1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:08,400 The Nightmare Room by a Conan Doyle. The sitting room of the Masons was 2 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:15,640 a very singular apartment. At one end, it was furnished with considerable luxury. 3 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:25,600 The deep sofas, the low luxurious chairs, the voluptuous statuettes, and 4 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:32,640 the rich curtains hanging from deep and ornamental screens of metal work made a fitting 5 00:00:32,679 --> 00:00:39,960 frame for the lovely woman who was the mistress of the establishment. Mason, 6 00:00:40,880 --> 00:00:47,600 a young but wealthy man of affairs, had clearly spared no pains and no 7 00:00:47,719 --> 00:00:55,880 expense to meet every want and every whim of his beautiful wife. It was 8 00:00:55,960 --> 00:01:00,439 natural that he should do so, for she had given up much for his 9 00:01:00,640 --> 00:01:07,560 sake. The most famous dancer in France, the heroine of a dozen extraordinary 10 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:15,480 romances, she had resigned her life of glittering pleasure in order to share the 11 00:01:15,519 --> 00:01:22,200 fate of the young American whose austere ways differed so widely from her own. 12 00:01:23,280 --> 00:01:27,959 In all that wealth could buy, he tried to make amends for what she 13 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:36,519 had lost. Some might perhaps have thought it in better taste had he not 14 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:42,239 proclaimed this fact, had he not even allowed it to be printed. But 15 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:49,959 save for some personal peculiarities of the sort His conduct was that of a husband 16 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:57,079 who has never, for an instant ceased to be a lover. Even the 17 00:01:57,159 --> 00:02:07,079 presence of spectators would not prevent the public exhibition of his overpowering affection. But 18 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:15,280 the room was singular. At first it seemed familiar, and yet a longer 19 00:02:15,319 --> 00:02:25,400 acquaintance made one realize its sinister peculiarities. It was silent, very silent. 20 00:02:27,719 --> 00:02:34,800 No footfall could be heard upon those rich carpets and heavy rugs. A struggle, 21 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:42,120 even the fall of a body, would make no sound. It was 22 00:02:42,439 --> 00:02:51,000 strangely colorless, also in a light which seemed always subdued. Nor was it 23 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:57,479 all furnished in equal taste. One would have said that when the young banker 24 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:04,479 had lavished thousands upon this boom dar, this inner jewel case for his precious 25 00:03:04,479 --> 00:03:09,680 possession, he had failed to count the cost, and had suddenly been arrested 26 00:03:10,159 --> 00:03:17,360 by a threat to his own solvency. It was luxurious where it looked out 27 00:03:17,479 --> 00:03:23,719 upon the busy street below. At the farther side, it was bare, 28 00:03:24,759 --> 00:03:32,199 spartan, and reflected rather the taste of a most ascetic man than of a 29 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:38,919 pleasure loving woman. Perhaps that was why she only came there for a few 30 00:03:38,960 --> 00:03:47,240 hours, sometimes two, sometimes four in the day. But while she was 31 00:03:47,319 --> 00:03:58,719 there, she lived intensely. Within this nightmare room, Lucille Mason was a 32 00:03:58,879 --> 00:04:05,360 very different and a far more dangerous woman than she was in any other room. 33 00:04:08,439 --> 00:04:15,759 Dangerous, that was the word. Who could doubt it? Who saw 34 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:23,040 her delicate figure stretched upon the great bear skin which draped the sofa. She 35 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:30,360 was leaning upon her right elbow, her delicate but determined chin resting upon her 36 00:04:30,399 --> 00:04:41,360 hand, while her eyes, large and languishing, adorable but inexorable, stared 37 00:04:41,399 --> 00:04:47,319 out in front of her with a fixed intensity, which had in it something 38 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:58,759 vaguely terrible. It was a lovely face, a child's face, and yet 39 00:04:59,639 --> 00:05:08,519 nature had placed there some subtle mark, some indefinable expression, which told that 40 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:15,199 a devil lurked within. It had been noticed that dogs shrank from her, 41 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:25,600 and that children screamed and ran from her caresses. There are instincts that are 42 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:33,680 deeper than reason. Upon this particular afternoon, something had greatly moved her. 43 00:05:35,519 --> 00:05:42,439 A letter was in her hand, which she read and re read with a 44 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:49,160 tightening of those delicate little eyebrows and a grim setting of those delicious lips. 45 00:05:51,199 --> 00:05:58,040 Suddenly she started, and a shadow of fear softened the feline menace of her 46 00:05:58,079 --> 00:06:04,120 features. She raised herself upon her arm, and her eyes were fixed eagerly 47 00:06:04,319 --> 00:06:13,360 upon the door. She was listening, intently, listening for something which she 48 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:20,600 dreaded, most certainly dreaded to hear. For a moment, a smile of 49 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:29,519 relief played over her expressive face. Then, with a look of horror, 50 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:35,519 she stuffed her letter into her dress. She had hardly done so before the 51 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:44,279 door opened and a young man came briskly into the room. It was Archie 52 00:06:44,319 --> 00:06:49,639 Mason, her husband, the man whom she had loved, the man for 53 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:59,199 whom she had sacrificed her European fame, the man whom now she regarded as 54 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:06,839 the one obstacle to a new and wonderful experience. The American was a man 55 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:15,920 about thirty, clean, shaven, athletic, dressed to perfection in a closely 56 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:23,040 cut suit which outlined his perfect figure. He stood at the door with his 57 00:07:23,199 --> 00:07:29,519 arms folded, looking intently at his wife, with a face which might have 58 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:38,319 been a handsome sun tinted mask save for those vivid eyes. She still leaned 59 00:07:38,399 --> 00:07:46,680 upon her elbow, but her eyes were fixed on his. There was something 60 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:55,319 terrible in the silent exchange. Each interrogated the other, and each conveyed the 61 00:07:55,399 --> 00:08:03,160 thought that the answer was vital. He might have been asking what have you 62 00:08:03,279 --> 00:08:09,480 done? She, in her turn, seemed to be saying, what do 63 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:18,360 you know? Finally, he walked forward, sat down upon the bear skin 64 00:08:18,519 --> 00:08:26,759 beside her, and, taking her delicate ear gently between his fingers, turned 65 00:08:26,759 --> 00:08:35,559 her face towards his. Lucille, he said, are you poisoning me? 66 00:08:37,799 --> 00:08:43,120 She sprang back from his touch, with horror in her face and protests upon 67 00:08:43,159 --> 00:08:50,480 her lips. Two moved to speak. Her surprise and her anger showed themselves 68 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:58,360 rather in her darting hands and her convulsed features. She tried to rise, 69 00:08:58,399 --> 00:09:05,960 but his ground gasp tightened upon her wrist. Again he asked his question, 70 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:16,960 but this time it had deepened in its terrible significance. Lucille, why are 71 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:26,120 you poisoning me? You are mad, archie mad? She gasped. His 72 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:35,000 answer froze her blood. With pale, parted lips and blanched cheeks, she 73 00:09:35,039 --> 00:09:41,080 could only stare at him in helpless silence. He drew a small bottle from 74 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:48,480 his pocket and held it before her eyes as grim evidence of her guilt. 75 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:56,720 It is from your jewel case, he said. Twice. She tried to 76 00:09:56,799 --> 00:10:07,360 speak and failed. At last, the words came slowly, one by one 77 00:10:07,639 --> 00:10:18,080 from her contorted lips. At least I never used it again. His hand 78 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:24,919 sought his pocket. From it, he drew a sheet of paper, which 79 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:33,080 he unfolded and held before her. It is the certificate of doctor Angus. 80 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:39,440 It shows the presence of twelve grains of antimony. I have also the evidence 81 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:48,080 of Dival, the chemist who sold it. Her face was terrible to look 82 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:54,879 at. There was nothing to say. She could only lie with that fixed, 83 00:10:56,039 --> 00:11:03,679 hopeless stare, like some fierce creature in a fatal trap. Well, 84 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:13,639 he asked. There was no answer save a movement of desperation and appeal from 85 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:20,679 the beautiful woman. Why, he said, I want to know why. 86 00:11:24,039 --> 00:11:28,639 As he spoke, his eye caught the edge of the letter, which she 87 00:11:28,679 --> 00:11:35,759 had thrust into her bosom. In an instant he had snatched it. With 88 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:39,120 a cry of despair. She tried to regain it, but he held her 89 00:11:39,159 --> 00:11:48,000 off with one hand while his eyes raced over it. Campbell, He gasped. 