Original subtitles

THE GREEN SCARF

Yes, your decision that let to the withdrawal

was completely overwhelming

Your coffee is on the stove, Monsieur

Yes, talk to Maitre Somuse

This decision to withdraw what I understand to a reason equally important

Well, I can only apologize...

Mademoiselle Benoit, Monsieur

- Danielle? - Good evening, Maitre

Good Evening, Louise

I was worried I didn't see you at the court

You didn't become a nurse

No, Maitre, just your devoted pupil

But sometimes I'm afraid you neglect your self

Anyway I've nothing else to do tonight

No evening classes, no admirers?

Only you I hope

Dear Maitre Deliot

Well then, perhaps you can do me a little service by operating on that machine

But of course

Is it a letter?

Please

If it ain't it feels quite important

Another piece of court case?

My child

I've come to a big decision

I'm going to devote myself to the assizes

Do you see that file? It contains a head

- What? - A head

But the first that I had to try to save

A murder case?

Did he really do it?

I'm sorry

It is alleged that he killed a fellow passenger on- board the liner "Versailles"

There was a kind of a ferocious struggle and our man was found beside the corpse

Later he formally confessed to the crime

Did he? Well, then what can you do?

That does make it rather difficult to admit

Have you any lectures at the faculty tomorrow?

One, but I could easily cut it

Well, do so.Louise!

Mademoiselle Danielle will be here for lunch tomorrow

I've got a big letter to write,

Danielle

I want you to be here at eight o'clock in the morning to watch that telephone

I maybe out all day, are you ready?

All there is the sames so you can fill in the names afterwards

Whose names?

If I am not being indiscreet

You are being very indiscreet

But since you are now working on the case, they maybe our witnesses

Just leave the place for Madame or Monsieur and...

Yes, Maitre

Having undertaken the defence

Of Jacques Vauthier

Now awaiting trial for the murder

Of an American citizen

You won't get anything out of Vauthier

He is as closed as an oyster or a prison door

Your sense of wit depresses me my friend

I heard they couldn't find anyone to defend him

You are wrong, he has Victor Deliot to defend him

He is all yours, Monsieur Deliot

Does he always sit like that?

Nearly always

Does he know where he is?

Him? You would be surprised what he knows considering he can't hear or speak

And he is blind

Does he know you?

All of us

What can he do?

The doctor say he is sane, they talk to him

The interpreter, they touch him with the fingers and draw the words

He won't answer much, they say he is keeping numb on purpose

Don't go too close

Good Morning, Monsieur, I did warn the gentleman

He is quite right, it was entirely my own fault

He attacked you?

Not the first time, I think we'd better leave him when he is like that

Well, perhaps for today, anyway he knows me now

Been the same with all the others

They tried but he won't have it

Perhaps they tried the wrong way

So you decided to defend him?

A man who doesn't want to be defended and attacks you

But surely, my dear governor, the most interesting kind of crime

You see this ????

don't you think we might give him something a little better

than regulations, soup and bread, at my expense , of course

The rule permit no variation of the prison, lawyer

Isn't it some little café at the prison gate?

Why don't anybody make a useful thing like that, his own family for instance

The wife has disappeared, his mother wouldn't even ask to see him

That's what I find most surprising

Nothing surprises me, my friend, but your tenacity

I believe the man is suffering and terribly

For some reason that we don't even begin to understand

My records shows that he is quite an educated man

He's written a book

A book?

The lonely one?

Why didn't I think of that

Dear say, you're brilliant, I've a book, a book

But first some food, there's a little café at the prison gates

My dear, Sir, you're a genius

What a pity you weren't back in Ordine, you had a visitor

Madame Simone Vauthier

His mother?

She said she came as soon as she's got your letter

And she should be back by now

You stay here until I get back perhaps another of our witnesses will turn up

Put this on my desk

Important notes

And why not?

The lonely one by Jacques Vauthier

Maitre, isn't he the

Have you seen my son?

Yes, Madame, I have seen Jacques, but you have not

No, Monsieur

May I ask why?

Because he would refuse to see me, he hates me

His mother?

You may well find that hard to believe but he is not to blame

His mind has been poisoned against me

By whom?

By those who took him from me as a young child

The Sannat Institution you know it?

Yes, yes indeed

I was assured that the brothers and the principal, Monsieur Rodelec, could help me

And did they?

In the beginning yes

When I went to see him again later I was a astounded

It was almost like a normal child

Then when he became of age I suffered the cruellest blow of all

They had found a girl for him to marry

You did not approve the marriage?

To a daughter of my own servant?

This was a plot between that girl and Rodelec

There has never been any reconciliation?

