In this episode, we delve into the classic melodrama of "Jane Eyre," adapted for the Radio Mystery Theatre by Elizabeth Bennell. The story, originally penned by Charlotte Bronte, unfolds in the mysterious Thornfield Hall, where Jane Eyre, a governess, encounters the enigmatic Mr. Rochester. As Jane navigates her new life, she becomes embroiled in the dark secrets of the mansion, including the presence of a mysterious woman and the unsettling events that follow. The narrative explores themes of love, mystery, and the supernatural, as Jane's relationship with Mr. Rochester deepens amidst the eerie happenings at Thornfield Hall.
Listeners are taken on a journey through the moors of England, where Jane's courage and resilience are tested. The episode captures the gothic essence of Bronte's work, with its haunting atmosphere and complex characters. As Jane uncovers the truth about Mr. Rochester's past, the story builds to a dramatic climax, revealing the hidden depths of Thornfield Hall and the secrets it harbors. This adaptation brings to life the timeless tale of "Jane Eyre," blending romance and suspense in a captivating audio experience.
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Radio Mystery Theatre presents Come in. Welcome. I'm E. G. Marshall. We turn this time to a classic melodrama, an incredible chiller. I say incredible because it was written by a nineteenth century lady who seldom left her house. I speak, of course, of Charlotte Bronte, most famous of the three literary sisters whose strange brother, Patrick Branwell, was a prototype for some of the men in their novels. The day of the governess has passed, but she was quite a fixture in the days when opulent mansions housed the wealthy or the housekeeper and staff of servants who sometimes
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shared dark secrets. What's the matter with you this morning, miss Jane? You look peeking. Another one of those terrible nightmares, missus Fairfax. Such things are omens. My dead husband has been rising from his grave to tell me no good will come to this house. This house is the happiest home I have ever known. Then why do you dream of death and destruction? It it must have been the storm. The moors were wild with thunder and lightning. I'm begging you, miss Jane. Get away from here. Leave mister Rochester and Thornfield Hall alone before it's too late.
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Our mystery drama Jane Eyre has been adapted from the Charlotte Bronte classic especially for the mystery theater by Elizabeth Bennell and stars Patricia Elliott and Arnold Moss. I'll do that shortly with act one. Now to meet our Victorian heroine. Jane Eyre has been hired as a teacher with one pupil in a mansion which dominates a remote English countryside, a setting much like that where the Bronte sisters lived and dream of adventure. As we begin, Jane has volunteered to post a letter for the housekeeper. The nearest village is two miles away, but she welcomes the opportunity to walk by herself across the moor.
It is a January afternoon, and the ground is hard, the air still, and the road lonely. At the top of the hill, Jane pauses to enjoy the view. And suddenly, she is not alone.
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First, the dog, and then a man on horseback galloping furiously. I had not noticed the icy patch on the road nor had the rider until too late. With a slithering crash, horse and rider were down. What the news? Are you injured, sir? I I I I'm not sure. Let me help you. Oh, stand on one side. You're hurt. I'll I'll go for help. No. No. No. No. I I
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I don't seem to have any broken bones on me. This
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wounded ankle. You can't stay here on this lonely road if you're unable to mount your horse.
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Where do you come from? Just below. That house with the betterments? Yes, sir. Well, whose house is it? Mister Rochester's.
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Do you know mister Rochester? I have never seen him. Who the devil are you? I am the governess.
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I see. Well, if you're not afraid, grab a hold of my horse's bridle. Lead him over here to me.
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I I know little of horses. Now come here.
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Let me lean on you. That that will do. Now hand me my whip. Thank you. Go on, Pinots.
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He rode off and I continued down the road to the village by myself wondering about this gruff stranger. For me it had been quite an adventure so I took my time getting back to the house. When I reached it the housekeeper was in the entranceway. Oh, pilot. High shot. Mrs. Fairfax, that dog. Yes. He came with his master. With whom? Mr. Rochester. He arrived shortly after you went to post the letter. Couldn't have been Mr. Rochester has had an accident. His hoarse fell and his ankle is reigned. Did he ask about me? Miss Eyre, I have not yet had a chance to tell him about you. The surgeon has been sent for. Next day, I was summoned by missus Fairfax to be presented to the master of the house.
He was unmistakably the same duro personage I had already encountered. Sit down, miss Ayer.
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I've examined Adele and find you've taken great pains with her. She is a pleasant child. I understand you've lived in my house for the past three months. And you came from From Lowood School. Oh, yes. Yes. A charitable institution and a grim one from all I've heard. How long were you there? Eight years. You must have a sturdy constitution.
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I welcome the opportunity to get away. No doubt.
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Who are your parents?
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I have none. Or ever had, I suppose? I don't remember them. I was left as an orphan with an aunt who hated me. The Lowood School was a joy compared to her house. Any other relatives? I've heard of an uncle on my father's side,
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but I doubt if he knows I exist. He lives in Madeira. Who recommended that you come here? I advertised,
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and missus Fairfax answered my advertisement. You have no friends, I presume? None but the pupils and teachers of Lowood. And now those of you at Thornfield.
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You've lived the life of a nun, but I must say it has not broken your spirit. How old are you? 18. Old enough for some accomplishments. I, saw some sketches in the schoolroom.
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Are there others? I have a portfolio.
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Send it to my room. And now I'm tired. You may go.
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It's true that I do not frighten easily. And I was content as the days went by to be left with my pew board to wander alone through that enormous house. One day, I climbed through a trap door onto the roof. A fine place for sketching. As I started down the Third Floor staircase, a script of sound sent me running. Missus Perkins. Missus I I didn't know there was anyone upstairs. Why there's not? That the wing of the house is quite empty. And I heard someone laughing. Oh, such a terrible laugh. Oh, that. It it it it must be Grace Poole. Grace Poole? One of the servants. She acts quite unbalanced at times. But where have you been? Mister Rochester wants to see you. I found him seated by the fire and then the light played over his stern features.
His dark eyes had a softness out of keeping with his manner. He caught me off guard.
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You examine me, miss Ayer. Do you think me handsome? No, sir. What fault do you find with me?
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Mister Rogers, I shouldn't have answered that way. Criticize me. Go ahead.
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Does my forehead not please you? Do you think I'm a fool? Fart. Run it. Well, you look puzzled, and a puzzled air keeps those searching eyes from studying my face. I'm feeling gregarious and communicative tonight. Talk to me. I have nothing to say. Well, then I'll make you say something. From your point of view, I'm sure I'd be judged a sinner. I do not make judgment. Oh, you would. You would if you knew how I've wasted all my years. Why do you regret the past when
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there's a future to look forward to? I look forward to nothing but misery. But you have Adele and Indeed.
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I rue the day I became encumbered with that brat. Oh,
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then why did you make her your ward?
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I'm a victim of circumstance. Children annoy me. Me. Well, I told you I feel talkative. Wouldn't you like to know something about Adele? If you wish to tell me,
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a child has no more memory of her parents than I do of mine. My mother was a dancer. My father in Paris, a glorious
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creature with whom I fell mad in love. She played me for a fool from the beginning, taking my money, giving her heart to a handsome devil of an army officer by whom she had a child and claimed the child was mine. But does that shock you, miss Ayer? No.
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And if the child was not yours, why do you feel responsible?
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Because the infant was abandoned. Which proves
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that you are a man of compassion. Perhaps. Perhaps.
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But I have no feeling for that girl. The less I see of her, the better. And if you don't like my attitude,
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you're not compelled to stay here. Oh, now you have shocked me. Adele is a lonely little orphan, forsaken by her mother and disowned by you. Already she leaned on me as a friend and I will do my best to comfort her. I stayed out of his way after that hoping he would soon be leaving. Then one night, I was awakened. That tail was bound again followed by a moan which came from just outside my door. With shaking hands, I put on my robe, opened the bedroom door and Who's there? Who is there? In the far distance, someone was climbing the stairs and very faintly, a door closed.
