cause for it. Now everybody says that if poor Martine had not put
Fabien in the cart to save herself the trouble of holding him on her
knee, he would not have tumbled out and been hurt. That was the
beginning of it. And that was not God's fault. Come Fabien!--we'll
take you back now."

At this, Madame Patoux started from her stricken condition of
horrified dumbness into speech and action.

"Ah yes, it is indeed time!" she exclaimed--"Enough trouble has been
given, I am sure, to Monseigneur, and if such a prayer as his does
not reach Heaven, why then there is no Heaven at all, and it is no
good bothering ourselves about it. And what things have been said by
my son!--MY son!--against the Holy Father! Ah, mon Dieu! The
wickedness of it!--The horror! And if thou learnest such blasphemy
from newspapers, Henri, thou shalt not read them--"

"Who is to prevent me?" demanded Henri, his eyes sparkling
defiantly.

"Hush--hush my child!" interposed the Cardinal quietly "Nothing
indeed can prevent thee,--no one can hinder thee from walking the
world according to thine own will and direction. Thou must take good
and evil as they come, and strive thy best to discern between them--
and if the love of God cannot help thee--well!--perchance the love
of thy mother may!"

There was a pause. Henri's head drooped, and quick tears filled his
eyes. He said nothing further, but turned to assist Babette in
guiding the little Fabien's hesitating steps as he hobbled from the