The Innocents Page #2

You must miss him very much.

Well, he'll be coming home soon.

Not, I should think,

until the holidays.

Time you went upstairs and got ready

for your bath, Miss Flora.

Promise, now, you won't go away.

I expect to be here

for a very long time.

And to think what qualms I had.

I was so afraid.

- Afraid, miss?

- I couldn't make up my mind.

Should I accept this post,

or shouldn't I?

Well, miss, I'm sure

I'm very glad you did.

After all,

I didn't have much choice.

Their uncle is most persuasive.

[ Laughing ]

And don't I know it.

Many's the time

he's worked his magic on me.

Even when he was a boy

he could twist you around his finger...

and the children

are the same way.

He doesn't come down here

very often?

Well, he likes the town life.

He always was

a very popular gentleman.

And what's the good

of being popular down here...

with only the children

and the pigeons and me?

- Mrs. Grose?

- Yes, miss?

- What was she like?

- Who, miss?

The other governess.

The one who died.

Who, Miss Jessel?

Oh, she was a young woman.

Some thought her pretty,

and, well, I suppose she was.

But not as pretty as you, miss.

Not by half.

He seems to prefer them

young and pretty.

He did. He had

the devil's own eye-

I mean, that's his way,

the master's.

- But of whom did you speak first?

- Why, the master, of course.

There's nobody else, miss.

Nobody at all.

[ Both Laughing ]

Be careful, dear, or you'll splash

Miss Giddens!

And is the other one just as remarkable?

Is he too as enchanting?

Well, if you like this one...

you should be quite carried away

by Master Miles.

Miles is coming!

I seem to be carried away quite easily.

That's what happened to me in London.

Miles is coming!

Miles is coming!

Stuff and nonsense.

You know very well Miles is at school.

- Now, hold still.

- [ Both Laughing ]

[ Clock Chiming ]

I've got a little bed in your room.

It's got curtains.

- How nice.

- Yes.

Mrs. Grose wanted

to give you a big room...

but I said,

"She'll only be there when she's asleep.''

- Big rooms get bigger at night. Do you know that?

- Do they?

Mrs. Grose doesn't know.

[ Whispers ]

She shuts her eyes in the dark.

[ Laughs ]

I think that's silly.

- I always look in the dark.

- Do you?

And what do you see?

There are

a lot of empty rooms.

I said, to Mrs. Grose, "I wish there was

some way of sleeping in several rooms at once.''

Mrs. Grose was quite

startled by the thought.

- I don't wonder!

- "Stuff and nonsense,'' she said.

"Stuff and nonsense.''

[ Both Laugh ]

Now I lay me down to sleep.

I pray the Lord

my soul to keep-

Why can't Rupert sleep with me?

Because you might roll over

and crush him.

Crush a tortoise?

Now finish your prayers, dear.

If I should wake before I-

If I should die before I wake,

I pray the Lord my soul to take.

Amen.

Miss Giddens, where would the Lord

take my soul to?

- To heaven.

- Are you certain?

Yes, of course,

because you're a very, very good girl.

But I might not be.

And if I weren't, wouldn't the Lord just

leave me here to walk around?

Isn't that what happens

to some people?

[ Loud Screeching ]

Whatever was that?

- [ Screeching Continues ]

- I'm sure something's been hurt.

An animal.

We must pretend we didn't hear it.

That's what Mrs. Grose says.

- Pretend?

- Then we won't imagine things.

Sometimes one can't help...

imagining things.

[ Moans ]

[ Sighs,

Moaning Continues ]

## [ Humming "O Willow Waly'' ]

## [ Stops ]

## [ Resumes ]

[ Flora ]

#By the tree that weeps with me #

#Singing "O Willow Waly''#

- # Till my lover-##

- You should be outdoors on a day like this.

I was just practicing, Mrs. Grose.

- Have you seen Miss Giddens, my lamb?

- I'm out here, Mrs. Grose.

Oh!

There's some letters

for you, miss.

- Oh, thank you.

- Oh, please, can I help you read them?

- Yes, if you like.

- Which first?

Now, how can I tell?

- Then I shall choose.

- All right.

Here.

This one's from my sister.

Oh, look, dear.

Here's a picture of me

and my family together.

- Am I in it?

- How could you be? It's of my family.

Oh.

- Now this one.

- It's from London.

- Is it from my uncle?

- Yes, I think it is.

You do look pleased.

Is he coming to see us?

No, dear. He's sent me a letter

from Miles's school.

- Flora?

- Yes, Miss Giddens, dear?

Didn't you say last night

that Miles was coming home?

Oh, look.

It's a lovely spider...

and it's eating a butterfly.

Mrs. Grose?

Here's a letter their uncle

has forwarded without opening.

It's from Miles's school.

He just wrote on the envelope,

"Am off to Italy for the summer.

This is from Miles's headmaster.

Deal with it without bothering me.''

- That's just his way, miss.

- But how am I to deal with it?

Miles has been dismissed

from school.

- Dismissed?

- Sent home.

Expelled.

But what has he done?

What do the gentlemen say?

They go into no detail.

They simply say-

Here. Read it.

Read it for yourself.

It's no good, miss.

I never learned.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I didn't realize.

They say that it is impossible

to keep him.

Why?

That he is...

an injury to the others.

Master Miles?

Him, an injury?

Oh, stuff and nonsense.

You might as well think ill

of Miss Flora, bless her.

- You've never known him to be bad?

- Oh, I wouldn't say that.

You mean

you like a boy with spirit.

Well, so do I,

but not to the degree to...

contaminate.

To what?

To corrupt.

Master Miles?

[ Laughing ]

Oh, miss, are you afraid he'll corrupt you?

Miles is coming.! Miles is coming.!

Miles is coming.!

[ Conductor ]

Bly.! Bly station.!

Miles! Miles!

[ Laughs ]

Miles.

- You're Miss Giddens, aren't you?

- Yes.

How do you do?

Oh, thank you, Miles.

[ Flora ] She's our new governess, Miles,

and she's awfully nice.

I hope Miles will agree.

- Come on.

- [ Train Whistle Toots ]

Nothing's changed.

Oh, I've been longing

for these holidays.

Holidays?

Longing to see Bly

and Mrs. Grose and Flora.

And you. Flora wrote

and told me you were coming.

Did you have

a good term at school?

Look, Miles!

There's the lake!

[ Miles ]

Oh, it is nice to be back.

I hope you won't be lonely...

with just Flora

and Mrs. Grose and me.

Were you happy at school?

May I tell you something?

Yes, Miles, of course.

I think you're far too pretty

to be a governess.

And I think you're far too young to be

such a deceitful flatterer.

[ Children Laughing ]

- [ Laughing ]

- Dearest Mrs. Grose!

- It is nice to be home.

- Stop! Stop! You'll have me out of breath!

It's all just the same.

Somehow- I don't know-

I was afraid it might be different.

Oh, nothing ever changes here,

Master Miles.

You look a bit thin, though.

We'll have to fatten you up.

Oh, Miles,

you haven't seen the pony!

- May we?

- Yes, of course!

Come on!

[ Laughs ]

Well, miss?

It's just as you said.

Charm seems to run in the family.

And that cruel letter?

It must be a misunderstanding,

a mistake.

Yes, a mistake.

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