"THE TOUCH" "Doctor Vaughan!" "Good afternoon." "Your mother died 15 minutes ago." "It was all very peaceful." " Can I go in?" " Yes of course." "What shall we do with the personal effects?" "I don't know." "We'll fetch them tomorrow." "Thank you very much for all help and care." "Mother was..." "Oh you're welcome." "But what about the wedding rings?" "Do you want them now?" " Can I do something for you?" " Turn the light out, please.." " Please leave me alone." " I'm sorry..." "The Touch" "A film by Ingmar Bergman." "Director of photography" "We work in the garden every spare minute." "Our garden is actually our pride." "Oh!" "You must come here in the spring or early summer." "It's so beautiful then." " Oh." "Thank you, thank you very much" "We're both very fond of flowers and trees as you see." "Yes..." "And in the winter we dream about what we're going to do next summer" "That's very nice." "Maria is also very interested." "She has a little corner of her own down there.." " Dad!" "Phone!" " ... that she takes care of." "Excuse me..." "I can see why you like it here, you and Andreas." "It's beautiful." " Yes." "This place was left Andreas by his parents." "Do you know... we couldn't dream of living right in town or close to the hospital." "Andreas needs this relaxation." "He works much to hard." "The marriage is a happy one?" "It's very happy." "We've been married for... 15 years." "Then everything in the garden is lovely." "You know it's very difficult to talk about that kind of thing especially when you speak a foreign language." "Please..." "I don't mean to be tactless." "No." "Cheers!" "I want to tell you something." "The first time we met..." "you were sitting in the cloakroom..." "David will you please excuse me, it's a consultation and it's someone touchy." "...I'll be with you in a second." "Make yourself comfortable." "Yes?" "..." "You were sitting in the cloakroom of the hospital... crying." "I suppose it's hardly the thing to tell you but I fell in love with you." "Which wineglasses mama?" " We are going to have white wine." " Where are they?" " Second shelf to the right." " OK." "I didn't mean for you ever to know." "But whatever it is that made us friends I can't help telling you." "I'm in love with you Karen." "I don't want you to worry or to be upset with this confession of mine." "But I'm in love with you and I want you to know it." "Please have some more raspberries." "No, no, I couldn't eat anything more." "I'm stuffed." "It was delicious." "I must say Maria is a fantastic cook." "Tell us about the sculpture now, please." "They stumbled on her while restoring a church, a few miles from here, right near the dig where I'm working." "What church is it actually?" "The old, medieval church of Hammar." "Do you know it?" "Hammar?" "Yes we do." "We know it." "At any rate, they were taking a wall down and about half way through discovered a cavity in it." "So they proceeded very carefully to contine taking the wall down." "Shall we have the coffee in there?" "Would you like?" "Suddenly, there in the darkness of the cavity they began to faintly see something." "A woman's face." "A magnificent, well preserved wooden sculpture representing the Holy Virgin." "Now as far as we know this is something extremely rare." "But the curious thing is, how did come to your country?" "How did it get to this remote church?" " Would you like some whisky?" " Please." " Some ice with it?" " No." "And here is..." "This is one day Anders fell overboard." "He's soaking wet, it doesn't show really, but I think there is another..." "... no this is not it entirely." "...I have a beautiful orchid somewhere which is called..." "No." "Who has been using these slides?" "Oh!" "This is it!" "Oh this is one of my favorites." "It's an orchid." "It's called Ophrys insectifera." "...because it looks like an insect, like a fly." "It attracts the interest of the fly..." "Andreas, are you sure David is interested..." "No, no!" "I am enjoying these slides Andreas." "I am fascinated by the flowers." "They're wonderful!" "Well well..." "I have a few other pictures." "There..." "I think this..." "No, well this is a donkey." "It's Anders' donkey, it's called Johnny." "It died after two weeks." "This is my mother in law..." "She's also... dead." "Haven't you a picture of your wife nude?" "In the nude?" "I'd like to see a picture of Karen - nude." "No..." "I'm sorry David." "I have to disappoint you there." "You have to content yourself with my orchids." " I'll drive you home, David." " No, no, no." "I'm