Original subtitles

Thank you.

I'm not saying that the uniform don't shoot you miss cushion, but it's nice to

see you out of it

You must be the other Miss Cushing.

It must not be David, eh?

For all three of you?

Yes, yes, it is. Of course it is.

Body snatchers strike in North London.

Are we dealing with a modern version of Birkenhead?

Well, sadly, the anatomy schools don't need the help of body snatchers at this

time of year.

They're well stocked with corpses from the poorhouses. What do you think, then?

I don't know.

Some outlandish cult, perhaps?

Have you been consulted on or something at home?

Come in, Hawkins!

Ah, Hawkins.

Ladies and gentlemen, have a cup of coffee.

Thank you.

Have you brought those descriptions?

Yes. Yes, I have.

Body is so far exhumed.

Albert Cotter, 48.

Fish Porter of Shadwell. Heart disease.

Martin Rubery, 54.

Cirrhosis of the liver.

And we don't know much about him, except we just thought he was an amateur

pugilist of some sort in his youth.

Jimmy King, 39.

Covent Garden Porter.

Cerebral hemorrhage.

You will continue your researches? If you say so, Mr Holmes. I do say so.

And keep your eye on the premises of a certain Murdoch Gull.

Yes?

Murdoch, do you think?

He's the fence for anything out of the ordinary.

He could be our man.

One more thing, Mr Holmes.

The men and I would be very honoured if you'd drop by Christmas Eve.

We try to get a bit festive at Christmas and we like to invite a few guests.

Mary?

Mary?

There.

In the dark.

Mrs. Hudson.

Mr. Holmes?

How am I supposed to think up yet another present for Watson? I mean,

you inflict this agony on me. Well, it's quite simple, Mr. Holmes. You go to

Gammages. Gammages?

Yes, it's in Holborn, a departmental store.

The People's Emporium.

You'll be quite spoilt for ideas.

Mrs.

Ogden! How dare you take my ex -pedestrian?

I do dare.

Afternoon, Miss Cushing.

Season's greetings, eh? Good afternoon, Wilkinson. Looks like we're in for a bit

more stay before long.

I do hope not.

What is this, Monsieur Jacotay?

Madame Suzanne... Our arrangement is that you may sit by the parlor fire

dinner.

Otherwise, I'd be obliged, when you were in the house, if you would keep to your

role. Your sister Sarah gave me permission, Madame.

This is my house, not my sister's.

Even if she said it, which I doubt.

You doubt my words?

I'd be most surprised if my sister gave the run of the kitchen to my lodger.

You'd be surprised what your sister gives.

Very surprised.

I think I'd be obliged if you left the kitchen now, Monsieur.

I don't think you hear what I'm saying.

Susan!

Marcel! Oh, Susan!

It has worked! They have made me warden at the mission. Now you ask her what she

gave me.

Did you give Monsieur Jacotet permission to help himself in here, in the

kitchen?

I believe I did once.

I didn't realise... Aska!

What do you mean, what's going on? Aska!

You English are such hypocrites.

Now you tell her what you gave me. What?

What is all this about? Will someone please tell me what's going...

You are warden now.

Go and live there, then.

You'll have quarters at the mission.

Go there.

I don't want you under my roof.

Go.

I won't have you here.

I won't.

And as for you, monsieur, you will leave my house immediately.

Immediately.

Or I will call the police.

These will be packed and left at the trader's entrance for your collection.

How dare you?

You sound exactly like Mother.

What if I do? I thought I'd heard the last of that sort of thing when she

How dare you talk about Mother like that? It's just as well I am like her.

I don't know what would happen to this family otherwise.

Oh, you hold us all together, do you?

How splendid you are.

Do you realise that Mary has gone away without telling anyone?

Good. She's showing some spirit at last.

You call that good?

Sometimes I think you're not just... I think you're deliberately irresponsible.

Mary is a married woman.

Well, no thanks to you.

You stood in her way to the last.

Jim Browner was never good enough for our family, was he?

The daughters of Major Cushing, R .E.

Never mind he was a gambling waitress. Our father was... If anyone has

this family, it's me.

