hen I
got Madame de la Sainte-Colombe for a patient, Philippon asked my aid,
which he was naturally entitled to. We agreed upon our plan. I was not to
appear to know him the least in the world; and he was to keep me informed
of the variations in the moral state of his penitent, so that I might be
able, by the use of very inoffensive medicines--for there was nothing
dangerous in the illness--to keep my patient in alternate states of
improvement or the reverse, according as her director had reason to be
satisfied or displeased--so that he might say to her: 'You see, madame,
you are in the good way! Spiritual grace acts upon your bodily health,
and you are already better. If, on the contrary, you fall back into evil
courses, you feel immediately some physical ail, which is a certain proof
of the powerful influence of faith, not only on the soul, but on the body
also?'"

"It is doubtless painful," said D'Aigrigny, with perfect coolness, "to be
obliged to have recourse to such means, to rescue perverse souls from
perdition--but we must needs proportion our modes of action to the
intelligence and the character of the individual."

"By-the-bye, the princess knows," resumed the doctor, "that I have often
pursued this plan at St. Mary's Convent, to the great advantage of the
soul's peace and health of some of our patients, being extremely
innocent. These alternations never exceed the difference between 'pretty
well,' and 'not quite so well.' Yet small as are the variations, they act
most efficaciously on certain minds. It was thus with Madame de la
Sainte-Colombe. She was in such a fair way of recovery, both moral and
physical, that Rodin thought he might get Philippon to advise the country
for his penitent, fearing that Paris air might occasion a relapse. This
advice, added to the desire the woman had to play 'lady of the parish,'
induced her to buy Cardoville Manor, a good investment in any respect.
But yesterday, unfortunate Philippon came to tell me, that Madame de la
Sainte-Colombe was about to have an awful relapse--moral, of course--for
her physical health is now desperately good. The said relapse appears to
have been occasioned by an interview she has had with one Jacques
Dumoulin, whom they tell me you know, my dear abbe; he has introduced
himself to her, nobody can guess how."

"This Jacques Dumoulin," said the marquis, with disgust, "is one of those
men, that we employ while we despise. He is a writer full of gall,