The Grip of Desire Part 27

--Ah, Jesus, no. But, you know, if they saw your servant sitting at your table, they would not wait to look for the why and wherefore, they would begin to chatter.

--It is true.

--And one likes to be at home when one has anything to say, is it not so, Monsieur le Cure?

Marcel bent his head:

--You are a girl of sense, and that is why I can behave to you as one cannot usually with a ... common housekeeper. I am sure that you understand me. Then, after a moment's hesitation:

--Twice already I have flown into a pa.s.sion with you, Veronica; it is a serious fault, and I hope you will consent to forgive it.

--Do not speak of that, Monsieur le Cure, I deserved everything that you have said to me. It is for me to ask your pardon for not behaving properly towards you.

--I acknowledge all that you do in my interest: I know how to appreciate all your good qualities, so I pardon you freely.

--Monsieur le Cure is too good.

--No, I am not too good. For if I were so, I should have behaved differently towards you. But you know, there is always a little germ of ingrat.i.tude at the bottom of a man's heart. After all, I have considered, and I believe that with a little good will on one side and on the other, we can come to an understanding.

--Yes, I am easy to accommodate.

--Let us save appearances, that is essential.

--You are talking to me like Monsieur Fortin. That suits me. No one could ever reproach me for setting a bad example.

--I know it, Veronica; your behaviour is full of decency and dignity: it is well for the outside world, and as Monsieur Fortin used to say to you, we must wash our dirty linen at home.

--Poor Monsieur Fortin.

--That is what we will do henceforth. Come, Veronica. I have made all my disclosures to you, or very nearly. I have confessed to you my errors, and you know some of my faults as well as I do. Will you not make your little confession to me in your turn? You have finished your coffee? Take a little brandy? There! now sit close to me.

--Monsieur le Cure, one only confesses on one's knees.

--At the confessional before the priest, yes; but it is not thus that I mean, it is not by right of this that I wish to know your little secrets, but by right of a friend.

--I am quite confused, Monsieur le Cure.

--There is no Cure here, there is a friend, a brother, anything you wish, but not a priest. Are you willing?

--I am quite willing.

--You were talking to me lately about my predecessors, and, according to you, their conduct was not irreproachable. What is there then to say regarding them? Oh, don't blush. Answer me.

--What do you want me to tell you?

--They committed faults then?...

--I have told you so, sir,--sometimes--like you.

--Ah, Veronica, the greatest saint is he who sins only seven times a day.

--Seven times!

--Seven times, quite as much. You find, no doubt, that I sin much more, but I am far from being a saint. As to my predecessors, were they no greater saints?

--Saints! Ah, Jesus! Do you wish me to tell you, sir? Well, between ourselves, I believe that there are none but in the calendar.

--Oh, Veronica, Veronica.

--Yes, sir, I believe it in my soul and conscience, and I can add another thing still. If, before they canonized all these saints, they had consulted their servant, perhaps they would not have found a single one of them.

--What! you, the pious Veronica, you say such things?

--One is pious and staid and everything you wish, but one sees what one sees. Monsieur Fortin was accustomed to say that no one is a great man to his _valet de chambre_; and I add, that no one is a saint to his cook. I tell you so.

--But that is blasphemy, Veronica.

--Blasphemy possibly, but it is the truth, Monsieur Marcel.

--Have you then surprised my predecessors in some act of culpable weakness?

--Oh, holy Virgin! I did not surprise them, it was they on the contrary who surprised me.

--You!... And how then?

--Monsieur le Cure, you don't understand me. You were speaking of their weakness, I meant to say that they had taken advantage of mine.

--Ah, here we are, thought Marcel. Is it possible? What! of your weakness?

these ecclesiastics?

--Sir. You are an ecclesiastic too and yet ... if Mademoiselle Suzanne Durand....

--Don't go on, Veronica. I have asked you not to recall that remembrance to me. It is wrong of you to forget that.

--Sweet Jesus! I don't want to offend you. I wanted to make you understand that since you, you have erred, the others....

--And what have they done?

--Ah, it is very simple, Lord Jesus!

--Let us see.

--I hardly know if I ought to tell you that, I am quite ashamed of it.

--Come, let us see, speak ... you have nothing to be afraid of before me ... speak, Veronica, speak.

--Where must I begin?

--Where you like; at the beginning, I suppose.