"
"True," said Manuel, "But His pain was endured that there might be
less of it for others! He asked His children in this world to love
one another for His sake--not to grind each other down! Not to make
unnecessary hardships for each other! But it seems as if He had
asked in vain!"
He was silent after this, and refrained from remark even when,
during their visit to Notre Dame, the treasury was unlocked for the
Cardinal's inspection, and the relics formerly contained in the now
disused "Sainte Chapelle," were shown,--including the fragments of
the "crown of thorns," and a nail from the "true cross." The
Cardinal was silent too. He had no remark to offer on these obvious
"imaginations" of the priesthood. Then they went up together to the
platform on the summit of the Cathedral, and looked at the great
bell known as the "Bourdon de Notre Dame";--and here they found a
little wizened old man sitting carelessly on the edge of a
balustrade, in a seemingly very dangerous position, who nodded and
smiled familiarly as they appeared. He acted as cicerone of the
summit of the North Tower, and was soon at their side explaining
volubly all that was of interest.
"Tired,--oh yes, one gets tired!" he admitted, in response to a
query from the Cardinal as to whether he did not find his duties
fatiguing at his age, "But after all, I like the griffins and
dragons and devils' faces up here, better than the griffins and
dragons and devils down there,--below on the Boulevards! I call this
Heaven, and down there in the streets, Hell.
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