Ver' well, de men dey go free, and when de Governor at Quebec he hear de
truth, he say it is all right. Also de English soldier die in peace and
happy, becos' he tink his sins are forgive. But den--dere is Mathurin
and his sin to pretend he is a priest! The Cure he come back, and dere
is a great trouble.

"Mathurin he is ver' quiet and still. Nobody come near him in him house;
nobody go near to de school. But he sit alone all day in de school, and
he work on de blackboar' and he write on de slate; but dere is no child
come, becos' de Cure has forbid any one to speak to Mathurin. Not till
de next Sunday, den de Cure send for Mathurin to come to de church.
Mathurin come to de steps of de altar; den de Cure say to him:

"'Mathurin, you have sin a great sin. If it was two hunderd years ago
you would be put to death for dat.'

"Mathurin he say ver' soft: 'Dat is no matter. I am ready to die now.
I did it to save de fadders of de children and de husbands of de wives.
I do it to make a poor sinner happy as he go from de world. De sin is
mine.'

"Den de Cure he say: 'De men are free, dat is good; de wives have dere
husbands and de children dere fadders. Also de man who confess his sins
--de English soldier--to whom you say de words of a priest of God, he is
forgive. De Spirit of God it was upon him when he die, becos' you speak
in de name of de Church. But for you, blasphemer, who take upon you de
holy ting, you shall suffer! For penance, all your life you shall teach
a chile no more.'

"Voila, M'sieu' le Cure he know dat is de greatest penance for de poor