inet. There, finding the dancing figure still fastened in the same
place, he ran excitedly to the chimney-piece and begged his host to do
him a favour,--to let him pull the string. The lawyer gave him his
permission very readily, and informed him in confidence that sometimes
he set Scaramouch (that was the doll's name) dancing while he was
studying his briefs, and that, only the night before, he had modulated
on Scaramouch's movements the peroration of his speech in defence of a
woman falsely accused of poisoning her husband. The Pere Magitot seized
the string with trembling fingers and saw Scaramouch throw his limbs
wildly about under his manipulation like one possessed of devils in the
agonies of exorcism."

"Your tale does not surprise me, father," Brotteaux told him, "We see
such cases of obsession; but it is not always cardboard figures that
occasion it."

The Pere Longuemare, who was religious by profession, never talked about
religion, while Brotteaux was for ever harping on the subject. He was
conscious of a bond of sympathy between himself and the Barnabite, and
took a delight in embarrassing and disturbing his peace of mind with
objections against divers articles of the Christian faith.

Once when they were working together making Zerlines and Scaramouches:

"When I consider," remarked Brotteaux, "the events which have brought us
to the point at which we stand, I am in doubt as to which party, in the
general madness, has been the most insane; sometimes, I am greatly
tempted to believe it was that of the Court."

"Sir," answered the Monk, "all men lose their wits like Nebuchadnezzar,
when God forsakes them; but no man in our days ever plunged so deep in
ignorance and error as the Abbe Fauchet, no man was so fatal as he to
the kingdom. God must needs have been sorely exasperated against France
to send her Monsieur l'Abbe Fauchet!"

"I imagine we have seen other evil-doers besides poor, unhappy Fauchet."

"The Abbe Gregoire too, was full of malice."

"And Brissot, and Danton, and Marat, and a hundred others, what of them,
Father?"

"Sir, they are laics; the laity could never incur the same
responsibilities as the clergy. They do not work evil from so high a
standpoint, and their crimes are not of universal bearing."

"And your God, Father, what say you of His behaviour in the present
Revolution?"

"I do not understand you, sir."

"Epicurus said: Either God wishes to hinder evil and cannot, or He can