—­Very good, sir, said the Captain rising; I know henceforth what to rely on.

—­Pardon me, Captain, but allow me to say that your proceedings and apprehensions appear to me a trifle superfluous; for indeed, if you have a reproach to make your daughter, it is not that of excessive devotion, for it is a long time since she has come to church.

—­I have forbidden it to her, sir.  But my daughter is grieved, and that pains me.  I came to address myself to you, man to man, and as you see, I am disappointed.

—­Believe me, Captain, let the thing alone.  Do nothing in a hurry.  Young people are irritated by obstacles.  They need freedom and diversion.  Think of this young lady’s position, dropped from her school into the midst of this solitude, having neither friends or companions any longer; at that age, the family is not everything; books, walks, music are not sufficient, What harm is there in her coming sometimes on Sunday, to hear Divine Service?  We do not conceal it from ourselves, sir, that many women whom we see at service, come there for relaxation.

—­And it is precisely that relaxation which ruins them.

—­Not in the church, sir.

—­Not there, no.  But behind, in the sacristy, or at the back of some well-closed room.  Adieu, sir.

—­I do not want to criticize your language, Captain But one word more, I ask.  Is your daughter acquainted with your proceeding?

—­Why that question?

—­Because then my task will be all traced out.

—­What task?

—­To avoid every sort....

—­Of intercourse.  Do what honour counsels you, and trust to me for the rest.  I will act with my daughter as it will be suitable for me to act.  As for you, you have asserted that any other priest less honourable would have said to me:  “We are going to engage in the struggle, it lies between us.”  I see now that in your mouth the word honourable signifies polite, for you have been polite, but the other alone would have been frank and honourable.  “Between us” is better, “between us” pleases me.  It is plainer and shorter.  Again, I have the honour to salute you.

LIX.

ACTS AND WORDS.

“Intrigues of heavy dreams!  We go to the right; darkness:  we go to the left; darkness:  in front; darkness ... the thread which you think you hold, escapes out of your hand, and, triumphant for a moment, you set yourself again to grope your way to the catastrophe, which is a denseness of shadows.”

  CAMILLE LEMONNIERE (Croquis d’automne).

When the Captain had gone away, Marcel perceived the triumphant face of his servant.  Mad with shame and rage he shut himself up in his room, and asked himself what was going to become of him.  “What am I to do?” he said to himself; “here is the punishment already.”

Nevertheless, on serious reflection, he saw a way all traced out before him; it was the ancient, the good, the old way which he had followed until then, and into which the Captain had just brutally driven him back: