"Hello!" "Hello?" "Do you know the road to Colbin?" "I was separated from my regiment at Arshstadt." "Do you have any drinking water?" "I'm very thirsty!" "Clear water from the mountain." "Thank you, I" "Hello." "I'd like a word with you." "You never said goodbye to me." "In fact, you never even said hello." "It isn't an act of treason to talk to me." "I'm a weary, disillusioned soldier." "And you're the only pleasant sight that I've seen in seven months." "Go ahead." "It's permitted for you to laugh." "Wait." "You haven't told me your name." "My name's Helene." "I want to show you something." "Wait!" "Where are you going?" "What's wrong?" "Rest yourself, young man." "You're safe here." "Here, take this for your strength." "God knows help is a very rare thing in this forest." "Take it whenever it's offered to you." "That bird." "He attacked me." "I'm afraid you're wrong." "She's quite harmless." "Here, hold out your arm." "She only seems dangerous." "Actually, she's very affectionate, which is very unusual for a bird." "Take it back." "Oh, that is too bad." "Little girl liked him, didn't you?" "This is Gustav." "He brought you here." "Gustav fed your horse." "Where is Helene?" "This is Helene." "No, not the bird, the girl." "Where is the girl?" "There is no girl." "Of course there's a girl." "I saw her." "She spoke to me." "Perhaps you were tired from your long journey, and had a pleasant illusion." "Gustav, have you ever seen a girl here?" "Gustav sometimes imagines things." "If he could speak, I think we would find that his mind is warped." "Such is the will of God, to endow and deprive." "The only thing of beauty you'll find in this forest is Helene." "Hello." "I was afraid you'd drowned." "So you are real." "I started to think" "Who are you?" "Wait, wait, danger." "Quick sand- the girl was trying to kill me." "She knows not what she does." "Her will is not her own." "You mean she's insane?" "Possessed, she needs your help." "Help?" "How can I help her?" "The castle of the Baron von Leppe, you will find her there." "I can say no more." "There's great danger." "Find Eric, Eric knows." "The Ride to Colbin is long and far safer by day." "If you leave now, you can rejoin your regiment by dusk." "Where is Gustav?" "What do you want him for?" "I want him to show me where the castle of the Baron von Leppe is." "No one's lived in the castle for years." "And, besides, Gustav has gone away for a few days." "Perhaps you'd show me the way to the castle." "Why are you so interested in the Baron?" "I never said that I was." "But the girl that I followed last night and spoke to," "I believe that she lives there." "I told you, there is no girl." "That is nonsense." "You recognize her, don't you?" "No." "I'll find the castle myself." "No!" "Don't go to the castle." "I have told you the truth." "There is no girl." "Mark me, you are getting yourself into things beyond your understanding." "Leave now, while you can." "I intend to find her." "Please don't tell the Baron that I am here." "Hello!" "Is anyone here?" "Hello, it's me, Andre." "In the name of the government of France," "I order you to open this door!" "Your pardon, young sir, I was at my devotions." "I did not hear you." "I'm sorry, sir." "But surely I made enough noise to awaken the dead." "The government of France." "I've seen the uniforms of many governments in my time." "What would a soldier of France be wanting here?" "Shelter, for one thing." "Permit me to introduce myself, Lieutenant Andre Duvalier." "Baron Victor Frederick von Lepp." "I suggest you will find better shelter at the village inn." "Thank you, Baron." "But I've had my fill of village inns." "Surely, you wouldn't want to inconvenience a French officer." "Come in." "What you see, Lieutenant, are the remains of a noble house- relics, ghosts of past glories." "A noble heritage is something to be proud of, Baron." "I'm afraid we've forgotten that in France." "Ah yes, your name, Duvalier, your family" "My father was the Count Duvalier- was, until they spilled his head into a basket one morning in the Place de la Concorde." "Forgive me for reviving painful memories." "You must be cold and tired, Lieutenant." "Some cognac?" "I'd like that, Baron, thank you." "Sit down." "Yes, Baron?" "Cognac, for our guest." "Yes, Baron." "Baron, I wonder if I might