The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Honor of the Name, by Emile Gaboriau

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Title: The Honor of the Name

Author: Emile Gaboriau

Release Date: April 13, 2006 [EBook #4002]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HONOR OF THE NAME ***

Produced by David Moynihan; Dagny; David Widger

THE HONOR OF THE NAME

By Emile Gaboriau

THE HONOR OF THE NAME

CHAPTER I

On the first Sunday in the month of August, 1815, at ten o'clock
precisely--as on every Sunday morning--the sacristan of the parish
church at Sairmeuse sounded the three strokes of the bell which warn
the faithful that the priest is ascending the steps of the altar to
celebrate high mass.

The church was already more than half full, and from every side little
groups of peasants were hurrying into the church-yard. The women were
all in their bravest attire, with cunning little _fichus_ crossed upon
their breasts, broad-striped, brightly colored skirts, and large white
coifs.

Being as economical as they were coquettish, they came barefooted,
bringing their shoes in their hands, but put them on reverentially
before entering the house of God.

But few of the men entered the church. They remained outside to talk,
seating themselves in the porch, or standing about the yard, in the
shade of the century-old elms.

For such was the custom in the hamlet of Sairmeuse.

The two hours which the women consecrated to prayer the men employed
in discussing the news, the success or the failure of the crops; and,
before the service ended, they could generally be found, glass in hand,
in the bar-room of the village inn.

For the farmers for a league around, the Sunday mass was only an excuse
for a reunion, a sort of weekly bourse.

All the cures who had been successively stationed at Sairmeuse had
endeavored to put an end to this scandalous habit, as they termed it;
but all their efforts had made no impression upon country obstinacy.

They had succeeded in gaining only one concession. At the moment of the
elevation of the Host, voices were hushed, heads uncovered, and a few
even bowed the knee and made the sign of the cross.

But t