“I see, now, the truthfulness of what people say about you. It is to the Gospel you constantly appeal on everything. The Gospel! The Gospel! is surely a holy book; but remember that it is the church which must guide you. Christ has said: ‘Hear my church.’ I am here the interpreter, ambassador—the representative of the church—when you disobey me, it is the church you disobey.”
“Now, my lord, that I have fulfilled what I consider a conscientious duty, I promise, that through respect for your lordship, and to keep myself in the bonds of peace with my bishop, I, to-day, will deal with these two priests, as if they were worthy of the honorable position you give them.”
“All right! all right!” replied the bishop. “But it must be near the hour for dinner.”
“Yes, my lord, I have just heard the bell calling us to the dining-room.”
After the blessing of the table by the bishop he looked at the Rev. Carthuval, who was sitting just before him, and said:
“What is the matter with you, Mr. Carthuval, you do not look well?”
“No, my lord,” he answered, “I am not well, I want to go to bed.”
He was correct, he was not well, for he was drunk.
During the public services, he had left the chapel to come down to ask for a bottle of the wine I kept to celebrate mass. The housekeeper, thinking he wanted the wine in the chapel, handed him the bottle, which he drank in her presence, in less than five minutes. After which he went up the chapel to help the bishop in administering the confirmation to the 150 people whom I had prepared for the reception of that rite.
As soon as dinner was finished, the bishop requested me to go and take a walk with him. After giving me some compliments, on the beauty of the site I had chosen for my first village and chapel, he saw at a short distance, a stone building, which was raised only a little above the windows, and directing his steps towards it, he stopped only twenty or thirty feet distant and asked me: