The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. Episode 3. The Golden Pince-Nez.

deaddogsmoking

First broadcast 21st March 1994.  Sherlock Holmes and his brother Mycroft investigate the murder of an amanuensis who clutches a pince-nez and whose last words were, "The professor - it was she."  Jeremy Brett ... Sherlock Holmes Charles Gray ... Mycroft Holmes Rosalie Williams ... Mrs Hudson Frank Finlay ... Professor Coram / Sergius Nigel Planer ... Inspector Hopkins Anna Carteret ... Anna Natalie Morse ... Susan Tarlton Patricia Kerrigan ... Abigail Crosby Christopher Guard ... Willoughby Smith Kathleen Byron ... Mrs Marker Roger Ringrose ... Alexis Daniel Finlay ... Vladimir Harry Kirkham ... Mortimer

Transcript

00:00You

00:30You

01:00I

01:30Know

01:36This is the monasteries accounts dating from the early 15th century

01:40Precisely what I thought but surely this has great political significance a

01:45matter of particular

01:48Sorry to disturb you sir, but inspector Hopkins would like to see promising inspector Hopkins

01:53You're off to the fire and warm your throat

01:56I hope you've no designs upon us on such a night as this inspector. This is my brother my craft

02:02Maybe you've not met before

02:04Sure, I would have remembered

02:06May I shake your hand sir?

02:10Yes, you must

02:12mrs. Hudson knows a prescription

02:15Containing hot water and a lemon I'll bring some up for you inspector. You'll help keep out the chill Thank You mrs.

02:22Hudson, where is dr. Watson? Oh in his surgery this dreadful weather has produced a queue into the street. I'm told well. They're wasting their time

02:31Watson's only cure for any ailment is a Linus powder and a grated apple

02:35Mr.. Holmes, you know you only say that because you miss the doctor

02:40a

02:42Cigar no, no, thank you

02:45It must be something important to bring you out in such a game

02:48It is indeed did you see anything of the Yoxley case in the latest editions?

02:52I see nothing later than the 15th century today. We've been studying a 500 year old pen obsessed palimpsest

03:01You bring us news of the 20th

03:04Well, it's only a paragraph at all wrong at that, so you've not missed anything. I'm relieved to hear it inspector. It's down in Kent

03:12seven miles from Chatham and

03:15Three from the railway line. I

03:17Was wired for at 315 got to Chatham at 5 conducted my investigation

03:23It was back at Charing Cross by the last train and straight to you by cab

03:28Which means you're not quite certain of your case it means I can make neither head nor tail of it

03:33There's no motive mr. Holmes

03:36Motive inspector what motive the man is dead. There's no denying that

03:41But I can see no reason between heaven and earth why anyone should wish him harm

03:45Tell us about it

03:49A few years ago Yoxley old place was taken by an elderly man by the name of professor Coram

03:56He's an invalid

03:57Keeping his bed half the time and the other half hobbling about the house on a stick or being pushed about the grounds by the

04:03Gardener in a bath tub

04:05He's a young man. He's a young man. He's a young man

04:07He's a young man. He's a young man

04:09He's a young man. He's a young man

04:11Being pushed about the grounds by the gardener in a bath

04:15Quite stupid aren't you Walter?

04:17I just take it you should be very careful

04:23Careful

04:33Where's my secretary? Mrs. Malkin?

04:37The professor is writing a learned book and found it necessary about a year ago to take on a secretary mr. Willoughby Smith

04:44a young man straight from the university

04:48And if one can accept the doctrines of monophysitism then perforce one must also re-evaluate

04:56Christian theology

04:59To suggest yes

05:04To suggest or to argue which one of us is writing this book you or me you are of course

05:14To suggest from the first it appears that Smith was a quiet well-educated fellow with hardly any weak spot in him at all

05:21And yet, this is the lad who met his death this morning in the professor's study

05:25Under circumstances that can point only to murder

05:30Murder

05:32Willoughby Smith was murdered you say inspector?

