"You've arrived!" "Cross the canal and you'll be home." "Let's get the tram." "He's sleeping standing up." "Let's see if it's still running." "See you tomorrow!" "Again, manythanks." "For what?" "It's our pleasure, right, Maria?" " But of course!" " When wego back there, on another nice day like today, I'll let you know!" " Thanks." " Wait till he settles in ...and you'll see he'll find better ways of spending his Sundays!" "Hurry!" "The night tram's coming!" "Just a moment!" "What are you doing here?" "You're hungry, poor thing, huh?" "Come here!" "Oh, you've found something." "Come on, take it!" " Good evening." " Good evening." "What a scare!" "Get on!" "There's room for youtoo, in the middle!" "Miss!" "Get on, Blondie!" "There's room!" "Allthree of us can squeeze up..." " Please leave heralone." " Who are you?" "Where did this idiot come from?" "Blondie, come awaywith us!" "What do you want from us?" "I'll show you what I want!" "The young lady's with me!" "Whatare you talking about?" "!" "Clear off!" "You scoundrel!" "Come back!" "Come back!" "You're running away?" " Very courageous!" " What's the matter?" "Nothing, nothing..." "Did you see what they're like?" "They enjoy bothering people." "What idiots..." "If you hadn't run off, just then, on the bridge you wouldn't have been bothered like that." "Look, I don't know you." "Please leave me alone." "I don't know you, either." "Please let me walk you home." "Those two good-for-nothings upset you just now and they might..." "Ifeel it's my duty." "Please don't put yourself out for me." "I live nearby." " Can't I walk you home?" " No." "It's better if you don't." "You surely don't think I want to bother you too?" "No, I don't." "But a while ago, you too..." "Maybe... maybe... it..." "itseemed like that to you, but..." "Anyhow, I realized almost immediatelythat you were crying in a waythat broke my heart." "And I thought, excuse me for sayingthis, lthought..." "Very well, I'll come clean." "I approached youthen because..." "Well, I would have liked..." "But then I realized you weren't..." "It's all clear." "Now, may I walk you home?" "You can trust me." "No, lwon't leave you here alone." "Come on!" "How often you hear people say that because of some woe..." "But you didn't have that in mind, I hope." "A pretty young woman like you..." "You're foreign, aren't you?" "Where are you from?" "So, what are we going to do?" "Won't you tell me what you're doing here and why you were crying?" "I live nearby." "Over there." "Were you crying because of this?" "I too live nearby." "Down there." "But I'm not crying." "It's already midnight." "Today has just flown!" "I spent the whole day out of town." "With my boss and and his family." "Nice people!" "Boring, but nice people." "It was the first time, since I was transferred here, that I had company and it was very pleasant." "But I keptquiet the whole time with them." "But now I'm alone again, I feel like talking, being in someone's company." "Iwas in a good mood." "I wantedto end my day happily." "Then I saw you." "You can walk me home now, if you like." "Why don't we go for a drink first?" "In Piazza Grande there's bound to be a bar open." " It's too late." "I'm sorry I ruined your evening." "What are youtalking about?" "I'm glad to have met you!" "I was at a loose end." "I told you I was looking for company and I got lucky." "Excuse me, I'm terribly shy." "With women, I mean." "I don't mix with them often." "I don't even know howto talk to them." "The women I know..." "Usually, women are attracted to shy men." " I, forone, am." " Really?" "Don't say that, otherwise you'll make me forget my shyness." "And my means to success will be ruined." "What means?" "You said women are attractedto shy men," " yourself included..." " Goodnight, everybody!" " We're here." " What?" "Already?" "I'm sorry." "Do I really have to go?" " Yes." " Listen..." "Tomorrow evening, I'll go back to where we met tonight." "Maybe we'll meet if nothing's happened in the meantime." "I'll waitfor you." "Ljust wanted to tell you I'll be there tomorrow at 10pm." "At 10pm, fine!" "Still in bed!" "Aren't you going to work this morning?" "Don't you know what time it is?" "It's gone 8 o'clock." "What a tidy room!" "I've brought you some coffee." "It must be good because I've just made it fresh." "It's 8 o'clock!" "Wake up!" "Wake up!" "My goodness!" "You look dog tired!" "I heard you come in last night, you know?" "You started whistling