e, carried on with strict attention to religious
duties, was hidden in the deepest secrecy and directed by the various
rectors in the town, with whom Veronique had a full understanding in
all her charitable deeds, so as not to suffer the money so needed for
unmerited misfortunes to fall into the hands of vice. It was during this
period of her life that she won a friendship quite as strong and quite
as precious as that of old Grossetete. She became the beloved lamb of a
distinguished priest, who was persecuted for his true merits, which were
wholly misunderstood, one of the two grand-vicars of the diocese, named
the Abbe Dutheil.

This priest belonged to the portion of the French clergy who incline
toward certain concessions, who would be glad to associate the Church
with the people's interests, and so enable it to regain, through the
application of true evangelical doctrine, its former influence over the
masses, which it might then draw to closer relations with the monarchy.
Whether it was that the Abbe Dutheil recognized the impossibility of
enlightening the court of Rome and the higher clergy on this point,
or that he had consented to sacrifice his own opinions to those of
his superiors, it is certain that he remained within the limits of the
strictest orthodoxy, being very well aware that any manifestation of his
principles at the present time would deprive him of all chance of the
episcopate.

This eminent priest united in himself great Christian modesty and a
noble character. Without pride or ambition he remained at his post
and did his duty in the midst of perils. The liberals of the town were
ignorant of the motives of his conduct; they claimed him as being
of their opinions and considered him a patriot,--a word which meant
revolutionist in Catholic minds. Loved by his inferiors, who dared not,
however, proclaim his merits, feared by his equals who kept watch upon
him, he was a source of embarrassment to the bishop. His virtues and his
knowledge, envied, no doubt, prevented persecution; it was impossible to
complain of him, though he criticized frankly the political blunders by
which both the throne and the clergy mutually compromised themselves.
He often foretold results, but vainly,--like poor Cassandra, who was
equally cursed before and after the disaster she predicted. Short of a
revolution the Abbe Dutheil was likely to remain as he was, one of those
stones hidden in the foundation wall on which the edifice