At my feet, on the matting of the floor, a candle burned in a low candlestick. I picked it up and walked along the corridor drawn by the strong smell of smoke. A door usually goes tight with ajar, mister Rochester's bedroom. And the smoke was coming from there billowing out and getting thicker. Mr. Rochester. Mr. Rochester, wake up. The draperies at the head of his bed were on fire. I grabbed the pitcher from the washstand and What?
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A devil? A fire, sir. Get up quickly. In the name of all the elves in Christendom, there's that chain heir. What have you done with me? Your bed was on fire. But what brought you to my bedroom? There was someone in the hallway. Someone who cried out and then went upstairs. I see. You said you saw no one but heard a cry. Yes. I thought it must be that Grace Poole. Exactly so. The unfortunate woman has night
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nightmares. I was relieved to learn next day that mister Rochester had taken off on one of his journeys. But when he returned, I saw quite a different side of his complex personality. Oh, miss Jane. It's nice to have music and laughter in the house. I thought I heard singing last night. There are ladies staying here. Mister Rochester has brought several guests. There's mister Mason, missus Eshton and her daughters, and I wish you could catch a glimpse of lady Blanche Ingram. What is she like? A great beauty. What a fine couple they make. I'm hoping that what I've heard may be true. And what is that? That they will be married? Oh, Lady Blanche is years younger than mister Rochester, but so gay and charming. I tell you, life will be very different at Thornfield Hall.
What has come over me? As I lay in bed, my heart is filled with a great longing. Severely, I say to myself, tomorrow, Jane Eyre, look in the mirror and draw your own picture faithfully without softening one defect. Omit no harsh line and write under it, portrait of a governess, disconnected, poor and plain. In due course, I was introduced to the ladies who ignored me and Adele so completely that it was easy to stay out of their way. Then one night, as I sat alone in my room, there was such a commotion that I opened the door. When mister Mason, me help.
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Come back to your rooms, all of you, except for you, Jane Eyre. What's happened? I need you. Come this way. Take my hand. It's dark going up the stairs. Mister Rogers, I because you don't turn sick at the sight of blood. I I hope not. Although I I've never been tested. Study now through this doorway.
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To this be, the disturbing grace pool at last? But I can't only the sight of a receiving form, a woman in a gray sweater and long black dress. Our attention was focused on the bed where the guest, mister Mason, lay with blood streaming from a gash on his head. Prickly Jane, hold that basin while I sponge his wounds.
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She's a fiend. A fiend in kindness. I won't live through the night. Nonsense, man. Nonsense. You have nothing but scratches. She stabbed me. Barely missed my jugular Ben. And I'm bleeding to death. Courage, Richard. You'll survive. Fuck my arm. She sank her teeth into it. We'll get the doctor as soon as we can. Just be calm. Calm. She sucked my blood and said she would drain my heart.
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Surely, after this murderous attack, Grace Poole will be removed from the household. But weeks later, I saw the retreating form of the woman in gray and black starting up the attic stairs only while she was still on the stairway from overhead I heard
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How's that for a chilling turn of events? The upper Floors of Thornfield Hall appear to be occupied by demons, not the least of which is the murderous Grace Poole. Why would such a servant be left to roam the corridors? And what brings on a laugh which now seem to be disembodied? I assure you that more Halloween developments lie ahead. I'll be back shortly with act two. Okay. The The unfortunate mister Mason apparently made a quick recovery. In any event, the guests all departed as suddenly as they had come, and so did mister Rochester.
I don't think I'd like to spend a night at Thornfield Hall, much less be confined there without knowing what was going on. But Jane Eyre was used to being rebuffed when she asked questions. And in spite of her strange environment, she had never enjoyed such a life of ease. Her pupil, though not especially bright, was eager to learn, And Jane spent the rest of the time with her sketchpad and books in the library.
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Mister Rochester has come home, miss Jane. Oh, and it's all working out just the way I hoped it would. He is planning to marry. Will they be living here? Well, he can answer that himself. He has asked to see you out in the garden.
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Pawnfield is a pleasant place in summer. Isn't it, Jane? Oh, yes, sir. You've made yourself quite at home here. I assume you're somewhat attached to this house. Indeed. I am. And although I can't understand why you seem to acquire the certain regard for that foolish child Adele and even to simple Dame Fairfax.
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In different ways. I have affection for them both. And,
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you would be sorry to part with them? Yes. Pity. But that's the way it is. The time always comes when one must move on. But, sir, I I'm very happy here. Yeah. Well, that's the extraordinary thing. It will make parting more difficult.
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You mean I must leave Hornfield?
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I'm sorry, but you're dismissed as of tonight.
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Is it because you are going to be married? Exactly so. Soon, sir? Very soon. But what about Adele? I'll send her away to school, and,
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you must get a new situation.
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I will advertise immediately. But in the meantime, may I stay on until I have somewhere else to go? I hope to be a bribed Rome in about a month,
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but I'll find employment for you. In fact, my would be mother-in-law has already heard of a place where they need a governess in Ireland.
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That's a long way off, sir. From what? From England and from Thornfield and Well? From you, sir.
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Very interesting that you should say that, Jane. Because when we're alone as we are now and I'm close to you, I have a clear feeling that I would miss you very much if you should go away. You will forget me very quickly. You spoke to me once of the future. What do you look forward to?
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Oh, I suppose in my hopeless dreams, I fancy myself as a mistress of my own school for girls. Oh, Jane Jane.
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Behind that prim facade, you have fire and ice. You you must Please. Don't talk that way, sir. I
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I wish you happiness in the course you have taken for your future. What course? Why, with the beautiful miss Ingram, your bride. I have no bride. But you will have.
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Oh, yes. Yes. I will. I will. And she is standing now right beside
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me. Mister Rochester, please let me go.
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I am offering you my hand, my horse,
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and the share of all my possessions. You are making a fool of me, and my only answer
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is to laugh in your face. I ask you to pass through life at my side to be my second self and best companion. You have already made your choice, and I can take no more cruelty. Jane, I have no feeling for the beautiful Blanche no more than she has for me. Our affair is over. I came back to Thornfield to entreat you to accept me as a husband.
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If your feelings for me are real, I will be grateful and devoted. Grateful?
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Say it quickly. Say you'll marry me. Mister Rochester, if you are sincere Edward. Edward. My name is Edward. If you need an oath, I swear that I love you.
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Then, sir, I will marry you.
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That's not the way to accept my offer.
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Dear. Dear, Edward. Everything had changed. I was no longer plain Jane Eyre. Of course, I had known from the first moment that Edward Rochester was a man above all others. But in my wildest dreams, I had never dared hope. I could be the object of that affectionate heart. He tried so hard to keep buried. I still felt insignificant and blushed when he offered to buy me a trousseau and talked about jewels.
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And a diamond necklace for my baby? Oh, no, sir. Please. I can't accept. But you're soon to be Jane Rochester, and that calls for finery for my beauty. Oh, please, mister Rochester. Who? Who?
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Edward. Mhmm. Don't call me things I am not.
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I am your plain, Quakerish governess. You have beauty after my own heart, delicous,
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ethereal. How puny and insignificant you mean? You are dreaming or else,
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for pity's sake, don't sneer at me. I will dress my Jane in satin and lace. And for her wedding, her head shall be covered with a priceless veil.
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I was in a world of utter bliss until what you and mister Rochester are about to do is wrong. We love one another. He is old enough to be your father. He's nothing like a father, and he looks so young. You know nothing of men, and no good can come from a union with a gentleman of his station and a lonely governess. I thought, missus Fairfax, that you and I were friends, miss Jane. You must leave Thornfield Hall before it's too late. But my Edward was more loving than ever, and I could put up with anything until Dearest Jane,
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last night you were so radiant. And what's happened on your wedding day to make you look so pale? Last night,
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the most terrible nightmare of them all. My dearest Jane,
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you're nervous. That's natural. But soon your mind will be at ease. Only
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this time it was more than a nightmare.
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Something happened. Well, then tell me about it. Although that little head of yours is apt to conjure up all sorts of things. This was real.
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I knew that my door had opened, and a woman was standing in my bedroom. She held a candle and examined my wedding dress. Well, it must have been that stupid Mrs. Fairfax. No. No. Not Mrs. Fairfax. A large woman with thick hair hanging down her back in a white gown or a sheet that looked like a shroud.
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Did you see her face? Not at first.
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Then she moved stealthily toward me and the candlelight caught her features. Oh, hideous, savage, like a vampire. And as she leaned over me, I would have screamed in terror except no sound would come. She blew out the flame and glided from the room.
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A most unsettling dream. But after tonight, Jane, you'll have no more, I assure you. But that's not all, sir. Well, surely you didn't attempt to go after her. Her. I was so frightened. I believe I fainted.
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But when I woke, it was light. And now, mister Rochester, my beautiful veil, it had been torn to shred. My poor, poor Jane. Don't you see, sir?
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It wasn't a dream. No. I I I suspect the vindictive Grace Poole. Mrs. Fairfax would say it is an omen. You and I, Jane, know how to dispense with omens. And soon, we will be far away from here. I'll take you to Spain. We'll tour the world. Come, my dear. This is the happiest day of our lives.
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If either of you know any impediment, why you may not lawfully be joined together in matrimony,
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you do now confess it. Stop it. Stop this mockery of a wedding. Mason,
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how dare you? I might say the same to you, sir. Go on with the ceremony. It cannot take place. Pay no attention to this, intruder.
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Go on, I say. Let mister Mason speak. This marriage is unlawful.
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It must not be consummated. But but why, mister Mason? Because mister Rochester is already married. He has a wife. Miss Jane, I warned you. I was trying to keep you from You should have told the girl. Leave my innocent Jane out of this. How can I? Mason, I should knock your block off. You won't touch me, and you know it. I'm convinced the girl knows nothing, and I've already been in touch with her uncle. What do you know of my uncle? I made inquiries through my solicitor,
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and I've seen your uncle in Madera. You've seen him? But but then why hasn't he written to me? He's very ill. But thank heaven he sent me back here in time to stop the wedding. Mister Mason, at the chapel, you accused mister Rochester of being He was prepared to become a bigger miss. He's right, miss Jane. Please. Please. I don't understand.
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I thought she might be dead, but I found out last April that she was alive alright. Who, mister Mason? My sister, Bertha, mister Rochester's wife. No.
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No. This can't be. It's true, Jane.
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If you can call such perversity the proof.
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Mister Rogers, you you cannot be married. The formation
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is mad, and she came of a mad family. There may be something in what you say. Yet the law decrees that an incompetent wife must be protected. The law. For fifteen years, I've done my duty. And for twelve years, she's been no wife to me. Yet the bonds of marriage are sacred. I would move heaven and earth to keep my treasured Jane from learning how low one can sink in deprivation. But now now her eyes must be opened. Please do watch us today. Lead the way, missus Fairfax. Miss Jane must see for herself what has for so long been hidden on the Third Floor of Fawnfield Hall.
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Grace? Grace, please unlock the door.
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Going first, Mason. Sometimes she responds to you. What if she responds the way she did last time? Oh, aren't you coward?
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She's with a nurse. Watch her, Grace. She's not refreshed. Oh, it is. That's the woman who came to my room that night. Or can she be a human creature? Yeah. Fearfulness. She sees you. Wait until missus Poole has recorded. She is so cunning.
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We better leave. I know how dangerous she can be. And that, Jane Eyre, is what they call my wife.
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Now we know the secret of that ghostly Third Floor of Thornfield Hall. Picture, if you will, the scene Jane Eyre was forced to witness. The door was unlocked by the stolid grace pool, somber matron, gray and black. But behind her, groveling on all fours, a wild creature with long hair hanging over her face, like some fearful beast of the jungle. We will mercifully close the door before continuing presently with act three. After the devastating events on what was to have been her wedding day, Jane Eyre said not a word, but went directly to her room. Mister Mason made a sudden departure, and missus Fairfax went about her duties as though nothing had happened.
No one came to comfort the heartbroken Jane. And Rochester, he sat on a chair outside Jane's door while the hours passed in deathly silence. I've been waiting here since yesterday.
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And what, may I ask, are you waiting for? For your tears.
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Grief and anger cannot be bottled up without destroying dear. Remorse is the poison of life. Burate me. Tell me what you think of me now. I feel nothing but sorrow for you and
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and that creature up there.
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But you have not heard my story. Nothing has been real in my life until I met you. And now you would make me the victim. Oh, no. Never, Jane. Never. This time, there was to be a future for both of us. How can you say that when you When I was in my twenties, my father sent me to Jamaica. His business was not going well. And he and my brother made a deal with importers named Mason.
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A deal for you to marry?
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Well, I didn't know that that was part of the contract. No one told me that £30,000 was paid for their daughter to marry an Englishman. But you saw her, you must All I saw was an untamed island girl who charmed me with her caresses. How could you? She was a handsome woman named Jane. Now, how was I to know that if it were not for me, she would be sent to the asylum where her mother was or locked up in prison for some of these things that she had done. But you lived with her? Yes. I spent four years of hell trying to get medical help, but our case was hopeless.
And when my brother and father died, I was left with Thornfield Hall, and no one outside this house except the doctor and Richard Mason knew of her existence.
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And that's why you're seldom here.
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I cannot stand the solitude. Nothing has had any meaning. Nothing until you came, Jane.
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And now I must leave you. No. No. No. You can't.
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I'll take you anywhere you want to go. Do anything you say. Then
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let me go in peace. I left Thornfield Hall in the dark of night and can scarce remember how I stumbled over the moor until I reached the village. It was almost dawn when I found a sleepy man with a carriage. I showed him what money I had and asked him to take me as far as it would go. He put me off at Whitcrest. You want a room at this hour of the morning? No. I'm looking for employment. No one needed here. Do you know any place in the neighborhood where a servant is needed? I can't say, but I doubt it. What do most people do in this place? Some are farm laborers.
Some work at the needle factory in the foundry. Do they employ women? No. It's men's work. Cooking. What do the women do? I wear poor folk, mom. And poor folk get along as best they can. Where can I get some food? Well, bed and board right on the premises if you can pay the price, but I can't. Well, then it's off with you. But where can I go? As the Reverend Rivers out at Moor House, how do I get there? A A pit road going that way when it's a long walk. The walk was endless, and a storm had come up. I pulled my thin coat around me. I was soaked to the skin. At last, a prison like structure rose through the mist. And before I could reach the marker, I collapsed on the doorstep.
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Well, young lady. You've finally come around.
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This is
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Moor House? Yes. Yes. And I'm Saint Jim Rivers. Now you must tell me your name and how I can get in touch with your family. My name is Jane Eyre, but
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I have no family.
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No relatives at all?
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An uncle. If you will give me a pen and paper, I will write to him. Where where does he live? In Madeira.
[00:34:13] Unknown:
Oh, it's far away. Give me the name of someone nearby who can come and fetch you.
[00:34:20] Unknown:
There's no one. Please, mister Rivers, you must help me. Although my heart was heavy, good fortune came my way. Miss Eyre, you've been of such help at the mission. I don't know how we could have got along without you these past months. And I'm happy to tell you, sir, that I now have a way to repay your kindness. Which been repaid many times over. No. I've heard from my uncle's executor. I'm soon to inherit what seems to be a vast sum of money. Well, I'm happy for you, although I hope this does not mean that you'll be leaving us. I want to share my inheritance with the mission.
