Gaslight Page #4

Yes, of course, I do.

But suddenly, I am beginning

not to trust my memory at all.

I tell you, you're just tired, that's all.

It doesn't mean anything.

I'm sure it doesn't.

Don't worry so, Paula. Don't worry.

- Nancy, has the master left?

- Yes, ma'am. A little while ago.

Please see that he has plenty of coal

on the fire in his room.

You already told me that, ma'am.

Nancy, did you turn the gas up in there?

Turn it up? No, why?

I thought it went down in here,

as if you had.

- I never touched it.

- But this went down.

Perhaps Elizabeth

lit another jet in the kitchen.

Couldn't have been her.

She's been in bed for an hour.

I could hear her snoring.

That's odd.

- Good night, Nancy.

- Good night, ma'am.

- Yes, that's it.

- I beg your pardon?

I said that's it. That's the Alquist house.

It happened in the drawing room, upstairs.

That window.

I live just across the square.

My name is Thwaites, Miss Thwaites.

- How do you do?

- How do you do?

Perhaps you could tell me,

has the house been occupied long?

About four or five months now.

Come along.

You don't happen to know

who's living in the house, do you?

Yes. A foreign couple. Anton's the name.

Something mysterious there.

- What do you mean, mysterious?

- Never have visitors...

never go out anywhere.

At least, she doesn't.

I think you're wrong.

There aren't as many as usual here today.

Come along, pigeons.

Come along, sparrows. What did you say?

You seem to be wrong

about her not going out.

How very surprising.

It's you, ma'am.

I never knew you'd gone out.

I went for a walk,

but it looks as if it might rain...

- so I thought I should have my umbrella.

- Of course, ma'am.

Suppose the master comes back

and asks where you've gone?

- Tell him I just went for a walk.

- By yourself, ma'am?

- Of course. Why not?

- Suppose the master asks where?

Tell him I just...

Now do you see what I mean?

Goes out, goes back, goes in.

Odd. Definitely odd.

It's an odd household, too.

That maidservant, most impertinent.

I can't get a thing out of her.

She won't talk to me...

though she would quick enough

if I wore trousers.

The way she carries on

with that policeman on the beat.

It's scandalous!

There, that's all there is.

Fly away, pigeons. More tomorrow.

Well!

Paper! Thank you, sir. There you are, sir.

Extra. Special. Special edition.

Read all about it.

Here you are, governor. Paper?

Very good, sir. Thank you, sir.

Put that file back where you got it.

I tell you, the case is dead.

I'm not going to have it all dug up again

for nothing.

Do you understand?

You had no right to go through that file.

- Budge had no right to let you get at it.

- Sorry, General.

- Mr. Cameron is your assistant...

- Then it's his job to assist me...

not go digging into 10-year-old cases

on wild suspicions of his own.

- Now then, Budge, you get along.

- Very good, General.

What's your interest in this case, anyway?

It was rather a famous case...

and it impressed me very much

at the time.

Besides...

I once met Alice Alquist.

I was taken to hear her...

at a command performance

when I was 12 years old...

and afterwards

to meet her in the artists' room.

It sounds silly, but I still think

she was the most beautiful woman...

I ever saw, and I've never forgotten her.

- And now...

- You've seen someone who looks like her.

- Living in the same house.

- Why shouldn't she?

If she's the niece,

the house probably belongs to her.

And if you're trying to meet

a pretty woman...

you've no right to use official business

as an excuse.

It's not that, sir.

But I tell you, sir, I have a feeling

there's something peculiar going on there.

Perhaps even more than peculiar.

Look here, Brian, once and for all,

the case was given up as hopeless.

As for the matter of the jewels,

that was dropped by order...

of a most important personage.

Jewels?

There's nothing here about jewels.

There were some jewels.

They were given to her...

by somebody very highly placed.

Some of the crown jewels of his...

- Of another country, as a matter of fact.

- What happened to them?

- They disappeared.

- That's why she was murdered.

That was the official theory.

Though what the murderer

wanted the jewels for I can't imagine.

They were too famous

for him to be able to sell them.

- Have they never shown up since?

- Not as far as I know.

Well then, where are they?

I don't know. The murder part of the case

was pursued to the utmost...

as you can see for yourself from that file.

There was never any case against anyone.

There were the usual blind-alley suspects.

You've read all their names there

in that stuff.

And there was never anything

to prove against any of them.

Now run along, there's a good fellow.

I'm busy.

Very well, sir.

Good day, sir.

- Afternoon, Mr. Cameron.

- Williams.

- Did you want me, sir?

- Yes.

Tell me, you're not a married man,

are you?

No, sir.

- Where are you on duty now?

- Down in the East End, sir.

How would you like

a more fashionable locality?

- I'd like it very much, sir.

- We'll see what can be done about it.

Don't say anything to anybody

for the moment.

If you want coal on the fire, Paula,

why don't you ring for the maid?

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you.

Go back to sleep, dear.

No, Paula.

Now that you have wakened me,

we might as well be comfortable.

- Ring for the maid.

- I can put it on myself.

We've had this subject out before.

Please, pull the bell cord.

It seems so unnecessary.

What do you suppose the servants are for?

Answer me.

What do you suppose the servants are for?

To do things. To serve us, I suppose.

Exactly.

It's only that I think

we should consider them a little.

Don't be cross with me.

I'm not cross with you.

There are a lot of things...

- Did you ring, sir?

- No. Your mistress rang.

Go on. Why don't you tell Nancy

what you rang for?

- A little coal on the fire, please, Nancy.

- Very good, madam.

You're looking very pretty this afternoon,

do you know that?

I don't know it at all, sir, I'm sure.

- Tonight is your night out, isn't it?

- That's right, sir.

Whom are you meeting tonight?

You might light the gas, too, Nancy.

I see they've changed

the policeman on the beat.

Is his heart going to be added

to the list of those you've broken?

- I didn't know I'd broken any, sir.

- I'm sure that's not true.

And that complexion of yours...

that's something

that's not quite true, either.

You do it very cleverly, I grant you.

In fact, I was wondering

whether you might not care...

to pass some of your secrets

on to your mistress...

and help her get rid of her pallor.

Sure. I'd be very pleased

to do anything I can, sir.

- Will that be all you're wanting?

- Yes, except tea when it's ready.

Very good, sir.

How can you talk to Nancy like that?

You seem so anxious

to regard the servants as your equals.

I thought I would treat her as one.

Besides, I was only trifling with her.

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