439 - February 29, 1968

[bunniefuu]

[narrator] -A séance has been held in the great house of Collinwood.

A séance, which has suspended time and space

and send one girl on an uncertain

and frightening journey into the past

back to the year ,

where she finds herself labeled a witch

and forced to endure a trial,

which could only have one verdict.

For one person who could have saved her

was unable to make himself known

and must settle for revenge on her prosecutor.

[lid creaking open]

- Good evening, Ben.

Did you see Trask today?

- No, sir.

- I told you to.

- Your father kept me busy here, I never got to town.

- Did he sleep well I wonder

or were his dreams disturbed?

- There were if you had anything to do with it, sir.

- Then they were.

And they will get worse before the so called Reverend Trask

stops dreaming altogether.

- You shouldn't k*ll him, sir.

- Victoria Winters has been sentenced to hang

because of him.

He will know how she feels.

He will see what it's like to be a prisoner alone in a cell,

only his will have no door.

- What do you mean sir, what are you planning?

- You will see Ben.

You will see.

♪♪

[eerie theme music] ♪♪

Excuse me sir, but scaring Trask is one thing.

I - I'm all for that.

But if you'll go any further,

it will only make it worse for Miss Winters.

- Nonsense.

- It will, sir.

Whatever happens to him, they'll say it was

because of the witch, they'll blame her.

- Not if we're clever, Ben.

- Well, I ain't clever.

You better just leave well enough alone,

make him leave Collinsport if you want,

send him running back to Salem.

- And let him find another innocent girl to prosecute.

- It's no business of ours what he does after he's left here.

- I'm making it my business.

- You're wrong, sir, begging your pardon.

You do not know how much talk there is in town

about this trial.

This Trask, he's an important person,

some people even fools enough to look up to him.

If anything happens to him, they won't just forget.

What if he just disappear one night.

- They'd hunt for him.

- Here Ben?

In this room?

- You wouldn't bring him here.

- Why not Ben?

If we arrange it so that everyone thinks

he is gone home to Salem

and if we make him come here.

- How are you going to do that?

- There are so many ways, Ben.

- Don't put me in any of them.

I ain't going to bring him here.

- You won't, Ben.

He will come here out of his own curiosity.

One night, he will have a dream,

a nightmare

and he will be compelled to come here.

Yes, that's what it will be.

You will get a large brass ring,

big enough to tie someone's hands to

and you will place it here.

- Well, wait a minute, sir.

- Bricks will be needed,

enough to wall in this space,

mortar of course.

You will bring it here as soon as you can.

And you will make certain that no one sees you

coming in the house.

- Sir, I - I ain't you going to help you on this.

- Of course you are.

- No, no, I can't.

I've - I've seen as much k*lling as I can stomach.

You're not going to have to see it, Ben.

- You're beginning to think you can get away with anything.

You ain't got no feelings about anything anymore.

- Oh, I have feelings, Ben.

I can hate and I can do something about that hate.

Now, I want you to have everything

that I ask you for here tomorrow.

- No, no, I - I got to think of myself.

- You've got to think about me, too.

- They could send me back to prison for helping you,

for doing anything for you,

for not reporting you.

If they catch me, they'll never let me go.

- Don't worry about that.

- I've got nothing else to worry about.

Before - before that curse, you always thought about me,

you're always trying to make my lot easier.

Now, now I'm fearing where all this is going to end.

- It's never going to end Ben, for me.

- It is for me, right now.

I'm sorry, but you're going to have to make do without me.

- I can't.

- You must, sir.

I can't go on with you.

- Ben, you're mad.

Do you think I can let you go?

You know far too much.

- I can hold my tongue.

You can trust me.

- I trust no one.

I'm sorry Ben,

but have no choice now.

- You'd even k*ll me, wouldn't you?

- If I had to.

- Go on then, now.

I don't want to see what's going to be--

I don't want to be here when someone finally finds you.

I don't want to answer all those questions they're going to ask.

I don't want to watch what's going to happen to you.

- Ben, Ben, I can't hurt you, Ben.

- You can't k*ll me because you need me.

You ain't got nobody else.

- You'll go on with me Ben,

there's nothing either one of us can do.

♪♪

- More rum, more rum.

- Ducks, you have enough.

- What? What did you say?

- I said, you have enough, ducks.

- Who - who are you?

- Well, that's a fine thing to say to a lady

who's been keeping you company ever since

you walked in the door.

- Who - who are you anyway?

- Maude.

But you can call me Maudie.

- Your new around here Maudie, I ain't see you before.

- Well, I thought I just give the locals a look

at what a big city woman looks like.

- You be careful, Maudie.

You be real careful around here tonight.

Don't - don't be alone.

Did you hear about Ruby Tate?

- Ruby?

You men the girl that got k*lled?

Yeah, it happened the day I got here.

But I knew it would come to her because she was coming,

I mean that's how she got herself done in.

I mean, she talked to any man.

Now, I don't talk to the kind of man that Ruby Tate did.

- What kind of men do you talk to, Maudie?

- Gentlemen, of course.

- Men!

More rum, innkeeper.

- Come on, ducks.

A gentleman you obviously are not.

Will you excuse me?

- No, hey, wait, wait.

Don't go out, you hear?

Don't let what happened to Ruby Tate happen to you.

- I do not enjoy the company of men who prefer rum to me.

- There he is, the big fellow.

- You're coming with me, aren't you?

- Of course not, he's a servant there.

You just do as I told you.

- Oh, Lieutenant Forbes, don't you look spiffy.

- Hello, Maudie.

You know Noah, don't you?

- Oh, I've seen him around, we've never met formally.

- Well, this is Noah.

- How'd do you do Noah?

- Maude.

- So Maudie, are you with Ben Stokes?

- That his name?

Honestly, the men around this town,

I mean, I'm going to go right back to New Bedford

with my money unless somebody stops me, of course.

- Well, I just might take you up on that.

- Any time, Lieutenant.

- What are you doing in about an hour?

- Look for me. I shouldn't be hard to find.

Cheerio.

- All right, let's get started.

Find out everything you can about Barnabas.

Barnabas, can you remember that name?

All right. I'll see you later.

- You're Ben Stokes?

- Aye.

- You work for the Collins',

Maudie told me.

My name is Noah, Noah Gifford.

I'm sort of hunting a job.

- More rum, more rum and one from my friend here.

- Thanks.

You say, I thought perhaps they might be,

uh, hiring people out at Collinwood.

Do you know if they are?

- You took long enough to get it here.

- I've been a gardener in my time

before I went to the sea.

I just came back,

the ship is being refitted at the yard.

I don't want to sign up with any ship.

So, I thought I'd hang around here for a while.

- I've never been to sea.

- I, uh, I have to get a job. - I always thought I'd like to go to sea.

- You know, something - something I could do,

- you know, not too much work. - Maybe I'll ship out with you.

- I really need something quick, you see.

- China that's where I'd like to go.

I never get enough tea to drink.

I like teas, strong, you put little rum in it.

Are they a good family to work for?

- Who you're talking about.

- The Collins'.

- No.

- Why not?

- You ship out.

- Look, I may have another reason for wanting to stay here,

but there is still not jobs.

- Don't work for them!

That's all I'm telling you. You wouldn't like it.

The things he asks you to do.

- He?

- Get bricks.

Get bricks and I can't say no.

- Why not?

- Mr. Barnabas he-- - What about Barnabas?

- I mean, who is Barnabas.

- It's all changed, everything is changed.

It ain't the way it used to be.

- It was no good there either, but now, now--

- How, how have things changed, huh?

- Who are you anyway?

Why are you asking me all these questions?

What are you trying to find out?

Are you going to answer me or not?!

- Well, yes, that is my handkerchief.

Thank you very much.

- Perfectly all right.

- A particular favorite of mine, this.

Genuine lace, French perfume.

I do appreciate nice things, don't you?

Oh, what a silly question.

Why, it's obvious that you--

- That I what?

- That you're not like all these terrible,

provincial men around here.

Why, they really frightened me terribly.

- Well, I'm sure they don't intend to.

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

- Wait, where are you going?

Oh, I - I'm not going to let you go away,

why you're the first real gentleman that I've met.

Don't go, please.

♪♪

I should go. I - I shouldn't stay.

- Oh, oh.

- What's wrong? - Oh, I suddenly feel so faint.

- Well, let me see you home.

- Oh, I'm feeling much better now, ducks.

Oh, no, don't move. Oh, it might come back again.

