Quentin rescues Maggie from her nightmare but won't tell him what it was about. Do you want me to stay here? he asks. She heroically refuses even though he’s still wearing that fab blue jacket. You have so much work to do, she reminds him (and he only works when she’s at home anyway).
Angelique is doing some professional reading ("The Seventh Level of Witchcraft") when Maggie comes downstairs the next morning. Maggie spots the round table where Collinses in any dimension conduct their séances. Without saying anything about her dream--did Ange induce it?--she wonders why Quentin would strangle Angelique. "Alexis" says she heard a silly story about Angelique and Bruno, but everyone knew that Angelique was devoted to Quentin. Quentin loved her, but his love made him insane--even the idea of her with Bruno drove him almost mad. If he had loved her less-- She finally breaks off with false concern when she sees that Maggie is getting more and more upset. Quentin didn’t kill Angelique, she finishes, he loved her far too much. She apologizes to Maggie, who says, What for? You were only telling the truth. Angelique is quite pleased when Maggie leaves quickly, turning her face aside so that Angelique won’t see the tears.
Later, Quentin is annoyed when he sees a bushel of RSVPs for a costume ball that Elizabeth insists on having. "Alexis" thinks it would be a great way for Maggie to meet his friends. Quentin completely disagrees and storms out, but Ange is pleased with how things are going.
Maggie confides in Cyrus, who almost gives himself away. Unconsciously he takes her hand in both of his and caresses it gently as he comments, Well, you’ve been through so much. I just wish there was more that I could do. Just talking to you has done more than you can ever imagine, she tells him gratefully. I do believe you. I’m glad to hear it, he replies. Suddenly he realizes what he’s doing and hastily releases her hand. I wonder if you know how kind you really are, she says, and thanks him again. You’re welcome, he answers, stammering, And don’t... don’t hesitate to come back here and, and, and visit me if there is anything more I can do. I won’t forget, Maggie promises as she looks up into his eyes and smiles. He looks back, standing very close to her. Is something wrong? she asks. It’s the way you keep looking at me. Instantly he backs away with a joke about “absent-minded Cyrus Longworth, staring at something without know what he was staring at.” He gives her an apologetic little bow. She thanks him again and goes upstairs as he watches, surprised at his reaction to her. He turns back to his desk and notices that Maggie has left her gloves behind. He calls out and starts after her but hears the front door close. Quite deliberately he presses the gloves to his face, inhaling her perfume. He rubs his cheek against them gently as he shuts his eyes.
Elizabeth Eis really shines here! Cyrus's next visitor is Buffie, who insists that he knows more about Yaeger than he's letting on. You must think I’m some kind of a fool. What kind of work could John Yeager do for you? If he picked up a test tube, he would break it! Miss Harrington! Cyrus says. You used to call me Buffie, she reminds him. All right--Buffie, Cyrus says perfunctorily. Whatever association John Yaeger and I have is strictly between us. No, it’s not, says the shrewd Buffie: You know what I think? I’ve guessed what he does for you--he lives. Cyrus is completely taken aback, but she presses on: That's right. He lives while you work. He’s having a ball while you’re making pretty colors in these test tubes. You wouldn't need John Yeager at all if you would just let yourself go. She walks up to him, puts her hands on his shoulders, and presses herself against him gently, saying, Come on and try. No, thanks, Miss Harrington, Cyrus says, walking away from her. She laughs a bit acridly as she comments, So, it's Miss Harrington again, with no, thanks. She picks up Maggie’s fine gloves and asks him, You wouldn't have said that to the person who owns these, would you? Outraged, he grabs them from her and admits that they belong to Maggie Collins. Was she visiting you? Buffie asks. She just dropped by, he huffs. You don't have to get so defensive about it, she says and adds, Funny, I knew her when she was growing up here, before they moved. She comes back married to Quentin Collins--and I meet John Yeager, she finishes bitterly. Cyrus is fascinated and asks Buffie if she knew Maggie well when she was a child. Getting more and more bitterly sarcastic as she goes on, Buffie says, I always knew that she would be somebody special. She was so bright... so pretty... so ladylike. Buffie looks at her reflection in the mirror and adds, I bet when she looks in the mirror before she goes to bed, she doesn't hate herself. And there, Dr. Longworth, you have a vital clue to Buffie Harrington--who isn't ladylike at all, she winds up with painful self-loathing. She turns back to Cyrus and says, Look--Yeager, he tried to make me into a lady. I thought he was kidding when he gave me these. She takes a string of pearls from around her neck and gazes at them. The first time I wore them he grabbed me and broke the string. That's what kind of a gentleman _he_ is. Well, I had them restrung. Only I will never be a lady. You’ve reminded me of that. She hands the pearls to Cyrus and says, Give them back to him when you see him. I’ll stay in my league, and let Maggie Collins stay in hers. She storms upstairs and out of the lab. Cyrus is still holding the pearls, and now he picks up Maggie’s gloves, weighing them in his hands just like when the Clarence Darrow character at the end of Inherit the Wind weighs the Bible and the Origin of Species.