ask, who was the young woman I saw in the window before you came to the door?" "Young woman?" "Oh, I'm afraid you're mistaken." "No, I'm not mistaken." "I saw her, dark hair and eyes, about 20." "Well, I'm quite sure you think you saw someone." "But" "Baron, I am in full possession of my faculties." "Please, allow me to show you something." "You should never believe everything your eyes tell you, young man." "Is that the girl you think you saw?" "Yes, of course" "Before you say anything, examine the portrait closely, the signature- and above all, the date." "1786?" "But that's 20 years ago." "It's incredible." "It's the same girl." "And she hasn't changed a bit." "She has been dead for 20 years." "With all respect, Baron, for a ghost, she's very active young woman." "You're speaking of the Baroness von Lepp, my wife." "I beg your pardon, Baron, I meant no offense." "Perhaps the resemblance was not quite as much as I had thought." "The girl at the window" "Lieutenant Duvalier, the only occupants of this castle are Stefan and myself." "You are the first visitor since the turn of the century." "Of course, Baron." "Stefan will see you to your room." "Thank you." "Hello down there!" "I'm coming down!" "Wait for me!" "Alright, unlock this door." "Do you hear me?" "Unlock this door or I'm going to shoot through the door!" "Ah!" "I kept in the shadows, sir." "He did not see me." "He's a strange one, though." "He showed no fear." "He must leave at once." "Do you think, perhaps, he is not merely a traveler?" "Why do you say that?" "He might have heard things in the village." "Oh, nonsense, he's a soldier." "He doesn't listen to old wives' tales." "The important thing is that he leave with all due speed." "I shall see to it, sir." "But of his own accord." "We must show him the respect that his position and rank demand." "How quickly." "I understand, sir." "So, must you intrude on the dead as well as the living?" "If I intrude, Stefan, I shall leave it to my host to so inform me." "Why have you come to Castle von Leppe?" "What do you want here?" "You seem to have things strangely confused in your mind." "You're the servant, not I. I'll ask the questions." "This was once a place of worship." "Why have the holy objects been removed?" "The baron ordered it when his wife passed away." "Then this became her tomb?" "No, just the entrance to it." "The von Leppe family crypt lies below, beneath the cemetery." "She rests there with four centuries of von Leppes." "That's been sealed for 20 years." "Nonsense." "It must have been open last night." "The girl must have passed through here." "As the Baron told you, sir, there is no girl." "No girl." "Well, we shall see." "Come with me to the stable, Stefan." "I wish to attend to my horse." "Wait, Lieutenant." "That's what I came to tell you." "Your horse is gone." "Apparently, it bolted during the night." "Impossible, you're lying." "Why?" "No, sir, I'm not lying." "Hear me well, Stefan." "I'm sick of all of these lies- first the old woman, then the baron, and now you." "The old woman, you mean" "Never mind." "What about my horse?" "I shall get you another one from the village at once, sir." "Believe me, lieutenant, I have no desire to interfere with your departure from this castle." "You seem very anxious to be rid of me." "Is it because you're afraid I might find out about Eric?" "Eric?" "So there is an Eric?" "That at least was not a lie." "Lieutenant, please, don't involve yourself in these dead matters." "There is nothing here but an old man and his decaying memories." "I beg of you, leave him in peace!" "Will you join me, lieutenant?" "No thank you, Baron." "I've just come from the stables." "My horse is gone." "Your horse is gone?" "Yes, I believe it was stolen, Baron." "Oh, impossible." "The stable door perhaps was left open and the animal bolted- not an unusual thing." "In itself, no, but there are certain other mysteries" "I would like to have explained, Baron." "And I mean to have them explained." "How dare you take that tone with me." "I don't know to be abrupt." "But I will have answers." "Well" "Now, why did you the portrait of the Baroness from the wall?" "I sent it away for renovation." "The- the dampness of these walls puts a mold on the pigment." "You evade very cleverly, Baron." "Can you also explain the violin