- You aren't from here, are you?

- Is it so obvious?

Well, I guess it is.

I mean, a girl likes a change every now and then

and I - I'm a great believer in traveling

when you can and I - I got no ties,

so sometimes I travel.

- You must get very lonely?

- Oh, I do, terrible lonely,

but I always find company somehow.

- Oh, it wouldn't be hard for you to.

- Oh, see, you make my blush.

I mean, compliments always do.

- Well, they shouldn't, you're very pretty.

- Oh. - Yes, you are.

- But, I--

- Oh, now you're not going to go after saying

all those nice things to Maude, are you?

- Yes.

- Well, I think you didn't mean one thing you said.

Why are you going?

- You shouldn't be out here tonight.

- It's not safe.

- I'll take my chances with you.

- You will?

- I said I would, didn't I?

- Perhaps you didn't know what you are saying.

- Oh, you don't me.

One thing my traveling has done to me

is shown me lots of life.

- I imagine.

- You understand me, I can tell.

- Yes, I think I do.

- Well, I've got a certain friend to meet later,

I got nothing really planned for now, you know.

I mean...

Ah! What?!

What?! No!

Please let me go!

- No. - Ah!

- No!

[woman screaming]

- Maude!

Maude!

Maude?

Maude.

- Oh, he choked me. He choked me--

- Who was it, Maude?

- He's gone.

- Who was it? - He was the strangler, I know he was.

There's his cane.

- It - It couldn't be.

This couldn't be the stranglers.

I know whose cane is this.

♪♪

- Oh, put that cane away, love.

I mean, it starts me all a trembling.

- Maude, listen to me.

You should go to the police.

- Oh no.

- But you could identify the strangler.

- I ain't gonna go near no police.

I mean, I just want to get back on that stage

and go wherever it takes me.

- All right, Maude, listen to me.

You describe him to me.

See, I'll take care of it.

You won't have to get involve.

- You would do that?

- I told you I would.

- Oh, if you would.

I mean, I would give you a kiss love,

except I look so terrible.

Maybe I should go and pretty up.

- Okay, are you sure the man who attacked you

was carrying this?

- I could never forget it.

I mean, it was one of the first things I noticed about him

and I got an eye for good things.

On the dock you said you knew whose it was.

- I'm wrong.

- Well, you mean there are two canes like that in this town?

- I must be wrong. - Well--

- A friend of mine has a cane like this,

but he's in England they say.

- Maybe it was stolen.

- Perhaps. - No, he is no common thief.

- I mean, he was so - so elegant.

- Was he?

- Hmm.

- Was he tall? - Yes.

- Dark or light?

- Dark.

Such serious eyes.

I mean, they look right through a girl.

I mean, only they didn't frighten me at first.

- All right, now, don't get yourself all upset again.

- Oh, I'm going to have such terrible dreams

about those eyes, I swear.

- Maude, tell me what his voice was like.

- It - it was deep and -

and very, very quiet, very refined.

He sounded so sad, I mean, really,

I didn't think he wanted to talk to me at first.

I wish he hadn't.

I mean, look at me, I'm all a tremble.

- All right. I'll get you another drink.

Another rum over here.

- Love, if you hadn't come along, I'd be dead now.

- Well, just luck that I heard you.

- I sure am grateful.

More than that, I wish there was something

maybe I could do for you.

- Maybe you have.

- What do you mean?

- Maudie, tell me, was this man handsome?

- Well, at first yes,

but then his face, it all changed

like an animal become an awful like him.

And then his hands they were holding me and chocking me,

all I could see was that big ring on his finger.

- What ring?

- It was gold and it had a black stone in it.

- Well, what's wrong?

- Are you positive?

- Why I'll never forget anything about that bloke.

- Maudie, on what finger was he wearing the ring?

- He's wearing it on his first finger.

- You know who it is. - No, I - I don't know.

- Yes, you do! - I'm not sure.

I don't - I don't understand any of it.

Look Maudie, you got to promise me

you won't tell anyone else anything about this, do you?

- All right. - All right. That will be my -

- that will be my payment for having rescued you.

- But look, what are you going to do about it?

- I don't know yet.

Find out if I'm right in what I'm thinking.

If I am, if I am,

you aren't the only lucky one tonight.

♪♪

[eerie theme music] ♪♪