Original subtitles

when Amerigo left Maggie the night of his return from Matcham to go up and take his bath

he left her in a highly nervous and agitated state of mind.

and this agitation proceeded from the strain of having waited for him for so many hours with

nothing more in her mind than the intention of presenting to him

a break in custom.

that of waiting for him at Portland Place rather than at Eaton Square

and now that he had gone and she was left alone again

she began to feel that inevitable reaction that follows a long and nervous period

of waiting. that the effect produced had scarcely been worth keying herself up for.

after that first brief moment when he had entered

and revealed so unexpectedly a certain embarrassment at finding her there

he had behaved so perfectly that she began to wonder if that sudden note of alarm that had so

unaccountably sounded in her head hadn't been a false one.

if he had come back tired from the long day

hadn't his exertion all been in her service and her father's?

the answer to that you could give neither to herself or anyone else.

all she knew was that she'd had a fright

seen a shape in the dark and even though that shape might turn out

to be as harmless as a cow in a field it had served its purpose.

she knew she must alter the way things were, knew she must secretly and

without a word to anyone, especially her father, change the pattern of their lives together.

she would make him see that from now on she would be with him again...

as she hadn't been in the past.

or at least that the four of them would be properly together

for her idea included Charlotte too.

and while she was there with him. these things going through her mind,

something else went through it also...

that he had guessed she was there with an idea.

guessed she was there by the very reason of it,

and that when he drew her close again,

it was partly to do with his guessing it.

but such was his effect on her,

his habitual effect that she let her idea go. let everything go,

except that he was taking her in his arms again.

and the very effect of it sweeping her resolve away produced in her a sort of terror

that she loved him so

and in its turn a fresh resolve that she had positively something to do

and that she must on no account be weak about it.

if her resolve had weakened momentarily the night before in the arms of her husband,

it renewed itself fresh the following day.

she rose early and went to Eaton Square.

- good morning. - you're up bright and early this morning.

well it was such a beautiful morning I couldn't resist it.

I walked over from Portland Place.

it's a little late for New Year's resolutions isn't it?

nothing so serious as that. I just couldn't wait to hear about the weekend.

didn't Amerigo tell you?

oh husbands are terrible storytellers and fathers are no better.

he never tells me more than a tenth of what you tell him so I hope you haven't

told him everything else I've lost the best part.

well she's told me very little.

good I'm sure it's because you've shown a total lack of interest.

much more because there's very little of interest to tell.

who was there?

well Fanny and Bob

yes that was surprising. I had no idea they were going till the night before.

hadn't you? I could have forecast that without the least difficulty.

but they never even hinted at it when they were here.

they didn't have an invitation when they were here.

Fanny got herself one.

she's taken it in her head you know to disapprove of the way we four carry on together.

dear Fanny.

I don't follow you. you mean Fanny went because Maggie and I didn't?

Fanny always likes the proprieties and she likes us so much she insists on observing them for us.

who else was there?

the Fairfaxes the Gordons and several others oh and mr Blint.

did Amerigo tell you about him?

yes, the briefest of descriptions. he played the piano I believe.

yes

largely on account of mr Blint that we stayed on.

Fanny said. and what did you do?

oh what does one do in the country at weekends? we went for walks drives talk played bridge and ate.

oh you poor dears. you make me feel so guilty.

what made you decide to go to Gloucester?

well we were so near.

now there I envy you. don't you father? it would be so lovely if the four of us had gone.

yes you should have made the effort. it's very pretty.

and where did you lunch? I want to hear all the details.

a little inn on beef and cheese and pickles.

oh how romantic. you have such a way of doing things Charlotte.

father why is it we never lunch like that?

what? on uh beef and cheese and pickles.

well Mags I suppose is because we never thought of it. I guess we're just very dull people.

it does have a certain charm when you're in the country.

I must go. I have some shopping to do.

- wait a minute. I'd like to come. - what for?

because it's such a beautiful morning and I fancy to shop today.

... what are you going to buy? - nothing romantic I assure you just curtains.

oh I'd like to come. father you don't mind.

- no no. - well then...

