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Mrs. Johnson moves into Collinwood to be the housekeeper.
== Synopsis ==
: My name is Victoria Winters. Collinwood, the great mansion I now call home, harbors many secrets. Secrets kept for years from the prying eyes of outsiders. Now a stranger is coming to Collinwood, a stranger determined to uncover those secrets and bring destruction to the Collins family.
Matthew questions Elizabeth's resolve to hire Mrs. Johnson. Mrs. Johnson moves into the third room on the right at the top of the stairs and promises to keep her lips sealed beyond her duties. Elizabeth cautions Mrs. Johnson that David and Roger may not accept her initially. She also reminds her that parts of the house are closed off; Mrs. Johnson confirms that these parts are the basement and the "East" Wing. Elizabeth tells her that she will never have any reason to go into the basement. David begins to torment her. David is rude to Mrs. Johnson and Elizabeth learns that he and Mrs. Johnson had a run-in involving Burke (79). Elizabeth orders David not to frighten her with tales of ghosts, but David claims that the ghosts will make themselves known, that he won't have to.
David tells Matthew he might like Mrs. Johnson since his best friend [Burke] likes her. Mrs. Johnson makes David a ham sandwich and serves it to him in the drawing room on a tray, in an obvious effort to curry favor. She asks him about his crystal ball, then they chat about secrets; she had secret places as a child in old abandoned houses. He tells her about the "East" Wing, and the basement, and ghosts. Matthew overhears the talk of secret rooms and sends David into the kitchen to finish lunch, claiming he was making a mess. Mrs. Johnson claims Matthew made the mess when he was cleaning the fireplace earlier, and he confronts Mrs. Johnson, who claims she was just making conversation. Matthew forcefully warns Mrs. Johnson that she'll be sorry if she continues asking questions.
Later, Matthew tattles to Elizabeth, who initially reacts strongly when he says Mrs. Johnson was asking about the basement, but then writes the situation off, apparently believing that Matthew is jealous of Mrs. Johnson. She states that "everyone is curious about this house, it would be strange if she weren't."
At 3 AM, Mrs. Johnson goes to the basement and pries around the locked room. During her prying, she is startled by David, who has been hiding in a crate. He threatens to tell Elizabeth about Mrs. Johnson's snooping. She claims to have heard a noise, a perfect alibi. David claims he's downstairs looking for a ghost he saw in his Crystal Ball. David says he won't tell Elizabeth because Mrs. Johnson is a friend of Burke's. Mrs. Johnson claims to dislike Burke and reiterates her belief that Burke is responsible for Malloy's death. David rationalizes that because Burke didn't get mad, Mrs. Johnson must not have meant it. He correctly deduces that she is spying for Burke and tells her that Burke's out to get Roger, and David wants Burke to do so. He offers her a bargain; she refuses, or does she? She sends him to bed despite his not having seen the ghost yet.
Alone again in the basement, Mrs. Johnson hears sobbing, which stops when she raps on the locked door.
== Memorable quotes ==
== Dramatis personae ==
* ← Joan Bennett as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard →
* ← Thayer David as Matthew Morgan →
* ← Clarice Blackburn as Sarah Johnson →
* ← David Henesy as David Collins →
* Florence Stanley as Sobbing Woman (uncredited)
== Background information and notes ==
=== Production ===
=== Story ===
* The east wing of Collinwood is closed off.
* Dinner is usually served at Collinwood at 8pm.
* The ham sandwich is a favorite of David's.
* TIMELINE: Day 13 takes place. It was the "other day" when Mrs. Johnson came to Collinwood for the job interview. 10:50pm: Matthew enters Collinwood. It was that afternoon when Mrs. Johnson quizzed David for information. 11pm: Elizabeth goes to bed. Day 14 begins, and will end in episode 103. 3am: Mrs. Johnson snoops in the basement.
== Bloopers and continuity errors ==
* Clarice Blackburn transposes Joan Bennett's lines at Elizabeth's discourse of Mrs. Johnson's duties: "I think we're going to get along just fine." Surprised Bennett ad libs, "I hope so." [Addendum: To me, this seems like it was the dialogue intended as written.]
*Mrs. Johnson consistently refers to the closed-off west wing as the east wing.
*Given the eventual explanation for the sobbing heard from behind the locked door (which is padlocked from the outside, making it impossible for the occupant of the room to lock it while inside the room), there is a major continuity issue with either the original concept, or with the admission given in Ep 272. 
== End credits announcements ==
* Stay tuned for "Where the Action Is," next on ABC.
* Dark Shadows is a Dan Curtis Production.
==External Links ==
Dark Shadows - Episode 98 on the IMDb
Dark Shadows Commentary- Episode 98: My part of the bargain
Dark Shadows Before I Die- Episode 98: 11/9/66
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