that the Avocat in his admiration called her Madonna, and the Cure came
oftener to the Manor House with a fear in his heart that all was not
well. Yet he was met by her cheerful smile, by her quiet sense of
humour, by the touching yet not demonstrative devotion of the wife
to the husband, and a varying and impulsive adoration of the wife by
the husband. One day when the Cure was with the Seigneur, Madelinette
entered upon them. Her face was pale though composed, yet her eyes had a
look of abstraction or detachment. The Cure's face brightened at her
approach. She wore a simple white gown with a bunch of roses at the
belt, and a broad hat lined with red that shaded her face and gave it a
warmth it did not possess.

"Dear Madame!" said the Cure, rising to his feet and coming towards her.

"I have told you before that I will have nothing but 'Madelinette,' dear
Cure," she replied, with a smile, and gave him her hand. She turned to
Louis, who had risen also, and putting a hand on his arm pressed him
gently into his chair, then, with a swift, almost casual, caress of his
hair, placed on the table the basket of flowers she was carrying, and
began to arrange them.

"Dear Louis," she said presently, and as though en passant, "I have
dismissed Tardif to-day--I hope you won't mind these dull domestic
details, Cure," she added.

The Cure nodded and turned his head towards the window musingly. He was
thinking that she had done a wise thing in dismissing Tardif, for the man
had evil qualities, and he was hoping that he would leave the parish now.

The Seigneur nodded. "Then he will go. I have dismissed him--I have