- what about Vitorio? - oh mrs Noble can bring him over.

why don't we? it'll be like old times in Rome.

well my dear why not? I'll just go get my things.

so Maggie began her new regime.

she saw far more of Charlotte than she'd seen for a long time

and consequently rather less of her father

and Charlotte seemed to welcome her company as if she'd but wanted the hint for it to be taken.

they became, the two young women, very much the companions of other days,

the days of Charlotte's prolonged visits to the admiring and bountiful Maggie.

they went shopping together, bought dresses together,

hunted for odd little bargains in odd little antique shops together.

they exchanged confidences endearments

talked more about their respective spouses than they hitherto had ever done.

oh that's the way nice people are so why should you be surprised by it?

we're all nice together and why shouldn't we be? if we weren't we shouldn't have gone so far.

and we have gone far haven't we? I mean it's worked beautifully the four of us hasn't it?

beautifully. that's because you and your father are very special people.

I sometimes feel how lucky we've been in being married to people like you and Amerigo.

it could so easily have been well --

- so much worse? - so easily.

I don't think so I don't think these things are luck.

I think people have a way of sorting themselves -- Maggie!

- yes miss? - tea for two please.

and if Charlotte had only seemed to be wanting the hint

so to Amerigo.

insofar as Maggie spent more time with Charlotte she spent far less with her father.

and imperceptibly and without any prompting...

Amerigo began to take her place.

whenever she came home with Charlotte she regularly found Amerigo had come to sit with her father.

it was as if he had acted on a cue, a cue given to him by observation.

his instinct for personal relations; I have no idea what else to call it, prompted him to see

the shade of change in her behavior and act on it. and she was immensely grateful to him.

her little plan then seemed to work like a dream.

it was as if they'd all merely changed gear

but were moving in the same direction and at the same speed the equilibrium her precious equilibrium

had been preserved. all that had happened was the weights had been differently distributed.

and yet...

the very ease of the success of her plan began to worry her.

an impression kept coming to her

and she recognized it as familiar.

it had come before and she thrust it aside

but now it came back continually

and began to take firmer and irresistible shape in her mind.

she remembered the impression Charlotte had made on her that morning

when she'd called it breakfast and proposed they go shopping together.

there was something about the look on Charlotte's face that reminded Maggie

of something else.

it had registered with her, made a deep impression on her,

but she'd been unable to say exactly why

now looking at her husband

she suddenly knew.

the expression on the two faces had been the same.

it had stemmed from the same momentary disquiet.

what else could it be called?

she had seen in Amerigo's eyes that night he'd returned from Matcham the question:

what does she want?

and she now knew she'd seen the same question in Charlotte.

the ease with which Charlotte and Amerigo had fallen into the new order of things began for Maggie

slowly to take on a different light.

she couldn't escape it.

it kept coming back and back to her.

like some terror in the night, this new impression, this new experience, and it was this...

that they were treating her.

proceeding with her and her father by a plan that was the exact counterpart of her own.

it had not been from her that they took their cue.

but from each other.

and with an exact coincidence of inspiration that was startling.

they had a view of her situation and it had arisen, could only have arisen, as a result

of the change in her attitude which they had subtly recognized on their return from Matcham.

it wasn't at all what she'd expected.

she had flapped her wings

as a token of wanting to fly a little.

not merely as a plea for a more gilded cage

she felt suddenly

immensely alone.

it happened that for some time and long before the return from Matcham had been in the air

a proposed visit to Spain by Maggie and mr Verver.

a sort of plan that parent and child should do some lovely last thing together.

last I suppose because they knew that their lives as now constituted

would never again permit such a venture.

[piano music]

but after all that had happened, or seemed to happen

it was impossible now for Maggie to feel able to go.

she felt too uneasy.

and though she argued with herself that her unease was irrational

it killed all desire for the journey.

and so she wondered how she should broach the subject to her father

without conveying to him her own sense of unease.

the decision was, as it happened, taken out of her hands in the simplest possible way.

[piano music]

[applause]

well my dear we've kept these good people up long enough.

no no stay and have another brandy.

no I shan't spoil the evening by staying too long.

- Charlotte, you play divinely. - thank you.

do you think mr Blint will ever get her to play like you Charlotte?

- doesn't she already? - no I have to confess she doesn't.

well I'm sure it's only for want of practice.

you will have to have him down more often.

there you are you see George.

if you want me to play well you must put up with mr Blint a little bit more.

goodbye Maggie. thank you for a splendid evening.