I only hoped that he had found happiness

And then one day I read the dreadful news

My son accused of murder

I could only hope and pray for a delivery

Madame, I could only try to do my best

You cannot fail, Monsieur, my son is innocent

Madame, I'll try to find every bit of evidence I can to prove it

All that you've told me

seems to have very little bearing on who committed the crime

And where is his wife?

Why has she disappeared?

But we teach the same six methods of communication that they use at Sannat

Including the written word in Braille

Your client had needed them all as a lecturer and author

He is known as one of Rodelec's most brilliant pupils

I'm afraid he can't claim to have made quite the same impression here

can you, warder?

Did he enjoy his meal last night?

He left out the eggs and chocolate

The best way to win his alms(?) perhaps

Why didn't my predecessor think of that?

He can't have heard us come in

We got him cleaned up for your visit

He knows me already

But that doesn't mean to say we are friends

Enjoys it too, poor devil

Why didn't someone give him a cigarette before?

Nobody thought of it

Anyway how can we tell what he likes?

Would you like to try him now, he's quite friendly today

Tell him that I'm his defence counsel and his friend

And I'm going to send him cigarettes every day

What does he say?

He doesn't answer

Tell him that I enjoyed his book

The author's ram(?)at him?

Tell him I'll send him some materials to write a new book

Now what does he say to that?

He says he'll never write again

Tell him I think he was quite right to kill that man

Go on, go on

But I can't consider him as guilty and I want to know why he pleads guilty

And why he doesn't want anybody to defend him

- What does he say? - No answer

Ask him if he wants to see his mother

No

Or his wife?

No

Or Yves Rodelec?

No answer

At least he didn't say no

Tell him I'd like to shake him by the hand

We've haven't done too badly

It's only the last minutes details before the sailing

I regret the inconvenience, Monsieur, but a man's life is at stake

B 51

The murder cabin

Is it occupied?

Yes, but I believe the passengers are on the upper deck

Thank you

Furniture has been changed

You've seen this room before?

- Only the police photograph - Yes, of course

Come in

You sent for me, Purser?

Teral, close the door

Henri Teral, the steward in charge of the de luxe cabins on this deck

Teral, this gentleman desires some further information on the murder

Of course

You were the first to find the body, were you not?

Yes, it's all set down in my statement to the magistrate

Admirable clever steward

Why did you happen to be looking for him?

On the purser's orders

He said the passenger Vauthier was missing

and all stewards would check their rooms

When I got here I found the door ajar

Someone seemed to be leaning on it from the inside

I found Bell hanging from the doors by his hands

Would you?

- Show me - Certainly

He was on his knees like that

He was already dead

Yes, the body was still warm, the man had been murdered

How did you know that?

Well, there was a trail of blood running from his neck right down

On the carpet here

Jacques Vauthier where was he?

He was sitting where you are now

He was holding his hands out in front of him like that

They were covered in blood

From that you deduced that he was the murderer

I didn't deduce anything there were two men in here and one was dead

- Thank you - Carry on, Teral

Thank you

And after you locked him up, what did you do then?

I reported it to the Captain

Then we went together to my office and Madame Vauthier was informed

Madame Vauthier, the wife of?

What has she been doing all this while?

Sitting in my office

So sitting in your office

We had begun to search the ship for Vauthier on her report that he was missing

The last thing we'd expected was to find him where we did

When she heard the news she fainted

Yes

I'm not surprised

Later on she came with us to the cells to act as our interpreter

Please show me the wireless cabin

Keep to the right and then left down the corridor

- Madame Vauthier was still very upset - Very

She rushed out to him, caught him in her arms and said

"You didn't do it Jacques, my darling you couldn't have"

Of course he couldn't hear it

- But you could? - Oh yes

Then she calmed down a bit and spoke to him

How?

In a sort of finger language on his hand

Then he wrote a message on a Braille pad

He said "I killed this man, I neither deny it nor regret it"

He struck to that confession

Why do people confessions?

Madame Vauthier was very brave

She wondered why on earth he should kill a man

that neither of them knew nor ever seen before

That seems rather odd, you know

Very odd, if it's true

Never occurred to me to doubt her

She is a lady that has impressed you which is undoubtedly in her favour

Avenging hand may strike today

What do you suppose that means?

No strike, Monsieur, it's a horse, I backed it

Extraordinary things people sent by expensive cables about

Phyllis Brooke 121 East Street New York

I share your distress

I wonder what Phyllis Brooke should have been distressed about

Perhaps she backed Avenging Hand too?

Thank you and these

They are ship telegrams, Monsieur, official

Nothing sent by John Bell or by the Vauthiers?

