Volume III Part 85 (2/2)

”What have you done with the child?”

”I took hi necessary for the well-being of this lady and for the death of the other one”

”Doesn't your brother know anything about it?”

”Lord preserve us--no! He went away yesterday, and will not be back for a week We have nothing to fear”

I gave her another ten louis, begging her to buy so to eat by the time I came next day She said she had still plenty of o mad when I told her that whatever was over was her own I thought the invalid stood in need of rest, and I left her, pro day

I longed to get this troublesoard myself as out of the wood till the poor lay-sister was under the sod I was in some fear on this account, for if the priest was not an absolute idiot heI went to see the fair Zeroli, and I found her and her husband exaht her He came up to me, took my hand, and said he was happy that his wife had the power to keep me at Aix I replied that it was an easy task for her, and a ”bravo” was all he answered

The chevalier was one of those ood-natured than foolish husbands His wife took my arm, and we left him in his room while we proceeded to the fountain On the way she said she would be alone the next day, and that she would no longer indulge her curiosity in my nocturnal excursions

”Oh! it is you who have had me followed, is it?”

”No, it is I who followed you, but to no effect However, I did not think you were so wicked You frightened ht have killed me if your shot had not luckily h I did not suspect that it was you, I fired in the air, feeling certain that that would be enough to scare off the spies”

”You won't be troubled with them any more”

”If they like to follow me, perhaps I shall let them, for my walk is quite innocent I am always back by ten”

While ere at tablea travelling carriage and six horses drawn up It was the Marquis de Prie, with a Chevalier de St Louis and two char ladies, of whom one, as the Zeroli hastened to inform me, was the Marquis's mistress Four places were laid, and while the newco to be served, they were told the story of ratulatedme that he had not hoped to find me at Aix on his return; and here Madame Zeroli put in her word, and said that if it had not been for her he would not have seenused to her foolish talk, and I could only agree with a good grace, which seeh her husband was present, but he seemed to share her triumph

The marquis said that he would ed to accept I soon lost a hundred louis I went to ht I set out to see my nun

”What news have you?”

”The lay-sister is dead, and she is to be buried tomorrow To-morrow is the day ere to have returned to the convent This is the letter I a to the abbess She will dispatch another laysister, unless she orders the country-wo me back to the convent”

”What did the priest say?”

”He said the lay-sister died of a cerebral lethargy, which super-induced an attack of apoplexy”

”Very good, very good”

”I want him to say fifteen masses for her, if you will let me?”

”Certainly, my dear, they will serve as the priest's reward, or rather as the reward of his happy ignorance”

I called the peasant woave her the order to have the masses said, and bade her tell the priest that the masses were to be said for the intention of the person who paid for them She told me that the aspect of the dead sister was dreadful, and that she had to be guarded by tomen who sprinkled her with holy water, lest witches, under the form of cats, should co at her, I told her she was quite right, and asked where she had got the laudanuot it froot it to send the poor lay-sister to sleep when the pains of child-birth should come on”