Quentin finds Maggie reading the witchcraft book and tells her to stop her obsession with witchcraft. It’s hard not to be obsessed, Maggie replies, considering everything that’s been happening lately. Quentin tells her to stop anyway, then storms off, probably to find someone else to yell at. He just misses Cyrus. I was just driving by, he says, and I’ve come to return your gloves. That’s very dear of you, she tells him. It’s really nothing, he mutters. But it was very thoughtful of you, she insists, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. She reaches out and touches his arm. He turns away, deeply stirred that she touched him, and again stammers that he was just driving by. She invites him to stay awhile. I’d better not, he answers. I have so many things to do. As usual, Maggie says with a smile, and says goodnight.
Cyrus goes straight to the wall safe and takes out the Yaegerade, then stops to consider why he shouldn’t do what he’s considering: No, I mustn't, I know I mustn't. She is Quentin's wife. He is my best friend. He has been all my life. But Buffie is right. So soft and so quiet. So special, he sighs with longing. What did Yeager achieve with Buffie? he goes on. Nothing! Nothing at all! But with Maggie... oh, ho, ho... with Maggie.... He smiles with unseemly anticipation, then dashes away from the wall safe. I mustn’t do it, he tells himself again. There must be limits for John Yaeger. Then he decides, There are no limits for John Yaeger. He wouldn’t give in so easily. Cyrus’s mild face takes on a sinister aspect as he tells himself, He would never keep saying, over and over, no, no, no! His word is yes! Nothing stands in his way, nothing! He runs back to the safe, opens it again, takes out the Yaegerade and drinks it off before he can change his mind.
Next thing we know, Yaeger phones Maggie at Collinwood. She is suspicious when he won’t give his name, but he tells he, I know you’re interested in two séances. Again she asks who it is, but he asks, Isn’t the opportunity you’ve been waiting for? I’m not interested in them anymore, Maggie says hastily. He says smoothly, If you change your mind, you can meet me at the docks at six o’clock--sharp. I have no intention of going there, Maggie retorts indignantly. Would you rather meet someplace where we can be seen and overheard? he asks. Six o’clock, Mrs. Collins, the docks, he says and hangs up the phone with an anticipatory smile.
Yaeger (in the unbuttoned suede overcoat for this special occasion) is at the docks, checking his watch (he’s a real stickler for punctuality) when he spots Buffie on her way to work. I don’t want anything to do with you at all! she declares. That’s fine with me, he replies. But I want to thank you for returning the necklace--now I know what a mistake it was to give it to a person such as you. Stung in spite of herself but trying to hide it, Buffie says, I didn’t want it anyway. Of course you didn’t want it, he says. It wasn’t cheap and vulgar enough for you, was it? She is too hurt to reply, and he continues, Oh, well, I tried to make a lady out of you, you see, but I must reluctantly concede my defeat. Buffie quickly runs off, hiding her tears, which Yaeger finds uproariously funny.
A moment later, Maggie appears. Well, Mrs. Collins, good evening, he says. Are you the gentleman who phoned me? she asks. At your service, he answers. Who are you? she asks again. Your friend, Mrs. Collins, he replies, your friend. Then tell me what you have to tell me, she says, obviously hoping to get away from him as fast as possible even on such short acquaintance. He leers at her and agrees, Oh yes, I will tell you. I was only going to say that I find you inescapably charming. In that case, goodnight, she says and starts to walk away. Your husband! he says, stopping her in her tracks. You husband was seen choking his wife at the séance. Go on, Maggie says tensely. I will go on, he says, but I hope you know that I am doing you a very big favor in giving you all of this information. [Actually he says, You’re doing me--I’m doing you a very big favor.] I was wondering if you would give me a favor too. As he moves closer and closer to her, still leering, she begins to realize what he means. She starts to back away, but he’s far too quick and far too strong. He grabs her with one arm and covers her mouth with his other hand. Struggling uselessly to free herself, she twists her face out of his reach. Let me go! she cries. Soon enough, Mrs. Collins, soon enough, he replies as he starts to move against her. With his other hand he-- well, it’s out of camera range, but it cannot be very gentlemanly at all because Maggie struggles with all her might to get away. But her struggles only seem to increase his perverse enjoyment, and he holds her even tighter....
