All language subtitles for Basil1998.1080p.WEB.H264-DiMEPiECE

Of Windermere, nothing remains.

At least, nothing of the
Windermere of my youth.

Nature has taken over.

The great Hall is now a ruin.
Just a roost for wild birds.

By night, all life leaves Windermere.

There are stories of the sad
ghosts that haunt the Hall.

Alone in the dark, perhaps,
Windermere herself dreams

of the lost days of her glory,

as I now dream of the
lost days of my youth.

- It was a wild and frightful night,

when the masked man set forth,

with black murder in his heart.

- What are you talking about?

- The masked man.

- He's a character that Basil has made up.

A man with a face so
hideous that he masks it.

Basil has been telling us
stories about this masked man.

- His stories are good, sir.

They're funny and bold.

- There are no masked men, Basil.

And if you persist in making things up,

I shall send you back to
London for the summer.

- Oh, really, Frederick.

They were just harmless make-believe.

- Make-believe is never harmless.

- Look, Basil.

Windermere Hall.

- Windermere Hall.

If you're a good boy,
Ralph, and behave yourself,

one day, it will be yours.

And if you're a good boy,
Basil, and behave yourself,

you will be allowed to visit.

If you are a good boy.

- And if I behave myself.

- Your father went to his
study to read for a bit.

- Your hands are hot,
Mother. Do you have a fever?

- A slight one, perhaps.

He looks like
the masked man, Mother.

Is it bad to make-believe?

- I'm not sure.

But I do want to hear what
happened to the masked man

when he set forth with
black murder in his heart.

Basil.

There is a little girl who's
going to be living with us.

- Who is this little girl?

- She is the daughter of an
old friend of your father.

Little Clara's parents
just died in an accident,

so your father and I
thought it would be best if,

if we took her in.

- Clara.

- Basil, you will remove yourself
from my sight immediately!

You will stay in your room,
till you are ready to apologize.

- I saved some of my supper for you.

That was very clever.

What you did with your face.

Don't you think you should go down

and apologize to your father?

- Do you think I should?

- Good to get it over with.

But wait!

Your face. It's still crooked.

Come in!

- I am sorry, sir.

- Come here.

Come on! Come here.

Can you tell me who that is?

Great-grandfather was an admiral

in the Royal Navy.

- And who is that?

- That is his brother.

Personal physician to His Late Majesty.

And that?

- That is my grandfather,

and he served in the House of Lords.

- Are you worthy of your ancestors, Basil?

Do you think they are looking
down on you with pride?

Your imagination.

She's a wild horse, Basil.

Rein her in tight, or she
will drag you to disaster.

Oh, scurry along to bed.

- Do you need a candle, Master Basil?

Goodnight, Master Basil.

- Who are these people?

- On the first Monday of every month,

the Hall is open to the public.

- Ralph!

And you too, Basil.

See me in my study.

The girl who took your fancy tonight

is the daughter of a
school teacher in Windsor.

I spoke to the father.
He seems a nice man.

He was very grateful to
be allowed into the Hall.

He knows his place, Ralph.

I trust you know yours, as well.

- Whoa!

Steady!

- Sir, please.

You are a father, too.

Be merciful!

Let them be married.

We will not be able to hide
her condition much longer.

Please!

- I have a manor on my
mother's side in Yorkshire.

The place is a wilderness. The
land barren and inhospitable.

You will see to it, Agnes,

that his things are packed immediately,

and that he is dispatched to this retreat.

I wash my hands of him. He is not my son.

You did not
see what you saw, Basil!

But, I did! I saw father-

- You did not see that!

When you are older, you
will understand. I promise.

But until then...

Tell me about the masked man, Basil.

Make up a story for your mother.

- Mother, mother!

Mother, mother! What's happening?

Mother?

Mother, get up!

- Take him away.

I have only you now, Basil.

My hopes all rest on you.

The pride of generations rests on you.

And you have only me, Basil.

So beware.

If you dash my hopes and damn my pride,

you will lose the last living soul

linked to you by flesh and blood.

- What are you doing?

Why are you burning these?

No, I know. I know.

Clara!

- Basil.

You've grown so thin.

Have they been feeding you well?

- Only too well, Clara.

- Made any friends this term?

- My studies keep me fully occupied.

There is no time for friends.

- That's awful.
- No, no, it's good!

Friends can be, and usually
are, bad influences.

Well, Windermere, then!

Move along, then!

