510 - June 10, 1968

[bunniefuu]

NARRATOR: Night over Collinwood.

A night which will affect all who live here.

For the witch has placed a man under her spell,

a man helpless to resist her evil will

and send him to m*rder someone

she knows to be her greatest enemy,

her most dangerous threat.

- Is something wrong? - What?

You seem very nervous, Mr. um, Hailey, is it?

Yes, it is.

No, nothing's wrong.

I just feel bad barging in on you like this.

Oh, that's quite all right.

I was just about to have my evening sherry.

I have something rather fine. Would you care to join me?

Yes, don't mind if I do.

That Coptic cross of yours is probably not authentic.

There are certain tests for age I can give it,

if you're willing to leave it for a day or so.

Sure.

What was it used for, do you know?

Protection against witchcraft.

The people who lived in that old house of yours

probably believed, actually believed in witches.

Many people still do.

Oh, cheese.

I find cheese always helps me sleep.

Will you excuse me?

Or would you care for some?

- Oh, yeah, sure, I like cheese. - Splendid.

[DOOR CLOSES]

You know, I find this fascinating.

It's certainly an unusual piece of work.

And this strange writing.

Well, it must be old,

otherwise how would it have gotten beneath the floor?

Yes, that's a very interesting question.

I'll give that a great deal of thought.

Yeah, well the wife is convinced that it's valuable.

Real gold.

She'll be very interested in what you have to say.

She should be.

Your sherry.

Yes.

To your antique gold Coptic cross.

May it prove to be gold and antique for your wife's sake.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC] ♪♪

And now the cheese,

I like a sharp cheddar with my sherry,

- and absolutely unsweetened biscuit-- - Oh!

Professor!

[PHONE RINGS]

Hello?

Julia, thank goodness it's you.

You must come here immediately.

Well, what happened? What's wrong?

I'm afraid I have just k*lled a man.

♪♪

[ERRIE THEME MUSIC PLAYING] ♪♪

How is he?

Well the emetic you gave him

was the right one, fortunately.

Will he be all right?

Well, he's been very sick, but he's resting now.

What happened?

He was strange, nervous.

I suspected him.

When I went to the kitchen, it suddenly occurred to me

that he'd have an excellent opportunity

to tamper with the sherry so,

when I returned, I switched the glasses.

But why would Tony want to poison you?

Tony?

He said his name was Arthur Hailey.

Nonsense, he's my lawyer.

What?

His name is Tony Peterson. I've known him a long time.

He's honest and full of integrity.

Just the sort of person our favorite witch would pick.

Put a spell on, give a new identity to.

You mean...

but he's so cynical, so abrupt.

I don't understand.

But you do accept it, don't you?

Somehow Cassandra Collins has him in her power.

Obviously.

Well, we know another facet of her personality.

What she can't do herself,

she delegates others to do for her.

We know now one person helped her.

How many others have?

When I said the other night that this was w*r,

I was right.

She won't let me stop the dream curse.

Well, she must learn that we can fight back.

She has her advantages.

We cannot put people under a spell.

No, no.

We must find someone she cannot affect.

And that means, of course,

- someone who is already dead. - Already dead?

Do you believe in ghosts, Doctor?

You really are being serious, aren't you?

Quite.

Even a witch will fear a ghost.

Particularly the ghost of a witch hunter.

Have you ever heard of a Reverend Trask?

He was a witch hunter here in the th century.

Oh, yes.

He was the man responsible for Victoria Winters being hanged,

- you see how much I know. - Quite a lot.

But before he disappeared,

he left a note admitting he was wrong,

that Ms. Winters was not the real witch.

Well then, why did the authorities hang her?

He could never be found to give his reasons.

This is very interesting, historically, Professor,

- but I fail to see what-- - I forget, you doctors are very literal minded.

Reverend Trask is extremely important

to you and me, Dr. Hoffman.

- I'm sorry, I don't see it. - Picture a religious fanatic.

A man whose one passion in life is to k*ll witches.

Don't you suspect it would be his one passion in death, too?

