01x17 - Monsieur Francois

[bunniefuu]

[thudding]

♪ Jim Bowie, Jim Bowie

♪ He was a bold, adventurin' man ♪

♪ Jim Bowie, Jim Bowie

♪ Battled for right with a powerful hand ♪

♪ His blade was tempered and so was he ♪

♪ Indestructible steel was he

♪ Jim Bowie, Jim Bowie

♪ He was a fighter, a fearless and mighty adventurin' man ♪

[soft humming music]

[sacks thumping]

- Hey!

- Let me go!

I will not go with you!

- You pushed those sacks on me.

- And if I had a sword, I would run you through.

- Oh, you would, would you?

I got a good notion to give you a lickin'.

- You would not dare!

- Wouldn't I?

A boy your age, runnin' around trying to k*ll people?

- Ah, there's the little angel!

We've been chasin' him all over the bloomin' waterfront.

Many thanks to you, kind sir.

- You better hold him tight, he's a dangerous character.

- Monsieur please, do not let them take me!

They wish me harm.

- [Man] Shut up.

- Wait a minute, what'd he mean by that, harm?

- Is it harm to take the little

runaway one to his worried parents?

- They tell a lie, monsieur--

[man yelling]

- You little character! - Hold it!

Now let's get this straight, what --

- You stay out of this! [punching]

[thudding]

[dramatic music]

- You still here?

- Why should I run, Monsieur?

- You were running from those two.

- I was out numbered, Monsieur.

- Well, how 'bout me?

- You seem to be of somewhat better quality

than those ruffians.

- What's your name?

- I sir, am the Marquis de Gravien.

- Well, now.

- But I understand I should not use my title in America.

You may call me Monsieur Francois.

- Oh, thank you, Monsieur Francois.

You can call me Monsieur Jim.

How long you been in America?

- One hour.

I do not like it.

- Oh, well tell me somethin', if you're French,

how come you speak with an English accent?

- I was in school in England for several years.

I did not like it.

- You didn't, huh?

Where are your parents?

- I'm alone.

I was told I would be met by my aunt.

Those two fellows said she'd sent them,

but they did not deceive me.

My aunt would never send such men to greet me!

- Who's your aunt?

- Mademoiselle Marie de Gravien.

You'll be good enough to escort me to her.

- Oh, I will, will I?

- Naturally, you would not be among my aunt's acquaintances.

- No, I'm not.

- However, you've heard, perhaps, of my great-grandfather,

Monsieur Paul Tournay, with whom she lives.

- Yeah, I heard of him.

Alright sonny, uh, Monsieur, I'll take ya, come on.

- Not that way, Monsieur, my luggage is this way.

- Yes, your excellency, let's get your luggage.

- My cape.

- Well, dog my cats!

[soft humming music]

- I will see that my great-grandfather

gives you a suitable reward.

- Yes, sir.

- Marie, I have reached a decision.

I was just telling Eduard.

I want you to marry.

You are now the sole heir to both

the de Gravien estate and to my company,

which is in Eduard's capable hands.

There is no reason for delay.

- Very well, grandfather, we will make the arrangements.

- Tomorrow I will see Father Ladet.

- Until then, my dearest.

[knocking]

- I'll answer it.

Yes?

- Hi, this boy's just arrived from France.

I believe he belongs here.

- You seem to be the victim of a little joke, sir.

I bid you good evening.

- I am the Marquis de Gravien.

- And I, young sir, am the Duke de Lyonne.

I again bid you good evening.

- Evening.

- You have made a stupid mistake!

- Huh?

- This is obviously not the home of Paul Tournay.

- This is the Tournay home and the only mistake

I've made is getting mixed up with you in the first place.

- I also regret it.

- And what are your plans now?

- I suppose this town has a hotel of some sort, no?

I will go there and in the morning

I will secure competent help

in locating the house of Paul Tournay.

- This is the...

You have money, no doubt?

- Money?

I have never had to concern myself with money, Monsieur.

- Come on, let's go. - Go where, Monsieur?

- If your Royal Highness has no objection,

I will now take you to my hotel where I will try

to persuade the manager to accept you as a guest.

In spite of your novel ideas about money.

- I am beginning to be annoyed at your impertinence, sir.

- Come on.

- This ought to be just right for a boy your size.

Well now, look at this.

And who decided you were gonna have the bed?

- I did not know it needed deciding, Monsieur.

Have you ever slept on a floor before?

- You bet I have.

- Then you are used to it, while I am not.

- Wait a minute, what's this?

- It was my father's.

- Can I have a look at it?

What's this, a family crest?

- Yes, the de Gravien coat of arms.

- This is a motto.

[speaks in foreign language]

- Ah, help yourself and heaven will help you.

Well, you've done that alright.

You helped yourself to my time, my patience, and now my bed.

- I have told you, Monsieur, that you would be rewarded.

- You know, you just might be who you say you are.

No one could have your gall and not be.

How'd it happen you traveled to America alone?

Where are your parents?

- Dead, Monsieur, they gave their lives in the struggle.

- What struggle?

- For liberty, sir.

- Liberty in France, I though that was all over.

I thought the Bourbon's had turned the tables

on Napoleon and got their throne back.

- Frenchmen will never stop fighting for liberty.

The Marquis de Lafayette still leads the struggle.

- Lafayette?

- He was a friend of my father's.

He made all the arrangements and wrote

my great-grandfather that he was sending me here.

- Oh.

Well, you better go to sleep now.

We'll get all this straightened out in the morning.

- Good, no doubt in the daylight

you'll be able to find the right house.

- Now look, I told...

[soft humming music]

[knocking]

- I told you never to come here.

- But Monsieur, we had to come.

You saw the boy, he got away from us, he did.

- Find him.

- We already have, he's at the Royal Oaks Tavern.

- Then, what are you doing here?

- Ah, very good, very good indeed.

Eh, Regan?

[scuffling]

[lock clicking]

- I'm not gonna hurt you, Miss.

Oh, I just used this to open the window.

- What do you want? - Shh!

[screaming]

I must talk with you.

It's gonna be a little awkward

if we have to hold this position for long.

I'll let you go if you promise not to scream.

That's better.

- Who are you?

- My name's Jim Bowie, ma'am.

- Oh, I did not know you included

house breaking among your adventures.

- I don't claim to be an expert.

Are you Mademoiselle Marie de Gravien?

- I am.

And I demand to know the reason

for this outrageous behavior.

- Do you have a nephew named Francois de Gravien?

- No.

- Are you sure?

- I see no reason to discuss my personal affairs with you.

He was k*lled, five months ago in France with his parents.

- Are you certain he was k*lled?

- Why do you ask such questions?

Must you t*rture me?

- Look, it just may be that he was not k*lled.

- This is diabolical.

To come here and raise false hopes.

To renew the agony of realization.

- You ever see this before?

- Where did you get this?

- From your nephew, Francois.

He's asleep in my hotel room right now.

- Here, in New Orleans? - Uh-huh.

- But the letter said the whole family had perished.

- Not Francois, he's very much alive.

Now, this letter, about his family, did you see it?

- But, of course!

There is something very wrong here, Monsieur.

Why have you come here secretly?

Why did you not bring Francois with you?

- I did, earlier this evening.

A young gentlemen closed the door in our face.

- That is strange.

Eduard would certainly investigate

something as important as that.

- Eduard?

- My fiance, Mr. Dubois, my grandfather's manager.

- Oh.

Now, this letter, was it from the Marquis de Lafayette?

- Yes.

- Written by himself?

- But, certainly.

- And you're familiar with his handwriting?

- No, but...

What are you implying, Monsieur?

- Are you, by any chance, the heir to the de Gravien estate,

and to your grandfather's business right here, as well,

in the absence of a male heir, such as Francois?

- You lie!

That is a dreadful accusation against my fiance!

- Well, I'm not engaged to him,

so I can afford to be suspicious.

- I have perfect confidence in Eduard.

- Well, I don't.

- And he certainly would not forge a letter

from the Marquis de Lafayette.

- Tell me, is there somewhere downstairs

near the front door where you can hide?

- Hide?

- I'm gonna bring Francois back here,

first thing in the morning, eight o'clock.

- Why should I hide?

- You might be a little surprised

to hear what your fiance says.

- I'll do no such thing.

- Don't you wanna be sure?

- I am sure.

- Well, he's your fiance.

Anyway, we'll be here, eight sharp.

[tense humming music]

- Hey Mose, you seen a little boy?

In the last hour or so, a little boy in his nightshirt?

- Yes, Mr. Bowie, just a few minutes ago.

- Which way did he go?

- Why he didn't go no way, he was took.

- Which way, man?

- They had this boy and he was kicking

and carrying on something fierce.

- Mose, I swear, if you don't tell me

which way in the very next second!

- He didn't go no way, Mr. Bowie.

I took him in my hack, down to the waterfront.

- All right, Mose, drive as fast as you can.

- Ah, where, Mr. Bowie?

- The waterfront, man, the waterfront!

- Oh, yes.

[horses clomping]

- Regan!