Charlotte tells me your planning a trip to Spain with mr Verver.

yes we had thought of it.

it's a perfectly sweet idea, the two of you going off alone together.

I just wish George let me take mother and leave him behind for a change.

well it's not absolutely definite.

as a matter of fact I've been thinking about that Mags.

do we really want to go all that way just when things are getting to be so pleasant here?

- would you rather not? - well perhaps after all we won't bother huh?

with Fawns being so nice at this time of year and all.

oh Fawns is nice enough but does it really compare with Spain?

[indistinct chatter]

I knew he didn't want to go. I had a feeling if I said nothing he'd finally come up with it.

what do you think made him change his mind?

well I think he enjoys so much for all being together that he hates to move.

and you know I particularly think he doesn't want to leave you.

haven't you noticed how much he enjoys your company?

well I hope that he always did.

but even more so now. you must have seen it. you've been spending so much more time with him.

if I didn't love you you know for yourself

I should love you for him.

didn't you want to go?

oh I did then I didn't.

so much a question of pleasing him really.

I think I know what would please him more right now.

if you and he went together.

you'd like me to suggest it?

well if you could bear it.

and leave you and Charlotte here alone.

why not? we've been so much more together lately it's been quite like the old days.

and you've seen to it in your usual lovely way that father hasn't wanted for company.

I can never bless you enough.

for that especially you're taking Vitorio over to him yourself.

that's been so considerate of you.

in fact he's enjoyed your visit so much I think he'd like to have you for a while to himself.

you mean he thinks of proposing it himself?

oh no he doesn't ask these things but he go like a shot if you were to suggest it .

what about Fawns?

will he go at Easter and will he want to stay on?

he'll do what's ever agreeable to you only if...

he and Charlotte go early to Fawns

that doesn't necessarily mean that you and I have to go.

after all they're perfectly happy together.

[Amerigo] perfectly?

except that your father's never so happy as when you're there to see it.

shall I just suddenly propose it to him?

well it would have the merit that Charlotte and I could be together a little more.

and you'd like that?

yes I think I would. we've been so much apart until lately.

we could even go down to Fawns.

[Amerigo] could you be content there without me?

if you could be content without me.

and what reason shall I give him for taking him off?

just the desire to be agreeable to him if you felt that you conscientiously could

say that conscientiously?

why shouldn't I conscientiously?

but if he would like so much for us to go off together he could after all propose it himself.

- would you go? - of course.

well you know he wouldn't so you're safe.

safe?

it would I suppose be a small effort for you to be alone for so long with him.

for a month?

so unless I propose it to him...

we go on as we are.

[Amerigo] well we're going on beautifully aren't we?

... I'm not sure it would be right to break in between husband and wife.

there is a way however. we could ask Charlotte to ask him.

he'll be more convinced surely if he thinks that we've persuaded her don't you think?

why don't I ask Charlotte to ask him?

Amerigo tells me that Maggie has a plan for your taking some foreign journey with him.

and so as he always likes to do what she wants he suggested I mention it to you. so I am as you see.

being always happy to meet Maggie's wishes.

but I can't see this time what she has in her head.

I mean why should she all of a sudden want to ship the two of you off together and stay

here alone with me?

why? what's the point of it really?

what does she have in mind?

I wish you wouldn't.

well it seems to me the best way really.

where's mrs Noble and Vittorio?

they should be in the garden somewhere.

oh they'll be all right for a while.

it's pleasant just to be on our own for a bit.

where's Charlotte?

uh she went out somewhere.

I thought you might have gone with her.

no I thought you would have brought her with you.

uh we've all four been doing so much together lately I guess it doesn't hurt to split off

now and then.

- you don't object? - what? to our being a foursome?

no no we make such a pretty one.

there's such a charm on our lives isn't there?

and lately it seems if it's got itself renewed.

have you felt that?

- nothing wrong with that. - no I guess not.

I just wonder sometimes though if it isn't a

sort of wicked selfish kind of prosperity if we just grabbed everything for ourselves.

we seem somehow a little bit languid.

lying like gods together,

all careless of mankind.

do you really think we're languid?

well I don't know.

of course we get nothing but the fun do we?

no, nothing but the fun.

and perhaps we get it too easy.

too easy for what?

not to be selfish.

