The record-union., 1893-09-23

l defy you to have fork in your hands
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 II was
with the Cure.
ut was very wrong of you, suzanne"
he repeated once more.
Suzanne noticed that the wrong dong
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.
1T 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" lie paused and then added, "Ap-
ropos, Suzanne, you had better keep the
door of this room shut while | am with
his lordship."
He had hardly opened it, and was on
his way to the study, wnen Suzanne ex-
claimed, Mus, VI. le Cure, will you not
take OF your serviette frst?"
The Cure looked down a little abashed.
Yes, the seryette was really tucked un-
der his chin. In his hurry he had forgot
ten it. }ut how had it come there at all
when there had been nothing but the
forbidden turkey before MIN? 1t was
certainly rather odd.
Tie bishop was gracious and courtly
but ne was IL disciplinarian.
II have just heard, y he said, as the,
Cure entered tue room, ''of very sad
case, and thought as | was passing your
door that / would tell you OF ii at once.
There is no time to he lost"
Il am ut the command of Monseig-
neur." answered the Cure dolefully.
'lt is Il V orknIan named lie Brun and
his family, who have just come into your
p,rish," said the Bishop: ''Rue de la
Guerre, No. 5. lie has fallen from a lad
der. ami grave fears are entertained. /
think you had belIer 90 and see him at
once"
Il Mil go this very instant" said the
Cure still more doleiully. The Rue de la
Gucrre VAS at the iiirEhost extremity Of
his ai.sh. ii WAS perhaps tor this reason
thaL tue news had not already reached
h4m.
nc ua, said that he would so that very
Instant, but he did uoi move. The Bishop
Hooked at h!n q iill.esternly.
".hcre is no time To lie lost" ho re-
peaicd.
u al,: not ike to leavo your lordship
ul0ne," said tie Cure.
''0n, don't nluu me" said the Bishop
with smile. - i.n your permission
may remain Lerc tll You return. | have
an engagement close uy 4 little later. By
the way, cotid you give me a morsel OF
food ! have mad nothing siiice The
morning"
.'uertatnly, Monsoignear. / Will tell
suzanne II oure."
Brun," said tic bishop. suzanne
l.loW ; iiIr, ana i'll not mlnd giving ne
Il m0reel."
The euro went into the hall Suzanne
was thefe-therc waS generally some
lhng 10 be dono in tnc hall when the
Cure had Il visitor III The study. She
helped her master 10 put on his cloak
and handed iiin his Lat.
"Monseigueur will take a little refresh
ment,' he nurinnred.
he Bishop was close by, so that any
private communication WAS impossible.
Then the CGre went ont into the dark
ness, ami Suzanne closed the door behind
hitn.
The Bishop suddenly turned round. In
three strides he had crossed the hall, and
belorc Suzanne Knew what he was doing,
nc had leacnod Tie tinipg-roonl door.
- knoM The way he said pleasantly.
"lerhaps you would kindly bring me a
bit OF Drcad and Il glass OF water"
Macs, MUnseigneur- began SUI
zanne.
1t was too late. The door was already
open. There i'll front oil tie Bishop WAS
the roast turkey, still uncovered, and
generously diffusng all around it an ap-
peIlZing Od0r.
The Bishop almost started at the spec
tacle. " hat! one OF his clergy feasting
in this way on a Friday in Advent! 1t
was intolerable. Such enormities might
pass unheeded among Protestants, with
whom there was no discipline, but in his
church il was different. He bore sword,
and he would not bear it in vain.
He looked round. suzanne had iled
fearing perhaps 10 be communicated
on the spot.
"Da1 .jemi,,a tacti," said the Bishop to
himself Il fear she is a bad woman. A
turkey in Advent! II 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 in the turkeys breast.
Arrested in the very act!' he said, ''5n
tiagj d3tte Geitci0. 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
on the table almost under his hand. He
began to crumble it. Then he put little
int0 his mouth. He was hungry-he had
lad nothing since the morning. The
bread he was taking excited the salivary
glands and made his appetite yet keener.
He wondered whether Suzanne was 60
ing to bring him anything. He had spo-
ken OF bread and water, but i'll his mind
there had been the vision OF an omelette.
An omelette is innocent at any time, and
yet it is tasty and nOurishing. But there
was no sign OF Suzanne, and consequently
no sign of an omelette.
II shall be fit for nothing at this rate"
said the Bishop to himself, very sternly.
II feel positively fainting. 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
pIucked the fork out OF the creatures
breast What business had one of his
clergy ever to have stuck it in? Disci-
pline must be maintain. d, especially in
his Diocese. He must give the Cure a
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 man S fault
would be most properly punished by
some one else eating up the dinner lie
had crirninally ordered to be prepared for
himself. 1t is pity Rousseau was an
intidel, 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