394 - December 28, 1967

[bunniefuu]

[Abigail narrating] - A séance has been held in the great house of Collinwood,

a séance, which has suspended time and space

and sent one girl on an uncertain

and frightening journey into the past,

back to the year .

There, each of the Collins' ancestors resembles

a present day member of the Collins family,

but the names and relationships have changed,

and Victoria Winters finds herself a stranger

in a sea of familiar faces.

In an attempt to rid themselves of the tragedy

and terror that have plagued them,

the family has abandoned the old mansion

and moved into the great house above Widows' Hill,

but they are soon to learn that the evil force

that pervaded the old house

has already gained a foothold in the new house.

- Angelique!

Angelique, what was all that shouting?

- Oh, monsieur.

Well, this room was -

was supposed to be for the countess but --

- But what?

- Well, we found the door locked and the key wouldn't open it

and then, we thought we heard footsteps

and someone laughing inside the room.

- How could there be anybody in there

when the door was locked?

- I don't know, monsieur,

but it frightened the countess and Mrs. Collins

so much that they've gone to tell Mr. Collins.

- Oh, I'm very tired of all these people seeing

and hearing things that don't exist.

Now, stand aside.

I cannot hear a sound coming from this room.

- Oh, perhaps, whoever was in there has gone away.

- Or perhaps there was no one in there at all, all along.

You said Mrs. Collins' key did not work, huh?

- No, sir. - Uh-huh.

Then we shall have to find something to force the door.

- Monsieur, look!

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪

- I find it difficult to believe that something supernatural

could be responsible for all this,

but what other answer is there?

- I don't know, sir.

- The door was locked,

so no one could have gained entrance from the corridor

and yet someone or something was here.

- Sir, this was to be Jeremiah's room. - Yes.

- It is possible that, well --

- You think that Jeremiah was responsible

for all of this?

- His ghost, sir.

- Do you really mean that?

- Well, Madame Josette saw his ghost

and Mrs. Collins saw it too.

- I see.

Well, it may be the only explanation

for what has happened here.

- Oh, monsieur, I must find someone to -

to straighten this up before the countess sees it.

- Well, I wouldn't go to the trouble with that.

I'm sure that the countess won't be willing to stay here now.

- [gasps]

What has happened here?

- I wish I knew.

- Oh!

Oh.

The devil has followed us into this house.

I warned my brother.

- You warned him? - Yes.

The Reverend Trask said the evil spirit should be

exorcised out of this house before anyone moved in,

but Joshua refused to listen to him.

Well, I would call that good judgment

on the part of your brother.

- You do not like the Reverend Trask,

do you, Mr. duPrés?

- Hmm, well, that's putting it charitably.

I think the man is an outrageous fraud.

- Well, maybe to your advantage

to think him a fraud.

- I beg your pardon?

- He may represent a threat to the duPrés family.

- What are you talking about?

- I think you know what I mean.

- No, Madame, I do not know what you mean.

Now, please stop beating around the bush

and tell me what's on your mind!

- Very well!

I think it's time someone came out with it.

I think that the arrival of you and your family

and the arrival of Ms. Winters

were not as coincidental as they seemed at first.

- Meaning what?

- The Collins family was never victimized by evil spirits

before you came.

- Are you saying that the duPrés family is responsible

for all of this and what's happened?

- Well, obviously, the witch is directly responsible,

but the question is,

what brought the witch here?

- Oh.

You think we did?

- Well, I think it's someone in your family

that the witch is after.

- Are you by any chance hinting

that we are no longer welcome here?

- My brother is the master in this house

and it's not for me to say who is welcome and who is not.

- And it's not for you to insult your brother's guests either,

but you apparently do it and have no qualms about it.

- I've only spoken my mind. - Uh-huh.

You have insulted me and my family!

I'm going to bring the matter to the attention

of your brother at once!

- If you're expecting me to apologize

for speaking the truth -- - From you, Madame,

I expect nothing but narrow opinions

of a lonely and fanatical old woman.

It is at once a pity and a blessing

that you were not born in France.

Good day, Madame!

- And where are you going?

- Oh. I must go and -

and have someone clean the room

before the countess arrives.

- You - you will go later.

- But the countess is waiting.

- Well, let her wait, young woman!

You come over here and sit down!

I want you to talk to me first!

- What is it you wish to talk about?

- I want you to tell me about your trickery,

Ms. Angelique.

♪♪

- Ms. Collins, I do not understand.

- I want you to tell me how you tricked Barnabas

into proposing marriage to you.

- But I did not trick him.

- Nonsense! I know better.

- Well, I'm speaking the truth.

- Do you mean to tell me that Barnabas,

of his own free will, asked you to become his wife?

Well, answer me.

- No, it did not happen that way.

- No, of course it did not happen that way.

You struck a bargain with him, didn't you,

a devil's bargain.

- Oh, no. - Do not deny it.

I already know the whole miserable story from my brother.

- No, I swear! It was not a devil's bargain!

- Didn't Barnabas agree to marry you

because you said you would cure Sarah?

- Yes. But --

- And how did you go about curing Sarah?

- I brewed a tea made of special herbs. - Yes.

I want to ask you about that tea with special herbs.

Where did you learn to brew such a concoction?

- My mother taught me.

- Does your mother have other curative powers?

- No, of course not.

My mother was a simple woman.

- I do not call a woman who can restore a person's health

a simple woman.

- But she was.

- No, she wasn't! And neither are you!

There's a lot more to you than meets the eye, young woman,

a whole lot more

behind that fragile innocence you tried to convey.

Oh, yes, you may fool some people in this house --

- No, I am not trying to fool anyone.

- Do you mean to say that you think it was that herb tea

that cured Sarah?

- I only know what happened.

After the child drank the tea, she began to feel better.

- Don't you think it strange that a simple servant girl

can accomplish what doctors of medicine failed to accomplish?

What other powers do you have?

- None!

- Perhaps someone who can restore someone's health

can also take it away.

- What do you mean by that?

- Sarah became ill very suddenly, very mysteriously,

as Barnabas did several weeks ago.

- You think that I made Sarah ill?

- The thought has crossed my mind.

- No. No, it's not true.

- If you wanted Barnabas badly enough,

you could make Sarah ill and then,

take advantage of him and the emotional crisis.

- No, no, I did not make Sarah ill!

How could I have? I wasn't even in the room.

There was no one there with the child,

but her mother and Barnabas and --

- Who else?

- Ms. Winters.

- The witch was in Sarah's room?!

- I do not know that Ms. Winters is a witch.

- I do. I'm certain of it,

but not all together certain of you, young woman.

You are either in league with Ms. Winters and the devil

or you're just a schemer trying to better your station in life.

In either case, you are not a fit wife for Barnabas.

- I promise I will make him a very good wife.

- No, my dear. You are entirely wrong.

You will never, if I have anything to say about it

and I will, you will never marry him!

♪♪

- Jeremiah?

Can you hear me, Jeremiah?

If you are still in this room,

make your presence known to me.

Let me see you.

You cannot return to your grave yet, Jeremiah.

There is one more thing I want you to do.

♪♪

[knocking on door]

- May I come in?

- Well, yes, Nathan, of course.

- Barnabas?

- What's the matter?

Is there a problem at the shipyard?

- No, no, no. I didn't come here on business.

- Oh.

- I - I want to talk to you as a friend, if I may.

- By all means.

- I just talked with the countess a while ago.

She told me something that gave me quite a jolt.

- What was that?

- Well, she told me you were planning to marry Angelique.

Was that true?

- Yes.

- When did all of this happen?

I didn't even know you were seeing the girl.

- Well, I haven't been seeing her, really.

- You mean, you just decided to marry her arbitrarily?

That doesn't make any sense.

- Nathan, it's all too long and too complicated

to explain now.

- Barnabas, you know that I value your friendship

and I - I hope you value mine.

- Of course I do.

- And if you - if you needed a friend for anything,

you would call on me, wouldn't you?

- Yes.

Why?

- Well, I don't know. This has all happened so suddenly.

I just thought that -- - Nathan.

My father and my Aunt Abigail are against my marriage.

I was hoping that my friends would feel otherwise.

- Oh, Barnabas, I have no right to approve

or disapprove of what you do with your life.

I'm only concerned as a friend.

Are you quite sure of what you're doing?

- Even if I weren't, there's no turning back now.

I will marry Angelique.

- What? You have no choice?

