I didn't know why, I cried." "I did too." "I had to see if you still loved me." "You still do." "I was right." "You still love me." "Fanny, darling, let me kiss you." "No, children." "Don't do it." "Panisse is a good man." "Don't make a fool of him in his own home." " Who told you I was here?" " A little bird, as usual." "Why didn't you tell me the child was mine?" "The child?" "What child?" " I told him." " That might not have been best." "I have some right over her..." "and over the child." "I don't know about any rights." "Listen, Dad." "I'm very fond of you, but keep out of this!" "Well said, Marius." "You've become a real man." "You no longer respect your father." "It's normal." "But, with Fanny's husband gone, you have no right to be here." "Get out." "I'm staying here!" "You're coming with your father." "Panisse did a fine thing." "He gave Fanny a home." "He gave your son a name." "Now he's away, working for your child's future." "Are you going to come like a thief and steal his wife?" "Our family has done many things." "There have been pirates, smugglers, fools, and even a simple barman like me." "But never a scoundrel." " Are you staying?" " Yes." "All right." "Then I'm staying too." "Your father is right." " My husband!" " Still up at this hour?" "You missed the train?" "No, but as I was boarding, I saw Dr. Cigalon, and he told me that " "As you see, we have visitors." "Evening, Marius." "You're back?" "Just for a few hours." "Tell us." "Did you miss the train?" "Dr. Cigalon told me Miette's child has had whooping cough for a week." "And she didn't tell us anything." "She'd been borrowing toys." "She just brought this doll back yesterday." "Whooping cough is a terrible disease." "It's an invisible germ, tinier than a mosquito." "Look as you may, you can't see it." "It has terrible hooks." "It jumps on children and clamps onto their throats." "They suffer terribly." "Did he touch this?" "How is the boy?" " A bit warm." " Good Lord!" "I'll give that Miette a piece of my mind when I see her tomorrow." "Don't worry." "Go and take his temperature." "How long will you be on leave?" "That depends." "On your captain?" "On Fanny and you." "At least that's clear and frank." "I don't understand." "In the past, as today, and even when I was far away," "I always considered Fanny my fiancée." ""Considered" - that's a fine word." "But I don't need to "consider" anything." "Fanny is simply my wife." "My wife, and the mother of my child." "Are you sure he's your son?" "Listen, Marius." "I've been expecting this for two years." "I've never gone to bed without thinking," ""What if he comes and wants them?" "What will I say?"" "Over two years, I've had time to choose my words, but now that you're here, I don't know what to say." "Honoré, don't worry." "He doesn't look ill." " His temperature?" " Normal." "He's no more got whooping cough than I do." "Sit down, Fanny." "Now, what is it you want exactly?" "Listen, Master Panisse." "I made a mistake two years ago." "But why should that ruin several people's lives?" " What people?" " Fanny, me, Dad and my son." "What about me?" "You've had two good years, and I'm grateful for what you did." "But now you must give me back what is mine." "That's pushing it a bit." "He's quick to ask others to make sacrifices." "Well, here's my answer." "When I see you two together, I feel like an intruder." "Yes, an intruder." "Maybe I should do the decent thing and kill myself." "I'd willingly die for you, Fanny." "But, if I died, I'd never see my boy again." "So I absolutely refuse." "No one is asking you to." "No one is asking me, but I ask it of myself." "Don't feel pity for me." "If you still love this young man, forget me." "You're free to go." "What you say is very fine and selfless, but there's the child." "The child?" "The child is ours!" "You want me to give up the child too?" "Take my eyes, my heart - but not him!" "So much for your generosity!" "You give the wife but keep the child!" "Perhaps you figure the wife won't leave without the child!" "If you're sincere, give me back my son." "No, Marius, you will not have the boy!" "You may persuade his mother." "Or she may ask for him one day, but don't you try." "You're young." "You can have other children." "Let me keep mine." "He's my only son, my first and last!" "I would never take him from you." "An ordinary child I might part with, but this one is a marvel." "Marius, you were a handsome boy, but he's even more handsome." "All this is very fine but..." " He coughed." " He did?" " I didn't hear a thing." " Maybe not, but I did." "And he's gone." "The cough is more important than all this." "If he's mine, I should do the worrying." "Exactly." "But you don't." "Marius, he's not yours." "You were only his father before he was born." "Once a father, always a father." "When the baby was born, he weighed nine pounds." "Nine pounds of his mother's flesh." "Now he weighs 20." "You know what those other 11 pounds are made of?" "Love." "And yet love weighs very little." "You need a lot of love to make 11 pounds." "I gave my share, and so did Fanny." "But Panisse contributed the most." "And what have you given?" "Life." "Life?" "Dogs give life too." "No, Marius." "You didn't want that child." "All you wanted was pleasure." "You didn't give him life." "He took it." "It's not the same thing." "Who's the father?" "The giver of life, or the one who buys the baby food?" "The father is the one who loves." "Marius, you were the father of a bastard." "You were the father of a child without a name, borne by a poor, desperate girl." "Where is that child?" "He doesn't exist." "That's not my child." "Mine was born in a nice, large bed, surrounded by his family." "Don't try to bite off more than you can chew." "You can't have that child." "He's too firmly rooted in his family." " So you betray me too." " Betray you?" "Me?" "No, Marius, I never betrayed you." "I have never betrayed our love." "Since your father is here to save us from ourselves," "I can tell you everything." "I love you." "I still love you." "I love you as much as before, if not more." "Every morning, I see you in my son's smile." "When you came in tonight, I nearly fainted." "If you'd taken my hand, I would have gone with you." "I'd have gone anywhere with you." " But then..." "What about my son?" " He's ours!" "You have only to take him!" "The law and God forbid it." "Panisse saved me." "He gave me his name, and he gave me my self-respect back." "In labor I drove my nails into his hands." "He told me, "Bite me." "Scratch me."" ""The more you hurt me, the more he's mine."" "And he endured it the whole night." "He still bears the scars." "He bears the scars, Marius." "Not you." "Go away." "Go back to sea." "That's what you wanted." "Leave me here with our child." "But remember this, if it will console you." "There's someone thinking of you every night." "A girl who'd like to lie beside you, sleeping in your warmth." "Who'd like to wake up with your arms around her, stroke your hair and put her hands on your drowsy lips." "And you, Dad?" "What do you want me to do?" "Catch your train." " You send me on my way too!" " It's not me." "She can't wait for me to be gone either." "Don't be hard on her." "She loves you." "She told you so." "But her heart goes one way and her body the other." "It's not her heart that loves you." "She's the one to be pitied the most." "None of us is sending you away." "Neither me, her or Panisse." "But you're a danger to your child's future." "He's the one sending you away." "And you don't take my side." "Dad, don't you love me anymore?" "Of course I still love you, you fool." "Only you're a grown-up man, and he's little." "He's so little." "That's what makes him strong." "Little children take everything." "But it's better not to wait for them to take things." "Just give instead." "I'm off." "Say good-bye to Madame Panisse." "Good-bye, Fanny." "Good-bye, Marius." "I'll never love anyone but you." "I've never loved anyone but you." "Come, son." "BASED ON THE PLAY BY MARCEL PAGNOL"