The
play 'The Bishop’s Candlesticks' opens with a scene in the Bishop’s kitchen. Bishop’s younger sister
Persome and maid servant Marie are busy in conversation, while soup is being
cooked on the stove. Persome is worried that her brother has gone out in
extreme cold. When she learns that her brother has gone to see Marie’s mother,
she bursts out in anger at the selfishness of the people, who went about
troubling him. Persome’s anger is genuine because her brother has already sold
off his estate, furniture and other valuables to help the poor and the needy.
Persome is shocked to discover further that the Bishop has even sold off his
silver-cellars to help another ailing lady to pay her rent.
The
Bishop promptly arrives and dispatches Marie to tend her mother. He gives away
his comforter to her to ward off the cold outside. Persome gets very furious
and says, “You’ll sell your candlesticks next.”
The Bishop thanks for her giving him the idea, although he admits that
the candlesticks were his proud possessions, a gift from his dying mother and
he would not like to part with them.
Persome
takes leave and the Bishop settles down to read. It is already midnight. A
Convict enters from the room stealthily, seizes the Bishop from behind and
demands something to eat. He threatens to kill the Bishop if he raises an
alarm. The Bishop is unflustered. He calls the Convict ‘son’ and wakes his
sister to serve some food and wine to the Convict. He also calms down Persome,
who was frightened to see the knife in the Convict’s hand.
The
convict pounces on the food greedily. After eating, the Convict warms up and
relates his sad story to the Bishop. He tells the Bishop that he was once a
normal man. He had a wife and a home but no work, so stole to feed his sick
wife. He was chained like an animal and beaten mercilessly and fed on filth.
The Bishop consoles him and arranges for him to rest there
for the night.
The
next morning Persome finds that the Convict and the silver candlesticks are
missing. She raises an alarm and informs the Bishop about the theft. The Bishop
is upset but he refuses to report to the police.
Soon
a sergeant appears with two soldiers and the Convict in chains. They had
arrested the Convict on the suspicion of stealing the Bishop’s Candlesticks.
The Bishop tells the police that the Convict was his friend and he had gifted
the candlesticks to him. The police free the Convict and allow him to go away.
The Convict is wonderstruck by such kindness. He promises to reform himself and
begin his life anew. The Bishop blesses him and gifts the candlesticks to him.
He shows him a secret path to Paris, where the Convict could lead safe and
respectable life.
*****
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