a shadow, or palpably discern by day an evanescent, albeit
a lovely, dream of night. These are my reasons. Let us dismiss the
subject."

And the subject _was_ dismissed never to be taken up again. From this
time forward, our theological disputations ceased. The baron forbore his
wit, and the good Cause was spared my feeble advocacy. Whether the baron
suspected that, after all, there might be inconsistency in continuing to
laugh at all religion whilst he persevered in visiting the church, or
whether the seeds of a new and better growth of things began already to
take root within him, I cannot take upon me to decide. To my relief and
comfort, the solemn argument was never again profaned by ribaldry and
unbecoming mirth; and, to my unfeigned delight, the teacher and the
pupil were without one let or hinderance to their perfect sympathy and
friendship.

A year has elapsed since, in the manner shown, I received the key to so
many of the baron's seeming inconsistencies--when, as we were passing
one morning into the _Salle St Agnes_ at the _Hotel Dieu_, we were
surprised to find, standing at the door of the ward--the venerable and
humble minister of Auvergne. His face brightened at the approach of the
baron, and he bowed respectfully in greeting him.

"What brings you here again, old friend?" enquired the surgeon; "no
relapse, I trust?"

"Gratitude," replied the priest. A large basket was on his arm--his
shoes were covered with dust--he had journeyed far on foot. "It is a
year since I left this roof with my life restored to me, under God's
blessing, by you. I could not let the anniversary slip away without
paying you a visit, and bringing you a trifling present. It is scarcely
worth your acceptance--but it is the best my grateful heart can offer,
and I though you would receive it kindly. A few chickens from the
poultry-yard, and a little fruit from the orchard."

The baron received the gift with a better grace than I had seen him
accept a much handsomer fee. He invited the priest to his house,
detained him there for some hours, and dismissed him with many presents
for the poor amongst his flock at Auvergne.

And thus stood matters when the last stroke of my two years was sounded,
and I was summoned home. I left the baron, need I say, with real regret;
he was not pleased at my departure. I engaged to write to him, and to
pay another visit to Paris as soon as my affairs permitted me. I have
never trode French soil since;