The Bishop's Wife Page #8

I told you, Stevens,

she'll wish to see me.

Yes.

Yes.

"This was composed for you, my

darling, and you only. Allan. "

Her husband's name was George.

Good evening.

That music you were playing.

No one living but me

knows that composition.

It's a shame that only you and I appreciate

the lost genius of Allan Cartwright.

- You know about Allan Cartwright?

- Oh, yes.

The world lost a brilliant young

composer when he was... when he died.

That was nearly 40 years ago.

You couldn't have known him.

I'm much older than you

think. Come, let's sit down.

- What is your name?

- My name is Dudley.

But tell me about Allan and you.

Tell me.

Allan Cartwright was the

only man I ever loved.

We were engaged to be

married and I got frightened.

He had nothing and I

was afraid of poverty.

He went away.

I never saw him again.

I never loved George Hamilton.

He was very much in love

with me and he was wealthy.

I've spent a fortune honouring

his memory in empty monuments.

The Hamilton mansion.

Never took a call here.

- What do I owe you?

- No charge. I got nothing better to do.

- Thank you, Sylvester.

- I'll be seeing you, Julia.

There's someone at the

door. It's Henry and Julia.

Oh. The bishop. No, I

won't. I can't see him now.

- Oh, yes, you will.

- No... Yes.

That's right, Agnes. Just go out and greet

them in your usual warm-hearted manner.

- The bishop and Mrs Brougham, madam.

- Yes.

Oh. You'll stay for dinner, Dudley?

I'm afraid I can't, Agnes. I

have a great deal of work to do.

But don't keep Henry and Julia waiting.

- Julia.

- How do you do, Mrs Hamilton?

How nice of you to come and see me.

And Henry. A merry Christmas.

A merry Christmas. Come,

let's go into the drawing room.

- Henry?

- Yes, Mrs Hamilton. Merry Christmas.

Come, Henry, we're very old

friends. You must call me Agnes.

- And you too, Julia dear.

- Yes. Yes, of course.

Oh.

- But he's gone already.

- Who?

Dudley.

- He was here?

- I should have known it.

- Where did he go?

- He said he had so much work to do.

- You must make him take some rest.

- I've been trying to.

I can't thank you enough for

sending him to me. Do sit down.

My dear, meeting Dudley has been the

greatest spiritual experience of my life.

- I'm so glad.

- How did you ever find him, Henry?

- It was an accident.

- It was a miracle.

Indeed it was. Talking with this

wonderful understanding man has...

Henry, I've changed my

mind about the cathedral.

I'm going to give my

money to those who need it.

To the poor and the homeless and

the unappreciated people in the city

and all over the world.

And I want you to direct

the spending of the money.

- You see what Dudley has done?

- Yes, I see.

- Now you understand...

- Thank you, Mrs Hamilton.

I'll be home later for dinner or

something. I don't know what time...

Goodbye.

- Hello, Professor.

- Henry.

Come in, my dear fellow, come in.

- Sit down. Let me take your coat.

- No, thanks.

Not there. Here. This is

the only reliable chair.

Well, this is a surprise. And an

honour. We must have a glass of sherry.

- No, thanks.

- I insist. I want to show you something.

You see this bottle? You note

that it is full? Now watch.

It's something that

even you can't explain

with all your vast

ecclesiastical knowledge.

You will observe that it is still

full. How do you account for that?

And the sherry itself

- it stimulates, it warms, it inspires,

but no matter how much you

drink, it never inebriates.

I think I can account for

it. Dudley's been here.

Yes. And that bottle isn't all.

He told me things about

history that opened my eyes.

Today I went up to

the university library

and looked into some ancient texts which

no scholar has been able to decipher.

Suddenly, I found that

I could understand them.

And look. This is what

I've done thanks to Dudley.

My history. I'm actually writing it.

Let's face it, Henry. This Dudley

is no mortal man like the rest of us.

- Is he?

- How did you know?

Well, I can't tell.

Who is he? What is he?

- He says he's an angel.

- An angel?

Nothing stopped me from saying it.

- From heaven?

- That I'm not sure about.

An angel.

Too bad. He's such a nice fellow.

I should have known it. Nothing less

than an angel could have put me to work.

I'm glad he's done some good. He's

brought nothing but disaster for me.

That's absurd. He and Julia

were in here the other day

and she seemed happier

than she's been in years.

Quite like her old delightful self.

She's a different person

when she's with him.

He's made her despise me.

Are you sure he has done that?

- You think it's my own fault?

- I didn't say that.

This is a mystery beyond

my powers of comprehension.

I suppose I am to blame for everything.

I asked for this in more ways than one.

I suppose that Dudley

came to me to confirm

that I'd already lost the

love of Julia and Debby.

I've got a confession

to make, old friend.

You sent me a coin -

that was generous of you -

and I was mean enough only

to see its commercial value.

- Now I don't know what's happened to it.

- Well, I do. Here it is.

Now where...? Here it is.

Where did you find

it? Oh, don't tell me.

Yes. And he told me what it is

- a museum piece, worth a fortune.

No. I insist you keep it. Give it

to Julia as my Christmas present.

It might bring luck to you both.

It seems strange, you being a bishop

and I a broken-down old scholar,

but I feel terribly sorry for you.

I wish there was something

I could do to help.

- Thank you, but there's nothing.

- There must be.

You and Julia love each

other. You always have.

That's only partially

true. I love Julia.

- Then fight for her.

- How can I fight against...?

- But you have a tremendous advantage.

- Advantage? Over an angel?

That's precisely it. He's an angel.

Julia is a creature of Earth. She's

a woman, Henry, and you are a man.

Isn't it beautiful? And he did every

bit of it himself and so quick too.

When I saw it, I couldn't believe my

eyes. What a blessing he's been to us.

The tree's lovely, Matilda. Lovely.

I'm glad you like it. It's been years

since I've worked on a Christmas tree.

I usually get the

more disagreeable jobs.

Good night, Matilda. Sweet dreams.

Thank you, Mr Dudley.

- Julia?

- Yes?

I think my work here is almost

finished. I'll have to be moving along.

Oh.

Well... Where will you be going, Dudley?

- Wherever they send me.

- Who are "they"?

My superior officers.

Will we ever see you again?

They seldom send us to the same place

twice. We might form attachments.

I don't know what you're talking about.

Of course not.

- Julia?

- Yes?

- I don't want to leave.

- Why?

Few people know the secret of

making a heaven here on earth.

You are one of those rare people.

- I think you ought to go.

- No. Please, Julia. Don't send me away.

- What are you saying, Dudley?

- I'm tired of being a wanderer.

I'm tired of an existence where

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