The Innocents Page #4

Whatever are you

doing there, miss?

Heavens, child,

you're white as milk.

I saw him!

Don't tell me I didn't, because I did.

- I saw him staring.

- Who, miss?

- The same man- the man on the tower.

- The tower?

But now,just now, he was staring past me

into the house...

as if he were hunting someone.

- What's he like, miss?

- He had dark, curling hair.

- And the hardest, the coldest eyes.

- Is he-

- Would you say he was very handsome?

- Oh yes. Handsome and obscene.

But I've seen him before.

Yes, he-

I know where I've seen him.

A picture. There's a picture of him.

A miniature in a cracked glass

in the attic.

- I'll show you.

- It can't be.

- It can't be? You know him.

- Quint.

- Peter Quint, the master's valet.

- But you said-

Yes, miss. You see, he's dead.

Quint is dead.

[ Gasps ]

Dead?

- [ Laughing ]

- ##[ Music Box ]

[ Laughing Continues, Fades ]

[ Moaning ]

[ Thunder Crashing, Rumbling ]

[ Screeching ]

[ Screeching ]

[ Screeching Continues ]

Your pencil does have

the most terrible squeak, Flora.

It does, doesn't it?

But I can't help it, you know.

Can't you? I thought you were

doing it on purpose.

She is.

- Stop it! Stop begging!

- I'm not begging!

Yes, you are!

You're begging for attention!

- [ Screams, Sobbing ]

- There you are, begging again.

First for attention,

now for affection.

- Stop it, Flora!

- Now, Miles. Hush, Miles.

Oh, darling.

Oh, poor darling Flora.

There, now.

Look, I've made you cry.

Oh, what a hateful,

what a grumpy old governess you have.

You're not grumpy at all.

Of course you're not.

Though I wouldn't wonder if you were.

Nor would I,

with everything so horrible.

- [ Sniffling ]

- Horrible?

Why, yes.

You know, the rain.

Not being able

to go out in the garden.

My squeaky pencil and me-

I wasn't even trying to be good.

Oh, but you are good.

You both are.

I know what.

Let's put away our books

and let's pretend it's Flora's birthday.

- Oh, yes!

- All right, Flora, it's your birthday.

- What would you like to do?

- Have a party.

- A costume party.

- That's a splendid idea!

- Miles and I'll go get all dressed up.

- May we?

- Yes, of course you may.

- Come along then, Flora.

[ Flora ]

Oh, good.!

[ Door Opens ]

- Hurry, hurry, hurry!

- Where are you going?

- To dress up! You said we might!

- Well, I'll come with you.

No! Then there'd be no surprise!

You wait downstairs! We won't be long!

[ Flora ]

Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry.!

I've let them go.

- Go where, miss?

- Oh!

Oh, I've let the children go.

Upstairs,

to the attic, perhaps.

- Alone.

- [ Laughs ]

- Is that all? They'll come to no harm.

- I can't.

I can't leave them alone,

not after the other night.

As for the other night, miss,

put it out of your mind.

- Pretend it was part of a dream,

which perhaps it was.

- A dream?

Don't you think

I want to believe that?

That it was just the darkness,

a nightmare?

But it's no longer dark.

It's daylight. And I know I saw him.

A man, or something

that once was a man...

peering in through the window,

looking for someone.

And if it isn't true,

if I didn't see him...

how could I have described him

so accurately?

Well,you had

seen his picture.

Really, miss, you're upsetting yourself

over nothing.

You said he was the valet?

Yes, but when the master left...

Quint was alone with us,

in charge.

Tell me, how did he die?

Quint?

Out there, miss,

on those very steps.

It was winter.

The coldest,

blackest winter's night.

The steps were icy.

Quint, he came home late,

after we were all abed.

Late, and full of drink.

There was a wound on his head,

as if he'd slipped...

as if he'd fallen

out there in the dark.

I can't forget his eyes.

They were open,

filled with surprise...

with pain, like the eyes of a fox

I once saw-

a fox the dogs had hunted down.

But it was an accident?

He was a peculiar man.

There were things in his life

that could account for violence done him...

vicious things-

Well, it doesn't do

to speak ill of the dead.

The children

never mention him?

Oh, no, miss, and neither must you-

not to them.

You see, miss, it was Master Miles

that found him.

Oh, that poor little boy.

If you could have

heard his screams...

seen the way he clung to him

and begged him to speak-

That poor little boy

worshipped Quint.

Worshipped him?

That man? Miles?

You didn't know Quint, miss.

Such power he had over people.

You can't blame the child.

A lonely boy with no father.

Quint took advantage,

that's all.

It made me sick to see

Miles trotting after him like a little dog.

They were always together.

- ##[ Music Box ]

- [ Miles ] Quiet, everyone.

- ##[ Music Box ]

- [ Miles ] Quiet, everyone.

The entertainment

is about to commence.

Oh, look, miss.

I borrowed your pin cushion.

I hope you don't mind.

Miss Giddens, dear,

would you sit there?

And, Mrs. Grose,

would you sit there too?

And now Miles will recite to you.

A poem.

What shall I sing to my lord

from my window?

What shall I sing,

for my lord will not stay?

What shall I sing,

for my lord will not listen?

Where shall I go,

for my lord is away?

Whom shall I love

when the moon is arisen?

Gone is my lord...

and the grave is his prison.

What shall I say

when my lord comes a-calling?

What shall I say

when he knocks on my door?

What shall I say

when his feet enter softly...

leaving the marks

ofhis grave on my floor?

Enter, my lord.

Come from your prison.

Come from your grave...

for the moon is arisen.

[ Whispers ]

Welcome, my lord.

[ Whispers ]

Look at that.

- What, miss?

- I was afraid for them.

But what if he knows?

What if Miles knows?

Knows what,

Miss Giddens, dear?

You think I'm imagining it...

and yet just now you yourself saw

and heard Miles-

Playing a game.

You told me

Quint and Miles were always together.

But Master Miles

wasn't to blame for that.

- Yes, but couldn't you have stopped it?

- I wasn't in charge, miss.

It wasn't for me to question

the master's arrangements.

The master

put Quint in charge here.

Besides, no one

could go against Quint.

You were afraid of him?

But what of Miss Jessel?

Couldn't she

have done something?

Or was she afraid of him too?

Not at first.

At least-

In the beginning, when she first came here,

she was always happy and smiling.

Very fond of music she was...

and dancing.

She and Miss Flora used to dance together,

dance by the hour.

But she changed.

Oh, yes, she changed.

'Twas hard to believe...

her being an educated young lady

and Quint being...

- [ Miles Laughing ]

- well, what he was.

[ Flora Screaming ]

Stop it, Miles.! Stop it.!

You see? I knew

they'd be overexcited.

It's long past their bedtime.

Yes, but what did you mean

about Quint and Miss Jessel?

Look, miss, they're dead, gone.

There's no point in telling tales

of what's over and done with.

Over and done with?

Yes, but is it?

[ Flora, Miles Laughing ]

[ Miles ]

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