"It is difficult to read," she murmured, "and difficult to understand; the sentences are very long."
"Don't translate literally; just tell me what it is about."
SHE TRIED TO DO AS SHE WAS TOLD, BUT HER EMOTION INCREASED AS SHE READ.
There was another long pause; at last she said:
"Father Fields says that Father Leclerc, to whom you wrote, is dead, and that before dying he asked him to send this reply to you. He was unable to communicate with you before, as he had some difficulty in getting together the facts that you desired. He excuses himself for writing in English, as his knowledge of French is very slight."
"What information does he send?" asked the blind man.
"I have not come to that yet, sir," replied Perrine.
Although little Perrine gave this reply in a very gentle voice, the blind man knew that he would gain nothing by hurrying her.
"You are right," he said; "not being in French, you must understand it thoroughly before you can explain it to me. You'd better take the letter and go into Bendit's office; translate it as accurately as you can, writing it out so that you can read it to me. Don't lose a minute. I'm anxious to know what it contains."