M. Emanuel, seemed to me to lack magnanimity in trifles, yet how great he is in great things!"
I own I did not reckon amongst the proofs of his greatness, either the act of confession, or the saint worship.
"How long is it since that lady died?" I inquired, looking at Justine Marie.
"Twenty years. She was somewhat older than M. Emanuel; he was then very young, for he is not much beyond forty".
"Does he yet weep her?"
"His heart will weep her always: the essence of Emanuel's nature is—constancy".
This was said with marked emphasis.
And now the sun broke out pallid and waterish; the rain yet fell, but there was no more tempest; that hot firmament had cloven and poured out its lightnings. A longer delay would scarce leave daylight for my return, so I rose, thanked the father for his hospitality and his tale, was benignantly answered by a "pax vobiscum", which I made kindly welcome, because it seemed uttered with a true benevolence; but I liked less the mystic phrase accompanying it:
"Daughter, you shall be what you shall be!" an oracle that made me shrug my shoulders as soon as I had got outside the door. Few of us know what we are to come to certainly, but for all that had happened yet, I had good hopes of living and dying a sober-minded Protestant: there was a hollowness within, and a flourish around "Holy Church" which tempted me but moderately. I went on my way pondering many things. Whatever Romanism may be, there are good Romanists: this man, Emanuel, seemed of the best; touched with superstition, influenced by priestcraft, yet wondrous for fond faith, for pious devotion, for sacrifice of self, for charity unbounded. It remained to see how Rome, by her agents, handled such qualities; whether she cherished them for their own sake and for God's, or put them out to usury and made booty of the interest.
By the time I reached home, it was sundown. Goton had kindly saved me a portion of dinner, which indeed I needed. She called me into the little cabinet to partake of it, and there Madame Beck soon made her appearance, bringing me a glass of wine.
