Elizabeth Eis is great as Buffie rescues Maggie from Yaeger's clutches. He's not at all put out, though, and is sure he'll see both of them again. In fact, when he gets back to the lab, he gloats about his success and aims his sword cane at the camera just to show he means it. But someon knocks at the door upstairs. The police, he thinks, I must have underestimated her. He has no choice but to drink the antidote and become Cyrus again.
[When Yaeger changes very quickly into Cyrus, his clothes change too, and Yaeger's coat disappears from the chair on which he put it.] The visitor is Maggie, who pleads with him to get rid of Yaeger. Too ashamed to tell Quentin, she tells Cyrus about how Yaeger molested her. Do you _know_ what Yaeger almost did? Maggie goes on, unaware that Cyrus knows all too hideously well. If Buffie hadn’t heard me scream-- It was horrible! He was holding me and touching me--and laughing! Because Maggie is crying now, she doesn’t see Cyrus’s reaction, and in any event he is completely incapable of looking at her. He pulls himself together to declare, I give you my solemn word that you will never see John Yaeger again--never! I can’t believe that! she says, still terrified as she puts her hand on his chest. He puts his arms around her as he begs her, Please trust me. Fortunately she can’t see his reaction to actually touching her. I do, she says, I trust you almost more than anybody I know. She steps back from him and thanks him. They say goodnight, and she leaves.
Cyrus's remorse doesn't last for long. He imagines that Yaeger would go after her now! He mixes a new batch of Yaegerade but stops himself at the last minute. No! I’m not going to do it! He tries to pretend he can master Yaeger: Maggie! I won't let Yeager hurt you! I remember how you looked when he tried to force you to-- No, he is evil! Maggie! I am not going to let him touch you again! He begins to acknowledge the truth as he thinks to himself, But I am Yeager. I have turned myself into Yeager because I want to be Yeager. There is no distinction between us. What Yeager does is done by Cyrus Longworth. He looks in the mirror with self-loathing and says aloud, I was the one who was so cruel to Buffie! I was the one who killed Horace Gladstone! I was the one who walked those streets of Collinsport! And Î almost-- He smashes the mirror and picks up the stainless steel tray, bringing it down again and again on the test-tube setup as he screams, I have got to destroy John Yeager! I have got to destroy John Yeager! Forever! Then he realizes that the job isn’t finished yet. He takes all his notes and puts them on the tray, sprinkles some gasoline over them (no lab should be without it), and sets them ablaze. Looking relieved and almost peaceful for the first time in a long while, he thinks, Now John Yaeger is destroyed--forever!
Maggie's awful day isn't over yet. Roger is pleased to tell her that he thinks the costume ball is in questionable taste. He's even more pleased to tell her that Quentin is in one of his "moods." She calls him out on his cruelty but he says, Interpret it as you wish. It's one of your prerogatives as the new Mistress of Collinwood. "Alexis" arrives just in time to commiserate with Maggie about how mean Roger is. Maggie asks if her sister ever wrote to her. Not often, "Alexis" replies, but when she did, she wrote all about how loving and happy Quentin was. She talked about all the wonderful things that Quentin did for her. Thank you, Angelique, says Maggie (definitely a blooper, though some would call it a Freudian slip), that’s what I wanted to know. Angelique follows her out into the foyer to say, Maggie, you know how happy she and Quentin were. Maggie replies, You know, I could bear almost anything in this world but that one thing--to be left out of Quentin’s life. And I am shut out. She goes upstairs to cry some more. Downstairs, Angelique drops her pose of concern and resumes her usual malicious enjoyment: You will learn more about your precious Quentin tonight, dear Maggie--all that I choose to reveal. But none of what you learn will help you--quite the opposite!
Sometime later “Alexis” comes back to the drawing room, where Roger has turned the lights down so he can drink in the dark. Startled, he addresses her as Angelique. “Alexis” attributes the mistake to the darkness and possibly too much brandy. Maggie comes back downstairs because she couldn’t sleep--and Quentin still isn’t home. Finally Roger explains, That today would have been Quentin and Angelique’s wedding anniversary, so you might as well realize that he won’t be home at all tonight. Oh yes, and sweet dreams. After he leaves, Maggie says Roger does things like that because he enjoys it. “Alexis” tells Maggie she does look tired and should try to get some rest. I’m more tired than I can tell you, Maggie replies. And no wonder she is--she was very nearly raped by Yaeger, then comforted by Cyrus and taunted by Roger (twice) all in the space of a few short hours. As she leaves, Angelique says, Roger was being sarcastic--but I really do wish Maggie pleasant dreams.
At midnight, Maggie is finally asleep when Angelique speaks to her in a dream. You won’t recognize my voice, she intones. Go to my room and open the secret compartment of a certain table. You will find the secret of Quentin’s happiness. When Maggie awakens right after, she hears the piano version of Ode to Angelique. She goes to Angelique’s room, finds the compartment in the table, and takes out what appears to be a bundle of letters....