- In a way, yes.

- Barnabas, I - I hope you don't take offense of this,

but if you're in any kind of trouble and need help -- - Trouble?

- Well, I mean, if you have to marry the girl,

if - if her honor is at stake --

- Good heavens!

Is that what's had you looking so worried?

- Well, I hadn't dismissed the possibility, no.

- Well, you can put your mind at rest.

- Do you love her?

- I love her enough.

- What about Josette?

- What about her?

- Well, there were a great many people who are hoping

that after a suitable period of time,

you and Josette might re-discover each other.

- Well, I'm sorry to disappoint a great many people

because it will never happen!

- I hope I haven't gotten out of line in speaking about this.

- No, of course not. I appreciate your concern.

- Now, if you'll excuse me, Nathan,

I'm feeling rather tired

and I'd like to lie down for a while.

- Of course.

I hope you and Angelique will be very happy.

- Thank you, Nathan.

♪♪

[Jeremiah] - Barnabas.

- Who is it?

- It is I, Jeremiah.

- Where are you?

- Here, by the window, Barnabas.

You cannot open the door.

It is locked.

You must stay here until I have finished with you.

- What do you want of me?

- I want in death what you would not give me in life.

- I don't understand.

- I want justice.

- Justice.

You k*lled me in order to take Josette away from me

and now, you will try to marry her.

- No, that's not true.

- You lie, Barnabas.

You will do anything to get her back,

but she is not yours. - No.

- And you cannot have her. - No!

I will marry Angelique.

- This is what you say, but you still covet Josette,

another man's wife.

I am here to warn you, Barnabas.

She is mine.

And if you ever do marry her,

I will haunt you both for the rest of your lives.

♪♪

- You shouldn't come into this room like this.

You know that we have enough problems as it is.

- Oh, Barnabas, my darling, I must talk to you at once.

- Is something wrong? - Very wrong.

- What? What is it?

- Oh. I'm so frightened.

- Of what?

- Of someone who wants to prevent our marriage.

- Who? - Your Aunt Abigail.

- She has nothing to say about it.

- She says she does.

- She spoke to you? - Yes.

She came to me in my mistress's room.

Barnabas, I know that I am still a servant in this house,

but does this mean I must remain silent while -

while people make accusations against me

and threaten me?

- Aunt Abigail did that?

- She accused me of deliberately making Sarah ill

in order to trap you into a marriage.

- She had no right to do that.

I will speak to my father about it.

- Oh, no, you mustn't do that.

You mustn't do anything to antagonize her any further.

- But there's nothing else I can do.

- Yes, there is! - What?

- You can marry me immediately!

Tonight!

- I can't do that.

We both promised my father we would wait.

- But I'm afraid to wait now.

Don't you see, if we give your aunt more time,

she may prevent the marriage.

Oh, please, please let's go through with it tonight.

Barnabas, is something wrong?

You don't want to go through with the marriage at all,

do you?

- I have every intention

of going through with the marriage.

- But you are willing to let your family abuse me

until you are ready for marriage? - Please, Angelique.

You're not the only one that's had a - a trying day.

- Why? What do you mean?

- You wouldn't believe me if I told you.

- No. Please do tell me.

- Jeremiah was here in this room just a few minutes ago.

- But it's impossible!

- I tell you, I saw him standing over there by that window.

He was a terrifying sight.

His head was still covered with those bloodstained bandages.

- But what happened?

He said he came to give me a warning,

he accused me of - of k*lling him

so that I could marry Josette.

He said if I did marry her, that he would,

well, that he would haunt me

until the end of my days.

And then, he vanished right before my eyes.

- Oh, Barnabas, I'm sorry.

I was so wrapped up in my own problems

and here you've had a more frightening experience than I.

- I couldn't have imagined it.

It was real. I saw him.

I heard him.

- Barnabas, this will go on.

I will continue to be victimized by your family

and you by the ghost of Jeremiah

unless we do something about it now.

- Do something about it.

- We will never be happy until we are married

and we may never be married

unless we become married tonight!

- Very well.

We will be married immediately,

but we won't run away to do it.

We must be open and honest about it.

I will speak to my father at once.

- How it is done does not matter to me,

just so it is done quickly.

Oh, thank you, Barnabas.

Thank you for being so good to me.

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