Impromptu

Aurora! Aurora!

Hear me,

O Corambe.

Corambe,

thou who art man, woman and god in one,

hear me.

I free this bird in thy name.

Come to me, sublime being.

I want to know the meaning of life. And I want to find perfect, perfect love.

I free this lizard in thy name.

Don't be dead.

Oh, balls.

My little ritual in the woods didn't always go smoothly,

but I was never discouraged, and I never gave up hoping for an answer.

- That won't work. - Fish are attracted to a bright colour.

Your fish will die of fear first.

- Are you coming? - Mallefille will come looking for us.

- We're supposed to have our lessons this morning - No he won't.

He's sleeping with Mummy. And she doesn't get up till noon.

He's not sleeping with Mummy. She doesn't like him anymore.

My love?

My soul?

Sweet..

heart?

George?

George, please let me in.

Hey you, are you from the printers? Now we've been waiting...

Madame Sand. Pardon. Please excuse...

Madame Sand is on her way up.

Don't do that!

It is rather far.

- I'll have to face her that's all. - Alfred.

I'll be perfectly behaved. Even a little scornful.

No you won't, you'll be impossible.

I don't want a scene. Now get in there.

And hurry up!

Hello, George! I wasn't expecting you till next month.

- How are the children, how's the country? - Fine fine.

Listen. I need another 3,000 francs.

What happened to the advance you got?

Well you know my expenses, there's children, the estate,

my mother's in a nursing home. The divorce devoured half of everything.

All right. But let me have one more instalment first.

How? I've got no place to work.

What's wrong with the country?

Mallefille is there.

The children do need a tutor, but...

I just can't stand the sight of him anymore.

And I tell him outright I want him to leave and he just as plainly refuses.

I'm a coward, of course. I can never simply boot my lovers down the stairs.

- Ha! - What?

Why don't you.. stay here in Paris and write?

Because Alfred's here.

Well I've got to go somewhere. Anywhere, I don't know.

Maybe I should just curl up and die, yes?

Listen, Buloz. I need 3,000 francs now.

Let me read this, and we'll talk tonight at the Baroness Laginsky's party.

I hadn't planned to attend. Alfred might be there.

I know for a fact, that he won't.

All right.

- What's that? - Marvellous.

- Her memoirs? Am I in it? - No!

It's about her childhood.

In fact you come in later after she chews up her husband about a hundred other fellows.

True. She's a cannibal.

She would drink the blood of her children from the skull of her lover and not feel so much as a stomach-ache.

Alfred, go home. Put it into verse, I'll publish it.

And then and only then when you get paid.

Thanks to you I can't go to the baroness' party.

- In fact, I'll have to leave Paris. - No more advances.

I don't need your money, old sow.

Have an invitation to the country. From a duchess, no less.

Good day.

This summer dust is.. ruinous to my lungs. I hope the air will be better in Angers.

The Duchess D'Antan has invited you too?

- Well yes. - Hahh how delightful.

Please continue, dear fellow.

- Good day Countess. - Ahh, George!

I'm sorry I frightened you.

I had the most fearful dream.

Blandine.. was a terrible creature with fly's wings,

was draining my life from me.

They are deadly little charmers.

Chromatic glissando.

The wings of a butterfly.

Or the wrath of God.

He wakes the baby, then he complains the crying makes him cringe.

- How is Franz? - He's a saint. Sublime.

He'll even stay that way if you don't marry him.

Yes well, there's no danger of that, the count won't divorce me.

Since I left him, he won't even allow me to see the children.

Well, now you've begun a new family.

Still I prefer to be married.

I know you thumb your nose at all that.

Funny.

I used to think I'd die of suffocation when I was married.

Now it's my freedom that's killing me.

Sophie!

Now tell me, have you been invited to Angers next week?

The Duke and Duchess D'Antan have asked us to their estate for a fortnight.

Sophie! Where is that wretch? Please excuse me.

Franz?

I will see you.

You're not going to Angers too? Eugene!

A whole fortnight among some tiresome old aristocrats.