05:36Do go on

05:37Your hot lemon drink inspector. Thank you mrs. Hudson a man without a single enemy in the world

05:43Mrs. Hudson we are underfoot again when you say hardly any weak spot. What exactly do you mean? We all have prices of some kind

05:53Willoughby Smith has nothing against him either as a boy at Uppingham or later as a young man at Cambridge

05:59Although I gather he was fond of a drink or two

06:02Nothing wrong with that and also had a bit of an eye for the ladies each to his own perhaps

06:06He's hiding a terrible secret

06:08Smith knew no one in the neighborhood and lived very much as his employer did

06:13Professor was buried in his work and existed for nothing else a man after your own heart

06:18Apart from the three people you have mentioned

06:20Who else can be found in the house an elderly housekeeper mrs. Marker and a young maid Susan Tarleton?

06:28So who found the body the maid mr. Holmes she says she was working in an upstairs room when she heard a cry

06:35By the time she got to the study Smith was lying on the floor

06:39Fatally wounded

07:09Oh

07:11Oh

07:38The maid is prepared to swear that those were his

07:41exact words

07:45Professor

07:47It was she

07:49I've drawn up a rough plan

07:51should give you a general idea of the position of the professor's study and also

07:57The various points of the case which seemed to me to be essential as you can see there are two corridors

08:03Which lead from the study?

08:04One goes directly to a door at the back of the house and the other straight to the professor's ground floor bedroom

08:11Two corridors with a 90-degree angle

08:14Joined at one end outside the study

08:17Now assuming the assassin entered the house. How did he get in undoubtedly by the garden path in the back door?

08:25Which is direct access via the corridor to the study?

08:29Exactly, and he must have made his escape along the same line for of the two other exits from the study

08:34One was blocked by the maid as she ran downstairs and the other goes straight to the professor's bedroom

08:39But not the assassin have made it escape the study with the lobster from within

08:45It was an excellent opportunity to put your theories into practice

08:49I directed my attention at once to the garden path, which was saturated with recent rain

08:56No footmarks were to be found on the path

08:58but there could be no question that someone had passed along the grass border which lines it and

09:04That he'd done so in order to avoid leaving a track you found footmarks there not exactly

09:10But the grass was trodden down and it could only have been the murderer since neither the gardener nor anyone else had been in the

09:16Area that morning and the rain had only begun during the night

09:21Bravo inspector, I knew you'd appreciate my reasoning

09:29These tracks and the grass

09:32Well, they're coming or going it was impossible to say there was never any outline

09:42To read now

09:51So inspector, what did you do after you'd made certain that you'd made certain of nothing

09:59Well, really, mr. Holmes, I think I made certain of a good deal

10:03somebody had entered the house cautiously from without and then there are the dying man's own words and

10:10Finally, there was a very important piece of evidence found clasped in his right hand

10:19Willoughby Smith had excellent sight there can be no question that these were snatched from the face

10:25Or the person of the assassin

10:28The

10:53Person you seek is a woman

10:56My craft

11:03That can be inferred from their delicacy and also, of course from the last words of the dying man

11:11handsomely mounted

11:13solid gold

11:16An unusual strength

11:18She must have appalling eyesight the lady whose vision has been so

11:24Extremely contracted for any great length of time would surely bear the physical characteristics of such a vision

11:34Peering expression round and shoulder

11:40They've also recently been repaired

11:45Of course I'd intended to go the round of the London opticians

11:49There's a train from Charing Cross to Chatham at 6 o'clock in the morning. Mr. Holmes, then I shall take it

11:53Have you anything more to tell us about the case?

11:56I

11:58Think you know as much as I do

12:00Perhaps more

12:12What puzzles me is the utter want of all object in the crime a man has been cruelly murdered

12:18Mr. Holmes and not a ghost of a motive. Can anyone suggest?

