Visit Her at Your Peril | Barkskins
[birds chirping] You are Mari, the housekeeper. He's told me of you. [thud] Some creatures must go back to go wild, it seems. Monsieur Trepagny smashes them with his stick at night, and they know to stay away from our bed. He does have dominion over all. As his wife, I will therefore need you to serve my needs. Help me see to the house so that I may improve the estate and have it well on the way to prospering so that our children may in turn enjoy the bounty of this land. You will bear no children.
MELISSANDE: I am the lady of the house. I steer the man. In time, I will steer him any way I want. To renovate, toss out old habits back into the forest where they belong. There is my dear husband.
CLAUDE: I was out searching for Sel, and I found something, Mari. These seem to have run away from my sanctum. What do you know about this?
MARI: Nothing. And Monsieur Sel?
CLAUDE: He took has departed. I go away for one day and my doma falls to disorder. You saw nothing at all? As the housekeeper, you should be aware of the comings and goings on the estate. A dog could do better. [smash]
CLAUDE: Perhaps you can discover what has happened to Monsieur Sel. I will speak alone with Melissande. [tense music] Go on. [door slamming]
CLAUDE: I see now the arrangement you wish to design for yourself.
MELISSANDE: I have made no such designs, my cherie. I wish to do only beautiful things in this doma, and you will be my partner in this. And as my partner, you will learn to look past my many flaws, and I will look past your shortcomings, which I'm sure are few.
MELISSANDE: [exhales] Did you know that I sailed across an ocean and walked into the endless forest that I could find the correct man to bestow my maiden head on? That is no small thing.
MELISSANDE: There are deeper bindings towards which we must work. The binding of the two into a one.
CLAUDE: There will be no more binding nor any more bedding until you tell me the truth.
MELISSANDE: I gave it once. I may never give it again.
CLAUDE: Which truth this? There are so many floating about. Pluck one for me and I will tell it.
MARI: Mari.
MELISSANDE: Yes.
MELISSANDE: You have lain with her.
CLAUDE: What would you have me do? You have given her a son. Did she tell you that?
MELISSANDE: Nobody told me a thing. I have eyes—a brain. They will know when you've gone to visit her cabin and when you have not.
CLAUDE: We will have a proper wedding ceremony. I will wear a special dress. There will be dancing.
MELISSANDE: Yes, of course. We will have a wonderful ceremony. Now I am brimming with ideas on how to improve the doma.
CLAUDE: You spoke true of its beauty, but it must be tamed.
MELISSANDE: Not everything will lay down for you, Melissande. This is my doma. And as its master, I must stride it with vigor and authority.
CLAUDE: You may stride anywhere you like with as much vigor as you may muster. But your visit to Mari's cabin is at your own peril.