Experiment Perilous Page #6

With what or with whom,

I don't know.

Perhaps with life.

If that's true,

it might've been better

If he'd turned down life

all together in the beginning.

From your point

of view naturally.

You're in love with his wife.

- If I could only tell you...

- What?

No, Hunt, I can't

take you seriously.

See? He's gone.

How many peculiar

pairs of shoes do you think

There are in this city?

Oh, look, you're tired.

You've been working too hard.

You've been peering

into too many weird minds.

Go home. Have the hotel people

send Cissie's bag on.

Your name needn't

come in to it.

But it has. My name's

in the writing case.

Oh, forget it.

You didn't realize

she was his sister.

That's why

you didn't mention it.

You're probably right.

Anyway, forget what I said.

- That is unless...

- Unless what?

Oh, great Scott, man!

Don't tell me you're frightened.

No, but if I were right,

I'd have reason to be.

You'll get over it.

We all have.

Goodnight, Clag.

Will you go

up to the library, sir?

Thank you.

What is it?

Can I help you?

Why, I'm looking

for the boy's Humpty-Dumpty.

He won't go to sleep

till he has it.

There, there now,

Mr. Gregory. I have it.

Ha. It's a pity for a boy to go

to sleep wanting something.

Thank you.

But you're not

Mr. Gregory, are you?

No, of course not.

I'm so nearsighted,

and I forget.

Excuse me, such a nice-looking

gentleman to be sure.

It's no wonder.

My dear, fellow, I'm so sorry.

But the child was putting

on his usual bedtime scene.

That sometimes

puzzles our guests.

We had the usual

stairway removed

In order to widen the hall.

Allida will be done

in a moment, I hope.

- How are you, Bailey?

- Oh, usual I should say.

You look a bit tired.

Having hard week?

Merely lack of sleep.

Well, you can relax now.

Here is to us.

May it be the first of many.

Oh, here she is.

Good evening.

- I'm so sorry. I had to...

- Yes, yes, we know.

Allida takes her maternal

problems far too seriously.

And I insist that she lay them

down when the boy goes to bed.

- A glass of Sherry, my dear?

- Yes, thank you.

Five-year-old must

cry it out sometimes, you know.

Don't you agree?

For myself, I'm old fashioned.

So are children and mothers.

Wait till you have

one of your own.

Allida reads every newfangled

book on raising children.

Result, one spoilt child.

Five years old, you say?

What's his name?

Alec.

Alec?

'Alexander. '

Quite a mouthful

for an infant, isn't it?

Alexander the conqueror.

'And he intends to live up to

his name, doesn't he?'

May I have another Sherry, Nick?

But, my dear child, you haven't

finished the one you have.

You know, Allida sometimes...

- Yes, Frank?

- Dinner is served, sir.

Thank you.

- Will you have another?

- 'No, thanks. '

One of the things

I've never been able to

Bring myself to change

in this old house.

Our downstairs dining room.

But perhaps, by the time

Allida and I are old

They will have one

of those small elevators

Working properly. Until then...

Cissie once gave me a coming

of age party here. Poor Cissie.

Oh, Nick, we weren't

going to think about that.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Oh, how perfectly charming.

Allida's flower arrangements

are always so delightful.

'Nothing spring

like daisies. '

But I didn't.

Nick, I didn't.

Yellow roses.

That's what I ordered.

You must believe me.

But, my dear child,

of course we believe you.

He was likely sold out. Or they

didn't seem fresh enough.

Or perhaps, they were unusual

at this time of the year.

Or the delivery boy

mixed up the boxes.

Or perhaps, you did order them.

What does it matter?

Sometimes the power of thought...

Self-hypnosis,

wouldn't you say, Bailey?

Sometimes.

There's a great deal

of hocus-pocus

And all such terminology.

Usually there's a very simple

And logical explanation

for everything.

Mr. Nick, you have to come up.

He screams at me

when I come near him.

- He'll make himself sick.

- 'This is preposterous. '

'Between the two of you,

you women are turning

'This household into a bedlam. '

I warn you, a little more,

and I shall send the child away.

I don't like to hear

a child cry. Not a child.

- Nick, let me.

- No, I'm terribly sorry.

You'll have to excuse me.

Please, don't wait for me.

I think this might be a good

time for me to telephone.

I promised a patient of mine

I'd call before nine.

The telephone

is in the library.

- 'Frank. '

- This way, sir.

Please don't bother.

I know where it is.

'All the witches go about

their business when it gets dark. '

'The witching business. '

'Ugly witches. '

'And the more beautiful

they are when the sun is up'

'The blacker and uglier

they become when it gets dark. '

'And what they want are

little boys like you. '

Not me, papa.

Oh, no, not you.

- And you know why?

- Why?

Because papa knows

all about witches.

Papa put up magic bars

to keep you safe.

But you mustn't tell.

It must be a secret.

You mustn't tell Deria

or your mother. Never.

Deria's an ugly

witch, isn't she?

Yes.

'But not do dangerous

as a beautiful witch. '

They are the really

dangerous ones.

- Mommy's beautiful.

- Shh.

Very well.

Yes. Yes, of course.

I'll-I'll be there shortly.

This is one of the reasons

A doctor makes

a poor dinner guest.

I've about

a half an hour.

You with your patients

and me with mine.

'I think Nick

maybe right, Allida. '

'You worry too much

about your boy. '

He has some fears probably.

But who hasn't?

You mentioned something

about his having dreams

Of tigers under his crib.

Well, I can't say that

that's so unnatural.

In a sense, we all have

tigers of some sort

Under our beds, haven't we?

How do you mean, Bailey?

In the boy's case as in ours,

the tiger represents

Something we don't understand.

'Or something

or someone we fear. '

I see.

And how do we rid

ourselves of these

Fanciful tigers of yours?

In the boy's instance,

by reasoning with him.

Convincing him of the

baselessness of his fears.

In our own case,

the problem's much the same.

Possibly a trifle

more complicated.

That is if we happen

to be men of violence.

And then?

'Then, well, then perhaps'

We revert to the savages' method

of dealing with the real tiger.

And actually, kill these tigers

of ours, you mean, Bailey?

No way, I cannot

agree with you.

Sound psychology, Nick.

Accept it or not,

as you wish.

You'll accept it.

- Must you really go?

- I know you understand.

You've been very kind to ask me

and I appreciate it.

You will come again?

At the first opportunity.

Goodnight.

I'm going to the club.

Can I drop you?

- Thank you.

- Goodnight, dear.

She hardly spoke

after the flowers.

And she used to talk

so charmingly.

I had to make an excuse.

Oh, I've had to make

so many excuses.

I think I've come

to the end of my rope.

Yes, I can see that.

Could you persuade her

to come to my office?

Perhaps, I could make her

take my advice.

You believe

this is serious?

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