Nothing, Monsieur, I checked that months ago

Right, Monsieur, well if I may have a look at your passenger list

Certainly

You'll see Jacques Vauthier was only one of our celebrities

Maitre Deliot residency

Not yet, Madame, oh don't hang up, Madame, please

I assure you, Monsieur Deliot wants very much to meet you

He asks me to specially to tell you he depend on you to help him

And your husband, yes I'm sure

Anywhere you say

You'll be wearing a Gray scarf

He isn't hard to recognize, Madame

A very nice old gentleman with glasses, dressed in black

Yes, 10 o'clock tomorrow in the garden of the Gatelle

Madame Vauthier, charming spot

I recognized you from the photograph

I saw in the paper taken with your famous husband embarking for America

Very same hat the same scarf, the same..

Not quite the same, Monsieur, that scarf was green

A favour to my husband

He can appreciate colours?

He likes to think so, yes

But when it was lost I couldn't tell him

I just said a little lie

If married people only told each other lies no bigger than that

- Won't you sit down? - Thank you

Now Monsieur

What have you to say to me?

Simply that I need you and he needs you

I begged him to see me in prison but he refused

Why?

I can't answer that, all I know and feel is that you can help him

That's what I want to do

Why did you refuse to help my predecessors?

Because they were convinced he was guilty

And I know that Jacques never killed anyone

What makes you say that?

Because I know him, Monsieur, better than anyone else

Very well I agree with my predecessor, he is guilty

Everything points to it, his fingerprints, his own confession

Madame

Madame Vauthier

There is also the question of motive

What motive?

A motive so overwhelming knowing our juries

I might be able to win him an aquittal

He had no such motives

I am glad you only say that to me

If you should repeat that in court

and I certainly intent to call you, you might condemn him

Madame Vauthier I should go home and reflect

if you can find a better answer come and see me

Very well

And there is one more question

People say you are in hiding

What do you mean by that?

Madame Vauthier

Do you wish me to save your husband?

Maitre

Well?

Not a word, perhaps she didn't get your letter

Maitre, how can you believe she even wants to help him?

I think she does

If she does appear, how do you know she'd tell the truth?

I think she will whether the truth will help her husband is another matter

- Wait till you see her and if you do - Yes, Maitre

I'm very curious to know what she is wearing

Is that important?

My child, this is a murder trial

Maitre

Gentlemen, the Court

The hearing is open

On the 5th Day of May last

during the crossing of the liner "Versailles" from New York to Le Havre

the dead body of a male passenger John Bell

was discovered in station Number B 51

Death has resulted from a severe knife wound in the neck

Beside the corpse a man was found sitting with blood stained hands

That man was the accused Jacques Vauthier

Deposition of the ship's officers show

that Vauthier offered no resistance to arrest and later signed a statement

formally confessing to the crime

This statement was translated by his wife

Who was the only person on the ship able to converse with him

Devoted help and training, he received at Sannat

It was after the encouraging reception of his book

that he sailed with his wife to New York

What was the purpose of this visit to America?

The American edition of his book had just been launched

His publisher thought his personal appearance might help the sale

And after that?

He says the whole of the next five years was spent lecturing in the United States

And "Versailles" was his first return to France?

- Yes - That's all

I call the first witness

- Your name? - Henri Teral

Your profession?

Steward on board the liner "Versailles"

Swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and only the truth, raise your right hand

After the arrest we made a careful search for the murder weapon

Curiously enough it was never found

There is nothing curious in that

Later on the Court will hear the accused account how he got rid of it

Has the defence any questions?

No questions Monsieur le President

Thank you Monsieur

Call Captain Chardot

In the presence of the purser I questioned Vauthier through his wife

He wrote his answers down by the typewriter

The documents are at the Court's disposal

What were the questions?

My first question was

Do you confess to the killing of John Bell?

He replied I do

I will call the attention of the jury to the importance of that statement

written by the accused own hand confessing to the murder of John Bell

My second question

What did you kill him with?

Answer With a paper knife

Question Where is it now?

Answer I threw it out of the porthole

To my last question:why did you kill him?

He made no reply

In the cabin I took a number of fingerprints

Particularly from the sheet where the murderer had wiped his hands

I then reconstructed the crime from the evidence submitted

Can you explain then Inspector

how John Bell with his severed artery managed to drag himself to the door?

The doctor thought that it might had been possible

But I must admit that to me the point is obscure

And the fingerprints?

They matched the hands of Vauthier

Senator as president of this Court I would like to thank you for coming here

May we hear about your son?

John was my only son

And I was very proud of him, Sir

He was only 18 when the war came and he joined up with the United States Marines

When he came home I noticed he was greatly matured and he took up European relief work

One day I told him

if he really wished to understand French culture he should visit France

On that day we planned his trip

And yet I thought that John seemed somehow slightly hesitant

Here I must admit one slight difference between us

Take your own time, Senator

He'd fall in love with a girl, a Broadway dancer

and I was not too happy about it

I knew the only solution was to get him across to France

One month later I saw him off on the "Versailles"

He was then reconciled to go?

Yes, Sir, before leaving the ship I asked him about his Broadway girlfriend

And he really laughed and said

"Don't worry about Phyllis, Dad, she'll get over it"

Phyllis?

Phyllis Brooke the girl I spoke of

Thank you, Senator

Senator Bell would you give us your opinion of the accused?

I sympathise with him for his terrible handicap

but does that give him the right to kill a fine young man like Johnny?

- I've nothing else to add - Thank you

The Court will adjourn for fifteen minutes

and we will then hear the first witness for the defence

It's quite hopeless

That is a most unprofessional remark, my little Danielle

Here run and send this cable to New York

try to act before the Court resumes at four

How is it going? I heard it was all over by the clerks

That is a most unprofessional remark

Please hurry

- Don't push me - I'm not pushing - I've been waiting a long time

New York is a long way 2, 850 Francs

Is it the mother?

She believes him anyway, they all do

- Telegram? - I send it off, it's terrible..

Call the next witness

Yves Rodelec

- Your name? - Yves Rodelec, teacher of Sannat

Would you tell the Court what you know of the accused?

I first saw Jacques Vauthier

when I went to Paris to fetch him from his parent's home

I found him hidden in an attic

There he is, Monsieur, he is plugged there all day long

Run along child

Look, his eyes are open but he sees nothing

Who is this?

My housekeeper's daughter, she looks after him

Your permit me, Madame

- What's your name? - Solange Duval

How long have you been looking after Jacques?

Three years

Is he fond of you?

I didn't know he can't tell me

Would you like him to be able to tell you?

He never will, but I know he likes me

Who are you?

I? Just a father of a large family, 300 children what do you think of that?

Do you love them all?

Of course

People say that Jacques can't understand anything but he is really very clever

How did you found that out?

Through Jeanette, my doll really

Don't you play with dolls anymore?

I'd rather play with Jacques, when he wants Jeanelle he asks me for her

Asks you?

But how?

Like this

That means I want Jeanelle

That's very clever of you Solange

He always sleeps with her in his arms

But aren't you lonely without Jeanelle?

No he is like our baby, Jacques is mine

I see

And what else did you taught him?

Not much only to ask for things he likes to eat

He is so clever

If only I could think of some new signs to use about everything

Last night I was trying to make him understand

Go on

That he has a mother like me

A hopeless task even I , his mother, am unknown to him

Oh, he knows you

You could be very useful to me little Solange, where Jacques is getting to

You are not taking him away?

But he has to learn a lot of other useful things

But I could teach him if you showed me, he depends on me

He can't do that always

But I promise you, he won't forget you

I was amazed by the speed which he learned

I remember the day the day he learned to laugh something he had never done before

The world was a place where life was found

His appetite for knowledge was insatiable

He was always asking questions looking for experience

And each new thought was related to a sign placed on his eager hand

I felt I was witnessing a miracle

He himself asked for the signs for hot and cold

I was there to answer him and had continuing proof of his quick intelligence

Little Solange had not been mistaken

He was making up for the ten grey years of his past

At times I thought that excitement might be too much for him

And I sent him out to learn of space and moves and the free use of his legs

When Jacques had been with us a year, he had a visitor

I had prepared him for this great event and the boy was eagerly awaiting

Your son, Madame

Jacques my little

You must try and forgive him, Madame

After all when he was in your house he didn't even know who you were

She never knew that after that interview

the boy collapsed, in my belief the breakdown was a spiritual one

He didn't seem to want to live

Until little Solange brought him the love and the reassurance

she had given him before

For days after the little girl had gone

I tried to discover the cause of his behaviour

He said, I thought my mother had come to take me back I would rather die

I reasoned with him and the following year when she came again

he tried to greet her properly but it was no use

Brother Rodelec can you explain why

despite of your reasons, you couldn't persuade him to like his mother?

In Paris I had the feeling that his mother had been relieved to see him go

He must have known it

If I had tried to force him to love her

he would have lost confidence in us and that would had been fateful

Did the boy get on well with the others of the institution?

Everybody liked him but he was inevitably shy and rather lonely

It was the same when he grow older

Until the arrival of Solange Duval, why did you sent for her?

The boy was grown up, he needed the affection of his family

that had not been able to give him

and I was assured that Solange could give him

Which she did, most abundantly it seems

No doubt that Solange Duval was a suitable companion for a young man so afflicted?

The only possible companion, Monsieur Le President, I long come to that conclusion

What were your grounds for that?

She learned Braille so that she could write to him

And through their letters during the years of separation

the mysterious understanding of their childhood had grown steadily stronger

indeed those letters that come to me in every ??

I knew that he would never be entirely happy far from

But it wasn't until I told him of the good news

The good news?

What was that?

That she would come and within a week Solange was there

It was the same for Vauthier himself

we had already recognized his talents but the coming of Solange enriched his life

Most sensible I should say

Here is a man blind from birth who writes of colour

It was in his imagination of course

Even as a boy when brother Domenic

made a new dress for his doll of Jeanelle he would ask me what colour it is

When I told him red

He thought that red should be a warm colour

You see he thought of colours in terms of taste and smell

For instance the smell of an orange would be blue, that of a rose was green and so on

Were his ideas of colour correct?

Of course not

He thought Jeanelle would look pretty with her eyes yellow and her hair blue

It made me think of certain painters of the modern school

These remarks are very interesting but they seem to beside the point

They may seem so to you

However, one of those colours played a vital part in the murder of John Bell

You have a breathless with suspense, Maitre Deliot

Won't you tell us now who really did commit it?

If we knew that the trial would be already over

Will you please go on, Brother Rodelec

It was two years before his book appeared in France

And then a year later

It's wonderful, wonderful

There is a letter from America by the same mail offering him a lecture tour

Perhaps you like to tell him

He wants to speak to you now

So I see

He has quite a lot to say

You searched for me, Monsieur

Come in my child

Sit down

I've something important to tell you

You must know that Jacques has been in love with you for a long time

that he's been too shy to tell you

So here is an adopted father

who has the honour to ask the hand of a charming young woman to his soul(?)

Would you now turn and look at your ex pupil

and tell the court whether you think he is greatly changed?

Yes, he is altered

He used to be so serene

Have I your permission to ask him one question personally?

What are you going to say?

My question is: "Jacques, my child, tell me why you refuse to defend yourself?"

You may ask him that

Does he answer?

No he ???

Have you nothing else you wish to ask him?

Will the witness tell us whether he too thinks the accused is guilty?

It is understandable that Brother Rodelec should not wish to answer that question

Brother Rodelec must find some explanation in his mind

I believe that Jacques Vauthier

by accusing himself of a crime he did not commit is protecting the real criminal

Jacques

You must tell me, you who have always sought the truth

Who is the murderer?

Why are you protecting him?

Jacques if you knew how you are making me suffer

Brother Rodelec, in the name of God do you believe him innocent?

In the name of God I do

Thank you

The witnesses beliefs certainly deserves our sympathy

but the jury will not forget that Vauthier signed the murder with his own fingerprints

Maitre, you act(?)

Call the next witness

How could she ever do that?

Madame Vauthier

Your name?

Solange Vauthier formerly Duval

Swear to tell the truth the whole truth and only the truth raise your right hand

I swear

Madame Vauthier, during your travels in America

Do you remember meeting the victim, John Bell?

No

Nor on the ship?

No

And Jacques never left the cabin except with me

If it is as you say, your husband never left your cabin alone

how was he able to disappear at the exact moment of the crime?

Well, Jacques was working as usual after lunch

and I had taken the chance of going for a walk on deck

When I returned 20 minutes later, he was gone

After searching for half an hour I went back to the cabin and he wasn't there

I was afraid that he might have had an accident

So I run to the purser's office

Well, you know the rest

You spent 20 minutes on deck, half an hour looking for your husband

your explanation to the purser might have taken ten minutes

One hour in all before the official search began, how long did that take?

Perhaps three quarters of an hour, I don't know

When I heard the news I fainted

Later I went with the ship officer to help him to interview my husband

To my horror Jacques said "I killed this man"

Day after day he said the same thing

The Court would forgive me if I return to the question of time

The jury should appreciate that from the moment Madame Vauthier left her husband

and until the moment when Teral, the steward found him was nearly two hours

Come to the point, Maitre Deliot

This is the point

Our belief is that during those two hours John Bell

met his end in the hands of the real criminal

Really , and who is the real criminal?

That we shall know in due time

Madame Vauthier

Where you in hiding after your return to Paris?

No

I, I didn't think that I could help him

He lost confidence in me, I don't know why

You now meet your husband for the first time?

Yes

What do you suppose is his reactions when he learned that his wife is in court?

None whatsoever

He asked her a question?

No, Monsieur Le President

I find it incomprehensible

I think I know the reason but with the Court's permission

I should like to be allowed to carry out a small experiment with the accused

What do you mean by experiment?

Merely a contact

You have the Court's permission

Madame Vauthier

Would you be so very kind as to go up to your husband?

Interpreter

Will you take the accused hand

and place it so he may touch the scarf of Madame Vauthier?

At last he is talking

What does he say?

He keeps saying what colour? What colour is the scarf?

Shall I answer him?

Wait.Tell him the colour is green

But the scarf is Gray?

