"Order in court!" "Order in court!" "Counsel for the defense of Mrs. Victoria Thompson." "Thomas longwood, m.P." "That's one of the most expensive lawyers in New Zealand." "The crown against Victoria Thompson." "Victoria, voice-over:" "Perhaps this is the way my story began." "Perhaps this is the way I came to be here" "Awaiting my judgment." "I've imagined it many times, the different ways it might have been." "The different ways it might have been." "As I've told you in my letter, the child's father is unknown to me." "It was my express wish not to know his name." "It was my express wish not to know his name." "My daughter wanted to keep the child." "You understand that is impossible." "Naturally, I want the child to know nothing of this arrangement." "She will be well cared for." "You may be sure of that." "Yes, but of course that is a comforting thought." "I was sure it would be so." "You haven't told me her name." "Her name?" "Yes." "What is the little one called?" "I don't believe she has a name." "Victoria?" "Victoria?" "Victoria, somebody's here to see you." "Are you a relative of mine, a relation?" "Do you know me?" "My name is Oliver Thompson." "My name is Oliver Thompson." "I'm a merchant." "I've, uh..." "Chain of shops." "It is a small chain, but, uh..." "In 10 years' time I expect to turn a profit." "They, uh..." "They told me of you." "Uh..." "Won't you, uh..." "Won't you sit down?" "Won't you sit down?" "Victoria, have you..." "Have you ever considered marriage?" "In sickness and in health..." "To love, cherish, to love, cherish, and to obey..." "Till death us do part." "Till death us do part." "I'd never pictured myself as a bride." "When the matrons arranged this marriage when the matrons arranged this marriage with Oliver, I was determined to do my best, but we had been taught that it was a woman's end to be a wife." "But I was shocked to learn that although I was wed," "I was not yet free." "You know, Victoria, my dear..." "This is where we must part for now." "You must go back to school." "Back?" "For how long?" "Well, until you come of age." "Well, until you come of age." "It's just a short while, my dear." "It's how it's done." "I'm afraid, my dear, we should both have to reconcile ourselves to this period of waiting." "At last, by the end of the summer," "At last, by the end of the summer," "I left matron and everything I had ever known and set sail for my new married life on the north island." "Very tightly, George." "You never been to the north island, ma'am?" "You travel to join your parents?" "You travel to join your parents?" "No." "I'm going to my husband." "Um..." "My new husband." "Mr. Oliver Thompson?" "Of tamarind grove." "The town has grown of late." "I don't know the place very well." "Nor do I." "I've only met Mr. Thompson twice." "Enjoy your stay, ma'am." "Good evening, Mrs. Thompson." "Good evening." "The master is not at home, madame." "He's not here then?" "He's had to visit his sick father in woodford." "He's had to visit his sick father in woodford." "It was only right." "Woodford." "Ah..." "Is that far from here?" "It would take 5 hours at least, I should say, with fast horses." "Did the mas" "Did the master leave long ago?" "This morning, madame." "He left something for you." "If you'd do me the kindness of following." "Master likes to save a penny." "There it is, madame." "A present." "He was sorry not to be here." "Perhaps you'd like to go and rest, madame." "You must have had a tiring journey." "Ah!" "Uh!" "I shall take you around my shops every so often so you can see what I've created with these hands, so you can see what I've created with these hands, what I've given up my life to." "George, get over there!" "Come on!" "That's my brother George, my wife Victoria, my parer burley." "My parer burley." "Keeping busy, are we, brother Georgie porgie?" "This cheese will be moldy before we can sell half of it." "Nah." "Just let me get my hands on the man who made the mistake on this order." "Well, it's too late for that." "What's the wholesale price?" "5 for 1 and 8ths." "And sale?" "3 shillings." "We'll send everything to shops." "Special price." "Half a crown." "Oliver, there's not enough transport to get all of this to the shops." "Surely, we should hire more porters." "Not enough transport?" "!" "Get 10 of those black laggards from the street corner, give them a few pence each." "They can