- 19 minutes ago
First broadcast 25th December 1973.
A young orphan, Stephen, is sent to go and live with his strange, much older cousin at his remote country house.
Simon Gipps-Kent - Stephen
Joseph O'Conor - Mr. Abney
James Mellor - Parkes
Susan Richards - Mrs. Bunch
Christopher Davis - Boy
Michelle Foster - Girl
Roger Milner - Vicar
Carina Wyeth - Girl - Flashback Scenes
A young orphan, Stephen, is sent to go and live with his strange, much older cousin at his remote country house.
Simon Gipps-Kent - Stephen
Joseph O'Conor - Mr. Abney
James Mellor - Parkes
Susan Richards - Mrs. Bunch
Christopher Davis - Boy
Michelle Foster - Girl
Roger Milner - Vicar
Carina Wyeth - Girl - Flashback Scenes
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:29To be continued...
00:38Is it much further?
00:40Only a sec.
00:41Don't move her.
00:43I wasn't.
00:50Whoa, steady, man.
00:51Steady.
00:52Steady.
01:23It's enormous.
01:25It's a drafty old place.
01:49Mr. Stephen.
01:51Yes.
02:28He has come.
02:45Is that the boy, Parks?
02:47Yes, sir.
02:49Come in. Approach.
02:52Help with the bags. Help with the bags.
02:55Well, Stephen, well.
02:58Here at last, eh?
03:00Yes, sir.
03:02You don't remember me?
03:03Your cousin? Twice removed.
03:07Peregrine Abney is my name.
03:09How do you do?
03:11Very well, thank you, sir.
03:13Fine, firm hand.
03:15Warm-blooded, strong-pulsed. Excellent.
03:23How old are you, boy?
03:25I'm...
03:25Twelve, next birthday?
03:26Yes, sir. The 31st of this month, sir.
03:30Halloween. Excellent. Couldn't be better.
03:34We shall celebrate, eh?
03:35Thank you, sir.
03:36It will be my pleasure, Stephen.
03:38Not too tired after your journey?
03:40No, sir.
03:41Good lad.
03:41You must eat a hearty meal.
03:45You're certain you are twelve next birthday?
03:48Yes, sir.
03:49And the 31st.
03:50Better than better.
03:52Benissimo.
03:54Forgive me.
03:55I like to note these little things in my commonplace book.
04:01Now, Parks, take this excellent boy down to Mrs. Bunch.
04:05Tell her to feed him well.
04:07Let me, butter.
04:08Eat tea.
04:09Nourish him.
04:10Nourish him.
04:14You mustn't mind him, lad.
04:16He has his ways.
04:17But why does he want to write my age down?
04:20He's a scholar, is Mr. Abney.
04:22He writes everything down.
04:25This way, Master Stephen.
04:29My sakes.
04:30What a lad you are for questions.
04:33Aye?
04:34Mr. Abney's your cousin.
04:36That's certain.
04:37On your mother's side.
04:39But he's so old.
04:41Cousins come in all shapes and sizes.
04:45And he's kindness itself.
04:47He may be an old bachelor, but he's very partial to children.
04:54You're not the first little orphan.
04:56He's given an earth and home, food and shelter.
04:58Oh, no.
04:59My gracious goodness, no.
05:01There are the children here.
05:02But they're gone now.
05:04Gone?
05:05Over the ills and far away.
05:07You each is gone, Stephen.
05:09You can ask Mr. Abney about them yourself tomorrow.
05:11Come on, come on, let's put it in tomorrow.
05:13Who's on your behalf?
05:18Guru?
05:20Uh-huh.
05:24Uh-huh.
05:27Uh-huh.
05:34Oh.
05:37Uh-huh.
05:39Uh-huh.
05:41Uh-huh.
06:15Come in.
06:20Ah, come in, Stephen. Good morning. Sleep well?
06:24Yes, thank you, sir.
06:25Good, that's the idea. Plenty of sleep.
06:27Mrs Bunch tells me you're a good lad.
06:31She's taken you to heart.
06:33Indeed, her words were a kind lad with an inquiring frame of mind.
06:38That so?
06:39Well, she did say that there had been other children in the house, sir.
