The Duellists

The Duellists (Dir. Ridley Scott, 1977) | Interview with actor Keith Car...

Surely you will not turn down

the opportunity of a brigade.

The Emperor is Our Hope and Strength.

We belong to him.

D'Hubert :

I have entertained the notion that...

I may belong to myself.

It has been said that you 

Do Not Love The Emperor.

D'Hubert :

By whom?

By General Feraud.

He knows you well, I believe.

D'Hubert :

General Feraud has made

occasional attempts to kill me.

That does not give him the right

to claim my acquaintance.

And it is also said that he fought you...

in defence of The Emperor's Honour.

D'Hubert :

That is impertinent trash!

You have My Answer to Marshall Grouchy.

I shall write to confirm it at once. Good Day.

Colonel, do you sometimes

meet with General Feraud?

Now and again.

D'Hubert :

Ask him what The Honor of The Emperor

has to do with Madame de Lionne?

Madame de Lionne?

D'Hubert :

I think that was The Lady's name.

He should remember better than I.

*****

Feraud :

Damn his impudence.

That was The Lady's name, sir.

Feraud :

Madame de Lionne. Yes.

Get your backside off that table.

Fine woman. A cultivated woman.

She had nothing to do with The Emperor.

I do not believe that The General 

was suggesting an ilIicit acquaintance 

between The Emperor and this woman.

Feraud :

Then what was he suggesting?

What? Out with it.

Sir, I took him rather to imply that this lady...

not The Emperor, was the prime cause 

of your quarrel.

Feraud :

I have called him out near

to half a dozen times.

The Cavalry knows. Would I have

done that for some petty nonsense?

She was a lady I held in high esteem.

Her salon was very well known in...

Strasbourg.

Yes, now I recall something else.

He said to me in a public street--

I have it burnt in my mind.

He said to me...

"For all that I care, They can

spit upon Napoleon Bonaparte."

Who were 'They'?

Feraud :

They, They!

When did The Emperor

not have enemies?

D'Hubert is a turncoat!

That is a fact!

I say more. I say he never loved

The Emperor! Never!

He saw a fair deal of campaigning....

Feraud :

When you meet him again, tell him

I will prove The Truth of it

at the first opportunity.

To The Emperor -- Good Luck to him

and to those that love him.

But in less than 100 days,

Napoleon was defeated,

And I offer you another toast.

Let us give thanks for the safe return...

of His Sacred Majesty, Louis XVIII.

God Save The King.

And Devil take The Ogre...

to St. Helena.

This side of The Grave, it seems

a fit and proper place for him.

Come, sir --

You're A Royalist now...

Like the rest of us.

Where else would 

you wish him to be?

One celebration at a time, sir.

Don't you think?

No, I Do Not.

The Boy's A Royalist.

And I can give you more good news.

He has been summoned to attend

upon Marshall St. Cyr in Paris.

He will have a command

in The King's Army.

So Tell Us : 

What Fate would 

you choose 

for The Ogre?

D'Hubert :

I believe The Emperor

chose His Own Fate :

It was his habit to do so.

I learned My Trade in His Service,

as did MarshaIl St. Cyr.

The King's Army will have

more Realists than Royalists.

I have just agreed to terms

with this lady...

and I'm much too tired

for further questioning.

Well done.

Good Day, Colonel.

D'Hubert, isn't it?

D'Hubert :

That's right.

You took care to play safe, eh?

Very spruce you look too.

Very tame and spruce.

Found a nice place with His Majesty, have you?

Now, Gabriel Feraud was right.

Poor devil. He always said 

you were a slippery fellow.

D'Hubert :

How is General Feraud?

You don't know?

D'Hubert :

It interests me very little.

In fact, I do not know.

Feraud was arrested.

They have him on 

The Butcher's list.

D'Hubert :

He's to go before 

The Commission?

Yes. Now, there was a man

who would ride straight at anything.

He ends up at the mercy

of that sewer rat. Fouche.

He's as good as dead.

Joseph Fouche :

Come a little closer, please.

I'm all attention.

D'Hubert :

I believe Your Excellency

has chosen a list of officers...

to be tried for Treason

by the special court.

Joseph Fouche :

I... am The President 

of The Commission

that chose them, yes.

D'Hubert :

I've come to petition that the name

of General Gabriel Feraud

be removed from that list.

I have letters of introduction --

Marshalls St. Cyr and MacDonald.

Joseph Fouche :

Have you indeed?

By all accounts, he is a 

rabid Bonapartist.

D'Hubert :

So is every Trooper and 

Grenadier in The Army...

as Your Excellency knows.

General Feraud hasn't the brains

to make himself dangerous to anyone.

Rather, he could not conceivably 

Hurt The State.

Joseph Fouche :

He has a busy tongue.

He talked himself on to our list.

we could not keep him off it.

I am something of 

A Virtuoso in Survival.

You will be aware 

of that, I think.

Besides, I despise these nobodies...

who offer their neck to The Block.

At least this is in My Control,

because if it were not...

My Own Name would 

most certainly be on it.

Our New Masters 

and Their Ladies, 

bless them, are out for 

a Deal of Blood.

Please be seated.

You have an honest 

Soldier's Face, General...

but you have come here

to intrigue with me.

Is that not so?

Have you not come here

to intrigue with me?

Is this fellow a relation of yours?

D'Hubert :

No.

Joseph Fouche :

Intimate friend?

D'Hubert :

No, not exactIy.

We've had a... 

long association.

Joseph Fouche :

Mysterious. Still, you have 

two marshals at your back.

Yes, there's your man.

Feraud, Gabriel Florian.

He will live in the provinces

under police supervision.

You realise that, of course --

But he will live.

Take a pen, my dear fellow,

and cross out The Name.

I can't do everything for you.

D'Hubert :

Your Excellency, I must beg you

to keep my interference a secret.

Most particularly from 

General Feraud.

Joseph Fouche :

General Feraud, Alive or Dead,

is not worth a moment's gossip.