fine." " You want me to call a taxi?" "No, no." "I can manage Andreas." "Thank you." "Don't worry, there won't be a scandal." " I'd love to see the church." "Anyway he had sense enough to leave in time." "What time do you have to be at the hospital?" "Seven o'clock." "I have an operation at half past." " How did you like him?" " I think he's very nice." "Indeed." "Don't you think he drank pretty much?" " Did he?" "Didn't occur to me." "You know... foreigners." "How did you actually meet?" "Jacobi at the museum called and asked me to take care of him." "He had a kidney attack." "That's how." "Oh." "I see." "I'm so tired." "I think I'm to tired to read tonight." "So am I." "Already at dessert I decided to seduce you tonight." "Now I'm to sleepy..." "It doesn't matter." "I'm sleepy too." " Let's go to sleep." "Good night." " Good night." "Give me your hand." "So good to hold your hand." "Have you taken your pill?" "It doesn't matter tonight, does it...?" "Matter..." " Hi." " Hi!" " Bye bye." " Bye daddy." "See you later." "I'll be home for dinner." "It's late." "Let's hurry." "Take the apple." "Oh, forgot." "Look." "Wait a minute." "Karen." "Come have a look." " Can you see her?" " Yes." " Can you see the smile?" " Yes I do." "Oh no." "When do I see you again?" " Tomorrow is Sunday." "Monday we have the housecleaning but on Tuesday." "I can come to your place at two thirty." "Yes." "Yes, I think so too..." "But the symptoms seem a bit confusing to me..." "Yes, why don't you take another X-Ray." "...no, but she is so damn hysterical." "..." "Yes." "So why don't you send her in for observation?" "Right away." "I'll call the hospital and reserve a bed for her." "Yes." "I'll see you tomorrow." "Yes, we can have lunch together." "All right." "Why don't you come up to my office." "I'll be there from... twelve thirty on." "OK." "Bye, bye." "Did you have a nice drive?" "Yes, it was very interesting." "Why didn't you ask David for dinner?" "I did but he wouldn't come." "May I please talk to sister Gunnel in ward 3?" "Yes." "I'll wait." "I'm going to the kitchen and relieve Maria." "I think she's going out with some friends tonight." "She should be home at midnight." "At the latest!" "Yes." "We'll talk about that." "Yes." "Ask her to call me the minute she's free, will you?" "...I'll be home another twenty minutes." "Or she can call my secretary." "Thank you." "There's something I want to tell you." "That sounds exciting." "I don't think I need any help in the house after all." "It's much better to do everything yourself." "It avoids so much trouble." "Is this what you wanted to talk to me about?" "Yeah..." "Why?" "No... you started off so seriously." "I thought it was something important." "No." "Bye, bye." "Bye." "No..." "Hello." "I'm sorry I'm late." "Oh no, no, no." "I have..." "It's fine." "A lot of things..." " Can I come in?" " Oh of course." "I'm really sorry." "Because it was so difficult finding the way." " This part of town..." " It's very complicated." "It's one way streets..." "... all the way from where we are." " I'm very sorry." "No, no." "I had a lot of things I had to look at." "I'm sorry I have them when I drive, they're very ugly." "No, no..." " Come inside, please." " Thank you." "Poor flowers." "I think I'll cut them and see if they revive." "Where's the kitchen?" " Oh, it's inside here." " Do you have a knife?" " Sure." "Thank you." "How did you find this place?" "A professor at the university was taking his leave of absence for a few... a friend" "It's a terrible place, very depressing, don't you think?" "I hadn't noticed." "It's nicer than staying in a hotel." " Yes." "Especially now." " Yes." "Would you like some sherry?" "What I would like is a cup of tea." "Do you have any tea?" "Let me see if I can find some." "I'm out of tea." "But I will just run down and pick some up." "It won't take to long." "No, don't do that." "Please..." "Let's have your sherry." "Are you nervous David?" "Yes I'm nervous." "My pulse must be 690." "Aren't you nervous?" "Well, I'm almost fainting." "Cheers." "That looks very warm and comfortable." "Thank you." "You must excuse, that's an old sweater and I'm having pants on." "I wanted to wear something very beautiful when I came to you for the first time." "But it suddenly turned so cold." "I noticed some flakes of snow in the rain." "Yes." "I hate it when it's cold." "It's a terrible climate here on the coast." "Spring is always late." "But I understand this has been quite a mild autumn?" "Oh, no, no more for me, thank you." "It's