304 - August 24, 1967

[bunniefuu]

[Victoria narrating] - The sun has begun to rise

in a blue-gray sky above Collinwood.

This is the dawn of a new day.

This will be a day of ever-mounting terror

for two people.

One woman already possesses a secret

that would destroy her,

and one man is close to learning that secret,

unaware that he is courting his own destruction.

[birds singing]

♪♪

[knocker banging]

♪♪

[banging]

[birds singing]

- What do you want?

- I have to see Mr. Collins.

- At this hour of the morning?

- I know it's early, but I have to see him.

It's very important. - Well, I'll take a message.

- I have to see Mr. Collins personally.

- That isn't possible. - Why not?

- He isn't here. - Oh? Where is he?

- I don't know. He left early this morning.

He didn't say where he was going.

- You're lying. - What?

- I said, you're lying.

I saw him come into this house before sunrise this morning.

He never came back out.

- You've been spying on him.

- Well, I've been watching him. - Why?

- Because I find Mr. Collins a very odd person,

and the same goes for you.

- Now, look-- neither one of us ever did anything to you.

Now, Mr. Collins isn't here, so why don't you just go away?

- I'm not going anyplace.

I know Collins is in this house,

and I'm gonna see him, and you're not gonna stop me.

♪♪

[eerie music]

♪♪

- Please. Go away. - Not until I see Mr. Collins.

- I tell you, he isn't here. - I'll see about that.

Collins?

Collins! - Go ahead, yell your lungs out.

He isn't here.

- Collins! - Go ahead, yell some more.

It won't do you any good. There's nobody here to answer.

Why don't you go upstairs and search the rooms?

- I just might. - Go ahead.

You won't find anything up there except a bunch of empty rooms.

- Where is he? - I told you, I don't know.

- If he'd left this house, I'd have seen him.

- Well, not necessarily. Maybe he went out the back way.

- Maybe. - Yeah.

You know, he does that sometimes.

Maybe he did it this morning.

- After being out all night?

- Yeah. Mr. Collins doesn't sleep much.

Some people don't.

I've seen him go to work without any sleep at all.

- Work where?

- Different places. Clearwater, Bangor.

He has business deals all over.

- What business deals?

- I don't know. I only work for him.

You have to ask him.

- I have asked him. I can't get any answers.

- Why are you so curious about Mr. Collins?

What's he ever done to you?

- Nothing. I'm just a very curious guy.

- Curiosity could get people into trouble.

- Is that a threat?

- No, but I think it'd be a smart idea

to mind your own business. - So do I, in most cases.

- Then, leave Mr. Collins alone.

- I don't intend to harm Mr. Collins.

I just want to know more about him-- a lot more,

and I will.

♪♪

- Good morning. - Good morning, Vicki.

- Have you had your breakfast yet?

- Yes, about an hour ago. - Oh, you are an early riser.

- Well, I don't like to miss the best part of the day.

- What's that? - Oh, it's the bonnet

that David's little friend left behind.

The little girl that was here the other day--

she dropped it. - Yes.

It's funny she never came back to pick it up, isn't it?

- Yes, isn't it?

- You know, it was strange the way that she ran away

before any of us even saw her.

- Maybe she was just shy. - Maybe.

- It's a shame she lost it. - Yes, it is.

You know, I don't think I've ever seen

anything quite like this before.

- No, neither have I.

- It certainly isn't what little girls are wearing these days.

I wonder why her parents would dress her so strangely.

- Yes, I wonder.

- Gosh, it must have taken someone hours to do this.

Look how intricate the needlework is.

It's all done by hand. - Yes.

- Well, they certainly don't make things like this nowadays.

If I didn't know better, I'd think...

- What?

- Well, I'd think that this was from another time,

another place, another century.

♪♪

- But this couldn't be a family heirloom.

It's brand new.

Has David seen the little girl since the other day?

- Well, if he has, he hasn't mentioned it to me.

- I see. - Miss Winters?

- Hi, David.

- Hello, David. - Hello.

- Have you finished your breakfast?

- Well, yes-- all except my toast.

You know I hate burnt toast.

- All right, David. - Can we go now?

- Okay. - Where are you going?

- We're going for a walk.

I promised David I'd take him for a walk.

