444 - March 7, 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 .

On this night in the garden on the Collins' estate,

a young woman expects to meet someone,

who will defend her honor.

[thunder rumbling]

- Barnabas?

- Get ready.

- Look. Look. What she got?

- Cousin Barnabas!

- She - she's got a g*n! I'm not going up there!

- Oh, yes you are. She can't possibly fire it.

Now, get going.

[thunder rumbling]

- Cousin Barnabas, it is extremely cruel of you--

Ah! Ah!

♪♪

[eerie theme music] ♪♪

Ah!

- Millicent!

- Ah!

[thud]

[thud]

- Ah!

Millicent, are you all right?

- I think so. - Here.

- You better sit down.

- He was going to k*ll me.

- Did you see who it was?

- No.

I - I never saw his face.

It all happened so suddenly.

- Oh, it doesn't matter.

The important thing is that you weren't harmed.

- I did see the head of his cane, though.

It - it was a wolf's head,

like the cane Barnabas used to carry.

- Barnabas?

- Yes.

- Millicent, you're not suggesting that

the man who just attacked you was your Cousin Barnabas?

- I don't know what else to think.

- But - but he's out of the country!

- No. No, he is here.

I received a note from him earlier this evening,

asking me to meet him here in the garden.

- Why would Barnabas want to k*ll you?

- I don't know.

None of it makes any sense to me.

I only know that had it not been for you,

I might be dead now.

How could I ever show you how grateful I am?

- You owe me no debt of gratitude, Millicent.

- But I do.

You were willing to risk your own life in order to save mine.

- I only did what any gentleman would have done

under the circumstances.

- Oh, no, I do not believe that.

Because what you did took exceptional courage,

a quality lacking in many so-called gentleman.

-Millicent!

Millicent, where are you?

- I don't think I can call out to her, Lieutenant.

My throat is still quite painful.

- Over here, Mrs. Collins!

-Millicent, who is that? Who are you with?

Lieutenant Forbes! What are you doing here?

- Cousin Naomi, you mustn't be angry.

Lieutenant Forbes has just saved my life.

- Saved your life? What are you talking about?

- Millicent was attacked

and nearly strangled a few minutes ago,

apparently, by the same man who's committed

many such attacks around Collinsport.

- Attacked? - Yes.

- Right here on our own property?

- And had Lieutenant Forbes not come along when he did,

the man would have k*lled me.

- I'm very glad you intervened, Lieutenant.

Could you please tell me what you were doing

on the Collins property?

My husband forbids your presence here.

- Yes, I'm quite away of that, Mrs. Collins,

but I - I just had to come here tonight.

- If you've been seen, you would have been shot!

- I was willing to risk that.

- Why?

- Because I couldn't bear the thought

of leaving Collinsport forever

without at least seeing Millicent one more time.

- Leaving Collinsport?

- Yes, I - I was coming out to Collinwood

to say goodbye, Millicent.

- Goodbye?

- Mrs. Collins, I suppose it would be most unwise

for me to come back to the house with you.

- Yes, it would.

- Then may I ask you a very great favor?

- What is it?

- May I say goodbye to Millicent alone?

- Alone?

- With her permission, of course.

I won't take more than a minute,

then I'll escort her safely back to your front door and leave.

- Lieutenant, I'm grateful for what you have done,

but for your sake, I think it would be better if you left.

- Please, Cousin Naomi, give us just a moment.

I think it's the least we could do for the Lieutenant.

- Very well.

I'll wait for you over there by the path.

♪♪

- How soon will you be leaving?

- There's a carriage out of Collinsport,

daybreak tomorrow.

I will be on it.

- Tomorrow?

Must you leave so soon?

- No, but under the circumstances,

I prefer to leave as soon as possible.

- But why?

- Joshua ordered me to arrange my own transfer.

I've complied with that order.

There's nothing to keep me here now.

- But there's nothing that says

you must leave in such haste, either.

- Yes, there is.

I hope you'll believe it

when I say that to remain here one more day

would be too painful for me.

- Painful?

