Speaker 1: Well, doctor Watson, Now what about the Copper beaches. It
Speaker 1: was a cold, gloomy morning in early spring.
Speaker 2: We've were sitting on either side of a cherry fire
Speaker 2: in our rooms in Baker Street. Homes had been silent
Speaker 2: and moody all morning, smoking his long cherrywood pipe, which
Speaker 2: usually displaced his favorite clay when he was in a
Speaker 2: disputatious mood.
Speaker 1: Altogether, he was in no sweet temper.
Speaker 3: Matches, matches were the matches got that confounded fog? What
Speaker 3: happens to all the matches in this house?
Speaker 2: I'd like to know, Oh, my dear Holmes, why not
Speaker 2: use the tongs and a live coal if you want
Speaker 2: to relat your pipe?
Speaker 4: Now I've burnt myself.
Speaker 2: Out, for Heaven's sake. Homes, stop spluttering. I see sendings
Speaker 2: annoying you. Why don't you get it off your chest?
Speaker 3: It's that latest book of yours. Sensationalism, Watson, Rank, sensationalism.
Speaker 3: You're always placing the emphasis on the crime. Crime logic
Speaker 3: is rare. You should stress the logic. You've degraded what
Speaker 3: should been a course of lectures into was cities of.
Speaker 2: Tale now really home? It's not ugical. You always complaining
Speaker 2: that crime is falling off. Say, there are no first
Speaker 2: class criminals left.
Speaker 3: Quite and therefore if you depend on the crime to
Speaker 3: hold your readers, you'll soon be a back number criminals.
Speaker 4: They've lost all their enterprise and originality.
Speaker 3: Might be to be degenerating into an agency for recovering
Speaker 3: lost lead pencils and giving good advice to young ladies
Speaker 3: from boarding.
Speaker 1: School, advice to the love lauree.
Speaker 4: Well look at this. This note came in the morning post,
Speaker 4: the last straw. That's what it is. Yeah, I read it, dear,
Speaker 4: Let me see it.
Speaker 2: Dear mister Helmes, I am very anxious to consult you
Speaker 2: as to whether I should or should not accept a
Speaker 2: situation which has been offered me as governess. I shall
Speaker 2: call at half past ten tomorrow if I do not
Speaker 2: inconvenience you, yours faithfully violent hunter.
Speaker 1: But it's almost eleven now, exactly.
Speaker 4: She's late, just like a woman. Nice.
Speaker 1: I suppose this must be the young lady now walking briskly.
Speaker 4: Up the street.
Speaker 3: Let me see, brisk, purposeful manner, nice, bright, intelligent face.
Speaker 1: Yes, she's stopping at our door.
Speaker 3: There may be something in this case, after all, my
Speaker 3: dear Watson. Yes, she's not the hysterical sort that makes
Speaker 3: a fuss over nothing. Here she is, come in?
Speaker 1: How do you do? This is mister Sherlock. Home quite man.
Speaker 1: This is my colleague, doctor Watson. How do you do?
Speaker 4: Won't you sit down?
Speaker 1: Thank you? I trust you'll excuse my troubling you, mister Holmes.
Speaker 1: But I've had a very strange experience, and as I
Speaker 1: have no relations of any sort to advise me, I
Speaker 1: thought i'd best come to you.
Speaker 4: I shall be happy to do anything I can.
Speaker 1: I've been a governess for five years in the family
Speaker 1: of Colonel Spence Monroe. He's been transferred to Nova Scotia,
Speaker 1: so that for the last few months I've been without
Speaker 1: a situation. With the money I had saved began to
Speaker 1: run out. I I was at my wits end. Go
Speaker 1: on yesterday. I called it a well known employment agency
Speaker 1: run by a Miss Stoper. When I arrived, the outer
Speaker 1: office was filled with young ladies looking for situations. I
Speaker 1: was told to wait. I did so. After about half
Speaker 1: an hour, my name was called out well the daughter,
Speaker 1: Miss Stoupa's private office was a jar. Seated beside her
Speaker 1: was a prodigiously stout man with a stround, smiling face
Speaker 1: and a heavy chin. His eyes were like two little slips.
Speaker 3: Come in, my dear, Come in, mister, this is miss
Speaker 3: Oh yes, what is your name, my dear miss Hunter?
Speaker 1: Violet Hunter. Oh yes, Violet Hunter.
Speaker 4: Captit to get it.
Speaker 3: I couldn't ask for anything better. I'm sure you will do,
Speaker 3: Miss Hunter.
Speaker 1: I hope. So, mister Rucastle, you're.
Speaker 3: Looking for a situation as governess. Yes, sir, what salary
Speaker 3: do you ask?
Speaker 1: Well? I had four pounds a month in my last.
Speaker 4: Place, four bones, sweating, rape, sweating.
Speaker 3: How anyone could have the audacity to offer that to
Speaker 3: a lady with such attraction, such accomplishment.
Speaker 1: My accomplishments may not be all you expec beg mister Roecastle,
Speaker 1: a little French, a little German music and drawing.
Speaker 3: My dear miss Hunter. Or that's beside the question. The
Speaker 3: point is are you or are you not?
Speaker 4: A lady?
Speaker 3: Well, the answer is yes, lady fitted for the rearing
Speaker 3: of a child who may someday play a considerable part
Speaker 3: in the history of his country. Your salary with me, madam,
Speaker 3: would commence at one hundred pounds a year.
Speaker 1: A hundred, oh, mister Roecastle.
Speaker 3: The more it's my custom to advance my young lady's
Speaker 3: half their salary beforehand?
Speaker 1: May I ask where you leave, mister Roecastle.
Speaker 3: Hampshire charming rural spot. The Copper Beaches is the name
Speaker 3: of the place, five miles north of Winchester, the dearest
Speaker 3: old house.
Speaker 1: And what would be my duties?
Speaker 4: One child, a dear little romper age six.
Speaker 3: If you could see him killing cockroaches with a slipper
Speaker 3: Slesmax Bactree, God, before you could wink.
Speaker 1: My sole duty then is to take care of this
Speaker 1: this child.
Speaker 3: Well, I'm sure your good sense would suggest that you
Speaker 3: will be any little.
Speaker 4: Commands which my wife might give.
Speaker 1: I should be happy to make myself useful.
Speaker 3: Dress for example, Well, thaddy people, faddy but kind hearted.
Speaker 3: If you were asked to wear a particular dress, and
Speaker 3: we might give you you you wouldn't object to our
Speaker 3: little women?
Speaker 4: Why no more to sit here or there? That wouldn't
Speaker 4: be offensive to you?
Speaker 1: Why why no?
Speaker 3: Or to cut your hair short before you came to
Speaker 3: us My hair, Yes, it's quite essential. It's a little
Speaker 3: fancy of my wife's, you see. And ladies fancies my
Speaker 3: dear miss Hunter. They must be consultant.
Speaker 1: Put my hair.
Speaker 4: Oh no, I couldn't no, what a pity. In that case,
Speaker 4: mister Prah, i'd best inspect a few more of your
Speaker 4: young ladies.
Speaker 1: Good day than miss Hunter. I'm afraid you must consider
Speaker 1: yourself struck from our list.
Speaker 3: You can hardly expect us to exert ourselves to find
Speaker 3: another such opening for you.
Speaker 1: But miss Stoper, good day, Miss Hunter.
Speaker 3: Wait just a minute, miss stopah, Let's not be too
Speaker 3: hard on the young lady. After all, My request a
Speaker 3: bit sudden. Perhaps, Miss Hunter, you'd like twenty four hours
Speaker 3: in which to consider the matter. And in view of
Speaker 3: the fact that you have particularly beautiful hair, I might
Speaker 3: be willing to raise the salary to one hundred and
Speaker 3: twenty pounds a year to recompense you for our little eccentricities.
Speaker 4: Unusual, might very unusual, my dear miss Hunter. What you
Speaker 4: make of it? Watson?
Speaker 2: Perhaps the gentleman's wife is a lunatic and he wishes
Speaker 2: to humor and her fancist in order to prevent an outbreak.
Speaker 4: Possibly want some.
