"I had time to repent."

Agricola's heart was near breaking at the thought that his pious and good
mother, with her angelic purity, should for a moment have been confined
in prison with so many miserable creatures. He would have made some
attempt to console her on the subject of the painful past, but he feared
to give a new shock to Dagobert, and was silent.

"Where is Gabriel, dear mother?" inquired he. "How is he? As you have
seen him, tell us all about him."

"I have seen Gabriel," said Frances, drying her tears; "he is confined at
home. His superiors have rigorously forbidden his going out. Luckily,
they did not prevent his receiving me, for his words and counsels have
opened my eyes to many things. It is from him that I learned how guilty I
had been to you, my poor husband."

"How so?" asked Dagobert.

"Why, you know that if I caused you so much grief, it was not from
wickedness. When I saw you in such despair, I suffered almost as much
myself; but I durst not tell you so, for fear of breaking my oath. I had
resolved to keep it, believing that I did well, believing that it was my
duty. And yet something told me that it could not be my duty to cause you
so much pain. 'Alas, my God! enlighten me!' I exclaimed in my prison, as
I knelt down and prayed, in spite of the mockeries of the other women.
'Why should a just and pious work, commanded by my confessor, the most
respectable of men, overwhelm me and mine with so much misery? 'Have
mercy on me, my God, and teach me if I have done wrong without knowing
it!' As I prayed with fervor, God heard me, and inspired me with the idea
of applying to Gabriel. 'I thank Thee, Father! I will obey!' said I
within myself. 'Gabriel is like my own child; but he is also a priest, a
martyr--almost a saint. If any one in the world imitates the charity of
our blessed Saviour, it is surely he. When I leave this prison, I will go
and consult him and he will clear up my doubts.'"

"You are right, dear mother," cried Agricola; "it was a thought from
heaven. Gabriel is an angel of purity, courage, nobleness--the type of
the true and good priest!"

"Ah, poor wife!" said Dagobert, with bitterness; "if you had never had
any confessor but Gabriel!"

"I thought of it before he went on his journey," said Frances, with
simplicity. "I should have liked to confess to the dear boy--but I
fancied Abbe Dubois would be offended, and that Gabriel would be too
indulgent with regard to my sins.

"