And then, what I've always wanted, my own girl's school. For the first time in my life, I could make a choice, free to do what I wanted. But more than ever, I was troubled by my dreams. This time, of a stern face with tender eyes, a rough yet gentle man who haunted my days and nights. His voice became more insistent. I heard it everywhere. Edward Rochester needed me. And no matter what the consequences, I must return to Thornfield Hall. May I help you? Do you know Thornfield Hall? Oh, yes. I live there. Did you? Where was the late mister Rochester's butler? The late?
Is he dead? Well, I mean, the present gentleman's mister Edward's father. Is mister Edward Rochester staying now at Thornfield Hall? Oh, no, ma'am. How could he be? The place is a total ruin. What? Where is he then? I I must see him. Well, you're a stranger here.
[00:36:25] Unknown:
You don't know what's happened. Tell me, please. Well, you see, when all mister Rochester died, I was sent to work at Ferndean, and I was only called back to the hall after some curious events had taken place. Go on. Well, there was this little snip of a governess who started the whole thing. What are you talking about? She deserted mister Rochester, you see, when he needed her most. Poor lonely man that he was. When mister Rochester Ward was sent off to school and missus Fairfax went to live with her sister, I was called back to look after mister Rochester. Please, man. Where is mister Rochester?
[00:37:10] Unknown:
I like to tell things the way they should be told.
[00:37:14] Unknown:
Straight through from beginning to end. Except for those two on the Third Floor there. Well, there was just me and mister Rochester in that big house, and it was the middle of the night.
[00:37:30] Unknown:
I, won't need anything more, John. Why don't you go to bed? Well, I should think you're doing the same,
[00:37:37] Unknown:
sir. But if you're gonna stay here, let me build up the fire. No. No. No. I'd rather stare into the coals.
[00:37:44] Unknown:
I'll go to bed when I feel that sleep will come. Oh, I could fix your hot drink. No. Nothing. Thank you. Oh, good night then, sir. What's the matter with you? Are you catching cold? No.
[00:37:59] Unknown:
It's mister Rochester, there's there's smoke pouring down from the upper store. It will close the door.
[00:38:06] Unknown:
We'll break the window and take the outside stairway to the Second Floor.
[00:38:15] Unknown:
The the left wing of the house is on Missus Rochester. Oh, lord. But, but, should be consumed in a place. Little. Well, you can, sir. Beautiful as it is, He he tried to reach her. Oh, he tried, but it was no use. She was dead. As dead as the stones on the courtyard where her broken body lay. But it was mister Rochester I worried about. He was injured? Caught under a falling beam. You assured me he is alive. Yes. Yes. He is alive, but many think he had best be dead. But where is he? Is mister Rochester in England? He's in England. He's not able to go much of anywhere now.
He was hurt that badly in the fire. Oh, mister Rochester is completely blind.
[00:39:51] Unknown:
I will pay you well to take me to this place where mister Rochester is staying. Friending? Oh, I don't mind driving there. My sister works for mister Rochester, but, oh, I doubt that he'll let anyone in the house. You must persuade your sister to let me see him. Ask your sister to give me the tray. I will take it to mister Rochester. Oh, I hope we're not doing wrong by letting you into his house.
[00:40:24] Unknown:
But if he orders you out, I'll drive you back to the inn.
[00:40:29] Unknown:
Pirate, be quiet. What What makes you so excited? Mary, is that you? Mary is in the kitchen. Who is that? Pilot knows me. But don't take advantage of these sightless eyes. That voice No. No. No. It can't be.
[00:40:47] Unknown:
Speak again. You called me,
[00:40:50] Unknown:
and I have found you. Put it in your hand. Oh, there's no mistake. Jane
[00:40:58] Unknown:
Jane Eyre. It is, sir.
[00:41:01] Unknown:
Am I hideous, Jane?
[00:41:04] Unknown:
Yes, mister Rochester. But then you always were, you know.
[00:41:08] Unknown:
That's my spirited girl. Great heaven, Jane. How I've missed you. I gave up searching. Where have you been?
[00:41:19] Unknown:
It's a long story, sir.
[00:41:29] Unknown:
So you have found your independence.
[00:41:32] Unknown:
Would that I had found mine. It is not what I expected. Your own school
[00:41:37] Unknown:
or after India with your missionary. Which will you do? Why neither, sir.
[00:41:42] Unknown:
If you will let me stay and nurse you. Oh, Jane.
[00:41:47] Unknown:
A nurse could never bind my wounds. What I need, I can no longer ask of my one true love.
[00:41:55] Unknown:
Try me.
[00:41:56] Unknown:
Not only these sightless eyes, but also this stump of a hand. The fire was her revenge, Jane. No more talking about the past. In spite of my infirmities, I don't need a nurse. I want a wife.
[00:42:14] Unknown:
Ask me one more time, mister Rochester. Yeah. Edward,
[00:42:20] Unknown:
Jane. Edward. Our roles have changed, and you are now my master.
[00:42:27] Unknown:
We are two sides of the same coin, mister Rochester, and no one can split it in two.
[00:42:43] Unknown:
Perhaps it seems unreasonable that everything worked out so well for such a pair. But that's the way miss Bronte wrote the story. Along with a number of coincidences, we have not had the time to report. At the very end, Charlotte Bronte tells us that Rochester regained the sight of one eye, and that he and Jane lived happily ever after. I'll be back shortly. The Gothic novel was very popular in the nineteenth century, and it's back in style today. Women writers are still leading the field, just as it is in the Bronte's day. There seems to be renewed interest in ghostly mansions, orphaned girls, and bold men, both dashing heroes and those with evil intent.
I hope you agree that such fare makes good listening. Our cast included Patricia Elliott, Arnold Moss, Lloyd Bautista, and Anne Petoniak. The entire production was under the direction of Hyman Brown. And now, a preview of our next tale.
[00:43:57] Unknown:
Just a minute. Sorry. I'm laying Never mind that. Come in. Quick. You can see. They what? The outer space people, they are on now. Quick. I I I don't know what you're talking about, Flo. But that's Margaret Margaret from five in the family. She she's going upstairs to her bedroom. I recognize the house. But she's the greatest house. No. It can't be. They they weren't there. Cleggor and Gundrick. Who? The ones who wanna help to warn us. Funny names. What are they? New characters in the show? No. No. They're space people from some place they were there, and now they're not. No. No.
I'm grateful God, Dewey. I think I must be going great.
[00:44:47] Unknown:
Missus EG Marshall inviting you to return to our mystery theater for another adventure in the macabre. Until next time. Present.
[00:45:18] Unknown:
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[00:00:29] Unknown:
Radio Mystery Theatre presents Come in. Welcome. I'm E. G. Marshall. We turn this time to a classic melodrama, an incredible chiller. I say incredible because it was written by a nineteenth century lady who seldom left her house. I speak, of course, of Charlotte Bronte, most famous of the three literary sisters whose strange brother, Patrick Branwell, was a prototype for some of the men in their novels. The day of the governess has passed, but she was quite a fixture in the days when opulent mansions housed the wealthy or the housekeeper and staff of servants who sometimes
[00:01:29] Unknown:
shared dark secrets. What's the matter with you this morning, miss Jane? You look peeking. Another one of those terrible nightmares, missus Fairfax. Such things are omens. My dead husband has been rising from his grave to tell me no good will come to this house. This house is the happiest home I have ever known. Then why do you dream of death and destruction? It it must have been the storm. The moors were wild with thunder and lightning. I'm begging you, miss Jane. Get away from here. Leave mister Rochester and Thornfield Hall alone before it's too late.
[00:02:16] Unknown:
Our mystery drama Jane Eyre has been adapted from the Charlotte Bronte classic especially for the mystery theater by Elizabeth Bennell and stars Patricia Elliott and Arnold Moss. I'll do that shortly with act one. Now to meet our Victorian heroine. Jane Eyre has been hired as a teacher with one pupil in a mansion which dominates a remote English countryside, a setting much like that where the Bronte sisters lived and dream of adventure. As we begin, Jane has volunteered to post a letter for the housekeeper. The nearest village is two miles away, but she welcomes the opportunity to walk by herself across the moor.
