Page 728 of 1118

"I would say, that if our curate had done his duty, things would

not have been as they are."

The cardinal begging her to explain herself more clearly, she

found some embarrassment in relating a history, in which she had

at one time played a part, which she felt very unwilling to

communicate to such a man. However, she got over the difficulty;

she related the projected marriage, the refusal of Don Abbondio,

and the pretext he had offered with respect to his superiors (oh,

Agnes!); and passing to the attempt of Don Roderick, she told in

what manner, being informed of it, they had been able to escape.

"But, indeed," added she in conclusion, "it was escaping to fall

into another snare. If the curate had told us sincerely the

difficulty, and had married my poor children, we would have left

the country immediately, and gone where no one would have known

us, not even the wind. Thus time was lost, and that which has

happened, has happened."