music and the girl in the chapel last night?" "You saw her again?" "So you admit there's a girl?" "Ilsa." "Ilsa, is that her name?" "Answer me, Baron." "Please, please, leave me in peace." "If I leave you now, Baron, I will come back with a company of my men." "And I will tear this place down around your ears until I find her." "Is that clear?" "Very clear." "All right, now what happened to the Baroness?" "Was her death violent?" "Yes, her death was violent." "How did she die?" "Can you spare me nothing?" "20 years ago, I was not the man you're looking at now." "This land, this estate prospered." "My people live well and were happy." "My wife had died some years before." "And I was lonely." "Then one day in the village, I saw" "Ilsa, a peasant girl who'd come to live there with her mother." "Oh, I could have taken her as nobles have taken the daughters of peasants since the beginning of time." "But I loved her." "And she became the Baroness von Leppe." "Almost immediately afterwards, I was called away for military service, a rebellion in the Polish province." "I was gone for nearly a year." "When the fighting was over, I hurried home to my bride." "No one knew of my coming." "I surprised her in her room." "She was not alone." "She laughed at me, said her bed was not for me to find another." "And with my own hands, I killed her." "And her lover?" "Stefan took care of him." "Later, I gave out a story that she had died of some malaise." "No one ever knew of her betrayal of me, or how, in fact, she did die." "Except for Stefan." "For 20 years, I've not set foot beyond the walls of this castle." "I've lived here alone with the memory of that dreadful thing" "I did that night." "That is my penance." "And now you believe what?" "That the ghost of Ilsa has come back to relieve you of your penance, is that it?" "Yes." "How long has the spirit been coming to the castle?" "It- it all began two years ago." "At first, I was terrified." "But now I" " I'm eager for our every meeting." "One more question, Baron." "Has anyone else except yourself seen this spirit, Stefan, for instance?" "You think I'm mad, don't you?" "Right now, Baron, I'm not sure just what I think." "Ah, but don't forget." "You saw her too." "Perhaps we are both mad." "Ilsa, Ilsa." "Ilsa?" "The name sounds strange to me here by the sea." "It your name." "Don't you remember?" "My name is Helene." "The old woman told me." "She lies." "She summoned me from the sea." "You must go back." "Your soul is troubled, Ilsa." "Go back?" "To Eric?" "To the sea." "Only when the sea enters the crypt." "We shall rest there together, he and I, beneath the sea." "It is an evil thing." "You must not do it, Ilsa." "I must obey the old woman." "The Frenchman, he can help you, Ilsa." "Andre?" "The old one calls." "She warned you, Gustav, do not interfere." "She's been patient with you long enough, but no more." "Oh, powers of darkness, let the spirit of Ilsa sink deeper, deeper into this mortal fog." "Helene, be as though you never were." "Spirit of Ilsa, see through these eyes." "Speak through these lips." "Do my bidding." "For only then, shall you find release from your torment." "You are becoming stronger now, quite strong." "Soon you shall have the strength to carry out my vengeance, vengeance." "And the dark powers will set you free." "For I have promised them a richer prize." "Good afternoon." "Who are you?" "An appropriate question, but I'm afraid I'm the one who should be doing the asking." "I'm invited in, of course." "What do you want of me?" "You realize that this is the property of the Baron Victor von Leppe?" "And that it is forbidden for any of the villagers to set foot here, much less make it their home." "How long have you been living here?" "Only two months." "Perhaps I should tell you, you see," "I've just come from Kleinschmidt, where you are not totally unknown." "You have lived here slightly more than two years." "Your name is Katherina." "And you originally come from Colbin, where you were quite unpopular because of, uh, certain activities." "They call you Katherina the Heretic, the Witch." "They were fools." "Why do you live here?" "What do you want?" "I haven't any money." "This was the only place that wasn't burned to the ground." "So I" " I brought my things in here." "Where did you find the