the strongest! How is it that she is happy with me, and does not wish to
leave me?"

"You have dazzled her."

"Another reason is that with you she was dying of misery and hunger."

"Yes, but the end of it will be that you will abandon her as you have
done with many others, whereas I should have married her."

"Married her! You renegade, you seem to forget that you are a priest. I
do not propose to part with her, but if I do I will send her away rich."

"Well, well, do as you please; but still I have the right to speak to her
whenever I like."

"I have forbidden you to do so, and you may trust me when I tell you that
you have spoken to her for the last time."

So saying I went out and called on an advocate. I asked him if I could
have a foreign abbe, who was indebted to me, arrested, although I had no
proof of the debt.

"You can do so, as he is a foreigner, but you will have to pay
caution-money. You can have him put under arrest at his inn, and you can
make him pay unless he is able to prove that he owes you nothing. Is the
sum a large one?"

"Twelve louis."