I warn you, one day this diet of respectability is going to make you ill.

Mr Holmes, the doctor has someone with him. Miss Susan Cushing.

What's

that?

That is a Christmas tree. It's a Norway spruce.

This is Miss Cushing.

Miss Cushing is concerned about her sister, Mrs. Browner. Very good to know.

Miss Cushing's younger sister lives not far from her, just east of Camberwell.

Mrs. Browner visits her every Friday for tea, unless she sends excuses, which is

most unusual.

Last Friday, the 19th, Mrs. Browner failed to send excuses or to arrive, so

Cushing... has made inquiries at her lodgings, but Mrs. Browner has not been

seen there since last Thursday.

That means that she's disappeared.

Evidently, Holmes.

There could be one or two reasons for her disappearance.

Yes, I know. Either because she wished to disappear or because somebody else

wished her to disappear.

Do you know any reason why anyone else should wish her to disappear?

Mary? None.

She's the most lovable of creatures. Everyone loves her.

As to her whereabouts, I mean, I suggest that you try the Missing People's

Agency. I could find you a list of addresses.

There. Ah.

Charming, isn't it?

Slightly improvement on that rather fad Pythia Excel, sir.

What possessed you? You've ripped it all.

The waiting possessed me.

You drive me mad, Sarah.

Sometimes I think I'm possessed.

Where are you now?

Some filthy hole near the hospital.

Thank you, Sarah.

I will not let her forget this.

I need a reference if you're going to find a decent place to stay.

Are you going to Belgium still for Christmas?

Yes, my uncle and I are a stand.

Well, when you come back, I'll write a reference for you.

I'm warden of this place.

It'll count.

I love you.

Come to me after Christmas.

The post, Miss Cushing.

Shall I put the parcels under the tree?

Yes, please.

Nothing from Mrs. Browner yet?

Nothing as yet, no.

Did Suggins include the Madeira in their delivery today?

Yes, Miss Cushing.

Everything's ready for this evening.

Thank you.

Compliments of the season, Mr. Bradbrook.

Thank you very much, and the very same to you.

Miss Cushing.

I say Miss Cushing.

Mr.

Bradbrook. I dare say your sister Sarah will be joining us.

I'm afraid not, Mr. Bradbrook.

She's warden of the Mission Hospital now.

Her duties to her residence will keep her there.

I shall see her only on Sundays now, I fear.

I'm sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Bradbrook.

Oh, no, no, no, you haven't, not at all. Well, come now, Mr. Bradbrook.

It's Christmas Eve.

To make up, we shall open our presents from under the tree.

Straight after supper instead of at midnight.

What do you say?

Very well, yes. Fine, splendid.

Let's do that.

Gladstone will be pleased at least. There's a treat somewhere for him.

Welcome, gentlemen.

Very good of you to come.

Carl, has he been arrested?

No, Mr Holmes, he's come to complain.

Has he been?

Yeah, he's spotted our surveillance of him. He doesn't like it. He won't give

up? Oh, dear me, no.

Join the party.

Oh, my dear fellow, you're wearing it. Well, I had to try it.

What's the good about it? It stretches forward over the handlebar if you need

it.

Where did you find it?

Garbage people's emporium.

Thank you.

Hi, magnificent.

Arkansas, do come in, dear fellow.

Please, sit down.

What is the news of the grave robberies?

The Camberwell force have been on to me. An incident down there. They were

wondering if it had any connection.

I don't think it does, myself, but I value your opinion, Mr Holmes.

We need to get this nasty little joke solved and out of the way.

Joke?

Respectable lady in company, opening her parcels Christmas Eve.

One of them's a bit odd.

It's full of salt. She empties out the salt. What's in it?

Two freshly severed human ears.

We think it was a medical student. She had a medical student as a lodger.

Post -mortem anatomy can make certain individuals thoroughly callous. She

him out just before Christmas. Bit of a row, apparently.

Anyway, knowing your methods, Mr Holmes, I've had the ears left quite untouched

at the lady's house, which is... Yes, here it is. Trafalgar Villa, Camberwell,

and Miss Susan Cushing.

Oh, Mr Holmes!

Have you come to help me find Mary, after all? I'm afraid not, Miss Cushing.

The inspector has asked me here to look into that other unfortunate business.

Oh, that.

Well, I won't have those things in the house, Mr Hawkins.

If you wish to see them, you must go to the conservatory.

Have you arrested that wretched young man yet?

Just a matter of time, Miss Cushing.

First my carriage.

Now, this student fellow, Jacote, was going home for Christmas to Ostend via

carriage.

Just like this.

Carriage is persuasive.

The writing is poor, uneducated. I know the medical profession is notorious for

its illegibility, but this... Read with a broad lip and very inferior

ink.

Hard twine.

Stockhold dial.

Knots intact.

Rust salt.

And embedded in it?

These very singular enclosures.

What do you think, Miss Watson?

A ring has been torn from this ear.

They're not a pair.

I suppose it would be rather easier for Jacotay to have abstracted ears from a

dissecting room which were not actually a pair.

To what purpose?

I don't know, some kind of disgusting practical joke.

Gentlemen, this is no practical joke.

What first strikes you when you enter a dissecting room?

Formaldehyde. Dammit, you should smell a formaldehyde. And it does not.

This is no practical joke.

This is a serious crime.

Your sister, Miss Cushing.

Mary.

At last.

Mary, Mary. I thought

it was Mary.

I've come to take some more of my things.

I bought you a present before we argued.

You may as well have it. I don't want it.

I don't want it.

What's the matter with you?

It's another disgusting prank.

What? He was your friend after all.

Who was?

I don't want your horrid puzzle. Take it. Let's preserve the proprieties at

least, sister.

You've flouted the rules of society all your life.

And you had the effrontery to accuse me of interfering with Mary's marrying that

man. Didn't you?

What did you do?

What did I do?

I did nothing. You know what you did.

You introduced Mary to other men, corrupting her.

Mary has told me in her innocence.

She accused me. Mary.

see your hand in her unhappiness.

No.

Why did Jim Browner start drinking again?

He signed the pledge for Mary.

That's what brought them together.

She pinned the blue ribbon to his chest and he was a new man.

So why did he break his pledge?

Why ask me?

Why did you quarrel with him?

I never... Approved of Jim Browner, that's true. But he deserved better than

being driven back to drink by your meddling.

I'm back.

Jim. Hello, Sarah.

Mary wasn't expecting you till much later.

I managed to catch the tail end of the flood and saved the whole tank.

Is she not here, then?

No. Old Mrs Cooper's not well again.

Mary's with her.

I said I'd help her with the laundry.

She'll be back soon.

You're helping a lot, don't you?

That's nice.

You know why I help her, I suppose?

What?

Why I'm always round here.

Well, you're her sister.

Can't you be happy for five minutes without her, Jim?

Here.

Make yourself comfortable.

Drop the side, then.

What? Will you drop this and bring it up the other side?

What do you mean?

Mary doesn't do that.

There are plenty of things Mary doesn't do, I dare say.

Look, I'll show you how to do it, shall I?

Now.

Now, come on.

You take this corner.

Right, now.

You drop this.

You bring it up.

The other time.

You do it yourself.

That's not for me. I'm not part of that.

You're pushing women's work at me. You keep that to yourself.

Holmes and the other gentleman to see you, madam.

As long as they don't bring those things near me.

And where is he now?

Mr. Browner was on the South American line when he and Mary married.

But he was so fond of her.

that he found himself a berth in the North Sea boat, the London Den Helder

And is Mary fond of him?

It was a love match.

Love?

Although... Yes?

I was loath to acknowledge it at the time.

Why was that?

I didn't think a sister of mine should be marrying a steward.

And now, how do you feel now?

I think Jim and Mary could be happy.

You mean they weren't?

Well, they were at first.

What happened?

Perhaps you should ask Clara.

She practically lived there for a while.

Which ship is Mr. Browner serving with at present?

The May Morning.

She sailed on the 17th for Belgium and Holland.

They were in Rotterdam over Christmas.

The crew drew a lot, and Jim was unlucky this year.

Mary ought to have spent Christmas with Sarah and me.

And now, Clara, of course, is warden at the mission.

Are you sad not to have her living with you still?

Yes, I am.

To tell you the truth, Mr Holmes, things are not well between us.

You've quarrelled?

What about?

It may have a bearing on what has happened to your sister, Mary.

I know that.

Of course it does. Do you think I don't know that?

I blame her for everything.

Sarah. Of course.

Sarah.

She spent far more time than was necessary at Mary's lodgings.

Jim and Mary were just married, making their own life, making their own

Then Sarah introduced Alec Fairbairn to them.

I know it was not generously done.

Sarah seemed to want to shame Jim Browner.

I don't know what Jim had done to Sarah, but she seemed to hate him.

I believe that... You believe what?

Ask Sarah. She's here in the house collecting her things.

Ask her if she did not mean Mary to go off with Alex Fairbairn.

That is what she wanted.

I know it.

Ah.

The message has been received there.

Quer ver, monsieur?

Thank you for your help, Inspector.

It's very difficult, Mr. Holmes. We can't ignore the evidence.

What have we got?

Two severed ears in a parcel.

We've got the medical student, Jacketay, who's been thrown out of the lady's

house. Strong motive.

Parcel, postmarked Harwich on the 19th. He was in Harwich on the 19th. That's as

good as you get.

Your logic seems foolproof, Hawkins.

Thank you.

Yes, I just regret that I haven't been able to keep it out of the newspapers.

They're running the story in tomorrow morning's first edition.

They've also managed to get hold of Miss Susan Cushing's name. She won't like

that. Poor woman.

This other matter then, Mr. Holmes, you've clearly got some thoughts on

haven't you?

It is my belief that a member of Dr.

Watson's profession, possibly of some distinction, has ever stepped the mark.

The corpses all belong to pugilists, amateur or otherwise.

What is the unfortunate characteristic of boxers who have fought too long?

Well, there can be such scarring of the brain that they behave a little drunk, a

blurred speech, loss of memory, and so on.

They become punch drunk.

Precisely. You mean somebody is studying the pathology of brain tissue.

For all the best reasons, I just say.

And their passion for the subject has outrun their judgment.

Sir Marcus Lanyon. I'll wager a month's salary on Sir Marcus.

That's precisely his speciality. And he's impatient to afford it. Ruthlessly

impatient. There you have it, Inspector.

Very down.

I like this ever since you got back here this afternoon.

Miss Cushing.

Why did you quarrel with your brother -in -law, Mr. Browner?

What? Who are you? What are you doing here?

This is Sherlock Holmes. He is investigating the disappearance of your

Mary.

She's gone off with Alec Fairbairn, that's all.

Why?

She had become frightened of her husband.

Why?

Jim Branner was a drunkard.

He offered her violence.

He was beneath contempt.

What is your explanation for the severed ears, Miss Cushy?

You saw that cardboard box.

I just fit this house. Those severed ears were meant for you, Willina.

The message was for you.

You understood what they meant.

Marcel Jacote sent them.

He told me he might do something.

I didn't realize he'd do anything so disgusting.

She's lying, Watson.

She's lying through her teeth.

Girls outside.

Excellent. I've been to the shipping line offices too.

And? It's as you thought.

The May morning set sail from London for Den Helder on the 17th. But a hog's

head got loose in her hold.

She sprang a plate and had to put in for repairs.

To Harwich?

To Harwich.

The crew were given leave on the 18th.

The May morning left late on the 19th, the day the parcel was posted.

Excellent, Watson.

We have it!

Mr. Holmes?

Mr. Gow.

They have telegraphed.

Jim Browner came off the ferry at Bramsgate at seven o 'clock this

Good.

I knew I could rely on you.

And I can rely on you, can I?

Oh, you can.

Does the name Sir Marcus Lanyon mean anything to you?

It might.

He will be warned off.

And the orders from which you have been profiting will dry up.

But so will the police interest in you.

I'll be satisfied with that.

We've acquired a bargain, Mr. Gow.

Oh, Mr. Gow.

The knots from the parcel with the bowline and the sheet there.

Yes, sailors' knots.

You know that sailors deliberately do not sharpen their knives?

In case of accidents.

Hence the crude amputations.

Pallies was the key.

And Browner was there, now.

I suppose.

Browner?

Returned unexpectedly.

Found him.

His wife with Fairbairn.

He followed them.

He murdered them both.

He severed an ear from each and sent them, as he thought, to Sarah Cushing.

Of course, he would go there immediately.

He would be desperate for her to know that the severed ears were for her and

for her sister.

Well, that being the case,

The railway is operating as if it were a Sunday.

Why? Because the Christmas holiday is still on.

Do you realize Browner could have caught a much earlier train?

No, I did not know.

What is this, Mr. Holmes? A unique experience for you, Inspector.

You may apprehend a murderer before you have even acknowledged there has been a

murder.

Well, you may stare.

Look at me, Sarah Cushing.

This is your handiwork.

What have you done, Jim?

What have I done?

There is what you've done.

I beg you, Jim.

Look on me kindly.

Whatever I did, I did for you.

It was you.

You poisoned her mind.

I did it for you.

They have arrested the lodger.

I told them he did it.

They suspect nothing of you, Jim.

You can get away.

Get away?

You think I can get away?

Stop!

Put it all behind me, you think, do you? Are you mad?

It is me!

It's in here!

Every last moment of it.

Comes out of the daylight at me. It goes on and on.

I tell you, I dare not shut an eye in sleep since the dinner. I'm never

one or the other before me.

May the blood rot in your veins, Sarah Cushing. No.

No.

I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

I love you. I believe you do.

I'll tell you something.

I'd rather have one kind word from her I've killed than all your love.

I'd rather see her breathing one minute more than a lifetime of what you could

give me. No, don't say that, don't say that, don't say that.

She loved me.

That's the rule of the business.

She knew... She knew... She knew I... I thought more of my

wife's footprint in the mud than I did of her body and soul.

Well, well, I dreamt it.

And...

After he'd rejected Sarah's advances?

I never said a word to Mary, for I thought it would grieve her.

There I began to see a change in Mary herself.

My wife had always been so understanding.

Now, she was suspicious of everything I did.

She began to row about nothing.

Nothing at all.

It maddened me.

Then this was said as what?

I didn't see it then, mind.

I just saw it all go wrong.

She and Mary were inseparable and then...

Well, then I broke my blue ribbon and began drinking again.

So Mary had some reason to be disgusted with me now.

And then this Fairburn fella chipped in.

He was a dashing, swaggering sort of a chap.

Smart and curled, educated too, a regular. He could talk, he could...

was.

It was a little thing put me on to him.

I came into the parlour, unexpected one day, and as I came in, I saw the light

of welcome.

in my wife's eyes, but when she saw it was me, she turned

away with a look of disappointment.

There was no one but Alec Fairbairn whose step shook a mistake for mine.

I tell you, from that moment on, my peace was gone.

Sarah was in the kitchen. I went straight through and I told her that if

Fairbairn ever set foot in my place again,

I'd send her his ears, for it keeps him.

I believe I could wish you had committed this deed of yours in France.

They acknowledge the crime of passion there.

You won't let them leave me alone, will you, sir?

No.

I won't.

When I leave, I'll send an officer in.

I don't like to be alone, see.

Your turn

Won't

be a minute

She made it go wrong, didn't she?

And you never thought of anyone but me.

Did you, Jim?

She loved you and she made me hate you.

Yeah.

It was this reality crazy.

She made me think the worst.

The secret was her loving me.

You should have got rid of her from our lives, Jim.

I know.

But I thought it would hurt you.

Look at us now.

I was stupid.

Like this a people.

What is the meaning of it, Watson?

What is the object of this circle of misery and violence and fear?

It must have a purpose.

For our universe has no meaning, and that is unthinkable.

But what purpose?

That is humanity's great problem.

For which reason so far hath no answer.