ad said these things
also for Albine and himself. Was she not his companion, his obedient
helpmate, whom God had sent to him that his manhood might not wither up
in solitude? Besides, they had been joined the one to the other. He felt
surprised that he had not understood and recognised it at once; that he
had not gone away with her, as his duty plainly required that he should
have done. But he had quite made up his mind now; he would certainly
join her in the morning. He could be with her in half an hour. He would
go through the village, and take the road up the hill; it was much the
shortest way. He could do what he pleased; he was the master, and no one
would presume to say anything to him. If any one looked at him, a wave
of his hand would force them to bend their heads. He would live with
Albine. He would call her his wife. They would be very happy together.

The golden stream mounted still higher, and played amongst his fingers.
Again did he seem to be immersed in a bath of gold. He would take
the altar-vases away to ornament his house, he would keep up a fine
establishment, he would pay his servants with fragments of chalices
which he could easily break with his fingers. He would hang his
bridal-bed with the cloth-of-gold that draped the altar; and he would
give his wife for jewels the golden hearts and chaplets and crosses that
hung from the necks of the Virgin and the saints. The church itself, if
another storey were added to it, would supply them with a palace. God
would have no objection to make since He had allowed them to love each
other. And, besides, was it not he who was now God, with the people
kissing his golden miracle-working feet?

Abbe Mouret rose. He made that sweeping gesture of Jeanbernat's, that
wide gesture of negation, that took in everything as far as the horizon.

'There is nothing, nothing, nothing!' he said. 'God does not exist.'

A mighty shudder seemed to sweep through the church. The terrified
priest turned deadly pale and listened. Who had spoken? Who was it that
had blasphemed? Suddenly the velvety caress, whose gentle pressure
he had felt upon his shoulder, turned fierce and savage: sharp talons
seemed to be rending his flesh, and once more he felt his blood
streaming forth. Yet he remained on his feet, struggling against the
sudden attack. He cursed and reviled the triumphant sin that sniggered
and grinned round his temples, whilst all the hammers of the Evil One
battered at them