The Cardinal Page #4

We shall begin your treatment at once.

Cold climate, simple diet.

Stonebury. Perfect.

Stonebury will be

your spiritual sanitarium.

You are now curate at Stonebury.

The parish church is called St. Peter's,

no irony intended.

You will assist Father Halley.

A truly remarkable man.

As a pastor, he's a total failure, but...

as an individual, he is without vanity...

ambition.

From him, you can learn humility.

Goodbye, Father Fermoyle.

Steve!

Where've you been?

Where's Dad and the rest?

I tried to get you

before you left St. John's.

- What's wrong?

- Have you seen Mona?

- No.

- Any message from her?

- No.

- She's gone.

She didn't come home last night.

We don't know where she is.

With Benny?

No, his regiment went overseas yesterday.

Let me know

the minute you hear anything.

Send me a wire at Stonebury.

Call me. Tell Mom and Dad not to worry.

- Father Fermoyle?

- Yes.

Bonjour, Father.

Jump on.

Father Halley sent me to pick you up.

Me, Hercule Menton.

I'm very glad to meet you, Hercule.

Father Halley.

Father Fermoyle.

Sorry I couldn't meet you myself.

I was glad to be met at all. Thank you.

- You make a good fire.

- I was going to make some tea.

Good, I'll just take this off.

- Here, let me help you off with that coat.

- Thank you.

I'm not used to company.

You should ask them to send you a curate.

I'm afraid I've had

too many favors from His Eminence.

Besides, there's hardly enough

revenue here to support one priest...

let alone two.

Things will be looking up

now that you're here.

And a remarkably good collection

this Sunday.

Quite a haul for St. Peter's.

$1.85.

Tomorrow we'll buy some coffee

to celebrate...

your arrival with festivities.

What's the matter?

Nothing.

You should be in bed.

This'll pass, it always does.

- Father, you're sick.

- I'm not sick.

Sit down.

Let's have some bread and tea.

I'll be all right.

- Have some fish.

- No, thank you, it's enough.

I always eat my principal meal at midday.

- Would you like the fish?

- No, thank you.

In the morning,

I'll show you around the parish.

Why don't you rest tomorrow?

I can manage alone.

Bless us...

and these, thy gifts, which we are

about to receive from thy bounty...

through Christ, our Lord...

Amen.

Father, I insist you eat that fish.

You must be hungry after your long trip.

Father Fermoyle.

- Good morning, Hercule.

- Good morning, Father.

- How are you?

- Come in, come in.

My daughter, Lalage.

- Hello, Father.

- Hello, Lalage.

- Welcome.

- Thank you.

- How is Father Halley?

- Not too well, I'm afraid.

I'm glad they sent someone to help him.

And this is my wife, Adele.

Will you stay and eat with us, Father?

Don't worry, there's plenty.

No, thank you.

I'd better be getting back to Father Halley.

Wait...

Father Halley needs a hot meal.

This'll make you feel better.

How long have you had these spells?

A long time?

What does the doctor say?

Well, he...

- You've seen a doctor, haven't you?

- Yes, no.

He couldn't diagnose it.

He said I'd have to go to the hospital

for a week for a series of tests.

And?

We can't afford it.

The diocesan can afford it.

No, you mustn't ask him.

But you're sick.

His Eminence mustn't know.

He mustn't know that I'm sick.

Cardinal Glennon? Why not?

Well, you see...

he gave me my first parish...

St. Anselm's in Stowe.

It was a small church with a big mortgage.

I couldn't lift it.

He sent me to Needham.

It was a prosperous parish.

There was money in the bank.

And I ran Needham into debt.

His Eminence warned me.

Then he sent me to...

Malden, lpsfield...

always some place lower in his favor.

There's no more favor left, now.

He's disappointed in me.

He mustn't know...

that I've failed again.

Father Fermoyle,

your brother phoned the store...

to come to Boston as quickly as you can.

Mona.

What do you guys want?

We want to talk to our sister.

It sure don't look like

she wants to talk to you.

Mona, please.

What do you want?

We want you to come home.

Why?

You're breaking their hearts, Mona.

Please come home.

All right, I'll come home.

You don't think Mom will mind

if I bring Ramn home with me, do you?

He spends a lot of his time in jail

and he hasn't really learned to read yet.

You can tell her he's a Catholic.

Mona, listen to me.

- Benny won't be gone...

- Shut up.

We'll start all over again.

We'll try to work out a way

that you and Benny can be married.

I promise I'll do everything I can.

Why don't you leave me alone!

What do you want from me?

I just want you to be happy.

Is that all?

Don't you want to forgive me, too?

Isn't that what you priests

usually like to do the most?

- He's not your enemy, Mona.

- God will forgive you.

Will you hear my confession, Father?

I'll be glad to hear your confession

at the proper time...

Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.

- Don't do this.

- I'll do anything I damn well please!

I've had it.

I'm through. I'm through with you

and I'm through with your...

pious, mealy-mouthed,

hypocritical religion.

And I'm through with your God, too.

The next time you talk to him,

you tell him that for me.

Come on, lover, let's dance.

It's not your fault.

Yes, it is.

- Lalage.

- Hello, Father.

Did you do all this?

You said look after Father Halley

while you were gone. So I did.

- The doctor's with him now.

- What doctor?

Dr. Carter.

I got him to come up from Lynchburgh.

I work in his office sometimes.

Now that you're back,

I better be going home.

It was very kind of you to do so much.

It's very little compared to what he's done.

Father Halley?

When I was a child, Grand-mere died.

She was very old, very frightened...

very religious.

Father Halley was sick himself,

but he stayed with her night and day...

prayed with her, helped her die well.

I'll be back to fix supper.

Doctor?

Father Fermoyle?

I'm afraid your pastor's a very sick man.

What is it?

The name of the disease? I can tell you,

but very little else about it.

It's called multiple sclerosis.

We don't know its cause,

and there's no cure for it.

It's a breakdown

of the entire nervous system.

It can develop quickly or slowly.

But always in the same direction.

How far has it gone with Father Halley?

Near the end.

Has he always had this lack of energy?

I think so. I'm not sure how long.

Chances are he's been slowly dying

all his adult life.

It's amazing he was able to function at all.

- What can we do for him now?

- He'll need full-time care.

He ought to be in a hospital

or a nursing home.

If he's going to die, he'll die as a pastor

in his own bed, in his own parish.

That's liable to be harder on you

than it is on him.

Thank you.

You give him this as directed.

- Is this medicine very expensive?

- Yes.

The longer he lasts, the more it will cost.

It's never agreeable to watch someone go.

Forgive me for the long time I take.

Doesn't any of this bother you?

No, it's only nature.

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