he noble answer: "Sir, I am sure that you try to acquit yourself
worthily in your office; you must allow me the same freedom of action
in mine."

But Vincent's strangest adventure was with a Court lady of high rank,
a certain Duchess in the household of the Queen. Catching her royal
mistress in an unguarded moment, this lady succeeded in inducing the
Queen to promise the bishopric of Poitiers to her son, a young man of
very bad character. The Queen's courage, however, failed her at the
prospect of breaking the news to M. Vincent, and she commissioned the
Duchess to let him know of the appointment. Off went the great lady to
St. Lazare, and, flouncing into the Superior's presence, haughtily
declared her errand. Vincent, aghast, begged her to sit down and talk
the matter over, but Madame declined curtly. She was in a great hurry,
she replied; the Queen had spoken; there was nothing more to be said.
She would be obliged if he would make out the deed of nomination and
take it to Her Majesty to sign.

What was to be done? To resist would only provoke; submission seemed
the wisest, if not the only course.

Next morning at an early hour M. Vincent made his appearance at the
palace with a roll of paper in his hand and was shown into the Queen's
presence.

"Oh," said Her Majesty, not without some embarrassment, "you have
brought me the nomination of the Bishop of Poitiers." Without a word,
Vincent handed her the roll, which she proceeded to unfold.

"Why," she cried, "what is this? It is blank! The form is not drawn up
at all!"

"If Your Majesty's mind is made up," said Vincent quietly, "I must beg
you to write down your wishes yourself; it is a responsibility which
my conscience forbids me to take." Then, noticing the hesitation of
the Queen: "Madame," he said hotly, "this man whom you intend to make
a bishop spends his life in public houses and is carried home drunk
every night. That his family should want to get him out of Paris is
not surprising, but I ask you if an episcopal see is a fitting retreat
for such a person."

Convinced by Vincent's vehement presentation of the facts of the case,
the Queen consented to revoke the nomination, but she openly confessed
to him that she had not courage to face the Duchess. "Suppose you go
and make my peace with her," she said pleasantly, despatching the
unfortunate Vincent on this very disagreeable errand.

He was shown into the lady's presence and carried out his mission wit