"My dear!" she asked abruptly. "How many priests did you ever know anything about?"
We looked at each other.
"There was Father Brousseau!" said I.
"And the Bishop—but we could not say we knew him, of course; we only saw him two or three times," added Amabel.
"And Father Dubois!" I added.
Amabel frowned at me.
The truth was, that Father Dubois had come for two or three weeks in place of Father Brousseau, when that gentleman was called away; and had created a sad scandal by drinking too much wine, and singing songs which were not sacred by any manner of means.
"You see you are hardly competent to decide on that matter," said Mrs. Thorpe. "I have seen a good many priests in my travels, both French and German."
"I am sure Father Brousseau is a good man!" said I, rather indignantly, as Mrs. Thorpe apparently pulled herself up, in what she was about to say.
"That he is, my child!" agreed Mrs. Thorpe, emphatically. "I wish all clergymen, both priests and ministers, were like him. But to return to the matter in hand. I hope, my dears, you will like this lady, and be kind to her. Young persons can do very much to make the lives of their governesses pleasant and easy, or the reverse. I am not much acquainted with Mrs. Cropsey, but Mr. Cheriton knows her well, and indeed it was he who recommended her to me."