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Updated: June 27, 2025
His enemy, the Grand-Vicar, pursued him with his indefatigable hatred, so far that from disgrace to disgrace he had reached the cure of Althausen. "A sunbeam had traversed his heart; it had just disappeared."
The village maidens will no longer dance." The worshippers at Althausen were much surprised the next day to see a priest whom they did not know, officiating without ceremony in the place of their Curé. He was stout and plain, with an inflamed face, bloated lips, a cynical look, and a thundering voice: he said Mass in such a hasty and indecorous manner that they went away scandalized.
The dawn found the Curé of Althausen groaning secretly to himself on his couch. He had made himself guilty of an abominable wickedness, he had just committed an inexcusable crime, he had succumbed cowardly, ignominiously; he had betrayed his faith, abjured his priestly oaths, forgotten his duties, prostituted his dignity on the withered breast of an old corrupted maid-servant.
Marie was, to tell the truth, perfectly indifferent to him. That one or another mattered to him but little. He had considered that it was perhaps indispensable that he should quit Althausen for the sake of his reputation and the tranquillity of his heart. His heart? Was it then no longer Suzanne's?
Marcel remembered immediately the little mountebank, whom he had altogether forgotten, and to whom he had given the address of Monsieur Patin's hotel, where he had expected to stay. It is a young girl who is recommended to me, he said; I regret that I did not see her. You are not coming in? No, for perhaps I am going to set out again for Althausen. For Althausen. That is impossible to-day.
He was changed, another put in his place at Althausen. He had hoped for opposition, he had counted on objections from the Bishop, he thought, in short, that he would remain in suspense for some weeks, perhaps for some months, during which he would have the time to look before him and reflect; but no, all at once: "Go and tell the Abbé Ridoux that you have the cure." Well, and Suzanne?
Can you not then inform Monseigneur that the Curé of Althausen desires to speak with him? Althausen! Ah, well! I believe that the Curé of Mattaincourt and Monsieur le Curé of the Cathedral have called and not been received, replied the valet; consequently, he added in petto, we shall not disturb ourselves for a junior like you. Can I speak with Monseigneur the Secretary?
For, more than ever, he wished to remain at Althausen and keep the treasure which had just caused him so much anxiety. Yes, he saw them accumulating on his head, swooping from all parts and under all aspects: Veronica, Durand, Ridoux, the Bishop, the gossips, scandal, dishonour. But, after all, what did it matter to him?
The Curé of Althausen had no need of reflection to understand the kind of shameful bargain which his servant had allowed him to catch a glimpse of. The lustful look of the woman had spoken too clearly, and when he had taken her hand, he had felt it burn and tremble in his. Then certain circumstances, certain facts to which he had not attended at first, came back to his memory.
He had in fact been pushed forward ... and with his talents, his learning, his virtues and his eloquence, he had come to teaching the catechism to the little peasants of Althausen! Althausen! That was the blow of the hammer which recalled him to reality. He found himself again the poor village Curé, and he began to laugh. "Poor fool!" he cried, "I shall never be but a common imbecile!
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