ds to the blaze. Upon the little finger
of the left hand sat a square seal ring of pale cornelian, and as
Ringfield looked he clearly saw the capital letter "C" picked out in
red upon the white. New and hateful pangs, suspicions, jealousies,
assailed him; he was sure that this must be Pauline's ring, although he
had never noticed her wearing it, and the thoughts thereby engendered
did not tend to make him listen calmly to Poussette's line of defence.
So far from being offended at the clerical interest in his affairs, the
Frenchman was immensely flattered and encouraged to speak out.

"And are you quite sure," said Ringfield in conclusion, "are you
perfectly certain that Miss Cordova knows you are a married man? In my
opinion there is small harm in the lady! the poor, thoughtless creature
is too much occupied with her silly clothes and music and trivial
passing of the time to work lasting mischief, but I remember that she
follows a godless calling--she is an actress and has been one longer
than Miss Clairville. You must be careful. It is time Mme. Poussette
was relieved from her charge and came home."

"But how--come home? Come at this place again? Bigosh--but that will
not do, Mr. Ringfield--at all, sir! Beeg fuss, sure--my wife come at
this place so soon after leave nurse Henry Clairville! Dr. Renaud will
tell you that. No, sir,--Madame is come no more on me, on St. Ignace
at all. When she leave me, go nurse seeck man down with the 'Pic,' she
is no more for me. _Voyez_--m'sieu, I am tired of my wife. I shall
try get a divorce."

Ringfield was astounded. "You, Poussette! A divorce! From that poor,
unhappy woman who has done you no harm, and will have nothing to live
upon? How can you do such a thing? Why, you must not let your mind
dwell on such a thing for an instant! I do not believe in divorce, or
at least only in rare and exceptional cases, and yours is not one of
these. You understand me--your wife may be delicate, even afflicted,
but no man puts his wife away for these reasons. All the more you must
cherish her, comfort her, keep her by you. If she grew worse you would
be justified in putting her, as we say, under restraint, or in the care
of those best fitted to look after her, but even then you would remain
her husband. That is the unwritten law of our and of all true
religion."

Poussette spat into the fire and considered. Father Rielle had told
him this in almost the same words many