you did say that a true Christian could not attend to any species
of work on Sunday. If so, Pere Anselme must be an unbeliever; for when I
was admitted to his room I found him standing before a blackboard with
a bit of chalk in his hand, busy with a problem which was, no doubt,
knotty, for the board was three-parts covered with algebraic signs; and
I must add that he did not seem to care for the scandal this ought to
cause, for he had with him an individual whom I am not allowed to name,
a younger man of science, of great promise, who was sharing his profane
occupation."

Celeste and Madame Thuillier looked at each other, and both saw a gleam
of hope in the other's eyes.

"Why can't you tell us the name of that young man of science?" Madame
Thuillier ventured to say, for she never put any diplomacy into the
expression of her thoughts.

"Because he has not, like Pere Anselme, the saintliness which would
absolve him in the eyes of monsieur here for this flagrant violation of
the Sabbath. Besides," added Madame de Godollo, in a significant manner,
"he asked me not to mention that I had met him there."

"Then you know a good many scientific young men?" said Celeste,
interrogatively; "this one and Monsieur Felix--that makes two."

"My dear love," said the countess, "you are an inquisitive little girl,
and you will not make me say what I do not choose to say, especially
after a confidence that Pere Anselme made to me; for if I did, your
imagination would at once set off at a gallop."

The gallop had already started, and every word the countess said only
added to the anxious eagerness of the young girl.

"As for me," said la Peyrade, sarcastically, "I shouldn't be at all
surprised if Pere Anselme's young collaborator was that very Felix
Phellion. Voltaire always kept very close relations with the Jesuits who
brought him up; but he never talked religion with them."

"Well, my young savant does talk of it to his venerable brother in
science; he submits his doubts to him; in fact, that was the beginning
of their scientific intimacy."

"And does Pere Anselme," asked Celeste, "hope to convert him?"

"He is sure of it," replied the countess. "His young collaborator,
apart from a religious education which he certainly never had, has
been brought up to the highest principles; he knows, moreover, that his
conversion to religion would make the happiness of a charming girl whom
he loves, and who loves him. Now, my dear, you wi