90 00:11:50,159 --> 00:11:56,159 It was Cambell. She had found her courage again. There was nothing 91 00:11:56,200 --> 00:12:05,679 more to conceal. Her face set hard and firm. Her eyes were deadly 92 00:12:05,799 --> 00:12:15,600 as daggers as she faced him. Yes, she said, it is Campbell, 93 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:26,799 my God, Campbell of all men. He rose and walked swiftly about 94 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:33,120 the room. Campbell, the grandest man that he had ever known, a 95 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:41,240 man whose whole life had been one long record of self denial, of courage, 96 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:50,440 of every quality which marks the chosen man. And yet he too had 97 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:58,240 fallen a victim to this siren, and had been dragged down to such a 98 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:03,799 level that he had been betrayed in intention, if not in actual deed, 99 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:11,600 the man whose hand he shook in friendship. It was incredible, and yet 100 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:20,919 here was the passionate, pleading letter imploring his wife to fly and share the 101 00:13:20,919 --> 00:13:28,000 fate of a penniless man. Every word of the letter showed that Campbell had 102 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:33,360 at least no thought of Mason's death, which would have removed all difficulties. 103 00:13:35,279 --> 00:13:45,080 That devilish solution was the outcome of the deep and wicked brain which brooded within 104 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:52,559 that perfect habitation in the mind of the woman he loved. Mason was a 105 00:13:52,679 --> 00:14:01,120 man in a million, a philosopher, a thinker with a broad and tender 106 00:14:01,159 --> 00:14:07,919 sympathy for others, for an instant, his soul had been submerged in his 107 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:16,440 bitterness. He could, for that brief period have slain both his wife and 108 00:14:16,639 --> 00:14:22,240 Campbell, and gone to his own death with the serene mind of a man 109 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:31,519 who has done his plain duty. But already, as he paced the room, 110 00:14:31,679 --> 00:14:41,840 milder thoughts had begun to prevail. How could he blame Campbell? He 111 00:14:41,919 --> 00:14:48,759 knew the absolute witchery of this woman. It was not only her wonderful physical 112 00:14:48,840 --> 00:14:56,360 beauty. She had a unique power of seeming to take an interest in a 113 00:14:56,440 --> 00:15:03,840 man, in writhing to his inmost conscience, in penetrating those parts of his 114 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:11,799 nature which were too sacred for the world, and in seeming to stimulate him 115 00:15:11,879 --> 00:15:20,480 towards ambition and even towards virtue and splendid kindliness. It was just there that 116 00:15:20,559 --> 00:15:26,799 the deadly cleverness of her net was shown. He remembered how it had been 117 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:33,159 in his own case. She was free then, or so he thought, 118 00:15:35,399 --> 00:15:41,879 and he had been able to marry her. But suppose she had not been 119 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:48,360 free, Suppose she had been married, and suppose she had taken possession of 120 00:15:48,399 --> 00:15:56,360 his soul in the same way. Would he have stopped there? Would he 121 00:15:56,440 --> 00:16:04,240 have been able to draw off with him his unfulfilled longings. He was bound 122 00:16:04,399 --> 00:16:11,480 to admit that, with all his new England strength, he could not have 123 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:18,759 done so, Why then, should he feel so bitter with his unfortunate friend 124 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:26,879 who was in the same position. It was pity and sympathy that filled his 125 00:16:26,039 --> 00:16:37,080 mind as he thought of Campbell, caught by this wonderful siren. And she 126 00:16:38,039 --> 00:16:47,399 there she lay upon the sofa, a poor, broken butterfly, her dreams 127 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:59,240 dispersed, her plot detected, her future dark and perilous. Even for her 128 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:07,279 poisoner as she was, his heart relented. He knew something of her history. 129 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:15,440 He knew her as a spoiled child from birth, untamed, unchecked, 130 00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:25,920 sweeping everything easily before her With her cleverness, her beauty, and her charm, 131 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:33,680 she had never known an obstacle. Now one had risen across her path, 132 00:17:36,039 --> 00:17:41,680 and she had madly and wickedly tried to remove it in the only way 133 00:17:41,799 --> 00:17:49,400 she could think of. But if she had wished to remove it was not 134 00:17:49,799 --> 00:17:56,799 that in itself a sign that he had been found wanting that he was not 135 00:17:57,119 --> 00:18:03,839 the man who could bring her peace of mind and contentment of heart. He 136 00:18:04,119 --> 00:18:12,400 was too stern and self contained for that. Sunny, volatile nature. He 137 00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:19,839 was of the north and she of the south, drawn strongly together for a 138 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:30,200 time by the law of opposites, but impossible for permanent union. He should 139 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:36,799 have seen this, he should have understood it. It was on him that 140 00:18:36,920 --> 00:18:44,319 the responsibility lay. His heart softened towards her, as it would to a 141 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:52,400 little child that was in helpless trouble. For a time he had paced the 142 00:18:52,480 --> 00:18:59,839 room in silence, his lips compressed, his hands clenched till his nails had 143 00:19:00,079 --> 00:19:06,799 marked his palms. Now, with a sudden movement, he sat beside her 144 00:19:07,519 --> 00:19:15,039 and took her cold and inert hand in his. You shall choose between us, 145 00:19:15,200 --> 00:19:22,359 dear, he said, if really you are sure, sure you know 146 00:19:22,119 --> 00:19:30,880 that Campbell could make you happy. I will not be the obstacle a divorce. 