know all that you have to say against me; I cannot disapprove of your reasons, which I should be the first to urge against my own son, if I had one.  But consider whether you would rather have me dead or badly married; for it is certain that if I do not marry the woman that I love, I shall die of it.’  They treated this speech as it deserved; the result does not affect that.  The young man fell sick, faded from day to day, and died.  ‘But, Cure,’ said I, ’in the place of the father, what would you have done?’ ’I would have called my son; I would have said:  Soulpse has been your name hitherto; never forget that it is yours no more; and call yourself by what other name you please.  Here is your lawful share of our property; marry the woman you love, so far from here that I may never hear speak of you again, and God bless you.  ‘For my part,’ said old Madame D’Esclavelles, ’if I had been the mother of the young madman, I would have done exactly as his father did, and let him die.’  And upon this there was a tremendous division of opinion, and an uproar that made the room ring again.

“The dispute lasted a long time, and would be going on now if the cure had not broken it off by putting to us another case.  A young priest, discontented with his profession, flees to England, apostatises, marries according to the law, and has children.  After a certain time he longs for his native country; he comes back to France with his children and his wife.  After that, again, he is stricken by remorse; he returns to his religion, has scruples about his marriage, and thinks of separating from his wife.  He opens his heart to our cure, who finds the case very embarrassing, and not venturing to decide it, refers him to casuists and lawyers.  They all decide that he cannot, with a sure conscience, remain with his wife.  When the separation, which the wife opposed with all her might, was about to be legally effected—­rather against the wishes of our cure—­the husband fell dangerously ill.  When he knew that he could not recover, he said to the cure:  ’My friend, I wish to make public amends for my backsliding, to receive the sacraments, and to die in the hospital; be kind enough to have me taken there.’  ’I will take care to do no such thing,’ the cure replied to him.  ’This woman is innocent; she married you according to law; she knew nothing of the obstacles that existed.  And these children, what share have they in your sin?  You are the only wrongdoer, and it is they who are to be punished!  Your wife will be disgraced, your children will be declared illegitimate, and what is the gain of it all?’ And the good cure stuck to his text.  He confessed his man, the illness grew worse, he administered the last sacraments.  The man died, and his wife and children remained in possession of the titles they had.  We all approved the cure’s wisdom, and Grimm insisted on having his portrait taken."[214]