re-appearances in
parts of the country where no one ever expected to see him again, were
regarded by the poorer classes with superstitious awe. Wherever Father
Paul appeared, with his black dress, his calm face, and the ivory
crucifix which he always carried in his hand, the people reverenced him
as more than mortal; and grew at last to believe, that, single-handed,
he would successfully defend his religion against the armies of the
Republic. But their simple confidence in his powers of resistance was
soon destined to be shaken. Fresh re-enforcements arrived in Brittany,
and overran the whole province from one end to the other. One morning,
after celebrating service in a dismantled church, and after narrowly
escaping with his life from those who pursued him, the priest
disappeared. Secret inquiries were made after him in all directions; but
he was heard of no more.

Many weary days had passed, and the dispirited peasantry had already
mourned him as dead, when some fishermen on the northern coast observed
a ship of light burden in the offing, making signals to the shore. They
put off to her in their boats; and on reaching the deck saw standing
before them the well-remembered figure of Father Paul.

The priest had returned to his congregations, and had founded the new
altar that they were to worship at on the deck of the ship! Razed from
the face of the earth, their church had not been destroyed--for Father
Paul and the priests who acted with him had given that church a refuge
on the sea. Henceforth, their children could still be baptized, their
sons and daughters could still be married, the burial of their dead
could still be solemnized, under the sanction of the old religion for
which, not vainly, they had suffered so patiently and so long.

Throughout the remaining time of trouble the services were uninterrupted
on board the ship. A code of signals was established by which those on
shore were always enabled to direct their brethren at sea toward such
parts of the coast as happened to be uninfested by the enemies of
their worship. On the morning of Gabriel's visit to the farmhouse these
signals had shaped the course of the ship toward the extremity of the
peninsula of Quiberon. The people of the district were all prepared to
expect the appearance of the vessel some time in the evening, and
had their boats ready at a moment's notice to put off, and attend the
service. At the conclusion of this service Pere Bonan had ar