Pagina 711 de 1118

He then approached his wife, who was employed in taking the

kettle from off the fire, and said in a low voice, "Has all gone

well?"

"Very well. I will tell you another time."

"Well, well, at your leisure."

When the dinner was ready, the mistress of the house made Lucy

sit down with them at the table, and helping her to a wing of the

chicken, entreated her to eat. The husband began to dilate with

much animation on the events of the day; not without many

interruptions from the children, who stood round the table eating

their dinner, and who had seen too many extraordinary things to

be satisfied with playing the part of mere listeners. He

described the solemn ceremonies, and then recurred to the

miraculous conversion; but that which had made the most

impression on his mind, and of which he spoke the oftenest, was

the sermon of the cardinal.

"To see him before the altar," said he, "a lord like him, to see

him before the altar, as a simple curate--"