It is a January afternoon, and the ground is hard, the air still, and the road lonely. At the top of the hill, Jane pauses to enjoy the view. And suddenly, she is not alone.
[00:03:31] Unknown:
First, the dog, and then a man on horseback galloping furiously. I had not noticed the icy patch on the road nor had the rider until too late. With a slithering crash, horse and rider were down. What the news? Are you injured, sir? I I I I'm not sure. Let me help you. Oh, stand on one side. You're hurt. I'll I'll go for help. No. No. No. No. I I
[00:03:59] Unknown:
I don't seem to have any broken bones on me. This
[00:04:03] Unknown:
wounded ankle. You can't stay here on this lonely road if you're unable to mount your horse.
[00:04:08] Unknown:
Where do you come from? Just below. That house with the betterments? Yes, sir. Well, whose house is it? Mister Rochester's.
[00:04:17] Unknown:
Do you know mister Rochester? I have never seen him. Who the devil are you? I am the governess.
[00:04:23] Unknown:
I see. Well, if you're not afraid, grab a hold of my horse's bridle. Lead him over here to me.
[00:04:31] Unknown:
I I know little of horses. Now come here.
[00:04:35] Unknown:
Let me lean on you. That that will do. Now hand me my whip. Thank you. Go on, Pinots.
[00:04:48] Unknown:
He rode off and I continued down the road to the village by myself wondering about this gruff stranger. For me it had been quite an adventure so I took my time getting back to the house. When I reached it the housekeeper was in the entranceway. Oh, pilot. High shot. Mrs. Fairfax, that dog. Yes. He came with his master. With whom? Mr. Rochester. He arrived shortly after you went to post the letter. Couldn't have been Mr. Rochester has had an accident. His hoarse fell and his ankle is reigned. Did he ask about me? Miss Eyre, I have not yet had a chance to tell him about you. The surgeon has been sent for. Next day, I was summoned by missus Fairfax to be presented to the master of the house.
He was unmistakably the same duro personage I had already encountered. Sit down, miss Ayer.
[00:05:40] Unknown:
I've examined Adele and find you've taken great pains with her. She is a pleasant child. I understand you've lived in my house for the past three months. And you came from From Lowood School. Oh, yes. Yes. A charitable institution and a grim one from all I've heard. How long were you there? Eight years. You must have a sturdy constitution.
[00:06:03] Unknown:
I welcome the opportunity to get away. No doubt.
[00:06:06] Unknown:
Who are your parents?
[00:06:08] Unknown:
I have none. Or ever had, I suppose? I don't remember them. I was left as an orphan with an aunt who hated me. The Lowood School was a joy compared to her house. Any other relatives? I've heard of an uncle on my father's side,
[00:06:24] Unknown:
but I doubt if he knows I exist. He lives in Madeira. Who recommended that you come here? I advertised,
[00:06:31] Unknown:
and missus Fairfax answered my advertisement. You have no friends, I presume? None but the pupils and teachers of Lowood. And now those of you at Thornfield.
[00:06:43] Unknown:
You've lived the life of a nun, but I must say it has not broken your spirit. How old are you? 18. Old enough for some accomplishments. I, saw some sketches in the schoolroom.
[00:06:57] Unknown:
Are there others? I have a portfolio.
[00:07:00] Unknown:
Send it to my room. And now I'm tired. You may go.
[00:07:10] Unknown:
It's true that I do not frighten easily. And I was content as the days went by to be left with my pew board to wander alone through that enormous house. One day, I climbed through a trap door onto the roof. A fine place for sketching. As I started down the Third Floor staircase, a script of sound sent me running. Missus Perkins. Missus I I didn't know there was anyone upstairs. Why there's not? That the wing of the house is quite empty. And I heard someone laughing. Oh, such a terrible laugh. Oh, that. It it it it must be Grace Poole. Grace Poole? One of the servants. She acts quite unbalanced at times. But where have you been? Mister Rochester wants to see you. I found him seated by the fire and then the light played over his stern features.
His dark eyes had a softness out of keeping with his manner. He caught me off guard.
[00:08:16] Unknown:
You examine me, miss Ayer. Do you think me handsome? No, sir. What fault do you find with me?
[00:08:26] Unknown:
Mister Rogers, I shouldn't have answered that way. Criticize me. Go ahead.
[00:08:30] Unknown:
Does my forehead not please you? Do you think I'm a fool? Fart. Run it. Well, you look puzzled, and a puzzled air keeps those searching eyes from studying my face. I'm feeling gregarious and communicative tonight. Talk to me. I have nothing to say. Well, then I'll make you say something. From your point of view, I'm sure I'd be judged a sinner. I do not make judgment. Oh, you would. You would if you knew how I've wasted all my years. Why do you regret the past when
[00:09:04] Unknown:
there's a future to look forward to? I look forward to nothing but misery. But you have Adele and Indeed.
[00:09:12] Unknown:
I rue the day I became encumbered with that brat. Oh,
[00:09:17] Unknown:
then why did you make her your ward?
[00:09:20] Unknown:
I'm a victim of circumstance. Children annoy me. Me. Well, I told you I feel talkative. Wouldn't you like to know something about Adele? If you wish to tell me,
[00:09:33] Unknown:
a child has no more memory of her parents than I do of mine. My mother was a dancer. My father in Paris, a glorious
[00:09:40] Unknown:
creature with whom I fell mad in love. She played me for a fool from the beginning, taking my money, giving her heart to a handsome devil of an army officer by whom she had a child and claimed the child was mine. But does that shock you, miss Ayer? No.
[00:10:00] Unknown:
And if the child was not yours, why do you feel responsible?
[00:10:04] Unknown:
Because the infant was abandoned. Which proves
[00:10:07] Unknown:
that you are a man of compassion. Perhaps. Perhaps.
[00:10:12] Unknown:
But I have no feeling for that girl. The less I see of her, the better. And if you don't like my attitude,
[00:10:20] Unknown:
you're not compelled to stay here. Oh, now you have shocked me. Adele is a lonely little orphan, forsaken by her mother and disowned by you. Already she leaned on me as a friend and I will do my best to comfort her. I stayed out of his way after that hoping he would soon be leaving. Then one night, I was awakened. That tail was bound again followed by a moan which came from just outside my door. With shaking hands, I put on my robe, opened the bedroom door and Who's there? Who is there? In the far distance, someone was climbing the stairs and very faintly, a door closed.
At my feet, on the matting of the floor, a candle burned in a low candlestick. I picked it up and walked along the corridor drawn by the strong smell of smoke. A door usually goes tight with ajar, mister Rochester's bedroom. And the smoke was coming from there billowing out and getting thicker. Mr. Rochester. Mr. Rochester, wake up. The draperies at the head of his bed were on fire. I grabbed the pitcher from the washstand and What?
[00:11:51] Unknown:
A devil? A fire, sir. Get up quickly. In the name of all the elves in Christendom, there's that chain heir. What have you done with me? Your bed was on fire. But what brought you to my bedroom? There was someone in the hallway. Someone who cried out and then went upstairs. I see. You said you saw no one but heard a cry. Yes. I thought it must be that Grace Poole. Exactly so. The unfortunate woman has night
[00:12:22] Unknown:
nightmares. I was relieved to learn next day that mister Rochester had taken off on one of his journeys. But when he returned, I saw quite a different side of his complex personality. Oh, miss Jane. It's nice to have music and laughter in the house. I thought I heard singing last night. There are ladies staying here. Mister Rochester has brought several guests. There's mister Mason, missus Eshton and her daughters, and I wish you could catch a glimpse of lady Blanche Ingram. What is she like? A great beauty. What a fine couple they make. I'm hoping that what I've heard may be true. And what is that? That they will be married? Oh, Lady Blanche is years younger than mister Rochester, but so gay and charming. I tell you, life will be very different at Thornfield Hall.