already gone to my head." "What shall we talk about now?" "What shall we do now?" "Shall we take our clothes off, go to bed and see what happens?" "Yes." "But you must draw the curtains." "I'm very shy." "So am I." "OK" "No, wait." "Wait a little." "I want you to look at me first." "I'm 34." "You can see that on my face, especially around the eyes." "I have..." "I have a scar here on my stomach." "I born two children and Anders was very big you know." "My breasts were nicer before..." "I'm not a very experienced mistress." "Andreas and I always had it good together in bed, even if it wasn't so passionate." "My legs are on the short side." "And my bottom is a bit to big." "It used to worry me a lot when I was a girl." "You don't have to act in any special way in order to satisfy me, if you see what I mean." "I've no idea why I've come to you today." "Or why I went to bed with you." "I don't even know if I'm in love with you..." "Forgive me..." "Forgive me for saying all that..." "I understand..." "I suppose it's not a very good way to start an affair." "You see, I never..." "I've never been in this situation before." "David, forgive me for talking so much." "I just wanted you to know with whom you're going to bed." "Maybe it doesn't mean anything much to you, maybe I'm making a lot of fuss.." "...but this little affair... for me it isn't a little affair." "Please." "Come into bed." "I feel terribly cold." "Warm me up" "I'm afraid I can't today." "My long speech frightened you." "It doesn't matter." "It's good as it is." "As long as we're here with one another." "David..." "Mhm..." "I think I must go now." "Oh no..." "I promised to meet Andreas at the airport." "He's been to Stockholm today." "Are you disappointed with me?" "Oh no, no, no, no..." "My keys and my gloves..." "Oh no." "Not now..." "I'll come back another day." "Soon." "I'll call you tomorrow morning." " Yah..." " Hello." "It's Karen." "Hello, how... how are you?" "I'm fine." "Have you been waiting?" "Incidentally I'm not quite sober." "I took a sleeping pill, but..." "I couldn't fall asleep so I had a drink." "And another pill." "If you want to sleep I can call a little later." "Non, no... you mustn't mind my being a bit stoned." "I'm not in a habit of it." "I just didn't think you'd ring.." "I didn't think... didn't think we'd meet again." "Why do you think that?" "I told you I was going to ring." "It's f... funny" "There's something important I'd like to tell you." "Something I never told anyone." "What is it David?" "I'd like to tell you but I have no words, I'm mentally illiterate..." "Can't you come to me now?" "This instant?" "I'm longing for you!" "What are you doing?" "Huh?" "What?" "Are you going to make the beds and tidy up?" "What are you going to do?" "You're going out to do the shopping  and buy a roast for dinner?" "What are you going to do?" "Are you a domestic service agency?" "What the hell are you?" "Can't you come to me now?" "Can't you come?" "But I can't come now." "David, you must understand I can't just drop everything!" "David, are you there?" "Why don't you answer?" "OK." "Well I'll come then." "David I can't stay very long." "You mad bat!" "David..." "What is it?" "What has happened?" "I don't understand you." "Please." "Don't you think you're very childish now?" "No!" "No...!" "I can take my clothes off myself." "Don't look at me!" "I called you several times this morning, but there was no answer." "No.." "I was in the attic cleaning out." "We have some old clothes hanging up there." "Which I sorted to send to the Red Cross." " That's a good idea." " Yes, I thought so." " Are you worried about something?" " No." "My period is starting and that always makes me moody." "Nothing else?" "No I don't think so." "Did I fall asleep?" "Yes, indeed." " Sleep well." " Yes..." "David..." "Why haven't you been in touch?" "I tried to call you several times." "Yesterday I even went and rang your doorbell." "I could hear you were in but you didn't open." "Come with me!" "Why do you go on like this?" "I can't bear your silence." "That's the only thing I can't bear." "Why do you go on like this?" "If only you had patience with me..." "I'll have all the patience in the world..." "I'm no demands." "Don't think I'm making any demands." "I don't know what to do with all these churned up feelings..." "David, as long as we don't loose each other." "That's all that matters." "That's why it's so important that you don't leave me outside." "I'd be so powerless then." "All my relatives are dead." "We lived