412 - January 23, 1968

[bunniefuu]

[Victoria narrating] - A séance has been held in the great house at Collinwood,

a séance which has suspended time and space

and sent one woman 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.

She has learned that history is not always written down

as it actually happened.

Thus far, two members of the Collins family have died

under mysterious circumstances

and soon someone in the great house

will attribute one of those deaths

to Victoria Winters herself.

- Josette, where are you going?

- There's something I must attend to in the village.

- But I don't think you should go out this late alone.

- I will not be alone.

Riggs will accompany me.

- And what is so important for you to see about in the village?

- I must see Miss Winters at the jail.

- Why?

- Because I want her to know that if need be,

I will personally see to it that she will never be free.

- That is not necessary.

Leave her punishment to the Reverend Trask.

- No, Aunt Natalie, I have suffered enough,

even the indignity of not knowing

where Barnabas is buried.

- But you need your rest,

I do not think you should go into town.

- No, I am going.

I begged her to save him, but she refused.

Now, I want her to know that I will never rest

until she is hanged as a witch.

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪

- Mrs. Collins.

- You looked surprised to see me.

- I am.

- You made a serious mistake

when you rejected my plea last week.

- I thought that when you left here

you are going to take my advice and leave Collinsport.

- Do you really expected me to leave

when Barnabas was in such critical condition?

- For your own safety, yes.

- Perhaps you could go away and leave someone you love,

I could not.

- Is he better now?

- Would you ask such a question?

- I don't know what you mean.

- Why are you pretending to me

that you do not know that Barnabas is dead?

- Dead?

Barnabas?

- Yes.

- No, that's impossible.

The family history says he went away to England.

- Yes, that's what you wrote in your book of sorcery, isn't it?

- I wrote nothing in that book.

- It was your way of deceiving everyone into thinking

that he would live,

so then it would be easier for you to k*ll him.

- You don't know what you're saying.

- I know a lot more than you think I do.

I don't know why you wanted Barnabas dead,

but I do know that you are responsible for his death.

- No, I'm not, you've got to believe me.

- Before Barnabas died, he told me,

he knew the identity of the witch.

- And did he say it was me?

- He could not reveal that.

- Well then just what makes you think it is me?

- You convinced me of that yourself Miss Winters,

when you told me of that book.

Well, I have since read that book

and I failed to see that you could be anything but a witch.

- I'm sure that book was very hard for you to understand.

- On the contrary, it was very easy for me to understand.

And I'm sure that a judge in a jury

would find it equally understandable.

- What do you mean?

- You had it in your power to save him.

- No, I didn't. I swear it.

- I begged you to do it.

- No that - that's not true.

He - he was going to help me.

If I could have anything to save him,

I would have, you've got to believe me.

- I do not believe you.

- What are you going to do?

- What am I - I am going to testify to your trial.

Yes, I'm going to bring that book with me

and introduce it as evidence against you.

- No, you mustn't.

That book will be misunderstood in the court.

- It will convict you and send you to the gallows.

That's all I care about.

- You can't do this.

- Miss Winters, you took away the one person

that I cared about the most in this world.

I will personally see to it that you are punished for that.

- If you won't think about my future,

think about your own.

If you read that book,

you know it's not safe for you to stay here.

- Yes.

The book does say that I will die

by my own hand.

Perhaps that's the way I would want it after all.

My life is meaningless now without Barnabas.

But I promise you, I will not die

until I see you hanged as a witch.

♪♪

- Well, are you still willing to defend me? - Yes.

- Even after you heard what she said?

- Why should that matter, I still believe you're innocent.

- If she introduces that book as evidence,

I'm afraid I don't have much of a chance.

- You said the book was a true history of the Collins family.

- Well, it is,

but no court would accept that

and Trask will say it's the work of a witch

and they'll believe him.

- If I can discredit Mr. Trask

and prove that everything he says is a complete fraud,

the court won't believe a word.

- But if you can't discredit him.

- I think I can.

- No.

There's only one way that I stand a chance

of being proved innocent.

- And what is that?

- I've got to get that book from Josette

and I've got to get it tonight.

- Tonight? How?

- Well, I'm - I'm going to need your help and trust.

- I'll do anything I can.

- I want you to let me go to Collinwood

and I promise you that as soon as I have the book,

I'll come back.

- I can't do anything like that.

- Don't you think that I'll keep my word and return?

- I'm not doubting your word,

I'm thinking about your safety.

During the past two nights

just being on the streets of this village

have been dangerous enough.

Two women have been attacked.

- Peter, if I don't get that book,

my safety won't be worth much.

Please.

- Is there any way that I can get the book for you?

- No.

I - I know where it is.

- All right, you can go to Collinwood,

but I'm not letting you go alone.

♪♪

[knocking on door]

- Oh, Revered Trask,

I was afraid you might not be able to come.

- I'm sorry Countess, I was delayed in the village.

- Come, come into the drawing room.

- Thank you.

Good evening, Mrs. Collins.

- Good evening, Reverend Trask.

- I attended an emergency meeting

of the village elders this evening.

- An emergency meeting?

- Yes, there's mounting concern in the village

over the savage attacks on two local women.

The others were convinced that they were perpetrated

by some sort of an animal,

but I think I succeeded in changing their minds.

- I don't understand.

- I told them that as long as they have a witch in their jail

and she remains alive,

they will continue to be plagued by her evil ways.

- Do you think the witch is responsible for these attacks?

- I am certain of it.

- But how?

- The ways of the witch are not necessarily determined

by reason and understanding, my dear lady.

I urged the elders to advance the date of the trial.

The sooner this witch is disposed of,

the sooner the senseless terrorism will stop.

- And did they agree to advance the date?

- I'm afraid they agreed only to deliberate the matter.

- I think we may be able to help them make

that decision more quickly.

- What do you mean?

- I summoned you here tonight

because my niece has decided

that she would like to testify at Miss Winters' trial.

- Excellent.

- And I think you will be pleased to know

that she is prepared to offer a piece of evidence

that will prove beyond any doubt

that Miss Winters is guilty.

♪♪

♪♪

- And how did you come by this book?

- Miss Winters told me where to find it.

- And when did she tell you that?

- Last week, when I saw her at the jail.

- You went to see her? Why?

- To ask her to spare Barnabas.

- And she refused?

- Yes,

she pretended to be more concerned about my life

than his.

- I don't understand.

- She stayed that if I stayed in Collinwood,

I would die.

- She threatened to k*ll you?

She said that it was written that I would die,

that's when she told me about the book

and where to find it.

- And where was that?

- In her room at the old house,

Aunt Natalie and I found it and read it.

- And did it foretell your own death?

- Yes.

- And that of Barnabas?

- No, for some reason it was wrong in that point.

It did not indicate that he would die.

- What else did the book say?

- I don't know.

It's very long and detailed.

- But it does set down the future destiny

of the Collins family?

- Well, there's no question about that, Reverend.

- Is the book written in Miss Winters' hand?

- No, it's printed.

- I see.

I'm most anxious to see this strange book.

Where is it now?

- Oh, it's in my room, I'll get it for you.

- No, you stay here and rest, I'll get it.

Excuse me, Reverend.

♪♪

[gasps]

Reverend Trask!

Reverend Trask, come quickly!

- Aunt Natalie.

- Countess! What's wrong?

- The witch.

She was in the room when I went in.

- That's impossible she's in jail.

- I saw her. I saw her there.

She - she has the book.

- The book? Are you sure?

- Yes.

No, no, don't go in.

It - it isn't safe as long as she's in there.

- I'm not afraid of Miss Winters, Countess.

On the contrary, she is afraid of me

and she has good reason to be.

You may stay out of here if you wish,

but I'm going inside.

It's all right, you may come in now.

There's no one here.

- Aunt Natalie, you must have imagined you saw her.

- I saw her, she was here.

- How did she get out?

- What does it matter how she got out,

the important thing is only why was she here?

- The book.

The book, it's gone.

♪♪

- Are you sure the Countess saw you?

- I'm positive.

- It was dark in the room,

perhaps - perhaps she didn't recognize you.

- No, she know it was me.

- Wait a minute. If she was standing at the door

and you didn't go out through one of the windows,

how did you go out?

- I know that house inside out,

there's a secret panel in that room.

- Well, we'd better do something about the book.

Now that they know you have it,

it won't be long before they come looking for it.

- I know.

if I take it with me into the cell,

they'll probably find it.

Could you keep it for me?

- I'll put it where no one will find.

[knocking on door] It's maybe them.

Get back to your cell, I'll lock you in.

[Reverend Trask] - Mr. Bradford!

[knocking continues]

Mr. Bradford, open this door.

Mr. Bradford!

[knocking on door]

What took you so long to open the door, Mr. Bradford?

- I must have fallen asleep at my desk.

It took me a minute to wake up.

- And while you were sleeping, you allowed the witch to escape.

- Escape? What are you talking about?

- Miss Winters was seen less than an hour ago

at Collinwood.

- She came to my room and stole a book.

- That's impossible.

- It's not impossible, I was there and saw her.

- I happen to know that Miss Winters is -

that Miss Winters is in her cell

and has been there since early this evening

when she talked to Mrs. Collins.

- How do you know, you said you were asleep?

- I only dozed off for a few minutes,

I've been right there at that desk all evening.

Besides, the cell is locked.

She couldn't have gotten out of this jail

without me seeing her.

- I can see you know nothing about the powers of witchcraft.

- I don't believe in witchcraft.

- Perhaps we shall make a believer out of you.

- I doubt it.

- I demand to see for myself

that Miss Winters is in her cell.

- Reverend, we don't usually have visitors this late.

- I do not wish to visit with her!

- You just want to see if I'm telling the truth,

is that it?

- Are you afraid to let me go back there?

- Not at all, go right ahead,

- Thank you.

Won't you sit down, ladies?

- No, thank you, we preferred to stand.

Mrs. Collins, you referred to a book early this evening,

is this the same book that's missing now?

- Yes.

- Couldn't you just have misplaced it?

- How many times do you have to be told, young man,

that I saw Miss Winters in my niece's room

with the book.

Oh, well Reverend?

- She's in her cell and sleeping.

- Just like I said.

- I am not impressed, Mr. Bradford.

- Reverend, you are going to question her

and try to get that book back, aren't you?

- It would do no good.

It may be sure she has it safely hidden away somewhere.

- But we need it for evidence.

- It would be very useful, yes.

But we no longer need it.

- What do you mean?

- Mr. Bradford,

would you be willing to testify in court

that Miss Winters has been in her cell all evening?

- Yes, of course.

- You would say so under oath.

- Reverend, I don't see what good my testimony would do.

- I am asking if you would testify under oath

that Miss Winters has not left her cell?

- If I had to, yes.

- Good.

Because we three are prepared to testify

that we saw Miss Winters at Collinwood this evening.

And I would remind you, sir,

that only an act of witchcraft

could enable a person to be in two places

at the same time.

I am confident now, Countess,

that there shall be an early trial,

a swift conviction,

the punishment shall be death by hanging.

Good night, Mr. Bradford.

♪♪

[eerie music] ♪♪