—­That is useful sometimes, the woman said sententiously.

—­What, you dare to admit that wretched fault without blushing at it?

—­There are many others who ought to blush and yet don’t blush.

—­What do you mean?  Come, speak? what do you want?

—­Only to talk with you.  You have had a long talk with Mademoiselle Suzanne
Durand! you can well listen to me a little in my turn.

—­What do you say? wicked creature! what do you say?

—­Oh, Monsieur le Cure, you are wrong to call me wicked, I am not so.

—­You are, at the very least, most indiscreet.

—­Oh, sir, it is not my fault; it is quite involuntarily that I have been a witness of what passed.

—­Eh! what has passed then?

—­Sir, don’t question me, she said in a pitying tone, I have heard and seen.

—­You have seen! cried the priest in a stifled voice.  What have you seen then, wretched woman?

And mad with anger, with blazing eyes and clenched fists, he sprang upon the servant, who was afraid and retreated to the door.

—­Please, Monsieur le Cure, she implored, don’t hurt me.

These words recalled the priest to himself.

—­No, he said as he sat down again, no, Veronica, I shall not hurt you.  I flew into a passion, I was wrong; pardon me.  Reassure yourself; see, I am calm; come closer and let us talk.  Come closer.  Sit here, in front of me.

—­I will do so.  Ah! you frighten me....

—­It is your fault, Veronica; why do you put me into such passion?

—­It was not my intention; far from it.  I wanted to talk with you very peaceably, like the other, it is so nice.

—­Please, enough of that subject.

—­Oh, Monsieur le Cure, it is just about that I want to speak to you.

—­Do not jest, Veronica.  You have been, thanks to your culpable indiscretion, witness of a momentary error, which will not be repeated any more.

—­A momentary error, which would have led you to some pretty things, Monsieur le Cure.  Good God! if Marianne had not arrived in time, who knows what might have happened.

—­It is not for you to blame me, Veronica.  There is only God who is without sin.

—­I know that well.  Therefore, I have not said that to you in order to blame you.  Quite the contrary, I was astonished that with a temperament ... as strong as yours, you have remained free from fault till to-day.

—­And, please God, I will always remain so.

—­Oh!  God does not ask for impossibilities, as my old master, Monsieur le Cure Fortin, used to say:  he was a good-natured man.  He often repeated to me:  “You see, Veronica, provided appearances are saved, everything is saved.  God is content, he asks for no more.”

—­What, the Abbe Fortin said that?

—­Yes, and many other things too.  He was so honest, so delicate a man—­not more than you, however, Monsieur le Cure—­but he understood his case better than any other.  He said again:  “Beware of bad example, keep yourself from scandal.  Dirty linen should be washed at home.”  Good rules, are they not, Monsieur Marcel?