Those few words were the dying agony of a passion, the farewell of a
soul to the glorious things of earth, in accordance with true Catholic
renunciation. The rector, comprehending the majesty of all great human
things, even criminal things, judged of this mysterious passion by the
enormity of the sin. He raised his eyes to heaven as if to invoke the
mercy of God. Thence come the consolations, the infinite tendernesses
of the Catholic religion,--so humane, so gentle with the hand that
descends to man, showing him the law of higher spheres; so awful, so
divine, with that other hand held out to lead him into heaven.

Denise had now significantly shown the rector the spot by which to
strike that rock and make the waters of repentance flow. But suddenly,
as though the memories evoked were dragging him backwards, Jean-Francois
gave the harrowing cry of the hyena when the hunters overtake it.

"No, no!" he cried, falling on his knees, "I will live! Mother, give
me your clothes; I can escape! Mercy, mercy! Go see the king; tell
him--"

He stopped, gave a horrible roar, and clung convulsively to the
rector's cassock.

"Go," said Monsieur Bonnet, in a low voice, to the agitated women.

Jean heard the words; he raised his head, gazed at his mother and
sister, then he stopped and kissed their feet.

"Let us say farewell now; do not come back; leave me alone with
Monsieur Bonnet. You need not be uneasy about me any longer," he said,
pressing his mother and his sister to him with a strength in which he