222 - May 3, 1967

[bunniefuu]

[voice over]
- My name is Victoria Winters.

The past and the present have intermingled at Collinwood,

and the ancestral home has become a source

of strange occurrences and strong curiosities.

A foreboding structure

can attract the least suspecting.

[knocking at door]

[knocking at door]

[doorknob rattling]


- Mr. Collins?

Mr. Collins?


- [gasps]
- Don't be frightened.


- You startled me!
- I
-
- I didn't mean to.


- What are you doing here? I thought you had gone away.


- Well, I started to go, but...


- But what?


- Nothing.


- Why are you here?


- I'd rather not say.


- Why were you hiding?


- Oh, I, I didn't know who was coming in.


- Who did you expect?


- I don't know.


- I'm sorry, Willie, but sometimes

I just don't understand you.


- Don't try to.

Just do me one favor.

Get out of this house right now!

♪♪


- Why should I get out of here?


- It's... It's just better if you do.

You shouldn't have come here.


- I have every right to come here.

I've come to see someone who lives here.


- Barnabas Collins?


- That's right.

How did you know?


- I know who he is.


- How do you know him?


- I met him.


- Where?


- I met him on the road.

He had a flat tire. I changed it.


- But what are you doing here?


- I work for him.


- You work for him?


- Yeah.

He needed someone to fix this place up.

You know, someone who could do a lot of things.

Handy with tools and all.

It's a pretty old house. Needs a lot of work.


- And he hired you?


- Yeah, he hired me.


- Well, I'm amazed.

You've changed so much in such a short period of time.

I'm very pleased for you.


- Yeah?

Well, I appreciate that.


- Well, where is Mr. Collins?


- What do you want with him?


- Mrs. Stoddard asked me to invite him for dinner.


- I see.


- You haven't answered my question.

Where is he?


- Well, he
-
- he isn't here.
- Oh.

Well, will he be back soon?


- I don't know.


- Well, don't you know when he'll be back?


- I'm telling you I don't know!


- All right!

All right.


- I'm
-
- I'm sorry.


- You certainly have done a nice job

in fixing up this place.


- Thanks.


- It's quite a change from the last time I was here.

There was dust all over the floor

and spider webs, broken furniture.

You fixed it up very nicely.


- Well, there's a lot to do.


- This room is a lot more cheerful

now that the shutters are open.

Why, you can look out and see that nice sunset.


- Sunset?


- Yes, do you see it?


- Vicki, listen, you
-
- you better get going.


- Well, I thought I'd wait around a bit longer

to see if Mr. Collins will be coming back.


- Oh, he
-
- he won't. Not
-
- Not for a long time.


- Well, I have to ask him
-
-


- I'm
-
- I'm telling you, you better get going.


- Why?


- Well, I
-
- I can't hang around talking to you.

I got a lot of things to do.

Please go now!

I mean it!


- Sometimes I don't think I will ever understand you.


- I'm not asking you to understand me.

I'm asking you to go!


- Thank you.


- Well, now, Willie...

you are a polite one, aren't you?

You were in a terrible rush

to get her out of here, weren't you?

What was the matter, Willie?

Were you afraid for her?

Afraid something might happen to her?

How very considerate of you, Willie.

How very considerate.

♪♪

[rapid footsteps climbing stairs]

[doorknob rattling]

[lock clicks]


- [breathing heavily]

[sighs]

[knocking at door]

[knocking at door]

Who is it?


- Barnabas Collins.


- Mr. Collins?


- That's right.


- Hello, Mr. Collins.


- Hello, Miss Evans.

The expression on your face is one of surprise.


- That's because I
-
- I didn't expect to see you here.


- You... You look as if you are going to

slam the door at any moment.


- I'm sorry.


- May I come in?


- Come in?


- Yes. I wonder if I could speak to you.

It won't take long.


- Yes. Of course.

Come in.


- May I?


- Yes.


- There. It's a damp night.

You are disturbed.


- I guess I am.


- Something wrong?


- Mr. Collins, I'm sure that I was followed.


- Followed?


- I had the feeling that I was
-
- I was followed.

I
-
- I couldn't make out who it was.


- That's strange.

Well, let me take a look.

Nothing.

I don't see anyone or anything.


- [chuckling]

I guess I was just being unnecessarily nervous

because of what happened the other night.


- What happened?


- You didn't hear?

A girl was attacked down near the waterfront.


- Attacked?


- Yes. It's
-
- It's not far from where I work.


- That's terrible.

Do they know whom it was?


- No. It was a man.

He
-
- He came up from behind her and clutched her throat.

But she managed to scream so loudly

that he ran away before he could do anything.


- Well, has anything of this sort

been known to happen here before?


- No.


- Then, perhaps the culprit is someone from another place.


- Oh... I don't know.

The whole town has been nervous lately.


- What do you mean?


- Well, the things that have happened.

All those animals dying,

it's made everyone uncomfortable.

Mr. Collins, I'm sure that you didn't come here

to discuss the local crime rate.


- No, I didn't.

But I am concerned that you're so apprehensive.


- Oh! [chuckles] Thank you.

But I'll be all right.
-I'm sure you will.

Let me tell you my reason for coming here.

You mentioned something last night

about your father being a painter.


- That's right.


- Well, may I see some of his work?


- Oh, of course. Let me show you.


- Ah.

Yes.

It's rather good.

Quite good.

Excellent, in fact.


- [chuckling] Thank you.


- Yes, I like his style very much.


- Someday he'll get the recognition he deserves.


- I'm sure he will.

May I see some others?


- Yes, of course.

He just finished these recently.

[door opens]
- Maggie.


- Oh, Pop!


- Oh, I'm glad you're home.


- [chuckling] Hi.

Pop, I'd like you to meet Barnabas Collins.

Mr. Collins, this is my father.


- Mr. Evans, this is a pleasure.


- It's nice to meet you.


- But why were you so glad that I was home?


- Well...

I...

I was worried.


- Worried?
- Yes.

About, uh...

About an hour ago,

another girl was attacked.


- What happened?


- Well...

it was very much like the one

that happened the other night.

The girl said she was being followed.

Then she was
-
-

Someone jumped her from behind.

At the same time, a car turned around the corner.

The headlights shined on 'em, and...

and he released her and ran.


- Have they any idea whom it might be?


- Well, the sheriff figures it might be the same guy.

The, uh...

Neither one of the girls saw him,

so there's no description.

Not a lead.

That's why I was so worried about you, Maggie.

I came right down to the restaurant

to pick you up to drive you home,

but you'd already closed up, so I came back here

as fast as that old station wagon would go.


- I wish you had picked me up.


- Oh?


- Your daughter believes she was followed here.


- Maggie, is this true?


- Pop, I'm sure that somebody was behind me.

Behind me all the way home.


- I don't want you walking home

alone at night from that place.

Now, you're gonna use the station wagon from now on.


- Well, let's not talk about it.

Um, Mr. Collins came to look

at some of your pictures.
- Oh?


- Yes, your daughter described them to me,

and I wanted to see them.


- Oh. [chuckles]

Please, uh, go right ahead.


- Oh, I think I've seen enough

to know that the quality of your painting

is exactly what I'm looking for.


- Well, have you seen anything

that you've liked in particular?


- Well, rather than purchase a painting,

I'd like to commission one.


- A commission?


- I wonder if you'd be interested in accepting

a commission to do a portrait of me.


- Well...

yes.

Yes, I
-
- I would.


- I know it
-
- it's not proper

to talk about money to an artist.


- Well, but you want to know how much I will charge, huh?


- If you don't mind.


- Well, see, that depends on,

uh, how many sittings there are,

the amount of time that's involved,

and framing, which
-
- which I do myself.


- Would you consider a thousand dollars to be a fair price?


- Uh...

yes, I
-
- I would say that's a satisfactory fee.


- Then, you accept?


- With pleasure.


- Fine. When can you start?


- Well, um...

almost immediately.

Suppose you come here tomorrow morning,

and I'll begin the drawing.


- No, uh, I'm afraid we'll have to work

in another way.


- Another way?


- Well, must you do the portrait here?


- Mm, not necessarily.


- Well, would it be possible, then,

to do the painting at my house?


- Of course.

Tomorrow morning, then, at your house.


- Would I be pressing you

if I asked you to begin tonight?


- Tonight?


- I'd like to get it started.


- Well...

I, um, suppose I could.


- Actually, my days are so busy,

I wonder if it would be possible to work only at night.


- Well, it's, uh, it's possible.

But, uh...

I'm used to the north lights.

It's essential to lay out my colors.


- I'm sure that an artist as skilled as you are

can paint in artificial light.

I'll wager you've painted through thousands of nights.


- Well, yes, there have been several times

when I painted around the clock.


- Then, you're definitely the man for me.

And you'll start tonight?


- Well, uh...why not? Sure.


- That's wonderful.

I'll see you shortly.


- All right.

I'll have to get my, uh...

spare easel and paint box together,

stretch a canvas.


- I'm looking forward to this.

I'm very fortunate to find a man as talented as you are

in such a small town.


- Thank you.


- Good night, Ms. Evans.


- Good night, Mr. Collins.


- See you later.


- Oh, okay, Maggie, if you'll hand me that canvas.


- Here you are, Pop.


- Oh, fine.

Yep.

Well, now...

I guess we're just about ready.


- Excellent.

Are you planning to stay, Ms. Evans?


- No, I'll be leaving now,

but I'll be back in a couple of hours

to pick you up, Pop.


- Okay, Maggie.


- Uh, Ms. Evans,

it's likely that we will be working late into the night,

and I wouldn't want you to be driving

in the early hours.

I'll see that your father gets home safely.


- Oh, thank you.

Pop, will you really be working all night?


- Well, it's possible.

I may catch something that I don't want to stop.

You know how I am.

[chuckling]
- That I do.

All right, Pop,

I'll be going home now.

I have to be up for work early.


- Good night, Ms. Evans.

I trust that you'll be all right driving home.


- Yes, thank you. I will.


- Good night.
- What's that?


- Don't work too hard.
- Good night, Maggie.

Okay. Yes.


- Your daughter is a very attractive girl.


- Yes.

Yes, she's a...nice kid.

Now, let's see.

[grunts]

Put this... yeah, right here.

That's it.

Now, Mr. Collins, if you'll sit right in that chair,

we'll see if we can find the best pose for you.


- This will be it.


- Hm? Well...

now, if you'll just raise your chin slightly.

Uh
-huh. A little more.

Good, yes. Good.

Now, that does it.

Okay, now we're ready.

Ah.

Yeah...

that does it.

[knocking at door]


- Maggie!
- Hi, Vicki.

I was on the property, so I thought I'd drop in.


- Come in!


- Thank you.


- What brings you up here?


- Well, I just dropped my father off at the old house.


- What for?


- He's been commissioned to do a portrait

of Barnabas Collins.


- Oh, that's wonderful!


- I know.


- Have you seen the portrait of his ancestor?


- No.
- It looks just like him.


- Oh, he seems very nice.


- Yes, he is.

He's very intelligent and very interesting.

Do you know he comes from the European

branch of the family?


- Oh, that's why he seems so different.

I mean, I like him, but he just seems so distant.


- Yes, he does.

But it's nice to have someone friendly around here

for a change.
- [chuckling]


- I suppose that sounds like a contradiction,

but it isn't really.


- No.

Have you noticed his eyes?


- No.


- Well, there's something about them.

Can't get them out of my mind.

They just seem to penetrate.


- [yawning]

Oh, I'm getting groggy.

[groans]

Well, it beats me how you can hold that position all night.


- It's time to finish up.


- [groans] Yeah, well, maybe you're right.

It's been a good night's work.

[distant rooster crowing]

Well...

looks like the sun will be coming up about any minute.


- Stop now.

[clears throat]


- Wait a minute.

There's
-
- There's a line I
-
- I never saw before.

Huh. Just let me get that in.


- I said we're finished!


- Well, just
-
- just a minute now.

Just a minute.

Get that line in.

Now...

Yes.

There, that makes a difference.

Aha.

Yeah, well, that's about it.

That's it for tonight.

Mr. Collins, I...

Mr. Collins?

Mr. Collins?

Mr. Collins?

You?

What are you doing here?


- Mr. Collins told me to take you home.


- You? Why you?


- I work for him.


- You work for him? But I...

But
-
- Well, I
-
- I want to talk to him.

Where is he?
- He had to go somewhere.


- But he was just sitting in that chair

a little while ago.

Where did he go?


- Please, Mr. Evans, I have to drive you home.


- Yes, but I've got to talk to him.

I've got to find out about the time for the sitting again,

the next one.


- Mr. Collins said after sundown.

Now, Mr. Evans.


- After sundown?

[distant bell tolling]

♪♪

♪♪

[announcer] "Dark Shadows" is a Dan Curtis production.