S 80
B
25. ernhandi
14 PRCFESSOP RrEMHARDI: A PLAY
idea that she is going to die; she expects any¬
thing else rather than this visit. On the con¬
trary, she is in the happy belief that in the
next hour, someone that is near to her, may
come to take her with him into life and into
happiness. I believe, Your Reverence, that it
would be wrong to awaken her from this last
dream.
Priest: Is there any chance that my ap¬
pearance might bring about a change for the
worse, Professor?
Bernhardi: It is not impossible that the
end might be hastened, possibly by only a few
minutes, but at all events—
Priest: Can your patient be saved? Does
my appearance in that sense, mean danger?
Then, of course, I would be ready to retire.
Bernhardi: She is hopeless. There is no
doubt about it.
Priest: Then, Professor, I see no reason—
Bernha.i: Excuse me, Your Reverence, I
am still here nerforming my professional duty,
which demands that, if it is not in my power
to save my patient, it is at least my duty to let
her die happily.
Cyprian shows impatience and disapprov¬
Priest: To die happily? Probably we have
different conceptions of what that means, and
from what I learned from the Sister, your pa¬
tient is more in need of absolution than others.
Bernhardi (with an ironical smile): Arewe
not all sinners?
Priest: That is neither here nor there; yon
do not know whether in the depth of the soul,
box 31/8
PROFESSOR BERNHARDI: A PLAY 15
into which God alone can look, there may be
ust in this last moment, a longing to free it¬
elf from sin by absolution.
Bernhardi: Must I repeat again, Your Rev¬
ence, that the patient does not know that she
lost; she has hope, she is peaceful, and she
els no repentance.
Priest: All the more culnable would I be,
if 1 left this place without having administer¬
edthe consolation of our holy religion to this
dying one.
Bernhardi: Your Reverence, every earthly
judge will absolve you from this guilt. (Af¬
ter a gesture of the priest’s.) Your Reverence,
as her physician, I cannot permit you to go
near my patient.
Priest: I was called here. I must beg—
Bernhardi: Not by me. I can only repeat,
Your Reverence, that as her physician, to
whom the happiness of the patient is confided
to the last minute, I must forbid your entering
Priest: You forbid me?
Bernhardi (touching his shoulder lightly):
Tes, Yeur Reverence.
(The Sister hurries in from the sick-room.)
Sister: Your Reverence—
Bernhardi: Were you in there?
Sister: It will be too late, Your Reverence.
(Kurt enters the sick-room.)
Bernhardi (to sister): You told the patient
that His Reverence is here?
Sister: Tes, Doctor.
Bernhardi: Answer me quietly. How did
the patient take the message? Did she say
B
25. ernhandi
14 PRCFESSOP RrEMHARDI: A PLAY
idea that she is going to die; she expects any¬
thing else rather than this visit. On the con¬
trary, she is in the happy belief that in the
next hour, someone that is near to her, may
come to take her with him into life and into
happiness. I believe, Your Reverence, that it
would be wrong to awaken her from this last
dream.
Priest: Is there any chance that my ap¬
pearance might bring about a change for the
worse, Professor?
Bernhardi: It is not impossible that the
end might be hastened, possibly by only a few
minutes, but at all events—
Priest: Can your patient be saved? Does
my appearance in that sense, mean danger?
Then, of course, I would be ready to retire.
Bernhardi: She is hopeless. There is no
doubt about it.
Priest: Then, Professor, I see no reason—
Bernha.i: Excuse me, Your Reverence, I
am still here nerforming my professional duty,
which demands that, if it is not in my power
to save my patient, it is at least my duty to let
her die happily.
Cyprian shows impatience and disapprov¬
Priest: To die happily? Probably we have
different conceptions of what that means, and
from what I learned from the Sister, your pa¬
tient is more in need of absolution than others.
Bernhardi (with an ironical smile): Arewe
not all sinners?
Priest: That is neither here nor there; yon
do not know whether in the depth of the soul,
box 31/8
PROFESSOR BERNHARDI: A PLAY 15
into which God alone can look, there may be
ust in this last moment, a longing to free it¬
elf from sin by absolution.
Bernhardi: Must I repeat again, Your Rev¬
ence, that the patient does not know that she
lost; she has hope, she is peaceful, and she
els no repentance.
Priest: All the more culnable would I be,
if 1 left this place without having administer¬
edthe consolation of our holy religion to this
dying one.
Bernhardi: Your Reverence, every earthly
judge will absolve you from this guilt. (Af¬
ter a gesture of the priest’s.) Your Reverence,
as her physician, I cannot permit you to go
near my patient.
Priest: I was called here. I must beg—
Bernhardi: Not by me. I can only repeat,
Your Reverence, that as her physician, to
whom the happiness of the patient is confided
to the last minute, I must forbid your entering
Priest: You forbid me?
Bernhardi (touching his shoulder lightly):
Tes, Yeur Reverence.
(The Sister hurries in from the sick-room.)
Sister: Your Reverence—
Bernhardi: Were you in there?
Sister: It will be too late, Your Reverence.
(Kurt enters the sick-room.)
Bernhardi (to sister): You told the patient
that His Reverence is here?
Sister: Tes, Doctor.
Bernhardi: Answer me quietly. How did
the patient take the message? Did she say