12:30You

12:43Who alerted their local police

12:45Multimodal guard and innocent as soon as it became clear that it was a matter of Scotland young the chief constable sent for me

13:00Oh

13:14Sorry, sir, can't go in that just walk this way, please

13:20It's all right constable these gentlemen are with me

13:23Ah

13:28Apart from this lethal paper knife and the parsnip has anything been rearranged or removed in this room since yesterday morning

13:35No, mr. Holmes. Everything is exactly as it was and the body

13:40The body fell here. The wound was in the right side of the neck from behind

13:47forwards

13:49excellent inspector

13:52And this bureau the professor assures me that nothing is missing I'm satisfied that no robbery has taken place

14:01Why did you not tell me about this scratch Hopkins? Well, I'd noticed it of course, but you'll always find scratches around a keyhole

14:09It looks recent very recent there's the varnish too like earth on either side of a furrow

14:20Is it significant

14:22That's father's magnifying glass

14:25Yes

14:27He gave it to you. Hmm

14:33Ironic excuse me

14:37Who was the last person to enter this room before Willoughby Smith and his murderer I was

14:42mrs. Marker

14:43the housekeeper, yes

14:46Please sit down. Thank you. I prefer to stand

14:49You've probably heard of mr. Sherlock Holmes, no

14:54It's really not important

14:57You were in this room before Willoughby Smith was murdered

15:00About a quarter of an hour before why I am the housekeeper. Mr. Holmes

15:04I tried to keep the study as clean and as tidy as possible

15:08Not that you'd notice the difference

15:11Were you alone in here? I was alone. I never come in here when the professor's at work

15:15As far as I know, mr. Smith was upstairs in his room at the time

15:19So you didn't see him at all not until after he

15:22he was

15:24being

15:29I

15:31Finished my housework in here and I was preparing the professor's lunch when I heard

15:38By the time I reached the study

15:41Mr. Smith was

15:44Mr. Smith was dead

15:49Then you were obviously too late to hear his last words I heard nothing except that dreadful cry wake up constable

15:55What did you do there? I went straight to the professor's room. He was horribly agitated

16:00He'd heard enough to know that something terrible had happened

16:07Did you dust this bureau this morning I

16:10Did did you observe the scratch by the lock I did not of course you didn't mrs.

16:16Marker your duster would have swept away those scraps of varnish and where's the key?

16:22The professor keeps it on his watch chain at all times at all times

16:28We're making progress, yes, thank you mrs. Marker, would you be so good as to ask the housemaid to come along to the scope?

16:35Let us see

16:38What this desk reveals

16:46My god, this is interesting an entry for today in Willoughby Smith's handwriting

16:54Abby

16:56730

16:57Curious, I think I can answer that one for you, sir

17:01Professor Coram is writing a book about early Christian heretics

17:04And there are a number of Abbey ruins within reasonable traveling distance of the house

17:11Why

17:23Please sit down

17:26Mr. Holmes is a detective from London. Would you tell him everything you saw and heard yesterday morning?

17:39It was between 11 and 12 professor Conn was still in bed when the weather is poor he seldom rises before midday

17:48Mrs. Marker was busied with some work in the kitchen

17:55I

18:11So, where are you I was hanging some curtains in one of the bedrooms upstairs

18:19Mr. Smith had been in his own room

18:22At that moment I had him walk along the passage and descend to the study, how can you be sure that was really this

18:32Because he had a familiar tread, sir

18:38I didn't hear the study door closed

18:43That minute or so later

18:46Came a dreadful cry

18:49It was a wild horse scream

18:55So strange and unnatural could have come either from a man or a woman

19:02Around out to the study

19:06Found flipping

19:11Saw the blood didn't realize

19:19Oh must be dead

19:29And then he spoke

19:35Professor it was she

19:39Curious words

19:43Do you know what they mean?

19:45Who sir, are you sure?

