In seventeen ninety-three there was not much of our Lord
or the blessed Saints in it.' 'No, you are right, Lapui!' he cried,
'Down came the statue of the Virgin, and up went the statue of
Liberty! There was the crimson flare of the Torch of Truth!--and the
effigies of the ape Voltaire and the sensualist Rousseau, took the
places of St. Peter and St. Paul! Ha!--And they worshipped the
goddess of Reason--Reason, impersonated by Maillard the ballet-
dancer! True to the life, my Lapui!--that kind of worship has lasted
in Paris until now!--it goes on still--Reason,--man's idea of
Reason,--impersonated by a ballet dancer! Yes,--the shops are full
of that goddess and her portraits, Jean Lapui! And the jewellers can
hardly turn out sufficient baubles to adorn her shrine!' He laughed
again, and I took hold of him by the arm. 'See here, petit pere,' I
said, 'I fancy all is not well with you.' 'You are right,' he
answered, 'all is very ill!' 'Then will you not go home and to bed?'
I asked him. 'Presently--presently;' he said, 'if I may tell you
something first!' 'Do so by all means, reverend pere,' said I, and I
sat down near him. 'It is just this, Lapui,' and he drew out a
crucifix from his breast and looked at it very earnestly, 'I am a
priest, as you see; and this symbol represents my faith.
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