Regan, Regan!

[punching]

[thudding]

[chain clanking] [thudding]

- Did you see what I did, Monsieur, with the chain?

- I sure did.

You're learning fast.

- They were going to wrap it around me,

but I wrapped it around him.

That is, how do you say?

The turning of the table, no?

- That's right.

[chain clanking]

You know somethin'?

You came mighty close to being catfish bait.

- I know, and I will thank the good Lord

for my deliverance in my prayers tonight.

- You do that.

Come on, help me tie up these two.

We'll leave them here for the dock workers

to find in the morning.

[gentle music]

[thumping]

- Monsieur Bowie?

- What?

- When I said my prayers,

I asked the good Lord to bless you, too.

- Oh, thanks.

- I said, "Dear God, please bless Monsieur Jim."

- Good, good.

- You do not mind, if I call you Jim?

- Call me anything you like.

- Thank you. - You're welcome.

[Jim groaning]

Oh, this is silly.

Move over! - Why, Monsieur?

- You don't have to have the whole bed to yourself, do you?

We can share it, can't we?

- I've never shared a bed in my whole life.

- Well, it's time you started, move over.

- I've never shared a room, except, of course, with Hector.

- And who's Hector?

- My dog, he always slept on the floor beside me.

- Oh, well I'm not Hector, move over.

Hey, you've really led the life

of a little gentleman, haven't you?

- I am a gentleman, Monsieur.

- Oh, all right then, stay a gentleman.

Keep the bed, sleep tight, good night.

- Monsieur Jim?

- What now?

- It is hard, the floor?

- It is hard.

- Monsieur Jim?

- Yeah?

- I have decided.

You may share the bed.

As a Marquis de Gravien, I can do no less.

- Why?

- I have tried to think what

my father would do and my grandfather.

They would share the bed, I think.

- Why would they?

- Because they were gentlemen.

- I thought a gentlemen was a fellow

who always took a whole room to himself?

- No Monsieur, a gentleman is, it means,

do you know noblesse oblige, what it means?

- What does it mean to you, Francois?

- I think it means that persons of high birth,

like myself, must always be honorable and generous.

- Yeah, I think that's very right on.

- Especially to one's inferiors, like you.

- Yeah. [sighing]

- So, since I'm a gentleman, you may have half my bed.

- I'll take it, even on those terms, move over.

Ahh!

- It is very strange.

You did not have to fight for me,

but it is twice now that you have saved my life.

- Well, I'll call it even if you just go to sleep.

- Good night, Monsieur.

- Good night, Francois.

[Jim groans]

- Could it be that you're of noble birth?

- Huh?

No, just plain American.

- But Monsieur Jim, you've acted almost

exactly like a gentleman, and yet...

- Go to sleep.

- And yet, you are not a gentleman.

It is very strange.

I do not understand plain Americans.

[gentle music]

[knocking]

- Good morning.

- You again?

- Just a minute!

This time the boy and I are gonna see Mr. Tournay.

Stand clear.

[metal clanking]

- Francois!

- Aunt Marie!

Never fear, Aunt Marie, Monsieur Jim will beat him.

[metal clanking]

[thudding]

Who is this man, Aunt?

- My fiance.

Or, he was.

[thudding]

- You see, what did I tell you?

- Yes, he is a very brave gentleman, isn't he?

[dramatic music]

- What should we do with him?

- He has to live with himself.

Perhaps that will be enough.

- Marie! - Oh, get out!

- You heard the lady.

- Oh, Aunt Marie, may I present my friend,

Monsieur Jim Bowie, Mademoiselle de Gravien.

- I know Mr. Bowie, Francois,

and I am very grateful to him.

You must come and visit Francois, often.

- I'd like that, Mademoiselle.

- Monsieur Bowie, I think I understand

now about the gentleman. - Yeah?

- In France, it is how one is born.

Here, it is how one acts.

Any plain American can be a gentleman.

That is it, Monsieur, no?

- Any good American.

- Then I shall try to be a good, plain American.

- You're pretty close right now.

- And now I think we should go upstairs.

Your great-grandfather will be very glad

to meet you, and you, too, Mr. Bowie.

- Wait, Aunt Marie, I must extend my apologies.

Monsieur Jim, I said I would have you rewarded.

- Yes, you did.

- But one gentleman cannot reward another, sir.

I can only promise to help you

when I am big enough to do so.

- I'll count on that.

- Now I am ready to see my grandfather.

[gentle music]

♪ Jim Bowie, Jim Bowie

♪ He was a fighter, a fearless and mighty adventurin' man ♪