19:49No, sir

19:53Could anyone have left

19:56By the rear exit after the time you'd heard the scream

20:01Even before I got downstairs I'd have seen them in the passage

20:05And the back door never opened for I would have heard it. Thank you. Mr. Alton my craft inspector

20:12Perhaps he was the victim of a lover's court a very tiresome for the man

20:21It's nearly midday will the professor still be in his room yes, he hasn't left it since yesterday morning then you must introduce me

20:33What is it mr. Holmes both corridors are lined with coconut matting

20:37I

20:39Think you said

20:42What of it

20:45It seems to me to be suggested indeed

21:06I

21:16Close the door Hopkins the cold air won't help my bronchial condition

21:24One of you gentlemen must be Sherlock Holmes, this is my brother my craft

21:30You

21:34Were smoker mr. Holmes

21:42Alexandrian yeah, pray take it's a good. Thank you. I have the most specially prepared by I own Edie's sends me a thousand at a

21:50time I

21:52Grieve to say that I have to arrange a fresh supply every fortnight

21:55You sir, I think you know I prefer this

22:17Tobacco and my work that's all that is left of me tobacco and my work now

22:26I read tobacco who could have foreseen such a terrible catastrophe I

22:33Show you mr.. Holmes and after what just a few months training. He was he was an admirable assistant

22:39What do you think of the matter?

22:43I've not yet made up my mind I

22:50Would indeed be indebted to you if you could throw a light, but all is dark to us

22:56such a blow

22:57By paralyzing to a poor old bookworm

23:00Invalid like myself could you not continue with your work professor?

23:06Alas mr. Holmes, I seem to have lost the faculty of thought

23:14My magnum opus

23:17My analysis of documents found in the Coptic monasteries of Syria and Egypt

23:22It

23:24Is a work that I hope to have cut deep at the very foundations of revealed religion this looks impressive

23:34But with my infeabled health, I don't know that I shall ever be able to complete it without my assistant I

23:41I

23:48Don't want to trouble you with a lengthy examination simply

23:58To ask you what will it be Smith meant by his last words

24:05The professor it was she

24:08A

24:10Susan

24:12Accounted girl, mr. Holmes. You must be aware of the incredible stupidity of that class. I

24:20Fancy the poor fellow moment some incoherent words. She twisted them into a meaningless message

24:32You've no explanation yourself

24:37Possibly I breathe this only among ourselves

24:43Possibly suicide

24:47Young men have their hidden troubles. Mr. Holmes the hair of the heart perhaps which we have never known

24:57It's a more probable supposition than murder and what are the pants name

25:01A

25:04Fan the glove my glasses

25:08Who knows what article may be carried as a token or

25:12treasured

25:14When a man puts an end to his life, I

25:18Must get out of here

25:22Possibly I speak as a child

25:24Seems to me Willoughby Smith met his fate

25:27by his own hand

25:29Willoughby Smith was murdered. He did not commit suicide

25:33Yes, I agree. So the professor's theory has no bearing on the case

25:48Would you be good enough to arrange carriage and escort for me as far as the railway station

25:54Of course, that's I have to go back to town. So I'll take you there myself

25:59I

26:02Think you might find this more beneficial than an exact

26:11Remember what the power used to tell us when we were young

26:15Eliminate the impossible and whatever remains however improbable

26:20must be the truth I

26:23Forget his exact words

26:26But those are near enough

26:28See you in London

26:37I'm overlooking something and it's staring me in the face

26:51Bad news, I'm afraid sir

26:53There isn't another train for Charing Cross until late this evening

26:55If you double-check the railway timetable before dragging me to this wretched place, I know sir. I'm sorry

27:01Just a moment, sir

27:03London can wait. I think we should postpone our trip for a little while

27:09To attend a political meeting we hear of reform after reform

27:18They're troublemakers no better than criminal

27:20Organizers miss Abigail Crosby meeting

27:28Think back inspector

27:31You know, there's Smith's Diaries

27:33Abby

27:34730 do you mind? Thank you gentlemen for your sensitivity

27:40We hear of reform after reform and yet still nothing is done to improve the position of women in society

27:48The fate of our country is still being decided by men alone and yet women

27:54Who are subjected daily and equally to the laws of the land are not permitted to vote

28:06That must be miss Abigail Crosby

28:10for men of all

28:12votes for women indeed whatever next women police

28:17Women politicians

28:23So far

28:25The time has come when we must ask ourselves how much longer the state of affairs can continue

28:30How much longer we should allow ourselves to be treated like second-class citizens. You tell them Abigail

28:39Which I received two days ago from mrs. Garrett Fawcett

28:43Urging us to continue the fight until we achieve our aims

28:50That should interest you inspector

28:56Well, well well

29:13On every side those in a position to help are stricken by deafness

29:19We're told that the country has more important things to worry about than votes for women

29:23But tell me what can be more important than the rights of half of the population was the late Queen not also a woman

29:31I

29:39Had quite a lot of the criminal classes for one day inspector, where's that?