in Berlin just outside the city." "My father was the head of a private mental clinic." "I was four when he suddenly sent me, my mother and my sister to New York." "Six months later we lost contact with our relatives in Germany." "They were wiped out in various camps." "After mother died I went to Israel where I was trained." "I think I keep the album for mother's sake." "Here she is as a young girl, just engaged." "Don't you think she's pretty?" " Very." " Sometimes I feel so lonely without mother." "Isn't it absurd?" "After all I'm grown up." "Then of course the very special surprise today at the end of the congress... that we had the chance to meet your charming wife, Karen." "And thank you for giving this wonderful luncheon." "Thank you both of you as you do in Sweden..." "Cheers!" "Thank you very much." " Thank you" " Cheers!" "I hope you all will be back very soon." "Thank you." "Surely." "As guests, not as patients." "Who would like some coffee?" "We'll have it in here." " Hello." "Where've you been?" "I've been waiting for you." "Oh no, you can't be..." "I told you I was going to be late." "You said you'd be here at three o'clock and now it's four." "No I didn't say that." "I remember very well I didn't say that time." "I knew I couldn't be punctual." "Oh it's dark in here." "How could I know how long the lunch was going to last." "I didn't say a time." "You were so persistent I promised to come anyway." "Even if only for... a short while." "Am I right?" "You've been smoking?" "!" "Mhm." "I have." "But we promised each other to give it up." "But I couldn't resist after all that good food." "I smoked five cigarettes." "Oh aren't you cross now?" "No, no, no..." "Just we had an agreement." "And you've been drinking a lot too..." "Mhm." "I think I'm a little tipsy." "Oh, I really am tipsy." "I'm almost drunk." "Come." "Come and help me." "I'm in a hurry." "Come and give me a kiss and say you forgive me." "No one has ever struck me." " I hate it when you're like that!" " I was merely gay!" "You're not sober and you've been smoking!" "Andreas wondered very much why I was in such a hurry." "It was very difficult for me to come here today." "But I came because you kept on at me!" "I hate that god damn Andreas that fucking hypocritical idiot." "He can go to hell!" "Stop shouting!" "You're crazy." "You do look angry." "Get out." "Go to hell." "Go back to your mediocre bourgeois." "That's where you belong." "There's no point in our going on like this." "Do you hear what I say?" "Go to hell and leave me in peace." "You're being very silly." "Poor David..." "Poor David, poor Karen." "What a hard time we're going to have." "It's best for us to break it off now, straight away." "If it only were that simple." "If you want me for anything, you can call me tomorrrow morning as usual." "What's that sore on your lip?" "I don't know." "I just noticed it myself a little while ago." "Could it be lack of vitamins?" "No, I don't think so." "I have to attend a conference in Rome in April." "Would you like to go with me darling?" "I don't know, I'd have to find someone to come and stay with the children." "That's already taken care of." "I called Ewa this afternoon." "She said she'd love to do it." "She's so lonely after the divorce." "Poor girl." "We'll... we'll talk about it." "You don't sound very enthusiastic though." "I'm sorry, you know me." "Yes." "Do I know you..." "Let's go to bed." "You win this game anyway." "When do you leave?" "Tomorrow, early." "When will you be back?" "Six months." "September, October." "How long do you stay then?" "About the same amount of time." "What will you do when you get back to London?" "I'll prepare a series of lectures." "18 of them." " In the summer?" " Yes... in the summer." "We've been together for..." "... six months now." "It's going to be very hard." "It's going to be very hard." "What's that music?" "I think they're practicing something for the reconsecration of the church on Sunday." "I think it's better we say goodbye here and now." "Andreas wanted you to come to dinner." "But I said I thought you were engaged." "It's much better that we say goodbye now when we're by ourselves." "To think it should be so hard..." "I don't think we realize how painful it's going to be later." "I must go." "No." "Yes, I'll go." "I must go now." "I must go before it gets to difficult." "David, dearest." "I didn't know it was going to hurt, so much, being without you." "Karen, my darling Karen." "It feels odd, to be back in the world." "It's getting cold