Читать книгу Bijou - Елизавета Хейнонен - Страница 6

The butler went to look for Bijou, leaving Madame alone with her friend.

Madame: Oh, Albert! It is so good to see you!

Stanton: Madeleine, my dear! (Kissing her hand:) Still the softest hands in all of New York!

Madame: You’re a shameless flatterer, Albert.

Stanton: You know how much I admire you, dear Madeleine. I always have, and I always will. Oh, I see, you’ve got a new poster.

Madame: Yes. I received it the other day. (13) The queen of thieves in The Hopeless. It was my favorite role. Do you remember?

Stanton: How could I forget?

Madame: I was so beautiful.

Stanton: To me, you’re still the most beautiful woman in the world.

Bijou (running into the room): Bow-wow!

Madame: Bijou! My precious! Where have you been? Come to your granny! Let me kiss you. (Turning to Stanton:) He is cute, isn’t he?

Stanton: He certainly is.

Madame: Bijou, say hello to Albert.

Bijou: Bow-wow!

Madame: That’s my boy! (14) (To Stanton:) You see? He understands every word. He is quite an intelligent little dog. (15) He is also the reason I asked you to come, Albert. I would like to make my will. (16) As you know, I have no living relatives. I want to leave everything I have to Bijou. I’m very worried for him. He is an orphan, and I’m afraid that when I die, he may land in a dog shelter. (17)

Stanton: My dear Madeleine…

Madame: Please, don’t interrupt me, Albert. I know what you’re going to say. You will say that it is too early for me to think about death, that I will live to be a hundred. (18) But let me tell you something, my dear old friend. There are a few things in life that can’t be changed. People are mortal, Albert, whether they like it or not. And when they reach a certain age, they start thinking about death. I think about it sometimes. Don’t you? I also think about this little creature who has no one but me in this world. In this cruel world. I just want to make sure (19) that he is taken good care of after I’m gone. (20) Do you understand me?

Stanton: I do.

Madame: Very well. Then all you have to do is to draw up my last will for me. (21)

Stanton: I will do that tonight. Do you want to make Bijou your sole beneficiary? (22)

Madame: I want him to be the first beneficiary.

Stanton: So, there will be a second one, also?

Madame: Dogs don’t live very long. At least, not as long as humans. (23) Should something happen to Bijou or should he die childless (24), I want the estate to pass to George. (25)

Stanton: Who the hell is George? (26) Please pardon my French. (27)

Madame: It is my butler’s first name.

Stanton: Do you mean to say that you’re going to leave your estate to the butler?

Madame: I do indeed.

Stanton: But, Madeleine, you hardly know him! How long has he been with you? Five months? Six?

Madame: Four.

Stanton: Four months! And, as far as I can remember (28), he wasn’t able to produce any references. All you know about him is what he himself has told you. He may turn out to be a crook or an escaped convict. (29)

Madame: He has the soul of an artist.

Stanton: You can’t be serious, Madeleine. The soul of an artist! Has he told you so?

Madame: I have heard him play. Believe me, he is another Paganini. (30)

Stanton: If he is another Paganini, then how come I’ve never heard of him? (31)

Madame: He never plays in public. He is much too shy for that. (32)

Stanton: Paganini or not, but there is something phony about this fellow. (33)

Bijou: Bow-wow!

Stanton: You see, Bijou agrees with me.