29:57I don't know nothing about nothing

30:01I

30:12Ask you one more time was Willoughby Smith acquainted with the schoolteacher miss Abigail Crosby

30:20You do know miss Tartan. It's useless to lie

30:26He was

30:29Knew each other. All right, but he had to blazing rap

30:36Before yesterday

30:39You're wasting your time on these suffragettes

30:41Don't you see that?

30:43Your support is as overwhelming

30:47Said he loved me

30:52Take care of me

30:58And I believed him don't you touch me

31:07Just

31:08Trying to make you see reason

31:11You're spending your time with these people

31:13You barely know when you should be building a life with me take your hands

31:16Oh god knows half of them are the lowest of the low

31:18These are not the sort of people that you should be mixing with this is my life

31:23What I choose to do with it and who I choose to do it with is my business

31:27No one is gonna stand in my way. Do I make myself clear?

31:31If that's what you want, I know exactly what I want and at the moment it doesn't include you

31:41That's what emancipation does for a woman is it

31:45Drinking I've told you not to come near me when you've been drinking makes you turn down a good offer of marriage a

31:52chance to be really happy

31:55Instead of it a miserable blue stocking

32:09You'd better leave

32:14It's empty I think you might find this more beneficial than

32:54You

33:24I

33:39Nothing wrong with her side

33:43Miss Abigail Crosby, it's Crosby

33:47Mr. Sherlock Holmes

33:50The inspector has no doubt explained the state of things to you then, you know the seriousness of your position

33:59Do you anything to say in your defense only that I am innocent of the crime of which I am accused

34:05But you did know the deceased is that also a crime?

34:11We were close friends until until

34:20I

34:22Meant more to him than he did to me. I

34:25Realized that now

34:27But for all the world, I would not have wished him any harm

34:31The inspector informed me that you had a violent quarrel with Willoughby Smith the day before he died

34:37There were harsh words spoken on both sides

34:40But with good reason

34:42You probably know that I'm an active member of the women's suffrage movement

34:47Will it be believed selfishly I think that my future way of life and my liberty were at great risk I

34:54Reassured him that our campaign here was as peaceful as may be. I

35:02Have no wish to break the law in order to change it

35:07Unless

35:09Regarding your Bureau in the study

35:11Does it contain anything which someone might wish to steal?

35:17Nothing of value that I know of family papers and letters my poor wife

35:22Diplomas from universities that have done me honor

35:27And the key you can lock yourself

35:43Snapped

35:46Oh

35:58Your lunch professor

36:08Not hungry, mr. Holmes

36:12Cigarettes

36:17For the same reason no doubt that the professor returns to the kitchen more food than he eats

36:21I

36:41To assume there have been further developments inspector, so I'm told professor I failed to see mr. Holmes

36:48How I can be of any further assistance to you I forged and tested

36:53Every link of my chain professor column, and I'm sure that it is sound

37:00What a nurse is he talking about two days ago a

37:05woman entered your study

37:07She came with express intention of taking certain papers which were held in your Bureau

37:15She had a key of her own

37:48Your own key does not have that slight

37:51Discoloration

37:54Which the scratch made upon the varnish will be produced

37:58She came as far as my evidence

38:00Tell me

38:02without your knowledge

38:04to rob you

38:11But surely having traced this lady so far you can also say what has this become of her

38:17I shall endeavor to do so

38:19In the first place she was seized by your secretary

38:23She stabbed him in order to escape

38:26It was an unhappy accident

38:28But I am convinced that the lady had no intention of inflicting so grievance of injury

38:36Horrified by what she had done she rushed wildly away from the scene of the tragedy

38:41unfortunately for her

38:42She lost a parsnay

38:44in the scuffle

38:46She ran down a corridor which she imagined to be that by which she had come both were lined with coconut batting

38:55Only when it was too late did she understand that she had taken the wrong passage and that her retreat was cut off

39:05What was she to do she could not go back she could not remain where she was she must go on she went on

39:16All very fine, mr

39:18Holmes

39:18You mean to say that I could lie in that bed and not be aware that a strange woman had entered my room of course

39:24You were aware of a professor you recognized her through this

39:28Haze of your existence you spoke with her young man. You helped her to elude the police

39:34I

39:35Helped her to elude the police

39:38Well, where is she now here where she has been all along

39:46Oh

39:53You were right you were right I am here

40:11I

40:14I

40:15Could hear everything

40:17And I know that you have learned the truth

40:21But you were right to say it was an accident. I did not know it was a knife in my hand

40:26For in my despair, I snatched at anything and struck at him to make him. Let me go. I

40:33I

40:38Have only a little time here and I would have that you know the whole truth

40:59But I am this man's wife

41:04He's not an Englishman. He's a Russian

41:07Why should you cling so hard to that wretched life of yours again?

41:12It has done harm to so many and good to none

41:16Not even yourself

41:26You were 50 and I a young girl when we married in St. Petersburg

41:32I

41:33Loved you so much

41:37More than that I idolized you I would have done anything for you and I did

41:47Because then you were everything to me

41:53But we were reformers nihilists and soon they came a time of great trouble

42:32Oh

43:02I

43:32Forget your husband. He has betrayed us all. Yeah. Yes, Anna

43:43We are betrayed

43:45We were all arrested upon your confession

43:49Some of us went to the gallows and some of us to Siberia

43:56After 20 years, I was released

43:59You

44:00Came to England with your blood money and lived in quiet ever since

44:06Knowing well that if the brotherhood ever found out where you were not a week would pass before justice would be done. I

44:15Mean your hands Anna

44:21You're always good to me

44:24My brother

44:26Alexei was noble

44:29Unselfish he hated violence and wrote many letters trying to dissuade us from such a course

44:35These letters would have proved his innocence

44:38But you stole them from me and hid them

44:42So Alex I was sent to Siberia

44:45But he is

44:46even now

44:53As soon as my time of imprisonment is over I

44:58Determined to get the letters that would procure my brother's release

45:01I knew that my husband had come to England and after many months of searching I

45:08Determined where he was

45:15So at last I

45:17Determined to get the letters for myself. I had just removed them from the bureau when the young man

45:25seized me

45:26The same young man I had met earlier that morning

45:30I'd asked him a professor quorum leaved

45:32Not knowing that he worked for him and he must have told the professor about you the professor it was she

45:40when he had

45:42I ran

45:46And found myself in his room

45:50You

45:51You talked of giving me up. I

45:56Showed you that if you did so your life was in my hands

46:02If you gave me to the law

46:12Such as our lives had once been bound together in marriage

46:17so our

46:19Destinies would forever be and why?

46:26It is finished it never began

46:34Read your meal certain years so they could share your food

46:38It was agreed that when the police left that you should slip away into the night and never be seen again

46:46These are the letters that will save my brother's life take them to the Russian empathy

47:05Poison

47:07I

47:37a

47:39Letter by hand mr. Holmes

47:48Thank You mrs. Hudson sleep well

47:53It was clear to me from the strength of the spectacles that the wearer must have been almost blind without them

48:00And I therefore considered the hypothesis that she'd remained within the house

48:06You might say it was elementary

48:09No, by the way

48:10Don't mention the snuff to Watson

48:13Tell him you dropped a cigarette ash or something leave me out of it

48:17But why on earth did the wretched woman feel compelled to take her own life?

48:23She'd achieved a purpose

48:28Past hope and in despair

48:31And the death of love, of course

48:41Professor be sure your sin will find you

49:00You

49:30You

50:00You

50:30You

Category

Transcript

Recommended