"Please may I kiss you, I love you."
Bending over the little chap, Father Blandinière encircled him with his arm, and imprinted a kiss upon his plump cheek, murmuring to himself:
"Truly, of such is the Kingdom of Heaven!"
That afternoon, as the three children were strolling about the streets of Mamezan, and felicitating themselves upon the happy turn in their fortunes, Nadine stopped suddenly and said:
"But how can we repay the curé's kindness? We are poor—poorer than ever before, and our future is very uncertain."
"Nadine," responded Cæsar, looking very wise, "I know something that will greatly please the curé. I have spoken to the sacristan, and he said it was a capital idea, and I promised him to carry it out."
"And what did you promise?" asked Nadine eagerly.
"Ah! that is my secret, which I shall keep carefully," responded Cæsar. "But I assure you that it will give the curé great pleasure."
After the evening meal, which they had at an early hour, they all went to bed to get a good sleep before midnight. In good time the housekeeper aroused them, and, having dressed carefully, they went to the village church, Nadine and Abel in company with the housekeeper, while Cæsar, so full of his secret that he could hardly trust himself to speak, joined the sacristan, who was evidently waiting for him.
They found the church already well filled for the celebration of the midnight mass. There were bronzed fishermen and bearded miners by the score, for it was a custom faithfully observed in that village that the men should never miss the Christmas Mass if they could possibly be present.