The Bishop's Wife Page #20

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

one is neither hot nor cold,

hungry nor full.

No.

No. No, you must go away.

And never come back.

Julia?

Julia!

I've never before had to fight an angel,

but take off your coat

and put up your dukes.

Why do you want to fight me, Henry?

Because you're a thief.

Trying to steal my wife, my

child, the love that belongs to me.

Don't you realise that as an angel, I

could destroy you with a bolt of lightning?

I don't care. Julia means more to me

than my life. I'm not going to lose her.

Ah. Then I have news for you. I'm going.

I'll accept that as a

fact when I see it happen.

You won't. When I'm gone, you will never

know that an angel visited your house.

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