again." "Almost like autumn, although we're well into May." "We've all had bad colds, I was absolutely streaming." "Which was a good thing really, since I cried so often to myself." "I mean I could go legitimately with a red nos and red rimmed eyes." "Karen dearest." "I'm in the south of France at a sort of, summer congress for archeologists." "It's very hot." "Dear, dear David." "We're back from the country." "I must say I'm glad." " Karen, just a quick note." "I've been able to rent a dingy, ugly old apartment." "Am arriving Thursday by air." "I'll ring you Friday moring at 8 o'clock." "8 o'clock, Friday morning." "Can you imagine I forgot my briefcase?" "Never happened before." " Will you be on time?" "Oh yes." "Is anything left?" " I don't know." " Yes, it's still warm." " Will you have a cup with me?" " No thank you, I already had my coffee." "What are you doing darling?" "Paying some bills." "Do you have so much time today?" "Well... it isn't half past yet." "Drive carefully." "At last!" "I thought I'd never get through" "Look, I'm in a cafe round the corner, I didn't know that goddamn phone was cut off!" "How are you?" "Fine." " Just fine." " Well here I am anyway." "Maybe we could meet?" "Not at all a bad idea." "What about this afternoon?" "I have to meet a couple of idiots at two, but I'll be free by 16:30." "Can't you make it earlier?" "It'll be so short." "I must be home for dinner." "OK" "Five." "Or let's wati till tomorrow." "No!" "No, I didn't mean that." "What are you doing now!" "?" "Now..." "I just switched on the washing machine." "And I have to see Anders' teacher at 10 o'clock." " Come now!" "I can't." "It's impossible." "I can't just drop everything." "Come just for a little while and we can meet properly tomorrow." "OK, I'll come then." "I'll come." "Look it's filthy as hell up in the apartment." "I don't think anybody has cleaned there for six months." "It doesn't matter." "I'll come right now." "You look thinner." "I've been ill recently." "But I'm all better now." "I haven't smoked one cigarette since you left." "That's why you're even more pretty now." "I put on weight." "That's not good at all." "It's worth everything." "I think I'll be home about four today." " Do you want some tea when you come?" " Yes please." "Dammit!" "It's a delivery from the museum!" "I'll just be a sec." "May I come in?" "Can we have a light on?" "Do you mind if I sit down for a moment?" "I won't be long." "I received some letters." "It's a small town you see." "Everyone knows everyone else." "Some people are so... thoughtful." "...anonymous of course." "Naturally I wouldn't take any notice of them, those poisoned pens if I didn't believe they were telling the truth." "Well, I don't really know why I came here." "It was on the spur of the moment I admit." "But I thought that it was neccessary." "I have nothing to say." "Karen says she feels a strong loyalty to you and your marriage." "I think you ought to be grateful for that loyalty and hope that it'll survive this affair of Karen's and mine." "I think you better talk to Karen, I think you should take advantage of her loyalty." "I think you should make y'self touching and helpless.. talk about the children.." "...about all your years together." "You have the upper hand Andreas." "Don't worry." "I didn't come here to talk about myself, David." "I'm quite sure of that." "I think I came here to talk to you about Karen, because I but it may be irrationalization." "That's also very touching." "Now, what are you going to tell me about Karen that I don't already know?" "Go now Andreas, you've humiliated us both long enough with this ridiculous visit." "I don't understand why you're so aggressive, David." "I like you." "I liked you at the beginning already." "When I took care of you after your attempted suicide." "It wasn't an attempted suicide!" "It was an accident with that ridiculous gas stove!" "I don't think my memory's at fault." "During our conversation that Tuesday night you yourself ...described your accident as an attempted suicide." "Am I wrong?" "No, but we were never to speak of it." "That's right, I'm sorry." "Forgive me." "I didn't mean to be offensive or indiscreet." "Have you anything else... anything else you want to say?" "No." "I don't believe that habit, marriage and children are any firm shield against the outside world." "Yes, the outside world." "Call it whatever you like." "It was stupid of me to come." "If you think that I'm putting pressure on Karen, you're wrong." "I don't intend any emotional blackmail