the Church of the Capuchins, and on the following I met M. de la
Gueritude at the promenade, who gave me this house, with all the
furniture it contains, the cellar full of wine, some of which we
enjoy to-night, and sufficient money to live honestly."

"Fie! fie!" said M. d'Anquetil, "the idiot makes God Almighty
interfere in dirty affairs. This shocks and wounds one's feelings,
even if one is an atheist."

"My dear sir," said my good tutor, "it is a great deal better to
compromise God in dirty business, as does that simple-minded girl,
than, as you do, to chase Him out of the world He has created. If He
has not expressly sent that burly contractor to Catherine, His
creature, He at least suffered her to meet him. We are ignorant of
His ways, and what this simpleton says contains more truth, maybe
mixed and alloyed with blasphemy, than all the vain words a
reprobate draws out of the emptiness of his heart. Nothing is more
despicable than the libertinism of mind that the youth of our days
make a show of. Your words make me shiver. Am I to reply to them by
proofs out of the Holy Scriptures and the writings of the fathers?
Shall I make you hear God speaking to the patriarchs and to the
prophets: _Si locutus est Abraham et semini ejus in saecula?_
Shall I spread out before you the traditions of the Church? Invoke
against you the authority of both Testaments? Blind you with
Christ's miracles, and His words as miraculous as His deeds? No! I
will not arm myself with those holy weapons. I fear too much to
pollute them in such a fight, which is not at all solemn. In her
prudence the Church warns us not to risk turning edification into a
scandal. Therefore I will not speak, sir, of that wherewith I have
been fed on the steps of sanctuaries. But, without violating the