—­I did not think of that.

—­And that little child, he continued with growing anger, that little child to whom you have given this bad example, whom you lead into a disorderly life by throwing him, before two ecclesiastics, some pie on a Friday....  You have caused this little child to offend.  Do you not know then what Our Lord Jesus Christ has said about those who cause the little children to offend?  But you know nothing about it.  Do you take heed of the Divine Master’s words, you who, at the beginning of your life, display your youth in sinful dances for the lewd pleasure of passers-by?

—­I make my living as I can, replied Zulma, wounded by the rebuke.

—­A fine way of making your living!  You would do better to pray to the Holy
Virgin.

—­Will the Holy Virgin give me what I want to eat?

—­Ah, they are all like that.  Eating!  Eating!  They only think of eating!  It appeals that they have said everything when they have said:  “Who will give me to eat?” That is the great argument to excuse the lowest callings, and work on Sundays.  Eating?  Eating?  Eh, unhappy child, and your soul?  You must not think only of your body, which will be one day eaten by worms.  Your soul also requires to eat.

Marcel interrupted.

—­Uncle, I ask you to excuse this young person.  She is ignorant of the duties of a Christian, and it is not her fault.  This is a soul to guide.

—­I do not say that it is not; I wish then that she may find someone to guide her.

Thereupon he opened his breviary; but he had not finished the second page of that potent narcotic before he was sound asleep.

LXXXI.

A LITTLE CONFESSION

  “Let us not ask of the tree what
  fruit it bears.”

  CAMILLE LEMONNIER (Mes Medailles).

—­Monsieur le Cure is a trifle abrupt, said Marcel, bat he has an excellent heart.

—­Yes, he seems to be quickly offended.  It is quite different with the old gentleman who came to see me at the Hospital.  There is a good sort of a man!

—­The Chaplain, no doubt.

—­No, he is a judge.  When I knew it, I was quite alarmed at it.  A judge, that makes one think of the gendarmes.  I was quite in order, fortunately.  Besides, he is the president of a great Society, which enters everywhere, and knows what is going on everywhere.  Ah, he is a man who frightened me very much the first time I saw him.  But he is as kind as can be.

—­You are talking, no doubt, of Monsieur Tibulle, President of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, and Judge of the Court at Vic.

—­Monsieur Tibulle, that is he.  A benevolent man, but who does good only to people who are religious and honest and right-minded—­as he says.  As I am an artiste, the Sister was afraid that he would not trouble himself about me, but he saw plainly that I was an honest girl.