"You may well suppose that I was all attention, I had my secret suspicions about the dreadful mystery which had taken place. My heart throbbed with uneasiness and anger.
"After a short silence, my wife spoke again to her child, but with sufficient firmness to decide her to answer at last. In a trembling voice, she said:
"Oh I dear Mamma, if you knew what the priest has asked me and what he said to me when I confessed, you would perhaps be sad as I am."
"But what can he have said to you? He is a holy man, you must have misunderstood him, if you think that he has said anything wrong."
"My child threw herself in her mother's arms, and answered with a voice half suffocated with her sobs: "Do not ask me to tell you what the priest has said—it is so shameful that I can not repeat it—His words have stuck to my heart as the leech put upon the arm of my little friend, the other day."
"What does that priest think of me, for having put to me such questions?"
My wife answered: "I will go to the priest and will teach him a lesson. I have noticed myself that he goes too far when questioning old people, but I had the hope he was more prudent with children. I ask of you, however, never to speak of this to anybody, especially; let not your poor father know anything about it; for he has little enough of religion already, and this would leave him without any at all."
"I could not refrain myself any longer: I abruptly entered the parlor. My daughter threw herself into my arms: my wife screamed with terror, and almost fell into a swoon. I said to my child: If you love me, put your hand on my heart, and promise never to go again to confess. Fear God, my child, love Him and walk in his presence. For his eyes see you everywhere. Remember that He is always ready to forgive and bless you every time you turn your heart to him. Never place yourself again at the feet of a priest to be defiled and degraded."
"This my daughter promised to me.
"When my wife had recovered from her surprise, I told her.