d a voice telling him to get up and come to me,
because I was going to die. I was a revelation."

I pretended to sneeze, so as not to burst out laughing; I felt inclined
to roll on the ground with amusement.

In about a minute I managed to say indignantly:

"And you received him, uncle? You, a Freethinker, a Freemason? You did
not have him thrown out of doors?"

He seemed confused, and stammered:

"Listen a moment, it is so astonishing--so astonishing and
providential! He also spoke to me about my father; it seems he knew him
formerly."

"Your father, uncle? But that is no reason for receiving a Jesuit."

"I know that, but I was very ill, and he looked after me most devotedly
all night long. He was perfect; no doubt he saved my life; those men all
know a little of medicine."

"Oh! he looked after you all night? But you said just now that he had
only been gone a very short time."

"That is quite true; I kept him to breakfast after all his kindness. He
had it at a table by my bedside while I drank a cup of tea."

"And he ate meat?"

My uncle looked vexed, as if I had said something very uncalled for, and
then added:

"Don't joke, Gaston; such things are out of place at times. He has shown
me more devotion than many a relation would have done, and I expect to
have his convictions respected."

This rather upset me, but I answered, nevertheless: "Very well, uncle;
and what did you do after breakfast?"

"We played a game of bezique, and then he repeated his breviary while I
read a little book which he happened to have in his pocket, and which was
not by any means badly written."

"A religious book, uncle?"

"Yes, and no, or, rather--no. It is the history of their missions in
Central Africa, and is rather a book of travels and adventures. What
these men have done is very grand."

I began to feel that matters were going badly, so I got up. "Well,
good-by, uncle," I said, "I see you are going to give up Freemasonry for
religion; you are a renegade."

He was still rather confused, and stammered:

"Well, but religion is a sort of Freemasonry."

"When is your Jesuit coming back?" I asked.

"I don't--I don't know exactly; to-morrow, perhaps; but it is not
certain."

I went out, altogether overwhelmed.

My joke turned out very badly for me! My uncle became thoroughly
converted, and if that had been all I should not have cared so much.
Clerical or Freemason, to me it is all the same; six of one and half