United States or Dominica ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"He has trusted me," said the Cardinal, "I have found him, and I cannot dare not forsake him. For the Master says 'Whosoever shall receive one such little child in My name receiveth Me'." The next morning broke fair and calm, and as soon as the Patoux household were astir, Cardinal Bonpre sought Madame Patoux in her kitchen, and related to her the story of his night's adventure.
"He would have nothing of that kind," she replied "Soup maigre, and afterwards nothing but bread, dried figs, and apples to finish. Ah, Heaven! What a supper for a Cardinal-Archbishop! It is enough to make one weep!" Patoux considered the matter solemnly. "He is perhaps very poor?" he half queried.
He took the Patoux family by surprise on the evening of his arrival in Rouen, and much to his secret satisfaction found Martine Doucet in their company. The children were gone to bed, and the appearance of Cazeau in Papa Patoux's kitchen was evidently not altogether the most agreeable circumstance that could have happened at the Hotel Poitiers.
"They are quarrelling! The Archbishop is angry!" said Henri with a grin. "Perhaps Archbishops do not like saints," suggested Babette. "Tais-toi! Cardinal Bonpre is an archbishop himself, little silly," said Madame Patoux "Therefore those great and distinguished Monseigneurs are like brothers."
Both youngsters stared amazed at the venerable Felix, whose face and figure expressed such composed dignity and sweetness; and Madame Patoux, nastily and with frequent gasps for breath, related the history of the skirmish.
Come Fabien! we'll take you back now." At this, Madame Patoux started from her stricken condition of horrified dumbness into speech and action. "Ah yes, it is indeed time!" she exclaimed "Enough trouble has been given, I am sure, to Monseigneur, and if such a prayer as his does not reach Heaven, why then there is no Heaven at all, and it is no good bothering ourselves about it.
"There is a broken-hearted creature near us," pursued Patoux leisurely "We call her Marguerite La Folle; I have often thought I would ask Pere Laurent to speak to Monseigneur for her, that she might be released from the devils that are tearing her. She was a good girl till a year or two ago, then some villain got the ruin of her, and she lost her wits over it.
"No, it is not a crime," said the stately Churchman as he reached the door at last, and paused for a moment on the threshold, a broad smile wrinkling up his fat cheeks and making comfortable creases round his small eyes "But it is an inconvenience!" "Cardinal Bonpre does not say so," observed Patoux. "Cardinal Bonpre is one of two things a saint or a fool! Remember that, mon Patoux! Bon soir!
What they thought of the benediction in itself might be somewhat difficult to define, but it can be safely asserted that a passion of tears on the part of Babette, and a fit of demoniacal howling from Henri, would have been the inevitable result if Papa Patoux had refused to bestow it on them.
The Cardinal said nothing, Babette trembled a little, what a dreadful boy Henri really was, she thought! Madame Patoux shut up her eyes in horror, crossed herself devoutly as against some evil spirit, and was about to speak, when Henri, nothing daunted, threw himself into the breach again, and turned with a fiery vehemence of appeal towards the young and thoughtful- looking Manuel.
Word Of The Day