What has come over me? As I lay in bed, my heart is filled with a great longing. Severely, I say to myself, tomorrow, Jane Eyre, look in the mirror and draw your own picture faithfully without softening one defect. Omit no harsh line and write under it, portrait of a governess, disconnected, poor and plain. In due course, I was introduced to the ladies who ignored me and Adele so completely that it was easy to stay out of their way. Then one night, as I sat alone in my room, there was such a commotion that I opened the door. When mister Mason, me help.
[00:14:11] Unknown:
Come back to your rooms, all of you, except for you, Jane Eyre. What's happened? I need you. Come this way. Take my hand. It's dark going up the stairs. Mister Rogers, I because you don't turn sick at the sight of blood. I I hope not. Although I I've never been tested. Study now through this doorway.
[00:14:37] Unknown:
To this be, the disturbing grace pool at last? But I can't only the sight of a receiving form, a woman in a gray sweater and long black dress. Our attention was focused on the bed where the guest, mister Mason, lay with blood streaming from a gash on his head. Prickly Jane, hold that basin while I sponge his wounds.
[00:14:58] Unknown:
She's a fiend. A fiend in kindness. I won't live through the night. Nonsense, man. Nonsense. You have nothing but scratches. She stabbed me. Barely missed my jugular Ben. And I'm bleeding to death. Courage, Richard. You'll survive. Fuck my arm. She sank her teeth into it. We'll get the doctor as soon as we can. Just be calm. Calm. She sucked my blood and said she would drain my heart.
[00:15:26] Unknown:
Surely, after this murderous attack, Grace Poole will be removed from the household. But weeks later, I saw the retreating form of the woman in gray and black starting up the attic stairs only while she was still on the stairway from overhead I heard
[00:15:58] Unknown:
How's that for a chilling turn of events? The upper Floors of Thornfield Hall appear to be occupied by demons, not the least of which is the murderous Grace Poole. Why would such a servant be left to roam the corridors? And what brings on a laugh which now seem to be disembodied? I assure you that more Halloween developments lie ahead. I'll be back shortly with act two. Okay. The The unfortunate mister Mason apparently made a quick recovery. In any event, the guests all departed as suddenly as they had come, and so did mister Rochester.
I don't think I'd like to spend a night at Thornfield Hall, much less be confined there without knowing what was going on. But Jane Eyre was used to being rebuffed when she asked questions. And in spite of her strange environment, she had never enjoyed such a life of ease. Her pupil, though not especially bright, was eager to learn, And Jane spent the rest of the time with her sketchpad and books in the library.
[00:17:09] Unknown:
Mister Rochester has come home, miss Jane. Oh, and it's all working out just the way I hoped it would. He is planning to marry. Will they be living here? Well, he can answer that himself. He has asked to see you out in the garden.
[00:17:26] Unknown:
Pawnfield is a pleasant place in summer. Isn't it, Jane? Oh, yes, sir. You've made yourself quite at home here. I assume you're somewhat attached to this house. Indeed. I am. And although I can't understand why you seem to acquire the certain regard for that foolish child Adele and even to simple Dame Fairfax.
[00:17:47] Unknown:
In different ways. I have affection for them both. And,
[00:17:52] Unknown:
you would be sorry to part with them? Yes. Pity. But that's the way it is. The time always comes when one must move on. But, sir, I I'm very happy here. Yeah. Well, that's the extraordinary thing. It will make parting more difficult.
[00:18:10] Unknown:
You mean I must leave Hornfield?
[00:18:13] Unknown:
I'm sorry, but you're dismissed as of tonight.
[00:18:17] Unknown:
Is it because you are going to be married? Exactly so. Soon, sir? Very soon. But what about Adele? I'll send her away to school, and,
[00:18:27] Unknown:
you must get a new situation.
[00:18:29] Unknown:
I will advertise immediately. But in the meantime, may I stay on until I have somewhere else to go? I hope to be a bribed Rome in about a month,
[00:18:40] Unknown:
but I'll find employment for you. In fact, my would be mother-in-law has already heard of a place where they need a governess in Ireland.
[00:18:48] Unknown:
That's a long way off, sir. From what? From England and from Thornfield and Well? From you, sir.
[00:19:00] Unknown:
Very interesting that you should say that, Jane. Because when we're alone as we are now and I'm close to you, I have a clear feeling that I would miss you very much if you should go away. You will forget me very quickly. You spoke to me once of the future. What do you look forward to?
[00:19:22] Unknown:
Oh, I suppose in my hopeless dreams, I fancy myself as a mistress of my own school for girls. Oh, Jane Jane.
[00:19:33] Unknown:
Behind that prim facade, you have fire and ice. You you must Please. Don't talk that way, sir. I
[00:19:41] Unknown:
I wish you happiness in the course you have taken for your future. What course? Why, with the beautiful miss Ingram, your bride. I have no bride. But you will have.
[00:19:53] Unknown:
Oh, yes. Yes. I will. I will. And she is standing now right beside
[00:20:01] Unknown:
me. Mister Rochester, please let me go.
[00:20:04] Unknown:
I am offering you my hand, my horse,
[00:20:08] Unknown:
and the share of all my possessions. You are making a fool of me, and my only answer
[00:20:12] Unknown:
is to laugh in your face. I ask you to pass through life at my side to be my second self and best companion. You have already made your choice, and I can take no more cruelty. Jane, I have no feeling for the beautiful Blanche no more than she has for me. Our affair is over. I came back to Thornfield to entreat you to accept me as a husband.
[00:20:37] Unknown:
If your feelings for me are real, I will be grateful and devoted. Grateful?
[00:20:46] Unknown:
Say it quickly. Say you'll marry me. Mister Rochester, if you are sincere Edward. Edward. My name is Edward. If you need an oath, I swear that I love you.
[00:21:00] Unknown:
Then, sir, I will marry you.
[00:21:05] Unknown:
That's not the way to accept my offer.
[00:21:08] Unknown:
Dear. Dear, Edward. Everything had changed. I was no longer plain Jane Eyre. Of course, I had known from the first moment that Edward Rochester was a man above all others. But in my wildest dreams, I had never dared hope. I could be the object of that affectionate heart. He tried so hard to keep buried. I still felt insignificant and blushed when he offered to buy me a trousseau and talked about jewels.
[00:21:47] Unknown:
And a diamond necklace for my baby? Oh, no, sir. Please. I can't accept. But you're soon to be Jane Rochester, and that calls for finery for my beauty. Oh, please, mister Rochester. Who? Who?
[00:22:01] Unknown:
Edward. Mhmm. Don't call me things I am not.
[00:22:05] Unknown:
I am your plain, Quakerish governess. You have beauty after my own heart, delicous,
[00:22:12] Unknown:
ethereal. How puny and insignificant you mean? You are dreaming or else,
[00:22:17] Unknown:
for pity's sake, don't sneer at me. I will dress my Jane in satin and lace. And for her wedding, her head shall be covered with a priceless veil.
[00:22:32] Unknown:
I was in a world of utter bliss until what you and mister Rochester are about to do is wrong. We love one another. He is old enough to be your father. He's nothing like a father, and he looks so young. You know nothing of men, and no good can come from a union with a gentleman of his station and a lonely governess. I thought, missus Fairfax, that you and I were friends, miss Jane. You must leave Thornfield Hall before it's too late. But my Edward was more loving than ever, and I could put up with anything until Dearest Jane,
[00:23:12] Unknown:
last night you were so radiant. And what's happened on your wedding day to make you look so pale? Last night,
[00:23:19] Unknown:
the most terrible nightmare of them all. My dearest Jane,
[00:23:24] Unknown:
you're nervous. That's natural. But soon your mind will be at ease. Only
[00:23:29] Unknown:
this time it was more than a nightmare.