carry the bloody barrels on their back." "They can carry the bloody barrels on their back." "Rat!" "Rat!" "There he goes!" "Aah!" "Aah!" "All right!" "Kill the dumb..." "How about that one?" "!" "That's a championship rat!" "Well, you were very happy there." "Well, I know." "They told me." "Yes." "Tis true." "We were all happy." "Tis true." "We were all happy." "It's not what I'm trying to say, um..." "When you're dropped there, you learn not to think of happiness." "Just as I never thought you'd have a father or a brother." "Mmm." "Brother." "Ahem." "Ahh." "Has Oliver arrived?" "He asked me to tell you he'd be along later." "He asked me to tell you he'd be along later." "It's beautiful." "Perhaps you'd like to see the dogs." "I was going to feed them." "Oliver is very proud of the puppies." "Phoebe, Phoebe, Phoebe." "Phoebe, Phoebe, Phoebe." "That's Phoebe." "She's my favorite." "She had a hard time of it." "Does he ever let them free?" "Simmons runs them every morning, once a day." "Like clockwork." "That's the way Oliver likes it." "What's the point?" "Why does he have them then?" "Why do you think?" "Come on, Phoebe." "Come on!" "Come on!" "That's it." "There you go." "Come on, Phoebe!" "Come on, Phoebe!" "Come on, Phoebe!" "Is that scream still necessary, my dear?" "I mean, we have been..." "Man and wife for over a month now." "I thought I'd pick some flowers for my hair." "I should think we could dispense" "I should think we could dispense with some of the notions the good matrons taught you." "You put on airs, Victoria!" "I prefer it to jewelry." "Victoria?" "If you could..." "If you could..." "These hairs have grown out." "Who did this before I came?" "Who did this before I came?" "I went to the barber's more frequently then." "Why don't you go frequently now?" "What a fine lady, you are, Victoria." "Well, this isn't a kennel." "Who brought this dog in?" "Get it out!" "You heard father." "Simmons, George, anyone, get this dog out of here!" "Victoria, this is my father, Mr. Thompson." "Uh-huh." "I think it's time to send burley down to Christ church, have him open the next store." "Mmm?" "Tired of working with him anyway." "Mm-hmm." "Mm-hmm." "Yeah." "Try this." "Cheese, father." "You'll like it." "No." "The rats do." "I'll take some." "I read a fine joke in the newspaper yesterday." "This one gentleman wants to" "Ah!" "I don't know what sort of customs you're used to, Mrs. Thompson, but in our family we like to show some respect for old age." "Thank you." "Right." "So..." "He wants to challenge another one to a duel." "See?" "So, he says to him, see?" "So, he says to him," ""I'll trouble you for your card."" "Says the other one" "Victoria, get that bloody door!" "Shut--shut the" "It's all right, George." "Sit down." "Sit down, George!" "Go on, son!" "What did he say?" "Yeah, right, so..." "He says..." ""I'll trouble you for your card."" "And the other one says..." ""So you can put it on your mirror" ""in your drawing room and boast that you have gentlemen visiting you."" "That you have gentlemen visiting you."" "Visiting you!" "Oh, yes." "Don't you think it's funny?" "I used to hide from them in here when I was a boy." "I'm still hiding from them." "Shh." "You're not going out in this wet." "You'll stay the night." "No arguing about it." "Bloody rain." "Patty will be knee deep in mud in the morning." "Last time it rained like this, the dogs were brown from head to tail." "The dogs were brown from head to tail." "Not a spot of white on them." "Ha ha ha!" "Took Simmons about a month to get him clean again." "Give him a bath, a big beast like that." "You best be off, son." "Got work to do tomorrow." "We shall bid a fond farewell for you to, uh..." "Uh, Victoria, whatever her name is." "Yes." "She's probably retired to bed with a book if I know my wife." "Ha ha ha!" "And I believe I do." "Mrs. Simmons!" "Yes, sir." "Yes, sir." "Find out what the missus is doing." "Ask her to come down." "The mistress is not in her room, sir." "She's what?" "She may go into the kennels." "That's where she often goes." "She's taken such an interest, father." "Mmm." "Hmm." "You really should wait before you judge." "Indeed?" "Victoria?" "!" "Victoria?" "!" "You out here?" "!" "Aah!" "Victoria?" "She's not there." "She's nowhere in the house." "You're not worried, shorty?" "She'll be back?" "She'll get cold and wet?" "Like you are?" "Come back