288 - August 2, 1967

[bunniefuu]

[Victoria narrating] - The great estate of Collinwood

rests on cliffs high above the sea,

and on a quiet afternoon such as this,

a familiar sound is the pounding of the surf--

waves crashing against sand,

only to return to the sea from which they came.

There is a sense of timelessness here,

for the sea is eternal as human lives are not.

[clock ticking]

But there are moments when a sense of timelessness

can pervade a human mind,

moments when the past seems to intermingle with the present.

There is one who knows such a moment...

not realizing that it represents an imminent threat,

the approach of a violent and terrifying danger.

[Josette's music box playing]

♪♪

- Miss Winters?

Miss Winters!

- Oh, I'm sorry, David.

What did you say?

- What's the matter with you?

- What do you mean?

- Well, you were just standing here, looking out at the ocean.

You didn't hear anything I said.

- I guess I was daydreaming.

- What about?

- I'm not really sure.

- You've been doing that a lot lately.

- Have I? Yes, I... I guess I have.

Well, that-- that's a very bad habit. I should break it.

- You know something, Miss Winters?

- What's that?

- I looked at you when you were daydreaming,

and I got a funny feeling.

- What kind of a feeling? - Well, a feeling that...

that you weren't you when you're like that.

That... that you were somebody else.

- Somebody else?

- That's the only way I can explain it.

Like you were somebody else--

Somebody else that was strange,

and it frightened me.

♪♪

[eerie music]

♪♪

- David, are you serious? - Yes.

- I frighten you?

- Well, it's that-- it's just that you looked so strange.

There was something... something scary about it.

- Well, listen, I know that you like to imagine scary things,

and you have a very active imagination,

but you mustn't let it run away with you.

- I'm not.

- Well, then you're trying to frighten me,

and that won't work.

- Miss Winters?

- Oh, Miss Hoffman. You remember David.

- Hello, David. - Hello.

- Miss Hoffman's going to be staying here for a while.

- Here? Why?

- Well, you know she's doing a history of the Collins family,

and she's gotta do some research.

- I can tell you about my ancestors.

I know all about them.

- Oh, we must have a good long talk one day.

- Okay. - Were you looking for anything?

- Well, yes, I understand there are

some privately printed histories of the Collins family.

I wondered if I might see one.

- Of course. They're in the library. I'll get them for you.

- Thank you.

[exhaling]

- Are you really doing a history of our family?

- I really am.

- About all of us? Even me?

- [chuckles] Well, you'll be included,

but mostly it's about your ancestors.

- Which ones? - Well...

Jeremiah Collins, Joshua Collins,

and Barnabas Collins, of course.

- Would you like to see some more pictures of them?

- Oh, I think I've seen all the portraits of them.

- Oh, no. I mean our family album.

Would you like to look at it?

- Well, yes, I would. - I'll get it.

- Hmm, thank you.

Oh, that's very interesting.

- That's Joshua Collins. - Oh, yes.

The original Barnabas Collins' father.

- That's right. Oh, and that's David Collins.

I was named after him.

- Hmm. Who's that?

- Oh, that's Naomi Collins. - Oh...

Barnabas Collins' mother. - That's right.

- Hmm. She's lovely.

And Barnabas Collins. - Mm-hmm.

- And... Sarah Collins.

- Wait, let me see that. Let me see it.

- Why? - I've never seen it before.

- The picture of Sarah Collins? - No. Huh!

I've never even heard of her...

and I know all about my ancestors.

- Oh, well, she died when she was still a child.

That's probably why you've never heard of her.

- That's funny. - What is?

- She looks just like a kid who hangs around here.

- Oh?

- Yes, I play with the girl sometimes.

- You do?

- Up near the old house. - The old house?

Oh, yes, where Barnabas Collins lives.

- Yes, that's right. - Mmm...

- She must like to play there an awful lot,

'cause that's the only place I've ever seen her.

- Mmm. It's curious that she should look so much

like the girl in the portrait.

- You know, it's funny.

You want to know something else that's really funny?

- What?

- The girl I play with-- well, her name is Sarah too.

