The Marquise of O (Die Marquise Von O)

M..., a town in northern Italy.

What is it?

The Marquise of O...

The daughter of...?

Yes. Listen to this. It's all here word for word.

The undersigned declares

that, without her knowing how, she became pregnant.

The father of the child she is bearing

is asked to report himself.

We have,

for family reasons,

decided to marry him.

The Marquise of O...

A lady of unblemished reputation,

mother of several well-bred children,

daughter of the commandant of the citadel.

About three years ago, she lost her husband,

the Marquise, whilst on a journey.

After the Marquise' death,

she left her country estate where she had lived until then,

and returned, with her two children,

to the commandant's house.

Suddenly the war...

The Russian troops have broken into the citadel.

They want us to surrender.

I will retort with shot and shell.

I must carry on as if my family were not here.

Lorenzo!

Madame, may I offer you my arm.

I'm going to call a doctor.

That won't be necessary.

The Marquise only needs sleep.

A sleeping potion is the best remedy.

With your permission, Marquise, I'll take my leave.

Leopardo!

Go get some poppy seed tea.

We can expect no mercy.

Form your ranks!

You have been defeated!

Your sword.

I was only awaiting your request.

May I see my family?

Where is Julietta?

She is...

She is out of danger.

I took her to the west wing.

Go back to the castle. I'll watch over her myself.

My respects, commandant.

I regret that your courage was not helped by better luck.

Give me your word and you may go wherever you like.

You have my word.

I thank you earnestly.

I am greatly indebted to the Russians today,

especially to that young lieutenant-colonel!

What happened?

I was informed of an odious attempt on my daughter.

A troop of soldiers was assaulting her.

The Lt. Colonel, in a brave personal intervention,

saved her.

You have honored our regiment and kept up our traditions.

But who are these rascals who have tarnished the czar's name?

I'll have them shot.

General, I appeal to your leniency...

I am unable to give you their names.

In the feeble glimmer of the castle-yard lamps...

It was impossible to discern their faces.

I am surprised.

The castle was already in flames.

One can recognize people

even in the darkest night, by their voices.

All right.

In any case, investigate the matter at once.

Excellency, one of the villains wounded by the count

has been captured by the commandant's men.

Fetch him!

Let him name his accomplices!

They're all to be shot.

Don't worry! The battle is over.

And my father?

He is alive and well, and free, and wants to see you.

Did madame sleep well?

Poppy seed tea prevents bad dreams.

Julietta,

my beloved child!

I had to surrender,

but my honor is safe.

The Russians are gentlemen.

On the general's orders, the brutes who attacked you

have been shot.

Father,

I have only one wish:

To thank my savior as soon as possible.

It's too late.

That means the Russian troops are leaving the citadel.

So is the count.

But I must see him again and thank him.

I'm sure you'll find some occasion in the future.

A few days later...

Dead!

With my own eyes, I saw the count, mortally wounded in the chest,

being carried off to a village

where, at the very moment

when his bearers were lifting him from their shoulders,

he expired.

The family had to vacate the castle, and took a house in town.

Life went back to normal.

How pretty!

My lady!

What's wrong?

How strange,

I who always have been in such good health.

Julietta!

What's wrong with you?

You look sick.

If a woman were to tell me

that she felt as I did just now

I should certainly think to myself that she was pregnant.

I don't know what you mean.

I just felt the same way I did

when I was expecting my second daughter.

Perhaps you'll give birth to a fantasy!

The father will be Morpheus

or one of his pageant of dreams...

Not long after this...

The Russian Lt. Colonel, the count...

The count!

Yes, the count.

Impossible!

You must be mistaken.

I saw and heard correctly.

He is waiting in the anteroom.

Forgive us.

You cannot understand our astonishment.

We thought you were dead.

I'm alive.

Yes, I'm alive.

Marquise.

How do you feel?

Very well. But how did you come back to life?

You are not telling me the truth.

There is a strange weariness in your face.

Unless I'm mistaken, you are ill.

Well, yes...

This "weariness", as you call it,

is perhaps the last trace of an indisposition

which I suffered a few weeks ago.

I don't think any more will come of it.

Nor do I!

Will you marry me?

Did you understand me?

Will you marry me?

Please be seated...

My son...

Indeed, we shall think you are a ghost,

until you've told us how you rose up out of the grave.

Circumstances force me to be brief.

Seriously wounded in the chest,

I was carried to a village.

For several months, I wavered between life and death.

My only thought was for the Marquise.

Words cannot describe how pleasure and pain

alternated in this image of her.

At last I recovered and returned to the army,

but I felt terribly restless.

More than once I reached for a pen

to pour my heart out

to you and the Marquise.

But I was unexpectedly sent to Naples with dispatches

and cannot be sure that Constantinople

will not be my next station,

or even St. Petersburg.

And yet,

I find it henceforth impossible

to live any longer unless my restless soul

be given a clear-cut reply.

As I passed through this town, I could not resist

taking a few steps towards this end.

I could not help myself. In short,

I very much hope that the Marquise's hand

will be awarded to me,

and I respectfully beg you

to grant me instantly

a favorable answer.

To be sure, this request,

which, undoubtedly, is seriously intended,

is most flattering.

After her husband's death, my daughter made up her mind

never to marry again.

But, since she recently became

so greatly obligated to you,

it is not so impossible that

this should sway her from her resolution.

Meanwhile, allow her some time

to think it over quietly.

Colonel, I assure you,

your kind reply is a great encouragement to my hopes.

In other circumstances, it would have made me perfectly content.

I appreciate how boorish it is of me

not to settle for it.

But compelling reasons,