Wow, MT, I don't remember that--just as well, I guess.
Once again, Megan, Elizabeth, and Maggie are all wearing gray. What gives?
Barn modestly tells the utterly unsuspecting Todds that he has "a few early American things" upstairs. Huh. He is far too pleased that Megan is mysteriously attracted to the box he brought back from wherever.
Barn's antipathy toward Chris continues as he opines to Elizabeth that Carolyn is seeing too much of Chris. I've always let Carolyn make her own decisions, Elizabeth says--except for hand-picking Joe to be her boyfriend.
The mysterious stranger watches the Old House as Elizabeth leaves. We learn that Maggie has been renting out the cottage while living at Collinwood as David's tutor. The stranger phones Collinwood. Maggie answers, and he asks to speak to Elizabeth. Elizabeth takes the phone and speaks, but the stranger seems stunned to hear her voice and doesn’t reply. Eventually she hangs up, commenting on how strange it was. The caller was a man, Maggie says He did ask for you.
Megan is delighted when Barn shows up at the antique shop and gives Megan the box as a gift. I’ll always treasure it, Megan enthuses. I will be more selfish than you and never give it away. I hope you never change you mind, Barnabas says gravely. Behind him, Philip looks at his wife with some concern.
The main room of the cottage is rather less furnished than when the Evanses called it home. Besides some nondescript chairs, we can see Sam’s portrait of Maggie’s mother and one lone easel. The stranger knocks at the door (Maggie trips on her way to open it) and asks to see Sam. Maggie doesn’t recognize the stranger but tells him, My father has been dead for over a year. She invites the stranger in. I’m truly sorry, the stranger says. Sam and I were old friends. I know you don’t remember me, but I remembers you. He marvels at being back in Collinsport and asks her about her present life. She says she’s living at Collinwood as David’s tutor. He thinks about this for a moment, then asks her, Could you be as good a friend to me as your father was? Because I need a friend, Miss Evans--desperately. Maggie agrees to help him for her father’s sake. Tell me about the people at Collinwood, the stranger requests--especially Carolyn. Maggie gets protective of her friends and hints that she would like to know the stranger’s name, but he asks her to answer his question about Carolyn. I love Carolyn, Maggie replies. She’s nice and kind and generous and charitable.... Unoffended, the stranger laughs as he realizes she’s stringing him along. I don’t understand why you want to know, Maggie says. I don’t see how I can help you. I would be willing to tell you, the stranger proposes, if you could keep the secret. I’m not sure I want to know it, Maggie says warily. You seem to me to be the one who I should tell, the stranger replies. I don't know why, Maggie says. Well, you are the only one that there is, the stranger tells her: 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?
Philip is closing the inside shutters as Megan once again examines the box. She thinks they should open it and Philip agrees, but it seems to be locked. He tries to force it with a screwdriver but has no luck. When he goes to find a better tool, Megan picks up the box again--and tells Philip, I hear something _inside_ the box that sounds alive. Philip doesn’t believe it, but Megan is sure. Philip has given up and instead opens the envelope that Barnabas gave them, ostensibly with a list of things he’s willing to sell. But inside Philip finds a key. Megan reaches for it, but Philip hesitates. He says worriedly, I’m afraid that if we open the box, things will never be the same. We have to, Megan says. After a moment, Philip agrees. He turns the key in the lock and cracks the lid open. At once they hear a sound like air escaping, or a deep sigh. What was that? they ask one another. Neither one knows what it was, but it sounded as though something came out even though they saw nothing. Now practically beside herself with excitement, Megan urges Philip to open the box completely: Once and for all, she says, let’s find out what’s in it. They stare inside....
