891 - November 25, 1969

[bunniefuu]

[ eerie music ]

NARRATOR:Shadows lengthen over Collinwood.

The promise of night,

and the promise of mystery, too.

For, in an old house on the great estate,

Barnabas Collins has just had a dream.

A dream in which Oberon tells him that he will know

the chosen ones have arrived,

when he hears a knock on the door,

and opens it to find two strangers.

One of whom will wear the sign of the Naga.

BARNABAS:The chosen ones.

[ ominous music ]

[ knocking ]

[ ominous music ]

- MAN: Mr. Collins? - Yes.

I'm Barnabas Collins.

Won't you come in, please?

[ ominous music ]

[ eerie music ]

Let me take your coats.

Oh, that's very kind of you, Mr. Collins.

We should introduce ourselves, Philip.

Yes.

I'm Philip Todd, and this is my wife, Megan.

BARNABAS: Delighted.

PHILIP: We have the antique shop in town.

Ah, yes, I've heard.

Oh, from Carolyn?

She told us to come and see you.

We should have called first,

but uh, you didn't have a phone.

And we're naturally impulsive.

Well, I'm very charmed that you've come.

That's a lovely locket you have there.

Oh, thank you.

- Philip found it at an auction. - At least I think I did.

I bid on an odd lot and when I got it home,

there it was.

And do you know the meaning of the symbol?

No, I've been trying to find out.

It's very ancient, the sign of the Naga.

Creature without a soul.

MEGAN: Oh, I'm not sure I like that.

Well, I wouldn't worry about it.

As a matter of fact, the same sign is carved

in that box over there.

[ ominous music ]

Philip, look.

Interesting, isn't it?

PHILIP: I've never seen one like it.

I wager not.

MEGAN: It must be incredibly old.

PHILIP: I doubt if I could even guess

what country it's from.

Do you know where it's from?

No, I know very little about it.

It was given to me.

Surely whoever gave it to you must have told you.

No.

MEGAN: Is there anything inside?

Well, to tell you the truth, I've never looked inside...

to see.

Well, is that strange to you?

Well, we're very curious people.

Would you be interested in selling it?

MEGAN: Philip, we could never afford it.

Well, I would hate to have it simply being in a shop.

PHILIP: Oh, we wouldn't sell it.

MEGAN: Oh, ever.

I can see that you are true collectors.

Well, we'll talk about it another time.

I have a few things upstairs that I might

be interested in giving away.

PHILIP: Oh, well, I'd

be certainly most interested in seeing them.

Ah, Megan, Come along.

Megan?

This way.

Actually, they're probably very simple American pieces.

[ knocking at door ]

Oh, hey, why don't you just go on up and look around?

I'll be with you in a moment.

- You're very kind, Mr. Collins. - Thank you, very much.

BARNABAS: Elizabeth.

Barnabas, how good to see you again.

You've been very naughty, not coming to see me.

Making me troop all the way down here to welcome you.

I'm sorry. But, come in and sit down.

Thank you.

I do owe you an apology, because...

well, actually, I've been wanting to talk to you.

How do you feel now? It's such a ghastly experience.

Well, I'm sure you'll understand if I tell you

that I'd rather not talk about it.

But the ghosts are gone, now.

And if you had anything to do with it, we're most grateful.

You cannot imagine

how happy we are to be back in Collinwood.

I came to ask you for dinner tomorrow night.

- Just family. - Oh, will Carolyn be there?

- ELIZABETH: Of course. - With Chris Jennings?

Well, I haven't asked him,

- but I will if you want me to. - No, no.

Elizabeth, I know it's not my place

to discuss Carolyn with you, but, well, I feel I must.

Please do.

I think she's seeing far too much of Chris Jennings.

Barnabas, I've always let Carolyn

make her own decisions.

Well, this time I don't think you should.

There's far too much mystery to Chris Jennings.

It may only be my instinct,

but if I were you,

I would find out where he goes

during these mysterious disappearances of his.

It's at least once a month,

that he goes away without any explanation.

Well, if you're so concerned, I certainly should be, too.

Well, I'll certainly be there tomorrow night

for dinner, but you must excuse me, now, I--

I have two visitors,

the young couple from the antique store.

- Oh, Carolyn's friends. - BARNABAS: Yes.

A charming couple, aren't they?

