De Sade

---

Come. Quick!

Louis Alphonse Donatien,

the Marquis de Sade?

Dismount, sir.

Dismount, sir, or we fire!

Fire!

You.

Fellow.

Stop when I speak to you.

Ah, Louis.

You're here.

Good.

Uncle?

None else, Nephew.

Escaped again, have you?

Yes, I hope so.

Clever lad!

What are you doing in here, Uncle?

Waiting for you, Nephew.

For me? But you couldn't possibly

have known I was coming tonight.

I hoped.

Who was that old man I saw in the corridor

just a few moments ago?

A servant.

I don't recall having seen him before.

Well, you know how...

...servants come and go.

I'll discharge him.

Do that, Nephew.

But, for now, we're about to start.

Start what?

A play! Entertainment!

Diversion! Pleasure!

Which you so uniquely enjoy.

I doubt there'll be time for that.

Of course you have time.

When did you ever not have time

for pleasure?

Perhaps a moment then, Uncle.

We know your weakness, eh, Nephew?

Well, not much of an audience

for your play, Uncle.

All the audience we need, Nephew.

Scene:
The Montreuil Estate, outside Paris.

Characters:

The Count and Countess de Sade...

...your worshipped parents.

And Monsieur and Madame De Montreuil...

...your benevolent parents-in-law to be.

Occasion:
The arrangement

of a marriage contract...

...between the Marquis de Sade...

...and their daughter,

Lady Rene de Montreuil.

"But first we must set the record right,

as it were!"

- "Silence!"

- "My dear."

- "We will not haggle."

- "No, we will not haggle."

"We never haggle!"

"We will board the young couple

for the first three years of their..."

- "Seven years!"

- "Four years."

- "Six."

- "Five years."

- "Five years."

- "Five years."

"And a living allowance."

"Of say, 1,000 per annum."

- "5,000."

- "2..."

"3,000 crowns."

- "Pounds."

- "Pounds?"

"Very well, then.

"L3,000."

"For our own part, then,

we will dress the bride...

"...and the bridegroom and their party

and provide a two...

"Let's say a four-horse carriage...

"...if I have to mortgage the remainder

of your properties to do so...

"...for thus will I ally our families

to the Montreuil fortune."

"But first we must set the record right,

as it were.

"Is it not, in fact, true that your son,

the Marquis, is unmarried because of...

- "...his unsavory rep..."

- "I never!"

"Unsavory reputation! It is well known..."

- "Silence!"

- "My love."

"We are prepared to overlook

our prospective son-in-law's...

"...youthful peccadilloes."

One moment.

"I am prepared to overlook anything

to buy my family such a royal connection."

- "We, in turn..."

- Stop!

"...will add to our end of the dowry

the jewelry...

"...in my wife's collection.

- "Never!"

- "Yes, my dear."

"No, never! No, you can't do that!"

This is ludicrous!

"My dear!"

Stop it!

I said, "Stop it!"

This is ludicrous!

The actual negotiations

were nothing like this farce.

- They're prepared to see you shortly, sir.

- What?

Madame de Montreuil said

that they would see you shortly, sir.

If you will wait.

"I sit and I wait here

"By day and by night

"Where is he, when will he ever come?

"I sigh to the sunbeam

"And moonlight

"Where is he, when will he ever come?

"I have waited so by truth now

"My true love should come

"Where is he, when will he ever come?

"Through the waiting, someday

"He surely will come

"Where is he, when will he ever come?"

Mademoiselle.

My son.

Good. You've arrived just in time.

Monsieur, we're ready to sign the contract.

You haven't met Monsieur Marais,

our prefect of Police.

Who has kindly consented

to act as a witness to the signatures.

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