thanks to me they can enjoy all that! the Reverend thought; and
each time he did, he flushed with pride.

But, the unfortunate man was to be well punished for his pride, as you
will see....

* * * * *

Who would have thought, that one evening, during the service, he would
come to church in an extraordinarily agitated state: red-faced, out of
breath, his cowl askew, and so beside himself, that as he took the holy
water, he wet his sleeves up to the elbow. At first, it was thought it
was the embarrassment of coming late, but he was then seen bowing
deeply to the organ and the gallery instead of genuflecting to the high
altar, and then breezing quickly across the church, and wandering about
for five minutes looking for his stall. After all this, once seated, he
turned to right and left, smiling beatifically, prompting a murmur of
astonishment that spread down the three naves. From prayer book to
prayer book the whisper went,

--What on earth is the matter with Father Gaucher?... What's wrong with
Father Gaucher?

Twice, the Prior struck his crosier impatiently on the flagstones to
command silence.... Over at the back of the choir, the psalms were
still echoing out, but without any responses....

Suddenly, right in the middle of the _Ave Verum_, Father Gaucher
slumped back into his stall and began singing in a piercing voice:

In Paris, there was a White Canon,
Who went all the way with a black nun....

This caused everyone great dismay, and they all stood up. Somebody said:

--Take him out ... he's possessed!

The Canons crossed themselves. His Grace's crosier was clattering madly
away.... But Father Gaucher, was oblivious to all this; and two monks
were obliged to carry him out through the little choir door, struggling
as if he were being exorcised, and continuing with his hmm ... tune....

* * * * *

Very early the next day, the unhappy Father was in the Prior's oratory
on his knees, in floods of tears, showing his contrition:

--It's the elixir, your Grace, which caught me out, he said, striking
his chest. The good Prior himself was very moved to see him so grieved
and penitent.

--Come, come, Father Gaucher, calm down. All this will disappear like
dew in the sunshine.... After all, worse things happen at sea. Lots of
people begin to sing when they are a little... hmm, hmm! We must hope
that novices wouldn't have understood it.... For the moment, let's see,