286 - July 31, 1967

[bunniefuu]

[Victoria narrating] - On this night a great storm rages over Collinwood.

All the elements of nature seem to be at w*r,

clashing with monumental fury.

Not far from the great house,

there is one who has taken refuge from the storm,

and unknowingly has found shelter in a place

that is destined to be her tomb.

- Oh, you can't go out in that.

- But I have to!

- You'd better wait inside until it lets up at least a little.

- I was so sure that I had time

to get down here and make it back.

- Perhaps it will let up soon.

- I don't think so-- It's not that kind of a storm.

- Well, you can't go out in it now-- It's impossible.

- But I've gotta get back.

- Well, if you're afraid that they'll worry,

I'll send Willie over

to let them know that you're all right.

- Oh, no, no one should go out in a storm like that.

Well, I-- I'm afraid that I'm gonna have to stay here

for a little while.

I'm very sorry.

- Forgive me if I'm delighted.

- You are kind.

- Have you ever been in this house during a storm?

- Not one like this.

- This house was built for storms.

- What do you mean?

- This room is never more beautiful

than when it's lit by lightning... look.

And the thunder echoing down the corridors.

- Yes, I see.

- It was for nights like this that this house was built.

- I think I know what you mean.

- Do you?

- Yes.

But what am I gonna do if this storm doesn't stop?

- You'll wait here and I'll do my best to entertain you.

- But I don't think you understand.

I think this storm is going to last all night.

- Well, if my company wearies you,

you can always rest awhile.

Don't forget, Josette's room is ready at all times.

- Yes, of course.

Josette's room.

♪♪

♪♪

- Would you mind if I did stay in Josette's room?

- Of course not.

- Somehow, the idea of spending the night in her room

appeals to me.

- Why?

- I don't know.

I've always felt a closeness to her.

- I wonder why you do.

- Well, I suppose it's because

I don't know who my ancestors were,

and I've always liked to imagine she was one of them.

I suppose that sounds very foolish to you.

- Not at all.

It's very easy for me to believe

that you are descended from Josette.

[thunder crashing]

- Why do you say that?

- Well, because you're so much like her in so many ways.

Not only because of your beauty, but...

Because of your intelligence, your warmth, your generosity...

- You're very flattering.

- Only truthful.

[thunder crashing]

- Sometimes when you talk about Josette,

it's as if you knew her.

- I know a great deal about her.

I've taken the trouble to find out all I can.

Because among my ancestors,

I've always found Josette to be the most fascinating.

- And may I ask you one thing, Mr. Collins?

- Barnabas, please.

- Barnabas.

- What is it?

- Once, long ago, you...

you told me about her death,

how she threw herself from Widow's Hill.

- Yes, I've always considered it the saddest

of the family legends.

- You described how she ran to the cliff...

ran because someone was chasing her.

- Yes?

- Who was chasing her?

- Her lover.

The man who loved her more than anyone else in the world.

- Do you know who he was?

- Yes.

- Who?

- Jeremiah Collins.

- Her husband?

- Yes.

- Her husband was chasing her?

- According to the legend, yes.

- But then, he must have done something to, to frighten her

to make her feel so desperate.

- Perhaps he did...

Intentionally or unintentionally.

- But I thought he loved her.

- The man who ran after Josette Collins

that stormy night long ago

loved her more than life itself.

- And yet he was responsible for her death.

- Well...

he never intended for her to die...

only to live.

- I don't understand the kind of love

that ends in death and destruction.

- Perhaps Josette never understood him

or the extent of his love.

- Well...

I, I don't understand a love like that.

If he loved her, then he wouldn't have frightened her.

- Perhaps.

But I can't defend everything he did.

Nor could he.

[thunder crashing]

- Well, if, if you don't mind,

I am a little tired.

I think I'll go upstairs now.

- Of course.

[thunder crashing]

- Vicki! - Yes?

- I...

- What is it?

- Well, the storm seems to have lessened somewhat.

- Do you think so?

- I'm not sure.

- Do you think I could make it back to Collinwood?

- Possibly.

I'd be delighted to accompany you if you wanted to go back.

I'll leave it entirely in your hands.

[thunder rumbling]

- Well, it sounds worse than ever to me.

- Then you'd prefer to stay?

- I think so.

if it would be no inconvenience to you.

- Of course, it will be no inconvenience.

- I appreciate your hospitality.

- Of course.

- I'm, I'm sure that no one at Collinwood will miss me, so...

It's perfectly all right for me to stay here I think, isn't it?

- Yes.

I hope you find everything you need.

- I'm sure that I will.

- Good night. - Good night.

[thunder crashing]

♪♪

[thunder rumbling]

- Barnabas?

- Willie, what are you doing up?

- Well, I heard the storm, I...

I thought I'd better check to see if everything's all right.

- Well, everything is fine.

I'll see that the doors and the windows are secure.

- Barnabas? - What is it?

- Has anybody been in the house tonight?

- Why do you ask?

- Because of something I found.

- What? - This.

- This ball?

- Yeah.

It looks like it belongs to a kid, but I'm pretty sure

no kid could have gotten into the house.

Every door and window was locked all day long.

- Well, where did you find it?

- In the basement, near the coffin.

- The coffin!

Willie, if you let young David sneak in here during the day--

- There's no way he could have, Barnabas, I swear to you.

The house has been locked up tight as a drum all day long.

- Then where did this come from?

- I don't know, Barnabas.

- If David had gotten into the house...

and gotten to that coffin,

we would have heard about it by now.

- Well, course, he isn't the only kid who hangs around here.

- What do you mean?

- There's that little girl.

- Little girl?

- Yeah, the one I told you about.

The one who plays around here.

But I don't see how she could have gotten in here either.

- How old was that girl?

- Uh, nine, ten?

- Nine, ten.

- You know, it's funny,

Maggie Evans talked about seeing a little girl.

I thought she was crazy.

- She was.

- Hey, maybe that ball was down there all the time

and we never noticed it before.

- Possibly.

But I had better go and take a look in the basement

just the same.

- You want me to come with you? - No.

I'll go alone, you stay here.

- Well, what do you expect to find?

- Nothing, but I'd better look anyway.

- Barnabas? - What?

- I, I keep having the strangest feeling.

- What are you talking about?

- I keep having a feeling that...

that there's someone else in this house besides us.

- Wait here.

[thunder rumbling]

[thunder crashing]

[little girl singing] - ♪ London Bridge is falling down ♪

♪ Falling down

♪ Falling down

♪ London Bridge is falling down ♪

♪ My fair lady...

- Who's there?!

Who is it?

- ♪ Take the key And lock her up ♪

♪ Lock her up

♪ Lock her up

♪ Take the key and lock her up ♪

♪ My fair lady

♪ London Bridge is falling down ♪

♪ Falling down

♪ Falling down

♪ London Bridge is falling down ♪

♪ My fair lady ♪

♪♪

[Vicki] - Willie?

- Miss Winters!

For a moment, I--

What are you doing here?

- Didn't Mr. Collins tell you I was staying here?

- Well, no, he didn't.

- Well, I, I stopped by to talk to him

and I got caught in the storm.

And he was kind enough to let me stay in the house.

- You're spending the night here in this house?

- Mm-hmm.

- Where?

- In Josette's room.

- Josette?

- Willie, the strangest thing-- - Miss Winters--

Do you really think it's a good idea for you to stay here?

- A good idea?

- Well... I, I mean, won't they be worried about you?

The people at Collinwood?

- No, I don't think so.

I think they've all gone to sleep by now.

- Now, you can't tell.

And-- and-- and I know you don't want them to worry.

- But Willie, I don't want to go out in a storm like this,

and it's not gonna blow over until--

- Wait, I, I got a coat you can wear.

Now I'll go with you to make sure you get home

through the woods all right, okay?

- That's very nice of you but it is not necessary.

- You wanna stay here?

- Well, to be quite honest with you...

I like the idea of spending the night in Josette's room.

- You do?

- Yes.

It's very comfortable.

Anyway, I wouldn't drag anybody out in a storm like this.

- Look, I wouldn't mind, I really wouldn't!

- You surprise me, Willie.

- Why?

- You never used to be this thoughtful.

- Miss Winters... - Yes?

What is it?

- You're making a big mistake.

- Why do you say that?

[Barnabas] - Yes, Willie, why do you say that?

Why is Miss Winters making a mistake?

- Because...

People might get the wrong idea.

- Because she is staying in this house tonight?

- Yeah.

- I'm sure that your concern is completely unwarranted.

- Of course it is. - Maybe so.

- But Willie was kind enough

to offer to take me back to Collinwood.

- Was he?

- I told him it wasn't necessary,

but I appreciate his generosity.

- Well, Willie is a very generous young man.

Aren't you, Willie?

Oh, come now, don't be modest.

I dare say that you will, someday,

be amply rewarded for your generosity.

[thunder rumbling]

Well, what brings you downstairs, Miss Winters?

The storm? Couldn't you sleep?

- No, it wasn't that.

A very strange thing happened.

- What?

- Well, I was sound asleep and a voice woke me.

It was singing. - Singing?

- Yes, it was a little girl.

- A little girl?

- I thought she was in my room.

She kept singing the same song over and over again.

"London Bridge Is Falling Down".

- Impossible. - I know!

When I lit the candle, there was nobody in the room.

But I heard the singing distinctly.

- It must have been your imagination.

- I was wide awake, it was so real.

- I assure you there is no little girl in this house.

- Well...

I suppose it was my imagination, but I don't know.

- It must have been.

- I guess so.

- Are you frightened to return to Josette's room?

- Oh, no, I'm not afraid.

- Are you sure?

- Yes, I was just being silly.

There's no reason at all why I shouldn't go back to that room.

- Well, let me know if there's anything you need.

- I will.

- Good night. - Good night.

[thunder crashing]

- Who is she, Barnabas, this little girl?

- There is no little girl.

- But Miss Winters heard her.

- That was her imagination!

- Well, she didn't imagine this!

♪♪

How did it get here, Barnabas?

Unless she left it here, whoever she is.

- There is no little girl. - But, Barnabas--

- There is no little girl, do you understand?

- Yeah.

- Wait.

What were you saying to Miss Winters

when I came into the room?

- What?

- Go on, what were you saying?

Well, why don't you answer me?

You were trying to warn her about me, weren't you?

- No... - You were warning her about me!

- Yeah.

- The truth.

At last, you're telling me the truth.

- You can k*ll me if you want to.

But I didn't want you to harm her.

She never did anything to deserve it.

- You know what would have happened to you

if you had warned her.

- Yes.

- And you know what I should do to you now for even trying.

- You gonna k*ll me?

- No.

- Well, what are you gonna do?

- Nothing.

- Nothing?

You mean, you changed your mind?

You aren't gonna punish me?

- No.

I want you to talk to me. - Talk?

- Well, better still, don't talk but stay here.

- You like her, don't you?

That's why you don't wanna harm her-- that's it, isn't it?

Don't harm her, Barnabas.

She never did anything to deserve it.

- Be quiet, Willie!

- You don't want to do it-- I can tell you don't.

- Please!

Willie, the sound of your voice is irritating me.

- But-- - It's best you go to bed.

- But Barnabas-- - Do as I say!

- All right.

- And stay in bed for the rest of the night.

[thunder crashing]

♪♪

[thunder rumbling]

[thunder crashing]

♪♪

♪♪

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