repentant?" "She doesn't know anyone in the area." "She doesn't know anyone in the area." "I think you treated her too roughly." "Ahh." "A little lesson won't do her any harm." "You don't know women, son." "They're all the same." "All of them." "Exceptin' your mother, of course." "Lord have mercy on her soul." "What was I saying?" "What was I saying?" "Good morning to you, sir." "Joseph, my father's asleep." "The mistress was kind enough to give me a gold sovereign." "Where is she?" "She told me to give you that there piece of paper, sir." "For god's sake, Joseph, what's the meaning of this?" "I did everything the mistress told me to, sir." "Hey, what's going on?" "I'll take care of this, father!" "I was driving to woodford and she said," "I was driving to woodford and she said," ""we ain't going to woodford." "We're going someplace else."" "Well, where did you go?" "Come on, where?" "!" "The docks, sir." "Why the docks?" "I'll shake the living daylights out of you!" "Why the bloody docks?" "Don't hurt me, please." "She gave me a gold sovereign and told me to give you that there piece of paper." "What is it?" "What is it?" "It's a pawn broker's receipt." "She's pawned the horse and carriage for 100 pounds." "Ah." "I warned you about making this arrangement." "Oh, father, be quiet!" "All we can do now is find her!" "Here!" "Right here!" "Where's the ticket office?" "Just down there, sir." "Come on." "We go left, son." "Wait for me, Oliver!" "I want to be in the world." "I want to be in the world." "I want to know all that I can know." "I want to know!" "I'd have died if I'd stayed in that house." "Did any ships leave this port last night?" "Several." "Do you have any lists of the passengers?" "How can I help you?" "Lists, registers, names, bloody passengers!" "Just wait quietly, please." "I'll need to see the" "Thompson, Thompson." "Thompson." "A lady named Thompson." "Uh!" "Thompson!" "Now what's this?" "!" "That's the George Washington sailingforAmerica." "That's the George Washington sailingforAmerica." "It's the only one that's" "Good god." "America?" "Where is this ship?" "Further down the dock." "Why did he come for me there?" "How did he even know that I existed?" "He kept all that a secret from me." "I felt helpless." "Uhh!" "Aah!" "Uh!" "Oliver!" "Watch out, son!" "You've killed him." "Come on." "Come on." "You killed my brother!" "Father, take her away!" "Guess what?" "George is still alive." "Yeah?" "Ohh." "How is she doing?" "She won't speak." "Not a word." "It's all over." "I've taken care of everything." "Cost you a pretty penny." "Luckily, the ship was about to sail." "His body is..." "No one will ever know." "We shall say he sailed to America, we never heard from him again." "You are a very fortunate girl." "We saved you." "Don't frighten her, father." "No." "He was always different from his brothers." "The runt of the family." "I shall forgive you, Victoria." "Everything will be different now." ""He leadeth me beside the still waters." ""He restoreth my soul." ""He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." ""Yea, though I walk through the valley..." ""Thou preparest a table before me" ""in the presence of mine enemies." ""Thou annointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over." ""Thou annointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over." ""Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." "And I will dwell in the house of the lord forever."" "Aah!" "Got to get this plate in." "All right." "Think you can handle that?" "All right." "Think you can handle that?" "Just press when you're ready, all right?" "Come on, Nicholas." "Get the old face around." "Ha ha!" "So you see, they had arranged everything." "I was pregnant with Oliver's child," "I was pregnant with Oliver's child, he was full of pride." "And our life together went quietly forward, the way he had always foreseen it." "All right now." "Let's give you this..." "Little bunch of flowers." "Yeah, it's lovely." "What happened that night was never mentioned again." "But they had made it clear to me that were it not for their generous protection," "I would surely have been held for murder." "Once more." "Now, do it again, my dear." "Ah, father." "What do you make of that?" "What do you make of that?" "A ghost." "If she were to discover" "Don't talk nonsense, father." "She believes he's dead." "I hear her scream in her sleep." "You