Augustine Page #2

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- See Humbert's piece?

- About her?

Likens her to Sarah Bernhard.

- Who?

- Your husband's new patient.

What an anatomy!

Indeed.

The tale she tells

is not for children.

Who?

Your new protg.

You mean patient.

This isn't a circus.

You trigger her attacks,

don't you?

I trigger attacks

to study symptoms.

Nothing more.

You really think

I can create diseases?

Ever seen 17th-century

prints of witches?

- Not the point.

- Answer.

The prints show exactly

what we see at the hospital.

Girls burned at the stake

for ages were merely ill.

There's one thing I want.

To understand.

Where does this

illness come from?

I claim it starts in the brain.

A lesion that left no trace.

It's incurable?

An emotional or physical shock

may suffice to make the patient well.

If it's in the brain,

why is their delirium

always sexual?

Why is it always so?

It's not part of the disease.

It's just delirium.

Enough about medicine today.

Serge, tell your adventures.

Jean says you're

climbing Mont Blanc.

It's not dangerous?

The risk doesn't scare you?

Not coming to bed?

Shortly.

Have you heard

of this Augustine?

Today we discovered

a cut on her back.

Although it is deep,

there was no bleeding.

The other parts of her

body are hypersensitive.

Tweezers.

You may leave.

Raise your arm.

Your hair.

Get dressed.

What is menstruation?

One day you said I had none.

Bleeding that women

have every month.

You use big words

to say simple things.

Why don't I have it?

You will, once you're cured.

- Once I'm cured?

- Yes, once you're cured.

Go on.

In here.

You can thank Mr. Charcot.

Are you okay?

It was as if I were

on a divine mission.

I went to Sacr-Cur,

the basilica at Montmartre.

I walked down the main aisle.

I dropped my coat on the floor.

I stepped onto the altar...

and I shouted we had

to set women free.

I saw the nuns behind me

with their veils.

I felt like telling them

"Stop obeying!"

It always began with a sound.

In fact it was my heartbeat

that I heard in my ear.

It was the...

A noise like this.

I took a piece of glass.

I cut myself...

My whole body

with that piece of glass.

And afterwards...

I felt better.

Calm down now!

Come, fatso.

Can you help?

It's just a hen.

Paralysis on the left now.

Straight down the middle.

Worthy of an Old Master.

The left hand is paralyzed,

claw-like.

Unresponsive to hot or cold.

And the left ear?

Move your hand.

A watch ticking in her

left ear is barely audible.

The right ear hears it

4 inches away.

Vaginal temperature

is unchanging.

Left eye sees only red.

Right eye,

every color but purple.

No sense of smell on the left.

Right, almost normal.

Sugar, salt or pepper:

indiscernible.

Hypnotized,

she becomes totally stiff.

This allows us to keep her

in this state for a while.

We've never tried

more than 4 or 5 minutes.

A 90-pound weight didn't

make her stomach flinch.

Last night she dreamt

of a slaughterhouse.

Animals fell in pools of blood.

She woke up to

her first period.

Personality.

Augustine is active, intelligent,

affectionate, impressionable.

Enjoys seeing men.

Likes being seen,

feeling tended to.

She cares about

her appearance,

rearranges her

full head of hair,

wears it one way,

then another.

Adores colorful ribbons.

Can I have an apple?

Not much love in your books.

What do you know

about love?

Lots of things.

I've gotten letters.

Really.

Are you surprised?

Yes, I am.

Sit still.

I won't be much longer.

For Dr. Bourneville.

Did you find it?

"Augustine,

under Dr. Charcot's gaze,

performed before our eyes

a series of tableaux vivants,

whose style and power belittled

Art's grandest endeavors.

Never before has an

actor or a painter,

not Rachel, not Sarah Bernhard,

attained such authority of expression. "

Is that all?

I had your valise packed.

Bordeaux.

The conference.

You seem upset.

I haven't prepared my paper.

You'll improvise.

You know I never do.

Lie down.

What about Mr. Charcot?

He's not coming?

He left on a trip.

He didn't tell me.

He doesn't give

his patients notice.

Let go of me!

So?

Where do things stand?

I have a patient for you.

Are you sure of yourself?

Positive.

The Academy is not easily

dispatched elsewhere.

Augustine will persuade them.

I'm sure.

A magnificent patient.

I hope so for your sake.

I'll see what I can do.

Come in.

- You called for me?

- Get Augustine.

She was agitated after you left.

Just get her.

She's too weak.

She won't eat.

I gave her laudanum but she

spits everything back out.

Why is she tied up?

She was very agitated.

Remove that.

Get me some soup.

- This late?

- Do as I say.

If you starve,

I can't cure you.

It's cold.

Sorry, sir.

The kitchen is closed.

Go on, eat.

She eats perfectly fine.

Change her sheets.

We'll resume our

tests tomorrow.

You went away.

Where?

Bordeaux.

- Is it nice?

- Very.

I'd like to see Bordeaux.

Once you're cured.

Make her bed.

Let me show you something.

Want to hold her?

What's his name?

Zibidie.

She's a girl.

Don't be afraid.

Don't be afraid.

I'm not.

She's nice.

Usually I leave her at home.

The hospital is too cold.

Calm down.

Come here.

Zibidie, come.

It's like she's listening.

She is.

She's the ancestor of us all.

Come on.

Get out.

Out.

She wakes up startled

and sits up in bed.

As if someone were beside her.

Gives a few kisses,

falls back asleep.

At night, crudely calls out

to an imaginary lover.

Arms crossed,

pressed to her breasts.

She's covered in sweat.

Very well.

You can go back.

When is the change of shifts?

Midnight.

"We are all hysterical,

since Dr. Charcot,

the high priest of

hospital-harvested hysteria,

spends a fortune maintaining

a race of nervous women

whom he infects with madness,

provoking demoniacal frenzy.

Cheat on your husband?

Hysterical.

But a sensual hysteric.

Lie constantly?

Hysterical.

Like to eat?

Hysterical.

Nervous?

Hysterical.

You are this or that,

what women have been

since the dawn of time:

hysterical. "

Who wrote that?

Maupassant.

He's an idiot.

An idiot.

Any news from the Academy?

Not yet.

Undress her.

Lie down.

Tighten it.

Tighter.

Tighter.

More.

Can this have an effect

on paralysis?

We'll see.

Loosen it.

Get dressed.

Why do that in front

of everyone?

Want to get cured?

You say that and nothing happens.

My cousin stopped coming.

You'll see her at Christmas.

That's right, at Christmas.

I hope to be gone by then.

I've had enough of

your experiments.

I want to leave here.

Where will you go?

I'll find a job.

On your own? I doubt it.

You'll find work

in your condition?

I'll manage.

I'll find you work

when you're ready.

I don't need you.

I'll manage alone.

Learn to read and write.

Even a maid needs to.

I hate you.

There's a note from

Conti on the table.

So?

Is the lecture set?

When?

Tuesday.

You should be happy.

About what?

Still asleep?

Mr. Charcot is waiting.

Hurry.

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