"Inspired by a true story" "Chapter 1 THE GREAT MARGUERITE DUMONT" "No photos!" "Please don't, sir!" "No press!" "You were told." "Hello." "I'm a singer." "A stand-in." "I was told to report to the gate." "My name's Hazel Klein." "Some invitations are fake." "You're late, young lady." "Paris is far and I walked from the station." " Who do I see about pay?" " Don't worry." "My lady will be generous." "Have you no other shoes?" " No." "I can clean them." " Hurry up." " It's a charity concert?" " For war orphans." "Wouldn't you love to burn all this down?" "Look, the Queen Mother!" "Is she rich?" "I hope so." "What's this din?" "It's Handel, dear boy." " Andie?" " Handel." "Here's to Handle." "Do you object to poetry, Madame?" " Heavens, no!" "I write it myself." " Splendid!" "Kyril von Priest." "I did the drawings too." "Very pretty." "Would you like to invest in a gallery, Princess?" "Hello." "Yes, they look better." "I have to sing." "Lucien Beaumont." "Beaumont?" "I'm here incognito." "I've heard of you." "You panned a friend of mine," "Alice Gervini." "She sang like a frog, didn't she?" "It hurt her." "No, it helped her." "What have we here?" "She's sung everything!" "Incredible!" "She heard me at the Conservatory." "She wanted a duettist." "Well paid, she said." "Have you heard her sing?" "I heard she sings mostly for this music club." "Apparently." "You're on soon, young lady." "The shoes?" "Perfect, thank you." "Good." "Isn't she here to hear you?" "She's watching us now, actually." "How?" "Through a hole in a painting." "The pianist told me." "She won't sing until her husband gets here." "See?" "There's a lot you don't know." "Where's the husband?" "Join forces and we'll..." "I write them myself." "Here at last is the meaning of..." "Still no news of my husband?" "He won't be long, my lady." "Perhaps he had a crash." "Don't worry." "I'll give it back to you, Caruso." "Let's get on with it." "Tell me when he gets here." "He must have broken down." "Bravo!" "Our Club is always pleased to bring you pretty new voices." "Really, well done!" "This season, the Amadeus Club is collecting for war orphans." "Our friend, Frangoise Bellaire, will be happy to take your donations." "These orphans are our children, the children of France." "We know how generous you all can be." "That was beautiful, young lady." "I know how tricky that song can be." "Thank you, Madame." "Was the orchestra all right?" "Yes." "They're very good musicians." "And now, the moment we've all been waiting for!" "Once again, our friend Baroness Marguerite Dumont is offering you a very ambitious recital." "Music!" "Who of us loves it with such generosity, such humility, and above all, such discernment?" "It gives me immense joy to invite you to welcome our patroness," "Baroness Marguerite Dumont." "Stay or leave but shut that awful noise out!" " Did she always sing like that?" " No." "She's come a long way!" "Marguerites for Marguerite." "Wasn't that interesting?" "What was wrong with her..." "She's utterly mad!" "I love it!" "You love what?" "She's perfectly wild!" "Life is here at last!" "Calm down." "And in the lap of luxury!" "I shall kiss this miracle!" "Bravo!" "That was... beautiful!" "Go." "Tell me all about it." "Marguerite Dumont, the orphans' voice?" "Lord knows what happened." "There was a loud bang, the engine started smoking, I skidded." "I even hurt myself." "I'll have to take it in..." "I overheard the comments as I arrived." "I gather it was a triumph." "Everyone says you were wonderful." "Absolutely wonderful." "This is far too much!" "Thank you." "You have a very pretty voice." "Did Madame Dumont have a problem with hers?" "You wish to congratulate her?" "I won't bother her." "I'll be off." "If you insist." "I'm not insisting..." "Miss Hazel insists on speaking to you." "By all means, let her in." "She was so good!" "Please come in." "Come in, come in, my dear!" "You heard me missing all my high notes." "No..." "It sounded good to me." "You see?" "Tell her what people felt after she sang." "Great emotion." "I think they all really enjoyed it." "So cheer up." "It's meant to be fun." "It's hard work too!" "Thank you for being so generous to me." "I hear you excelled at the Paris Conservatory." "I'm working with a group of young composers." "We try new things, new kinds of music." "I'd love to invite you." "Pardon me." "Your guests, the photo." "The photo, yes." "It means a lot to them." "Your shoes!" " I must give them back." " Keep them." "Like Cinderella." "Thank you." "Where's Frangoise?" "This is partly thanks to you." "An article?" "This deserves a poem!" "Hazel!" "Stand next to me." "Long live music!" "Hold the pose." "One..." "Two..." "Three." "Look what I stole." " It's Rockefeller!" " One of dozens!" "It's signed, "To the great Marguerite Dumont."" "Whose dough is it?" "His or hers?" "I heard he has the noble title and she pays the bills." "Madame Butterfly," " Samson and Delilah..." " Splendid!" "Real costumes!" "Where were these taken?" " Where did she sing?" " Who knows?" "You think she knows... about her voice?" "Singers can't hear themselves." " They can." " Not really." "A real singer can." " She can feel it." " There's nothing real about her." "There is." "Her costumes!" "She doesn't know she sings off-key?" "I think not." "Off-key, but sublimely." "Divinely off-key!" "Wildly Off-key!" "Are you working late?" "I have an important file to read and all this..." "What's so important?" "Rebuilding half of northern France." "I distrust the Americans." "They see reconstruction as a business opportunity." "Don't you?" "I hear Frangoise Bellaire is opening a furnishing shop and art gallery." "She's also writing for a magazine." "God knows why." "She doesn't need to work." "A single woman, starting up a business!" "I admire her courage." "I'm sure you're very tired." "You should have a good sleep and lie in tomorrow." "Then why not go shopping?" "Chapter 2 A NEW WORLD" "THE ORPHANS' VOICE" "Georges!" "Look at this!" " Is my husband here?" " He's in a meeting on the terrace." "You've seen the paper?" "What's all this?" "They arrived this morning." "Gifts from your admirers." "You see?" "You were a great success yesterday." "It's far too much!" ""We know that, in its private salons, the Amadeus Club has long upheld the art of song but we were stunned by a very personal rendition of the Queen of the Night by the mysterious Baroness Dumont." "Not since Lina Cavalieri or the great Marthe Chenal have we heard anything so new, so intense, corporeal, and powerful." "This voice contains a human truth that rends the heart."" "Here comes the best bit." ""Crowned by a majestic peacock feather, this unique artist seemed to be trying to exorcise an inner demon."" "And there's more!" "It's your success too, my dears!" "Thank you!" "So?" "What do you think?" "The boy has style!" "I love the "inner demon" bit." "You wouldn't understand, dear." "Marie-Jeanne!" "Where are the chocolates?" "Madelbos!" "Let's go!" ""Human truth", my arse!" "Who wrote it?" "What's he after?" "We agreed to give up the flowers!" "My lady has many admirers, sir." "He has doubts about my high notes, though." "I told you so." "It shows how honest he is." "That's true." "I'm so nervous about meeting him!" "She's here?" "Lucien Beaumont?" "Yes." "I read your article." "It bowled me over." "Really?" "Is thanking journalists allowed?" "The thanks are all mine." "Guess how many music scores I have at home." "I don't know." "A lot." "1,487." "I have a Tosca with hand-written notes by Puccini." "You're a true collector." "I also own scenery, costumes, props..." "I bought two gems last week." "A gigantic eye... and a bird costume with multicolored feathers created for the Flute at the Paris Opera." "Do you wear them?" "The costumes?" "Yes, occasionally." "Just for fun." "Marguerite!" "Nobody told me you were here!" "How fares the Queen of the Night?" "Kyril sketched you for the paper." "I heard a lot about it." "I shall give you the drawing." "I'll pay for it." "Top dollar!" "You buy art?" "Are you a connoisseur?" "I'm ignorant, but I sometimes buy on impulse." "I will gladly discuss it at your leisure." "I'm confused." "You work here too, Kyril?" "Good Lucien buys the odd poem or drawing off me." "He knows they'll be worth millions." "Money doesn't matter." "What matters is having it." "THE CAUSE WAS GOOD BUT THE VOICE WAS BAD" "Have you ever sung for a real audience?" "I thought about it." "But life, people, you know..." "Frankly, I never had much encouragement." "But you work with a teacher, I presume?" "No, I've never found anyone who... understands, feels what I..." "There are so many frauds out there." "Sol..." "I practice alone, I go to the Opera, listen to music..." "I sing at least 4 or 5 hours a day." "What true singer would do less?" "Can I tell you a secret?" "Tell me." "It took me time to find my voice." "Where can we buy your work?" "Everywhere, nowhere." "My place, your place." "We can exhibit it at your house." "A gift, I insist." "Keep the frame." "We stole it from your house." "I recognize it!" "I'm very touched." "She looks quite mad!" "I love it." "Where is she?" "There!" "Did you see her eyes?" "The loneliness!" "Look!" "Look!" "We could have sold her anything!" "She's going to be our saviour." "Why don't we go away for a few days?" "I can't leave Paris now, Frangoise." "Business, my wife..." "Everything seems against me." "If my partners ditch me, I'm ruined." "I have no money." "None." "She does, and she's always been there." "I'm sick of all this." "She bought my title, not me." "Did you read the article?" "He has an interesting angle on her." "What does he want?" "What's he after?" "Something touched him." "He may be sincere." "Why does she have to bray like that?" "It's embarrassing." "So embarrassing." "Why does she need to do it?" "She drove past my shop." "I saw her in her car." "Don't tell me." "Would you rather I sang it?" "Relax." "She'd know by now if she wanted to." "To me, she's no longer a woman." "She's turned into... a sort of freak." "Christian, get in position." "Raise your sword, dear boy." "Higher!" "In this scene, you want to kill me." "You hate me." "Show it in your eyes." "There." "Beautiful." "Higher." "Scream!" "Louder!" "Stab me!" "Music!" "Stab me!" "Is she burning the house down?" "I waited all day for the sun, darling." "For the photo!" "Remind me to tell you something very important." "There's a present for you in your study!" "We'll do the one with the horse and shields." "I'm ready." "Am I disturbing you?" "Thank you." "Look what just came by hand." "An invitation to sing at a small concert in public, in Paris." "What kind of recital?" "That young critic and his artist friends remembered me." "Listen, Marguerite." "I know his review touched you deeply, but..." "There'll be painters and poets and other musicians." "It won't be just me, obviously." "They're even offering to pay me!" "Isn't it a lark!" "The thing is..." "Our friends in the Club may not appreciate your singing in such a place." "Among strangers..." "Come with me, then!" "There'll be a tribute to the war dead with officers and dignitaries... and a moving picture!" "It could fit nicely with your rebuilding business." "Just think!" "Me, singing to a real audience!" "The curtain rising..." "The lights..." "The audience!" "The Screeching Baroness" "THE CAUSE WAS GOOD BUT THE VOICE WAS BAD" "HILARIOUS" "POOR MOZART!" "Who will be there?" "What if they pelt me with tomatoes?" "Like all great singers." "Someone should throw artworks at tomatoes for a change!" "I'll take your bags down to the car." "Should I prepare my lady's car, sir?" "This one will work." "It's a sensitive engine." "Powerful but fragile." "Is Madame ready?" "Readier than ever, sir." "Hurry up, Marguerite!" "Lord knows what's gone wrong!" "I promised to be there by noon!" "A faulty spark plug or condenser, maybe." "I'm really sorry." "What can we do?" "They're all expecting me!" "It's rotten luck." "I was looking forward to it." "A car!" "Madelbos!" "It's Madelbos!" "You left these behind." "Forgive me." "We'll take this car." "That one never works." "Powerful but fragile." "Come on!" "Hurry up!" "This is important." "Music, here we come!" "Hear ye!" "Hear ye, good patriots!" "The famous Charlie Chaplin is performing in Paris!" "With singers, painters and dancers..." "My beauty!" "You're here!" "Hello." "Michel!" "About time!" "I found a band." "Come and see!" "Michel Aurenbach." "He wrote a song for me." "You'll hear it." "What's this place?" " What are you plotting?" " Kyril's usual tricks." "It's good you came." "What's the plan, exactly?" "The surprise must be total." "No one must see you before." "Stay out of sight." "I promise." "Sit down." "I'll come and take you on stage." "It's right next to us." "Once you start singing, whatever happens, keep on singing." "No matter what, OK?" "I need to warm up my voice and rehearse the second verse." "I adore you!" "When are you speaking?" "I'm not making a speech." "My wife's giving a recital." "I'm here to debate the currency crisis." "Currency crisis?" "There's some mistake." "I'm here to see Mr. Chaplin." "Was it you who invited Marguerite?" "She loves Kyril." "She came to buy his pictures." "Are you going to fleece her?" "She's glad to be out of the sticks." " Is it fancy enough for you here?" " It's OK." "Chaplin!" "Chaplin!" "No more painters!" "No more writers!" "No more musicians!" "No more sculptors!" "No more religions!" "No more republicans!" "No more royalists!" "No more imperialists!" "No more anarchists!" "No more socialists!" "This is obscene!" "No more politicians!" "No more proletarians!" "No more democrats!" "No more bourgeois!" "No more aristocrats!" "No more army!" "No more police!" "No more fatherland!" "An end to all those idiocies!" "No more anything!" "Nothing!" "Nothing!" "Nothing!" "You're on soon, Marguerite." "Are you ready?" "The audience seems very... responsive!" "They're very happy" " How's Marguerite?" " On cloud nine!" "These fools don't deserve her." "That voice says it all!" "The voice of France!" "Down with profiteers of slaughter!" "Don't rebuild this world!" "Destroy it!" "Beauty stinks!" "Thanks, police!" "You were wonderful!" "It was beautiful!" "They kept my axe." "Not with my voice, thank you." "Silly me!" "Uh-oh..." "My husband." "Stand up to him." "You're a real artist." "No one has the right to silence you." "Hazel!" "Michel!" "We'll let you sing next time." "It'll be grand!" "You're in for a scolding." "Beware of cads like me." "She was magnificent!" "Can't you drop that fake German accent?" "Everyone believes it." "You believe in nothing." "Look at you." "A walking canape." "SCANDAL AT NIGHT CLUB" "What can I say?" "I'm lost for words." "Come forward, Marguerite." "Sit down." "I lost two sons in action." "I can't let our national anthem be ridiculed." "Ridiculed?" "I sang it to honor our soldiers." "I did it with the utmost love." "It was, above all, the wrong place." "A lady of your rank should not engage in stunts with petty anarchists, bolshevists, extremists, avant-gardists, and whatnot." "In these troubled times, what can they contribute to society?" "To our artistic heritage?" "Freedom?" "I risked my life to defend that freedom." "Precisely!" "The Marseillaise is the song of freedom." "Aren't we free to sing the song of freedom?" "As usual, our club will now confer and reach a decision." "I understand." "Come in." "I tried to make you proud but took you to a madhouse." "I can see why our friends are angry." "So can I." "I'll be more careful next time." "What next time?" "Georges..." "On that little stage, I felt something completely new." "Something important." "Which is?" "The audience brings music to life!" "The audience!" "Without it, nothing lives!" "Not necessarily." "Without an audience... we're in the... secret of music." "Alone with it, in all its mystery." "That, too, is beautiful." "I shall put on a real concert." "For a real audience!" "What do you mean, a "real concert"?" "A proper one." "A classical recital in a concert hall." "You can't get up on stage unprepared." "I've been preparing for years." "Let's give a big concert here." "With the Club as usual, but..." "They threw me out!" "You saw it." "We can fix that." "Don't run the gauntlet of a real stage." "There's no point." "I've obeyed you all my life." "I've managed our home, helped with your business, sat without complaint through countless boring dinner parties." "Now I want to be more than that." "That's no excuse for foolishness!" "It's not foolishness!" "I shall find a real teacher and people to help and advise me." "I forbid it!" "What are you afraid of?" "I'm afraid for you, actually." "All the time." "BUT Why?" "What is this?" "Pride?" "Do you crave adulation like a little girl?" "You don't understand what I do or what I am." "Music is all that matters to me." "Music." "It's all you've left me." "But I'm willing to sing to your empty chair once more." "Or I'll go mad, you hear me?" "Mad." "MAD!" "I shall need you, Madelbos." "It will be magnificent." "I had an Indian dance teacher who often said to me," ""Perfection is not about doing a great and beautiful deed." "It's doing what one does with greatness and beauty."" "You did Indian dancing?" "Sacred dancing, yes." "I had gone astray." "It helped me forget myself." "Look." "They're all there for you." "Wait!" "Wait!" "She wants to give a big concert!" "With a real audience!" "Sorry, Georges, but your lovely wife no longer belongs to our music club." "We can't let her on stage." "It would be disastrous!" "Did you hear we've found a new patroness?" "It's a relief after hearing her screech for years." "Don't insult my wife." "Have you suddenly fallen in love with her singing?" "Think how she'll feel." "When she realizes!" "You all deceived her too!" "You rotten turds!" "By the way, my regards to the fair Frangoise." "You make her scream differently, no?" "Let's gm!" "Toodle-oo from the turds." "Giddy-up!" "Chapter 3 TOWARDS JOY" "The curtain goes up at nine." "We're late, Madelbos." "I'm meeting friends at the Opera." "I assume you won't come?" "Marguerite, we need to talk." "Do come, for once." "It's Pagliacci." "About an actor who wants to kill his wife." "You should enjoy it." "Ciao, bello!" "I mistook the time." "It started at 8:30." "But let me show you something else." "Come." "Later, maybe." "We need to discuss your art gallery project." "I'd be very glad to help you." "I fell out with Kyril." "He's too crazy." "He got arrested again." "He made me laugh!" "I've gone back to work on a novel I started." "Are you quitting your job?" "It's not that simple." "I'm here if you need any help." "You'll have to jump one day." "But do it lightly!" "We're under the stage." "This was the prompter's box." "Nowadays they sit in the wings." "Everything OK?" "You'd like seats now?" " Please!" " If possible." "Well met, Mr. Mole!" "Lucien, my friend!" " How have you been?" " Fine, thanks." "Give the boy a drink." " You rent opera glasses now?" " It's a sideline." "Full house?" "No chance." "The show's a flop." "They're taking him off." "That's why he's bleating like a sheep." "Is Pezzini paying you?" "The theater hired me to drum up applause, but it's hopeless." "Nice job, getting paid to clap." "Or boo." "But it costs more!" "I have ten men in there clapping every night but it doesn't catch on." "I added some Spaniards yesterday." "They're no slackers!" "Still no good." "She loves singing and wants a teacher." "I thought of Pezzini." "He's flat broke." "He'd do anything for sixpence." "I like him, though." "He got me into booing." "You started so young?" "My Granddad booed Victor Hugo!" "Great play, though." ""In love as in fortune," "In Spain as abroad," "The game is rigged, The thief sweeps the board."" "Not bad!" "We rained tomatoes on it!" "By the way," "I see Hazel has a new protector." "She's doing OK." "They give recitals." "Shall I send in the Spaniards?" "They hate modern music." "You're too kind." "Hear my Spaniards?" "Such beauty!" "Such delicacy!" "Such elegance!" " Fuck you!" " You poor slut!" "You said it was the last curtain call and then you took a solo bow!" "You can't fool me, you old faggot!" "Nonsense!" "UP yours!" "Look at that fat arse!" "You were here?" "Please meet Baroness Dumont." " The lady who clapped so loudly!" " It was magnificent." "Hear that, you fat slut?" "She'd suck any cock for a good review." "It's true!" "Come for a drink in my dressing room." "I'll sound him out." "Then join us." "Come in, dear lady." "Have a drink." "Champagne for the singer!" "Where were you?" "I read Lucien's article about you." "Was the feather your idea?" "I love it." "Did Lucien tell you I need a teacher to coach me for a recital?" "He mentioned it." "I understand you." "A voice with no teacher is like a ship with no captain." " Am I right?" " Well put, Maestro." "As you know, or don't know, many teachers train their students regardless of their vocal type." "Even nowadays." "That is why we've come to you." "Hello!" "Excuse me." "How are you?" "You know the great Marguerite Dumont?" "Off you go." "He'd better audition you first." "Good idea." "If he says you're not ready to perform, you must listen." "Maybe even give up." "You can't cheat music, dear lady." "Or it gets its revenge, believe me." "I should go home." " My husband will be waiting." " It will do him good." "Aren't you having fun?" "For once?" "It's beyond my dreams!" "He's a great artist, isn't he?" "He was." "He's a great teacher now." "There you are!" "What do the cards say?" "They said I'd meet a queen of hearts today." "Good evening, Madame Dumont." "Félicité turns tables, too." "You forbid me to make them sing." "You can make tables sing?" " Some tables." " How odd!" "It's odd at first, but you get used to it." "We're joking." "I forgot it's my Diego's birthday!" "He's a very great teacher, you know?" "He sees and feels everything." "You see?" "Music... is the stuff of dreams!" "I know." "I heard you helped Hazel." "They needed money to rent a hall." "Now they're in Italy for a recital." "He's a talented young man." "Why did you never write about her?" "She was waiting for you to encourage her." "Really!" "You shouldn't be scared." "At first, I thought you wanted to use me." "I did, but one grows fond." "It's silly." "You seem happy." " I must go home." " I'll get you a cab." "I'd like to walk a while." "Thank you." "See you soon!" "See you soon." "Thank you!" ""Risk everything, expect nothing."" "I'll be singing for you." "Well, Well!" "The main drawing room." "At one time, the piano was here but it echoed too much." "Georges!" "Let me introduce the great Atos Pezzini." "I've asked him here to help me work." "Before deciding anything at all, I shall need to hear you sing." "You've never heard her sing?" "That's why I'm here, good sir." "I can't wait to hear your opinion, Maestro." "I believe in work." "Work and more work." "Working to survive our sensitivity." "It's the artist's lot." "Pray be seated, sir." "I'm listening, dear lady." "By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart," "The Marriage of Figaro." "Yet another story about a jilted wife." "Go ahead, Contessa." "Actually, I'm singing Cherubino." ""Voi che sapete. "" "He discovers the toils of love..." "We know the plot." "Go on." "Focus your energy." "It really is..." "The music of a man who was never happy in love." "Poor Mozart." "You sang it in D major, didn't you?" "One note up?" "I'm a coloratura soprano." "It's easier for me to sing higher, that's why." "But if you prefer it lower..." "I can." "Of course, of course." "No, it's... very interesting." "Very personal!" "You must have worked hard to achieve your skills." "I've devoted my life to music, Maestro." "It goes to show!" "Well..." "I'm happy" "I'm so glad!" "Bravo." "Thank you." "How did it go?" "Your wife is very gifted." "Very keen." "The problem... is me." "Taking on a new student is no small step." "I'm tempted, obviously... but I already teach at the Conservatory, I have plans in Moscow, and Pagiacci every night..." "It's a lot for one voice!" "They're taking you off Pagliacci." "What?" "Who said?" "The theater." "So you're available." "Yes." "Well..." "I promise to give deep thought to your generous offer." "I hope you've fully grasped the situation." "I think I have." "Madelbos will drive you home." "Don't change, dear lady." "Keep your freshness." "Thank her for the flowers." "Where to, sir?" "My house in Boulogne." "Via the Billy Boy, sir?" "You know the Billy Boy?" "You sang there last night." "I was there." "You were very pretty." "As pretty as in the photo." "What photo?" "My lady says snakes hide under flowers." "I know his name's Alberto and he's too young