147 00:19:33,279 --> 00:19:40,839 She gasped, his hand closed upon the bottle of poison. You can 148 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:48,319 call it, that, said he. A new, strange light shone in 149 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:56,119 her eyes as she looked at him, Archie, she cried, you could 150 00:19:56,240 --> 00:20:03,559 forgive me even that, He smiled at her. You are only a little 151 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:11,799 wayward kitty. After all, Her arms were outstretched to him. When there 152 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:18,279 was a tap at the door, and the maid entered in the strange, 153 00:20:18,319 --> 00:20:26,720 silent fashion in which all things moved in that room. There was a card 154 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:36,279 on the tray, Captain Campbell, I will not see him, Mason sprang 155 00:20:36,359 --> 00:20:42,039 to his feet. On the contrary, he is most welcome show him up 156 00:20:42,119 --> 00:20:51,160 this instant. A few minutes later, a tall, sunburnt young soldier had 157 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:56,160 been ushered into the room. He came forward with a smile upon his pleasant 158 00:20:56,200 --> 00:21:06,039 features. But as the door closed behind him and the faces before him resumed 159 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:17,720 their natural expressions, he paused irresolutely. Well, he asked. Mason stepped 160 00:21:17,759 --> 00:21:23,440 forward and laid his hand upon his shoulder. I bear no ill will, 161 00:21:25,359 --> 00:21:33,400 he said, ill will? Yes, I know all, but I might 162 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:41,880 have done the same myself had the position been reversed, Mason quietly told him. 163 00:21:42,839 --> 00:21:51,240 Campbell stepped back and looked a question at the lady. She nodded and 164 00:21:51,720 --> 00:22:00,640 shrugged her graceful shoulders. Mason smiled, you need not fear that it is 165 00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:04,680 a trap for a confession. We have had a frank talk upon the matter. 166 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:11,960 See Jack, you were always a sportsman. Here is a bottle. 167 00:22:14,079 --> 00:22:18,599 Never mind how it came here. If one or the other of us drinks 168 00:22:18,599 --> 00:22:26,440 it, it will clear the situation. His manner was wild, almost delirious. 169 00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:34,720 Lucille, which shall it be? There had been a strange force at 170 00:22:34,799 --> 00:22:44,680 work in the nightmare room. A third man was there, though not one 171 00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:48,480 of the three who stood in the crisis of their life's drama had time or 172 00:22:48,519 --> 00:22:55,079 thought for him. How long he had been there, how much he had 173 00:22:55,119 --> 00:23:00,839 heard? None could say. In the corner, farthest from the little group, 174 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:10,759 he was crouched against the wall, a sinister, snakelike figure, silent 175 00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:19,359 and scarcely moving save for a nervous twitching of his clenched right hand, intent 176 00:23:21,359 --> 00:23:27,720 watching eagerly every new phase of the drama. Are you game, Jack, 177 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:37,559 asked Mason. The soldier nodded. No, No, cried the woman. 178 00:23:40,559 --> 00:23:47,359 Mason had uncorked the bottle, and turning to the side table, he drew 179 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:55,279 out a pack of cards. We can't put the responsibility on her, he 180 00:23:55,400 --> 00:24:03,440 said, Come jack, the best of three. The soldier approached the table. 181 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:10,920 He fingered the fatal cards. The woman, leaning upon her hand, 182 00:24:11,039 --> 00:24:21,559 bent her face forward and stared with fascinated eyes. Then, and only then, 183 00:24:22,599 --> 00:24:32,279 the bolt fell. The stranger had risen, pale and grave. All 184 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:38,640 three were suddenly aware of his presence. They faced him with eager inquiry in 185 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:45,799 their eyes. He looked at them with something of the Master in his bearing. 186 00:24:48,079 --> 00:24:56,960 How is it, they asked, altogether rotten? He said, rotten. 187 00:24:59,359 --> 00:25:06,039 We'll shoot the all seen again tomorrow. End of the Nightmare Room.