an comprehend that
which is incomprehensible, perhaps, it would terrify me less, perhaps,
I shall yield to grief and sorrow, and necessity, as to the storm,
or the earthquake; but from this spectral terror, from this almost
mask-like enigma, which threatens to drive me mad, deliver me at least
from this by speech and narration."

"Can it be expressed, my father?" began Edmond, "will you comprehend
what I myself cannot understand with my common knowledge? We should not
indeed comprehend, if this hall round us were suddenly turned into
Hesperian gardens, but we should enjoy the fruit, we should live and
exist in the miracle, even though by that means we should forget that
yet some other knowledge were wanting."

"Has that delirium also taken possession of you," cried the old man,
"in its peculiar way and wrapped you in the folds of its dark
vestments? now I would have sworn that you were free from that! and yet
I should have done wrong, for all fanaticism is but the twinborn of the
apparently most improbable and inimical."

"You speak what your mind prompts," said the son, "and I understand you
perfectly, but you do not understand me."

"Well, Edmond, you may be right, only speak, relate to me, perhaps I
may be able to approach nearer to your soul."

"How much I hated these Huguenots," began Edmond, "how much I abhorred
their war against the king, their fanaticism and prophets, that I
despised the gross deception of those people, I need not tell you, for
my irritated feelings made you unhappy and it seems that I am destined
to cause your misery, I may place myself now as then on whatever side I
like.--"

He stopped for a short time and then returned; "with these sentiments I
dressed myself in the peasant's clothes, which were so hateful to me,
our friend quitted me, as you know, and I went with his son up into the
mountains. Florentine jested about our expedition, I was much vexed at
and ashamed of my purpose. When we advanced farther into the mountains,
some figures glided before us on the solitary footpath, we followed the
direction they took, and arrived with them in about half an hour at a
lonely barn. They knocked; it was opened to us. I cannot describe the
feeling with which I entered into this rustic assembly. It was a
loathing of mind and body. Some were kneeling, others were standing
praying, I approached the latter and tried to imitate them. Everything
went on quietly, all eyes were bent on the ground, a