"Was he in it? Of course he was in it. He was the whole thing. This Father Anselm has been encouraging the girl for months, filling her up with nonsense about how it's right for a young girl to choose her own husband. Mother Bonneton told me."
"You mean that Father Anselm helped her to run away?" gasped Matthieu.
"Of course he did. You saw him come out of the confessional, didn't you?"
"I was too far away to see his face," replied the other, studying the wood carver closely. "Did you see his face?"
"Certainly I did. He passed within ten feet of me. I saw his face distinctly."
"Are you sure it was he? I don't doubt you, M. Groener, but I'm a sort of official here and this is a serious charge, so I ask if you are sure it was Father Anselm?".
"I'm absolutely sure it was Father Anselm," answered the wood carver positively. He paused a moment while the detective wondered what was the meaning of this extraordinary statement. Why was the man giving him these details about Alice, and how much of them was true? Did Groener know he was talking to Paul Coquenil? If so, he knew that Coquenil must know he was lying about Father Anselm. Then why say such a thing? What was his game?