Speaker 1: Possibly with the money, mister Holmes, the money and I
Speaker 1: need it so well.
Speaker 4: Yes, the pay is good, too good.
Speaker 3: Why should they give you one hundred and twenty pounds
Speaker 3: when they could have their pick for forty There must
Speaker 3: be some strong reason.
Speaker 4: But I I have no choice, and you've made up
Speaker 4: your mind to accept I must.
Speaker 1: I thought if I told you the circumstances, you would
Speaker 1: understand afterwards. If well, if I wanted your help, I
Speaker 1: should feel so much strong if I knew you were
Speaker 1: behind me.
Speaker 3: Yes, you may carry that feeling away with you. And
Speaker 3: if at any time you should find yourself.
Speaker 1: In danger, danger, what danger could there be, my.
Speaker 4: Dear miss Hunter. It would cease to be a danger
Speaker 4: if we could define it.
Speaker 3: But remember, at any time, day or night, just telegraph
Speaker 3: and I'll come to your help.
Speaker 1: Oh, thank you, mister Holmes, thank you.
Speaker 3: Do you realize Watson? It's been almost a week since
Speaker 3: Miss Hunter called and we haven't heard a word from her.
Speaker 1: I don't like him, O nonsense Holmes.
Speaker 2: She seemed to be a young lady who is quite
Speaker 2: capable of taking care of herself.
Speaker 4: That's the same.
Speaker 3: I should never have permitted an unprotected female to accept
Speaker 3: the situation like that.
Speaker 4: Data if I only had some data. Can't make bricks
Speaker 4: without straw.
Speaker 2: Oh, at any rate, nothing very dreadful conhattan out in
Speaker 2: the open country like that.
Speaker 4: That is way You're wrong Watson.
Speaker 3: It's my experience that the vilest alleys in London do
Speaker 3: not present a more dreadful record of sin than does
Speaker 3: the smiling and beautiful countryside.
Speaker 1: You give me the creeps.
Speaker 4: The pressure of public opinion is greatest in the towns.
Speaker 3: There's no lane so vile that the scream of a
Speaker 3: tortured child or the flood of a drunken's blow does
Speaker 3: not beget sympathy and assistance from the neighbors. But the countryside,
Speaker 3: my dear Watson, filled with its lonely houses. Think of
Speaker 3: the hellish cruelty, the hidden wickedness. Had our young friend
Speaker 3: gone to live in Winchester, I should not have this
Speaker 3: fear for her safety. It's the five miles of country
Speaker 3: which make the danger.
Speaker 4: See what that is, Watson?
Speaker 1: Thank you missus Subson. It's a telegram for you, Hose,
Speaker 1: give it to me.
Speaker 4: It's from miss Hunter.
Speaker 1: What does she say?
Speaker 4: Come at once?
Speaker 3: We'll meet you at the black Swan Hotel, Winchester three
Speaker 3: this afternoon, And that, my wits end don't fail me.
Speaker 3: What do you suppose has happened, Haddy Watson, We have
Speaker 3: no time to lose. Is a train from Waterloo.
Speaker 4: Station in half an hour, if only we get to
Speaker 4: her entire.
Speaker 3: There's the black Swan opposite the station, and if I'm
Speaker 3: not mistaken, that is miss Hunter waiting for us on
Speaker 3: the steps.
Speaker 1: So, mister Holmes, it's so kind you'd come, and you too,
Speaker 1: Doctor Watson. I can't tell you how anxious I've been there.
Speaker 3: There, Miss Hunter. I am Watson. You'd better handle this situation.
Speaker 3: You're better with this stelling a woman than I am.
Speaker 4: Homers. You are a cold bloody fish. He's not hysterior.
Speaker 4: It's relief.
Speaker 1: It's all right, miss Hunter. We are here. You know
Speaker 1: I'm ready, not as foolish as I. It's just that
Speaker 1: the strain of the last two weeks. But I'll tell
Speaker 1: you about that as we go along. There's a short
Speaker 1: cut to the Copper Beach is through the woods.
Speaker 3: Come along again, now, miss Hunter, if you'll tell us
Speaker 3: what's been happening since you arrived at the Roecastle household.
