Svengali Page #2

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in Paris, so he must be.

He said all I need was to learn better control

of my voice, and I would sing like a bird.

He was right. A large bird. Probably a duck.

Thank you.

Don't believe a word of it.

You go ahead and sing your pretty head off, my

dear. More power to you.

Oh, I don't mind a bit of criticism. Not as

if I earn my living at it. You must keep

me in mind next time you want a model.

We will indeed.

Whose is this?

Mine.

But the rag picker's basket is wrong.

How could he tap his pick against the rim

and make the rags fall into it if it's hitched

halfway up his back?

And he's got the wrong chapeau and no lantern.

Oh, dear, it's all wrong.

Dear me, you seem to know a lot about it.

A pity you don't paint yourself.

Oh, no, I'd be worse than that.

I pose for him at his school.

Do you ever go there?

No, but I'm enrolled for it.

He gets his initiation there

tomorrow, and heaven help him.

(Laughter)

What nice teeth you've all got.

It's because you are Englishmen, I suppose,

and clean them twice a day. I do, too.

Trilby O'Farrell, that's my name.

48 Rue de Pisque.

Whenever you want a good model, don't forget.

Goodbye.

Allow me, please.

What have you done to your foot?

Nothing.

Why are you limping?

I've always been lame in this foot.

Don't let the students be too rough with him

tomorrow.

I can take care of myself.

Of course you can.

Who said you couldn't?

Buy them a lot of rum punch at the school,

and they'll worship you. Thanks, everybody. Bye.

(Laughing) Well, what do you make of her?

She's not the most tactful of creatures.

She's enchanting.

Believe me, gentlemen, I could

teach that clumsy creature to sing

well enough for the Paris opera.

Have a cigarette.

Merci, monsieur.

So you're an expert on singing as well as everything

else?

I can teach. Ay, Gecko?

He's the greatest teacher in the world, gentlemen. A

true genius.

He'd need to be to teach her to sing in tune.

Do not underestimate me, my friends.

I do not play in the gutter because the world ignores

me.

It is I who ignore the world for the moment.

When the time comes for me to reveal my true

genius, I shall do it.

Then the world will be at my feet.

But only I shall decide when that moment shall be.

Meantime, I prepare, I teach.

Observe how I taught Gecko to play.

Gecko, play.

- Music -

There they go again. Don't they ever do any work?

You know, Durian, I just met somebody I could really

like.

Not our friend Svengali, I hope.

(Laughing) No.

I don't know which he needs most, a lesson in

manners or a good scrub. No, it's a young

Englishman.

Sad eyes and a limp. He needs looking after like my

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