243 - May 31, 1967

[bunniefuu]

[narrating]
- My name is Victoria Winters.

Collinwood, even by daylight,

can seem a menacing and dangerous place

for there are many unsolved mysteries here.

And those who seek to solve them,

to uncover the secrets of the great house,

can be in grave danger.

One man, unaware of the danger

that exists in the shadows of the old house,

is determined to seek out the truth.


- Mr. Loomis, do you, uh, remember me?


- Why, yeah, you're
-
- you're the doctor

who came to look at me when I was sick.


- That's right.

How are you feeling now?


- I'm okay. Why?


- Well, uh, I'd like to examine your wounds again.


- What for?


- Well, I...

I want to be satisfied that they're healing properly.


- They're okay now. I don't
-
- I don't need a doctor.


- Well, I'd like to make sure myself.

Let me examine them. It'll only take a minute.

Oh, and, uh, I'd also like to get a sample of your blood.


- My blood?!
- That's right.

It's for my records.


- No.

You go away.

Please! Go away!

♪♪


- Please, you go away.


- But why?


- I didn't call you. I don't need a doctor.


- Mr. Loomis, I've already been consulted.

Now, all I want to do is reexamine your wounds

and make sure that they're healing properly.


- Oh, I'm fine, honest.


- You may not be as well as you think you are.


- Now, why do you say that?


- Because...

[sighing]

I have another patient

whose symptoms greatly resemble yours,

and it turns out, unfortunately,

that she's suffering from a... a very strange blood disorder.

Now, I don't want to alarm you,

but I do think that I ought to examine you again.


- Who you talkin' about?


- Maggie Evans.


- I see.


- All I want to be sure of is

that you're not suffering from the same thing.

That's why I think that an examination

is absolutely necessary.

Now, surely, you must understand that.


- Well, I don't know.


- Of course you understand it.

You don't want to be sick, do you?


- No.


- All right, then, just give me your hand,

and I'll get a small sample of blood.

Just a couple of drops. Won't take a minute.


- No!
- Mr. Loomis!


- I don't need to be examined.

I feel fine.


- Well, possibly you are all right
-
-


- I don't want to examined! Now, please! I feel fine.


- You may feel fine, but
-
-


- Now, I told ya I don't want an examination

and I don't need an examination, so go away!


- I don't understand your attitude at all.


- Wait a minute. Listen.


- To what?


- Oh, I thought I heard...

What time is it?


- It's about :. Now, why?


- You'd better go now.

The sun is setting. It'll be dark soon.


- Well, I don't happen to be afraid of the dark.

I must say you're behaving very strangely.


- There's nothing you can do for me, so...

Barnabas.


- Hello, Willie.

I see we have a visitor.


- I'm, uh, I'm Dr. Woodard. Dave Woodard.

I guess you're Barnabas Collins, huh?


- That's right.

Well, what brings you here, Doctor?

Is someone ill?


- I am not sure.


- I'm afraid I don't follow you.


- Well, Mr. Collins, I have another patient

who, uh, unfortunately is suffering from a...

a rare blood disease.

Mr. Loomis shows some of the same symptoms,

so I thought, reasonably,

that I should come and examine him,

but he won't let me, and I don't understand why.


- Why won't you let the doctor examine you, Willie?


- 'Cause I'm not sick.

I'm okay.

Now, you tell him I'm okay.


- Well, I can tell you that Willie

seems to be in good health.

He does the work of three men around this place.


- Nevertheless, he could be suffering

from an infectious disease.

The examination is only for your own good.


- You'd better let him examine you, Willie.


- No. No.


- There's nothing to be afraid of.


- Please, let me go to my room.


- All right, then.

I apologize for Willie.

He's the finest servant I ever had,

but he tends to be nervous and upset.


- He seems to be absolutely terrified of me.

It
-
- It doesn't make sense.


- Perhaps he's terrified of all doctors.

There are people like that, you know.

Those who have strange superstitions

about the practice of medicine.


- I assume you're not one of them.

You understand that I'm only trying to help him?


- Yes, of course.


- I would ask you, if you would, please,

to use your influence with him.

Try to persuade him to come to my office.

It could be very important.


- Well, I'll certainly have a talk with Willie.


- Thank you.


- But of course,

if he's still refuses to see you,

I can't force him to go.

I can't force him to do anything against his will.

♪♪


- Violets? Why are you giving me these?


- Well, you used to say violets were your favorite flower.

So as I saw them and I thought of you,

so I bought them for you.


- Why?


- Well, perhaps only to prove that I have a good memory.

You know...

I remember a great many things about you from the old days.


- Do you?
- Oh, yes, a great deal.

And most of my memories are fond memories.


- What's behind all this, Jason?


- Behind what?


- This act you're putting on.


- Am I putting on an act?


- We both know you're only interested in yourself

and what you can get out of me.


- Oh, now, Liz, you judge me much too harshly.


- I know you much too well to be deceived

by this ridiculous act you're putting on,

games you're playing.


- Oh, really?

Well, now, was I playing a game yesterday?


- I didn't understand you yesterday.