girl?" "There's no girl." "I saw her." "She was sitting in this chair." "There is no girl!" "I know what she is." "Old woman, I know what she is!" "Listen to me, and listen to me very carefully." "I don't know what you want, nor do I fully understand your black abilities." "But if the two of you have not returned to Colbin within one night, I shall come back and kill you with my own hands, and burn this place to the ground once and for all." "Then you know who once lived here all those years ago?" "You know who lived here?" "Is the Frenchman gone?" "No." "Why not?" "He now refuses to leave." "I don't think he will leave of his own accord." "He must." "I gave you definite orders." "Baron, no one knows this officer is here." "If he should never arrive in Copeland" "Are you suggesting that" "It's the only way." "That I will never." "God knows I have enough upon my conscience without the senseless murder of a young man who never harmed me." "How do you know what harm he plans?" "You want him wandering around the castle?" "Do you want him down in the crypt?" "Enough, the crypt is no concern of yours." "Andre?" "Andre?" "Help me." "Come to me." "Come to me, Andre." "I need you." "Where are you?" "What is the meaning of this intrusion?" "I'm sorry, Baron." "I thought I heard voices." "Does that give you the right to burst into my room unannounced?" "I beg your pardon, Baron." "Stefan has gone to the village to get you another horse." "It will save us both embarrassment if you will leave the moment he returns." "There can be no doubt of it, sir." "Ilsa?" "You're doing the best thing, Lieutenant." "The Baron often does things which may seem strange to you and me." "But the death of the Baroness was a severe shock to him, one from which I fear he has never fully recovered." "I understand completely, Stefan." "Tell me something, Stefan." "If I can." "Who is Eric?" "You recall the Baron spoke of returning from the war and finding the Baroness with another?" "Yes." "Eric was that other." "Wait!" "Gustav?" "She has seen you." "She loves you." "You must help her." "Tonight, her soul cries out for release." "Go back." "I've waited for you so long." "I've been searching for you to help you, but you wander in strange places at strange hours." "You're really here." "Of course I'm here." "And I'll never leave you again." "Never?" "When the night comes, I get cold." "My arms and my shoulders get cold." "I don't like the night." "I want to be free of it." "You are free." "Only in here, in this holy place." "No, everywhere with me." "You must come away with me now." "No, I can't, not until" "Until what?" "The crypt." "It must be destroyed, and with it the dead." "Don't speak of the dead anymore." "You're with me now." "I am possessed of the dead." "You're a warm, living woman." "Who has told you these things?" "The dead." "In Paris, they're doing wonderful things to discover the nature of the mind." "I'll take you there." "There are doctors who can free you from this" "From the dead?" "The dead cannot reach out from the grave." "You must come away with me now." "No." "I'm afraid." "The night." "There's nothing to be afraid of." "You see?" "Love me and there is no fear." "Yes, I do love you." "Then come away with me." "Wait here." "It's all right." "Ilsa, my love, you are not alone." "I am here with you now." "Soon, I will join you in eternal sleep." "Stefan will flood the crypt and seal us here together with our love." "Ilsa?" "Ilsa?" "Ilsa?" "Why do you not talk to me?" "I am here." "I've been waiting for you." "My love, my love." "You know what you must do." "No, anything I will do." "But that, I dare not." "Do not ask me, I beg of you." "You must, or we can never be together." "No, no, I cannot." "I dare not." "Look at me, Victor." "Why do you torment me so?" "You must do it, Victor." "Only then can we be together- only then, Victor." "I cannot." "I dare not." "My soul will be damned to eternal perdition." "Let me see who you really are!" "No!" "No, go back!" "You must not!" "No!" "Let me go!" "What kind of a woman are you?" "Where you are you?" "Who are you?" "Helene?" "Is there a doctor in the village?" "his illness is not of the flesh." "I have seen this before." "In a day or two, his mind will return." "We can only wait." "The Baron tells me you've been with him since the