The Innocents Page #5

Let go, Flora. You'll fall in.

[ Flora ]

But I want to row the boat.

Silly.

You know you can't.

Miss Giddens, tell Miles

to let me row.

I will,

when you're a little older.

But it's too heavy

for you now.

I don't care.

I've got a boat of my own anyway.

[ Goose Honking ]

[ Sighs ]

Heavenly, warm sun.

It's almost hot.

I like it when it's hot.

- Do you know what Miles told me once?

- No, dear. What?

He said that once, when he was on the lake,

he could see a hand waving on the bottom.

But Mrs. Grose said,

"Stuff and nonsense.! Stuff and nonsense.!''

Miss Giddens,

can tortoises swim?

No, dear.

I thought

perhaps they couldn't.

## [ Humming "O Willow Waly'' ]

## [ Continues ]

Flora, where did you

learn that song?

I don't think I remember.

## [ Resumes Humming ]

It's the song

from the music box, isn't it?

Isn't it?

## [ Continues ]

[ Miss Giddens ]

Flora.!

Who is it?

Over there.

Oh, goodness, miss, you gave me

quite a turn sitting there in the dark.

- And where are the children?

- Upstairs with Anna.

I wanted to be by myself

for a while, to think.

Well, miss, I'm sure a little light

will make your thoughts more cheerful.

Mrs. Grose?

There are two of them.

I beg your pardon?

Two of those abominations.

Today, down by the lake...

there in the broad sunlight...

I saw the other one.

- The other one?

- A woman dressed in black.

- Miss Jessel.

- Oh, but Miss Jessel's dead.

She died, why, almost a year ago.

Huh. Almost a year ago.

Almost a year.

Flora saw her too.

- Did she tell you so?

- No, of course not.

She lied to me.

Well, it amounted to a lie.

Oh, now, miss, I've never known

either of the children to tell lies.

- Why would they?

- Why?

Because they are both playing...

or being made to play

some monstrous game.

I can't pretend to understand

what its purpose is.

I only know that it is happening.

Something secretive

and whispery...

and indecent.

I tell you, believe me,

the children are in dreadful peril.

Well, what are we to do?

Then you do believe me?

You don't think I'm imagining it?

- I believe you, miss.

- Oh, thank God. Thank God.

I've been so frightened.

I've felt so alone.

But together,

with you to help me-

Oh, yes, miss, I'll help you.

Only tell me how.

Yes.

We must try to learn

what it is these horrors want.

Think, Mrs. Grose.

The answer must lie in the past.

Were Quint

and Miss Jessel in love?

They were in love, weren't they?

Love? Oh, I suppose

that's what she called it.

But it was more

like a sickness...

a fever that leaves the body

burned out and dry.

There was no cruelty

she wouldn't suffer.

If he struck her- Oh, yes,

and I've seen him knock her to the floor-

she'd look at him as though

she wanted the weight of his hand.

No pride, no shame.

Crawl to him on her hands and knees,

she would.

And him laughing at her.

Such a savage laugh he had.

Oh, it hurts me to remember.

Bad she was, but no woman

could have suffered more.

Aperson ought to

keep quiet about it.

You must tell me.

Oh, miss, there's things

I've seen I- I'm ashamed to say.

Go on.

Rooms...

used by daylight...

as though

they were dark woods.

They didn't care

that you saw them?

And the children?

I can't say, miss.

I-I don't know what the children saw.

But they used to follow

Quint and Miss Jessel...

trailing along behind

hand in hand, whispering.

There was too much whispering

in this house, miss.

Oh,yes, I can imagine.

Yes, I can imagine

what sort of things...

they whispered about.

Quint, Miles.

I can hear them together.

But there was nothing wrong

in Master Miles wanting to be with Quint.

Quint taught him to ride

and took him walking.

- The poor lad needed someone to-

- To corrupt him?

But Master Miles

is a good boy, miss.

- There's nothing wicked in him.

- Unless he's deceiving us.

Unless they're both deceiving us.

- The innocents.

- Innocents they are, miss.

It's not fair.

You have no right to accuse them of-

Oh, forgive me, Mrs. Grose.

I'm not accusing.

I'm just trying to put it together,

to understand.

Tell me, were the children happy?

Oh, they seemed to be.

The same as now.

But sometimes I used to wonder if

they really cared for them, those two...

or if they weren't

just using them.

Using them?

Yes, of course they were...

and still are.

And in the end, what happened to her,

Miss Jessel?

Oh, that was pitiful.

When Quint was found,

she went into blackest mourning.

Her, that should have

hated the man.

She grieved till there was something

crazy in her eyes.

Never slept.

Never ate.

I used to hear her wandering about

all over the house, sobbing.

Couldn't go on.

Finally she died.

Here? At Bly?

But of what did she die?

Well, I suppose

you might say a broken heart.

Excuse me, miss.

They're in bed now.

All scrubbed and nice and waiting

for you to hear their prayers.

Thank you, Anna.

I shall be up in a moment.

- [ Door Closes ]

- One thing more before I go.

- Yes, miss?

- Our local vicar, what sort of man is he?

The Reverend Fennel?

Oh, he's a very fine sort of gentleman, miss.

Oh, but, miss,

I wouldn't do that.

I-I mean, if you were thinking of discussing

with the vicar what we have been discussing...

oh, I wouldn't, miss.

- Why not?

- Well, it might cause talk, a scandal.

Haven't we worse to fear

than a scandal?

But what good would it do, miss, telling

the vicar our secrets? He can't help us.

He's perhaps

the only one who can.

[ Moaning ]

[ Mrs. Grose ] What good would it do, miss,

telling the vicar our secrets?

He can't help us.

[ Miss Giddens ] Only remember,

you are in supreme authority.

Shh. Flora,

it's a secret.

You must remember

it's a secret.

[ Children Laughing ]

Watch her.

Watch her.

- [ Children Laughing ]

- Flora, it's a secret. It's a secret.

[ Laughing ]

[ Whispering, Indistinct ]

[ Wings Flapping ]

It's a secret.

A secret.

## [ Music Box ]

[ Bell Tolling ]

- [ Children Laughing ]

- I've made up my mind.

Right after church, I shall take the next train

to London and see their uncle.

- He must have returned.

- But why, miss? Why now?

Because I-

We can go on no longer without help.

I know you're almost sick with worry,

but accept for odd times...

you can't say the children

haven't been good.

But they haven't been good,

merely easy to live with.

Because they are not living with us.

We have no part in their real life.

Dear Mrs. Grose, I know it's hard for you

to think wrong of those children...

but there are things

that I haven't told you...

that I can't bring myself

to tell even you.

- [ Tolling Continues ]

- Look at them.

What do you think they're saying?

Well, I don't know, miss.

Just children's talk.

They're talking about them.

Talking horrors.

So far these monsters

have kept their distance.

Only been seen in high places...

through windows, across the lake.

But they intend coming closer.

And if they do-

- What will you say to the master?

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