- Well, you brought me a problem.

You said that our little financial arrangement

could no longer go on.

And I agreed with you.


- So you did.
- [chuckles]

Believe it or not, Liz, I am very fond of you.


- I don't believe that, and I never will.

[knocking at door]


- Oh! Shall I get it?


- This is still my house.


- Oh, now, Liz, I'm merely trying to be of service to you.


- Good evening, Mrs. Stoddard.


- Oh, Dr. Woodard, what brings you here?


- I was wondering, is Mr. McGuire at home?


- Jason?
- Yes.


- Yes.


- Could I speak with him for a moment?


- You wish to see me, Doctor?


- Oh, Mr. McGuire. Yes, I do.

It'll only take a minute or two.


- Well, come in. Come in.


- Thank you. Mrs. Stoddard.


- Please sit down, Doctor.


- Oh, thanks again.


- Well, now...

what can I do for you?


- Mr. McGuire, you can give me some information

about your friend Willie Loomis.


- Willie Loomis?
- Yes.


- What about him?


- Well, now, as I remember,

it was you that tended him when he was sick a while back,

and I thought that probably

you'd know more about his symptoms than anyone else.

Seems to me that you told me at that time

that he was most ill during the days

and that his strength returned at night.

Is that right?
- That's right.

He was much better at night.

I never figured out why.


- How much better?


- Amazingly better.

He got up and walked around.

He even went out of the house.


- But during the days, his illness would return?


- Oh, yes. He was so weak, he could barely move.


- I still think he was pretending to be ill.


- Well, you know, I thought that he was faking

myself for a while.
- Mm.


- But I don't think so now.

What about it, Doctor?


- Well, his symptoms coincide exactly

with those of Maggie Evans.


- Yes. Yes, I know.

And it's odd, isn't it?


- They must have the same disease.


- Well, it's more than odd, Mr. McGuire.

It could be very dangerous for your friend.


- Dangerous?


- I had the opportunity to study

a sample of Maggie Evans' blood.

It contained, um, well, uh, certain impurities.


- Impurities?
- Strange cells.

I don't know what they were.

I've never seen anything like them.


- And you think that Willie might have this disease?


- Well, I don't know, but it's highly possible.

He refuses to be examined.
- [Mrs. Stoddard] Why?


- Well, he hasn't given me

a logical explanation, Mrs. Stoddard.

He... He simply announced to me

that he didn't need an examination.


- Yes, well, as I remember,

he didn't want to be examined before either.


- Well, for all I know, this situation could blossom

into a, well, into epidemic proportions,

and I wouldn't know the first thing about how to treat it.

I don't really know what this sickness is.

[sighing] You see,

the blood sample from Maggie Evans

was stolen from my office.


- Stolen?
- Yes.

Somebody broke into my office and stole it.

The sample itself, the slides I'd made from it.

Every record of Maggie's case
-
- gone.


- Why would anyone want to steal samples of blood?


- I haven't the vaguest idea,

but whoever it was

was a person of enormous strength.

My office has been ransacked

so it looks as if it had been ravaged by a madman.

[Jason]
- But, Doctor, why?


- Well, the police don't know the answer to that,

so I certainly don't.

But what I must know the answer to

is the nature of this disease.

You understand that there's a possibility

that your friend Loomis

could be suffering from the same thing.

So, if you could somehow prevail on him

to consent to an examination,

you'd be doing not only him but all of us a great favor.


- I don't know.

I doubt that Willie would listen to anything I have to say.

We are not close friends any longer.


- I see.

Well, perhaps Barnabas Collins can get him to listen.

He said he'd speak to him.


- Oh, well, in that case, you have nothing to worry about.

[chuckles]

I've never known Willie to take orders from anyone,

but he seems to take them from Barnabas Collins.


- I'm sure Barnabas will order him to be examined.


- Nevertheless, Barnabas Collins himself made the remark

that even he couldn't order Willie to do anything.


- Barnabas said that?
- Yes.

I certainly hope he changes his mind.


- Well, I'll see to it that he does.


- You know, there's some connection

between Willie Loomis and Maggie Evans.

I don't know what it is yet,

but I cannot get it out of my head

that there is a connection.


- Yes, that's right. I've thought about that.


- Well, I've thought about nothing else

for the last few days.

There are so many things going on

that are totally inexplicable.

Well, Maggie's illness itself, that's one.

And the
-
- the symptoms she shows,

they don't mean anything, don't point in any direction.

And then, of course, the fact that she walks in her sleep

and is found in a graveyard.


- Yes. Yes, I remember.

They found her in that graveyard on Eagle Hill, didn't they?


- That's right.

There's a pattern to all of these events.

I can't discern what that pattern is yet,

but it's what has me going out of my mind.


- Yes.

Strange.

Very strange.

♪♪

[wolf howling]


- Mr. McGuire?


- Oh, Mr. Collins.

I didn't hear you open the door.

I thought no one was at home.


- I'm sorry if I startled you.


- Is Willie here?


- Willie? No, he's out.


- At this hour?


- I sent him out on an errand.


- Oh, I see.

Well, could I speak to you for a moment.


- Of course. Come in.


- Thank you.


- What did you want to see me about?


- Well, about Willie. I'm worried about him.


- Why?


- Well, I had a talk with Dr. Woodard,

and, uh, he seems to feel that,

uh, Willie might have a disease of the blood,

but he refuses to be examined.


- I promised the doctor that I would talk with Willie,

and I will.


- Ah, well, now, if you're firm with him,

I'm sure you can get him to the doctor.

He seems to do anything you ask him to.


- Well, I can't order him to go,

but I can suggest it, and I will.


- You know, it's odd about you and Willie.


- What is?


- Well, you know, I've never known Willie

to take orders from anyone in his life,

and yet he seems to take them from you.


- He's been a very faithful servant to me,

the best I ever had.


- Tell me, just to refresh my memory,

how was it that you and Willie met?


- On the road.

My car broke down, and he helped me fix it.


- Oh, yes, that's right,

and you struck up a conversation.


- Yes.

He told me he was looking for a job,

and I had one for him.

Why?


- Well, it just seems a strange coincidence.


- What is?


- Well, Willie's going to work for you,

a man whose ancestors fascinated him.


- Willie fascinated by my ancestors?


- Oh, didn't he tell you?


- No, he never mentioned it.


- Oh, he knew all about them.

He even read a book about them.

Which struck me as odd since I've never know him

to read a book in his whole life.


- Well, I'm glad that he finds my family so fascinating.


- He was especially fascinated

by the, uh, ancestor you resemble so much.

The portrait that hangs at Collinwood.

The one of Barnabas Collins.


- Was he?


- Yes, I imagine it was quite a shock to him

when he met you.

Your resemblance to that portrait is amazing.


- Well, members of my family tend to look alike.


- And did Willie ever mention the cemetery?


- Cemetery?


- Yes, the one up on Eagle Hill.

A lot of your ancestors are buried there.

But, then, I suppose you know all about that.


- I've heard of it.


- Yes. And you've never been there?


- No, but I must go sometime.


- Oh, you should. It's a very interesting place.


- Have you been there?


- Oh, yes.

Willie got me interested in it, and so I went up there

and took a look at your family tomb.


- How odd.

Graveyards don't fascinate most people.


- Well, this one does.

Especially me.


- Really?


- Well, I won't take up any more of your time.

Oh, and...

do try to get Willie to go to the doctor.


- I will.

Good night, Mr. McGuire.


- Good night, Mr. Collins.

[wolf howling]

♪♪


- Liz?


- What is it?


- How much do you know about your cousin Barnabas?


- Why do you ask that?


- Well, it strikes me that he's a fairly curious fellow.


- Curious in what way?
- Well, I don't know.

There's a great many strange things.

For instance,

well, his appearance

when you weren't even aware that he existed.


- He's from the English branch of the family.


- And he's staying up there in that old house.

Now, that strikes me as strange.


- He feels that old house is part of his heritage.

Besides, what business is it of yours?


- Well, there are just so many unanswered questions.

How did he get Willie to work for him?

And why did he want Willie to work for him?


- He needed a servant.

I admit, his... choice was odd,

but that's his business.


- I don't know. Something just doesn't add up.


- What are you trying to say?


- I don't know exactly.

There's something about your cousin that bothers me.


- That's because you can't understand

or appreciate a gentleman.


- Yes, well, I can't understand him, that's for sure.


- Can we drop this conversation?

I don't intend to discuss my cousin with you.


- Liz, dear, why must your tone always be so angry?


- I mean it.


- Well, all right.

We have much more important matters to discuss.


- Such as?


- Well, we each have problems,

and we should find, uh, a solution for them.


- My only problem is you.


- Well, now, Elizabeth, that's not quite true.

[chuckling]

You have other problems, too.


- None that loom as large.
- Well, I don't know.

You have the problem of your standing in the community.

That worries me very much now.


- My standing in the community?


- Yes, well, you've always been above reproach.

And I know it looks bad for you to have a strange man

living in this house for such an extended period of time.


- You don't care what it looks like.


- No. But you do.

Now, you know how you dread a scandal, Liz.

And people are already beginning to talk about us.

You said so yourself.


- Well, they'd stop talking if you'd go away.


- [chuckling]

Well, now, unfortunately that's not possible.

You see, my source of income has been cut off.


- So, that's it.

Another request for money.


- Oh, no.

I know you can't give me any money without causing talk.

No, I realize your position fully.


- Do you?
- Oh, yes.

That's why I'm not asking you for any more money.

Because I don't want people asking questions

any more than you do.


- Then, what do you want?


- Well, Liz, I told you.

A solution which will satisfy both of us.

One that will, well, stop people from talking

and at the same time

satisfy my needs.


- There's only one solution, and that's for you to go away.


- Ah, no, there's another.

And I thought about it very carefully,

and it's one that I am sure

will be very good for both of us.


- What is it?


- We're going to get married.

♪♪

[announcer]
- "Dark Shadows" is a Dan Curtis production.