perhaps, the most enthusiastic of his friends regretted. Madame
Voss certainly would have wished that he would have had himself
shaved at any rate every other day, and that he would have abstained
from showing himself in the streets of Granpere without his clerical
hat. But, though she was very intimate with her Cure, and had
conferred upon him much material kindness, she had never dared to
express her opinion to him upon these matters.

During much of that afternoon M. le Cure sat with Madame Voss, but
not a word was said to Marie about her disobedience either by him or
by her. Nevertheless, Marie felt that her sins were being
discussed, and that the lecture was coming. She herself had never
quite liked M. le Cure--not having any special reason for disliking
him, but regarding him as a man who was perhaps a little deficient
in spirit, and perhaps a trifle too mindful of his creature
comforts. M. le Cure took a great deal of snuff, and Marie did not
like snuff taking. Her uncle smoked a great deal of tobacco, and
that she thought very nice and proper in a man. Had her uncle taken
the snuff and the priest smoked the tobacco, she would probably have
equally approved of her uncle's practice and disapproved that of the
priest;--because she loved the one and did not love the other. She
had thought it probable that she might be sent for during the
evening, and had, therefore, made for herself an immensity of
household work, the performance of all which on that very evening
the interests of the Lion d'Or would imperatively demand. The work
was all done, but no message from Aunt Josey summoned Marie into the
little parlour.

Nevertheless Marie had been quite right in her judgment. On the
following morning, between eight and nine, M. le Cure was again in