must destroy it." "Don't worry, father." "Haven't I handled everything so far?" "Haven't I handled everything so far?" "You want any of that cheese?" "!" "Do you want any of that cheese?" "!" "Do you want any of that cheese?" "!" "Do you want any of that cheese?" "!" "Have you no relatives, no family solicitor, my dear?" "No one?" "No one?" "No." "That is why I have come to you." "I've written to the head matron, but I've heard nothing in reply." "I truly doubt that there's anything I can do for you." "Is this your first child?" "There must be something you could tell me." "From what you've told me, assuming your information is correct, the convent arranged for you at age 18 to marry a gentleman who, by your own account, does not beat you, does not beat you," "nor starve you, nor deprive you of his respect." "And yet you cannot remain another moment?" "I..." "I'm afraid." "No one will believe me." "No one will understand." "If every woman in the antipedes with the vapors decided to divorce her husband, there would be no children, no mothers." "You have a long life ahead of you, my dear." "You have a long life ahead of you, my dear." "That is..." "Is just what terrifies me." "I must..." "Must do something." "I must..." "I must save myself." "And she went in?" "Like I said, sir." "She went in and stayed in." "Rather than having 2 hands or 2 feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire, to be cast into the everlasting fire, and if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out and cast it from you." "Beloved brethren, let us recall that we are all one body, body of Christ." "And all those near to us are members of that body." "Blessed in the lord, let us look round with great attentiveness..." "For the eyes and the hands of the devil..." "For the eyes and the hands of the devil..." "Are everywhere." "A fine preacher." "Yeah." "It's no doubt they added precious." "If you can find" "Be careful, my love." "I just want you to know that..." "I know where you have been in the town..." "I know where you have been in the town..." "And how long you've been there." "Not just it, my dear." "You see, Victoria," "I know now that I cannot trust you." "From now on, you will be accompanied wherever you go by Simmons..." "My faithful servant." "And he will report to me..." "Your every thought, your every thought, your every movement." "At least until our child arrives." "Aaah!" ""Yea, though I walk through the valley" ""of the shadow of death," ""I will fear no evil" ""for thou art with me," ""thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." ""Thou preparest a table before me" ""in the presence of mine enemies;" ""Thou annointest my head with oil." "My cup runneth over." ""Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me" ""all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the lord forever."" "And I will dwell in the house of the lord forever."" "Come on." "Let's go." "Don't let yourself..." "I shall take you home." "Why didn't it happen to me what happened to that child?" "It's better to die in a mother's womb than to live and never see her." "God has cursed me now." "God would never judge you for this." "God would never judge you for this." "My one weakness." "My one weakness." "Only one?" "Well, I prefer to think so." "I hope not." "This is very curious." "You're a minister, and yet you show such an interest in pagan objects." "Is this not used in human sacrifice?" "Hmm." "This is an amulet." "For love sickness." "Would you like something to drink?" "Yes." "I think I should let you wait on me." "I think I should let you wait on me." "Victoria!" "Victoria!" "If you're not doing anything, perhaps you could help me with the scissors." "My, uh..." "Whiskers." "You know." "Where are they?" "Oliver!" "Where did you leave them last?" "My dearest friend, after all I had suffered and believed for months after all I had suffered and believed for months you cannot imagine my profound shock at what I was to find that day hidden in Oliver's drawer." "Victoria!" "Victoria!" "Victoria!" "Coming!" "No, not that one, Simmons." "Reverend Wilson's are in the other box." "Yes, ma'am." "Oh, yes, try one of mine, Thompson." "What?" "Why?" "Thank you." "Don't mind if I do." "Ha ha ha ha!" "It's an improvement, you know?" "I have them sent from London." "Ohh." "Quite right." "Always get the best I say." "I was thinking more about