Let the catfights begin! In the reshoot of this scene, Laura opens the coffin as before, but it’s obvious that Barnabas isn’t in it. (In fact, he doesn’t appear at all in this episode.) Laura addresses her soliloquy to the empty coffin and prepares to strike, but just in time she is easily disarmed--by Angelique.
Angelique (in a beautiful green brocade gown with an anachronistic bustle) has the upper hand because she knows who Laura is, whereas Laura apparently has never seen her before. Angelique says, Perhaps we can be good friends. I’ve always been rather interested in you--Laura Stockbridge Collins, one of the legendary beauties of the Collins family. There was a picture of you in Jeremiah’s room, she continues. I remember you looking arrogant and rather woodsy in your riding habit. You _still_ look very lovely, my dear, but perhaps time has begun to press on you a little, she suggests, secure in her own ageless beauty. She provokes Laura--too far for her own good, though. Laura says, Perhaps you can force Barnabas to love you with spells or potions, but if he really had a choice, do you think Barnabas would choose you? No, Angelique replies with total aplomb, no more than Dirk would choose you. Laura turns away impatiently. I’m not interested in Dirk. I care only about my children, she answers, then delivers a palpable hit: But you do care for Barnabas, don’t you? How does it make you feel that you are succeeding as--whatever you are, but you are failing as a woman? This time it’s Angelique’s turn to look away as Laura says, We should both get rid of him. We’d be better off without him. Angelique starts upstairs, promising, I will destroy you! You will never leave this house! But suddenly the way is blocked when a wall of flames springs up out of nowhere, surrounding Laura. (The Old House fireplace can be glimpsed briefly at the left.) As Angelique cringes away, Laura comments, I must warn you--I am not without powers. And it would seem that you are not without fear. As the flames die away, she says triumphantly, Till we meet again, my dear Angelique. She marches upstairs, leaving Angelique in the basement.
Magda is upstairs--we have to imagine that she just missed Dirk leaving, but Laura passes her and leaves without a word. Angelique--who is unharmed after all--tells Magda, I found Laura about to destroy Barnabas with a hammer and stake. Alarmed, Magda gasps, She will tell what she has learned! And then we’ll be as dead as my sister--whose grave I visited this morning. Determined to save Barnabas, Angelique orders her to get Quentin immediately. Why? Magda asks, outraged. So he can help fight Laura, Angelique replies. He’s not worth five seconds of my time! Magda says contemptuously. You have no choice! Angelique says sharply. Go get Quentin--or you’ll be joining your sister in the graveyard!
Magda takes her time performing her errand, because at 4:00 p.m., Quentin is in the drawing room wearing a spiffy red velvet lounging robe with his necktie undone, and roaring drunk. (Earlier in the day, he supposedly went to see Evan Hanley, but we can deduce that Evan refused to help him.) When Magda arrives, he laughs bitterly and tells her she can go--she's already done everything she can to him. Magda mutters, I got business with you. You’ve come back to see if I’m still alive! Quentin shouts on. Well, I won’t lie down and die! You’re having a hard time standing up, Magda comments with her usual cockiness. I’m all right, he says and lunges for her. Magda sidesteps him easily, and he falls down, or rather up the stairs. Magda tells him scornfully, Look at you lying there! You think I destroyed you? You’re destroying yourself. My sister, my Jenny, she mourns, how could she have loved you? If she could see you now, it would break her heart. Quentin remembers sadly, When we first met, Jenny loved me, and I loved her. Suddenly dropping to his knees, he begs Magda, Please, for the sake of that love, end the curse. Magda says sadly, That wouldn’t restore Jenny to life, sane and happy. If it would, I would do it--even if it cost me my life! Quentin clumsily lunges at her again, but Magda easily gets away from him. Be quiet and listen to me! she orders him. Why did you come? Quentin asks finally. I came because She sent me, Magda replies. She wants you at the Old House. You cannot lie to Her. You cannot use your boyish charm as you did with Jenny or Beth or the others. You go to the Old House.
While the badly hung-over Quentin (now properly dressed) hunches miserably on the round purple settee in the Old House drawing room, Angelique sits in the hooded chair and tells him that Barnabas is "away for the day" but that he told her everything about Laura. Angelique says, To have someone harm Barnabas is to pierce my heart with a knife! She basically tells Quentin to stop whining and orders him to help her get rid of Laura. He tells her about the urn and how his attempt to destroy her failed. Then he tells her about the scarab, which apparently has a life force for 20 generations--who knew? Angelique calls Magda and tells her to steal the scarab. Magda doesn't want to, but Angelique warns her, I will tell Barnabas you were out of the house when Laura visited him this morning. I don’t think Barnabas Collins will be sentimental. My feeling is, he’ll kill you. Quentin gets alarmed and tells Angelique, Barnabas can’t kill her. If she dies, I will continue to live with the curse. I can’t become involved in that, Angelique says impatiently, My only concern is for Barnabas. Do as I say. I don’t care what it costs or who must be destroyed, but Barnabas Collins must be kept safe forever.
Magda goes to the cottage and tells Laura that she knows about Barnabas. And soon everyone will, Laura gloats. Magda falls to her knees and begs Laura not to expose Barnabas, or Sandor will die. She tells Laura that Barnabas can be killed with a silver bullet to the heart. She adds pathetically, But I can’t buy them with the few pennies I have. She persuades Laura to kill Barnabas this way rather than tell everyone about him, and Sandor will be free. And I will be free too, Laura exults. She goes to the bedroom to get the money, and Magda embarks on a brief, frantic search for the scarab--which Laura had hidden behind some pillows on the sofa. Just as she’s pocketing it, Laura returns with a wad of bills. These will be the answer to many things, my lady, Magda says as she fingers the bills greedily.
Magda has brought the scarab to Angelique, and Quentin has brought her the Egyptian Book of the Dead. He is a bit taken aback when Angelique tells him that he will perform the ceremony. She asks mockingly, Are you suddenly feeling sentimental about the lady you betrayed? No! he answers quickly, explaining, I’m more worried about the ceremony. It comes too close to the ancient, angry gods for comfort. The only one who will feel any discomfort will be Laura, Angelique assures him. She produces a wax doll, places it on the hearth and lights the fire. She tells the doll, I place you on your funeral pyre, a bed of flames for you to sleep on for all eternity. Quentin begins by greeting Ra and calls out, Accept our sacrifice!
Meanwhile, Laura is experiencing some discomfort and reaches for the scarab--but finds it gone. She searches for it frantically.
Quentin continues the invocation, intoning, In homage to thy flames, which come forth from the horizon and passeth [what he says] over the sky! In homage to thee who puts an end to the hours of the night! Angelique looks very satisfied as she gazes at the doll, now melting in the fireplace.
In her agony, Laura also prays to Ra, begging him, Hear me! Protect me! And crush my enemies! Her face gets more and more distorted with pain....