A fortnight of free food, exquisite scenery, and no bills.

And all you have to be is brilliant at dinner.

She doesn't seem bothered she's being eaten alive.

No.

She'd probably say "Better to feel something, than nothing."

Even if it's teeth.

Madame Sand!

Oh, what a great honour you do my humble salon!

Delighted to meet you, Miss Baroness. I'm actually looking for my publisher, Monsieur Buloz.

Oh he's in the salon with the others, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait to go in.

Oh I so longed to meet you! Aha, I knew your father when he was young.

- Really? - Ah yes.

We girls were enraged when we heard he'd married that dancer or whatever she was.

- You mean my mother? - Oooh... of course.

- Is she still living? - Yes.

- But she's quite ill now. - How sad.

And what a tragedy your father died so young.

The Count de Saxe. So dashing.

Those idiots!

Excuse me.

Not yet!

Madame Sand! Is it true that you're writing a memoir?

- Do you pray, Baroness? - Well if you must know I'm secretly devout.

- And do you ever hear an answer? - To my prayers? Well no.

There... is the answer.

Ah you mean Monsieur Chopin. How clever.

It's very rare to hear him play you know.

The Duchess D'Antan is having him for a whole fortnight at her house in Angers.

I can only wish that I were a fly on the wall.

Except that they already have crowds of flies down there, ha ha.

Oh I do find the provinces beastly.

Ah now, Monsieur Liszt will play next.

- Ah, George. I want, I read your... - In a minute.

George! You'll want to sit over here, my dear.

All the respectable people are on the other side.

- Could you point out Monsieur Chopin? - Chopin? But he left.

Don't you know him? He's frail as a holy wafer.

Look at those hypocrites. They've been shunning me all evening.

And I'm thrilled not to be one of them any more. Their lives are so boring.

You see? Every single one is throbbing for him.

They know perfectly well why I ran off with him.

For his teeth.

Charles?

Charles!

Charles!

Grab it! Grab it! Ha ha..

Darling!

Charles! Charles! I've had the most extraordinary letter!

Madame George Sand, is quite brazenly inviting herself to the fortnight!

You know the one. She wears men's clothes and leads the most depraved life imaginable!

I'm dying to meet her.

Charles?

She writes that marriage is barbaric, darling.

They say no marriage is safe around her.

Just think, she might take a fancy to your turkey waffles, heh-heh..

Didier! Don't touch that! Come here!

But I'm in a bit of a quandary because I've already invited Alfred de Musset.

And everybody knows that he and Madame Sand had an affair where they practically tore each other to pieces.

And now I'm petrified that if those two so much as clap eyes on each other they will be...

Has anyone ever met this duchess?

No.

She must be one of those titled tarts stuck in the provinces with an uncouth husband.

She's probably famished for culture and determined to import it at any cost.

Charles!

- Where are you going? - Hunting.

- Goodbye Cladette, I'll be back in a few days. - But you can't!

- Our guests are arriving this afternoon. - Precisely.

You blockhead!

Don't you realise these are the great geniuses of our time, all gathered together in our home!

They are a gang of parasites, my dear.

After a few days in their company, I expect you'll come to your senses. Move on, god..

Mhhh! You'll humiliate me if you don't receive them.

Charles!

You don't want me to be a success!

Gustav?

Gustav!

Attach little bags of seed to the branches.

I want thousands of birds singing from every tree when they come up the avenue.

Darling?

You're not dressed properly. Go and put on your pink waistcoat.

Ooooh!

That murderer! There won't be a bird left in the sky!

Welcome!

Giffid. Welcome, come on Helene.

Welcome! Ah-ha-ah.

In my house, you are the nobility.

The nobility of genius.

Madame Sand!

- Hello how was your trip? - Madame Sand!

I'm melting with delight!

Oh and, you've brought your two boys! Heh.

- I'm a girl. - Ahhh.

Here, Master Delacroix, I have given you my own studio.

The light you can see is perfection.

When is Monsieur Chopin arriving?