either." "As a matter of fact I don't intend to do anything." "She has to make up her mind for herself." "That'll be difficult enough." "She hates any form of decision." "Wasn't that touching?" "That was just to goddamn touching." "That was touching as hell." "Do you think he knew I was here?" "Of course he knew, he's not such a fool." "Will you call me tomorrow as usual?" " I don't know." " Do as you like!" "Are you working?" "No." "I'm just sitting." "Come let's walk a little." "God dag Maria, how are you?" "I thought that raincoat was very nice, why didn't you get it?" "Do you mind I if I talk to your mother for a minute?" " We can't just walk away like this." "I know, I can see that." "I must see you." " When can we meet and talk?" " I don't know." "We can meet tomorrow at the church at 3 o'clock." "Please let me go now." "I'm sorry I'm late." "This weather is terrible for my car... it stalls... and.." "It's all right." "Yesterday was a funny experience huh?" "I don't know if it was so funny." " Have you heard about the Madonna?" " No." "Something peculiar happened." "Something no one can explain." "Before she was walled up, she was the home of some insect." "Not known today." "The larvae have been sleeping inside her in the darkness for 500 years." "And now they've awakened." "And they're eating the image from within." "Here on the child... a whole nest of them hibernating." "They're not sure whether she can be saved." "Actually they're beautiful." "At any rate as beautiful as the image itself." "Don't you think Karen?" " What is it, Karen?" " I lost my... footing." "Whatever it is." "I used to be fairly secure in my world." "And now I'm insecure at home, insecure with you." "That's to bad." "Yes it is." "I can't be without you." "Everything circles around you." "You're there the whole time." "You're like my newborn childe." "I understand how you think." "I understand what it is that torments you." "I understand why you're forcing me and that makes me furious." "...but it all binds me to you only more firmly." "I wonder if something is wrong with me because I feel like this." "Yes." "Laugh if you want." "But let me tell you something..." "I know that you are going to leave me..." "I can see it quite clearly." "It's getting closer and closer." "I know that you're fond of me almost the same way I'm fond of you." "But even so you're going to leave me." "And I know why." "You hate yourself." "Therefore you hate me somewhere..." "I'm trying to reach you." "I'm trying the whole time to reach you." "I feel that you're getting further and further away from me." "I just want to scream and weep because I know that you are going to leave me." "It is hard to live two lives." "It's hard to live with two men." "Sometimes I find it almost impossible." "But I know it can be done." "I even think Andreas would accept it." "It is possible to live two lives." "Maybe slowly combine them into one wise and good life that could benefit other people and make them happy." "But there's no living with your selfhatred David." "I can't do anything about it." "However much I like you." "However much I try." "Do you understand?" "It's cold." "Can't you put your arms around me?" "Say something." "Something kind." "Say that you like me all the same." "Be angry with me if you like as long as you don't leave me." "I don't konw what to do if I haven't got you." "Let's go." "Yes?" "Karen, forgive me." "Forgive me." "Forgive me, Karen." "We're with each other now aren't we?" "Now at this moment." "Yes." "Now we're with each other." "Your husband will be here in a minute." "I see." "I'll wait here then." " Excuse me please." " Yes of course." "You don't mind if I talk to you lying down, do you?" "I've got a splitting headache." "All right." "What is it you want to say?" "Obviously it's something unpleasant." "David has left." "I must go to London and find him." "I must talk to him." "He must tell me why he has left me." "Try to understand." "If you go, you need not come back." "But if on the other hand you stay at home, try to get over your panic..." "I promise to help you in every way Karen." "I just want to go for a couple of days." "Hear what I say." "If you go, there's no way back." "It's very simple." "Just one day Andreas." "I beg you." "Be fair." "Don't you talk to me about fairness." "Don't come crying for consideration or sympathy, Karen." "Take your responsibility and bear it." "Make your decision." "And for once take the consequences." "This drama has been going on for nearly 2 years." "Now