our supper." "I was thinking more about our supper." "You've made a difference in the kitchen, my dear." "I shall like to go to London." "I've imagined it many times." "Ohh, you wouldn't like it." "Nope." "More than enough for a lifetime..." "Right here, lifetime?" "Mm-hmm." "Do you think?" "Mm-hmm." "You take my word for it, right, Wilson?" "Mmm." "A lifetime." "Now..." "You want excitement, you should come down to the shop." "Both of you." "We've had more business than we can handle." "Both of you." "We've had more business than we can handle." "It's been an excellent autumn, if I don't say so." "Excellent winter, too." "You do say so, don't you?" "Someday perhaps we shall have that holiday" "I mentioned to you." "Or perhaps we could go to the cottage." "No, no, no, no." "Too busy at the shop right now." "Well, later then." "Perhaps we could all go." "In the gloom, he charmed her." "So she put her mark upon his forehead, an ash, so that the next day she might recognize her chosen lord." "Well, if he was so charming, then why would she not recognize him whether he had a mark or not?" "Hmm?" "The next morning..." "She was disgusted to see her chosen husband." "She was disgusted to see her chosen husband." "The other chiefs were outraged." "Kiwi, the handsome chief, together with his friend wecca, took the princess and ran off with lord howell in pursuit." "Is this a true tale?" "Lord howell killed kiwi." "Wecca and the princess ran off." "When they reached the edge of a steep cliff, wecca hurled the princess over the rock, into the black chasm below." "Into the black chasm below." "Her last words were..." ""By the darkness I was confounded."" ""By the darkness I was confounded."" "It's not a true story, to answer your question." "A true feeling." "But not a true story." ""And then providing the subject indicates" ""a propensity for indirect influence, combined with--"." "Oh, Victoria." "Where have you collected all this rubbish?" "Reverend Wilson gave it to me." "It's a very famous book by Dr. Franz mezmer." "You haven't forgotten what you promised me." "Let me just finish this chapter, Oliver." "No." "It's very interesting if you just listen and let your mind flow." "Let your mind flow?" "Is that another of your doctor's teachings?" ""Combined times with actual physical connection" ""combined times with actual physical connection" ""between subject and teacher" ""that enables a direct magnetic flow" ""to exist between their respective unconsciousness." ""To be more precise," ""if during the course of experiments the teacher were to hold a shining or bright object..."" "Oliver, shall we try it?" "You know what I'm waiting for." "And I've been waiting here for an hour or more." "Ohh." "Just let's try it, Oliver." "Promise." "I'll do anything then." "All right." ""And it will greatly aid in the transference" ""and it will greatly aid in the transference" ""of the teacher's will into the unconscious of the student." ""In so doing, it creates a link" ""between the two that proves impossible to sever." "This link provides--"." "Victoria's been reading to me." "Victoria's been reading to me from one of your scholarly books, Wilson." "It's not all wives that..." "Read entire books to their husbands." "Did you enjoy it, Oliver?" "What book was that?" "Dr. mezmer's theories on the unconscious." "That's it." "That's the one." "I should think that would be a bit..." "Modern for you, Oliver." "Perhaps, uh..." "Perhaps you'd like to try to hypnotize me." "Perhaps you'd like to try to hypnotize me." "Nah, I should be glad to serve as one of your subjects." "Oh, no." "I don't think you'd make a very good subject, Oliver." "You're too full of..." "Life forces." "I don't think I could capture them all." "Why don't you try anyway?" "Yes." "Do try." "All right." "Perhaps this once." "This is a very new and revolutionary science." "No one knows how or why it works." "Too little is known of its effects." "Ha ha ha ha!" "There." "You see." "No wonder." "You're too strong." "I shouldn't think you'd say that about me." "I shouldn't think you'd say that about me." "Wouldn't I?" "Do try it." "It's extraordinary." "It's amazing." "What'll happen now?" "What'll happen now?" "What do you want to happen?" "Do you want to kiss her?" "Victoria?" "Kiss the man you love." "Should we ask for more?" "No, no, don't." "You can retire if you like." "I shall stay with Victoria