- Is it? - Yes, it is. Isn't that funny?

- Yes, it is a strange coincidence.

Very strange.

♪♪

- Do you suppose she's a ghost?

- Who? - Sarah.

- I doubt it very much. - There are ghosts around here.

- Yes, I've heard the legends.

- They aren't legends, they're real.

Do you believe in ghosts? - David, don't start that again.

- We were just talking. - About your favorite subject.

And I'm sure Miss Hoffman isn't interested.

- Oh, quite the contrary, I was very interested.

- Well, I wish you were as interested in your homework

as you are in ghosts.

- Do I have to do homework anymore today?

Can't I go out and play?

- Well, all right, but I want you back by dark.

- Okay.

- Here are the books you wanted. - Oh, thank you.

- I hope that David is not being too much of a pest.

- Oh, not at all. In fact, he was quite helpful.

He was showing me portraits of his ancestors.

- I'll bet he was.

Next to ghosts, his ancestors are his favorite subject.

- We were just looking at the portrait of Sarah Collins.

- Why that's very strange. - What is?

- She looks exactly like a sketch I saw once.

- But, it's-- it's Sarah Collins,

sister of the original Barnabas Collins.

- It was a sketch that the police brought around

after Maggie Evans died,

but you wouldn't know anything about that.

- No.

- She was a-- a local girl that was kidnapped by a madman.

The Sheriff thought that the little girl

might be some clue to the kidnapper,

and so they brought a sketch of her up here

and showed it to Mrs. Stoddard and me,

and neither of us had ever seen her before.

- I see.

- Very, very strange that she should look

so much like this portrait.

- Yes.

- Well, you'll have to excuse me.

I've got to get ready. I have a date.

- Uh, Miss Winters, I-- I wonder if you'd mind

answering one question before you go.

- Of course not. What is it?

- You were here when they were restoring

the old house, weren't you?

- Yes, I was very interested in the restoration.

- Do you know that if it's--

if it's authentic to all details?

- Well, as far as I know, it is.

- Because I saw an engraving once and--

and there were mirrors in the drawing room, huge gilt mirrors.

And when I was at the old house yesterday,

I don't remember seeing them.

I wonder what happened to them.

- I don't know.

I don't remember seeing any mirrors either.

- Oh?

Well, maybe they were put into another room.

- No, I don't think so. As a matter of fact,

I don't remember seeing any mirrors anywhere in that house,

except for the little one in Josette's room.

- I see. Well, maybe they've been lost.

- Perhaps so.

- Another question-- do you suppose Mrs. Stoddard

would mind if I borrowed her album?

- No, I don't think she would.

- I'd like to show it to Mr. Collins.

I think he might be interested

in the portraits of his ancestors.

- But I-- I thought Mr. Collins wasn't interested

in helping you with your research.

- No, he wasn't interested in the book,

but I think he'll be fascinated with the portraits.

- I hope that he changes his mind

and does decide to help you.

- Hmm. Whether he does or not,

I have a feeling this visit will be very interesting.

♪♪

[music playing from jukebox]

♪♪

- Julia Hoffman? I never heard of her.

- Neither have I, but I'm sure she's a very good writer.

She's really intelligent.

- But why does she want to do a history on the Collins family?

- Because they're one of the oldest families in America.

I think it's a very exciting project.

- Vicki, I wish you weren't involved in it.

- Why? - Because I think you're--

you're getting too involved in the past.

- Burke, I'm interested in the past.

I think everybody can learn something from history.

- All right, all right, be interested in history

but not in the history of the Collins family.

Not in history that-- that includes ghosts and hobgoblins.

It worries me.

- Well, you have nothing to worry about.

- I think I have.

Josette's become a reality to you.

And the other night at the old house, you thought you saw

a little girl standing at the top of the stairs.

- All right, but I admitted that that was my imagination,

and that's all there was to it.

I suppose it was because of the house

and the séance, a hundred other things.

- Well, then, why feed your imagination by getting involved

in-- in-- in-- in the past of the Collins family?

I-- I-- I don't know.

It's always affected you before. I'd hate to see it again.

- Burke, it did happen again.

- What?

- The other night, I woke up

and I heard a voice coming out of the dark--

a little girl's voice.

- A little girl? - She was singing.

And I-- I know it was real because I was wide awake.

I know that. But when I lit a candle, the room was empty.

I don't know what's the matter with me, Burke.

- You're just too wrapped up in the legends of Collinwood.

- Maybe. But why would I hear a little girl's voice? Why?

- I don't know.

- Maybe it was spending the night in that room.

- What room? - Josette's room.

- You spent the-- the night in Josette's room?

In the old house? With Willie and Barnabas there?

- I had to. It was the night that that storm broke,

and I had no way of getting back to Collinwood.

- I have a feeling you'd have been safer in the storm.

- Oh, Burke.

Mr. Collins is a perfect gentleman,

and Willie wouldn't hurt me.

- Vicki... Vicki, I want you to promise me something.

- What?

- I want you to promise me you'll never go there again.

- Never go to the old house again?

- Yes.

- I can't promise you that.

- Why not? - I just can't, that's all.

- What is this fascination you've got for the old house?

- I just like going there.

- Well, what do you like about it?

- I don't know. I don't know.

Maybe it's because I feel safe.

- Safe? - Uh-huh.

Safe and secure, as though I belong there.

I don't know why I-- I feel that way, but I do,

and I'm not going to stop going there, Burke, and that's final.

- Vicki, I don't know what's happening to you,

but I don't like it. I don't like it at all.

♪♪

♪♪

[knocker clacking]

- Good evening, Mr. Collins. - Miss Hoffman?

Well, I didn't expect to see you so soon again.

- I wonder if I might speak to you for a moment.

- Well, I don't want to sound rude,

but I can't imagine what we have to discuss.

- Well, I'm-- I'm not here to get information from you.

I want to show you something.

- Well, what is it?

- Well, it's a family album with some portraits

of your ancestors I thought you might be interested in seeing.

- Why?

[thunder rumbling]

- Well, I...

actually had hoped that you would tell me

something about them, something I didn't already know.

- You're very persistent, Miss Hoffman.

I have nothing to tell you.

- Then I've made the trip in vain.

But since I have made the trip,

why don't you let me show them to you anyway?

- Come in, but I can only give you a few minutes of my time.

- That will be fine.

[thunder rumbling]

- I assume that's the book you're talking about.

- Yes. Now...

Here is a portrait of the--

of the original Barnabas Collins, your namesake.

- So I see.

- I must say the, the resemblance is remarkable.

- It's often commented on.

- And-- and this is his mother, Naomi.

Isn't she lovely?

[thunder crashing]

- Yes.

- And, uh, on the next page, you'll find a portrait of--

of Joshua, the-- the father of Barnabas.

- I recognize him from other portraits.

- And on the next page, uh, is Sarah Collins,

the sister of Barnabas.

- Oh? - She's on the next page.

Why-- why don't you turn the page?

She's-- she's a lovely child, isn't she?

- Yes.

- Look at her eyes. They're-- They're very much like yours.

- Do you think so? - And her features.

You-- you really do look very much alike.

- What are you doing?

- Even historians have a certain amount of feminine vanity.

I was just checking my makeup.

- Well, I've looked at your portraits, Miss Hoffman.

Is that what you wanted?

- Yes, I'm-- I'm sorry that you weren't very interested.

- Well, I'm afraid your assumption is correct.

- Then-- then-- then I won't take up any more of your time.

Thank you very much, Mr. Collins, and good evening.

- Good evening, Miss Hoffman.

[thunder crashing]

♪♪

[door closing]

♪♪

[thunder rumbling]

- Oh, Miss Hoffman. Did-- did you see Mr. Collins?

- Yes. Yes, it was a very successful visit.

- Was it?

- Yes, I learned a great deal this evening.

- Oh, I'm so glad.

- Yes, in fact, I-- I think I've learned everything--

Everything I-- I needed to know.

♪♪

[eerie music]

♪♪

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