[00:23:32] Unknown:
Something happened. Well, then tell me about it. Although that little head of yours is apt to conjure up all sorts of things. This was real.
[00:23:41] Unknown:
I knew that my door had opened, and a woman was standing in my bedroom. She held a candle and examined my wedding dress. Well, it must have been that stupid Mrs. Fairfax. No. No. Not Mrs. Fairfax. A large woman with thick hair hanging down her back in a white gown or a sheet that looked like a shroud.
[00:24:05] Unknown:
Did you see her face? Not at first.
[00:24:08] Unknown:
Then she moved stealthily toward me and the candlelight caught her features. Oh, hideous, savage, like a vampire. And as she leaned over me, I would have screamed in terror except no sound would come. She blew out the flame and glided from the room.
[00:24:29] Unknown:
A most unsettling dream. But after tonight, Jane, you'll have no more, I assure you. But that's not all, sir. Well, surely you didn't attempt to go after her. Her. I was so frightened. I believe I fainted.
[00:24:43] Unknown:
But when I woke, it was light. And now, mister Rochester, my beautiful veil, it had been torn to shred. My poor, poor Jane. Don't you see, sir?
[00:24:57] Unknown:
It wasn't a dream. No. I I I suspect the vindictive Grace Poole. Mrs. Fairfax would say it is an omen. You and I, Jane, know how to dispense with omens. And soon, we will be far away from here. I'll take you to Spain. We'll tour the world. Come, my dear. This is the happiest day of our lives.
[00:25:26] Unknown:
If either of you know any impediment, why you may not lawfully be joined together in matrimony,
[00:25:32] Unknown:
you do now confess it. Stop it. Stop this mockery of a wedding. Mason,
[00:25:38] Unknown:
how dare you? I might say the same to you, sir. Go on with the ceremony. It cannot take place. Pay no attention to this, intruder.
[00:25:47] Unknown:
Go on, I say. Let mister Mason speak. This marriage is unlawful.
[00:25:51] Unknown:
It must not be consummated. But but why, mister Mason? Because mister Rochester is already married. He has a wife. Miss Jane, I warned you. I was trying to keep you from You should have told the girl. Leave my innocent Jane out of this. How can I? Mason, I should knock your block off. You won't touch me, and you know it. I'm convinced the girl knows nothing, and I've already been in touch with her uncle. What do you know of my uncle? I made inquiries through my solicitor,
[00:26:23] Unknown:
and I've seen your uncle in Madera. You've seen him? But but then why hasn't he written to me? He's very ill. But thank heaven he sent me back here in time to stop the wedding. Mister Mason, at the chapel, you accused mister Rochester of being He was prepared to become a bigger miss. He's right, miss Jane. Please. Please. I don't understand.
[00:26:45] Unknown:
I thought she might be dead, but I found out last April that she was alive alright. Who, mister Mason? My sister, Bertha, mister Rochester's wife. No.
[00:26:57] Unknown:
No. This can't be. It's true, Jane.
[00:27:00] Unknown:
If you can call such perversity the proof.
[00:27:04] Unknown:
Mister Rogers, you you cannot be married. The formation
[00:27:09] Unknown:
is mad, and she came of a mad family. There may be something in what you say. Yet the law decrees that an incompetent wife must be protected. The law. For fifteen years, I've done my duty. And for twelve years, she's been no wife to me. Yet the bonds of marriage are sacred. I would move heaven and earth to keep my treasured Jane from learning how low one can sink in deprivation. But now now her eyes must be opened. Please do watch us today. Lead the way, missus Fairfax. Miss Jane must see for herself what has for so long been hidden on the Third Floor of Fawnfield Hall.
[00:27:55] Unknown:
Grace? Grace, please unlock the door.
[00:28:01] Unknown:
Going first, Mason. Sometimes she responds to you. What if she responds the way she did last time? Oh, aren't you coward?
[00:28:09] Unknown:
She's with a nurse. Watch her, Grace. She's not refreshed. Oh, it is. That's the woman who came to my room that night. Or can she be a human creature? Yeah. Fearfulness. She sees you. Wait until missus Poole has recorded. She is so cunning.
[00:28:24] Unknown:
We better leave. I know how dangerous she can be. And that, Jane Eyre, is what they call my wife.
[00:28:38] Unknown:
Now we know the secret of that ghostly Third Floor of Thornfield Hall. Picture, if you will, the scene Jane Eyre was forced to witness. The door was unlocked by the stolid grace pool, somber matron, gray and black. But behind her, groveling on all fours, a wild creature with long hair hanging over her face, like some fearful beast of the jungle. We will mercifully close the door before continuing presently with act three. After the devastating events on what was to have been her wedding day, Jane Eyre said not a word, but went directly to her room. Mister Mason made a sudden departure, and missus Fairfax went about her duties as though nothing had happened.
No one came to comfort the heartbroken Jane. And Rochester, he sat on a chair outside Jane's door while the hours passed in deathly silence. I've been waiting here since yesterday.
[00:29:50] Unknown:
And what, may I ask, are you waiting for? For your tears.
[00:29:54] Unknown:
Grief and anger cannot be bottled up without destroying dear. Remorse is the poison of life. Burate me. Tell me what you think of me now. I feel nothing but sorrow for you and
[00:30:14] Unknown:
and that creature up there.
[00:30:16] Unknown:
But you have not heard my story. Nothing has been real in my life until I met you. And now you would make me the victim. Oh, no. Never, Jane. Never. This time, there was to be a future for both of us. How can you say that when you When I was in my twenties, my father sent me to Jamaica. His business was not going well. And he and my brother made a deal with importers named Mason.
[00:30:41] Unknown:
A deal for you to marry?
[00:30:44] Unknown:
Well, I didn't know that that was part of the contract. No one told me that £30,000 was paid for their daughter to marry an Englishman. But you saw her, you must All I saw was an untamed island girl who charmed me with her caresses. How could you? She was a handsome woman named Jane. Now, how was I to know that if it were not for me, she would be sent to the asylum where her mother was or locked up in prison for some of these things that she had done. But you lived with her? Yes. I spent four years of hell trying to get medical help, but our case was hopeless.
And when my brother and father died, I was left with Thornfield Hall, and no one outside this house except the doctor and Richard Mason knew of her existence.
[00:31:33] Unknown:
And that's why you're seldom here.
[00:31:36] Unknown:
I cannot stand the solitude. Nothing has had any meaning. Nothing until you came, Jane.
[00:31:44] Unknown:
And now I must leave you. No. No. No. You can't.
[00:31:48] Unknown:
I'll take you anywhere you want to go. Do anything you say. Then
[00:31:53] Unknown:
let me go in peace. I left Thornfield Hall in the dark of night and can scarce remember how I stumbled over the moor until I reached the village. It was almost dawn when I found a sleepy man with a carriage. I showed him what money I had and asked him to take me as far as it would go. He put me off at Whitcrest. You want a room at this hour of the morning? No. I'm looking for employment. No one needed here. Do you know any place in the neighborhood where a servant is needed? I can't say, but I doubt it. What do most people do in this place? Some are farm laborers.
Some work at the needle factory in the foundry. Do they employ women? No. It's men's work. Cooking. What do the women do? I wear poor folk, mom. And poor folk get along as best they can. Where can I get some food? Well, bed and board right on the premises if you can pay the price, but I can't. Well, then it's off with you. But where can I go? As the Reverend Rivers out at Moor House, how do I get there? A A pit road going that way when it's a long walk. The walk was endless, and a storm had come up. I pulled my thin coat around me. I was soaked to the skin. At last, a prison like structure rose through the mist. And before I could reach the marker, I collapsed on the doorstep.
[00:33:43] Unknown:
Well, young lady. You've finally come around.
