The Song of Bernadette Page #10

- How do you do?

Won't you come into my office

and sit down, please?

I was arrested and led through

the streets like the rest.

I do not wish to be treated differently

now that I am here.

Madame, this is most distressing.

You are the bearer of a great name.

When ladies of your station exhibit their

contempt for the law by breaking it...

...what is the poor civil servant to do?

Punish them as you would the others.

Very well. I require you to pay a fine

of one franc and costs.

Delighted, monsieur.

And here are a hundred more...

...for my fellow criminals

who are without funds.

And, now, please, may I have the bottle?

The bottle is confiscated.

But I don't believe it will remain so,

monsieur...

...for I filled it at the desire

of very high personage.

May I ask who this personage is,

madame?

Her Majesty, the Empress Eugnie.

I have the honor to be the governess

of His Highness, the prince imperial.

Take it, madame.

I begin to see the folly

of being the only one to do one's duty...

...in a feeble-minded world.

His temperature is quite normal now.

Thank God! I was right.

The water is miraculous.

I'm sure it is, madame.

EUGNIE:
Loulou, my darling,

you'll be well now, my sweet.

Louis...

Loulou is better!

The water from Lourdes made him well.

Let us say, sire,

the waters did the prince no harm.

He had only a slight cold.

His forehead was on fire with fever!

LECRAMPS:

Never more than two degrees.

It was diphtheria or scarlet fever.

I know it. I feel it.

Please, my dearest, don't excite

yourself. Come and sit down.

Loulou has had a number of attacks

like this, and he's always gotten well.

I tell you, Louis,

it was the water that saved him.

That's a very frivolous observation.

You do an injustice

to the doctor's prescriptions.

You're an atheist, Louis!

That's the most stupid thing

a sovereign could be.

You're worse than an atheist.

You haven't the humility to thank God

for the grace he's accorded us.

[DRUM ROLL]

"By order of His Majesty, the emperor...

...the ordinance of May 10th

is hereby revoked and nullified.

As of this date,

the grotto shall be opened.

Signed, Louis Napoleon".

[CROWD CHEERING]

[CHUCKLES]

I must say, my dear dean...

...your lady wastes no time

in accepting a challenge.

[COUGHING]

[CROWD SINGING]

The lady has had sweet revenge.

[HICCUPS]

I'm being transferred to Alais.

Perhaps I should say demoted to Alais.

Yes, I rather expected you would be.

I, too, received a letter this morning.

Yeah? What hole are you headed for?

In my case, the lady wanted

even sweeter revenge.

I am to stay here for a while,

at least...

...and watch the thing I fought against

blossom like a fruit tree.

[SNEEZES]

It's the influenza again. I can feel it.

Evidently, the lady intends to leave me

exactly as she found me.

- Some hot wine, Duran.

- Oui, monsieur.

BERNADETTE:

And then I ran to the other side...

...and ate of the grass and the herbs

as the lady had asked me to.

I can't understand the lady demanding

anything so repulsive of you.

It doesn't fit into the description

that you gave of her...

...that she bade you act like an animal.

Do you act like an animal

when you eat salad?

Go on.

Then I looked for the spring.

Since I couldn't see it...

...I supposed the lady meant

that it was below the ground.

So I began to scratch and dig

with my fingers.

To be considered a miracle...

...the healing must be as sudden

as a bolt of lightning.

It must be from one moment to the next.

Further proof is necessary...

- to look for the spring.

Since I could not see it...

...I supposed the lady meant

that it was below the ground.

So I began to scratch and dig...

- look for the spring.

Since I could not see it...

...I supposed the lady meant

that it was below the ground.

There is still

the possibility of deception.

Further proof is necessary.

The evidence is insufficient.

[KNOCKING]

Come in, Bernadette.

BERNADETTE:

I'm sorry to be late...

...but my brother had a frostbitten nose.

- Come by the fire.

- I had to rub snow on it.

March is coming in like a lion, isn't it?

- Sit down, Bernadette.

- Thank you, Father.

Sorry I was unable to attend

your sister's wedding Thursday.

Father Pomian tells me it was lovely.

Yes, we had lots of cakes,

one with figures on it.

It was ever so nice.

I suppose she'll give up her position

with Madame Millet.

Yes, they're going to live on a farm...

...but Madame Millet's

going to take me as housemaid.

So I heard today.

That's why I wanted to talk to you.

Oh, it's not hard work,

and the pay is good.

You know, it's strange, Your Reverence.

The lady once told me

I could never be happy in this world...

...but I am.

Happier than I've ever been.

I've got a position, and...

And Monsieur Antoine

is a splendid young man.

Bernadette...

...have you any idea of what the

bishop's commission has been doing?

The gentlemen have examined and tested

all the people who have been cured.

That's true. What of yourself?

Don't you think that you and your case

are part of their task also?

I've answered all

the gentlemen's questions.

I hope they won't ask me anymore.

The commission is now engaged...

...in writing a very important report

about you.

It admits the possibility that

you were chosen by the powers above...

...and that your hand alone...

...brought forth the spring

responsible for miraculous cures.

Don't you understand what that means?

No.

It means that the greatest

and the wisest men in the Church...

...will be watching you for decades...

...and then perhaps long after the rest

of us are dead and thought of no more...

...you will...

- But that's dreadful.

I don't want it. It can't be.

It's no small matter.

No, no.

No!

Tell me, aren't the Sisters

in the hospital and in the school...

...good and kind?

BERNADETTE:

Yes.

Yes, they are. They're very sweet.

Could you imagine yourself

as one of them someday?

BERNADETTE:

Dear God, no. That's far above me.

I just want to go and work

for Madame Millet as housemaid.

Please.

My dear child.

To you,

the Most Blessed Virgin condescended.

This places a responsibility on you.

You can't suddenly play truant...

...run away from your destiny

as though it were school...

...and become an old widow's servant.

A long time ago, I told you

you were playing with fire, Bernadette.

Your lady was heavenly fire.

Heaven chose you...

...and now there's nothing left for you

but to choose heaven.

Isn't that true?

Yes.

You'll like the life

with the Sisters at Nevers.

Their order is beautiful and lofty

and very much involved in practical life.

Everything you have said is true,

Your Reverence...

...and I will do exactly as you say.

- But...

- You're worried about your family?

You needn't.

You may stay with them until summer.

It'll take that long

before the report is fully complete...

...and I've arranged for your father

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