A little before five, the next morning, Mr. Desaulnier, full of surprise and anxiety, knocked at my door, and said:
“Chiniquy, do you not hear the strange noise of buggies and carriages, which seem to be coming from every quarter of the globe? What does it mean? Has your people become crazy, to come to church at this dark hour, so long before the dawn of day?”
“What! what!” I answered, “I was sleeping so soundly that I have heard nothing yet. What do you mean by this noise of carriages and buggies around the chapel? Are you dreaming?”
“No, I am not dreaming,” he answered, “not only do I hear the noise of a great many carriages, wagons and buggies; but though it is pretty dark, I see several hundred of them around the chapel. I hear the voices of a great multitude of men, women, and even children, putting questions to each other, and giving answers which I cannot understand. They make such a noise by their laughing and jokes! Can you tell me what this means? I have never been so puzzled in my life.”
I answered him: “Do you not see that you are dreaming. Let me dress myself that I may go and see something of that strange and awful dream!”
Mr. Brassard, though a little more calm than Desaulnier, was not, himself, without some anxiety at the strange noise of that multitude of carriages, horses and people around my house and chapel, at such an hour. Knocking at my door, he said, “Please, Chiniquy, explain that strange mystery. Do that people come to play us some bad trick, and punish us for intruding in their affairs?”
“Be quiet,” I answered, “my dear friends. You have nothing to fear from that good and intelligent people. Do you not remember that, last night, a few minutes before 11 o’clock, Desaulnier said that he would be honest and brave enough to repeat before my whole people what he had said before you and me, and in the presence of God. I suppose that some of the angels of heaven have heard those words, and have carried them, this night, to every family, inviting them to be here at the chapel, that they might hear from your own lips, what you think of the grand and glorious battle they are fighting in this distant land, for the principles of truth and justice, as the gospel secures them to every disciple of Christ.”
“Well! well!” said Desaulnier, “there is only one Chiniquy in the world to take me in such a trap, and there is only one people under heaven to do what this people is doing here. I would never have given you that answer, had I not been morally sure that I would never have had an opportunity to fulfill it. Who would think you would play me such a trick? But,” he added, “though I know that this will terribly compromise me before certain parties, it is too late to retract, and I will fulfill my promise.”
It is impossible to express my own joy and the joy of that noble people when they heard, from the very lips of those deputies that, after spending a whole day and two nights in examining all that had been done by their pastor and by them in that solemn and fearful contest, they declared that they had not broken any law of God, nor of his holy church; and that they had kept themselves in the very way prescribed by the canons.
Tears of joy were rolling down every cheek when they heard Mr. Desaulnier telling them, which Mr. Brassard confirmed after, that the bishop had no possible right to interdict their pastor, since he had told them that he was one of his best priests; and that they had done well not to pay any attention to an act of excommunication which was a sham and a sacrilegious comedy, not having been signed nor certified by any known person. Both deputies said: