With no husband or father to support
her, Janette du Charme is forced
to eke out a living as a prostitute.
It is a life she obviously does not
relish. When her friend Anna is beaten
by their procurer, Daviau because
she has allowed herself to become
pregnant, Janette is there to nurse
and console her.
Daviau catches Janette "slacking
off" and tells her that if she
wants to eat, then she'd better
get back to work. Janette expresses
her concern for Anna, saying that
she needs a doctor. Daviau, however
is unconcerned whether the woman
who's seven months pregnant, survives
or not. He ignores Janette's objections
and roughly escorts her out to
service her waiting customers.
When one of the would-be customers
tries to take advantage of her,
Janette decides she's had enough.
She fights back, shoves him away,
then runs out into the streets
of Paris with him hot on her trail.
Meeting a group of nuns and a priest
in passing, Janette pleads to them
for help. But seeing that she is
but a common woman, they do nothing
to protect her from the man who
wants to have his way with her.
The aggressor drags her off to
a deserted area where he punches
her in the stomach to remove all
fight. Janette manages to get in
one good bite, causing him to lose
his grip on her. When he lets go
of his prey, Janette runs, but
then turns back to see what made
the strange "swoosh" sound behind
her. She spots a tall, cloaked
figure grabbing her attacker, then
a moment later, releasing him to
fall to the ground, dead. The man
in the cloak turns around and wordlessly
looks at Janette, whose only response
is to run fearfully in the opposite
direction.
The hooded stranger follows Janette
back to the place she calls home.
He admits that he's been following
her for some time and makes her
an offer she can't refuse. "Stay
here and die like your friend,"
he tells her, "or come with me,
and without your permission, no
mere mortal will ever dare touch
you again." Janette gives in without
a word spoken, and LaCroix gives
her the gift of eternal life.
In providing nourishment for his
new daughter, LaCroix chooses Daviau
as her first meal. He hands the
man over to her and looks on with
eager anticipation as she makes
her first kill. Savoring the blood
of the man who used and abused
her, Janette finds that revenge
is indeed sweet, and rather tasty.