and then you sang,too!" "You could have woken up the whole guest-house." "The doctor isn't feeling well." "I'm off!" "There's hotwaterthere." "Hurry or you'll be late!" "One day, they'll fire you!" "I don't have time to waste with you, you know?" "I'll be right there, doctor!" "Yes, I'm coming!" "Listen, Doctor,they brought the result of your urine test." "I don'tthink you've anything wrong with you." "Coming!" "Coming!" "Hello?" "Guest-house Aurora." "No, I told you there's no fault here!" "I've no time to waste." "Maria, I want you to do a thorough cleaning this morning!" "Under the bed too." "Signor Mario?" "Are you up?" "Are you washing?" "Where did you go yesterday, in these shoes?" "To the mountains?" "It must have been a good trip!" "Now I understand why you oversleep." "Colonel?" "Colonel!" "Colonel!" "Maria, come here afterwards to air this room." "That's where that smell was coming from!" "From the Colonel's room!" "The bin hasn't been emptied for three days!" "It's absurd!" "I have to do everything in this house!" "Get a move on!" "Hello?" "Guest-house Aurora." "Oh, Counselor!" "How are you?" "Fine, fine..." "Signora?" "Signora!" " Signora, I..." " Excuse me, Counselor, but a client's calling me." "Goodness!" "You're not ready yet?" "Please spot- clean and iron this." "What?" "Don't you know I've a lotto do?" "It's not possible." "But I need itthis evening!" "Please be so kind...!" " These jobs cost extra." " Fine!" "I'll payfor itseparately!" "As soon as I come back from the office, I'll change." " The white shirt too!" " Have a shave!" " All right, I'll shave." " No, not you, Counselor." "Maria, come and get this suit!" "What'll you have?" "Who's scaring the chickens?" "Go on, kids!" "Off to bed!" "What are you doing in the hen house?" "!" "Get out of there!" "Can't you see you're scaring the hens?" "They'll stop laying!" "Out!" " Excuse me, lwas lookingfor..." " In the hen-house, at this hour?" "No one, thanks." "I've an appointment here." "With someone from this house?" " No, not from this house." "Then you'd better leave because I can't wait around." " I have to close up." " May I stay here a moment?" "Outside, there's someone who might bother me..." "He follows me allthe time and I don't..." "Thanks." "Please don't take offence." "There is a reason, I assure you." "Listen, maybe I'm indiscreet, rude, but if you didn't want to see me, all you had to do was say so." " What do you take me for?" "What...?" " Don't take offence." "Yesterday evening, I made a mistake, that's all." "I behaved like a littlegirl." "It's been on my mind all day." "I wonder what he thinks of me?" "That I'm a girl who accepts a date with the first guy she meets?" " You didn't think this, did you?" " I didn't think anything at all." "Oh, yes you did!" "And you were right." "Butsince I'm not like that the easiest way to prove it to you was not to show up." "Where?" "In the place where we'd agreedto meet?" " At the very same time?" " But ljust hadto go there." "Really?" "But you obviously didn't want my company." "So, I apologize and wish you good night!" "There wouldn't be anything wrong in your keeping me company now." "Excuse me?" "I mean, if we gotto know each other and became friends." "You're an odd sort, you know?" "What can I do if we met by chance and there's no one around even nowto assure you I'm not a rogue?" " I already realized that." "If lfix an appointment with you, you're entitledto think..." "That it was a date." "Okay, I don't think that." " Are you cross with me." " Me?" "Nota bit!" "You really didn't think that?" "Then everything's fine." "We can take care of the rest." "My name's Natalie." "Now, tell me everything about yourself." "Who are you?" "What do you do?" "Tell me your story." "It'll be as if we'd always been friends!" "My story?" "But I don't have a storyto tell." "How have you managed to live up to now without a story?" " I lived normally." " You must have someone, a family..." "Even if very small, like mine." "I've only an elderly grandmother." "Elderly and almost blind." "Allthe others left." "The first to leave was my father." "It was so long ago that I don't remember him." "Then my mother left with someone who wasn't myfather." "So now, my grandmother, for fear that I'd get into trouble, and seeing she's almost blind and couldn't follow me, sometimes took a pin and attached my skirt to hers!" " Shedid what?" " It's true." "Go on... whatare you saying?" "It's