I don't think you're selfish.

no no I'm -- none of us is separately but uh...

perhaps we are together.

we all seem to want the same thing but...

just for each other.

you're happy.

oh...

happy.

happy especially to have made Charlotte so happy.

have you ever thought what that would have been like if it hadn't worked?

I couldn't bear to think of it. or of you in that case.

you would have been the one who would have suffered most.

me?

I should have hated it much more for you than for myself.

because you did it for me.

the important thing is that it succeeded.

[Maggie] your marriage.

the whole idea of it really...

if it had failed.

do you think I should leave England and take a trip with Amerigo?

- did Charlotte mention it to you? - yes.

didn't you expect her to?

yes.

I imagined that you suggested it to her.

why did you by the way? any particular reason?

well

I thought you two had been so much in the clutches of women you might like to escape them.

you've both been so furiously domestic lately.

and I thought Amerigo might like it better than wandering off alone.

you mean you might like it better.

I thought you both might like it better.

has he said he won't go unless I take him?

isn't that something you should ask him?

I shall if he asks me, but he hasn't.

perhaps he's too shy.

you really sure he wants my company?

- I think he thought you might like it. - I should.

but at the same time I'm not all that keen to put that much time and space between me and Charlotte.

we rub along pretty well together.

- did Charlotte think it a good idea? - not particularly.

as I say

we get along pretty well.

- so unless Amerigo's hankering pretty much -- - oh I don't think so

we too rub along pretty well you know.

there he is.

we've been looking for you.

I thought we might find you here.

hello grandpapa.

hello Vittorio!

well

I guess we might as well stroll back.

[birds chirping]

where have you been? we've been waiting for you?

in heaven's name what is there between them?

what do you believe? what do you know?

- between them? what do you mean? - anything.

anything there shouldn't be. anything there shouldn't have been.

do you speak from a suspicion of your own?

oh god Fanny I speak from a torment.

I've been thinking for weeks and I've no one to turn to. no one to help me.

what have you been thinking?

horrible things like the little beast I am that there may be something...

dreadful. something they cover up.

do you imagine my dear that they're in love?

help me find out what I imagine. I don't know.

I have nothing but my perpetual anxiety.

tell me something Fanny...

have you any suspicions?

if you tell me truly that at least one way the other will do something for me.

now is it what it comes to, that you're jealous of Charlotte?

I don't know what I am!

I'm tormented that's all I know and I feel helpless.

Fanny I stuff my pocket handkerchief in my mouth night and day to stop from crying out.

where are they now?

- away. - visiting? - yes.

but you needn't have insisted that they go.

I didn't insist! I suggested and they accepted. they accepted because now they know.

know what?

that I've been taking more notice, don't you see, of the odd things in our life.

so they thought to refuse now

would seem even odder when they've never refused before.

my dear what a complicated person you are.

do you think I'm wrong about them?

yes I do.

I see no awfulness. I suspect none.

I'm very distressed that you should.

and you never ever imagined anything?

god forbid, and I can imagine everything.

now I don't think for one moment that your husband is is occupied with your stepmother.

I don't think for one moment that he would harm a hair of your head.

- oh yes I can believe that. - nor Charlotte. - no?

that they neither one want, I grant.

now they're gone because as you say they were afraid not to.

because all they want to do is to please you and your father.

nd they want that too.

and don't you think my dear that you sometimes require they do too much to please you both?

oh if you mean I'm selfish I know.

well is it right to make them afraid not to please you both?

but would there be any fear if they had nothing to hide!

now what you're saying is that a criminal intrigue is being carried on

from day to day amid perfect trust and sympathy

not only under your eyes but under your father's .

that is an idea I find impossible to entertain.

- and you never have entertained? - never!

forgive me

by all you hold sacred.

upon my positive word as an honest woman.

thank you then.

but do you believe it love?

I believe you.

well since I believe them it comes to the same thing.

the same thing.

and you're no longer unhappy.