A chance to right a wrong?

He seems perfect for our uses.

May I point out that he is not instantly available.

I'm not sure about that.

This is my ancestor Ben Stokes' memoir.

He never learned to write until he was over ,

the first Barnabas Collins began to teach him.

Somewhere in this book is the key to Reverend Trask.

Whole chapters are missing, unfortunately.

The first Barnabas Collins seems to have been

a mysterious character.

Oh? Why?

He appears to have changed

from a fairly advanced thinking gentleman

into some kind of a monster.

Your ancestor doesn't say how or why?

No, most irritating.

I've dreamed of someday finding that missing chapter.

You see, I've, I've mounted the original pages

on these for preservation.

Here is the section which I believe concerns

our missing Reverend.

You will find it very difficult to read.

My ancestor apologizes for his hand at the beginning,

and with some reason.

I'll read it to you.

"Mr. Barnabas in a rage

"because of the innocent girl sentenced to be hung,

"sent for..."

The name is missing.

You're, you're writing it.

Good heavens.

Trask.

And it isn't even my hand.

It's in Ben's writing.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC] ♪♪

I knew this referred to Trask.

- Now if Ben would only tell us where Trask is walled up. - What?

Yes, that was his fate.

The first Barnabas Collins had an imagination,

a rather macabre one.

Ben Stokes has this to say.

"Mr. Barnabas convinced Trask

"that he had accused the girl falsely,

"and that the real witch was still free.

"The evil man signed a statement to that effect,

"but Mr. Barnabas's rage and desire for righteous revenge

"was so great that without help from me "he walled..."

Another line is missing,

and one that tells us all we need to know.

You're doing that deliberately.

I assure you, I'm not.

JULIA: "Trask up on the north wall

"of the

"coffin room."

I would not have believed it.

Nor I.

Ben Stokes is on our side, Doctor.

You still believe we cannot gain help from the dead?

No.

Where is the coffin room?

- I know. - Do you?

What an interesting name for a room.

Why do you suppose they called it the coffin room?

It's in the basement of the Old House.

I suppose they kept a coffin there once.

- I don't know why. - No, you wouldn't, would you?

We must go to the Old House.

We must reach Reverend Trask.

He will stage his last witch hunt now.

You really believe you can do all that?

Of course, my dear.

And that belief will make it happen.

[DOOR OPENS]

Ah-ha. Our visitor.

JULIA: Tony, are you all right?

Physically or mentally?

One of 'em I can answer yes to.

You can guess which one.

Professor, you know why I came here.

Aren't you going to call the police?

I shouldn't think so.

Well you're crazy if you don't.

I'd advise any client of mine to.

I'd be afraid the police would arrest me

for switching the drinks.

Well, I don't have any explanation,

so if you don't mind, I'll just get out of here.

I do mind.

You see, I know why you came here to k*ll me.

Then you know more than I do.

I know Cassandra Collins.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC] ♪♪

Sit down, Mr. Peterson.

She told you your name was Arthur Hailey, didn't she?

She gave you that cross to bring for me to assess.

You don't seem like the sort of young man

who'd do that deliberately.

Dr. Hoffman knows I'm not.

Then what's your explanation?

Well, I don't know. She has some kind of power.

TIMOTHY: Exactly.

She is a witch.

I mean that, literally.

She has you under a spell.

I'd like to be able to answer it that easily.

Well, stop looking for psychological reasons.

You can.

Would you like to fight her?

- Yes, I would. - Good.

You can start immediately.

Mr. Peterson, I am fighting Cassandra Collins.

I am determined to defeat her.

But I need time.

I do not need interruption such as your visit provided.

You can give me the few days I need.

TONY: Tell me how and I'll do it.

By going to her,

and telling her that I am dead.

Even she will not disturb me then.

Can you do that?

Can you tell her that I drank the poison

and that I am dead?

♪♪

Your move.

I beg your pardon?

You asked me to teach you chess.

I've had better luck with David.

His concentration is greater than yours.

I'm sorry, darling.