Speaker 1: Well, Copper Beaches is a large, sinister looking house, almost
Speaker 1: completely surrounded by woods. It depressed me from the moment
Speaker 1: of my arrival. I was met at the door by
Speaker 1: mister Roecastle and his wife. And is she no mister Holmes,
Speaker 1: She is not mad.
Speaker 4: I see.
Speaker 1: She's a small, pale faced woman, much younger than mister Rucastle.
Speaker 1: In fact, I gather that she says second wife. There
Speaker 1: was a daughter by the first marriage, a girl now
Speaker 1: over twenty, but she's not living at the house. Mister
Speaker 1: Rucastle said that she could not get along with her stepmother,
Speaker 1: so he sent her to America, to Philadelphia, America.
Speaker 3: Extraordinary And does missus Rucastle strike you as a difficult
Speaker 3: woman to get along with?
Speaker 1: Oh no, mister Holmes, she's shy and rather quiet. More
Speaker 1: than once I've surprised her in tears. At first I
Speaker 1: thought it might be worried over the disposition of her child.
Speaker 4: What's the matter with his disposition?
Speaker 1: And he's badly spoiled. He's an ungovernable temper and seems
Speaker 1: to take a great delight in torturing birds and small animals.
Speaker 1: Pleasant little beast and the rest of the household. There's
Speaker 1: only one servant, Toller is his name, A rough, uncouth
Speaker 1: man with a perpetual smell of drink about him. Why
Speaker 1: they keep him I don't know, except perhaps because he's
Speaker 1: the only one who can manage Carlo. Carlo Carlo is
Speaker 1: a huge underfed mastif that's kept chain in the stables
Speaker 1: during the day, but at night they let him out.
Speaker 1: He's a terrible beast. Even mister Rucastle is afraid of him.
Speaker 1: But I'm sure he'd tear there any trespass he to bits.
Speaker 3: I wonder why mister Rucastle desires such ferocious protection.
Speaker 1: I'm sure I don't know, unless unless there is something
Speaker 1: on the top floor of the west wing that he
Speaker 1: wants to hide. The West wing, eh, Yes, the door
Speaker 1: that leads into it is opposite my room. It's kept
Speaker 1: securely locked. I have noticed mister Roecastle going in and
Speaker 1: out a couple of times. The windows of that wing
Speaker 1: are all shuttered too, and locked from the inside. Looks
Speaker 1: nasty to me. Holmes Watson doliterrupted for the second day
Speaker 1: after my arrival. Immediately after breakfast, mister Rucastle asked me
Speaker 1: to put on a dress which had been laid out
Speaker 1: on the bed for me. What was it like? It
Speaker 1: wasn't a new dress, mister Holmes, but the material was
Speaker 1: excellent and of a particularly brilliant shade, an electric blue,
Speaker 1: charming color. I put it on and went down to
Speaker 1: the living room. Mister Roecastle had placed a chair for
Speaker 1: me by the front window.
Speaker 3: Sit here, with your leg to the window. You may
Speaker 3: read this book Beloved, a French novel. I think we'll find.
Speaker 4: It most amusing. After an hour or so, you may
Speaker 4: go back upstairs and changed your own clothes.
Speaker 1: But mister Roecastle, I don't understand who asked you to understand?
Speaker 4: Just do as I say. Strange, very strange, Miss Hut.
Speaker 1: I've had to sit there in the window for an
Speaker 1: hour every morning since then. As time past, I became
Speaker 1: more and more curious. Why were they so careful to
Speaker 1: keep my face turned away from the window. Naturally, I
Speaker 1: was consumed with the czar to see what was going
Speaker 1: on behind my back. But today I'd devised a means.
Speaker 1: I noticed a breakfast that mister Rucastle had had quite
Speaker 1: a few drinks. A happy thought seized me. My hand
Speaker 1: mirr had been broken. I concealed a piece of it
Speaker 1: my handkerchief, and later in my book, feeling sure that
Speaker 1: mister Rucastle was too drunk to notice. By holding the
Speaker 1: book up, I was able to see everything behind me.
Speaker 4: And what did you see?
Speaker 1: At first? There was nothing. At the second glance, however,
Speaker 1: I saw a young man in a gray suit, leaning
Speaker 1: against a rain which boarded our field. He was looking
Speaker 1: earnestly in my direction. Mister Rucastle must have noticed my
Speaker 1: surprise reburst out angrily.
Speaker 3: Really, miss Hunter, your attention must be wondering. That's the
Speaker 3: second time you read that passion for them? As an
Speaker 3: impertinent fellow up the road who keeps staring at you
Speaker 3: a friend of yours?
Speaker 1: Oh no, Mistercastle, I don't know anyone around here.
Speaker 4: Kindly turn around and motioned him to go away.
Speaker 1: But wouldn't it be better not to notice as who?
Speaker 4: As I'd tell you, I really don't encourage you to
Speaker 4: have any followers.
Speaker 1: Very well, Misterecastle, there, impertinent fellow.
Speaker 4: That'll be all for this morning, Miss Hunter.
Speaker 1: Me good, mister Rucastle. I hope you don't think go
Speaker 1: to your room.
Speaker 4: I say, yes, sir, And after this you needn't bother
Speaker 4: to wear that blue.
Speaker 1: Dress it to But on the way up, says I
Speaker 1: noticed that that the west wing had the key still
Speaker 1: in the locker. Lucastle must have been drunk to get
Speaker 1: there to home, quite Watson, I'll admit my curiosity is
Speaker 1: greater than my sense of caution. I opened and mounted
Speaker 1: the stairs to the attic in the hall. At the
Speaker 1: top of the house. I found three doors, the middle
Speaker 1: one barred with the end of an old iron bedstead.
Speaker 4: Good lord, it was terribly.
Speaker 3: Spooky up there.
Speaker 1: Once something brushed against my face upset. There must have
Speaker 1: been a bet. Oh dear, is there any one in there?
Speaker 4: Who's there?
Speaker 5: Can I help you?
Speaker 1: So it was you?
Speaker 4: Then I thought it must be when I saw the
Speaker 4: door open, mister Lucassa frightened my dear young lady. What
Speaker 4: frightened you?
Speaker 1: But I was foolish enough to come into this vacant wing.
Speaker 1: But it's so lonely an area, and a bat swooped
Speaker 1: down at my face?
Speaker 4: Is that all?
Speaker 1: What else could there be?
Speaker 4: Why do you suppose I keep that door locked?
Speaker 1: I'm sure I don't know to keep people out who
Speaker 1: have no business there, you see, I'm sure if i'd known.
Speaker 3: Well, you know now, my dear young lady, And if
Speaker 3: you ever put your foot over that threshold again, I'll
Speaker 3: throw you to the mastiff room.
Speaker 1: What a dreadful experience, mister Holmes. I feel sure there's
Speaker 1: someone locked in that room, someone who's unhappy, perhaps tortured.
Speaker 1: Oh good heavens, it's almost five, I promise to be bad.
Speaker 1: By six, mister and missus Routhcastle are going out, mister
Speaker 1: Roecastle to discover it had been.
Speaker 4: You've acted like a brave and sensible girl, Miss Hunter.
Speaker 1: Yes, indeed you have.
Speaker 4: Dr Watson and I will hang around the Roe Castles
Speaker 4: have left.
Speaker 1: Well, that should be around seven.
Speaker 4: Good. I don't imagine the mastiff will be let loose
Speaker 4: en til their return.
Speaker 1: Oh no, mister Holmes will be too dangerous for them
Speaker 1: to get back to the house.
Speaker 3: Excellent, we'll hope the Toller's still drunk at inner rate.
Speaker 3: You must get us into the house. We must explore
Speaker 3: the west wing.
Speaker 1: I'll do my best, mister Holmes, and now I must harry. Goodbye, gentlemen,
Speaker 1: there is Hunter. Well, my dear Holmes, what do you
Speaker 1: make of it? All the blue dress and the man
Speaker 1: in front of the house.
Speaker 3: Obviously they've had her impersonating someone, someone young whose hair
Speaker 3: had been cut off during an illness.
Speaker 4: That someone is probably the person imprisoned in the West Wing.
Speaker 1: Her, sinister, that is.
Speaker 3: Not the most sinister part of this Hunter's story, Watson. No,
Speaker 3: what is then the unpleasant disposition of the child. But
Speaker 3: what has that got to do with it, my dear Watson.
Speaker 3: As a medical man, you're always gaining lightness to the
Speaker 3: tendencies of a child by a study of the parents.
Speaker 3: Heredity is a science that can.
Speaker 4: Be worked backwards as well.
Speaker 3: You can get a good insight into the character of
Speaker 3: the parents by studying the children. This child is cruel,
Speaker 3: abnormally cruel. He probably inherits it from one of his parents.
Speaker 3: I only hope nothing serious happens before seven o'clock.
Speaker 1: Gracious, what tonight the first thunder storm of the season.
Speaker 4: See listen to that dog.
Speaker 1: He has an ugly temper.
Speaker 3: Look at the copper beeches swaying in the wind. Yes,
Speaker 3: there's miss Hunter standing in the front doorway.
Speaker 1: She's waving to us. The ghost must be clear. Come in,
Speaker 1: Come in, good is you might be search of a swing.
Speaker 4: What's that pounding?
Speaker 1: It's Tala. He was just going out to release the dog.
Speaker 1: I sent him to the wine cellar and locked him in.
Speaker 4: Splendid.
Speaker 1: I managed to get Toller's keys this afternoon, too. He
Speaker 1: was quite drunk. Their duplicates of mister Ruecastle's better and better.
Speaker 4: But come along upstairs. We have no time to waste.
Speaker 4: You've got your avarber handy. Yes, good.
Speaker 1: Gives that lighting must have hiten.
Speaker 4: Near here one of the Copper beaches.
Speaker 1: No doubt. Yeah, which key? Ah, This wrner's dancing, that's right,
Speaker 1: starting here. Come along.
Speaker 4: Listen to that rain on the roof the middle door.
Speaker 4: You said hello in there no answer. I don't like that, Watson,
Speaker 4: help me remove this bedstead. I tried to tie it
Speaker 4: one end half a rope. That's it.
Speaker 1: The doors locked.
Speaker 4: We must break it in then come on one two, Hello,
Speaker 4: there's no one here. That villain lucas and must have
Speaker 4: made away with his prisoner. That's you're right. She's probably
Speaker 4: been carried off through the skylight. It is still open.
Speaker 4: Shot That table over here, all right?
Speaker 1: What are you guys?
Speaker 4: You stand on it?
Speaker 1: Of course?
Speaker 4: Yes, two pairs of footprints. There's a ladder resting against
Speaker 4: the eaves. But that's how he did it.
Speaker 1: But that's not possible. The ladder wasn't there when the
Speaker 1: root castles went away.
Speaker 4: And he mustn't come clever man, listen listen. Yes, I
Speaker 4: think I hear his footsteps on the stairs.
Speaker 1: Oh, mister house, it's mister Rucastle.
Speaker 4: You'll kill us all I thought i'd find you here filling.
Speaker 4: What have you done with your daughter? I'm the one
Speaker 4: that you ask that too. Sieves who robbers? I have console.
Speaker 4: I'll fixel Carlo Carlow.
Speaker 5: He's gone for the dog.
Speaker 4: We'll be torn a shreads with watsoon tolose the front door.
Speaker 5: Out him out, all right, it's Carlor, he's not castle By.
Speaker 4: Watson, give me a revolver. If you don't get the
Speaker 4: man by mistake, shut up and stand back. Watson.
Speaker 1: Oh, mister Holmes, Okay, Helms, you've done it. You killed Carla.
Speaker 1: I thought it was too late.
Speaker 5: It's too horrible.
Speaker 1: I think.
Speaker 4: You're out of danger. Just you go upstairs and take
Speaker 4: your bag.
Speaker 3: Docter Watson and I are going to take you back
Speaker 3: to town with us on the nine o'clock train. Now, Watson,
Speaker 3: suppose you see if there's anything you can do for
Speaker 3: that villain Rouecastle. He's not worth saving. But I suppose
Speaker 3: your conscience won't rest unless you have a try at it.