301 - August 21, 1967

[bunniefuu]

[Victoria narrating] - We plan for the future,

looking forward hopefully and innocently.

But there are those who would interrupt our plans,

those who would plot against us to destroy tomorrow.

- I almost wish I hadn't told you.

- You know you would have regretted not telling me.

I sent you for information and you got it.

- Look, Devlin might have asked Vicki to marry him

but that doesn't mean she's going to say yes.

- I know how she feels about him.

I know what her answer will be.

- So what if she does get married?

She isn't that important to you, is she?

- I think you know me by now.

I should think you'd know that I always get what I go after.

- But what's the point of getting angry now

when everything might work out okay?

- Devlin's plans will interfere with mine sooner or later

and in one way or another.

I cannot permit this to happen.

Devlin is an obstacle, he must be dealt with.

- You don't have to go that far.

- Yes, I do.

Devlin must be removed... permanently.

♪♪

♪♪

- Now, you don't have to do this.

- Willie, I'm tired of your objections.

I will determine what is right for me as well as for you.

You'd do well to remember that.

- I'm just saying you don't have to go that far.

- Nothing you say will dissuade me.

Burke Devlin will be destroyed.

- Okay, your mind's made up.

But won't you listen to me for a minute?

- What for?

- If you give me a chance to talk,

I think I could make some sense.

- All right then, go ahead, talk.

- Okay, uh, let's just look at it for a minute.

When did you figure on getting rid of Burke Devlin?

- Immediately. - How?

- The same way as I dealt with your friend, Jason McGuire.

- I see.

And you think you can get away with it.

- Of course.

There isn't the slightest doubt in my mind.

- I mean, you're sure you won't be found out,

I mean, really sure.

- There's never been a word said about Jason McGuire.

Never an inquiry, nothing.

I doubt that there ever will be.

- That might be so.

But things were different in Jason's case.

He had been practically run out of town.

The Sheriff ordered him out.

People didn't like him.

They were glad to see him go, he was on his way.

He had no forwarding address.

People had no idea wherehe was going.

- Which made it all the more ideal for his timely demise.

- Okay, so it was a good set-up.

But Burke Devlin is something else.

He's one of the most important men in Collinsport.

People expect him to be here permanently.

He's got roots in this town.

- So? - So Jason never had that!

Nobody cared that he was gone!

- And you contend that people will care

when Burke Devlin disappears?

- Oh, they'll more than care.

They'll want to know where he is.

He can't just vanish into thin air.

- That's precisely what he will do,

without a trace.

- If he suddenly disappears,

they'll have a search for him like they never had before.

They'll comb every place in the area.

It'll be worse than it was with Maggie Evans.

Uh, you see, it's the same kind of disappearance.

They'll tie the two of them together.

We won't be as lucky as we were the last time.

They'll come to this house and they'll search it.

I know they will come.

- Burke Devlin's body will not be here.

- I know that!

But there are other things that are here,

things that you don't want anyone to know about.

Now the cops will come here.

I know that Sheriff, he'll have a search warrant.

They'll go through this place from top to bottom.

Now he'll go down there into that cellar,

and he'll find a coffin.

And he'll want to know about it.

All about it.

Now you know that it could happen.

- Yes, I know.

- Now, I know you want to get rid of him right away.

But if you gotta do this, why not wait?

Pick a better time.

- All right, Willie, I'll pick another time.

But my plans require that Devlin be put out of the way.

And you will help me do it.

♪♪

- You're not going to let me go in?

- I haven't decided yet.

I don't know if I can let you go.

- I wish I didn't have to go in.

- Then don't.

Let's take a drive up the coast.

Then we'll stop at the Blue Whale for a nightcap

and then back to Collinwood.

- No, it sounds wonderful,

but I'd rather save that for another night.

- All right.

As long as it guarantees me another evening with you.

- Tonight was too special,

too wonderful, too unforgettable.

- Oh, Vicki, Vicki.

The question I put to you tonight was

the toughest one I've ever asked.

- I know.

- I wish you could have said yes tonight.

- I wish I could have too.

But thank you for giving me the time to think.

- But not too much time.

Remember, you promised, okay?

[whispers] - Okay.

- Would you like some coffee?

- Oh, no thanks, I'd better be getting on

and let you get to that serious thinking.

- You know, I-- I've never thought of myself

as a married woman.

I suppose it's because I have always thought of myself

as taking care of someone else's children.

- I'm offering you the chance to take care of your own.

- Hello, Vicki, Burke.

- Oh, hello, Mrs. Stoddard. - Hello, Liz.

- Did you have a nice evening?

- The nicest. - Thank you.

- Am I interrupting?

- Oh no, I was just getting ready to leave.

- Oh, well, may I talk to you for a moment, Burke?

- Of course.

- Well, I think I'll go upstairs now.

Good night, Burke.

- Good night.

- Shall we go in here? - All right.

- I'm so glad to see that Vicki is going out so much.

- She's a wonderful girl.

It gives me great pleasure to make her happy.

- And now it will give me pleasure to see you happy.

- How do you mean?

- Well... I've thought it over carefully,

and I've decided to sell you the house.

- You'll sell it to me?

Why that's wonderful, that's marvelous!

- Would you like to discuss the business end of it tonight?

- Well, I'll tell you Liz, I feel so good about it,

I'd rather leave the hard bargaining

up to our respective lawyers.

We've have had our last conflict.

- Shall we drink to that? - Absolutely.