The deception is absolutely necessary, tell him that the colour is green

Scarf is green

You are hurting me, stop, Jacques, you're hurting me

We might unfortunately say, this cruel experiment was essential

Is the counsel for defence satisfied with his experiment?

More than satisfied

The Court is waiting Maitre Deliot, for you to explain

why you deliberately mislead the accused

If the Court will be patient I

I hope to be more enlightening in my first speech tomorrow

Very well, the Court will adjourn until one o'clock tomorrow

Maitre, you are wonderful, I know what you are after

Do you? I wish I knew

If he didn't do it, who did?

I'll let you into the secret

I don't know

Show my cables are right, yesterday morning, it's wonderful

No use he won't answer

Louise? What's the matter he should be at the Court?

Been like a bear all the morning I was trying to make him take some food

when the telephone rang he ?? out the hands and he pushed me out here

Telephone? Was it a New York call?

Don't be absurd, you look somewhere in America

Well, let's thank providence, Sir

For the difference in time

And Monsieur Edison for inventing the telephone too

And I ?? you my dear dear friend for showing those Americans

that we Frenchmen can still work hard where there is a lady concerned

Even Phyllis Brooke

Yes, I got it all here

All in my head

Send the bill to Maitre

Or perhaps(?)

Direct to Public Prosecution

Well, my apologies for your dear wife and well

Back to bed with you

Au revoir

Maitre? Do you know the time?

Yes, six hours ahead of New York come on

And finally despite the ingenious suggestion of the defence

it must be clear to all that this savage crime had its motive

and that's motive is jealousy, of course there was no reason for it

the wife had not even met John Bell

How then does this fateful jealousy arise?

Here we must recognize the tragic nature of this man's affection

But Vauthier

might have identified John Bell during some chance encounter on the ship

Perhaps, perhaps through his sense of his cigar

If he became aware of it again

Near his wife it would be enough to arise his suspicion

And out of suspicion jealousy and out of jealousy the craving for revenge

We pity Vauthier

But to pity, gentlemen, is not to condone

The proof, the bloodstained hands, the fingerprints and above all the confession

Confirming in every case the murderer of John Bell

As civil prosecutor I ask you to honour the name of that blameless victim

by awarding damages, which, although symbolic

express the horror we as a nation feel against this savage crime

For the grave(?) penalty

Which it is for my colleague, the Advocate General, to demand, I shall not speak

It is for you to accord the justice society expect

I know you will not shrink for that grim duty

My colleague's eloquence in presenting the case for the prosecution

makes it superfluous to me to go over it again

There remains only to demand

the punishment laid down

by article 3 0 2 of the Criminal code for premeditated murder

The punishment of death

Gentlemen of the Court

I do not intend to exhaust you with oratory

I am confronted with a grim reality

The need to rescue Jacques Vauthier

from the terrible punishment which it is in your power to inflict

When he was only 10 years old

Jacques Vauthier had already lived 10 years in prison

Prisoner in the silence and the darkness that surrounded him

And then came a humble little girl to knock on the door in that prison and

And a saintly man to open it, now those two who know him best tell you that

He is incapable of murder

I shall not pay much attention now to the evidence of the official witnesses

those facts, so far as they go, are unquestioned

Let me deal rather with the evidence of Senator Thomas Bell

I agree with my learned colleague

That Senator Bell did not come here as a father crying for revenge(?)

Did he cross the ocean merely to

Glorify the virtues of his dead son

For his sake I hope not

John Bell joined the American marines at a comparably early age

Because of a scandal with a woman

He did his duty in the war and he returned with his decorations

He brought back also

new maturity which deeply manifested itself

in a highly developed taste for women

Where are we? We have heard something of the seductive Phyllis Brooke

Whose official job as a night club

dance hostess disguised if it did not conceal

Less acceptable profession

John Bell's father rescued him for that unsavoury association

Whatever John Bell's respect for science culture and civilisation may have been

His immediate cause for the sailing on the "Versailles"

was due to a vulgar employment with a woman

Senator Bell was right in seeking justice here as much

It might have been better if he had been

More reserved

Now we know from the moving testimony of Brother Rodelec

One thing that has been very important to us

The prisoner's sense of colour

That is of primary importance in this case

my little experiment with him, two, two things

He attaches enormous importance to his wife's scarf

And word green alarmed him

Remember gentlemen his horror of the word green

As for the scarf I have to make a small confession

I persuaded his wife to wear it in Court

I bring questions to Solange Vauthier

Madame Vauthier communicated with her husband in the ship cells

immediately after the crime, that conversation was by touch only

That's why no one can say what message passed between them

She says that he told her that he had killed the man but

What did he really say?

