when mass had been said , the schoolmaster was invited to the parsonage . he gave the same answer he had already returned , that he would be glad to go if he suffered no harm thereby . and as before , they assured him he would not lose ; but rather gain thereby . so he went with them to the parsonage , just such an attractive and well - built parsonage like most in the neighborhood . it had a garden with flowers and apple - trees , with a neat lattice fence around it . they invited him to dinner , and the dinner was well cooked and carefully prepared . as before , he said that he would gladly accept their invitation , if he came to no harm thereby , and was given the same reply . so he ate with them , and said later that he had noticed no difference between this food and the christian dinner he had received when , once or twice , he had been asked to dinner by the priest of the village church . when he had drunk his coffee , the wife and daughter drew him aside into another room , and the wife complained that her husband had grown so old and decrepit that he could not keep up much longer .
he could not keep up much longer .
what happened because the priest had grown so old and decrepit ?
what happened because the priest had grown so old and decrepit ?