to pose nude with a transvestite." "Did that slut give you these?" "No, sir." "He sold them to me." "So this is blackmail?" "It's one possibility." "Here." "One day, she'll find out that everyone lies to her." "One day, my photos of her will be famous because of it." "People will say," ""To think she never realized!"" "You're all as mad as hatters." "Get her husband to fuck her and spare our eardrums." "She's crying out for it, poor woman." "And what about me?" "I'll be a laughing stock." "You already are, sir." "You have no other plans and your show has been canceled." "I have a list of your debts." "You'll be singing under a bridge soon." "In Moscow, perhaps." "See it as a game." "My lady will be very generous." "What if she really does it?" "On stage, in front of an audience?" "Who will throw the first stone?" "Chapter 4 HER MASTER'S VOICE" "Let me introduce my team." "Each one has a precise role in preparing our recital." "Félicité, also known as "Nanny"" "or the Bearded Lady." "As Art Director, she'll design our scenery, costumes and so on." "She's also a medium and believe me, the Bearded Lady never makes mistakes!" "The queen of hearts." "I remember." "Diego Romano, my personal assistant." "My torch bearer!" "The only person I allow to tell me the truth." "Is every truth good to hear?" "It depends who sings it, Madame." "Lastly, the very serious Monsieur Callot, alias "Jean-Lou", our peerless pianist and musicologist, like you." "My respects, Monsieur." "My music library may interest you." "He's deaf." "He accompanies singers by lip-reading." "It works well." "To work, kiddies!" "It's nearly noon and we haven't started!" "Marguerite, to the piano." "Looking for something?" "The Maestro asked me to find a big mirror to work with." "His methods seem quite unusual." "He adapts them to his students." "May I ask how we'll be paid?" "Is Mr. Madelbos in charge?" "I assume he discussed your... terms." "We charge by the hour." "Triple pay after 5 PM and weekends." "Part hours paid in full, of course." "Of course." "There." "Splendid." "Come forward, Baroness." "Don't be afraid." "Now you're... facing the abyss." "Far in the distance... a voice is calling us." "A voice that needs help." "Your voice." "Can you hear it?" "Reach out." "Fear not." "Wider!" "Wider!" "Loosen your pelvis!" "Looser, looser..." "Singing makes the body resonate, from the toes to the perineum." "Keep it tight!" "Like a Chinese whore!" "They're famous for it." "Your husband will be grateful." "Have I shocked you?" "To sing, you need to forget good manners and hypocrisy." "This is reality." "If you're scared, stop right now." "You can't face a full house and say, "Sorry I'm alive."" "Come on!" "Again." "Caress the sounds." "Legato!" "Glide from one sound to the next." "Like a caress." "Go on, caress yourself." "Don't be bashful." "One step at a time!" "The wee-wee in your throat is all stiff." "I can hear it." "Open the wee-wee!" "Else there's no point." "Don't you feel it?" "That's good." "Come on now, breathe..." "Luncheon is served." "About time!" "We'll get there, Madelbos." "It will be glorious." "No, there's a light in your voice." "A generosity." "Really." "A few things need correcting, of course, but not much." "Besides, to exist is to insist." "That's true." "To exist is to insist." "You're not eating." "Eat!" "I only eat white food." "Rice, chicken, chicory, leeks"." "I'll be damned." "Does it do you good?" "I like the brightness of it." "When I can't think what to eat, I go for white." "It gives me purpose." "I see." "I have an important question." "Should I carry on singing coloratura or mezzo?" "It's the only real question, technically." "But isn't it too hasty?" "A voice is a living thing." "We'll see what it wants." "The repertoire matters." "Yes, and I've prepared a list of songs for my recital." "Eighteen pieces!" "Purcell, Donizetti, Gluck..." "The boys are all here!" "Will we be ready within the month?" " Champagne, sir?" " Yes, please." "Cheers!" "Imagine her on stage." "Hundreds of people laughing their heads off." "If her teacher tells her to give up, she will." "She'll find one who doesn't." "Tell her the truth, then." "Be brave." "A life of deceit." "It would kill her." "Me, too." "I'd die of shame." "What does she want?" "Why does she do it?" "To make you look at her." "She's done it." "And you don't understand." "Won't you come too, Marguerite?" "I've been working all day, dear." "That robe is new." "It's a gift from my teacher." "He says Chinese prostitutes love them." "He made me fondle my breasts while I sang today." "Are you telling everyone I'm crazy?" "I've told nobody, I swear." "I've got to go." "Spot on, Marguerite." "Perfect." "We're doing well." "Any more chocolates?" "The little nutty ones?" "It's OK, I can't hear." "An autograph for my parents?" "They admire you so much." "I'll do it later." "I can't reach that note." "I just can't." "I'm sorry." "So what do we do?" "What do we do about this bloody note?" "Where is this going to end?" "I don't have to put up with all this." "I've sung on all the best stages, dearie!" "I'm sorry." "Your singing is ugly." "It's deplorable." "To hell With it." "You want the truth?" "The real truth" "that nobody dares tell you?" "You want to hear it?" "You'll never be a coloratura." "Because you're a mezzo!" "That's the truth." "Like it or lump it!" "It's how it is." "Come on, back to work." "Keep quiet from now on." "Sing, but keep quiet." "What do you expect?" "No one told you to force it." "To the bitter end!" "Are you all right?" "Again." "Bear with me..." "I need to see the back of your throat." "Done!" " You can sit down." " Thank you." "You push until it snaps." "You're not the only one." "In that case, Doctor, shouldn't she rest her voice?" "Give it a chance to..." "I can't!" "You're preparing a recital, I hear?" "Yes!" "I'm hard at work." "What will you sing?" "You like opera?" "I sing too, just for fun." "In a choir." "It does me good!" "Choirs have always said my voice is too unusual." "As a girl, they never let me join in." "So I cried all the time!" "Incidentally... when you examined my wife's vocal cords, did they seem... intact?" "I mean normal?" "Normal?" "Did you see any... deformity?" "Any oddity of shape or size?" "Any lesions, or damage, from an early age perhaps, that could explain..." "She strained her voice and hurt herself, that's all." "She can sing to her heart's content." "Rest easy, Monsieur." "Marguerite, can we talk?" "What's up, Georges?" "It's this." "For a long time, I mean..." "How can I put it?" "I have a big thing to say." "You're scaring me!" "This recital project..." "Your throat injury..." "I know you're devoted to it..." "But I have to..." "When you look at me like that, you can tell me anything." "It's this." "I think you're very brave." "I won't disappoint you, I promise." "Well?" "They kept us worrying downstairs." " What did the quack say?" " Everything's fine." "I drew two spades in a row." "Scary!" "Three cheers for Marguerite!" "I love you" "How about this!" "What if nobody comes?" "Why wouldn't they?" "We've advertised everywhere." "Everyone knows it's in a good cause." "I drew the 7 of hearts three times yesterday." "Is it a good card?" "Excellent!" "She drew it before my triumph in Bucharest, remember?" "Seven curtain calls!" "They couldn't stop." "You didn't pick the smallest hall." "Hello, you stinker!" "Need to drum up applause for your lady friend?" "We'll give it the works." "Poles, Italians... the full monty." "If they don't raise the roof, I quit." "Do we have to cheat like that?" "It's up to you, Marguerite." "It will be your show." "Nobody will steal it from you." "Where were you hiding?" "I shut myself away to try and write." "I was worried about you." "You're as fresh... as a young girl." "Look"." "I would like my husband... to sit... there, in that seat." "Let's not get sentimental." "No sentiment!" "It's size that counts!" "And now, song time!" "Has your husband seen you dancing like a gypsy?" "He thinks I'm rehearsing!" "It's nice to see you looking better." "Did you work well?" "That red scarf, is it silk?" "I saw you this evening." "It was a farewell gift." "What if I don't sing tomorrow?" "What if we went away together?" "I know tomorrow means a lot to you." "If you ask me not to sing, I won't." "My husband!" "Chapter 5 THE TRUTH" "SINGLE CHARITY CONCERT" "She's very eccentric, you know?" "Very free." "I merely helped her get through something." "The sublime and the ridiculous are never far apart." " Do they know what they're in for?" " They've come to see the freak." "Ka-ra-wane!" "Telegram for you, my lady." ""I'll be with you."" "Signed, "Charlie Chaplin"." "Is it really him?" "Who knows?" "Is my husband here yet?" "He won't be long, my lady." "He took his wretched car again." "I left you a note suggesting we came here together." "I know." "He's here!" "He came." "Time to get ready, my lady." "Good evening." "I remember her singing alone in our bedroom, and now..." "Your bedroom's crowded." "I don't like you much." "Me neither." "Did you like it?" "She lost a lot of blood but we've staunched it." "Can she ever sing again?" "It's too early to say." "We'll know when she wakes up." "Her husband never dared tell her she sang badly and you never dared tell me I sang well." "Maybe I was scared of losing you." "You have great things in you." "I know it." "You don't know anything." "Successful, rich people can never understand." "Hear me sing next week, at the Champs Elysées Theater." "A gala concert." "I'm dedicating it to Marguerite." "Where would we be without her?" "Sir?" "Thank you." "The time has come for me to give notice, sir." "I'm getting married." "Marguerite will be happy for you." "I know she's very fond of you." "Perhaps... for want of you, sir." "Today is Wednesday." "I have a big question for you, Madame Dumont." "None of this "Madame Dumont"." "Call me Marguerite." "To my audience, I'm always Marguerite." "Very well." "The last time we recorded, you said you often sang at the Berlin Opera." "Can you tell us about it?" "Doctor, I've been lucky enough to sing worldwide, in every great opera house." "Thinking back on it..." "It's like a whirlwind, a never-ending journey on a train that never stops, with me singing in it!" "I open the window and sing out of the train wherever it goes!" "I understand." "What's your fondest memory on stage?" "I don't know." "There are so many!" "Perhaps before the war, singing Wagner in front of my husband in Milan." "On that huge stage, I had to belt it out!" "What are your plans for the future?" "You'll have to ask my agent." "Only yesterday," "I was offered Samson and Delilah at Covent Garden with Porovsky and Cavalieri." "We're close friends." "I love her." "The hospital, sir!" "But what matters most to me is sharing with the audience." "Without them, the music rings empty." "You see?" "Empty" "Tell me more about your plans." "There's talk of touring Asia with Aida... but I've also had an offer from South America." "I've always dreamed of singing in Argentina." "Actually, I feel as if I've spent my whole life on stage." "Trying to fit myself into all those characters." "It's a strange occupation." "Pretending not to pretend." "Norma, Tosca..." "They're my family!" "My cousins, friends, sisters." "I can't live without them." "I decided to make her talk and record her memories... or what she thinks are memories." "She might have dreamed it all but she never lived it." "Never." "She's never been a great singer." "Or happy in love?" "To hell with those who laugh and mock." "It's all hot air." "Noise." "You'll help me save her, then." "She sent for music, costumes, everything she needs to sustain... her delusion." "Whereas I think we should help her reconnect with reality, familiar faces, old habits..." "But this delusion has always been her habit." "She needs to be told the truth." "I've tried." "There's nothing more beautiful than applause." "Nothing." "Except the gaze of the man you love." "I've built my career for my husband, primarily." "So he'll be proud of me and think I'm beautiful and desirable as long as possible." "Voice work is very sensual, you know?" "When you sing, you seek your body." "Your body and... your sex." "Lovelessness explains everything." "Even when it explains nothing!" "It's today's paper." "She's giving a recital tonight." "It's the break she's been waiting for." "She's going to be a great artist." "Maybe I didn't feel worthy of her." "Who knows?" "Isn't suffering interesting?" "It's good!" "It's part of life." "It will be good for you." "Personally, I loved suffering." "It made me..." "Once you've tried it, it's..." "Do you know how the peahen seduces the peacock?" "I have a peacock called Caruso." "They face each other." "He's like a statue while she, with her beak, pecks his eye!" "He takes it eagerly!" "Hello, Marguerite." "How are we today?" "It's time for my recording." "Look at this amazing gadget!" "You know I've been asked to sing Carmen in Bucharest?" "Do you think I should?" "They want an answer." "Keep them waiting." "I must run." "It records everything!" "How tiring it must be to remember it all!" "I thought we might sing today." "How about it?" "Sing?" "I'd love to." "So they decided to record her voice." "This disc contains her singing in her usual voice." "They think the sound of it will shock her into..." "It will cause a reaction that helps her recover herself." "She'll wake up." "She may think it's not her." "I hope she has a strong stomach." "She may just laugh." "What if it goes wrong?" "What if she can't take it?" "I don't know." "What do the cards say, Nanny?" "Jack of hearts, 7 of spades." ""Life offers us two ways to live it." "We can dream it, or achieve it."" "This portrait's beautiful." "When is it from?" "My first photo of my lady." "She was young." "All I need is the last one." "The last one?" "The heroine's sacrifice." "Tell the doctor I've changed my mind." "Tell him to cancel the plan." "She mustn't hear her voice!" "The doctor's not around." "He may be getting the equipment ready." "I'll tell him to stop, don't worry." "See you soon, sir." "A recording of me?" "Singing what, exactly?" "I'll explain everything." "We'll be in a dining..." "a party room with a stage." "How wonderful!" "Has my husband arrived?" "Not yet, my lady" "That wretched automobile!" "They're doing it upstairs." "In the dining room." "Where's her husband?" "Anyone around will have to take me as I am." "No frills!" "A recording from when?" "We made it last week in my office." "When you made me sing?" "This is a nice hall." "It could take a crowd." "What's so special about this recording?" "You'll see." "Any news of my husband?" "Not yet, my lady" "This one's pretty." "How sweet of you to come!" "We're going to hear a recording of my voice." "My lady is lovelier than ever."