a scandal in the village and every man who is sick must
expect some other man's wife to come in and care for him, and finally
live in his house and take care of it. Our society may be small, but
in some matters it is best conducted as are large communities. I think
M. de Clairville should be instructed that his conduct is wrong."

"You call him 'de' Clairville, I see," replied the doctor from his
buggy outside Gagnon's carpenter shop. "Well, it does not matter!
Faith--he is both vicious and mad enough to be in truth the seigneur of
all the parish as he styles himself--as nobles and seigneurs used to
go. I have little knowledge of such myself! I am a plain man! my
father was Renaud the harness-maker of Three Rivers. First I was fond
of horses, then I was fond of gathering herbs and flowers, then I was
fond of mixing medicines and quacking my friends when they were ill;
then my mother saved some money and sent me to college and then one
fine day I awoke, and I am Dr. Renaud! And you--you are one of the
three Rielle brothers, likewise from Three Rivers; one is a notary, one
a priest--yourself--and the youngest keeps the Hotel Jacques Cartier at
Sorel-en-haut. That is funny, that! You should have made him
something else."

"It is true," replied the priest mildly, "I am not in love with his
calling, but people who travel must be lodged. I use his place myself
once or twice a year; it is the Will of God that such places must be;
it is clean, and his wife, at the age of seventeen, already cooks well;
he is lately married at the age of thirty-five. I myself am four years
older. But of M. de Clairville I would say--that he must be brought to
see that he is doing this poor Mme. Poussette a wrong, and I was going
to ask you if you would drive me out to visit him this afternoon. That
is, if, as I hear, it is quite safe to go there now."

"It would afford me pleasure indeed, _mon pere_," said Dr. Renaud, "but
unfortunately I am waiting here for the young man who has charge of the
new church by the river,--Poussette's fancy, Mr. Ringfield."

"You are driving him to Clairville?" A quick jealousy animated the
priest's eager question.

"I am, but we can make room for you. Certainly, my friend, we are
neither of us so very stout and you are thin; you shall sit in our
laps--oh yes, I take no denial! You shall come with us, Father Rielle,
and we three shall descend upon this sick seigneur of yours and his
housekeeper a