Polish campaign." "That is true," "Then you must have been in this castle for 20 years." "You must know every section of the estate." "He's regaining consciousness." "No, he often moans during these seizures." "You have keys." "Fetch them, I'd like to see the chapel." "The chapel?" "Yes, if you don't mind." "The hinges have rusted solid." "Do you have a crowbar?" "Yes, come with me." "What is it?" "That light there, that's the Baroness's bedroom in the tower." "The room has been sealed ever since that night." "Not even the Baron would enter." "Come with me." "Where's the key?" "Only the Baron has the key to this lock." "Lieutenant, don't!" "If the Baron should find out we've entered this room" "Did the Baroness have a child?" "I don't know." "I never though she did." "You spare me nothing." "Baron, if you'll permit me, I think that I can explain." "Forgive me, Baron." "Stefan!" "Take this gun." "Escort this gentleman from the castle." "If he resists, kill him." "Yes, Baron." "Lieutenant." "My love, my love." "I am here, Victor." "I'm weary, Ilsa." "My soul cries out for relief." "There is but one way, Victor." "No, the holy covenants of God forbid it." "You will be forgiven." "If I could be sure." "Take your life as you took mine." "Let your own hand destroy you and bring us together forever." "Forever." "No more torment, Victor, forever." "Forever." "I will, Ilsa." "I will." "I promise you, Lieutenant, if you return to von Leppe castle," "I shall not hesitate to kill you." "Where is she?" "Let me be." "Why did you lie to me about the girl?" "Call it off." "It doesn't matter now." "You're too late." "Tonight, he damns himself." "Yes, even now she taunts him to his own eternal doom." "You control the girl, just as you control that bird." "How?" "Mesmerism?" "Mesmerism, you fool." "Why?" "Answer me, old woman, or I'll break your neck." "To avenge myself on the Baron von Leppe." "She will drive him to God's one unpardonable sin- suicide." "For what offense?" "What has the Baron done to you?" "He killed my son, Eric." "Eric was your son?" "Yes." "And tonight, the Baron pays for Eric's life with his own immortal soul!" "She spoke of destroying the crypt." "Too late, too late." "Baron!" "Baron, you mustn't go- ah!" "Baron!" "Where's the Baron?" "We must get to him." "He's locked himself in the crypt." "Eric is avenged." "Eric avenged?" "She's used the girl as a puppet to drive the Baron to suicide." "She thinks it was the Baron that killed her son." "She never knew it was you." "What do you mean?" "He killed my Eric!" "Eric is her son?" "You murdered!" "No, wait!" "Don't you see now it was all a lie?" "The Baron did return that night to find Eric with the Baroness." "And he did kill her." "But there was a struggle." "And in the fight, it was not Eric who died, but the Baron!" "I killed the Baron." "Then Eric is still alive?" "He took the Baron's place." "And for 20 years, no one has known." "But he took the Baron's place in mind as well as body." "In his mind, he is the Baron von Leppe." "The crypt- she's told him to flood the cellars." "Now they'll both be killed." "Eric!" "Flood the cellars, how?" "There's a tunnel that leads from the sea to the crypt." "Come with me." "He's locked it from the inside." "You keep on here." "I'll try and get in through the chapel." "I may need you." "No, no, not the chapel!" "I may not enter the house of God!" "I have made my pact with another!" "No!" "No closer!" "No!" "I'm here, Ilsa, my love, this time forever." "Now, Victor, now." "I am waiting." "Hurry, Victor, hurry!" "Now, Victor, bring the sea into the crypt to mantle us forever." "We will be together again, Victor, together with our love here beneath the sea." "Come to me, my love." "Draw the veil." "Look at me." "Come see how eagerly I await your embrace." "What have you done to me?" "I have damned you as you damned me." "The part of me that loved you lies there, Victor, rotting in the coffin." "Look at it." "See what your evil love has done to me." "And die with that vision in your brain." "Why have you done this to me?" "I am the spirit of Ilsa that your unholy sin gave over to the dark powers." "But now, by giving your immortal soul to them," "I will be free, Eric." "You're safe now." "It's over." "It's over." "Do you understand?" "You're free now." "Free?" "Andre."