Let's see.

You're hopelessly lost, aren't you?

I guess I'm just not interested tonight.

Or last night, or the night before that.

Well, perhaps it's not my game.

What is your game, Cassandra?

To make you a loving, and perfect wife.

And that doesn't necessarily include chess, does it?

What does it include?

- Doing everything that you want to do. - Oh?

And do we do that?

Well only you can tell me.

I don't see enough of you to know.

Darling, I can't very well go to the office with you.

We haven't even had our honeymoon yet.

- Why don't we pack our bags and fly out tomorrow? - No.

- Why not? - No.

Well, because I...

Because...

Cassandra, we could be alone together.

Yes, that would be marvelous.

Would it?

Why do you ask me that?

We're alone so seldom.

And when we are, we fight.

You know, I have the feeling sometimes that you're,

you're just here filling time with me.

There's something else important in your life

that's happening somewhere else.

Don't be ridiculous. That's just your imagination.

Your attention always seems to be somewhere else.

Well, it isn't.

Oh, Roger, why don't you go to bed?

I haven't finished my brandy.

Well, simply take it upstairs with you.

You'll just have another one when you get there anyway.

Are you coming up?

No, not quite yet.

[CLOCK CHIMES]

[THINKING] Midnight?

Where is Tony?

It must be done by now.

What if he failed?

What if he was caught?

[KNOCKING]

I was so worried.

- Were you? - About you!

It's done.

Is he dead?

Yes.

Tell me how he died.

[DOOR OPENS]

I'm sorry that Carolyn is asleep.

I hope I haven't disturbed you, Mrs. Collins.

I'll, uh, tell Carolyn that I'll call her in the morning.

Goodnight.

♪♪

Are you positive Mr. Collins won't mind our being here?

No, no, he would do anything to stop Cassandra.

And his man, we don't want to be interrupted.

No, Willie's with him. They won't be back until late.

They're driving up the coast to look for a friend.

I can see why they call this the coffin room, can't you?

Yes, yes I suppose so.

You seem very nervous.

I hate the idea of a séance.

I remember the last one when, when Vicki disappeared.

[DOOR LATCH RATTLES]

I got away quicker than I thought I would.

TIMOTHY: Did it go well?

Yes, she, she thinks you're dead.

May I rest in peace.

Well, let's not waste time eulogizing me.

Mr. Peterson, will you sit there?

Uh, Professor, you know, I,

I don't really believe in séances.

You do believe in concentration, don't you?

Well, yes, of course.

Well, that is all you need believe in.

The rest is up to me.

Are there any more questions?

Mr. Peterson, you will sit there.

Dr. Hoffman.

We will put our hands on the table.

The fingers must touch.

Now.

You will concentrate on what I say,

on the spirit of the Reverend Trask.

No matter what happens, you will not interrupt me.

You will not break the connection.

Is that understood?

Reverend Trask, we are calling to you,

asking for your spirit to come to us.

Can you hear us, Reverend Trask?

We need you here.

We are at the mercy of a witch.

A witch who escaped you, whom you know.

An innocent girl was hanged because of you,

and you did not see the real witch until it was too late.

You have the chance now to correct your wrong.

Trask, come to us.

We need you.

Without you, we are powerless, at her mercy.

Help us, Trask.

Help us.

[TONY MOANS]

JULIA: Tony. We must stop.

He's been ill.

TIMOTHY: Quiet.

No, no!

Where are you, Trask? We need you.

Ben Stokes does not need me.

I am not Ben Stokes.

I'm his descendant, and I need you very much.

This night the witch tried to k*ll me.

Angelique.

You remember Angelique.

You let her live.

I had no choice.

TIMOTHY: You can have a choice now.

I was k*lled before I could do anything.

Come back to us, Trask.

For your own sake, for your conscience's sake.

Finish Angelique and rest in peace.

Can you hear me, Trask?

Can you hear me?

Answer me!

[BRICKS COLLAPSING]

♪♪

[ERRIE THEME MUSIC PLAYING] ♪♪