LXXXV.
LITTLE PASTIMES.
"One thing which it is necessary to take into account, is that they are very precocious. A French girl of fifteen is as much developed as regards the sex and love, as an English girl of eighteen. This is accounted for essentially by Catholic education and by the Confessional, which brings forward young girls to so great an extent."
MICHELET (L'Amour).
—Let us see, little one; look me right in the face. Madame de Montinisant has assured me that you were very nice, very sweet, very submissive, very modest, in fact ail the good qualities in the superlative, and that you were worthy of entering into the sisterhood of the Holy Virgin, in spite of your youth; is that quite true?
—Yes, Monseigneur.
—Ah, ah! It is true, do you say? I am going to know exactly, I am going to know if you are truthful or not. God has bestowed on Bishops the gift of divining everything. Did you know that?
—No, Monseigneur.
—Ah, ah! You are smiling; you believe perhaps that it is not true; wait, wait, you shall see indeed. Is it long since she made her first communion?
—Nearly two years, Monseigneur.
—Two years, ah, ah! Then the little girl is fourteen.
—Only thirteen, Monseigneur.
—Thirteen! thirteen! that is very nice. At thirteen one is already a grown-up girl. Are you already a grown-up girl, little rogue?
—I don't know.
—You don't know, ah, ah. We are going to see first, if you are modest. Come close to me; see, little girl, give me your chin, and this pretty little dimple…. Oh, oh! you are laughing, stay, stay … she has some pretty little dimples on her cheeks too, the little naughty thing. We are going to make a little confession…. Ah, you are blushing. Why are you blushing? You have then some great sins on your conscience? Come, you are going to tell me all that … quite low … in my ear.
—But, Monseigneur….
—There is no but, Monseigneur. It is the condition sine qua non of entering the sisterhood. You understand that in order to admit a sheep into his flock, the shepherd must be completely edified regarding that fresh sheep…. The sheep then must relate all her wicked sins to her Bishop. It is God who wills it, it is not I, little girl. What enters by one ear, goes out directly by the other. I should be much puzzled, after the confession to repeat a single word of what you have told me. You know what a speaking-tube is.
—Yes, Monseigneur.
—Well, the Confessor's ear is the speaking-tube of the ear of God. Has not your Confessor taught you that?
—Oh, yes, Monseigneur.
—Well, then, we have nothing to be afraid of, and she must not hesitate to confide to us her little faults. Even were there very great sins, I shall hear them without making any remonstrance, for that will prove to me that you have confidence in your Bishop. Come, place yourself there, near me, on your knees. You have no need to recite your Confiteor; it is only an examination of conscience that we are both going to make. There! very well, put this little cushion under your knees, you will be less tired. See, where are we going to begin?
—One God only thou shalt adore…
No, no, that is unnecessary; I am fully persuaded that you love God and your parents with all your heart.
—The goods of others thou shalt not take…
Ta, ta, ta, I am quite aware that you are not a thief—a thief has not a pretty little face like that; let us go on at once to the sixth commandment:
The works of the flesh thou shalt not desire
But in marriage only.
There, that is what moat concerns little girls. Do you know what are the works of the flesh?
—No, Monseigneur.
—Oh, it is something very abominable, and I do not know how to explain it to you. Nevertheless, in order to know if you have sinned against this commandment, I must make myself understood. Has not your Confessor already spoken to you about it?
—No, Monseigneur.
—Ah, do not tell a falsehood. It is a mortal sin to tell a falsehood in confession. Who is your Confessor?
—He is Monsieur Matou.
—Ah, Matou! the Abbé Matou. Yes, yes, he has spoken to you about it, I know him; he must have spoken to you about it. Come, tell me all about that.
—Well, once he asked me….
—Ah, ah! well, well! do not stop. What is it he asked you?
—He asked me … ah! it is a long time ago, before my first communion.
—Well?
—He asked me, if I did not go and play with the little boys.
—And then?
—If I had not culpable relations with them.
—Culpable relations with little boys, well! And what did you answer him?
—I answered him that I had not.
—That you had not! Was that quite true? Do not blush, and do not tell a falsehood. I shall see if you are going to tell a falsehood.
—Yes, Monseigneur, it was quite true; I did not even know what Monsieur
Matou meant.
—And you know it now?
—Yes, he explained it to me.
—Oh, oh! he explained it to you. And how did he explain that to you?
—He told me….
—Let us see what he told you. Come, come, you most not hang down your head: see, lift up this pretty face and show me this little dimple; what did the Abbé Matou say to you?… Eh, eh! who is there! who is knocking at the door? Is it you, Gaudinet? Rise up, my little daughter, and go and sit down there, in the corner. Come in, Gaudinet, come in then.
Gaudinet put his head discreetly inside.
—Monseigneur, I came to inform you that the Curé of Althausen has been there for some time.
—There? where is that?
—In the cabinet.
—What! in the cabinet? Ah, are you mad, Gaudinet, to send people in this way into my cabinet? I do not approve of that, I do not approve of that at all. What does that Curé of Althausen want with me?