Yes.

They're most a great asset to the town.

Thank you Barnabas, for speaking about Carolyn.

- I'll certainly think about it. - Good night.

[ ominous music ]

PHILIP: You have so many things we can use.

Well, I'll make a list of all the things

that I'd like to get rid of, and I'm sure we'll find a price.

Oh, that would be marvelous.

Now, Megan, I don't think

we should keep Mr. Collins any longer.

I know.

I think of all the pieces that I have,

this is your favorite.

Yes.

And I don't really know why.

Megan, we better get back to the shop.

[ sighs ] Yes.

Oh, thank you very much, Mr. Collins.

We'll hear from you, then?

Yes, very soon.

Very soon, indeed.

MEGAN: Thank you.

- PHILIP: Pleasure seeing you. - MEGAN: Thank you, good night.

Nice meeting you, Good night.

[ ominous music ]

[ chimes ]

Oh, Mrs. Stoddard,

I was hoping you'd be back before I had to leave.

David is doing his homework, and Amy has finished hers,

and I don't know when I'll be back.

Oh, I do wish you'd let me send Mrs. Johnson with you.

There's no need for that.

The other tenants were very good.

I'm sure the house only needs straightening up.

With the new people moving in tomorrow,

I just want to make sure that everything is all right.

Maggie, will it bother you going back to that house?

I--I--You've been such a great help here,

I hardly remember you living with your father.

I won't be gone long, Mrs. Stoddard.

[ phone ringing ]

Hello?

H--Hello, is this Collinwood?

MAGGIE:Yes, it is.

Is Mrs. Stoddard there?

Yes, just a moment.

- For me? - MAGGIE: Mm-hmm.

Hello.

Hello?

Hello, is anybody there?

[ ominous music ]

- Strange. - What?

Well, whoever it was hung up.

- Oh, it was a man. - Did you recognize the voice?

- No. - He did ask for me?

Yes.

Well, that's odd.

I'm beginning to think that what we need

is less merchandise and more customers.

Very thoughtful.

You are.

You're thinking about something very important,

and I can tell.

No. I'm not at all.

Out with it.

I was thinking about that box.

I know, you've already got it on a table in our bedroom.

I don't, I know we'll never own it.

Oh, it's silly.

Count your blessings, Megan Todd.

PHILIP: Include me as one?

I have almost as high an opinion of you as you do.

Huh.

[ ominous music ]

- Mr. Collins. - I told you I'd be back soon.

MEGAN: Hello.

Mrs. Todd, I have a present for you.

Mr. Collins.

We couldn't Mr. Collins.

Oh, but you must.

You're surely not in the habit of depriving your wife

of something she clearly wants?

I'm--I do adore it, Mr. Collins,

but, it's much too grand a present.

Well, actually, there's a legend to it.

You must take it.

MEGAN: Oh? What is the legend?

The legend is that whoever gives it

will get what he wants in return.

So, you see, you're actually doing me a favor.

Oh, I think you just made that legend up, Mr. Collins.

BARNABAS: Please take it.

Please say yes, Philip.

He's the proud one.

We'd be delighted to have it, Mr. Collins.

- Ah, good, Philip. - BARNABAS: Splendid.

[ Megan gasps ]

But you must let us pay you something for it.

Out of the question.

I wouldn't know what to ask, anyway.

Oh.

Thank you, Mr. Collins.

I'll always treasure it.

And I'll be more selfish than you.

I'll never give it away.

I hope you never change your mind, Mrs. Todd.

[ ominous music ]

[ knocking ]

MAGGIE: Yes?

I'd like to see Sam Evans, please.

My father?

- Oh, you're-- - Maggie Evans.

I'm sorry, my father is dead.

Sam, dead?

Oh, I didn't know.

Oh, I've just come back from New York,

and I, well, I had no idea.

It's been more than a year now.

Won't you come in?

Thank you very much, miss Evans.

I--I am sorry, truly sorry.

Sam and I were old friends.

Yes, you don't remember me, do you?

Well, I remember you.

You were a very pretty little girl.

[ laughs ] That hasn't changed, at least.

Oh, so funny being back in Collins Port.

Everything's the same, but, so different.

You live here with your husband?

I'm not married.

I live at Collinwood.

- Collinwood? - MAGGIE: I'm David's tutor.

Collinwood.

