"Quem adoras?" (Whom dost thou adore?)
"Jesus Christus" (Jesus Christ), answered the nun, quite unconscious that the verb adorn governs accusative.
This mistake, which no sixth-form boy would make, gave rise to bursts of laughter in the church; and Daniel Douin, the provost's assessor, was constrained to say aloud—
"There's a devil for you, who does not know much about transitive verbs."
Barre perceiving the bad impression that the superior's nominative had made, hastened to ask her—
"Quis est iste quem adoras?" (Who is it whom thou dost adore?)
His hope was that she would again reply "Jesus Christus," but he was disappointed.
"Jesu Christe," was her answer.
Renewed shouts of laughter greeted this infraction of one of the most elementary rules of syntax, and several of those present exclaimed:
"Oh, your reverence, what very poor Latin!"