441 - March 4, 1968

[bunniefuu]

[narrator] -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 in the village of Collinsport,

Victoria Winters has been unjustly condemned as a witch.

The man responsible for condemning her

now lives for the time when she will hang.

He is unaware that time will never come,

that he will soon be the victim of a fate worse than death.

[thinking] -You let that witch frighten you this much

that you walk the streets of this cursed village

and you spend the night like that?

No, nothing happened to you while you were walking.

You heard no voices.

They must have been your imagination.

Forbes is right. The strain of the trial.

No, I did hear them.

Don't start thinking like that. Don't give into it.

If the witch feels she has planted fear in your heart,

she will never give up.

She will ruin you.

Go in that room now. Show her.

No! No!

♪♪

[eerie theme music] ♪♪

[knocking]

Who is it?

-Lieutenant Forbes.

- What do you want?

-I must speak with you.

- It will have to wait until - until tomorrow, Lieutenant.

-No, no, this is urgent. Now, please, open the door.

- One moment.

Yes, Lieutenant, what is it?

- I've got to ask a favor of you.

- No, no, not now.

You must go away. Go away!

- Are you all right, Reverend?

- Yes, yes, I'm fine. Now, please, go away.

- Oh, no. Look, it's important that I talk to you now.

- At this hour, Lieutenant? - Yes, look.

- I have a letter that I need delivered to Millicent Collins.

You know I'm not allowed on the grounds at Collinwood,

so I must get someone to deliver it for me

and it has to be the first thing in the morning.

- I - I think I've helped you all I can

with the Collins family, Lieutenant.

Now, please go.

- You mean, you won't deliver the letter for me?

- I don't see why we can't discuss this tomorrow.

Forbes, did you hear what I said?

- Well, well, Reverend Trask,

you're a man after my own heart.

- What are you talking about?

- I never would have persisted in talking to you

if I'd known you had a guest.

- Forbes, stay here and be quiet.

- There's no need to get angry about it.

I am not going to betray your little secret to anybody.

- Forbes, I swear I didn't know she was here

when I came in this room.

- Oh, well, I must say I -

I never find them waiting for me when I come home.

- Forbes, listen to me. This is not a joking matter.

- Do you understand? - All right.

- There's no need to get so upset about it.

- Yes, there is.

- Why? What do my mean?

- She's dead, Lieutenant.

- Dead? - Yes.

- She's been strangled.

- Oh no.

It's Maude.

It's Maude Browning.

I tried to warn her.

I told her to stay in her room and keep her door locked.

- Tried to warn her about what?

- That she might be in danger.

- How did you know that?

Why are you looking at me that way?

Forbes, what's going through your mind?

- I'm just wondering why her - her body was put here.

- If you think I had anything to do with this, you're wrong.

- Oh, no, I don't think you're the strangler

that everyone is looking for.

Of course, there's no telling

- what the authorities might believe. - The authorities?

- Yes, they'll have to be notified, of course.

And no matter what they do believe--

- Forbes, they had to believe me because I'm innocent.

I - I didn't even know this woman.

- Oh, you knew she was. You knew where she worked.

- Yes.

And everyone knows I would never associate with such a woman.

- Well, they may have thought that until now,

but as soon as they find out that she was found dead

in your room,

well, you know how people can talk, Reverend.

- Are you implying that I allowed this woman to come--

- I am simply telling you that your image in this community

will be drastically changed

when people find out about this.

- Suppose, they don't find out.

- And suppose you tell me what you have in mind.

- Listen to me, Forbes,

I will not allow my - my name to be--

I will not be the subject of - of vicious gossip

here or anywhere else.

Now, that isn't wrong of me, is it?

- Well, no, I don't - I don't think so,

but I don't see how you can avoid it.

- I can avoid it.

I could keep my name from being unjustly tarnished,

but I need your help, Lieutenant.

You won't help me, is that it?

- I'm willing to do whatever I can to help you Mr. Trask

if the price is right.

♪♪

- I'm not in a position to pay you

for helping me, Lieutenant.

- No, I wasn't thinking in terms of money.

- What were you thinking of?

- Well, first, why don't we discuss what you had in mind?

- Forbes, I cannot allow that woman's body

to be found in my room.

- You want the body to be moved elsewhere?

- Yes.

- You want me to do it?

- Yes.

- It won't be easy.

- Forbes, someone got that body in here without being seen.

Surely, you can remove it without being seen.

- You realize we - we'd be breaking the law.

- I told you I'm only doing this to protect my reputation.

- Well, I'm just trying to make you aware of the risks involved.

- How soon can you get it done?

- As soon as you personally delivered this letter

to Millicent Collins.

- Very well.

- I'll take it to her first thing in the morning. - Good.

- When you returned from Collinwood,

I will have someone here to help me remove the body.

- Forbes, we can't wait until then.

It must be done while it's still dark.

- Mr. Trask, it's too late. We can't do it now.

- No. That's not the reason.

You're afraid I won't keep my end of the bargain.

You don't trust me.

- I don't trust anyone.

- Listen, Forbes, I give you my word of honor.

Millicent will get that letter

but only if you keep your end of the bargain now.

- And if I refuse?

- Here.

I will attend to the body

and you can deliver that letter yourself.

- No, I'm not allowed on the Collinwood estate. - Precisely.

- Now, do you wish to trust me or not?

- I don't seem to have very much choice, do I?

I'll be back.

♪♪

[birds chirping]

- The tower of destruction

followed by the star.

