but like the Jean when you first saw him, the Jean of
Bernay-sur-Mer. And with him was--ah, but what amazement!--was my
little Marie-Louise--no, Jean's Marie-Louise, for I married them there
that night, and--"

"But," interrupted Bidelot, gesticulating with his hat, for he had
forgotten to put it on, "but, still I do not understand! Over four
months ago! And since then? Where has he been since then?"

"He has been working there at the studio in secret," Father Anton
answered.

"Working! Ah! Let us hurry--faster then!" urged Bidelot eagerly.
"But why has he gone away? Why did he not wait? But
to-morrow--eh--to-morrow, he will be back to-morrow?"

"No," said Father Anton slowly. "I do not think Jean will come back
any more to Paris."

"Monsieur le Cure," spluttered Bidelot, halting suddenly in the middle
of the street, "what is the matter with you? Enough of these riddles!
Jean not come any more to Paris! I can understand nothing!"

"But you would understand," said Father Anton patiently, "if only you
would let me tell you. See now, listen--it is the story as Jean told
it to me that night"--and, as he took old Bidelot's arm, and they
walked on again, Father Anton, smiling sometimes radiantly, fumbling
sometimes with his spectacles, told of the old days in Bernay-sur-Mer,
of Marie-Louise, of how she came to Paris, of how Jean "died" that
night at sea, and of how they came to France again. And they were at
the studio and mounting the steps, as Father Anton ended.

"And so," he said, "and so, that night I married Jean and Marie-Louise.
And what days after that! If you could but have seen Jean in the joy
of his work, and Marie-Louise there beside him! And I must needs go to
Bernay-sur-Mer to buy back Marie-Louise's house without her knowing it,
and see to the building of an _atelier_ to be added to it. And--it is
there they went this morning--to live."

And Bidelot was very quiet now, and his eyes were wet.

"I understand," he said, as Father Anton opened the door with a key.
"But"--shaking his head a little--"even in Bernay-sur-Mer Jean will be
famous, and the world will follow to Bernay-sur-Mer."

"That is perhaps true, and it would be a sad thing if it were
otherwise," said Father Anton, with his rare, grave smile, "for there
is a pride that is pure, and a joy like no other joy in the tribute
that is paid to one for work well done. And if the world follows to
Bernay-sur-Mer, it can be only to t