disorder by the urchins of the catechism class. Amidst all this void
came a low tic-tac from the swaying pendulum. She went down the church
to knock at the confessional-box, which she saw standing at the other
end. But, just as she passed the Chapel of the Dead, she caught sight
of Abbe Mouret prostrated before the great bleeding Christ. He did not
stir; he must have thought that it was only La Teuse putting the seats
in order behind him.

But Albine laid her hand upon his shoulder.

'Serge,' she said, 'I have come for you.'

The priest raised his head with a start. His face was very pale. He
remained on his knees and crossed himself, while his lips still quivered
with the words of his prayer.

'I have been waiting for you,' she continued. 'Every morning and every
evening I looked to see if you were not coming. I have counted the days
till I could keep the reckoning no longer. Ah! for weeks and weeks----
Then, when I grew sure that you were not coming, I set out myself, and
came here. I said to myself: "I will fetch him away with me." Give me
your hand and let us go.'

She stretched out her hands, as though to help him to rise. But he only
crossed himself, afresh. He still continued his prayers as he looked at
her. He had succeeded in calming the first quiver of his flesh. From
the Divine grace which had been streaming around him since the early
morning, like a celestial bath, he derived a superhuman strength.

'It is not right for you to be here,' he said, gravely. 'Go away. You
are aggravating your sufferings.'

'I suffer no longer,' she said, with a smile. 'I am well again; I am
cured, now that I see you once more---- Listen! I made myself out
worse than I really was, to induce them to go and fetch you. I am quite
willing to confess it now. And that promise of going away, of leaving
the neighbourhood, you didn't suppose I should have kept it, did you?
No, indeed, unless I had carried you away with me on my shoulders. The
others don't know it, but you must know that I cannot now live anywhere
but at your side.'

She grew quite cheerful again, and drew close to the priest with the
caressing ways of a child of nature, never noticing his cold and rigid
demeanour. And she became impatient, clapped her hands, and exclaimed:

'Come, Serge; make up your mind and come. We are only losing time. There
is no necessity to think so much about it. It is quite simple; I am
going to take you with me. If you don't want any