I'm tired." "I don't want to be in another act." "Suffering must have an end." "It cannot go on indefinately." "I don't want to be poisoned by hatred, spite." "I don't want to hate you." "I must go." "Are you going to tell the children yourself?" "Or shall I?" "It's better if you do." "Does David live here?" "Yes he lives here." "But he's not at home." "Can I wait for him?" "I don't think he'll be home today." "Why don't you come in and sit down for a while?" "Thank you." "My name is Sarah.." "You're Karen, I know." "It's a bit strange in here with the furniture all gone." "We're moving." "You'd like some brandy?" "Yes, thank you." "Are you his wife?" "I'm his sister." "I keep house for him." "He told me he didn't have any relations." "Did he?" "Would you like something to eat?" "I have some sausage or some cheese in the house" "I could make you some sandiwches if you're hungry." "No thank you." "Thank you, it's very kind of you but I'm not hungry." "Are you going to have a baby?" "Is it David's child or your husband's?" "Does it matter?" "Why are you pregnant?" "I don't know." "Seems funny doesn't it?" "Not to me." "You're looking at my hands, aren't you?" "It's muscular paralysis." "Atrophy." "It runs in the family." "Apparently it can't be explained scientifically." "David suffers from it too." "I think I'll go now." "You'll come back tomorrow?" "No." "I don't think I'll come back." "Why do we have to meet at this idiotic place?" "Let's go to my hotel." "No." "I can only spare five minutes." "I'm on my way to my Italian lesson." "It starts at 4 o'clock." "I think we can meet here without anyone seeing us." "I've had enough scandal." "It never occured to you that this is a small town." "Nor did it to you." "I thought of it." "I didn't care." " Are you feeling well?" " I feel..." "Can we sit down somewhere?" " You wanted to talk to me." " You wanted to talk to me." "Just what do you expect?" "You suddenly turn up, God knows where from." "You call me up at the middle of dinner.." "...and say you must talk to me it's terribly important." "I must come to you hotel at once." "You must be out of your mind." "You've no right to come here and make any demands." "I have nothing more to talk about." "Good bye David." "I thought, I could live without you." "I thought it would be possible." "I thought I could go back to my old life." "I can't." "It hurts physically, being without you." "It's like a constant ache." "Whatever I do I can't get away from it." "I didn't know it was going to be like this." "I didn't know I was so terribly tied to you." "I thought I'd get over it." "When I left you." "It was to be spared more feelings..." "... tears, pain." "I wanted to make a clean break." "I wanted to have peace at last." "But it didn't turn out that way." "It only got worse." "I can't live without you." "It sounds utterly ridiculous to hear myself say I can't live with you." "But it's true." "I can't express this in any better way." "Everything's changed, Karen." "I don't know what it is." "I can't understand it." "I'm no longer the same person." "I think and feel and react differently." "In the old days, before I met you I could live without living." "I didn't care." "Nothing mattered anyway." "Don't say anything more." "It just makes it more difficult." "Listen now, Karen." "I've been offered an associate professorship at the university of Aarhus." "We could live a settled life on your conditions." "You can bring the children." "Everything will be the way you want." "You'll have your security." " David." " No, no, no Karen..." "Karen." "Look..." "I'm not going to rush you." "I don't mean that you have to make up your mind right this moment." "I can wait." "I'll be patient." "Please let me go now." "There's no point in this." "You can't just leave me like this." "Please don't go." "Poor David." "I love you so much." "It's not true!" "It's true." "That's the truth." "No one has done me so much good as you." "No one has done me so much harm as you." "Even so I'm not coming with you." "You must have strong reasons." "If it is as you say." " For me they are strong reasons." "For you they're perhaps no reasons at all." "I feel it's my duty to stay where I am." "I don't know." "I feel it's my duty to stay here." "So I will." "I know you're lying." "You don't mean what you say." "I know the real reasons." "They're so goddamn rotten and trivial and cowardly I can't be bothered to go into them." "Can't you see the pattern Karen?" "I know you're lying!" "I know you're lying!" "Do you hear?"