- Do you need a candle, sir?

- I'm fine.

Thank you.

- Stay where you are! Don't move.

There we go.

We should be safe here for the moment.

By nightfall, the tide should rise,

but I expect to have you home by then.

Let's look at your leg, shall we?

This is going to hurt,

but we must do this, or
you'll be left with a limp.

And we cannot have the
future Lord of Windermere

all limping now, can we, Master Basil?

Hold those in place, right there.

My name is John Mannion, sir.

I am grateful
to you, Mr. Mannion.

- John.

- And I am Basil to you.

How did you know who I am?

- I am staying in the village close by.

I'm here on holiday.

Some of the villagers
pointed you out to me,

when you drove by in your carriage.

- You are not from these parts, then?

- No, sir. I am from London.

I manage accounts for
a small linen merchant.

Not quite the social
circle you must be used to.

- I do not have a social circle.

I lead a very private life, really.

And I have no friends.

- Is that so?

That's a pity, sir.

Basil, every man needs a mate.

Go ahead. Share a smoke.

Right. I must leave you
here and fetch help.

Stay where you are.
I'll come back for you.

I promise.

- Help!

Help me!

You came back.
- I promised I would.

I am a man of my word.

I fetched a boat. Hang on tight.

Take a deep breath.

- And with the tide rising,

you would surely have drowned, Basil.

I thank you, sir. It was a
very brave thing you did.

- It was only human, sir.

No more than what you would
have done for me, I'm sure.

- Can we offer you a room for the night?

- Ah, thank you, sir, but I
have a room at the village inn.

- Shall I order a carriage
to take you back, then?

- Thank you again, sir,
but I enjoy walking.

Goodnight.

Watch out for yourself, Basil.

- Well, there goes a
man who knows his place.

He did a good deed, but refused
to take advantage of it.

Quite frankly, I find it odd

that a man would do a
good deed for nothing.

What kind of a man is that, I wonder.

- A gentleman, sir.

He could have stayed in his place,

and watched me drown in mine.

- Shall I ring the bell for
supper now, Uncle Frederick?

- Yes.

Good afternoon.

- Good afternoon!

I came looking for you.

- How is your leg?

- It's getting better every day.

- Good.

Would you do my the honor of
joining me for lunch, Basil?

- Yes. Thank you.

- So, what did your father say

when you said you were coming to see me?

- I did not tell him.

He does not want us to have friends.

"Us"?

- Clara and I.

- Oh, yes. Clara.

What is it with the women
of your class, Basil?

Why do they like that
pale, sickly look so much?

Perhaps it is to keep
their menfolk virtuous.

Maybe their pale, sickly look

is why the men of your
class aren't so virtuous.

"One to wed, another to bed."
Isn't that your tradition?

Forgive me, Basil.

That was a joke. A bad one.

Surely you don't mean to tell
me you're that inexperienced.

Your mates in college would
have told you about such things.

Oh, I forget your father
did not let you have mates.

- You're my mate.

You tell me.

- There's nothing more to tell, Basil.

That's all there's to it.

Once you've done it a couple of times,

you wonder what the fuss was all about.

- "Done it"?

Have you, John?

When?

And with whom?

- Oh, dear.

You're not going to pounce
on poor Clara in your haste,

to make good on your lost
prime, will you, Basil?

- I think she would die of fright.

- You cannot say until
you've tried, my friend.

But if it does not work,
come and see me in London

and I will see what I can do for you.

I leave tonight.

I hope you'll visit me in London.

I usually dine with my employer, so,

come have supper with me
at 16 Whitehorse Square.

- Bounder.

Come on! Come on, Bounder.

Bounder.

Bounder.

Oh.

Come here. Come on.

- Clara.

I am sorry.

Don't cry.

- It felt just like Bounder.

I'm sorry, Basil.

If you do it again, I
promise I'll not laugh.

- You are a silly,
inexperienced girl, Clara.

It is clear you have never
been kissed by a man before,

nor are you likely to be, in the future.

- How do you feel, Basil?

- Not too good, I'm afraid.

- You don't seem to have a fever.

Pity you can't come with
us to the opera today.

- Come, Clara!

Goodbye, Basil.

- I got it!
- Hey!

Come back here, you little ragamuffin!

- John?

I came to see John Mannion.

- He is not here now.

- When do you expect him?

- I do not know.

- May I wait for him?

If you choose.

- I will wait downstairs, then.

Let me come with you.

- Look.

This is my house in Cornwall.

My family's, rather.

- Mr. Mannion gave us that painting.

What did you say your name is?

- Basil.

- Hm.

- And yours?

- Julia.

- Have you been to Windermere Hall?

- No, but Mr. Mannion has,

and he has told us a lot about it.

- Oh. You can wait here.

Though I do not know when
Mr. Mannion will be back.

Ah.

If you see the maid, you
may ask her for some tea.

- Penny for your thoughts?

- My thoughts?

They aren't worth a penny.

They are just as dull and
drab as everything here.

- Pardon me, Basil.

I do not think it is dull, or drab.

There are families, all out together.

I think it is quite wonderful.

Some day, you will you learn to appreciate

life's simple moments, Basil.

- That sounds like a curse.

I am sorry, Clara.

I was rude.

- Basil, isn't that the man
who rescued you in Cornwall?

- Go on home. Tell Father
I had an errand to run.

Please.

John.

- Basil.

Ah.

I came looking for you.

Julia Sherwin tells me you
came to see me yesterday.

- Is that her surname? Sherwin?

- Yes. I came to the
house shortly afterwards.

Why didn't you wait for me?

- It did not seem to matter
to her if I stayed or not.

- Julia? I thought you had come to see me.

- So, I did.

She's an insolent, ill-mannered girl.

I found her to
be warm and affectionate.

Perhaps you mistook her
shyness for rudeness.

- I do not think I did.

I would like to see her again, John.

- I thought you found her disagreeable?

- Well, I do.

But I want to show her
that two can play the game.

I can be just as indifferent
to her, and just as rude.

- Ah, life has been
kind to you, hasn't it?

Everything is but a game.

All right, you shall get to show Julia

just how disagreeable you can be.

I shall arrange for a suitable meeting.

Relax, Basil. She should
be here any moment.

She comes every Thursday,

when the new shipment of cloth arrives.

She likes to have first choice
of fabric for her dresses.

Good afternoon, Miss Sherwin.

- There she is.

Julia.
- Mr. Mannion.

- I believe you've met Basil, haven't you?

- Yes.

How do you do?

Well, what do you think? Does it suit me?

Perfectly, child.

Shall I have someone cut
and send you a piece?

- Yes.
- Consider it done.

Basil, would you care to walk
Miss Sherwin to the door?

I have some work to attend to.

- Well?

- Well, what?

- Well, nothing.

- It was a disaster.

A total disaster!

- What's wrong?
I could not say a word!

She said, "Well?" And what did I say?

"Well, what?"

Oh, God. She must think me an imbecile.

- Calm down, Basil.
Nobody's worth such torment.

- Who said I am tormented?
I am perfectly at peace!

I must see her again, John.

I must...

Show her.

- All right. Let me see
what I can do, my friend.

- Windermere Hall.

A long ride up a winding tree-lined drive.

The first glimpse of the Hall,

rising up from a sea of jade green grass.

The sky above and the
sea beyond.

Of course, I've never
been to Windermere Hall.

I go by what John here tells me.

More tea, girl. Make it quick!

But I have had the pleasure of
seeing your house in London.

What a grand house that is.

I once saw your father
ride off in his carriage.

I suppose he was on his
way to the parliament?

- Oh, yes, Mr. Sherwin.

- Where is Julia, Mr. Sherwin?

- That was my next question!
- Where is the child?

It is not every day we
have such distinguished

company for tea.

What's keeping Julia? Ask her to hurry.

- Please, sir. Miss Julia is not home.

What do you
mean, girl, "not home"?

She has gone out, sir.

Oh, well.

John told me you wanted to
meet me about shipping in cloth

from the far east, to
furnish your home in London.

Why go to the far east, sir,

when the best cloth is to be
found right here, in England?

- Psst!

How was tea?

- Why would you not come to tea?

- I told the maid to lie,

because I wanted you to feel my absence.

Keenly.

As keenly as I felt your
presence in the house.

- When may I see you again?

- I'm here with my birds,
this time every day.

My father isn't usually home.

Not unless he has fancy company for tea.

- Do you not like me?

I do not know if you do.

I do not know what you feel for me.

- It is getting tiresome, your
sneaking in here every night,

like a thief.

Makes me feel cheap.

- "As Hermes once took
to his feathers light,

when lulled Argus,
baffled, swooned and slept,

so on a Delphic reed, my
idle spright so played."