06:42Did she? Quite so, but they've gone, gone.
06:45I like inquiring minds. Have one myself.
06:48There's so much to know, so much to learn in this old world.
06:54Eh?
06:55Yes, sir.
06:56And when none of us give much time. Life's bad, me a flicker, no time at all.
07:00Hmm.
07:03Censorinus. Have you read Censorinus?
07:07No, sir.
07:08Excellent fellow.
07:09He's searched. Dead now. 403 BC.
07:15He, he, he.
07:16But his work lives on. Immortal.
07:19To some, to the chosen, immortality is given, Stephen.
07:26Oh, may I explore the grounds, sir?
07:29Of course. No need to ask, lad. Yes.
07:32Fresh air, plenty of exercise, roses in the cheeks.
07:36Good.
07:49Excellent. Out to grass.
07:56Quite the thing.
07:58Oh, may I see.
08:47And it is recorded by Simon Magus
08:50that he was enabled to fly through the air.
09:00Not yet.
09:31Hehehehe.
09:46Hehehehe.
09:48Hehehehe.
09:58Hehehehe.
10:00Hehehehe.
10:01Hehehehe.
10:22Hehehehe.
10:35Hehehehe.
10:37Hehehehe.
10:46Hehehehe.
10:48No, sir. I just thought I saw a...
10:55What?
10:57What?
11:00Nothing. I saw nothing.
11:03I only walked and climbed an old tree.
11:06Good for the circulation.
11:08That's a nice plant. At least the flowers.
11:11Borage, star flower, bee-bred.
11:16Ego, Buglozov, and Drian.
11:19Didome.
11:20A leaf or two of this in a cup of claret
11:23exhilarates the heart, Stephen.
11:30What shall I do next?
11:32Whatever you like, lad.
11:34Mrs. B!
11:36Mrs. B!
11:37That little devil.
11:39There you are.
11:42Mrs. B!
11:43Will you bring him with you this instant?
11:47I never did.
11:49Well?
11:50I didn't do it.
11:52Who did, then?
11:53I haven't even got a penknife.
11:55Mr. Abney will have a word to say about this.
11:57If I were him, I'd send you packing, boy.
12:02Deeply incised?
12:04Right into the grain, sir.
12:06He deserves a good leathering.
12:07Then you may go, Parks.
12:09Won't you even view the damage, sir?
12:11Later.
12:12And take Mrs. Bunch with you.
12:20But I didn't do it, sir!
12:22I believe you, dear boy.
12:24Then who did?
12:25Who knows?
12:26Hermes, Tres Magistus.
12:29There are more things in heaven and earth.
12:33Don't concern yourself with it, dear boy.
12:35Eat well.
12:36Sleep well.
12:37We want you full of bunt for your birthday.
12:39Hmm?
12:48Crudely scored under great pressure.
12:53The wood being too old and hard to have been so incised
12:59by the hand of a living child.
13:06Is Mr. Abney a good man?
13:08And will he go to heaven?
13:10Good.
13:12Bless the child.
13:14Did you never ask him about the little boy he took in
13:18seven years back?
13:20I tried to.
13:22Was he called Sensorinus?
13:24No.
13:26Giovanni was his name.
13:27And the little girl.
13:28Did he not tell you about her?
13:31No.
13:33Did she like climbing trees?
13:36No.
13:37She was quite the little lady.
13:40We called her Phoebe.
13:45Was Mr. Abney her cousin?
13:48No.
13:51Master brought her back from his walk one day.
13:55And here she lived with us for three weeks it might be.
14:00And then there was a trace of gypsy in her blood.
14:03I always thought.
14:05And then one morning she was gone.
14:12That's what Mr. Abney said.
14:15Gone.
14:16Out of her bed before one of us had opened an eye.
14:20And neither track nor trace of her have we set eyes on since.
14:25Master was wonderful put about.
14:27Yet the dikes dragged.
14:32Ready there. Try it again.
14:34Gone.
14:37It's my belief she was out of way by the gypsies.
14:42For they were singing round the house for as much as an hour the night after she'd gone.
14:48And lights in the woods like will-o'-the-wisps.
14:53And the little boy?
14:56Giovanni?