[00:33:47] Unknown:
This is
[00:33:48] Unknown:
Moor House? Yes. Yes. And I'm Saint Jim Rivers. Now you must tell me your name and how I can get in touch with your family. My name is Jane Eyre, but
[00:34:01] Unknown:
I have no family.
[00:34:02] Unknown:
No relatives at all?
[00:34:04] Unknown:
An uncle. If you will give me a pen and paper, I will write to him. Where where does he live? In Madeira.
[00:34:13] Unknown:
Oh, it's far away. Give me the name of someone nearby who can come and fetch you.
[00:34:20] Unknown:
There's no one. Please, mister Rivers, you must help me. Although my heart was heavy, good fortune came my way. Miss Eyre, you've been of such help at the mission. I don't know how we could have got along without you these past months. And I'm happy to tell you, sir, that I now have a way to repay your kindness. Which been repaid many times over. No. I've heard from my uncle's executor. I'm soon to inherit what seems to be a vast sum of money. Well, I'm happy for you, although I hope this does not mean that you'll be leaving us. I want to share my inheritance with the mission.
And then, what I've always wanted, my own girl's school. For the first time in my life, I could make a choice, free to do what I wanted. But more than ever, I was troubled by my dreams. This time, of a stern face with tender eyes, a rough yet gentle man who haunted my days and nights. His voice became more insistent. I heard it everywhere. Edward Rochester needed me. And no matter what the consequences, I must return to Thornfield Hall. May I help you? Do you know Thornfield Hall? Oh, yes. I live there. Did you? Where was the late mister Rochester's butler? The late?
Is he dead? Well, I mean, the present gentleman's mister Edward's father. Is mister Edward Rochester staying now at Thornfield Hall? Oh, no, ma'am. How could he be? The place is a total ruin. What? Where is he then? I I must see him. Well, you're a stranger here.
[00:36:25] Unknown:
You don't know what's happened. Tell me, please. Well, you see, when all mister Rochester died, I was sent to work at Ferndean, and I was only called back to the hall after some curious events had taken place. Go on. Well, there was this little snip of a governess who started the whole thing. What are you talking about? She deserted mister Rochester, you see, when he needed her most. Poor lonely man that he was. When mister Rochester Ward was sent off to school and missus Fairfax went to live with her sister, I was called back to look after mister Rochester. Please, man. Where is mister Rochester?
[00:37:10] Unknown:
I like to tell things the way they should be told.
[00:37:14] Unknown:
Straight through from beginning to end. Except for those two on the Third Floor there. Well, there was just me and mister Rochester in that big house, and it was the middle of the night.
[00:37:30] Unknown:
I, won't need anything more, John. Why don't you go to bed? Well, I should think you're doing the same,
[00:37:37] Unknown:
sir. But if you're gonna stay here, let me build up the fire. No. No. No. I'd rather stare into the coals.
[00:37:44] Unknown:
I'll go to bed when I feel that sleep will come. Oh, I could fix your hot drink. No. Nothing. Thank you. Oh, good night then, sir. What's the matter with you? Are you catching cold? No.
[00:37:59] Unknown:
It's mister Rochester, there's there's smoke pouring down from the upper store. It will close the door.
[00:38:06] Unknown:
We'll break the window and take the outside stairway to the Second Floor.
[00:38:15] Unknown:
The the left wing of the house is on Missus Rochester. Oh, lord. But, but, should be consumed in a place. Little. Well, you can, sir. Beautiful as it is, He he tried to reach her. Oh, he tried, but it was no use. She was dead. As dead as the stones on the courtyard where her broken body lay. But it was mister Rochester I worried about. He was injured? Caught under a falling beam. You assured me he is alive. Yes. Yes. He is alive, but many think he had best be dead. But where is he? Is mister Rochester in England? He's in England. He's not able to go much of anywhere now.
He was hurt that badly in the fire. Oh, mister Rochester is completely blind.
[00:39:51] Unknown:
I will pay you well to take me to this place where mister Rochester is staying. Friending? Oh, I don't mind driving there. My sister works for mister Rochester, but, oh, I doubt that he'll let anyone in the house. You must persuade your sister to let me see him. Ask your sister to give me the tray. I will take it to mister Rochester. Oh, I hope we're not doing wrong by letting you into his house.
[00:40:24] Unknown:
But if he orders you out, I'll drive you back to the inn.
[00:40:29] Unknown:
Pirate, be quiet. What What makes you so excited? Mary, is that you? Mary is in the kitchen. Who is that? Pilot knows me. But don't take advantage of these sightless eyes. That voice No. No. No. It can't be.
[00:40:47] Unknown:
Speak again. You called me,
[00:40:50] Unknown:
and I have found you. Put it in your hand. Oh, there's no mistake. Jane
[00:40:58] Unknown:
Jane Eyre. It is, sir.
[00:41:01] Unknown:
Am I hideous, Jane?
[00:41:04] Unknown:
Yes, mister Rochester. But then you always were, you know.
[00:41:08] Unknown:
That's my spirited girl. Great heaven, Jane. How I've missed you. I gave up searching. Where have you been?
[00:41:19] Unknown:
It's a long story, sir.
[00:41:29] Unknown:
So you have found your independence.
[00:41:32] Unknown:
Would that I had found mine. It is not what I expected. Your own school
[00:41:37] Unknown:
or after India with your missionary. Which will you do? Why neither, sir.
[00:41:42] Unknown:
If you will let me stay and nurse you. Oh, Jane.
[00:41:47] Unknown:
A nurse could never bind my wounds. What I need, I can no longer ask of my one true love.
[00:41:55] Unknown:
Try me.
[00:41:56] Unknown:
Not only these sightless eyes, but also this stump of a hand. The fire was her revenge, Jane. No more talking about the past. In spite of my infirmities, I don't need a nurse. I want a wife.
[00:42:14] Unknown:
Ask me one more time, mister Rochester. Yeah. Edward,
[00:42:20] Unknown:
Jane. Edward. Our roles have changed, and you are now my master.
[00:42:27] Unknown:
We are two sides of the same coin, mister Rochester, and no one can split it in two.
[00:42:43] Unknown:
Perhaps it seems unreasonable that everything worked out so well for such a pair. But that's the way miss Bronte wrote the story. Along with a number of coincidences, we have not had the time to report. At the very end, Charlotte Bronte tells us that Rochester regained the sight of one eye, and that he and Jane lived happily ever after. I'll be back shortly. The Gothic novel was very popular in the nineteenth century, and it's back in style today. Women writers are still leading the field, just as it is in the Bronte's day. There seems to be renewed interest in ghostly mansions, orphaned girls, and bold men, both dashing heroes and those with evil intent.
I hope you agree that such fare makes good listening. Our cast included Patricia Elliott, Arnold Moss, Lloyd Bautista, and Anne Petoniak. The entire production was under the direction of Hyman Brown. And now, a preview of our next tale.
[00:43:57] Unknown:
Just a minute. Sorry. I'm laying Never mind that. Come in. Quick. You can see. They what? The outer space people, they are on now. Quick. I I I don't know what you're talking about, Flo. But that's Margaret Margaret from five in the family. She she's going upstairs to her bedroom. I recognize the house. But she's the greatest house. No. It can't be. They they weren't there. Cleggor and Gundrick. Who? The ones who wanna help to warn us. Funny names. What are they? New characters in the show? No. No. They're space people from some place they were there, and now they're not. No. No.
I'm grateful God, Dewey. I think I must be going great.
[00:44:47] Unknown:
Missus EG Marshall inviting you to return to our mystery theater for another adventure in the macabre. Until next time. Present.
[00:45:18] Unknown:
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Introduction to Jane Eyre
Jane's Arrival at Thornfield Hall
Meeting Mr. Rochester
The Mystery of Thornfield Hall
Rochester's Proposal
The Wedding Interrupted
Jane's Departure and New Life
Jane's Return to Thornfield
Reunion and Resolution