Solange, I know you are guilty but he is silenced and I will say it

I believe that Solange was terrified by these words

She thought that he believed that she had killed a man

I ask the gentlemen to look at him

He's terrified that his sweet and gentle wife is being suspected

He is wandering in agony

if this blundering old soul of the lawyer

is not going to end by blurting out the whole truth

That I must do Jacques Vauthier

And then you can abandon your heroic lies

For you have lied

Even to me whom you attacked in your pose of a brutal murderer

You were clever

But you found in me be a tough old soldier who is not so easily taken in

So you became calm

But twice during this trial I broke that calm

You cried by the touch of your old teacher's hands

Those tears came straight from your heart

Again when you touched your wife's scarf

Your rage you felt then was sincere

You are no murderer my friend

Your only crime is that

You loved your wife so much

That you would rather she had killed the man

Than being a partner of a tawdry liaison

To you Solange has as Tom Bell's murderer became a heroine

That is why you said

Keep silent

I wish as you(?)

No I cannot find it in my heart to condemn you

But was it justified?

That we shall see

I must respectfully beg, Monsieur Le President

permission to have the witness Solange Vauthier brought back

Request granted

Madame Vauthier

let me remind you of the question that was put to you by the President

Do you remember meeting John Bell?

The answer was no

It is my painful duty to inform the Court

And you will not deny it

As you lied

You've known him for over a year

I'm sorry, Jacques Vauthier , for this brutal revelation, but I have no choice

Keep the self- control, you said it before

while I performed the most thankless task

that a defence counsel ever had to undertake

And now Solange Vauthier

Let me recall to you the high hopes you took with you

on your great American adventure

My husband and I want to thank you so very much

Are you ??? Madame?

Oh Richard Bell

Here in Cleveland

My car is right here, may I drive you?

Thank you so much, Jacques, it will be perfect

Well, let's go

I'm staying at the Washington how about you?

- So are we, how odd - Yes, isn't it?

- You look ?? - Silly

I don't hear music much

Happy?

Yes, everyone so warm and friendly

Yes, sure

Warm and friendly

Solange

Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?

No

Oh, Madame Vauthier, the chairman would like to interview your husband now

Of course

Come with me John

No, Solange I must talk to you alone

Yes not here

Your husband could not believe that you would ever be unfaithful to him

But that is what did happen

Your happiness was fleeting, Solange, it was also complete, you became his mistress

Look at him now, Gentlemen

If he could, he would kill me at this moment

That is the other Vauthier I wanted to reveal to you

Silence yes, but only when he suffers

And look at his wife

Unable to deny the accusation

But she was not truly in love with John Bell

Because of time, he began actively to displease her

What if he does, explain

We have to tell him sometime

We can't get on like this

He is asking me if I am alone

Tell him I'm gone

I'll tell him you staid and say good night to him

Good Night John

We must settle this now

I need you too, Solange

If you go on throw your life away on

Please go, John, please go

Come away with me Solange tonight

What are you telling him?

I'm asking him to take me home to France

For a moment you thought of killing yourself

You knew that Jacques could not survive your death

You had sinned, Solange

How bitterly you repented it

But Bell was a part of you

Even your husband was aware of his presence in your shared home

You were afraid

Unable to bear it any longer

You resolved to have a final interview with Bell

At all costs

You had to put an end to that

Intolerable solution

You must convince him of the dangers his behaviour had occurring for you both

But he did not succeed

There is another way

You were surprised to find that Bell's cabin door was already open

You realized that someone had anticipated you

Was it Jacques?

But that was impossible

You'd left him in the cabin, those were your thoughts

Madame, as you stood there

your handbag heavy with the revolver which you had not have to use

Never left you since

No, no

You have to live, now your husband needs you more than ever

After you recovered you went back to the cabin

Your husband was not there

Was it possible that he was the murderer after all?

It is now my task to answer that

Madame Vauthier did not know, at the moment she left the cabin

Jacques Vauthier rose and followed her

He guessed that she was going to the American

How could he a blind deaf mute follow her among those complicated corridors?

By the trail of her perfume

That he knew so well

What desperate ideas was haunting him during that nightmare walk?

???, perhaps

In any case it was the scent which led to death

Arriving at Bell's cabin he hesitated for a moment

The trail of scent seemed to go away

He pushed the door and entered

And as he had expected Solange's perfume mingled with another

The detected smell of the American's cigar

The perfume caught him by default

He didn't know it came from something right in the cabin

They were here

He had no needs of weapons

If Vauthier killed, Vauthier would strangle

And he became aware of ????