14:57Oh, that poor boy.
14:59He were a foreigner.
15:13The master found him a playing his urtigurdy.
15:18He had him in that very minute.
15:20Mrs. Bunch!
15:22Mrs. Bunch!
15:25Mrs. Bunch!
15:27Good morning, Signore.
15:29Good, good.
15:30Mrs. B, the boy is staying. His name is Giovanni. I want you to look after him, feed him.
15:37And your parents still live?
15:40No, signore. I'm both two.
15:43Ah, and he's an orphan, poor lad. Both parents dead, and only twelve.
15:50Are you sure that you have twelve years?
15:52Yes, signore.
15:54Bravo, bravo!
15:58It went the same way with him. He was off one morning, same as the girl.
16:05They're an unruly lot, these foreign nations.
16:08Was that his hurdy-gurdy?
16:11He played a lovely tune on that. Never without it.
16:17Then why did he leave it behind?
16:53Well, let's get right here.
16:53That was very nice.
17:03Ah, another day is announced.
17:11Another step towards victorious, everlasting life in this world.
17:23Hi, hi, hi, hi, hi.
17:29Heart.
19:56Mr. Stephen?
19:58Mr. Stephen!
20:00Has the boy been dreaming?
20:02Mr. Stephen!
20:05There.
20:09My six beautiful frogs have been blunt.
20:14Oh, Mrs. B.
20:18Walked in his sleep.
20:21There.
20:23There.
20:23In the bath.
20:24Oh, God.
20:29Nothing there at all.
20:33You were dreaming, Stephen.
20:35I wasn't.
20:36I wasn't.
20:36The little boy, he led me.
20:38And the girl, she was in the bath.
20:41A silly old dream.
20:43Exactly.
20:45Take him down to your room, Mrs. Bunch.
20:46Give him a posset.
20:48No hearts.
20:49They had no hearts.
20:50And the herd guard.
20:51It was still pain.
20:53Oh, my God.
20:53You're a big boy.
20:55Nearly 12.
20:57Off you go with Mrs. Bunch.
20:58A nice, warm posset.
21:01Come along, Master Stephen.
21:16I'll stop watching.
21:18I'm happy.
21:20Bye, bye.
21:21I'm happy.
21:22Bye.
21:25Bye.
21:27I'm happy.
21:30Bye, bye.
21:31Bye, bye.
21:42Some annoyance may be experienced from the psychic portion of the subjects,
21:52especially in those cases where they can command the allegiance of what we are pleased to call
22:00material objects.
22:31The
22:42Oh, Lord.
23:10Pax!
23:11Pax!
23:12Pax!
23:12Yes, sir?
23:13I thank you to bring up a bottle of tea.
23:15A bottle of the Tawny Parks,
23:17so that it may rest a little
23:19after its journey upwards.
23:21The 33, sir.
23:23Is that our best and oldest?
23:25Yes, sir.
23:26Then bring it.
23:32You're not too grod for candles?
23:34No.
23:36Then blow.
23:52What?
24:04Who is it?
24:06It's me, sir.
24:08Come in, come in.
24:12I brought you a piece of my birthday cake, sir.
24:15How very kind.
24:17Thank you, Stephen.
24:20Mmm, looks delicious.
24:23Mmm, very good.
24:26What's that, sir?
24:28Ah, very old, Stephen.
24:30The sacred thing
24:32made before the mechanical sciences
24:35cast their rude shadow over the world.
24:40Had any more dreams?
24:41No, sir.
24:43Sleep well last night?
24:44No more sleep walking?
24:46Yes, sir.
24:46I mean no, sir.
24:48Good.
24:48Excellent.
24:50Stephen, my boy.
24:53Do you like secrets?
24:55Can you keep secrets?
24:57I think so, sir.
24:58Would you like your secret fortune told
25:00as a birthday gift from me?
25:02Hmm?
25:03Your real fortune, as it is,
25:05as it resides
25:07in the turning stars.
25:10Hmm? Hmm?
25:12What now, sir?
25:13Oh, no, no, no.
25:13At the proper time.
25:16Tonight?
25:17Midnight?
25:19All Hallows' Eve?
25:22Could you...