for a while." "I must break the trance then." "Surely you don't think a husband is unable to take care of her adequately?" "That's hardly the point." "Wilson, she's my wife." "I'll believe I'll take a stroll before bed if that's all right." "Victoria, my dear..." "I've always longed for..." "For..." "Right." "Uhh!" "Go on." "Give me yours then." "Come on!" "Give me one of those rigs." "Give it to me!" "There's none left, sir." "Then give me yours then!" "Sure you'll be all right, Mr. Thompson?" "Never you mind about me, mate." "I wanna be in on this." "You just light it, sir." "Go on." "Light it." "Light it!" "Aah!" "Uhh!" "See one over there!" "I see it, sir." "This should get rid of them." "Rat!" "There's a whole batch of the beggars here, sir." "There's a whole batch of the beggars here, sir." "The master's not well." "Is there a doctor in the area?" "Yes, madame." "There's a new doctor." "Dr. Finch in clarendon, but I don't know anything about him." "Shall I send the husband to fetch doctor Finch, madame?" "Yes, yes." "Do that." "No." "Perhaps I better go myself." "I'm awfully sorry, Mrs. Thompson, but, uh, would you mind if I had a private word with your husband?" "But, uh, would you mind if I had a private word with your husband?" "It's all right, my dear." "I must ask you a rather..." "Personal question, Mr. Thompson." "For the sake of your health," "I would be grateful if you answered me honestly." "Please bare in mind that I am a physician." "Fire away." "Fire away." "Have you ever, or rather have you in the recent past, have the misfortune to catch a, uh..." "A man's illness?" "You see, there are symptoms of poisoning here." "Probably by Mercury, which as you know is used to kill venereal disease." "Doctor, I've never been down with any illness in my life." "Man's or otherwise." "You have my word." "Well..." "My diagnosis is poisoning." "At this moment, I cannot establish the cause." "At this moment, I cannot establish the cause." "But fortunately, the state of illness is not serious." "The medicine I'm prescribing should set it right, very shortly." "I assume you've told Dr. Finch about the rats, Oliver." "The rats?" "Oh, yeah." "In my storeroom." "Hundreds of them." "Brought in some men to get rid of them." "Look at these rats!" "I caught a whole bloody tribe of them!" "And you were present on this occasion personally?" "Of course I was." "I wasn't going to stand by and let the beasts eat my entire stock." "You should have mentioned this in the first place." "It confirms my diagnosis." "Please follow my instructions..." "Please follow my instructions..." "Exactly." "A few days, Mr. Thompson, you'll be as fit as a fiddle." "I'll call again the day after tomorrow." "In the meantime, you know where to find me, Mrs. Thompson." "And in the future," "I'd advise you not to poison your rats personally." "Your life is more important than your goods surely." "Is he better?" "Yes." "Getting stronger and stronger every day." "You must have been frightened." "The doctor says there's always a danger of a relapse." "The doctor says there's always a danger of a relapse." "But surely under your care..." "What?" "He's improving so quickly." "Yes." "Perhaps this is too tiring for you." "Simmons could push this bloody chair." "It's good exercise..." "As you've spent the whole month indoors." "I'm taking steps to make it easier," "I've asked my father to come stay with us." "Your father?" "Mmm." "Be good company." "Mmm." "Be good company." "But do you think it wise?" "Uh, yeah." "You're not strong enough." "Well, he's grown very fond of you, my dear." "He'll come here as soon as his affairs are settled." "Looking forward to it." "If we were to go away, if we were to travel, he'd be alone in a big house." "No, no." "Don't you worry, my girl." "You've done enough." "You seen how big the puppies have grown?" "I shall put them out to stud this spring." "Ha ha ha ha." "Ha ha ha ha." "George, voice-over:" "I cannot express how happy I was to learn at long last how happy I was to learn at long last that you were all right." "I know that it is impossible for you to correspond with me." "I hope at the very least that you will receive this." "I was saddened to learn that you suffer so greatly." "If there was any possibility of my sending for you now, you must know I would move heaven and earth to do so." "I can only hope and dream that Providence will