true!" "Don't you believe me?" "It's what happened." "But don't laugh at my grandmother." "I love herall the same." "But we weren'ttalking about me..." "You were supposed ... to tell me who you are, what you do, how you live..." " With whom you live..." " We'll have plenty of time for this" "Why don't we decide, first, where we'll go?" "It's too late for the movies now and anyhow, you can't talk there." " Why don't we go...?" " Ithought you'd understood." "I have to go back there." "I'm expecting someone." "Oh..." "I thought you'd understood." "That's why I said you mustn't worry about me, but if you like, you can keep me company." "With pleasure!" "It's an honour!" "I couldn't ask for more." "Here we are!" "May I ask who we're waitingfor?" "At what time willthis person deign to show up?" "It's nota question of an exact time." "Ah, fine!" "Let's hope he takes his time coming." "That way, we'll have the chance to get wet." "It'll rain soon." "No, it won't rain." "It's just damp." "It's always like that at night." "Yesterday, for example." "Iwent back there, after we said goodbye." "It was so damp, it really seemed itwas about to rain but it didn't." "Careful..." "Your grandmother doesn't seem so strict, if she lets you stay out overnight on your own." " Butshe doesn't know!" " Oh, that's better!" "Poor Grandma!" "She'd be very upset if she knew." "But I..." "Don't wantto cry any more for other people's suffering." "I must watch out for myself." "Maybe cryfor myself." "Do you think he won'tcome?" "Look, Miss, I..." "I'm not crazy." "Don't worry about that." "I can explain everything, if you like." "My story is very ordinary..." "My grandmother's foreign." "You see, we..." "Best say nothing about the rice!" "It was terrible!" "The meat was uneatable!" "We're not from here." "We're Slavs." "I believe we were rich once upon atime... because my grandfather was a carpet merchant." "When he died,the family started mending carpets at home." "There's nothing much left of our home." "But we've lots of carpets that are no longer ours." "They bring us carpets to mend." "It's a hard job... we only do on the finest, most valuable carpets." "At home, there's a room upstairs that we rent out." "Oneday, a new tenant moved in." "Was there a different one before that?" "Of course." "As soon as he left." "We got another one." "Without tenants we can't manage." "We met him through Giuliana, an old employee of ours who helps us with the housework." "Now, she's living in the room upstairs." "The newtenant wasn'tfrom here." "He came from another town." "This way, sir." "Do come in." "Since he didn't quibble about the rent," "Grandma took him in without checking on him." "Onlywhen he turned up," "Grandma got suspicious and said:" "What's he like, Natalia?" "Is he young?" "Not to lie, I said:" "He's not exactly young, but he's not old either, Grandma." "Is he good looking?" "My goodness!" "Who'd have expected it?" "Atenant who's also good looking." "In my day,that never happened." "What are you doing?" "Hurry up!" "Go and getthe rent book from my room." " Right away!" " Go!" "Go!" "Go!" "I'd forgotten about the pin." "Lfelt so ashamed that as soon as I left the room." "I burst into tears like an idiot." "From that day, as soon as I heard a noise in the hall," "I felt I would die." "I always thought..." "It's him!" "One morning, when I was sure he wasn't in," "with the excuse of tidying up, lwent into his room." "Good morning." "How's your grandmother?" "I see you like my books." "If they interest you, take them." "I've already read them." "I read them to help me fall asleep." "It's become a habit." "Here!" "They're fun to read." "No, no, no..." "Take these too!" "Especially as you certainly have plenty of time for reading." "I don't know how you can stay indoors all day long." "You're a good girl." "It's a pity to see you wasted like this." "It seems almost impossible that today, a girl..." "But don't you ever go anywhere?" "To the movies, fora walk..." "Shall we go out together, some times?" "This evening, for example?" "Agreed?" "Yes?" "Is it you who doesn't want to or is it your grandmother who won't give you her permission?" "If that were the case, it would be easy:" "Don'task permission and we'll go slip out unseen." "Well, I see..." "Let's not talk about it any more." "If that's your attitude..." "But I'dthink it over if I were you." "Atfirst, Grandma wasn't keen on my borrowingthe books." "She's suspicious