- Why don't I take David for a walk?

- You?

- Well, Miss Winters probably has things to do,

and I'd like to take you for a walk.

- You would? - Yes, I like going for walks,

and I'd like to get to know you better.

- Well, that would be wonderful,

but don't you have work to do?

- Well, I can do that later.

- Well, in that case, I do have some things I have to do.

- Good. Then, you go on.

David and I will be fine-- won't we?

- Sure. - All right. I'll see you later.

Thank you, Julia. - Of course.

- Where do you want to walk?

- Oh, I thought we'd go look for your little friend.

- My friend? - Sarah.

- Oh. Well, why do you want to look for her?

- Well, she left her bonnet here the other day.

I think we ought to return it to her.

- Well, I don't know whether we'll be able to find her.

Sometimes I can't. - We can try.

- Well, I don't even know whether I want to.

I'm mad at her. - Why?

- For running away that night. It was a dumb thing to do.

- Well, she was probably just shy,

but I'm sure she's sorry she lost her bonnet.

- It's a funny-looking thing.

I wonder why she wears it. - Let's go look for her, hmm?

- I know a place where I can usually find Sarah,

if she's around.

- Oh. Will you show me where it is?

- Of course. - Good.

- Come on.

["London Bridge" playing]

♪♪

[birds singing]

This is the place I can usually find her, if she's around,

so I guess she isn't around today.

- She may be nearby. Try calling her.

- Sarah?

Sarah.

I don't hear anything. I guess she isn't around.

- Try calling her again. - Sarah!

Nope. It's no use. She isn't around today.

- She might appear if we wait for her.

- Well, I don't want to wait for her.

- We should. - Why?

- To give her her bonnet.

- Well, if she wanted it so much,

she could have come to me for it.

Besides, I can give it to her the next time I see her.

- I'd like to meet her. - Why?

What's so special about her? - She's a friend of yours.

That makes her special.

- Well, she isn't really a friend of mine.

I mean, she's just a kid I play with sometimes.

- Hmm. Tell me about her. - Well, what for?

- Oh, I may have seen her once and not known it.

- Well, she's got long hair. - What color?

- Brown, I guess. - What else?

- Well, she's got sort of sad eyes.

- Sad eyes?

- That's the only way I can describe them.

- I see.

When you're together, what do you talk about?

- Oh, I don't know what we talk about.

Just things. - What kind of things?

- Well, we play games and stuff like that.

- Can't you be more specific?

- Well, I don't understand why you want to know.

- Well, I don't. Not really. I-- - Shh! Listen.

I just heard something. - Did you?

- Yes. Maybe it's Sarah after all. Let's go see.

- All right.

- Can you see anything? - No.

- Neither can I. I guess I was wrong.

- Apparently.

- Well, let's not wait around here.

Let's take a walk to Widow's Hill.

- All right. - Well, come on.

- David. - Yes?

- Weren't you holding the bonnet?

- Yes. I put it down.

Well, that's funny. I put it down right there.

I know I did, but it isn't there anymore.

It's gone.

♪♪

♪♪

- That was a very nice walk, David. Thank you.

- Aw, that's okay.

You wait right here, and I'll go get it.

- All right.

- Hello. - Oh.

- Did you enjoy the walk with David?

- Yes, we had a very nice walk.

He's gone upstairs to find his stamp collection.

He wants to show it to me.

- I'm glad you two are getting along so well.

- Oh, he's very easy to get along with.

He's a very intelligent child.

- Yes, he is.

[knocking on door]

Burke. - Hello, Vicki.

- I didn't expect to see you at this time of day.

- I have to see you. I have to talk to you.

It's very important. - Come in.

- Well, uh, we-- we can't talk here.

Let me take you into town.

- I'm not sure that I can get away.

- But you've got to.

- I'll look after David, if you like.

- Well, if it's no inconvenience to you.

- Oh, it's not an inconvenience.

I have to stay here and work anyway.

- Thank you.

I just want to get my sweater. I'll be right back.

- Okay.

Thanks for taking over for Vicki, Miss Hoffman.

I appreciate it. - Glad to do it.

- How's the book coming? - Oh, splendidly.

- Are you still spending a lot of time in, uh,

in the old house? - Oh, occasionally.

