623 - November 12, 1968

[bunniefuu]

- This is Collinwood in the year .

But for one person on this night,

it would be the Collinwood that existed almost years ago.

In another house not far from here,

a strange ceremony has taken place,

and it has enabled a woman to transcend the barriers of time

for six hours.

During this brief visit to the past,

she will see and do things that may tragically

affect the present.

The place is Collinsport in the year .

- And this shall be your sufficient warrant,

given under my hand and seal on this the rd day of April

in the year of Our Lord , signed by the governor.

We have only a few hours.

You best start preparing things now.

[clatter] What the devil is happening here?

Who are you?

- I'm here to see one of your prisoners.

- But where did you come from?

How did you get in here?

- Through the door.

- You couldn't have come in through the door.

We would have heard you.

- You were too busy reading whatever you were reading.

May I ask what that document is?

- A death warrant, signed by the governor.

There's going to be a hanging tonight.

- Who is going to be hanged?

- A man named Peter Bradford.

[theme music]

- Peter Bradford is the man I am here to see.

- You still haven't told me who you are.

- My name is not important.

- Are you related to the prisoner?

- At one time we were going to be married,

but I've been away for six months.

- Married?

That is most interesting.

- Why do you find it interesting?

- It's a pity Mr. Bradford has to die.

He apparently had a way with beautiful women.

- What does that mean?

- A few short weeks ago, it appeared that he

might marry another young lady.

Unfortunately, she was found guilty of practicing witchcraft

and was hanged.

- She was someone who lives here in Collinsport?

- Her name was Gloria Winters.

No one seemed to know how she got here

or where she came from.

- Victoria Winters died here?

- All we know is she was hanged.

But whether she died or not is something everyone

in Collinsport is still wondering about.

- I don't know what you mean.

- Before she went to the gallows,

she asked the hangman to put a mask over her head.

After the execution, we took the mask off and it wasn't her.

It was some young lady that we've never seen before.

Nobody knows how or why it happened,

but it convinced us all that she must have been a witch.

- She came back here and fell in love with him.

- What did you say?

- Nothing.

May I see Mr. Bradford now?

Well, there are no rules against it.

I'll take you in.

You have a visitor, Mr. Bradford, a lady.

- You don't seem very happy to see me.

- Look, there's nothing between us anymore.

- I think the reason you are here is rather ironic,

don't you?

You condemn me for k*lling a man and then

you turn around and k*ll one yourself.

- I didn't k*ll anybody.

- You mean you're innocent? - That's right.

- And they don't believe you?

And they don't believe me, and that's the only irony I see.

You're guilty of k*lling and you're free and I'm innocent

and they're going to hang me.

- No.

No, they're not, Peter.

- Well, you must know something I don't.

- Oh, they think they're going to hang you.

They're wrong.

- Yeah?

Why?

We can go away, leave Collinsport together,

and change the course of history.

- What?

- She said if I-I stay more than six hours--

- Come on, I don't know what you're talking about.

- Peter, do you want to live or don't you?

- Of course I do.

- Then I'll help you escape.

- What do you want me to do?

- Just be ready when I come to get you.

I'll arrange everything else.

I have a chance to give you your freedom, on the condition

that you will go away with me.

- I don't know.

I just don't know.

- It seems to me you don't have much of a choice.

If you refuse me, why, they'll hang you tonight.

It's as simple as that.

You can't tell me you want them to hang you, especially

for a crime you didn't commit.

[bang]

- No, I-I don't want to die.

- Then let me help you.

- All right, look, do whatever you have to do.

- I'll need a few hours.

I-I have to go to Collinwood and find Ben Stokes.

- Ben Stokes? What for?

- I told you I'm going to need some help.

And Ben Stokes is the one person who

could never refuse me anything.

Jailer.

[bang]

- Stokes!

- Aye, Mr. Collins.

- Come into the drawing room, I want to talk to you.

- Is something wrong, sir?

- I didn't want to be overheard by any of the other servants.

To begin with, I'm sure you will want

to hear the news I've just received from the Collinsport

constable.

- News?

- The governor has refused to grant clemency

to Peter Bradford.

- I see.

What does that mean, sir?

- It means that they're determined

not to waste any time.

They are going to hang him tonight.

- Isn't there anything we can do to help him?

