806 - July 28, 1969

[bunniefuu]

[ eerie orchestral music ]

NARRATOR:A few years before the turn of the century,

the inhabitants of Collinwood

lived through a series of nightmarish events.

The most mysterious of all these was the appearance

of the disembodied hand of Count Petofi.

The terror it unleashed was compounded by the arrival

of the legendary Count Petofi himself,

who came in quest of the hand.

Failing to get it, he imposed a harsh punishment

on all who lived at Collinwood.

He decreed that each of them must discover

the horrible truth about themselves

and suffer the terrible consequences.

[ suspenseful orchestral music ]

Good morning, my dear Charity.

What's the matter, child?

What have you got there, what's that you were reading?

It's a confession.

It says that you and Mr. Hanley m*rder*d my mother.

[ suspenseful orchestral chords ]

[ theme music ]

What do you have there, Charity?

[ suspenseful orchestral music ]

Where did you get this, where did you find it?

It was lying there, on the desk.

That's impossible. I saw it burn in the fireplace.

CHARITY: Then you know about it?

Of course, I know about it, I've read every word of it.

It isn't true, is it?

I can see that you're ready to believe that it is true.

I don't know, I'm just so shocked.

You mustn't believe this.

How dare you, Charity?

How dare you give credence to this foul

and libelous attack on your own father?

CHARITY: I didn't say that I believed it.

But you did believe it, I can see it on your face.

You believed it without even giving me

the benefit of the doubt.

No, no, it isn't true, I just didn't understand.

Well, then I shall make you understand, Charity.

And never again will you harbor ill feelings

about your own father.

CHARITY: Father, I couldn't help reading it.

For I say to you, Charity Trask,

look to yourself before you have ill feelings about others.

Father, please, I did not believe what I read.

Please believe me.

I ask you, Charity, where,

when you were reading this scurrilous document,

was your reliance on the Almighty?

For if you had relied on him, Charity,

then you would have known that this so-called confession

is nothing more than the rantings

of some foul and evil person.

For you know, you know who was responsible

for your mother's death, don't you, Charity?

CHARITY: Yes, Father.

Then tell me who it was.

Timothy Shaw.

I've been greatly concerned about the things

that have happened in this house of late.

Edward is on the brink of madness,

you behaving last night

like some common woman of the streets.

Father, you know I didn't realize what I was doing.

Of course, you didn't.

But once again, Charity, you have been unable to resist

doing the devil's bidding.

I say that you are under Lucifer's power,

just as Edward is under his power.

I say that Lucifer is trying to undo

the good that I have done in this house,

and that you and all the others in this house

are acting as his accomplices.

No, Father, no.

You know now, Charity,

why this document is evil, don't you?

Yes, yes, I do.

Then get down on your knees and pray, Charity.

Pray for the deliverance of your soul.

Pray that I may find the strength

to defeat the forces that threaten us,

for I am the only one left

who can secure salvation for us all.

[ bells tinkling suspensfully ]

MAGDA: Jamison.

Jamison?

Have you been assigned to guard my cell?

Barnabas, he got good reason to keep you here.

Then would you mind telling me what they are?

MAGDA: I'll let him tell you

when he comes to see you tonight.

He's afraid of what's happening at Collinwood, isn't he?

MAGDA: How should I know?

The truth can be very destructive, Magda.

Beth Chavez found that out,

and Edward, and Charity,

and now Mr. Trask.

They're all suffering after learning

what they are really like inside.

It's so hard to believe that this is happening.

You are Jamison.

JAMISON: And yet, I am not Jamison.

Does that frighten you, Magda?

Oh, no, why should I be frightened?

JAMISON: Because you know your time,

your own time will come, eventually.

My own time?

I don't know what you're talking about.

Very soon, you will begin to see yourself,

and, Magda, you will not like what you see.

MAGDA: No, no, I don't believe you.

Nothing will happen.

[ chuckles ] That's what our friend, Mr. Trask, said.

But, alas, it's happening to him, anyway.

And what is happening to him?

He's at Collinwood now,

yet it is not the Collinwood

that he has dreamed of mastering.

No, now it is like a prison to him,

and he is trapped, alone in it.

Alone, with his conscience.

Alone and tortured by the truth

that he cannot erase from his mind.

[ wind howling ]

[ thunder clapping ]

[ window banging ]

[ wind howling intensely ]

Minerva!

I know you are in this house!

And I know why you're here.

Minerva, leave this house!

Do you hear me?

Minerva!

Stop doing this to me.

I beg you, stop it.

Stop it, stop it, stop it!

[ wind howls and fades ]

Minerva?

Minerva, listen to me.

I am an innocent man.

[ wind howls loudly ]

[ thunder roaring ]

It's an evil force that has aroused your spirit against me.

You must believe that, Minerva, you must believe that!

[ wind howling fades ]

CHARLES: Are you all right, Mr. Trask?

GREGORY: Who are you?

My name, sir, is Tate, Charles Delaware Tate.

How do you know who I am?

By the way you're dressed.

Your servants told me you were a man of the cloth.

Say, who were you talking to just now?

No one.

I'm sure I heard you addressing somebody named Minerva.

Can't you see that there is no one in this room

other than us?

CHARLES: Yes, yes, I can.

I was sitting here meditating

when that sudden storm came up,

the thunder, the lightning.

The wind blew the window open, it frightened me.

Yes [ chuckles ].

What's the matter, man, don't you believe me?

Mr. Trask, I just came from outside,

and there hasn't been any wind all day long.

Mr. Tate, what is your business here?

I'm, I'm an artist.

I've been commissioned to do a portrait.

Of whom?

CHARLES: Quentin Collins.

I see.

Do I know you, Mr. Tate?

No, no, I don't believe we've ever met.

No, I'm sure we haven't.

Say, these are very nice portraits, aren't they?

I think I like this one the best.

No, no, I don't mean,

I mean, your name.

You're not the Charles Tate?

Yes, I am, Charles Delaware Tate.

Well, your work is famous all over the country.

I imagine you command a rather large fee.

I do.

Well, Mr. Tate, are you aware that Quentin Collins

has practically no money?

Can it be possible that he commissioned you?

Well, he didn't commission me.

Actually, it was his late grandmother, Edith Collins.

You see, I just haven't had time

to get around to doing a portrait.

Say, this one is nice.

I see, well, it's a pleasure to welcome

a man of your fame and talent to Collinwood.

Actually, I won't be staying in Collinsport

or Collinwood.

I've taken a studio in the village.

I see, that's too bad.

There are any number of rooms here that you could have used.

Well, you see, Quentin Collins doesn't exactly

want me to do his portrait.

As a matter of fact.

As a matter of fact, he says I'm not welcome here at all.

Not welcome?

That's outrageous!

Mr. Tate, permit me to apologize for Quentin's behavior,

and I say that as master of Collinwood.

Well, I take it that way.

That's why I wanted to talk to you.

You see, I'm doing his portrait from a photograph,

and, well, he took the last of the photographs

and I was hoping that,

that maybe you knew where there were some others.

Well, yes, I,

I believe there is a photograph of Quentin here.

Good.

In this desk.

I remember Judith showing it to me one time.

Give me that.

I'm sorry, Mr. Tate.

I was supposed to have mailed this to a friend.

It's very important.

Now, let me see if I can find that

photograph for you.

Yes, here it is.

You may keep it as long as you need it.

Well, thank you, thank you very much, Mr. Trask.

It's my pleasure, Mr. Tate.

How long will you be staying in Collinsport?

I guess I'll be finished with the portrait

in about two weeks.

Well, then, perhaps you might consider

doing a portrait of my daughter, Charity.

Money is no object, Mr. Tate.

Oh, well then, I'll be glad to talk it over with you

just as soon as I finish the portrait, Mr. Trask.

It would be a pleasure.

[ waltz music playing ]

[ knocking ]

Who is it?

CHARITY: Charity.

Come in.

I heard your music playing, so I knew you were here.

It's such a lovely day,

I was thinking of taking a walk along the beach.

I wondered if you'd like to join me.

Maybe some other time.

A walk by the sea would be good for you.

I don't like walks.

We wouldn't have to just walk.

We could sit down somewhere and talk to each other.

Charity, you simply picked the wrong day.

Quentin, are you sad about something?

No.

I think you are.

Why don't you come with me, Quentin?

Maybe I could help you forget about your sadness.

Charity, I'm going to stay right here.

Now, you better leave.

I don't think your father would understand

if he found you here in my room.

I don't think that would upset him so much

as knowing who you were with last night.

QUENTIN: What do you mean?

When I passed by this room,

I heard you talking with Barnabas.

You were imagining things.

No, I wasn't,

I know his voice when I hear it.

All right, what are you going to do?

Tell your father?

I should.

But I'm not going to.

You might remember that

the next time I invite you somewhere.

How long have you been out there, listening?

I just arrived as she opened the door.

QUENTIN: [ laughs ] Of course, you did.

What do you want?

Quentin, you've got to come to the Old House right away.

QUENTIN: What for?

Because the boy, Jamison, he insists to see you.

Is he, is he still possessed?

Yes.

Then it's not Jamison who wants to see me,

is it, Magda?

It's Count Petofi.

[ dramatic orchestral chords ]

Did you ask me here to remind me

that the moon is going to be full tonight?

No, I asked you here to offer you an opportunity.

Opportunity, to do what?

JAMISON: To avoid your fate this evening.

How?

I know much more about your problem than you do.

I know how it begins,

how it manifests itself,

and also how it could be ended.

I am very anxious to leave this place.

That is the basis of my offer.

I will cure you in exchange for my freedom from this cell.

You offered to cure me once before,

and nothing happened.

Well, I'm prepared to make good on my promise.

I will cure you if you let me out of here.

I must have your answer.

How do I know you can really do it?

You have only my word,

but my word is good.

The keys are on that wall.

MAGDA: Quentin.

I thought I told you to stay upstairs.

I knew something like this might happen,

so I came down here to listen.

You're a fool if you go get those keys and open the latch.

Don't listen to her.

You better listen to me,

'cause I know what I am talking about.

QUENTIN: Why am I a fool if I open the door?

Quentin, you ain't thinking.

You're so desperate because you know

that there will be a full moon tonight.

You're not thinking of the foolish things.

Like what?

Oh, like the hand.

He cannot possibly cure you without the hand,

and he ain't got it.

QUENTIN: She's right.

Julianka told me before she died

that the hand was needed to end the curse.

You tried to trick me.

I warned you once before, madam,

that your time would come.

Perhaps it shall come a little bit sooner

than you and I expected.

Your father only said he wanted to commission

a portrait of his daughter.

He didn't say what you looked like.

That's come as a pleasant surprise.

Thank you, Mr. Tate.

I hope it doesn't disturb you,

having visitors in the studio while you work.

No, I don't mind at all, as a matter of fact.

I'm almost finished for the day, anyway.

CHARITY: Your studio is charming.

How did you find it?

A friend of mine rented it last summer

and told me about it.

Well.

I think that about does it for the day.

If you'll excuse me for a minute

while I get all this gook off my hands,

we'll talk, okay?

CHARITY: Yes, of course.

CHARLES: Excuse me.

[ Charity screams ]

[ theme music ]