- Thank you.

Good luck, Burke.

Don't let anything stand in the way of your happiness.

- Nothing ever could.

♪♪

♪♪

- Are you still up?

- I thought you'd gone to bed.

- I couldn't sleep.

I had an awful lot on my mind.

- I just had a talk with Burke.

- Oh?

- I told him I decided to sell the house to him.

- Oh, that's wonderful!

What did he say?

- Exactly what you just said.

He was so delighted he couldn't even talk business.

- He wants that house so badly.

- I know.

And in a way I think he deserves it.

Burke's changed.

He has stability now, something he never had before.

- Yes.

- You're very fond of him, aren't you?

- Yes.

- He's very fond of you.

- Oh, is he?

- I can tell by the way he looks at you.

- Well, I wouldn't read too much into a glance.

- I think he's very serious about you.

I think his feelings are more than casual,

more than just temporary.

- And I think you're very perceptive.

- One doesn't have to be perceptive to--

to see there's a strong feeling between you.

- Is it that obvious?

I suppose that's why I couldn't sleep tonight.

- What do you mean?

- I was thinking about Burke.

- Then there is something.

- Yes.

I was thinking about me too:

who I am, what I want, where I'm going.

- What brought all this on?

- Burke. - Then there is something.

- You see,

tonight he asked me to marry him.

- Oh, I-- I didn't know it had gone that far.

- I think it was there all the time.

- What was your answer?

- I told him I'd have to think it over very carefully,

which is what I've been trying to do.

- Well, what do you wantto do?

- I don't know.

No one's ever asked me to marry them before.

I've never really thought about it

or even the possibility.

Now I'm faced with a decision, and I don't know what to do.

- Oh, of course you do.

- No.

Sometimes I wish I didn't have to make that decision.

- Well, you'll have to make it sooner or later.

- Mrs. Stoddard, would you help me decide?

- I wish I could, Vicki,

but this must be your own decision.

Marriage is a very important step.

- Well then tell me this,

if you were against my marrying Burke,

really against it, would you tell me?

- Yes, I would.

- Well, that's a help.

I suppose what you're trying to do

is to force me to make up my own mind.

- You're capable of it.

- Thank you, you've-- you've helped me.

You've helped me very much.

♪♪

- And the last thing he said to her was,

"But I'm calling you from Paris!"

[all laughing]

I thought it was one of the funniest stories

I ever heard.

- Excuse me.

Barnabas, you're just in time for one last drink

before they close the place.

- Thank you. - What'll it be?

- Uh, a brandy. - Brandy.

And another one of these.

Uh, let's sit over here.

- You seem to be in the midst of a celebration.

- Oh, not really, I just feel rather good.

- Well, that could be a reason enough for a celebration.

What is it that makes you feel so good?

- Uh... the future, yes.

Let's call it the future.

- Well, I'm glad to see you brimming with such optimism.

Your enterprises must be going well.

- Oh, this has nothing to do with business.

No, this is purely personal.

- Personal.

Well, I won't intrude by inquiring.

- Oh, I-- I wouldn't discuss it with you now.

No, it's not quite definite... yet.

- Oh?

Then there's a chance that this bright prospect of yours

might not come into fulfillment.

- Well, nothing is really ever positive

until it actually happens.

Thank you.

- Then, perhaps your celebration is premature.

- Perhaps.

But I was feeling so good, I didn't want the moment

to go by unnoticed.

What about you, Barnabas?

What about your prospects?

- Perhaps we share something in common.

There's the possibility that very soon I too will have

something to celebrate.

- Oh?

Am I to be included in yourcelebration?

- I assure you it would be nothing without you.

- Barnabas, I wonder about something.

- What is it?

- I wonder whether we really like each other.

- Why do you wonder that?

- Well, the way we talk to each other,

the way we intimate things without actually coming out

and saying what's in our minds

as if we were playing a card game

for very high stakes.

- What an interesting observation

and an interesting simile, a card game.

I'll tell you something.

I think of our relationship more as a duel,

two superb swordsman with highly sharpened blades.

You thrust, I parry.

I thrust, you parry.

- I prefer my simile to yours.

- Why?

- Because mine is merely a game which one either wins or loses

depending on the cards.

- And mine?

- Well, yours seems to be

a matter of complete desperation.

Life or death.

To lose a duel with you would be to lose everything,

including one's life.

- But isn't that the purpose of a duel?

- If a duel is necessary.

Is it?

- Well, that can't be determined

until the sword is in one's hand.

But you make me sound so evil.

When, all the time,

the stakes in a card game could also be life or death.

- [laughing]

I think we have played ourselves into a stalemate.

- A temporary one. - Shall we drink then?

To either a deck of cards

or the, uh, sabers, whichever it's to be.

- That certainly is worthy of a toast.

- You know, Barnabas, you interest me enormously.

- As an opponent?

- Well, not necessarily.

I'd like to get to know you better.

- Know me or about me?

- Knowing about you is something that you make rather difficult.

If you remember, I tried that the other evening.

And all I could really learn

was the fact that you once lived in London

with a cousin-- What was his name?

- Bradford, Nile Bradford.

- Yes. Yes, Nile Bradford.

Now how could I forget an unusual name like that?

I think he's getting ready to close up.

- Well, thank you for the brandy.

- Thank you for playing the game.

[coin dinging]

Hello, operator?

Connect me with the overseas operator.

I want to place a call to London.

♪♪

♪♪

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