- There is nothing.

His lost hope is gone.

- He's innocent.

He didn't k*ll that man.

Miss Winters told the court she k*lled him in self-defense.

Why wouldn't they believe her?

- Because she was herself condemned to hang.

And did hang.

They thought that she was simply protecting--

trying to protect Bradford.

- First her, then him.

Both innocent.

Both good people.

- I know.

Well, perhaps now the hysteria of the community

will have run its course.

I hope so.

As for Mr. Bradford, there is nothing we can do but offer him

our prayers.

Perhaps God will give him the mercy

that Collinsport denied him.

I hope you're right, sir.

- I called you in here to discuss something else.

Something I want you to do for me.

- What is it, sir?

- Do you recognize this? - Aye.

It's the book Miss Winters brought with her.

- That's right.

It is the account of my family history

past, present, and future.

- I know.

I always thought it was kind of scary.

- Stokes, this book must be destroyed tonight.

- Begging your pardon, sir, but why

do you want the book destroyed?

- Because it frightens me.

- Frightens you?

- Yes, I've gone over it very carefully.

Strangely enough, there are certain statements

which are not true.

However, I plan to make them part of the family

history in any case.

- I don't understand.

- Do you think I want the world to know the evils that

have been perpetrated here?

No.

I certainly do not.

I want future generations to be able to look back

at their ancestors with some measure of pride.

They will never know the vile and pitiful thing

that Barnabas became.

They will never know the real cause of Naomi's death,

or of Millicent's unfortunate association with that scoundrel

Forbes.

- You're not going to write your own history?

- I'm going to take it from the printed pages,

and set it down in my own hand.

Those yet to live will believe my son went to England, never

to return; my wife died of natural causes;

and that my niece lived a life of spinsterhood.

- But you told me all you wanted was there in that book...

Well, I still don't understand why you want it destroyed.

- You know I don't believe in witchcraft,

and I certainly never believed that Victoria Winters

was a witch.

But this book, I do believe is cursed.

- Why?

- It has to be.

It isn't possible for anyone to set down future history.

Miss Winters believed it truly came from the th century.

- Do you believe it?

- I don't know.

- Well, I don't!

It's impossible.

If there is such a thing as black magic,

then I think this book is a product of it.

I believe the madness and tragedy

that we've been witness to will end,

once this book is destroyed.

- What do you want me to do with it?

- Take it out of this house.

Take it far into the woods, as far as you can, and burn it.

Burn every page of it.

Take it, Stokes.

[bell ringing]

- Mr. Prescott.

Mr. Prescott.

- What is it?

I'm a condemned man.

I'm entitled to a last request, aren't I?

There's something I need.

- Something you need?

- Yes.

- Please, I am a condemned man.

Give me a chance.

- You can ask for anything except your freedom.

- All I need is a pen and some paper, just a little paper.

- What for?

- I want to write someone a note.

- I can't imagine why, you're not going

to be around to get an answer.

But I'll get what you want.

- Good.

That's good.

[bell ringing]

- Ben!

- What are you doing here?

You were never supposed to come back.

- I had to come back when I heard

that Peter was in trouble.

- He is in trouble, all right, and there's

nothing anyone can do about it.

- You're wrong.

There is something that we can do, and I'm going to do it,

and you're going to help me.

- No, I'm not.

I don't know what kind of scheme you've

been up to but I won't have anything to do with it.

You hear?

- Do you want Peter Bradford to die?

- There's no way of preventing it, now.

- You didn't answer my question. - No!

No, of course I don't want him to die.

- And yet you're willing to stand by and see

it be done, even though you know he's innocent.

- I told you there's nothing anyone can do.

- There is, if only you'll do as I tell you.

- No.

Helping you and one your schemes means hurting somebody else,

I want no part of it.

- I guarantee you that no one will be hurt.

I worked out a very simple plan for Peter's escape.

All you have to do is arrange to have

two horses outside the jail when I'm ready.

Please, Ben?

You can't let them hang an innocent man.

- I want to know what your plan is.

- I'm going to get the jailer alone, and give him something

that will put him to sleep. - Poison?

- No.

Just a harmless drug.

The other men at the jail will be outside, in the courtyard,

preparing the gallows.

I'll get the keys from the jailer and release Peter.

- You're sure the jailer won't be hurt?

- No, I have no reason to hurt him.

I don't even know the man.

I just want him to be asleep long enough

to let Peter get away.

- All right.

I'll have the horses ready.

There is one thing I want you to know.

- What's that?

- I'm doing this for Peter Bradford, not you.

- As long as you do it, Ben, that's all I care about.

I'll come back here and get the horses in about an hour.

- No! Now, Ben.

- I can't do it now.

I got something I have to do for Mr. Collins first.

- What?

- This book...

Don't ask me to explain why, but he wants it burned.

- Oh, we don't have that much time, Ben.

Look, does it matter whether the book

is burned now or later tonight?

- Well, I-I don't know, I--

- Then it will be done tonight, after we help Peter.

Here.

I'll take the book and I'll give it back to you

after you bring the horses.

- You better not.

I-I don't want anything to happen to it.

- Oh, don't be ridiculous, Ben.

What could happen to it?

I know you have your doubts about me,

but surely you can trust me to take care of a worthless book.

- Right.

You give it back to me when I bring the horses.

- Yes, I will.

Now hurry, Ben!

- I've learned more than I ever thought I would.

Victoria Winters actually came back in time

and brought this book with her.

This could be very valuable to me.

Very valuable.

:.

One half-hour to go.

Is everything ready?

- The horses are waiting just across the road.

- Good.

I'll attend to the jailer, as soon as he comes back.

He's in with Peter now.

- Let me have the book. - No.

No.

I'll give it to you later, when we come out.

- I want it now. I want to take it now, and do--

- Ben!

- --what Mr. Collins told me to do.

- Please, you're going to spoil everything.

I hear something.

Go back and wait outside.

- He said he needs another minute, then he'll see you.

- I don't mind waiting.

- You could sit down, if you like

- No. No, thank you.

I'll stand.

I suppose you won't want me around when it, it happens.

- A hanging's a gruesome thing.

Not a sight for a lady.

- What about after the hanging?

- After?

You...

you want to come and see the body?

- No, that's not what I had in mind.

- What did you have in mind?

- Meeting you.

- Me?

- Oh, I'm sorry, I've shocked you, haven't I?

- Well, uh, no.

- Well, it's just that I believe in speaking my mind.

Do you know what I mean?

- Listen, I-I guess he's ready for you now.

- Who?

- Mr. Bradford.

- You don't seem to understand, I'm not ready for him.

- Well, uh, you'd better go in there anyways.

He's probably finished writing that note by now.

- Note? What note?

- He's been working on the past couple of hours.

I guess it's something he wants you to have.

- Then perhaps I should go in.

No.

Don't come with me.

I know the way now.

Peter.

Peter, has something gone wrong?

- I'm not going through with it.

- Why?

Ben is outside with the horses.

- I'm going to stay here.

- Why?

They're going to hang you.

- I know.

- You don't care?

- Look, I know this may be difficult

for you to understand.

- That's right, it is.

You must be out of your mind.

- I put it all down in this note, all my reasons.

I know it will be hard for you to understand,

and hard for you to accept.

But read it, read it after.

- Peter, you can get out of here.

You have a chance to get out of here and can go on living.

Please take it, take it.

- No.

- I want to be with you, Peter, please, please don't deny me.

- I'm not denying you, I'm just keeping my promise

to someone else.

- Another woman?

- Yes.

Yes, she's dead now.

But before she died I told her that I'd be with her again,

in death or in another life.

And I...

I love her enough to believe that it'll happen.

So just read that note and try to understand.

[keys rattling]

- It's time, Mr. Bradford.

[keys rattling]

- Goodbye, Peter.

[keys rattling]

- You shouldn't stay here.

You can go into the waiting room.

- Yes.

- This is just what I needed.

- Is everything all right?

- I would have preferred to run away with him and change

the course of history...

- What did you say?

- But it's all right.

The note he has given me has given me another chance.

We will be together in another time.

- I don't think you've been feeling well ever since you

came back here tonight.

I think you should sit down and rest.

Maybe I can get you some tea.

Or would you like a toddy- [bell ringing]

- -a nice hot toddy-

[bell ringing]

- -to settle your nerves?

[bell ringing]

- Miss?

Miss?

[bell ringing]

[theme music]