of everybody and everything!" "She wanted me to readthem out to her, one by one." "For days and days, I read her stories about stranglers, policemen and international spies..." "Grandma got very caught up in those stories that I could hardly understand, lost, as I was, in my own thoughts." "How badly you're reading, Natalia!" "I can't understand anything!" "...and he tightened the slip-knot..." " Go on!" " I was tired and on edge." "He hardly ever left the house then, but I rarely saw him." "I heard him pacing back and forth in his room, until one day..." "Who is it?" "It's me." " I've brought you some more books." " That's very kind." "Thank you." " What are you making?" " Acarpet." "Now..." "I wantedto know what you've decided." "Decided?" "Decided about what?" "I invited the young lady to ask you." "...if you'd like to go out together one evening" "What?" "!" "I'd be delighted to invite you and the young lady  to the opera, for example, one evening." " And Giuliana, of course." " Whatfun!" " "The Barber of Seville" is on." " Oh, how lovely!" "The Barber of Seville?" "Oh, that's myfavourite!" "If theytouch me where I am weak," "I'll turn into a viper!" "And a hundred traps beforegiving in," "I shall set, I shall set." "That evening was a turning point in my life." "We said nothing, but for me, it was as if we'd said everything." "That we'd love each other all our lives." "That we'd never leave each other." "Not even for a day." "But the next day, I learned from Grandma that the tenant ...had cancelled his contract and was leaving." " Natalia!" "Whatcould I do?" "Lwas almost crazy with despair..." "I told him I'd run awaywith him, lwanted to live with him, because without him, life had no meaning." "I..." "I..." "Tryto understand me, Natalia." "It's precisely because I love you that I've done everything I can not to see you any more." "Do you understand?" "I..." "I'm not in a position to marry you, now." "I've had some big problems I can't explain to you." "That's why I've hadto agree to go away for a year." "But I do love you, Natalia." "I love you." "I swear." "I love you, I love you, I love you." "When we left the house, we walkedfor a longtime." "We even came here." "Listen, Natalia." "I've already told you." "I have to stay awayfor a year and I can't expect you to wait for me." "I don'twant you to be unhappy because of me." "You must consider yourself free." "When I come back, in a year, if you still love me," "I swear, we'll be happy." "Ayear from now, I'll be here, waiting for you, at exactlythe same time and you'll love me once again." "I'll be yours." "Yours forever." "The following morning, he left and I'm here, waiting for him." "But this is an absurd story!" "I may well be naive, but not that na;ive." "You expect me to believe..." "I don'texpect you to believe anything." "Ljust told you my story." "It's an ordinary story, I know." " All girls have..." " "All girls" have what?" "Do you mean all girls are crazy?" "What's so strange about what I told you?" "Excuse me, you told me you're waiting here for a manywho lefta yearago, of whom you've had no news at all!" " Right." "So what?" " Where did he go?" "To the moon?" " I don't know." "What does it matter?" " What does it matter?" "!" "Why didn't he contact you?" "One can write from anywhere in the world." "Did you know that?" "But we'd decided not to write to each other." "I alreadytold you." "Oh, right!" "Agreat decision!" "So you don't know where he went." " No." " And not even what his job is." " No." " Naturally!" "Are you sure he exists?" " You think..." " Let's get away from here" " that I'm mad!" " We'll end up sick!" "I've no desire to catch a cold!" "Please, let's go now." "You think I'm mad!" "I don't know what to think!" "How can you be so naive as not to understand?" " You're wrong!" "I'm a man so I can judge:" "He'll never come back!" "You're wrong!" "In fact he's already back!" " He's in town!" " Where?" "He returned and I even knowwhere he's living." " Lfound outtodayfrom Giuliana." " Then he's a scoundrel!" "Maybe he's trying to find out whether I'm still...!" " Don't start again!" "I beg you." "Were you offended by what I said?" "I was joking." "It's just that this story is so alien to me, to my way of thinking." "Bythis, I don't mean that if I could help you..." "I didn'tthink girls like you existed in this world any more." "You see, for me, it's like asking me to believe in fairytales." " It's