“That a blunder had been committed in arresting this woman then became painfully evident, as but for this the matter might have been hushed up.  There had been no actual robbery, but after an innocent woman had been several days in prison on the charge of theft, it was very difficult to let the real culprit go unpunished.  Her insanity was not self-evident, and it may even be said that there were no outward signs of it.  Up to that time it had never occurred to anyone that she was insane, for there was nothing singular in her conduct except her extreme taciturnity.  It was easy, therefore, to question her insanity, while the true explanation of the act was so incredible and so strange that her friends could not well bring it forward.  The fact of having allowed the clerk’s wife to be arrested was inexcusable.  If the taking of the linen had only been a joke, the perpetrator ought to have brought it to an end when a third person was made a victim of it.  She was arrested and taken to St. Brieuc for the assizes.  Her prostration was so complete that she seemed to be out of the world.  Her dream was over, and the fancy upon which she had fed and which had sustained her for a time had fled.  She was not in the least violent but so dejected that when the medical men examined her they at once saw what was the true state of the case.

“The case was soon disposed of in court.  She would not reply a word to the examining judge.  The flax-crusher came into court erect and self-possessed as usual, with a look of resignation on his face.  He came up to the bar of the witness-box and deposited upon the ledge his gloves, his cross of St. Louis, and his scarf.  ’Gentlemen of the jury,’ he said.  ’I can only put these on again if you tell me to do so; my honour is in your hands.  She is the culprit, but she is not a thief.  She is ill.’  The poor fellow burst into tears, and his utterance was choked with them.  There was a general murmur of ’Don’t carry it any further.’  The counsel for the Crown had the tact not to enter upon a dissertation as to a singular case of amorous physiology and abandoned the prosecution.

“The jury, all of whom were in tears, did not take long to deliberate.  When the verdict of acquittal was recorded the flax-crusher put on his decorations again and left the court as quickly as possible, taking his daughter back with him to the village at nightfall.

“The scandal was such a public one that the priest could not fail to learn the truth in respect to many matters which he had endeavoured to ignore.  This, however, did not affect him, and he did not ask the bishop to remove him to another parish, nor did the bishop suggest any change.  It might be thought that he must have felt some embarrassment the first time that he met Kermelle and his daughter.  But such was not the case.  He went to the manor at an hour when he knew that he would find Kermelle and his daughter at home, and addressing himself to the