Prologue

ACT ONE

Scene: "Walter Meets the Signal Man"

(A railway cutting. A wild stormy summer night. The Signal Man is in his signal box. He receives a message from down the line. He wires back a message. We hear the strange, eerie singing of the wires. From the gloom we see the figure of a man—Walter Hartright. He is about 30 years of age, attractive, dark, open. He carries a bag and an easel. He sees the Signal Man checking the tracks with his lantern below him)

[HARTRIGHT]
Hallo!
Below there!
Hallo!

(A lightening flash)

[HARTRIGHT]
Signal Man?
Down there...
Hallo!

(pause)

[SIGNAL MAN]
Who calls to me in the dead of the night?

(Walter steps out of the shadows into the light of the SIGNAL MAN's lantern)

[HARTRIGHT]
Hartright
My name is Walter Hartright

(He climbs down to the SIGNAL MAN's level)

[SIGNAL MAN]
What are you doing here, on a night like this?

[HARTRIGHT]
I'm lost, sir. I'm trying to find my way to Limmeridge House; the train broke down and I'm forced to walk

[SIGNAL MAN]
Branch train
Broke down
What you
Say is true

[HARTRIGHT]
Yes. I heard the wires singing in the wind; the noise of them led me to you

[SIGNAL MAN]
Why are you going to Limmeridge House?

[HARTRIGHT]
I have the post of drawing master: I must arrive tonight, for I start tomorrow

Sir, you look
Upon me with such dread!

(pause)

[SIGNAL MAN]
Last night, I had a vision
That a stranger would appear

He stood right where you are! A man such as yourself!

"Alarm on the line!" he said
"Alarm on the line!"
So I tapped out the message
And the answer came back:
"All well both ways"

But he said, "You'll mark my words...

When a year to this day
The dead lie on the tracks!
The dead lie on the tracks!

[HARTRIGHT]
I can assure you, sir, I know of no imminent danger

[SIGNAL MAN]
A man such as yourself...

(Suddenly there is a strange sound in the air. The telegraph wires sound again in the signal box)

[SIGNAL MAN]
They are calling me from down the line. There's danger somewhere along the line!

[HARTRIGHT]
Wait!

(The sound of the wires grows to a terrible pitch. From behind Hartright, from the depths of the tunnel a hand reaches out and touches him on the shoulder. It is a woman dressed in white. She is in her early 20’s, fair, attractive, but her face is drawn and sorrowful. Her manner is wild and insistent)

[HARTRIGHT]
(startled)
Oh my God!

[WOMAN]
You've got to help me!
There's someone after me!

[HARTRIGHT]
How can I help you?

[WOMAN]
I'm being followed
And I've done nothing wrong!

[HARTRIGHT]
It's very late
For you to be out here alone-

[WOMAN]
You must believe me
That I am free from blame

[HARTRIGHT]
Who do you run from?

[WOMAN]
I dare not say his name

[HARTRIGHT]
Where do you live?
I try to help you if I can

[WOMAN]
I have a secret
My precious secret
But can I trust you?
But can I trust you?

(Her tone changes. She reaches out to him.)

They cannot take away my secret
Though it's something I can't share with you
It's locked inside my heart, my secret
But there's someone I must tell it to

Secrets kept inside can hurt you
Mine is sharper than a knife
If I tell the one I seek
I may save a life!

(She is in distress)

[HARTRIGHT]
Please, you needn't fear me
Truly you can trust me
I would never harm you
I'm no threat—I'm Walter
Walter Hartright
I'll help you to get home

[WOMAN]
I've no home at all
Nothing but my secret
I have just my secret...

(HARTRIGHT reaches out and gently takes her hand.)

(The noise of a pony and chaise approaching. She breaks away)

[WOMAN]
There's something coming
And I must get away!
I have to get away!
But can I trust you?

(She moves off towards the tunnel)

[HARTRIGHT]
Don't go in there!
He said there's danger on the line!

[WOMAN]
(echoing)
I'll tell my secret
For secrets must be told...

(She disappears back into the tunnel.)

(A servant enters)

[SERVANT]
You must be Mister Hartright?

[HARTRIGHT]
Yes

[SERVANT]
I'm sent to bring you straight to Limmeridge House

[HARTRIGHT]
Did you see her?
A woman dressed in white?

[SERVANT]
I saw no one

[HARTRIGHT]
A woman all in white?

[SERVANT]
Sir, I saw no one
I saw no one...

(The servant picks up Hartright’s bags and exits with them. Hartright looks around and then exits after him. The light is beginning to dawn on a new day)