Such a scene you never saw in a church!--Paris was wild with
excitement for a dozen hours, which is about as long as its fevers
last,--and the two of them, father and son, went straight away to a
famous Cardinal then staying in Paris,--and he, by the way, was in
the church when the Abbe publicly confessed himself--Cardinal
Bonpre--"
"Ah!" interrupted Patoux excitedly, "This interests me! For that
most eminent Cardinal stayed at my inn in Rouen before coming on
here!"
"So!" And Cousin Pierre looked rather surprised. "Without offence to
thee, Jean, it was a poor place for a Cardinal, was it not?"
"Poor, truly,--but sufficient for a man of his mind!" replied Patoux
tranquilly,--"For look you, he is trying to live as Christ lived,--
and Christ cared naught for luxury."
Pierre Midon laughed.
"By my faith! If priests were to live as Christ lived, Paris might
learn to respect them!" he said,--"But we know that they will not,--
and that few of them are better than the worst of us! But to finish
my story--this Abbe and the son whom he so suddenly and strangely
acknowledged, went to this Cardinal Bonpre for some reason--most
probably for pardon, though truly I cannot tell you what happened--
for almost immediately, the Abbe went out of Paris to the Chateau
D'Agramont some miles away, and his son went with him, and there the
two stayed together till the old man died.
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