Nightmare Page #2

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it may as well be somebody who could

be of some help in an emergency.

It sounds like a good idea.

Do you know Mr. Baxter well?

No. I've never met him.

His wife engaged me.

I think I'll just look in

on Janet. Then I'll go to bed.

Mrs. Gibbs will get you

anything you need. Thank you.

Good night.

Good night.

You want something, miss? No, thank you.

I'm going to bed now.

Good night then, miss.

Good night.

Can I clear away this?

Yes, of course.

Nice of you to bring Janet home.

I enjoyed the trip.

She's all right, isn't she?

She's not any worse?

Worse?

Poor darling thing. I don't know how

she puts up with it, I really don't.

What do you mean? This terrible

thing that's torturing her.

Never a moment's rest from it, day or night.

What thing, Mrs. Gibbs?

You don't know?

No, I don't.

I'm sorry, miss, I... Please, Mrs.

Gibbs. I'm very fond of Janet.

She's fond of you, too. She

told me last time she was home.

I'm sorry, miss. I thought you

knew about her mother and father.

Only that they were dead.

They're not.

Leastways, her mother isn't.

Her mother's still alive?

If you can call it that.

She's locked up in an asylum.

You must have seen the place this afternoon.

How terrible.

Not so terrible as what her

mother did that put her there.

What was that?

It was six years ago.

Six years ago this month.

Janet was 11 then, such a happy child.

She was always laughing and joking.

We had such fun in those days.

This was a happy house.

Janet, her mother, and father.

What happened?

It was Janet's birthday.

She and I had been out

for a walk after lunch.

Her mother hadn't been well

and was staying in bed.

So we'd arranged a little tea party

which we were going to have

up in her mother's room.

We got back,

I think it was about 3:00.

Janet had found some wild flowers

that she had picked for her mother.

I'm going to take these up to Mummy.

Take your coat off first.

No, afterwards.

She was 11, miss, 11 years old.

Can you imagine what a thing like

that could do to the mind of a child?

No.

They found her mother insane.

Perhaps it would have been

better if she hadn't been.

Perhaps it'd have been better if it

had been a cold-blooded killing...

by a sane and normal person.

Why do you say that?

Janet had a nervous breakdown after that.

She was in hospital for weeks.

And when she came out, she started to worry.

That's what's been troubling

her this last couple of years.

The terrible worry that she might have

inherited something from her mother.

That she might be insane, too.

That's not very likely, is it?

I don't know, miss. These

things can happen, I've heard.

Not very often.

Perhaps not, but...

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