Basil?

Where have you been all evening?

- Out on a walk, sir.

- You go back to Oxford in a week's time.

I want you to spend what
time you have left with us.

There will be no more solitary promenades.

Do you understand, Basil?
- While on that subject, sir.

I do not want to go back
to Oxford this term.

I would like to spend more
time here in London, sir.

- You will leave for
Oxford in a week's time,

as planned, Basil.

There is no more to be said.

- What is it you have to say?

Say it quickly. My father will
be coming back any minute.

- I return to Oxford next week.

We cannot see each other,

until I come back to London for Christmas.

I will miss you.

Will you promise me to not receive

any other suitor in my absence?

- What right do you have to ask me that?

A few kisses and you think you own me?

I know your sort!

You'll use me as a play thing,

and then run off and
marry some milk-faced miss

from one of the best families.

- No, that is not true.
I am not like that.

- Go away!

I should do as I please.

That is my father's carriage
coming down the lane. Go.

- Basil.

What are you doing here?

- I need to talk to you.

- All right. Come with me.

I do not want to lose Julia.

- You do not have her,
my friend, to lose her.

- Then I must have her.

- Well, how do you propose to have her?

- By proposing marriage.

- Marriage?

- Yes. Why not?

- That's a too rash a step,
Basil, for it's a permanent one.

Yours is a passing fancy for a girl

who has piqued your curiosity,

but once she's yours and wholly familiar-

- Then I will love her all the more!

I cannot live without her, John.

- But you will, and you must.

Only a love that can let you live,

with or without it, can endure.

- How do you know?

She is the first image
in my mind when I rise,

and the last when I go to sleep.

She fills my waking hours,

and nor are my dreams free from her.

There is but one thought in
my head. One theme to my life.

Have you felt this way about anyone?

- Do not presume to know
more about me than you do.

Listen to me.

Forget Julia Sherwin.

And flee, Basil.

- Flee?

Where?

Those whom I have loved have fled me.

My father...

He took me away from Mother's bedside

during her last moments.

He sent Ralph away and
has kept us, brothers,

apart, for all these years.

For long, I feared loving anyone,

for fear he would come
like a preying falcon

and take them away.

Now, I must face that fear and face him.

I will not let him come
between Julia and me.

I...

Will not.

You'll remember this moment, my friend,

when I told you to flee and you would not.

How may I help you now?

Can you arrange for me
to speak to her father?

- "Your wish is my command",
the jinn said to Aladdin.

- So, you wish to marry my little Julia.

How strange.

Flattering.

But strange, nevertheless.

Why do you wish to wed her?

- I told you.

I love her.

- But you hardly know her.

Unless you've been meeting her on the sly.

- John had nothing to do with it.

I met her a few times, on my own.

We're all grown
men here, Master Basil.

Please speak the truth. You've
not violated her, have you?

- No.

Of course not.

- What does your good
father say, Master Basil?

I told you, didn't I, that I saw him once

in a grand carriage on
his way to the parliament?

- Yes, you did, several times.

And no, my good father
knows nothing of this.

Then, how do
you propose to marry Julia,

without your father's knowledge?

- I am of age. So is she.

- That may be true,

but your father will not
accept this marriage.

Which is why you want to marry my child

without your father's knowledge.

And how do you propose to
support her, and your children?

There will be children.

They come quick in cases of
youthful zests, such as yours.

You vastly underestimate
your father, Master Basil.

He will make sure nobody
has anything to do with you.

You will be cut off from all decent folk,

without employment or funds.

Is that the life you
propose for my only child?

The life of an outcast?

Still, all the world loves a lover,

and I want you to have what you want.

At what age do you inherit your share

of the family fortune, Master Basil?

- In three months, when I turn 21.

- And what exactly do you inherit?

- The sum of 30,000 pounds
and Windermere Hall.

The rest of the estate
will be bequeathed to me,

upon my father's passing,
if he so desires.

- Hm.

30,000 pounds and Windermere Hall

should do fine for you and Julia.

Julia can be a very charming girl,

when she puts her mind to it.

The two of you will make him come around,

before he passes on.

He will leave you the rest
of the estate, mark my words,

but 30,000 pounds and Windermere Hall

is not bad to start off with.

Not bad at all.

I would like you to marry
Julia straight away.

We cannot let your good father hear of it,

or he will cut you off in
your inheritance immediately.

Until you turn 21, the
marriage must be a secret.

