Part 43 (1/2)

Monsieur Evanturel moaned, for he remembered he had heard Rosalie come in very late that night. Yet he fixed his eyes on her in dog-like faith.

”Mademoiselle will admit that this is true, I presume,” said Charley.

Rosalie looked at him intently, as though to read his very heart. It was clear that he wished her to say yes; and what he wished was law.

”It is quite true,” answered Rosalie calmly, and all fear pa.s.sed from her.

”But she did not steal the cross,” continued Charley, in a louder voice, that all might hear, for people were gathering fast.

”If she didn't steal it, why was she putting it back on the church door in the dark?” said the grocer. ”Ah, hould y'r head, ould sand-in-the-sugar!” said Mrs. Flynn, her fingers aching to get into his hair. ”Silence!” said the Seigneur severely, and looked inquiringly at Rosalie. Rosalie looked at Charley.

”It is not a question of why mademoiselle put the cross back,” he said.

”It is a question of who took the cross away, is it not? Suppose it was not a theft. Suppose that the person who took the relic thought to do a pious act--for your Church, Monsieur?”

”I do not see,” the Cure answered helplessly. ”It was a secret act, therefore suspicious at least.”

”'Let your good gifts be in secret, and your Heavenly Father who seeth in secret will reward you openly,”' answered Charley. ”That, I believe, is a principle you teach, Monsieur.”

”At one time Monsieur the tailor was thought to have taken the cross,”

said the Seigneur suggestively. ”Perhaps Monsieur was secretly doing good with it?” he added. It vexed him that there should be a secret between Rosalie and this man.

”It had to do with me, not I with it,” he answered evenly. He must travel wide at first to convince their narrow brains. ”Mademoiselle did a kind act when she nailed that cross on the church door again--to make a dead man rest easier in his grave.”

A hush fell upon the crowd.

Rosalie looked at Charley in surprise; but she saw his meaning presently--that what she did for him must seem to have been done for the dead tailor only. Her heart beat hot with indignation, for she would, if she but might, cry her love gladly from the hill-tops of the world.

Alight began to break upon the Cure's mind. ”Will Monsieur speak plainly?” he said.

”I did not see Louis Trudel take the cross, but I know that he did.”

”Louis Trudel! Louis Trudel!” interposed the Seigneur anxiously. ”What does this mean?”

”Monsieur speaks the truth,” interposed Rosalie. The Cure recalled the death-bed of Louis Trudel, and the dying man's strange agitation. He also recalled old Margot's death, and her wish to confess some one else's wrong-doing. He was convinced that Charley was speaking the truth.

”It is true,” added Charley slowly; ”but you may think none the worse of him when you know all. He took the cross for temporary use, and before he could replace it he died.”

”How do you know what he meant, or did not mean?” said the Seigneur in perplexity. ”Did he take you into his confidence?”

”The very closest,” answered Charley grimly.

”Yet he looked upon you as an infidel, and said hard things of you on his death-bed,” urged the Cure anxiously. He could not see the end of the tale, and he was troubled for both the dead man and the living.

”That was why he took me into his confidence. I will explain. I have not the honour to have the fulness of your Christian faith, Monsieur le Cure. I had asked him to show me a sign from heaven, and he showed it by the little iron cross.”

”I can't make anything of that,” said the Seigneur peevishly.

Rosalie sprang to her feet. ”He will not tell the whole truth, Messieurs, but I will. With that little cross Louis Trudel would have killed Monsieur, had it not been for me.”

A gasp of excitement went out from those who stood by.