That means the death of a feeling.

You see, Nathan. The cards do not lie.

I have suffered the death of a feeling

but another feeling has been born in its place,

the feeling of hatred

that will not go away until you have been punished.

It is a part of your destiny that you cannot avoid it.

The moon.

The card of evil influence, Nathan.

The moon following a chariot,

that means news hidden for a long time.

But what is that news, Nathan?

There, the lover.

That is your card, Nathan,

and it does not bring you good news.

- Millicent, who are you talking to?

- Lieutenant Forbes.

- My dear, Lieutenant Forbes isn't here.

- Oh, he doesn't need to be present in order to hear me.

He will get my message through the cards.

- The cards? - Yes.

- You see, this is Nathan's card,

the lover,

and it is surrounded by the chariot,

the tower of destruction, the moon,

and the devil.

All cards of certain destruction.

And at the top is my card,

the high priestess dominating the arrangement.

She will see that destiny is not cheated.

She will not rest until the lover is dead.

♪♪

- Millicent, dear, please.

You can't go on this way.

- I don't know what you mean.

- Well, I know you've been deeply hurt,

but there comes a time when you must find a way

to be yourself again.

- How can I be myself again?

There is no one to defend my honor.

No one to punish Nathan.

[knocking] So, I must do it myself.

- Good morning, Mrs. Collins.

- Good morning. - May I come in?

- If you're looking for my husband,

he's already left for the yards.

- I'm not here to see your husband.

I should like to speak to Ms. Millicent.

- Why?

- It is a personal matter.

- You wish to see me, Mr. Trask?

- Yes.

Alone, if you please.

- Alone?

- I - I'm sure that Ms. Millicent won't object

to my being present while you talk to her.

- Mrs. Collins-- - She's quite right.

- I have no secrets from my Cousin Naomi.

What is it you wish to say to me, Mr. Trask?

- I have been asked to deliver this letter to you.

- May I ask who it's from?

- Millicent will find that out when she reads the letter.

- Either she finds out first, or she won't read it.

- I think that's something that she can decide for herself.

- Millicent, how do you feel about it?

- Well, I would like to know who wrote the letter.

- The letter is from Lieutenant Forbes.

- In that case, I'll take it.

- Mrs. Collins, if you don't mind-- - I do mind.

- Lieutenant Forbes is a liar and a cheat

and he is not welcome on the Collins property

nor are his letters.

I know you are indebted to him,

but I refuse to allow you to pay that debt

at Millicent's expense.

- I owe no debt to Lieutenant Forbes.

- I say you do.

He lied for you at Ms. Winter's trial.

And your delivering his letters is your way of repaying him.

- That is not true.

- You may tell Lieutenant Forbes

how much Ms. Millicent thinks of his letter.

- You had no right to do that, Mrs. Collins.

Your cousin is old enough to decide these things for herself.

- I approve completely of what my cousin has done.

I have no wish to read the lieutenant's letter.

- Will that be all, Mr. Trask?

- You may be sorry

you interfered in this way, Mrs. Collins.

- On the contrary, Mr. Trask,

you may be the one who will be sorry

if I tell my husband about this.

You know how he feels about Lieutenant Forbes.

I'm sorry, if he upset you, dear.

- No.

No, he didn't.

I am glad that you did what you did.

- I think you should go upstairs and rest.

You look rather tired.

- No, I feel all right.

I would rather stay downstairs.

Or perhaps, I'll go for a walk and get some air.

Yes, that would make me feel better.

- Well, all right, but I'll be in the study,

if you need me for anything.

♪♪

[church bell tolling]

-Reverend Trask!

Reverend Trask!

- Abigail, is that you?

-Reverend Trask!

Reverend Trask!

I must talk to you.

[Trask] -Where are you?

I can't see you.

[Abigail] -I know the secret.

I know that deep, terrible secret, Reverend,

and I must tell you.

- What secret, Abigail?

What are you talking about?

-Come inside, Reverend, and you will see.

- No! No!

- Why didn't you let me rest?

You made them take my dead body away.

- Don't touch me! Stay away!

- They threw me in the water.

You shouldn't have let them do that.

- I didn't know that's what they'd do.

I swear I didn't!

- Yes, you did.

And soon everyone will know I was dead in your room.

Soon the secret will be out.

- No!

Abigail!

You believe me, don't you, Abigail?!

I didn't know she was in my room!

Don't think the worst of me, Abigail!

I didn't know! I didn't know!

-Reverend Trask,

Reverend Trask, Reverend Trask,

what is wrong with you?

- Don't think the worst of me, Abigail.

I am innocent.

Someone k*lled that girl, and then,

they put her body in my room.

- I don't know what you are talking about.

- You said you know the secret.

- I do know the secret.

- What do you mean, Abigail?

- I have learned the deepest darkest secret of the witch.

- The witch?

But we know about her. She--

She has been condemned to die.

- But her secret will live unless you destroy it.

- Tell me the secret, Abigail.

- Only you can destroy her wicked secret.

It will not be easy.

- I am not afraid of the witch.

- It will take great inner strength and personal risk,

but if you do not destroy it,

it may destroy you and many others.

Are you willing, Reverend?

- Yes.

Yes, tell me the secret.

- Look over there and tell me what you see.

- It's - it's the old house.

- Keep looking at it

for that's where you must go

to learn the secret of the witch,

to the old house,

to the old house, to the old house.

- The old house.

I must go to the old house.

♪♪

[eerie theme music] ♪♪