Julia will continue to live here,

and you will live with your father.

By the way, you are welcome
to visit Julia here,

but your visits will be chaste.

Not the visits a husband pays
his wife. You understand?

Nothing sets tongues wagging quicker

than an unwed girl's swelling.

And your visits will
be strictly supervised.

Still.

Three months is not unendurable, hm?

Those are my terms.
Take them or leave them.

Your choice.

- I take them, Mr. Sherwin.

As you well know, I have no choice.

The day of my wedding,

I felt my mother's presence close to me.

I heard the rustle of her skirts.

I felt the touch of her hands.

I even fancied I heard her calling to me,

but her voice seemed to
recede when I strained for it.

- Good boy.

- You have tamed him
thoroughly, haven't you?

He is putty in your hands.

Clara.

Will you be my friend,

no matter

what happens?

- You know I will, Basil.

- Wish me luck.

- Well, that is that.

But you must be off, Mast...

I mean, Basil.

You leave tonight for Oxford.

Come, come. Remember the rules.

Say your goodbyes and leave.

- May I kiss my bride, sir?
- One chaste kiss.

- Congratulations, Basil. Good luck.

- I am not going to Oxford tonight.

I will leave tomorrow, but I
must see Julia before I go.

- Then you will have to
see Mr. Sherwin, as well.

He will not let you see her alone.

He will.

If you were present with us, instead.

I would feel so much more
relaxed with you in the room,

instead of him.

He trusts you, John.

At least you will have the
decency not to look at us.

What?

- Let me see what I can do, my friend.

And so began my
strange life as a husband.

Need I say I did not go back to Oxford?

- But he cannot see us.

- All right.

You can touch me.

If you give me five pounds.

- Do you know what kind of
woman sells herself for money?

- Take it or leave it.

- Take it.

- This is what your five pounds bought.

Do you like it?

- Very much.

What?

- I'm trying to think of a
fitting price for a good show.

- You are truly your father's daughter.

- That I take as a compliment.

He did not raise a fool.

Hm.

What can I ask?

Mere money for these flawless limbs?

- Name your price.

It is a much valued family heirloom.

But anything that is mine,

is yours.

- Did you mean that?

- Mean what?

- That anything that you own is mine?

- Do you doubt me?

Ask, then.

Ask anything.

Come on.

Ask.

- In a few weeks, you turn 21.

Windermere Hall will be yours.

Do you promise to give
it to me then, Basil?

I knew you wouldn't.

- Then you do not know me.

It is yours.

Windermere Hall is
yours. You have my word.

- I'm so sorry, Basil.

Please forgive me.

- Basil!

Ah, I was just telling
Clara that it's, um,

a while since we received
a letter from you.

I presume you're home for the weekend?

- Not the whole weekend, I'm afraid, sir.

There is much studying to do.

I must return to Oxford on Sunday.

- Ah.

Is anything the matter, Basil?

- No, sir.

Nothing at all.

- Basil!

This came, two days ago,
addressed to your father.

I intercepted it before
your father could see it.

I had a sense he shouldn't see it.

Forgive me, Basil, but I read the letter.

It's from your professor.

He's written to say that
you've been absent from classes

for two weeks.

He's worried about you.

No one at Oxford has any
idea where you've been.

I must leave for Oxford immediately
and pacify my professor,

before he raises a hue and cry.

- Basil, I promised you
I'll be your friend.

Tell me what's going on.

- Julia, Julia.

You help me best by not
needling me with questions.

- Julia?

- Clara.

I know you mean well.

But I cannot burden you with my problems.

Trust me to take care of my own affairs.

"My dear John, urgent business
requires me to go to Oxford.

I will be back as soon as possible.

Please tell Julia, and give her my love."

- Get off him!

Help!

Somebody help!

How long have I been ill?

- Two weeks to the day, Basil.

You were found unconscious
in the East End.

Someone went through your pockets

and found your father's card.

They sent for us.

You've had pneumonia, Basil,

but the doctor says you're better now.

- Do you have the newspapers from then?

"Dear Master Basil.

We have not seen you or heard
from you in quite a while.

I would have sent John
Mannion to your house

to find out what the matter is,

but he has suddenly left my employ.

I do not want to precipitate matters

by coming to your house myself.

So, I trust that you will do
the right thing by my daughter,

your wife, and come to
see us immediately."

- Happy birthday, Basil.
- Happy birthday, Basil.