find a way to unite us one day." "You are always in my thoughts." "Mrs. Simmons." "The doctor has prescribed a special diet." "Oh." "Very well, madame." "I shall do it myself." "You may go now." "I felt them bite out my throat!" "I shouted and screamed!" "I couldn't move..." "As they bited me more and more!" "I was suffocating!" "You got to help me, doctor, please!" "You got to help me, doctor, please!" "It's quite understandable, Mr. Thompson." "You've had a sudden high temperature!" "Such--such dreams are quite normal." "So take me." "I was better but now I'm weaker every day." "Life is losing its grip on me." "Please, don't worry, Mr. Thompson." "It's just a temporary relapse." "It is unexpected." "These things happen." "My teeth are loose..." "And my gums are bleeding." "You haven't been poisoning your rats again." "I swear, doctor." "I swear, doctor." "I've never been ill in my life!" "Why don't you try and get some rest now, Mr. Thompson?" "And, uh..." "I'll, uh..." "I'll leave you another prescription." "Hmm?" "Ohh." "Oliver's strength slowly waned." "And it was necessary for the young Dr. Finch to attend to Oliver, and even on a few nights to remain at his side." "One night, as I watched from the window," "I knew the doctor was puzzled by Oliver's lack of response to treatment." "By Oliver's lack of response to treatment." "But I knew that I alone had the power to comfort Oliver, to calm him, to make him sleep." "Please try to keep calm." "I-I know that it hurts." "But it is necessary if you're to return to good health." "Patience, please." "It won't be long now." "Aah!" "Please accept my deepest condolences." "I'm truly sorry." "This is a great shock." "This is a great shock." "Oliver..." "Business..." "To think..." "This year we were going to open a new shop in christchurch." "What have you done..." "What have you done..." "To my son?" "Ahh!" "Even if god forgives you..." "I never shall." "I shall make quite sure that I see you hanged for this." "Yes, I will." "This is odd." "The lamp." "Lower the lamp." "Good god." "Chloroform." "Thank you for waiting." "And so, dear George," "And so, dear George, they came for me that morning." "It is over now." "And I willingly accept what lies before me" "Whatever that may be." "The earth trembles beneath me." "If I had not stepped in when I did, there was every likelihood you would've been detained without bail." "Everything is being done, I assure you." "Your defense is in the best of hands." "Your defense is in the best of hands." "I--I did not." "My dear, if you're trying to tell me whether or not you murdered your husband," "I must ask you to stop." "You see, I prefer not knowing." "It's much more satisfying that way." "Now, to go over it one more time" "Have you spoken to our minister, Mr. James Wilson?" "He would defend me." "He knows how Oliver and I've lived." "I tried to get an appointment with him, but I'm afraid it was too late." "Too late?" "He'd already left." "Left?" "What are you talking about?" "Your friend, the minister Wilson, has gone." "Left town the day you were questioned." "Left town the day you were questioned." "He's been transferred to Japan..." "I think." "You did not know?" "Order in court!" "The crown against Victoria Thompson." "But can you say what was the subject of the conversation?" "All I heard was the minister Wilson laughing." "All I heard was the minister Wilson laughing." "That was just as I went past the door." "When I'd brought the tea in, it had gone quiet again." "Mr. Wilson was standing by the piano..." "With his head in his hand in a rather peculiar way." "Then I heard voices again." "Mr. Wilson's voice mostly." "But I don't know what he was saying." "The lord's prayer probably!" "Moreover, even the smallest quantity would cause damage to the windpipe." "And there is absolutely no evidence that chloroform passed into the stomach." "The throat of the deceased was not damaged." "And yet your examination showed an enormous amount of chloroform in the stomach of the deceased." "I can't" "I can't" "I cannot give an explanation of this fact" "I cannot give an explanation of this fact" "Neither I nor my learned colleagues." "I'm sorry, but there simply isn't an explanation." "Surely though, an explanation must exist, doctor." "If one excludes supernatural forces." "It would please us if you kept to the facts, doctor, not supernatural forces." "My apologies." "Did you notice the presence of chloroform at any time in the house of the deceased?" "At any time in the house of the deceased?" "Yes, I..." "I saw a bottle of chloroform there, but there were other chemicals and disinfectants, too..." "Used in treating the dogs as I recall." "And could you state how much chloroform was in the bottle that you saw?" "You're a doctor." "I can tell you the truth." "When Oliver fell ill, he began to behave very strangely to me." "He began to behave very strangely to me." "It's beyond my power." "He was so..." "He was so frightening." "And his mouth..." "The reverend Wilson..." "He's a good friend of mine, of ours." "We love each other like brother and sister." "I..." "I..." "I asked him to get me some chloroform so that I might quiet Oliver when he got too insistent." "Quieten him?" "How?" "I..." "I..." "I-I-I applied a drop to his face, on a pad of cotton while..." "It always sent him to sleep, though, there was no harm done." "Do you have the bottle?" "Yes." "In the future, Mrs. Thompson..." "You must leave the treatment to me." "As far as I can recall, there was some 4, possibly 5 fluid ounces." "Certainly more than half the bottle." "And where is this bottle now, Dr. Finch?" "It was dropped..." "And broken." "Gentlemen of the jury..." "Gentlemen of the jury..." "Experts appointed by the court..." "Experienced physicians..." "Have informed us that medicine cannot explain how a poisonous substance could have found itself..." "In the stomach of Mr. Oliver Thompson." "We live in an enlightened age." "So we are bound to listen to what the wise and learned have to say." "And what they have to say is the following" "And what they have to say is the following" "We do not know..." "How Oliver Thompson died." "And if, gentlemen, we do not know this, how can we possibly give the blame for his death to a frail woman?" "Is that you?" "Yes." "How can we expect that such a woman has committed a deed..." "That has baffled the wise and experienced?" "Read to me." "Read to me." "If you like." "Do you remember where we were?" "Yes." "Our law specifies the benefit of the doubt always." "And in this case, there is evidently great room for doubt." ""Lady mader is a gliding woman." ""Years ago when a tall girl at a boarding school," ""she was informed by the drilling master," ""an ex-yeager, that she was a gazelle." ""He meant a giraffe," ""and she owed the compliment, if it was one," ""to his imperfect knowledge of English." ""It is an axiom, I believe," ""among polite lovers that nothing is so effective" ""as an unintentional compliment." ""Herr winning's unintentionality, as he would have called it," ""was most effective." ""The gazelle, miss spofkins," ""forthwith set herself to study and imitate" ""the habits of her namesakes." ""She applied for information." ""She applied for information." ""She was not unsuccessful." ""And in due time, glided into matrimony" ""with sir John mader," ""a gentleman who had been baronetted" ""for some excellence so deep" ""that it was altogether beyond the will of Ken." ""She was want to boast of having been married" ""just out of the school room" ""and there is still a boarding school flavor about her." ""Lady mader, nee spofkins, is always almost a lady." "She is now gliding about in society with 2 daughters."" "It is important that you know what transpired that fateful night." "Oliver sank into a deep trance easily, for the hypnosis was now our custom." "And while in that state," "I gave him chloroform." "He swallowed it all..." "Without a moment's pain." "I do not know what will become of me now, but I know that I will never, ever forget you." "I remain, your servant," "I remain, your servant," "Victoria Thompson." "Uhh!" "Uhh!" "Ahh!" "Ohh!" "Ohh!" "Ohh!" "The jury requests permission the jury requests permission to ask one additional question of Dr. Finch." "Is Dr. Finch present?" "If so, the court gives permission." "Doctor, if the chloroform were applied to the deceased against his will..." "By force..." "Would it leave traces?" "In my opinion, yes." "And no traces were found?" "And no traces were found?" "No." "Absolutely none." "We have no more questions." "Order!" "Gentlemen of the jury, have you considered your verdict?" "We have, your honor." "Do you find the defendant, Victoria Thompson, guilty of the crime imputed to her..." "Or nay?" "Not guilty." "Not guilty."