raining!" " Yes, but it won't last long." "Let's hope not." "When you fell in love, you went to him and told him and that was the right thing to do but then..." "What do you think I should have done?" "Stopped him from leaving." "Or forced him to take you with him, otherwise you'd know it was over..." "Even though people say they'll wait..." " I'd have saidthe same thing." " Without believing it?" "I'm not buying it." "You want to appear worse than you are." "On the contrary, you're kind and sincere." "I've very pleasedthat we've become friends." "Me too." " Give me some advice." " Me?" "What can I say?" "I think you should go and see him, talk to him." "Would you go for me?" "Me?" "What's it got to do with me?" "But even without actually going, you could write him a letter." "No, no... impossible!" "It would seem as if I wanted to force myself on him." "What?" "Anyway, there are letters and letters." "The main thing is to clear the matter up instead of crying and waiting." "You should fix a formal appointment saying you only want to..." "I mean, you should take the first step and see if he..." "Really?" "Well, what would you write to him?" "It's not hard." "It's very easy." "Dear..." " "...sir."" " Fine! "Dear sir"." "Better still "Kind sir"." " As you wish." ""Kind sir," "Then..." "Excuse me for writing to you, but you must forgive..." Aformaltone, right?" "Yes, but not"Excuse me"." "It would be better to write:" "Forgive my impatience." "You're right." "No apologies!" "Forgive my impatience" "but for a whole year I have been waiting..." "No. "I have lived a pleasant expectation."" "Right!" "That's also true." "Are you sure that's all right?" " You're the one who must decide." " Yes, yes, it's fine." "Now you're back and maybe you have changed your mind as far as I'm concerned." "Were thatthe case," "it would be much better to clarify everything andfind closure with a formal appointment." " Tomorrow, at the usual place?" " As you wish." "But now, pay a little attention to me too." "You're not trying to court me, are you?" "You're looking at me like a man in love" "You can't!" "After everything I've told you about myself you can't fall in love with me." "Anyway, you won't get the chance." " We may not see each other again." " Even if we're only friends we don't have to talk exclusively about your problems." " Let's talk about mine, too." " You have problems?" "No." "But I could have some..." " Shall I send it?" " Yes, but not like that." "First, copy it out carefully and then, you knowwhat?" "We'll meet tomorrow evening." "Bring it to me and I'll deliver it to him" " Really?" " Afriend can do a favour can't he?" "Thank you." "Here you are." " What is it?" " The letter." "But this is written..." "Did you already have it?" "Yes, but it's exactly like the one you wrote." "Oh, Natalia..." "Natalia..." " Will you really bring it to him?" " Yes, don't worry." "If for any reason I can't, I'll let you know" "When we first met, you didn't expect to have to act as a big brother to me." "Are you sorry?" "Tryto understand." "Good night." "Please don't walk me home." "Why?" "Wait!" "When willwe meet again?" "Tomorrow." "Tomorrow." "I'll be so happy or so desperate, that I wouldn't be good company in eithercase." " Good night." " No, no, wait!" " Thank you for everything." " Wait!" "Thank you..." "Thank you!" "What a terribleday!" "Do you have a cold?" "Would you like an Aspirin?" " No, no." " Lfeel most unwell too...!" "Maybe it's the weather." "Know what to do?" "Soak your feet in hot water." " I'll bring you the hot water now" " It doesn't matter." "It's just..." "You see?" " Shall I have these ironed" " No, I don't needthem anyway." " You see you're not well?" " No, I'm fine." "Here..." "Put down the coffee." "Pour the boiling water in the basin and bring it here." "Do please have them ironed." " This evening, I want to have fun." " The other evenings, you didn't?" "Not even I know what I did the other evenings." "Take these and clean them." "Spruce them up properly." "All of them." "Now, get up..." "You've even caught a cold!" "Wrap up, otherwise, it's no good!" "That hurts!" " Goodness!" " Lf it's not boiling, it's useless!" "Adrop of coffee will do you good." " The other evenings..." " Here!" "...I must have been dreaming." " Dreaming?" " Yes, dreaming." "Here, drink it while it's hot." "Did you know there are strange people in this town?" " Of course I did!" " Lf they hadn't told me..." "Don't be