Blood touch is invariable

The American was dead

And everything seemed clear

The American had lured her here

she had refused what he wanted, fought him heroically and struck him down

And fled

Tumbling away

He touched something which was only too familiar

His wife's green scarf

That was the final proof

Than came the thought that she must be protected

A breeze from the open porthole showed the way

There was no time to lose

first remove the evidence against her

and then to make it look as he was the murderer

They would ask questions and he must be ready with his answers

He was careful to let you clues as a fight for life

Mind was already living through the crime he had not committed

He was tortured by no regrets

Morally he too had killed John Bell

And finally he fetched the body where it was eventually found

then all he had to do was to wait

That, gentlemen, and that the only expense of Jacques Vauthier's crime

Look at him

He realizes now that his wife did not commit the crime

which he, blind with a broken heart and guarded as an atonement

With the Court's permission I will put further questions

Is my interpretations of your actions on that day correct?

Your description is correct

Did you kill John Bell?

I did not kill

Jacques

There is nothing to prevent Madame Vauthier telling us the whole truth

Madame Vauthier

Was John Bell your lover?

He was my lover

Did you go to his cabin that day?

Yes, to make him promise never to see me again

and if he'd refuse I think I would have killed him to protect Jacque's happiness

He was already dead

Did you see your green scarf?

No

You hadn't noticed that your green scarf was previously missing?

Yes, I knew I lost it but Jacques liked it

I love him so much since he had to lie

It was stolen from you, by the murderer

And rest assured if your husband had not destroyed that evidence

You yourself would have been accused

And I would challenge any defence counsel in the world to have saved you

Someone of ill will against both you and the American

But who?

May you recall gentlemen that John Bell

had a previous mistress, the pretty night club hostess, Phyllis Brooke

Phyllis, remembering John Bell's father's enormous wealth

must have felt very bitter being superseded by this lovely French girl

Early in this case I found among the ship telegrams a message to Phyllis Brooke

Sent within one hour of the official discovery of the crime

It's significance escaped to me until Senator Bell pointed out

that Phyllis Brooke had been his son's discarded mistress

I made a cable to an old friend in New York to make him seek enquiries

And his efforts have unearthed some illuminating facts

First

John Bell saw Phyllis Brooke the night before he sailed

Why?

He was an offer to blackmail at least we know he paid

And paid heavily by a cheque which her husband cashed the next day

Her husband yeah?

So Bell was a victim of conspiracy?

No, no the fact that this man was willing to profit by his wife misconduct

does not mean he approved of it, no

Morals? On the contrary

He bitterly resented it

No doubt does he seize the cheque

both as a solace to himself and as a punishment to her

Curious, bitter, twisted little mind an evil mind

Almost insane with ???

Phyllis to placate him

assured him that her lover was leaving America the next day

with his new enamorata

But he was not to be placated

he was determined that his wife should never see Bell again

For that he had a twofold opportunity first Bell had never set eyes on him

and second he, the husband was himself sailing the next day on the "Versailles"

Yes he with his mind that he would kill John Bell

And then to save his own skin

he would plant the suspicion on the American's new mistress

Early in the voyage he noticed and identified Solange Vauthier

He perceived that she sometimes wore a green scarf

He thought that all he had to do was to steal that scarf and leave it by the body

The first part of this somewhat clumsy plan succeeded

The second failed owing to Vauthier's unexpected intrusion

Phyllis

Must have been horrified when she read next day that her lover had been murdered

Bewildered to read that her husband was not the murderer

She must have turned cold with fear when she received that

Cable , telegram I share your distress

My friend is looking puzzled

Is this telegram to be produced as evidence?

Most certainly

and the bank report on John Bell's cheque will be verified in due course

I hope my friend is satisfied

We must reserve our satisfaction until this chain of speculation is complete

That will be so when we have identified the husband

Having come so far it will be desolating to be cheated of the solution

customary I believe in the best detective fiction on the last page

I can but do my best

All we have to find is a man sailing on the "Versailles"

somewhere in the first class who sent that cryptic telegram to Phyllis

Have you found him?

There was only one man in that part of the ship

whose name corresponded to that of the husband

Henri

The steward Henri Teral

I protest I've told nothing but the truth

You told the truth but not the whole truth

you omitted to mention that two hours before your official discovery of the crime

you went to the cabin with your master key

You dear to say that I

I say that you are Henri Teral the husband of Phyllis Brooke

and I formally accuse you of having murdered John Bell

on May the fifth the last by severing his carotid artery with a paper knife

My dear Maitre Daliot

Oh Brother Rodelec, still here

Let me thank for all you have done to him

Have you seen him?

You won't be hurt if they don't thank you

All that matters that they should be reconciled

- Has he forgiven her? - He understands

That her passing weakness was nothing compared of all she had done for him

I always thought that God had made them for one another

What will they do now?

They are coming back with me tonight to Le Sannat

Sister?

- There will be four of us - Four?

I have a great desire to teach one more before I die

Child, we all have our work to do

It's tenderness my dear that last in love