"Truly, Monseigneur, I am generally careful. I do not know when I
have spoken so freely to anyone as I have to you; for I am generally
in a bad humour with all Church dignitaries,--and of course I know
you for a Cardinal by your dress, while you might truly be a saint
from your manner;--so I should have held my tongue about the flight
into the air of the little priest. But you will say nothing, for you
are discreet; and even if you did, and I were asked about it, I
should know nothing. Oh, yes, I can tell lies as fast as anybody
else!--Yes, truly! I do not suppose anyone, not even an Archbishop
himself, could surpass me in lying!"
"And are you not ashamed to lie?" asked Bonpre, with an intense
vibration of pain in his voice as he put the question.
"Heaven bless you, no, Monseigneur!" replied Lapui cheerfully, "For
is not the whole world kept going by lies? Dear me, if we all told
the truth there would be an end of everything! I am a philosopher in
my way, Monseigneur,--and I assure you that a real serious truth
told in Paris without any gloss upon it, would be like an earthquake
in the city,--great houses would come down and numbers of people
would be killed by it! Good-day, Monseigneur!--Good-day.
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