any
such things without knowing it, and when they do know, it is too late."

VIII

So it was that Monseigneur the Duke de Berry, visited the departments
of the East. Every word he uttered was taken up and repeated again and
again. Some praised his exceeding graciousness, and others kept
silence. From that time I suspected that all these emigres and
officers on half-pay, these preachers with their processions and their
expiations, would overturn everything again, and about the beginning of
winter we heard that not only with us, but all over Alsace affairs were
growing worse and worse in just the same way.

One morning between eleven and twelve Father Goulden and I were both at
work, each one thinking after his own fashion, and Catherine was laying
the cloth. I started to go out to wash my hands at the pump, as I
always did before dinner, when I saw an old woman wiping her feet on
the straw mat at the foot of the stairs and shaking her skirts which
were covered with mud. She had a stout staff, and a large rosary hung
from her neck. As I looked at her from the top of the stairs, she
began to come up and I recognized her immediately by the folds about
her eyes and the innumerable wrinkles round her little mouth, as
Anna-Marie, the pilgrim of St. Witt. The poor old woman often brought
us watches to mend, from pious people who had confidence in her, and
Mr. Goulden was always delighted to see her.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, "it is Anne-Marie! now we shall have the news. And
how is Mr. Such-an-one, the priest? How is the Vicar So-and-So? Does
he still look as well as ever? and Mr. Jacob, of such a place. And the
old sexton, Niclausse, does he still ring the bells at Dann, and at
Hirschland, and Saint Jean? He must begin to look old?"

"Ah! Mr. Goulden, thanks for Mr. Jacob, you know that he lost
Mademoiselle Christine last week."

"What! Mademoiselle Christine?"

"Yes, indeed?"

"What a misfortune! but we must remember that we are all mortal!"

"Yes, Mr. Goulden, and when one is so fortunate as to receive the holy
consolations of the Church."

"Certainly--certainly, that is the principal thing."

So they talked on, Father Goulden laughing in his sleeve. She knew
everything that happened within six leagues round the city. He looked
mischievously at me from time to time. This same thing had happened a
hundred times during my apprenticeship, but you will understand how
much more curious he was now t