- 21 years, eh?

You are now officially a man.

And the new master of Windermere Hall.

That, of course, you inherit
from your mother's side.

From mine, there is an
inheritance of 30,000 pounds.

But you realize you cannot
touch it, without my approval?

- Sir?

- Those are the terms of
the inheritance, Basil.

I am the guardian of the fund.

I can withhold it from
you, if I deem you unfit.

Speaking of which.

I am very curious to
know why a son of mine

was found lying like some
wastrel on a village street.

But I am not an unreasonable man.

I am prepared to wait until
you are well and strong.

Then, perhaps, you will repay my patience

by telling me the truth.

- A Mr. Sherwin to see Master Basil, sir.

He says he wants to wish
a happy birthday, sir.

- Tell him to go away.
I will see him later.

- That is extremely rude, Basil.

Have him come in.

- Happy birthday, Master Basil.

You have received my
letters? I must see you.

Can you come to the house?

- I'm not well.

- Neither is my daughter, thanks to you.

In a few months, I will be a grandfather.

And so will your dear father, here.

You'd have done us proud.

- So, that was not their
first or only time.

- What?

- It is not my child she is carrying.

It is John Mannion's child.

- How dare you!

We are not high and mighty folk,

but we are decent and God fearing!

- Think, Mr. Sherwin.

Where is John Mannion?

Account for his sudden disappearance.

I came upon them together.

They have deceived us, both.

This is neither the time, nor the place.

I will come and see you, as
soon as I get the chance.

I promise.

- You and your promises.

I curse the day I set eyes on you.

Did you love him?

- I did.

And I do.

- How long have you and he-
- For two years now.

- So, why did you marry me?

- Because he asked me to.

He asked me to receive your courtship.

Why?

- I do not know.

I merely did what he asked of me.

So, he did not love you, did he?

If he had loved you, would he
have let you marry another?

- I did not say that he loved me.

I spoke for myself.

I love him.

- Why waste your love on
one who did not love you?

- Why, indeed?

Perhaps it was because he did not love me.

The heart can be perverse.

What is within reach and available,

it sometimes seems worthless.

But John?

I never had him.

Not in the sense that matters.

He always eluded my grasp.

Something else seemed to obsess
him, like he obsessed me.

Like I obsessed you.

What a terrible circle.

It's just like a snake,
choking on its own tail.

- Where is he?

- I do not know.

I know that he was taken to
the London Memorial Hospital.

I tried to go visit him once,

but I could not bear to see him.

I was scared of what I might find.

Of what you had done to him.

What you had done to his face.

So...

Here I am.

I've lost my husband,

and my lover.

And my father will soon cut me loose.

For he is a typical specimen of his class.

He fears scandal and sin.

Since there is already talk about

our child.

- John Mannion's child.
- But who is to know that?

I am your legally-wedded wife.

And you cannot expose me,
without first exposing yourself,

and your family, to gossip and ridicule.

I am to be an outcast, but at
least I will not be homeless,

for I do have Windermere Hall.

I know that you have now turned 21

and the Hall is now yours.

Are you going to deny that you promised

to give it to me, Basil?

- No.

I have given you my word.

It is yours.

- I knew you would keep your word.

You are a typical specimen of your class.

A gentleman.

- Sir?

Please.

I must speak to you.

When supper is over, Basil.

- No, sir.

No, I may lose my nerve.

Please.

- Very well, then.

Speak.

Stay, Clara.

- Sir, forgive me for what
I'm about to tell you.

If only you knew how much I have suffered.

- Speak, but spare us
this unbecoming self-pity.

- I do not pity myself, sir.

I deserve all that I now have to bear.

Do you remember Mr. Sherwin, sir?

- Yes.

Steel yourself, sir.

For I have married his daughter.

But she was unfaithful to me,
and is with child by another.

In a moment of passion, I
promised her Windermere Hall.

Now, I have lost the Hall, as well.

All I have left is you,

and whatever mercy you choose to show me.

I know I have disappointed you, sir.

Forgive me.

- You have not disappointed me, Basil.

You have lived down to
all my expectations.

Every one of them.

I always knew you would wallow in muck.

That your mind was filth.

Your every impulse, low and carnal.

This is where your instincts
have naturally led you.

You have but followed your piper.

- Uncle Frederick!

- I did not follow my piper, sir.

I merely followed your example.

Dutiful son that I am.

You did not know I saw you, did you?

