The Collector Page #2

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you won't try to escape.

I promise!

You're not going to tie me up?

- I have to.

- But I promised.

How am I supposed to

have a bath like this?

Oh, no. No, don't.

I won't scream.

Marvelous!

Couldn't we just walk

for a little bit?

Oh, it's been so long.

Please.

All right.

You're hurting my arm.

Help...

What happened just then...

Won't happen again.

But if it does...

if it does happen again

and worse...

- I want you to promise me something.

- It won't happen again.

Not to do it in a mean way.

I mean, don't knock me

unconscious...

or chloroform me again

or anything.

I shan't struggle.

I'll let you do as you like.

I forgot myself.

l...

I can't explain.

The only thing is,

if it ever does happen...

I'll never respect you...

and I'll never, never

speak to you again.

Do you understand?

I wouldn't expect anything else.

There's a clean dress.

Take as long as you want.

Don't worry.

I'll respect your every privacy.

I'm afraid I had to take

the blade out of the razor.

He seemed old to me.

The chap I saw you with.

You know, the painter.

He seemed old.

Have you known him long?

That day in the pub,

you seemed unhappy.

Did you have a quarrel?

You looked like lovers to me.

We're not lovers. We're friends.

Will you let me have my bath, please?

I'm sorry.

I'm ever so sorry.

I won't speak again.

Help!

Hello!

Anybody there?

What do you want?

- Are you Franklin?

- Yes.

I want to see you for a moment.

What have you been doing

with those cellars?

- What?

- You put a light in there, didn't you?

- Yes.

- What else?

Just some tools and things.

They'll be on your neck for that.

The Ancient Monuments people.

Oh, damn it.

I haven't even introduced myself.

I'm Colonel Whitcomb,

your neighbor.

I saw your lights on and thought it

was about time that we got acquainted.

Those cellars

are quite famous, you know.

The inner one was used as a secret Roman

Catholic chapel during the persecution.

- Didn't you know that?

- No.

Well, must be very lonely

for a young man here.

At least I have

my horses and my dogs.

Oh, and, of course, my wife.

I don't mind being alone.

Anytime you feel the need of a spot of

company, don't be afraid to come over.

You know where we are...

just half a mile down the road.

You can't miss it.

It's the only other house on the lane.

By the way, we're having some friends

over for drinks tomorrow night.

Why don't you join us?

Well, I don't know

if I can make it.

You did say you lived alone?

I have a guest. My cousin.

Bring him along.

Actually, I was planning

to drive him to London.

I'll be gone all day,

but if I get back in time...

I'll perhaps come over.

Well, fine.

By the way, did they ever

tell you about this thing?

It's a priest hole.

A priest could hide in here

when he was on the run.

There's a story that some of Cromwell's

men trapped a poor devil in here...

and fired right through

the wall, killed him.

My wife knows more

about this place than I do.

She's well up on

all the local legends.

You must get her to come over one day

and tell you all about them.

Yes, I will.

Nice to have met you, Franklin.

Good Lord!

Look at the water!

It's really my girlfriend.

Are you all right?

I'm coming in.

You should have called me.

It's all right.

I fixed it now.

Don't be upset.

I should have told you

about these old baths.

Of course there's no damage.

It doesn't matter.

The handle came off the tap.

I got it back on, though.

Why didn't she call out?

She was embarrassed.

You know how it is.

Well, I remember how it was.

If you can't make it

tomorrow evening...

I'll understand.

Please tie them in front this time.

They hurt the other way.

There's something

I want to show you.

In there.

I wouldn't be a good prisoner

if I didn't try to escape.

It's my hobby.

I've been collecting all my life.

I'm an entomologist.

I won a hobby prize

for this setting.

And most of these

come from Central America.

I correspond with a monk

who sends me larvae, and...

and then I incubate them myself.

You see that?

This is a leaf butterfy.

Looks just like two leaves.

These are my chalkhills.

And... these are my Adonis blues.

I bred that aberration myself.

And it's better than any they've got

in the Natural History Museum.

These are my fritillaries.

That's the silver-washed

and that's the medium brown...

beckerwood, red admiral,

swallowtail, peacock.

They're beautiful...

but sad.

How many butterfies

have you killed?

You can see.

Think of all the living beauty

you've ended.

That's silly.

What difference does a few specimens

make to a whole species?

- Be careful. It's very rare.

- Let it go.

You're joking.

Don't do that!

I may never get another one.

And now you've collected me,

haven't you?

Don't you see what's happened?

You've had this... this dream

with me in the center of it.

It's not love. It's the sort

of dream young boys have...

when they reach puberty,

only you've made it come true.

I'll tell you something.

There'd be a lot more of this if

more people had the time and the money.

- We all want things we can't have.

- We all take what we can get.

I never had your advantages.

My father wasn't a la-di-da doctor.

I never went to a posh school.

I was just a clerk in a bank.

Reading.

Of course!

You won a fortune on the pools.

You had your picture in the paper.

I remember now!

You could do so much.

You could travel,

learn, meet people.

You could have a wonderful life.

But... this is death,

don't you see?

Nothing but death.

These are dead.

I'm dead.

Everything here is dead.

Is that what you love?

Death?

It's very good.

Would you consider selling it?

I hadn't.

But I will.

Two hundred pounds.

All right.

You'd give me 200 pounds for this?

But it's bad.

It's because it's of you.

Put it in a drawer

with the butterfies.

I know why you're upset.

It's that letter

to your mother, isn't it?

I'm going to London this afternoon.

I could post it then.

I bought these in Woolworths.

Nobody will ever be able to trace them.

Thank you.

I'll dictate it.

Dear Mother...

I'm safe and not in danger.

Do not try to find me.

It is impossible.

I'm being well looked after

by a friend.

That's all.

Just sign your name.

May I say Mr. Franklin

sends his regards?

Very funny.

I'll address the envelope.

If you really want one of my drawings,

why don't you go and choose one?

I like this one.

It's yours, for nothing.

Would you sign it?

Oh, yes.

Prisoner...

number 1436.

"Kidnapped by madman Gerald Franklin.

Pools winner.

Prisoner in cellar.

Old Tudor house, near Reading.

So far, safe.

Frightened."

Frightened?

What have I done?

And mad?

Think a madman would have gone

to all this trouble?

I'll tell you what a madman

would have done.

He'd have killed you by now.

I suppose you think I'm going for you

with a carving knife or something.

Don't look like that.

I was frightened. You can understand.

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