ckedness, and feeling myself a
priest, though I was not one, accepted it for the peace of it.

"It is a very terrible thing. For all the sacraments I have administered
in these many years have been of no value; but the worst, for its
consequences, is that none of the many hundreds I have married, are
truly married, and that if the truth were known to them, the confusion
would be beyond my power to imagine. But Christians they are, for a
layman may baptize, even though he be not in a state of grace.

"And for the other sacraments, the sin is all mine, as you see, and God
will be good to them all, according to the intention and belief they
had. And now a worse thing has happened, though it was not my fault,
excepting that the original fault is all mine. For Don Gianluca della
Spina was lying at the point of death, and there were with him the
princess and Don Sigismondo Taquisara, the Baron of Guardia, his friend.
The princess desired to be married to Don Gianluca, before he died, and
sent for me in great haste and commanded me to marry them. As I raised
my eyes to speak, for it was impossible to resist her will, the
Taquisara thought that Don Gianluca was dead and took the princess's
hand from the dead man's, as he thought, and as I suppose--and I gave
them the benediction. But when I looked down, it was the Baron of
Guardia who appeared to have been married to the princess, for their
right hands were clasped; and I cannot tell whether, if I were a true
priest, they would have been married or not.

"But the princess and Don Gianluca believe that I made them husband and
wife, though the Taquisara knows that something was wrong, since he held
her hand. For Don Gianluca has recovered, and they are now about to have
a civil marriage and announce it to their friends.

"It was the will of God that my own sin should follow me to the end, and
that it should be the means of freeing these three persons from their
terrible position. For the Baron of Guardia believes that he is married
to the princess, and she believes that she is Don Gianluca's wife. But
as yet no further harm is done, and the Taquisara is the bravest
gentleman and the truest man to his friend that ever drew breath.
Therefore I have made this confession. And I will abide all the
consequences. The bishop before whom you will lay the case will know
what is to be done. It will be in his power, I presume, to acquaint the
princess with the fact that she is not married