You and your lover, by
the sea at Windermere.

God, you have sullied that place for me,

and I am glad I have given it away!

And Mother knew about your seaside trysts!

- Stop!

Leave this house!

You and I cannot live under the same roof.

- But where will he go?
- I do not know, or care.

- You cannot do that!

- If you take his side, Clara,
you must leave with him!

Though I raised you,

and gave you a home
when you were orphaned.

You owe me your life, Clara.

It is your duty to stay
here and be my daughter.

Now that I have no sons.

- Go,

Basil.

May God go with you.

It would be
awkward, to say the least,

for us to employ you.

You see, your father is one of this bank's

most important clients, and
we do not want to offend him.

Your father's
made generous donations

to this library, and we would risk

losing his good will by
letting you work here.

My advice to you is to
go back to your father

and work things out.

You do not have
an employment history.

That means you've never
worked for your living.

You're probably very rich.

Who are you?

Basil Brown's not your real name, is it?

No, we cannot give you a job.

This is a small stock broking firm.

We're not willing to
step into murky waters.

Oi! Get a move on.

- Will you trade your
clothes for mine, my friend?

You.

You.

You.

You.

Rest of you, back tomorrow.

- Oh, no.

Right. Get to work.

- Move on.

Watch your step.

- Are you all right, lad?

- Yes. Where are you going?

I'm down to Yorkshire.

- Yorkshire?

Could I come with you?

My brother lives in Yorkshire.

Yeah, that's all right.

Come on.

Is Ralph at home?

- And who may you be, sir?

- His brother, Basil.

- Basil?

Don't you recognize me?

I've changed. That much
I see from your face.

My wife.

Anna.

And my children, Morgan and Matthew.

It's a pity father's cast
you out as well, Basil.

A pity for him.

He's without his own flesh and blood now.

Fast approaching his twilight years.

When I first came here, this
house was an abandoned ruin,

and the farm, a wilderness.

Then I met Anna.

Her father and brothers are farmers here.

With their help, we've
made a home for ourselves,

and a farmer out of me.

My exile has been a
gift in disguise, Basil.

I'm truly blessed.

- Basil, I found this.

It must have fallen out of your pocket.

"My dear Basil.

Would you believe me if I told you

I began writing this letter,
before I ever met you?

I had marked you as my
victim long ago, Basil.

I watched and waited for
my chance to make my move.

And bless you, Basil.

You gave it to me.

Did your father know who I was,

when I finally saw him,
face to face, man to man?

It came as a shock, Basil, but he did not.

He did not remember me.

And then it seemed all the more monstrous.

The random manner in
which he had crushed us.

So I resolved, yet again, to crush him.

But, let me begin at the beginning.

I am the son of a school teacher.

Like you, I lost my
mother when I was a child.

Unlike yours, my father
was a warm and kindly soul.

The three of us were tightly knit.

Myself, my father,

and my older sister, Emma.

My father, absent-minded poor soul,

hardly noticed what
was going on with Emma.

Not until it was too late."

His sister is.

- Look at that.
- Rotten family.

- It is out now, isn't it?

I got it all out.

- Will she be blessed
in this grave, Father?

Will her soul rest in peace?

- A church grave is not for her.

So they have decreed.

There is nothing left
in Windsor for us now,

is there, Johnny?

They do not want me
teaching at their school.

The school at Halesworth
needs a mathematics teacher.

Halesworth, it is.

If there's one thing the
Halesworth experience

has taught us, it is we should
be very discreet, Johnny.

People will check up on us,
like they did in Halesworth.

Hm?

Now, Worthington is a far superior town!

You'll love it there.

I promise.

Knightsbridge.

It should be our home.

The position is just a
tutor, but nevermind.

I'm a good teacher, Johnny.

I work hard, and I'm conscientious.

Now, why isn't that enough?

It's a small world, Johnny.

Small and mean.

We must not trust our fellow man.

I think we should assume a new surname.

How about Mannion?

- Why not?

As good a name as any other.

It will do for Tiverton.

- "In the town of Tiverton,
my father hanged himself.

This, Basil, is the beginning of my tale.

I swore to his corpse I
would settle the score.

Then I was free to hunt down your father.

I kept my flame alive
within me as I grew up

and took my place in the world.

I took great pains that I
should remain, on the surface,

a modest, unassuming man.

A very quiet man.

Mr. Sherwin was looking for an accountant

and I responded to his
advertisement in the paper.

I began working for him.

A dreary, dull job.

But I worked hard and conscientiously,

like my father had taught me.

All the while, I was biding my time,

sharpening my mind against
my image of your father.

Odd, how you took such
fancy to Sherwin's girl.

She was to be my trump.

At first, she was nothing more to me

than the boss's spoiled daughter.

Still, I was a man,
with a man's appetites.

You cannot say I did not warn you, Basil."

Forget Julia Sherwin, Basil.

"Remember the night I asked
you to flee Julia Sherwin?"

Flee.

I need you to do me a great favor.

- Anything.

- Marry Basil.

- What?

I let him court me
because you asked me to.

But marriage?

- If you will not marry
Basil, you cannot have me.

- If I marry him?

Then things will
continue between us, as they are.

"I felt so close to your
father that night, Basil.

He is the first image
in my mind when I rise,

and the last when I go to sleep.

He fills my waking hours, nor
are my dreams free from him.

There is but one thought in
my head. One theme to my life.

Your sentiments, Basil.

I knew precisely how you felt.

Hate is but love's twin."

Watch your step.

"I bless you with a long life, Basil.

As you suffer and struggle,

you drag your father down
from his lofty heights.

Alive, you blight his
days, give meaning to mine.

Until we meet again."

You must remember him, sister.

A man with badly mutilated face.

John Mannion by name.

- Our nurses dropped in a faint,

when the bandages were removed.

He refused to see himself.

We removed all mirrors from his sight.

- Where is he now?

- How do I know?

But with that face, where can he go?

He is doomed the life of a freak.

- I am looking for a man
with a mutilated face.

Put the word out.

I've got to find him.

Hey! Hey!

- Basil?

Basil!

Come in.

Do come in.

- No. I must leave.

I was just passing by.

The masked man.

- I always keep this with me, these days.

I hid this page,

when you were burning
your stories long ago.

- How is he?

- Well...

It was awful, Basil.

The things people said.

Your father hardly goes out now.

He's...

A broken man.

I read in the paper,

Windermere Hall has been given away.

- It must have been an old paper, Basil.

For that's old news.

She...

Your wife came and asked for the Hall.

Your father could have refused.
She had nothing in writing.

But he gave her the Hall.

"A promise is a promise", he said.

- Julia is living in Windermere, then?

- Yes. She is to have
a child, any day now.

But all the old servants have left.

They're loyal to the family.

Won't you come in and
see your father, Basil?

- No.

It would upset him.

- Then you still have
much to learn, Basil.

There is no greater joy
to a man than his child.

- You're sinking fast, Julia.

Can you hear me?

Do you know I am at your side?

- John?

Our child.

Forgive me.

No.

Remember me as I was.

Basil.

Let me take my child and leave in peace.

- That is very generous of you.

Given that you have taken
everything that was mine!

I do not want to harm you!

- We left England together,
their child and I.

We set sail for Ireland.

It was in Ireland that I
began to tell her my story.

There was plenty there to
tickle a child's fancy.

Mansions and maidens.

Monsters and men.

With the telling came the
desire to put my words on paper.

Line by line, the lines leading to pages,

as I fumbled for a key
to the puzzle of my life.

- Where's that from?

- England.

After more than a decade,
I was homeward bound.

My attempts to tell a tale on the page

had captured the eye of
a publisher in England.

- Why are you laughing?

- Someone once cursed me
that I would, one day,

learn to appreciate
life's simpler moments.

- Who cursed you? A witch?

- A good one.

Clara?

Clara?

My child.

- What is her name?

- It is a name I have given her.

A name...

Dear to my heart.

- Clara.

- Clara and Clara are going to
have a cup of hot chocolate.

And you, Basil.

You're going to say hello to your father.

- Good evening, Father.

- Good evening, Basil.

- Well, goodbye.
- I loved her, deeply.

I want you to know that.

Your mother.

I loved her.

I was in my prime, when she grew ill.

I needed her as a man needs a woman.

But she could not. She was too sick.

I loved her, deeply.

But maybe I didn't love her enough.

You are a man now, my son.

I can speak to you of a man's passions.

God knows I know their force.

When I saw the same seed
in you and your brother,

it was as if you both had
held a mirror up to me.

Then who among us

could bear to see his
soul, so truly reflected?

- Father!

Father!

London's wonderful, Father.

Do we have to go home?

- We are here to stay, Clara.

We have come home.