childish!" "Like that it's good for you, otherwise is useless!" " Signora?" " I'm coming!" "Carry on with your footbath." "I'll send up more hot water." "What's up?" "What do you wantfrom me?" "You know I'm unwell, don't you?" "Maria, what happened?" "It's nothing to do with me." "What am I supposedto feel?" "Remorseful?" "Remorseful..." "This evening I want to have a good time!" "Remorse be damned!" "100 lire, sir!" "Here you are, Arturo, a toy with which to amuse your children." "Dance!" "It's a toy allowed by law." "There's a policeman here who can confirm that." "Stand up." "Do three jumps:" "One, two, three." "Take it home to amuse your children." "If you have no children, amuse your wife." "If you have no wife, thank God and buy it allthe same." "Only 100 lire and you can amuse the whole family." "Buythe pale blue butterfly!" "It only costs 100 lire!" "The butterfly costs 100 lire!" "Buy the "dancing couple", a toy that does all the modern dances, even the difficult ones." "Atoy allowed by law!" "There's a policeman here who can confirm it" "It's a toythat doesn't offend morals." "I've already sold two." "Stand up!" "Dance!" "This evening, it's you who's hiding!" " Me?" "No." "Why?" " I saw you earlier." "Actually, I'm very pleased to have run into you." "Today, I was afraid I'd see you." "Afraid you'd turn up at home because..." "In mean I was afraid you'd come to tell me it didn't go well, but now..." "Are you cross with me?" " Is something wrong?" " No, why should it be?" "I didn't see you, that's all." "Don'ttell lies." "How I love this street!" "Do you, too?" "I like it because..." "I don't know why..." " Which way are you going?" " Me?" "That way." "If you like, this evening, I can accompany you for a while." "I've time to kill." "Grandma sent me out on an errand." "Giuliana's at home." "She'll be putting her to bed." "Anyway, time hangs heavy at home." "If I told you everything I did todayto killtime...!" "I washed all the windows of the house and when Grandma..." " Listen, I must leave you." "I have an appointment." " Is that why you didn't want to see me?" " Yes, it is." "Actually, I'm already late." "I really must go." "Good evening." "I don't want you to be late on my account." "I've already bothered you so much" "When did you deliver the letter?" "This morning?" " Do you know if he was in?" " I think he was." " I'm so happy!" " Listen," " come with me." " Where?" "Where we like!" "Didn't you say you had lots of time to kill?" " Yes, till 10pm." " Right!" " What about your appointment?" " I'll go to it later, or maybe not at all." "You're not going to yours, so..." "Oh, no!" "You..." "I must tell you something." "No, please don't!" "It's what I'm thinking, isn't it?" "You want to tell me not to get my hopes up." "Not exactlythat." "In a certain way, maybe." "I've already told myself that, but I can't quite get it into my head." "Anyway, I feelthat this evening everything will go fine." "I'm so sure of it that I've even dressed up for the occasion." "Look!" "Do you like it?" "Well, all we can do now is trust your instinct." "Maybe everything will go just fine but differentlyfrom what you have in mind, anyway, the main thing is the result, isn't it?" "So, where shallwe go?" " What about your appointment?" " It doesn't matter." "Oh, no!" "You're so nice and kind that I I've grown fond of you." "Yes, almost as much as him." "What good dancers they are!" "Can you dance that well?" " I can dance." " I can't." "I used to come here often." "No, not here." "I was transferred to this town only recently." "Onlytwo weeks ago." "I meant in places like this." "Your grandmother keep you pinned to her," "while my parents, did the opposite..." "Out!" "Off you go!" "As a boy, in boarding school, then, always at relatives' here and there, because at home, an extra mouth to feed was a problem." "I did my national service, then got a job." "A year in one town then in another." "You get to know lots of people." "You meet up, you break up andthen you start over." "I used to think it was a life of Riley, but I don'tenjoy it any more, maybe because I'm getting old." "I'd like to make some friends and keep them." "People..." "When I leave the office, I no longer come to places like this." "I like wandering around on my own, thinking, daydreaming..." "So, you're a dreamer too?" "Well, you know what it's like..." "The imagination boils like water in a coffee-pot." "Yes, but it's a mistake." "You