The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-09-23

y y
for more than few seconds without the
fork finding its way to your mouth; you
do not consciously place it there-the
hand moves mechanically. So IL was
with the Cure.
1T was very wrong of you, Suzanne"
he repeated once more.
Suzanne noticed that the wrong doing
had now been transferred to the past
tense,
The fork returned mechanically to the
breast Of the turkey.
All at once there was ring at the front
door. Suzanne went to open II. Pres
emily she returned, her face flushed with
excitement.
sit is Monseigneur !" she exclaimed.
Monseigneur was the Bishop.
The Cure started up. Suzanne noticed
that the knife was now in the dish with
the fork; SO much progress had been
made during her brief absence.
You have shown Monseigneur into
the study? Good | will go there at
once" he paused and then added, APP
ropos, Suzanne, you had better keep the
door OF this room shut while l am with
his Iordship.''
He had hardly opened it, and was on
his way TO the study, when Suzanne eX-
claimed, 'Adis, VI. lie Cure, will you not
take OFT your serviette first?"
The Cure looked down little abashed.
GS, lue SGINlelIt WIS I6ally luCkSu uH-
der his chin. In his hurry he had forgot
ten it. But how had it come there ut all
when there had been nothing but the
/ forbidden turkey before MIN? 1t was
certainly rather odd.
The bishop was gracious and courtly
but ne was IL disciplinHrian.
II have just heard,'' he said, as the,
Cure entered tile room, ''of a very sad
c,ise and | thought as l was passing your
door that 1 would tell you OF it at once
There is no time to be lost"
Il am AT tie command of Monseig-
neur," answered the Cure dolefully.
at Is u workman named lie Brun and
his family, who have just come into your
p,rish," said the Bishop; ''Rue de la
t1Herre, No. 5. lie has fallen from lad
der. AMI grave ienrS are entertained. |
think you lad better go and see him at
once
II Will go lhis very instant" said The
/ Cure stIll more tloleiuIly. The Rue de la
t,uerrc vas at The iurthost extremity OF
his ar!sh. ii MAS perhaps TOR this reason
ulJL me news had not already reached
hlfu.
ne nad said that he would go that very
instant, but he cid no. move. The Bishop
looked ut hini a lilt,c sternly.
here is 10 time 10 lie LOST lac re-
peated.
II uld not like to leave your lordship
alone" said tiio Ctir.
.Ou, doti't mIud me-, said the Bishop
with smile. ~ i!iI your permission /
may remain here TIL You return | have
an engagement close uya little later. By
the way. could you give me 4 tnorsei OF
food? i have mad nothing sii1ce The
morning
certainly, Monsoignear l Will tell
SuZaithu at otllc."
"But 90 not delay 10 go 10 poor lie
Brun," said tie bishop. suzanne
knows me, ana y i'll not lnInd giving ne
Il iuoroel."
The Cure went into the hall. Suzanne
was thelo-thoro was generally some
ihng 10 be done in the hall when the
Cure had Il visitor III The study. She
helped her master 10 put on his cloak,
ana handed him his Lat.
''Monseiguour will take little refresh
meut," he murinured.
The Bishop was close by, so that any
private communication Was impossible.
Then the Cure went ont into tie dark
ness. and Suzanne closed the door behind
h!uI
The Bishop suddenly turned round. In
three strideS he mad crossed the hall, and
before o,lanne Knew WHAT lie was doing,
no had Ieacnod the ainiug-roOn door.
=: KNOW lie way he said pleasantly.
/ "lelhaps yOu would Kindly bring me d
bit OF brcad ANA 4 glass OF water"
"-NatS, Monseigneur-" began SUI
zanne.
1t was too late. The door was already
open. There III front oil the Bishop was
The roast turkey, still uncovered, and
generously diifusIng all around it an ap-
petizing od0r.
The Bishop almost started at the spec
tace hau One of his clergy ieasting
in this way on Friday in Advent! 1t
was intolerable. Such eEOrmities might
pass unheeded among Protestants, with
whom there was no discipline, but in his
church it was different. He bore sword,
and he would not bear it in vain.
He looked round. suzanne had fled,
fearing perhaps 10 be communicated
on the spot.
"Du1 jemi1sa 5actj,' said the Bishop to
himself. Il fear she is a bad woman. A
turkey in Advent! 1t is strange how
many women are wicked at heart"
Then he drew closer to the table and
noticed the knife in the dish, and the fork
still sticking III the turkeys breast.
Arrested in the very act!' he said, ''il
Jfagr00tto Gei{ct0 But not a mouthful
eaten. That [ should have come at that
exact moment when he was on the very
verge of the precipice!'
lie sat down, struck by the strange ia
tality OF the affair. There was bread up
Oh the table almost under his hand. He
81
INFO his mouth. He was hungry-he had
had nothing since the morning. The
bread he was taking excited the salivary
glands and made his appetite yet keener.
lie wondered whether Suzanne was 60
ing to bring bin anything. He had spo-
ken OF bread and water, but III his mind
there had been the vision OF an omelette
An omelette is innocent at any time, and
yet IL is tasty and nourishing. But there
was no sign OF Suzanne, and consequently
no sign of an omelette.
~ shall be tit for nothing at this rate"
said the Bishop to himself, very sternly.
Il feel positively tainting. l shall not be
able to get through my work"
And still the turkey steamed before
him, and every exhalation was fresh
testimony to its succulence. Poor, neg
lected bird 1t seemed to provoke the
knife OF the carver-to implore the atten-
ton of some kindly eater.
AT last the Bishop was so much dis
gusted with things in general that he
plucl<ed the fork out OF the creatures
breast. What business had one of his
clergy ever to have stuck it in? Disci-
pine must be maintain d, especially in
his Diocese. He must give the Cure
lesson-but how?
lit is Rousseau" he said to himself,
"who advocates the doctrine that in
education all punishment should be the
natural consequence of the fault COM
mitted. In this case, for example, | sup
pose he would say that this mans fault
would be most properly punished by
some one else eating up the dinner lie
had criminally ordered to be prepared for
himself. 1t is pity Rousseau was an
infidel, for there is certainly something
in his theory. Yes." he repeated. there
is certainly something in it. But it
could not be carried out in this case with
out certain sacrifice on the part of some
one else. And who is there to make the /
sacrifice?'