“But it's an ideal house for delirium tremens.”
Por qué es buena
A dry joke turns a haunted house into a stage for a drunkard's nightmares, and the calm makes it worse.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
This drafty flat is an ideal house for a horror film.
00:00 / 02:32
00:00 / 02:32
The Plan to Rescue Stella, Explained
The Uninvited · 1944
Capítulo 26 de 28 · 2'32"
Rick and Pamela decide they cannot leave Stella at Miss Holloway's, and Dr. Scott agrees. "The idea of her spending an hour in that place is horrible," Pamela says, and they plan to go that night without the commander's permission, taking the casebook to frighten Miss Holloway into letting Stella go.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:13–1:00
The House That Drives Them to Drink
47s - 1:22–1:51
The Plan to Rescue Stella
30s
The Plan to Rescue Stella, explained
What happens
Late at night Rick and Pamela work through what they have found. The scent of mimosa leads them to the nursery, and the ghost of Mary Meredith seems close. Dr. Scott arrives and says he is worried not about the commander but about Stella, who is at Miss Holloway's retreat. They decide to get Stella out that night, with or without permission.
What's really going on
The rescue is planned like a piece of detective work, with drinks to steady the nerves. The house keeps producing its evidence — the scent of mimosa, the nursery, the couple of murders that turn up in the records — and Rick and Pamela treat it half as a puzzle and half as a threat. The line that shifts the tone is the doctor's: "It's not him I'm worried about. It's Stella." Once Stella is in the retreat, the mystery stops being a game, and Pamela's certainty — "The idea of her spending an hour in that place is horrible" — decides the plan. They will go without authority, take the casebook, and pile it on to frighten Miss Holloway, which tells you how much they are improvising.
Key lines & what they mean
- “But it's an ideal house for delirium tremens.”
- A joke about the house's gothic terrors: it would be the perfect setting for a drunk's hallucinations, which is how strange the place feels.
- “It's not him I'm worried about. It's Stella.”
- The doctor redirects the concern: the commander's health is not the real trouble, Stella's situation at the retreat is.
- “The idea of her spending an hour in that place is horrible.”
- Pamela's reason for acting at once: even a short stay in the retreat feels unbearable to her.
- “Awful if we took to drink, both of us.”
- A self-aware joke between the two of them: the haunted house and the strain could drive them both to drink.
Theme
- Courage — Rick and Pamela choose to act without permission and go after Stella the same night, despite having no legal standing.
- Friendship — The plan is driven by loyalty to Stella, who is alone at the retreat, and the four of them close ranks to bring her back.
Qué aprendes en este capítulo
Puntos de enseñanza
Repasa justo después de verMi nivel4/6
A1–C2 es la escala MCER. Las tarjetas por encima del nivel elegido se atenúan y la reproducción no se pausa en ellas.
Puntos de lengua
Toca una tarjeta para saltar a ese momentoFrases de oro
Una gran frase en sí misma: por qué y cómo usarla“It's not him I'm worried about. It's Stella.”
Por qué es buena
Denial and then a name: the line shifts everyone's worry onto Stella in one breath.
Registro
Neutral
Úsala tú
It's not the bill I'm worried about. It's my father.
“The idea of her spending an hour in that place is horrible.”
Por qué es buena
Naming the mere thought of it, not the danger itself, shows how deeply it disturbs her.
Registro
Neutral
Úsala tú
The idea of him sleeping there alone is hard.
“Awful if we took to drink, both of us.”
Por qué es buena
A self-mocking what-if loosens a tense night talk; the darker the joke, the worse the fix.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
Awful if we missed the last train, both of us.
Siguiente · 27beating about the bushLa escena: Holloway Sends Stella HomeIdeas clave
Lo que te llevas- Fear in this house is answered with jokes, not screams.
- A rescue is planned the moment authority fails.
- 'Old boy' hides affection under impatience.
- The phone call sets a trap at the other end.
Preguntas frecuentes
La pregunta, luego la fraseWhy do Rick and Pamela want to get Stella out tonight?
Because she is at Miss Holloway's retreat and they believe it is dangerous for her. Pamela says the idea of Stella spending an hour in that place is horrible.
Why can't they simply take Stella home?
Commander Beech is too ill to give permission, and they have no authority over Stella. They decide to act without it rather than wait.
What do they plan to do with the casebook?
They think they might frighten Miss Holloway with it. They will describe what they have found and then pile it on, exaggerating to force her to release Stella.
What does the smell of mimosa mean in this scene?
It is the ghost's trace at Windward House. The scent came from the nursery the night before, and it is strongest where Mary Meredith seems to be.