Fortified with this pretext, on the strength of which the clergy have
always taken upon themselves to meddle in all family secrets, it was not
difficult for him to put an end to my questions; and, though he could
not destroy the suspicions which I felt at heart, he succeeded in
proving to my ears that I ought to be grateful to him for the care which
he had taken of the honour of my name. I wanted to find out what he was
driving at; it was as I had foreseen. My Uncle John claimed from me his
share in the fief of Roche-Mauprat; and the prior was deputed to make
me understand that I had to choose between paying a considerable sum of
money (for he spoke of the interest accruing through the seven years of
possession, besides a seventh part of the whole estate) and the insane
step he intended taking, the scandal of which could not fail to
hasten the chevalier's death and cause me, perhaps, "strange personal
embarrassments." All this was hinted with consummate skill under the
cover of the most Christian solicitude for my own welfare, the most
fervent admiration for the Trappist's zeal, and the most sincere anxiety
about the results of this "firm resolve." Finally, it was made evident
that John Mauprat was not coming to ask me for the means of existence,
but that I should have to humbly beseech him to accept the half of
my possessions, if I wished to prevent him from dragging my name and
probably my person to the felon's dock.

I tried a final objection.

"If," I said, "this resolve of Brother Nepomucene, as you call him, is
as fixed as you say; if the only one care he has in the world is for his
own salvation, will you explain to me how the attractions of temporal
wealth can possibly turn him from it? There seems to be a contradiction
in this which I fail to understand."