I've convinced you it's impossible.

oh Fanny! [crying]

we should have to lie for her. lie until we're black in the face all the time we're at Fawns.

for her or to her?

to her then up and down and in and out. it comes to the same thing.

and lie to the others too. to the prince about one's belief in him, to Charlotte about one's belief in her

and to mr Verver a dear sweet man about one's belief in everyone.

dear god what a tangled web we weave.

you intend us to go down then to Fawns?

of course we must. out of loyalty to Maggie.

and do you call being loyal to Maggie

... white washing the prince? - well in this case yes.

oh don't raise your eyebrows at me in that cynical fashion. I had no alternative

but to lie to her god forgive me. and I shall have to keep it up at Fawns. we both will.

fortunately Maggie will help there. we can count on her.

not to say that you're lying?

to stick to me fast whatever she sees.

she won't give me away although she could quite easily.

she'll keep up her lie as long as I keep up mine.

and what exactly is her lie?

why the pretense that she believes me!

believes they're innocent? so she actually believes they're guilty

despite the fact that she has no proof?

it isn't a question of proof. she simply knows that there's something between them.

she doesn't want proof that's my point. she's determined in fact to stand off from it.

yes but what...

what I don't quite see my love...

... is your idea of mr Verver. - oh I have no idea of him at all.

he's beyond me. he may be too inconceivably great or too inconceivably stupid.

are you asking me what I think?

I know what you think

but I doubt if the rest of us will ever know.

which is?

what he thinks of it all. even what he knows of it all.

I doubt if Charlotte ever will.

oh well

- well if Charlotte doesn't know of course -- - and I doubt if the prince ever will.

what mr Verver thinks? and uh do you think he cares?

oh yes he cares about that.

he and Charlotte may wonder, be mystified, tormented, but they will never know.

and that'll be their punishment.

and mine too if I get off with so little.

and uh...

Maggie?

oh she'll know about her father about everything

but she'll never tell us.

never.

Fanny was right about one thing

that Maggie didn't want to be confronted with any incontrovertible evidence.

she preferred, and who can blame her, for it to remain just a suspicion in her mind,

that might be removed with time and a new way of carrying on.

so she invited Fanny in effect to lie to her

and Fanny did what she guessed deep down Maggie wanted her to do.

but where Fanny was hopelessly wrong

was in assuming that the only incontrovertible evidence

Maggie might find, and therefore would be compelled to face, was the red-handed sort.

what she never in her wildest dreams supposed was that there could be another kind

and just as conclusive for Maggie

and the proof that she so ardently didn't want...

came to her and shattered her in the most extraordinary fashion.

involving a coincidence of the kind that only happens in life, never in fiction.

good afternoon.

good afternoon.

- how kind of you to bring it yourself. - not at all.

it is not something that should be entrusted to a messenger.

that's beautiful.

yes I don't know if you like it there, but I took the liberty.

it doesn't matter, it's not for me anyway. it's for my father for his birthday.

well I hope he will like it.

I'm sure he will. though he's a very hard man to please.

- you needn't tell him that there is a crack. - oh he'll spot it.

I shouldn't think so. it will take a very sharp eye to spot that.

- oh he will but he'll love it just the same. - oh he's the collector then huh? - perhaps the greatest.

- oh you intrigue me. - his name is Adam Verver. have you heard of him?

Verver?

aaah, the Verver collection.

I am honored indeed especially as you think it might please him.

I'm sure it will. look he's here.

ah yes.

- oh right he's too young to be -- - this one. - of course.

extraordinary.

ah mr Verver.

no to my knowledge I have not seen him before

but I have seen...

oh well perhaps not.

well thank you madame I hope your father will like the golden bowl.

- I know he will. - the golden bowl...

that's it. that's right, I remember.

that is when I have seen him.

he wanted a present and he came into my shop...

with this lady.

oh no no no no no no it was not he who wanted the present.

it was the lady.

... and she nearly bought the golden bowl. - when was this?

this was three years, four four years ago. yes in the summer.

yes and she almost bought it for him.

- for him? - yes he offered her something. she wouldn't have it

and then

she offered him the golden bowl. he wouldn't have it.

yes there was some little arguments you know.

yes thank you anyway.

not at all. it is for me to thank you.

you know I thought I would never sell it.

and yet it is beautiful

well

and to think that once before I almost did sell it and then it was to your...

your sister?

- no my friend. - ah yes.

and her husband.

and then it is forgotten for four years

until you discover it again.

well... that's life.

- thank you. - thank you madam. good day.

about six o'clock that evening

Fanny received a telegram asking her to go at once to Portland Place.

which she did. Charlotte and mr Verver had already gone down to Fawns.

