THE BISHOP WORKS


The next morning at sunrise Monseigneur Bienvenu was strolling
in his garden. Madame Magloire ran up to him in utter consternation.

"Monseigneur, Monseigneur!" she exclaimed, "does your Grace know
where the basket of silver is?"

"Yes," replied the Bishop.

"Jesus the Lord be blessed!" she resumed; "I did not know what had
become of it."

The Bishop had just picked up the basket in a flower-bed. He
presented it to Madame Magloire.

"Here it is."

"Well!" said she. "Nothing in it! And the silver?"

"Ah," returned the Bishop, "so it is the silver which troubles you?
I don't know where it is."

"Great, good God! It is stolen! That man who was here last night
has stolen it."

In a twinkling, with all the vivacity of an alert old woman,
Madame Magloire had rushed to the oratory, entered the alcove,
and returned to the Bishop. The Bishop had just bent down,