I've collected quite a lot of valuable material there.

- Cigarette? - Thank you.

- Uh...

tell me something, will you?

- Hmm? What?

- What's your opinion of Barnabas Collins?

- My opinion?

- Yes.

What do you think of him?

- Well, he's been very kind and helpful to me.

- Don't you think he's kind of odd?

- Odd? In what way? - In almost every way.

- I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about.

- Well, for one thing, have you ever seen him in the daytime?

- Hmm? Why, yes. - When?

- Oh, on several occasions. Why?

- Well, because nobody else has,

and I find that hard to explain.

- Well, he's a very busy man. During the day,

he has numerous business matters to attend to.

- Yes, that's what Willie says, but I don't quite buy it.

- Willie? - Yes.

I had a little talk with him a few minutes ago and, uh,

his answers to my questions weren't very satisfactory.

- I-- I-- I don't know what you're getting at, Mr. Devlin.

- I'm not sure.

- But you are hinting at something.

- Well, let's just say that I get, uh,

strange vibrations from Barnabas Collins, and, uh,

well, I thought maybe you might be getting them too.

- Why do you say that? - Well, you did agree

that Vicki shouldn't go to the old house too often,

and I thought you might have a reason for it.

- Yes, I did.

I thought Vicki's preoccupation with the past

was bad for Vicki, that's why.

It had nothing to do with Mr. Collins.

- Nothing at all?

[scoffs] - No.

If Mr. Collins is in any way unique,

it's because he's a perfect gentleman,

and that is unique.

I've grown very fond of Mr. Collins.

- I see.

- I don't know what you're thinking about,

but whatever it is, I'm sure you're quite wrong.

- Well, maybe so.

Isn't it odd how much he looks like

the portrait of his ancestor?

- Yes, the family resemblance is striking.

- It's more than striking. It's almost uncanny.

- I'm all set, Burke. - Good.

Shall we go? - I'll be back soon, Julia.

- What? - I said, I'll be back soon.

- Oh. All right. - Good-bye, Miss Hoffman.

♪♪

- And he followed Barnabas to the house?

- Yes, just before sunrise.

He saw him go inside and waited for him to come out.

That's how he knew he was still here--

'cause he never came out.

- What did he say to you?

- Well, I told him he must have gone out the back way.

- Did he believe you? - I don't know. I'm not sure.

- What else did he say?

- Well, he asked all kinds of questions about Barnabas.

- What questions?

- He wanted to know what he does during the day,

what kind of business deals he has, where he goes.

- What did you tell him?

- I told him I don't know much about that.

- Why did you say that?

- Well, it seemed like a logical thing to say.

Why, I only work for Barnabas.

Why would he discuss his business deals with me?

- I wish you'd been able to think of a lie more convincing,

something that would have put him off the track entirely.

- Well, I did the best I could. He caught me off-guard.

- I've got to do something.

I've got to stop him from getting more suspicious.

- Well, what are you gonna do?

- Oh, I don't know.

I only know that I've got to do something.

Devlin's suspicions could ruin everything.

Everything.

♪♪

[jukebox music playing]

♪♪

- Do you want some coffee? - Yes, I'd like that.

- A couple of coffees, please.

- Where do you want to sit? - Oh, just anywhere.

- How about right here? - Fine.

♪♪

- All right, Burke, now we're here and we're alone.

What is it you've got to talk to me about?

- Vicki, I have to ask you to do something for me.

- What? - Well, before I tell you,

I-- I have to warn you, you won't understand.

- I won't understand? - But I still want you to do it.

- Burke, you're being awfully mysterious.

- Well, I have to be. I-- I-- I can't explain.

You simply have to trust me. You do trust me, don't you?

- You know I do,

but I wish you'd tell me what this is all about.

- Vicki, I want you to promise me

that you won't go to the old house--

not even go near it.

- The old house? - But most important,

I want you to stay away from Barnabas Collins.

- Barnabas? But--

- I told you I can't explain, Vicki,

but I have reasons, good reasons.

Now remember, you're not to go near the old house,

and most important of all,

you're to stay away from Barnabas Collins.

Stay away from Barnabas Collins.

♪♪

[eerie music]

♪♪

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