Maggie and the prince were due to leave that evening.

- I came over as soon as I -- - something very strange has happened.

... I think you ought to know about it. - what ought I to know?

... you mean the gilt cup? - I mean the gilt cup.

- well what of it?

you'll see.

where did you get it?

in a little shop in Bloomsbury.

I told you the other night I've been looking for something for father's birthday.

it's hard to find him anything he hasn't already seen and passed over

so I've been looking for days around the antique shops.

oh it's very unusual.

yes more than you think.

I'd almost given up when I remembered a long time ago

how things stick in your mind...

that Charlotte had said there were one or two interesting little shops in Bloomsbury.

yes?

so today I went.

I felt happier today than I felt in weeks.

I believed in him as much as ever.

- your husband? yes more than ever

we felt that my dear the other night when you came to dinner.

you felt that everything was going to be all right?

- yes my dear we did. - well everything couldn't be more wrong!

because all the time that was brewing

he knew her before.

before I had ever seen him.

Amerigo knew Charlotte more than I ever dreamed.

- but surely you always knew that they'd met. - I knew too little.

don't you understand?

- well in a general sense. - they were intimate!

well it's a question of what one considers --

- intimate? - yes.

well I know what I consider intimate. too intimate to let me know anything about it.

only compatible you mean with letting me know? still I know nothing of that.

they went about together.

they're known to have done it.

I don't mean only before, I mean after.

after?

before we were married yes! but after we were engaged. you knew didn't you?

no my dear I did not.

well that bowl is the proof

very strange proof that they did.

they were together on the very eve of our marriage.

don't you remember how just before that she came back from America.

- oh .yes she stayed with us. - yes she stayed with you.

they spent some hours together, certainly a morning.

that cup has turned witness

and they never even mentioned it.

I've stood it here for Amerigo to see when he comes in.

I want him to see it and I want to be here when he sees it.

- where is he now? - I don't know he's been out since this morning.

it's as if those beautiful instincts of his have warned him off then again...

perhaps he has seen it. perhaps he came in when I was upstairs and went out again.

well I don't think I ought to be here when he gets home.

after all I don't know what it is it's supposed to represent.

do you intend to speak to him about it?

it won't be for me to speak.

it will be for me to listen.

how can it be otherwise without standing there.. I can hardly disregard it now can I?

can't you?

oh Fanny! if there'd been nothing between them before there might be explanations

but this makes today too much to explain don't you see?

I can't pretend I didn't know they knew each other

but I acted, you must believe me, for the best and I'm sure that they did.

and I'm sure it would turn out to seem so.

that they should do this to him.

to him.

your father?

- is it for him you're suffering most? - he did it for me

married only for me don't you understand?

if he did that may be a reason.

for her infidelity? - well it could be a reason.

- she knew that when she married him. - did she?

she may not have realized how much

I mean how much he was marrying for your sake.

that would be a want of good faith on his part.

oh no there's never been a want of good faith from him the dear man.

simply he may have thought that she knew more than she did.

you think then she's found out since?

- I don't know. I believed in Charlotte. - ah! so did I.

- and she believed in herself then. - and my husband! did he believe in himself?

I believe they both married with the highest intentions.

then why! why did they keep for me all that I might have known!

well why did I?

you weren't honour bound to tell me. they were!

but I saw no point in digging up a past that I thought

was solidly buried and perhaps neither did they.

then it's a good deal my fault if it all began so well.

... is that what you're saying? - no you've been perfect.

... simply I think that you've thought too much -- - of him? of my father?

yes perhaps I have but then it's a pity that they've thought so little.

Fanny

what does he know? what does he suspect?

leave him alone. leave her alone.

leave her to him.

- after this? - after everything.

they are intimately husband and wife.

how do I know that?

aren't you and Amerigo in spite of everything?

that remains to be seen.

I don't believe in this you know

- you will when I tell you. - oh no don't tell me anything

I don't want to know.

is it valuable?

yes but its value is impaired I'm told, by a crack.

- in the gold? - it isn't gold.

- what is it then? - glass.

and cracked under the gilt.

cracked.

your whole idea has a crack.

we'll see.

whatever you meant by it

and I don't want to know now has ceased to exist.

[Amerigo] and what in the world did you mean by it?

I think perhaps I should leave that to your wife to explain.