Something wrong?

Your father and I were good friends, miss Evans.

And right now I'm wondering, if you and I could be, too.

Because I need a friend, miss Evans.

Desperately.

[ dramatic music ]

If you are a friend of my father's, then,

I'll be glad to help you, any way I can.

Well.

Now you could begin by answering a few questions,

if you don't mind.

Who is living at Collinwood, right now?

- Mrs. Stoddard. - Yes?

MAGGIE: Roger Collins, and David, of course,

- and Carolyn. - Oh, yes, yes,

what is Carolyn like?

I don't think I'm going to answer any more questions.

These people are friends of mine, Mr...

Please. Just tell me.

What is Carolyn like?

Oh, I love Carolyn.

Really? Why?

Well, she's nice and kind and generous and charitable.

You're not describing a true Collins.

Well, I'm sorry, but I don't understand

what you want to know or why.

You can help me, miss Evans.

Well, I don't see how.

Well, I'd be quite willing to tell you.

If you could keep a secret.

Well, perhaps it's a secret I shouldn't know.

Perhaps, but, you seem to me to be...

the one who should tell.

MAGGIE: I don't know why.

Well.

You're the only one there is. That's the first reason.

Now. All I have to consider is,

can I trust you, miss Evans?

As I would have trusted your father?

- Mr. Collins? - BARNABAS: Barnabas, please.

I want to thank you again for the box.

We'll find out all about it,

- won't we, Philip? - Hm.

I'm sure you will.

Yes, I'm quite sure.

Well, I won't keep you any longer.

If you find anything on that list,

from the things at the old house that you'd like,

- just let me know. - Certainly.

I'm sure we can arrive at a price.

Good.

You know, I think we're going to see a lot of each other.

- MEGAN: I hope so. - An unusual feeling

that I think we will see each other again, soon.

MEGAN: Yes, I hope so.

- Goodbye. - Goodbye.

Goodbye.

Such a lonely man.

I like him, though, don't you?

Philip?

What is it?

Oh.

Just thinking about him and why he gave us this.

Hm, because he wanted us to have it.

That's a reason?

- Oh, Philip. - Listen,

if an old friend or relative gives you something,

that's one thing. But a total stranger?

- He wanted us to be friends. - Why?

Why not?

Ah, darling.

Darling, what's the difference? It's just a box.

We both wanted it, and he saw that.

Now, it obviously meant nothing to him.

And he knows we'll treasure it.

Now, are you going to be suspicious about a gift?

I guess not, if it's going to make you happy.

[ Megan chuckles ]

[ clock chiming ]

Mrs. Stoddard, you're still up.

Ah, ah, I wasn't sleepy. How's the house, in good shape?

Yes, yes, it was. Is Carolyn in?

No, I don't believe so, I think she's in town, why?

Oh, I just wanted to talk to her.

I'll talk to her in the morning.

You know, Maggie.

That man never called back.

- Oh? - [ Elizabeth exhales ]

I suppose it's silly to let a thing like that

make me nervous.

I don't think you should let it.

- Good night, Mrs. Stoddard. - Good night.

[ ominous music ]

Philip.

I think we should open it.

Why not? If we're going to keep it,

we might as well discover its secrets.

- Seems to be stuck. - Or locked.

- He didn't give us a key. - W-we-try to force it.

[ Philip sighs ]

Philip.

Philip, I heard something inside the box. It--

It sounded alive.

Ah, there couldn't be anything alive in there.

I swear, I heard something.

Well, It must have been the warping wood,

the box is very old.

Oh, I wish we could open it.

Well, we tried and we couldn't.

Now.

I better look at this list of Mr. Collins,

I hope he's willing to sell that Hitchcock chair I saw in...

Philip?

Philip, what's the matter?

- Now we can open it. - PHILIP: No.

What? What do you mean, no?

I have the feeling that if we open it...

things will never be the same.

Why, what do you mean? Philip, I don't understand you.

I don't understand myself, but that's the way I feel.

[ sighs ] What could possibly be in the box?

MEGAN: Philip, we have to open it.

You're right, we do.

[ hissing ]

MEGAN: What was that?

I don't know, it sounded like something came out.

But, I--I didn't see anything.

Philip.

Open it.

Once and for all, let's find out what's in there.

[ dramatic music ]

[ eerie music ]