“By all means, dear father,” I answered, “do it without losing a moment.”
Two hours later, the carter was with me. I recognized him as one of those dear countrymen whom our society of temperance had transformed into a new man. I asked him if he remembered the name of the girl who, a few days before, had spoken to him in the church, after going out of my confessional.
“Yes sir! I know her well. She has a very bad name, though she belongs to a respectable family.”
I added: “Do you think you could induce her to come here, by telling her that a priest, in the Jesuit College, wants to see her? But do not give her my name.”
He answered: “Nothing is more easy. She will be here in a couple of hours, if I find her at home.”
At three P. M., the carter was again knocking at my door, and said, with a low voice:
“The girl you want is in the parlor; she has no idea you are here, for she told me that you were now preaching in St. Constant. She seems to be very angry against you, and bitterly complains against your want of courtesy, the very first time she went to confess to you.”
“Is it possible that she told you that?” I replied.
“Yes sir! She told me that to explain her terrible excitement when coming out of your confessional, the other day; she then requested me to drive her home. She was really beside herself, and swore that she would make you pay for your harsh words and rude manner towards her. You will do well to be on your guard with her. She is one of the most depraved girls of Montreal, and has a most dangerous tongue, though to the shame of our holy religion, she is daily seen in the bishop’s palace.”
I immediately went to Father Schneider, and said: “My dear father, by the mercy of God, the girl we want to see is in the parlor. By what I have just heard from the carter who drove her, I have not the least doubt but that she is the one employed by the bishop to slander me, and get a pretext for what he has done. Please come with me to witness my innocence. But, take your gospel, ink, paper and pen with you.”