25:24come down to me?
25:25Hmm? Hmm?
25:26I might be too tired, sir.
25:28Oh, a great boy like you.
25:30Oh, don't you dare, eh?
25:30It's not that.
25:31Your future laid out before you.
25:33The gift of foresight from the gods of old.
25:35The finest birthday gift you may ever receive.
25:39Ever.
25:40Yes, please, sir.
25:42Good lad.
25:43Well, this is our secret, mind.
25:45A man's secret.
25:47Between men.
25:48Don't tell Mrs. Bunch.
25:49She's a good heart, but earthbound.
25:54Earthbound, Stephen.
25:57Master may get up his own port in the future.
25:59I tell you, there's something down there in the cellars.
26:02Wrath's more than like.
26:04A talking.
26:05A talking, Mrs. B.
26:06What nonsense.
26:07My sakes.
26:08I tell you, I heard voices in the farther bin.
26:12And what I say is, if you choose to go down there, you may...
26:15I have no patience with your fancies, Mr. Parks.
26:18Why?
26:18You'll be frightening Master Stephen here out of his wits.
26:22Oh, Mr. Stephen.
26:24Well, he knows well enough.
26:25I was only a joke in Mrs. B.
26:28I heard voices too, Mr. Parks.
26:30When I was flying my kite.
26:32In the wind.
26:34Are they down in the cellar now?
26:36No.
26:38No.
26:38Rats scrabbling about.
26:40No toast.
26:41No more than that.
26:47Did Master like the cake?
26:49Yes, it was very nice.
26:52Didn't you hear the voices, Mrs. Bunch?
26:54The night the little girl ran away.
26:56I dare say I imagined them.
26:58It was all of 18 years ago.
27:00But you said that I say lots of things, Master Stephen,
27:03but not on all souls night.
27:05Oh, dear me, no.
27:06No.
27:06This night I'll say me prayers artily.
27:09And lock me door, thank ye.
27:52So you're wrong.
27:53I want my wife to come out from here,
28:11This night I never kiÅŸed.
28:33the heart must be removed from the living subject reduced to ashes over the sacred fire
28:40and then mixed with a generous measure of fortified wine preferably port
28:56yes yes censorinus tres magistus simon magus
29:08think on me
29:36quick or we'll be late quick dear boy dear boy we have so little time the potent hour has come
29:45you're hurting my wrist sir
29:47oh and your heart beats wildly does it not i can hear it it yearns to be free and it
29:53shall be steven it shall be
29:55but first you must drink but i thought that no time for thinking this is the time for doing drink
30:03is it caught the sun in quintessence the blood of mithras drink
30:13i don't like it must i sad boy ridiculous child of course you must before you can tell any fortune
30:19your fortune is my fortune steven as was the girls as was the little italian boys you complete the work
30:26of 20 years steven
30:27no drink no you must you shall no no drink drink
30:35not poppy nor mandragora
30:39so here are all the drowsy syrups of the world
30:43sleep dear boy dear boy sleep
30:48breathe deep
31:02Munificent engine, soul-bred, strong rhythm of eternity, my eternity.
31:14Generous boy.
31:18Here lies your fortune, ordained by the heavens, sanctioned by the ancients.
31:28Your innocent heart must be the beating cornerstone to the gate,
31:33that unspeakable gateway by which I will enter into it.
31:41I...
31:43No.
31:46You've come too late.
31:50No, you cannot come on me.
32:23I am...
32:26I am...
32:28I am...
32:30I am...
32:58That Peregrine Abony was a recluse and a scholar is well known in this locality.
33:05What precisely was the nature of his research, I think it better for God-fearing mortals not to inquire.
33:15Suffice to say that though the manner of his death is doubtful, whether he was struck down by his own
33:22hand,
33:22or by forces which in another age might well be attributed to the devil, to Satan himself.
33:34Suffice that we should pray that his soul may rest eternally within the sight and love of God.
33:45His will be done.
34:15PIANO PLAYS
34:29PIANO PLAYS
34:39PIANO PLAYS
34:41PIANO CONTINUES
34:43PIANO CONTINUES
34:43PIANO CONTINUES
34:44PIANO CONTINUES
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