The record-union., 1895-04-13
UNDER SEAL OF CONFESSION.

pony white horse logged along, and
the driver swore at the weather In an un-
dertone. The young priest who sat be-
side him drew his cassock round him and
shlvered. The driver turned to him pre-
sently, and pointing ahead with his
whip, said in an encouraging tone: "See,
yonder are the two towers of Carhaix;
we shall be there soon, mon pere, and
there will be food and shelter at the
Widow Royer's. 1t is but few kilos on
to PlougalIec''
But the priest only bent his head ST.
lently. Cold and wet as he was, he cared
little about reaching his journeys end.
1t was journey unwillingly taken; to
his own thinking he was going into exile,
and he hardly needed the diseomforts of
the way, though no doubt they added to
his feeling of depression. He was out of
heart and discouraged he has just relin-
quisned a post for which he felt himsef
entirely fitted, and in which every talent
found cOngenial exercise, and was on his
way to undertake cure In lonely
Breton village, hidden away among the
spurs of the Montagnes a. Arrees, ana MS
heart sickeued at the prospect.
Meanwhile the little hooded carriage
had umbered up the hill, between the
two gaunt but stately churches, past the
gray old convent with its rows of mar
row, secretive-looking windows, then
swinging round the corner beneath an
cient projecting gables, rich with carv-
ings which were a marvel of rude bygone
art, and rattIing over the stones, pulled
up in front of the low white inn where
the Widow Roger stood at the open door
to welcome new arrivals. The good
woman would fain have ushered NJ. lie
Recteur into the cold and dignifed seclu-
sion of the dining-room, but he much
preferred TO warm his chilled hands at
the hospitable kitchen fire, while she
and her white e-cOited handmaidens
hustled about preparing q hasty repast,
for another carriage was already being
made ready to convey the traveller to his
ultimate destination before the early
night should fall.
Another wayfarer was in possession of
the chimney corner = young sailor,
drinking a glass of cider, who had already
tramped some distance according to the
testimony OF his muddy shoes. He moved
civilly away at the approach of the new
conner, but the priest bade him remain;
there was plenty of room for both on the
broad oal1en settle. He liked the look of
the lads open countenance, and indeed
there Is something wonderfully taking
about Breton sailor in his holiday garb
IhaweG by the warmth OF the fire, and
perhaps cheered little by the look of the
bright face opposite, Armand was about
to shake of the numbness of fatigue and
cold and enter into conversation with his
nelghbor, when the latter drained his
glass, and setting it down with a civil
GOOD night sir, went his way. THAT
is one of NJ. le Recteur's parishionerS," !"
said Widow Roger. placing large dish
of eggs on the table and drawing up a
chair. He has been away year at BreSt,
on service, and he mas just come back on
leave to see his old mother. a very de-
cent woman is Mother Nedelec, and has
had deal Of trouble. Her sons were a
wild drinking lot, all but Berve there; he
is the youngest, and very good sort OF
boy. She is a strange woman In her ways,
and keeps herself to herself; nobody
seems to know much about her, though
she has lived in PlOugalIec ali her life.
Folks do say she isn't as poor as she
makes out; but she lives in miserable
bit of place right away beyond the
great cross as you go up to the ruined
chapel. 1t Is just where the path turns
down the gorge TO the place they call the
DEVILS Caldron. But Monsieur has not
seen that yet? It is quite show; there s
many comes in the summer just to look
at 1t. Herye used TO make good bit of
money before he went to sea taking visit
Ors round; Tor IL is curious place, worth
seeing, they say, for them that has got a
steady head, but dangerous for strangers.
Will Monsieur please to come TO the ta-
bic? The carriage will be round in less
than hall an hOur.o
Another little ramshackle hooded
cabrioleL was produced presently, with
another gaunt and bony horse, and by
way of variety a hunchbacked driver
who could not speak a word of French;
and the priest, after his brief rest,
mounted into his place and resumed his
journey. Still the same gray hills and
granite tors looking huge and menacing
through the mist as the light faded. By
and by Armands ear, weary of the mo-
notonous nOOf-beats on the hard road.
caught another sound, blithe as lark s
song, a merry tune such as the men and
women dance to at the country fairs,
whistled clear and loud by a traveller as
he plOdded along. Soon the carriage
overlook the wayfarer, and the priest,
leaning forward, recognized the young
sailor, and perceived, too, that, in spite
OF his CHEEKY whistle, he was walking
gingerly as if he were footsore and chafed
by his heavy shoes. With hasty gesture
he checked the driver, aud bade the lad
mount beside HIM, The hunch back
growled, but if he made any objection it
was lost on his auditor, being couched in
an unknown tongue, and the boy sprang
nimbly in and curled himself upon the
straw at the bottom Of the carriage, de-
clning the proffered share of the seat.
As they logged on Armand reused him
self with an effort out of the regrets for
the past and gloomy forebodings for the
future in which he had been indulging,
and began to talk to his companion.
w hen he chose to exert himself be had a
great gift OF attraction, and he soon grew
interested in spite of his depression OF
spirits, in the lads frank and simple
chatter OF himself his seafaring adven-
tures, and especially about his home. In
sensibly his heart warmed to this first
sample OF his parishioners. He pur-
posely drew him on TO enlarge on his life
at PiOugaliec, TO describe the hard work
on the upland farms, the registering fun
at the yearly hermesse, the long, dreary
winter, and the old tales and legends that
haunted every hill and rock, for he found
as he listened that he was cleaning some
notion OF the people with whom he would
have 10 deal. be had thought he under
stood Erenchmen, but the Breton nature
was new to him, with It's hardness and
its simplicity, it's deep religious senti-
ment, its clinging to tradition, its cred
nifty bordering on superstition, its 10y
atty, and Its almost fierce independence
and he began 10 see that, if rouEher on
the surface, it was no less interesting
be took some lessons too, from his new
friend in the strange old British tongue
which still fingers where the railway mas
not penetrated, but is fast dying out as il
has already died out among ourselves
Slow as their progress was over the steep
hills, he was surprised to find how many
long miles had been passed when, as
they reached the towering cross, his com
panlon swung himself down with CRATE
ful thanks and disappeared in a rock y
gorge.
The encounter had cheered De acque-
mard. and he did not feel so lonely as
he expected when he entered the little
bare whitewashed presbytery, adjoining
the church, which was to be his home
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