end up thinking there is something living and tangible even in your dreams and you neglect life, do you see?" "Reality." "This reality." " Let's dance!" " No, I've two left feet!" "That doesn't matter!" "Let's try!" "I'm no dancer either!" " I can't dance." " Come on!" "Let's try!" "Let's trythat now." "Yes, let's try it!" "It's just like walking!" "Now, I too can say I've been dancing." "Now, I too can say I've been happy." "Gina, call Daddy!" "It's way past 10 o'clock!" "No..." "Leave me alone!" "Let mego!" "I'm sorry." "Excuse me..." "I..." "Excuse me." "How much?" "Come on, Natalia." "Get up!" "Natalia, listen to me." "I must talk to you." "I absolutely must!" "Did you say something?" "I didn't catch it." "Listen, Natalia..." "I..." "I'm veryfond of you!" "I love you, Natalia." "I love you!" "Go away!" "He won't come if you're here." "Please leave!" "He's not coming back!" "Don't you get it?" "Forget the ghosts of the past!" "What matters is that you and I..." "Go away!" "Go away!" "Go away!" "I don'twant him to find me here with you!" "I haven't two-timed him." "I haven't!" "I haven't!" " You're crazy, that's what you are!" " Go away!" "If I think of the time lwasted listeningto your nonsense," "I could slap myself!" "If they're not whores, they're crazy!" "Completely crazy!" "That scoundrel did the right thing!" "First, he had some fun, when he felt like it, and then..." "Hey there, handsome!" "Always in a hurry and always alone." " Leave me alone!" "I wasn't going to eat you!" "I was just making conversation." "If you've been left alone, you can spend a little time with me." "Why not!" "I'll be better off with youthan with..." "Let's go!" "Let's go!" "Come on!" "Get a move on!" " Walk!" " Are you mad?" "Slowly!" " Where are we going?" " Wherever you like." "This way, then..." "Come on!" "Can't you walk a little slower?" "You see?" "You've made me twist a heel." "But I'll make you payfor it, you know?" "Scoundrel!" "Did you know you're nice?" "Handsome, too!" " I like you!" " Yes, but where are wegoing?" "I always go there." "Careful, it's slippery!" "What's the matter?" "Don't you like it here?" "No, it's not that." "It's just that..." "I don't like it." "Sorry!" "Hey, you!" "Come back here!" "What's gotten into you?" "Stop it!" "I didn't lay afinger on you!" "I don't feel like it!" "You take advantage of a woman like me because I'm alone!" " Stop that!" " Come here!" " Come here!" " What did you do to her?" " Nothing!" " He took advantage of me!" "He's a coward!" "Just a coward!" "He was supposed to come with me, but he didn't because I'm alone!" "That's why." "If she's yelling, that means you've done something to her." " I advise you to..." " I didn't do anything to her!" " What are you doing?" " Shut up!" "Stop yelling!" " Leave him alone!" " Stay here!" " Stop it!" " Leave me alone!" "Leave him alone!" "Leave him alone!" "What did he do to you?" "What did he do to you?" "What did he do?" " Leave him alone!" " You set me up..." "Leave him alone!" "Go, while you're still in time!" "It's not my fault!" "Don't show yourface around here again!" "It's always me who loses out." "You were right." "He didn't turn up." "Excuse me for offending you, earlier." "Neither of us was luckythis evening." "You'd never have behaved like that, would you?" "Natalia..." "I have a confession to make." "I threw that letter away." "Do you understand?" "I didn't deliver it because because I love you." "I fell in love with you the minute I saw you but I couldn't..." "You..." " You...?" " Yes, I did just that." "So, nothing's changed." "Are you happy?" "Now you can keep your hopes up." "You can write to him again and it'll all work out, you'll see." "Tryto forgive me." "Maybe you'll manage to when you're happy, right?" "What possessed you to trusta man like me?" "I did warn you:" "Never trust anyone, especially if they're in love." "Cheer up, now." "Natalie, what can I say?" "I'm guilty." "I ask you to forgive me..." "I'll tryto make up for it, okay?" "I'm so fond of you, ljust want youto be happy." "This time, I'll really go to him." "I'll explain..." " No." " You don't want me to?" "Why?" "What difference does it make if I do now what I didn't do yesterday?" "Exactly!" "What difference does yesterday or tomorrow make?" "The fact is that hedidn't show up." "I'm glad you didn't deliver that letter." "I thank you for having saved me this final humiliation." " No, no, Natalia." "I told you not to trust the judgment of a man in love." "You're such a child!" "None of what I said counts because I was onlythinking of myself." "I told you not to believe in fairytales, then I myself began to believe in mine." "I felt like you did when you went to him with your little suitcase." "I loved him for a whole year... and was never unfaithfulto him," "not even in mythoughts and he despised all this." "May Godtake care of him." " Ljust want to forget him." " What?" "I still love him, but I'll get over it." "I must get over it because I've seen the truth, I've seen how he cheated me," " while you..." " Natalia...!" "I'll get over it." "I must getover it!" "I'm such an ordinary, insignificant man." "But that's nothing to do with it." "I can't even express what lwant to say." "It's true, lthought that in a way, you didn't love him any more, so so I'd have done anything to make you love me." "Why am ltelling you this?" "Natalia, if, one day, even years from now...?" "Yes, I'd like that" "if, despite everything.," " youfelt your love..." " Yes, that's what I mean!" "If you think you really love me as you say you do," "I swear that my gratitude..." "Natalia!" "It's isn't just that you feel sorry for me, is it?" "Do you love me back a little?" " I don't know, right now." " Later on, maybe?" "Yes, oneday..." "You must be patient." " Let's wait for a time." " Of course!" "Of course!" "I won'task you about it any more But if you feel you can love me," "I'llwait as long as you like!" "I'm so happy, Natalia, so happy!" "Because I'm sure, Natalia!" "I'm sure!" "Do you understand?" " Come with me, Natalia!" " Where are you going?" "Let me go!" " Get into the boat." " But it's not ours!" " Go on, get in!" " All right." "We really shouldn't, it's not ours!" " That doesn't matter." "You'll see where I'm taking you!" "Where are you going?" "Do you realize you're using an informal tone with me?" " Why?" "Don't you like it?" " Sure I like it!" " Where are we going?" " Iwant to take you to a place, where one day, crossing a bridge," "I saw some couples in love and thought:" "When I have a fiancee, we'll come here all alone." "Here we are!" "All alone!" "Well, that's because we're not engaged yet." "But when we are, no one else will be around, and no one will disturb us." "Okay, I won't mention it again until youfeel like it." "But I do feel duty-bound to tell you at least this:" "I'm poor, very poor." "I have a job." "Of course, I could always get a better one, but I mean with you by my side, I'm boundto do well." "I'd like to send you to sleep but like characters in fairytales, who sleep, onlyto wake up on the day they'll be happy." "That's sure to happen to you too." "Oneday you'll wake up and see it's a lovely day." "It'll be sunny." "And everything will be new, changed and bright." "And whateverseemed impossible before, will become simple, normal." "Don't you believe me?" "I'm sure of it." "And it will happen soon." "Maybe tomorrow." "Look!" "Natalia, look at the sky." "It's magnificent." "But what's happening?" "Is it snowing?" "!" "Oh, it's snowing!" "It's snowing!" "Hey, it's snowing!" "What more could you ask for?" "It's snowing!" "It's snowing!" "You must believe me!" "I mean..." "Look..." "Look!" "I swear it's true!" "A new man!" "Believe me, I'm a new man." "The secret is trust!" "I understand everything, even though I can't explain it." "Before, lfound this town gloomy and sad, but it was myfault because suddenly, it's all brightened up!" " No, no!" " We can have what we wish for." "Something inside me just has to want it." "Andthe girlthat I love will become my wife." "All dressed in white." "Oh, it's already stopped!" " What a pity." " No, it's stillfalling." " No it isn't." " Yes it is." "Imagine, all the people here in town are asleep." "They know nothing of this." "Soon,they'll start waking up, they'll open their windows and say..." "What a lovely day!" " Will you saythat too?" " Yes." "Really, Natalia?" "Yes..." "Yes!" "Come on, let's go!" "What's the matter?" "Who's that, Natalia?" "It's him." "It's him!" "I..." "I... deceived you and myself too." "For a moment, I thought you and I..." "God knows what I wouldn't do for you, now." "Tryto forgive me." "I'll always be grateful to you!" "Go to him." "You mustn't feel any remorse." "I was wrongto want to fill you with doubt." "Go to him." "God bless you for the little bit of happiness you gave me." "It was not a mere detail in the course of my lifetime."