- Millicent, no one knows better than I do how much I've -

I've hurt you,

that it was not done maliciously,

I hope you know, but that doesn't change anything.

It was still done and it can't be undone.

Therefore, I've had to - had to live with it.

And I shall go on living with it for the rest of my days.

I suppose you thought I - I didn't have a conscience,

but I do

and it's allowed me no rest ever since--

Well, you know when.

- You seem so different tonight.

Oh, don't - don't delude yourself, Millicent.

I'm the same person I've always been.

- No. I - I don't think that's true.

Well, perhaps now - perhaps not.

At least now I -

I do recognize how wrong I - I was

and I'm sorry for that,

but I suppose it's a little late for me to be sorry.

- Where will you go from here?

- I'll go to Boston first and on to a new assignment.

I'd better be leaving soon.

I - I still have my packing to finish.

- Lieutenant, if it is -

if it is inconvenient for you to leave tomorrow,

I'm sure that my Cousin Joshua

would not object to your staying on in Collinsport

a while longer and I know that I would not.

- It's too late to change my plans, Millicent.

I must say goodbye.

But before we do, I -

I ask you to believe one thing

because it's as - as true and as real

as - as anything you'll ever hear.

I love you very much.

Goodbye, Millicent.

- Goodbye, Nathan.

- You better go. Your cousin is waiting for you.

- Yes.

Has Cousin Joshua gone to bed yet?

- No. He was in the study when I left the house.

- Good, because I must speak with him.

- You're not going to mention anything

about Lieutenant Forbes?

- No.

I want to speak with him about Barnabas.

- Barnabas?

- I can't imagine why he would want to harm me.

- What on Earth are you talking about?

- But what else am I to think?

I did receive a note from him earlier,

asking me to meet him in the garden,

and then, he tried to strangle me.

And I know it was Barnabas!

Because I saw his cane

just before he began to choke me with it.

- Millicent, that's absurd!

Now, listen to me,

it must have been someone who had a cane

that resembled the one that Barnabas had.

It could not have been Barnabas.

I'm sure when you're rested and collect your thoughts--

- I must--

I must do something for Lieutenant Forbes,

make some gesture to show the depth of my gratitude.

- I'm sure that the lieutenant realizes how grateful you are.

- He - he saved my life

and all I did was say thank you.

- Millicent, he's gone, he's out of your life for good.

- Yes.

So, I will never see him again, will I?

- You mustn't think of seeing him again.

You must be as brave as you can and let him leave.

It's the only way for you to start a new life, Millicent.

Believe me, it's for the best.

- Yes. Yes, all for the best.

- You've had a terrible scare, you must be exhausted.

Let me take you upstairs.

Well, I should like to stay - stay downstairs for a while,

if you don't mind.

- Are you sure you'll be all right?

- I'll be fine.

- All right.

Good night.

- Good night, Cousin Naomi.

[thunder rumbling]

♪♪

[footsteps approaching]

- You took your good sweet time, didn't you?

- I told you it might take a little while.

- What did you do out there anyway?

- I had to make sure that the lady

was all right, didn't I?

- And it took this long?

- It went better than I even expected it would,

so I took advantage of the situation

and stayed a bit longer.

- Did she see my face?

- She saw just what I wanted her to see, the cane.

Nothing more.

- But you don't know that she didn't see my face.

- She thinks it was Barnabas, who attacked her.

So, stop worrying.

- Well, if there's nothing to worry about,

why are you packing all those things?

- Because it's part of the plan. Don't you remember?

I'm supposed to be leaving on the morning carriage?

- But you're not leaving.

So, why are you packing everything?

- Look, why don't you g over to The Eagle

and have yourself a drink?

If I need you, I'll send for you.

- No.

I have a much better idea.

Why don't you just give me the money you promised me

and I'll take that carriage out tomorrow morning.

- You can't leave yet.

Your work here may not be finished.

- Lieutenant, I have done everything you wanted me to do,

but I'm not going to take the risk

and stay here and get caught.

There is no chance of your being caught.

- You have no way of knowing that.

- I already told you,

she thinks it's another man who attacked her!

Now, what more assurance do you need?

- I don't want any assurance.

I just want to get out.

I want my money.

- I don't have any money.

- You don't have any? - Of course not, I told you.

- I won't have it until the plan has been fully ex*cuted.

- What does that mean?

- It means that in a day or two, you and I -

you and I will have all the money we need.

Now, look, let me tell you something.

So far, everything that I have planned

has gone exactly the way I planned it.

Now, as long as neither of us makes a mistake,

the rest is going to go just as well.

- But something could go wrong.

- Well, if it does,

then both of us will leave Collinsport penniless.

Is that what you want?

- What I want is my money.

- Well, if you keep quiet and follow my instructions,

then you'll get it.

- I don't want to take any more risks like I took tonight.

- You won't have to take any more risks!

Now, look, I want you out of my room.

- Why? - Because I'm expecting a visitor!

- Who?

- Who do you think?

- You mean--

You think she's going to come here?

- Yes.

- You're out of your mind.

She wouldn't go out into the village at this hour.

The plan calls for her to come here,

she will come here!

- You're either very confident or you're lying to me.

- Why should I lie to you?

- I don't know.

But just in case you are, I think it might be a good idea

if I kept you in my sight.

- I'm staying. - You can't stay!

- She's going to be here any minute!

- I'll believe that when I see it, Lieutenant,

and not before.

♪♪

- Why don't you sit down?

- I don't want to sit down.

- You're getting a little nervous.

- Why don't you be quiet?

- Also a little edgy.

What's the matter, Lieutenant,

have you decided that I was right and you were wrong?

- She'll be here, I swear to you.

- Now, suppose she doesn't come, then what happens to your -

to your carefully laid out plans?

- I should just think of something else, that's all.

Well, if that doesn't happen,

then I also don't get the money that you promised me.

Now, I'm not going to like that, not one little bit.

- I told you that I will get to her somehow.

- How, Lieutenant?

You're leaving tomorrow, remember?

[footsteps approaching]

- Listen!

Someone's coming.

All right. Now, you've got to get out of here.

[knocking] - How do you know it's her?

- Look, Noah, it has to be.

Now, listen, if you want the money that's coming to you,

then now is your last chance.

[knocking]

Leave here or stay here and ruin everything.

Millicent!

- Lieutenant, I hope you were not shocked

by my coming here.

- Shocked?

I'm delightfully surprised by it.

- I know there are those who will think it unladylike

of - of me to visit a gentleman alone,

but when that gentleman is one who has done

something so brave and unselfish

as you have done tonight, I think it is excusable,

don't you?

- Yes, of course, but I-- - Have I made you unhappy by coming here?

- Millicent, nothing you could do could make me unhappy.

It's just that, well, seeing you again

and having to say goodbye all over again

might be even more painful than before.

- Is it--

Is it imperative that you leave in the morning?

- Are you asking me not to leave?

- I don't know.

You see, I'm - I'm suddenly very confused.

What you did tonight was so good and noble.

- Oh, I - I just did what I felt I had to do.

I - I couldn't let any harm come to you.

- That's what I mean.

Your first concern was for me and after you left,

I began asking myself questions.

I began to wonder if perhaps I were the guilty one.

- What do you mean?

- At first, I only felt grateful for what you have done,

but then, I thought more about it

and I thought perhaps I had not been fair to you,

- that I had misjudged you. - No.

- No, Millicent, nothing--

There is nothing that can absolve me

for having deceived you.

You have every right to have been hurt and angry.

- Do you want to go away?

- The thing that matters is that

I'm doing what's best for both of us.

- But now,

now, I'm not so sure it is for the best.

- You're not?

- Nathan, did you really mean everything you said to me

earlier this evening?

- Every word.

- And you really do feel sorry about everything

that has happened?

- Oh, yes.

- And you do love me?

- No matter what happens, I will always love you.

- Nathan, I don't know if you think

that things could ever be the way they were

once between us, but what I mean is,

I tried to face the thought of never seeing you again,

and I couldn't face it

and I don't want you to leave.

Nathan, please, stay here in Collinsport!

♪♪

[eerie theme music] ♪♪