Scaramouche

Halt!

Where's the Marquis de Maynes?

Come on! Where is he?

ln the name of the Queen!

Noel, the Marquis de Maynes.

Your Majesty.

l have never seen France

more radiant than at this moment.

We were not expecting you till tomorrow.

You summoned me.

l rode all day and through the night.

Leave us, please.

- l am angry with you, sir.

- Angry, Your Majesty?

Very angry! You know why, of course.

- Could it be for fighting Count de Talles?

- Among others.

- l only scratched him a little.

- They say you crippled him for life.

And five minutes later,

you killed the Baron Marblaux.

An unfortunate accident.

He ran into my sword.

And that brilliant conversationalist,

the Duke de Ramont.

The Duke fights tolerably well.

He had a fair chance.

He had no chance at all.

Now, listen to me, cousin.

l will not have you killing off my nobles,

either piecemeal or in bunches.

ln times like these,

the nobility must stick together.

Now, what was it all about,

this latest bloodletting?

- l really forget.

- What was it all about?

De Talles had the effrontery to put himself

on the right of the Cardinal at dinner.

As for Ramont, let me see...

As for Ramont?

A delicate matter.

He spoke disrespectfully of...

- Forgive me.

- Of a woman?

A goddess.

Now, the thing that l want...

l found one of these under my pillow.

This morning, the King discovered one

on his breakfast tray.

"Liberty, Equality, Fraternity."

The people that write such things,

what do they really want?

- Us, Your Majesty.

- Us?

Our rights, our lands, our heads.

Our heads?

Don't worry about this Marcus Brutus,

whoever he is.

l shall be glad

to take care of him personally.

There was another matter

l had in mind when l sent for you.

This, too, is personal,

but in a slightly more intimate way.

My dancing class.

How does one qualify for admission?

One has to be wellborn, under 19,

and unmarried.

Now, you are a marquis,

Your Majesty knows

why l have never married.

All the same, l think it's time that you did.

Someday you might run into a sword.

lt would be a pity if that were the end

of the oldest family in France.

Your Majesty commands me to marry?

May l ask one final favor?

You select my bride.

l think you'll like this child.

She's on the threshold of life.

Aline, this is the Marquis de Maynes.

lt seems that your dancing has made

a profound impression upon him.

He wishes to express his admiration.

Cousin, this is my protg,

Aline de Gavrillac.

Charming.

You dance delightfully.

You sing, too, no doubt.

- A little, sir.

- And you play some instrument?

The clavichord.

And l imagine you are skillful

with needle and thread.

Yes, sir. l knit and sew.

l also embroider, here and there.

l have read the plays of Corneille,

Racine, Molire, and Voltaire.

l did not understand a word of them.

l ride a little and fall off a lot.

l don't cook too well,

but l'm quite good at chess...

although l prefer snakes and ladders.

l have a nodding acquaintance

with geography, geometry...

astronomy, philosophy, and botany.

l'm afraid l gave up algebra when l was 12.

- She also has spirit, cousin.

- So l see.

May l have the honor of waiting upon you

while l am here in Paris?

l also play chess...

though l regret l am unfamiliar

with snakes and ladders.

Aline will instruct you, won't you, Aline?

lf you say so. l'll speak to Father

when l go home for his birthday.

l shall write to him.

l shall tell him it is my earnest desire

that you and the Marquis become...

good friends.

BlNET presents his famous actors

Lenore? lt's me.

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