MATURIN AND DIDEROT 



133 



was ignorant of this.' 'That is a 

 falsehood,' said the Bishop; "and 

 even if it were true, it would be 

 your crimination, not your 

 apology. Your duty binds you to 

 visit the cells every day; how 

 could you be ignorant of the 

 shameful state of this cell, with- 

 out neglecting your duties?' He 

 took several turns about the cell, 

 followed by the ecclesiastics, 

 shrugging their shoulders and 

 throwing on each other looks of 

 disgust. The Superior stood dis- 

 mayed. They went out, and I 

 could hear the Bishop say in the 

 passage: 'All this disorder must 

 be rectified before I quit the 

 house,' and to the Superior: 

 'You are unworthy of the situa- 

 tion you hold; you ought to be 

 deposed.' And he added in 



severer tones: "Catholics, monks 

 Christians, this is shocking — 

 horrible! tremble for the con- 

 sequences of my next visit, if the 

 same disorders exist. I promise 

 you it shall be repeated soon." '^^ 



Je ne répondis rien: il 

 n'insista pas; mais les jeunes 

 ecclésiastiques laissant tomber 

 leurs bras, la tête baissée et les 

 yeux comme fixés en terre, dé- 

 celaient assez leur peine et leur 

 surprise. 



Ils sortirent tous; et j'en- 

 tendis l'archidiacre qui disait à 

 la supérieure dans le corridor: 



"Vous êtes indigne de vos 



fonctions; vous mériteriez d'être 



déposée. J'en porterai mes 



plaintes à Monseigneur. Que 



tout ce désordre soit réparé avant 



que je sois sorti." Et continuant 



de marcher, et branlant sa tête, il 



ajoutait: "Cela est horrible. Des 



chrétiennes! des religieuses! des 



créatures humaines ! cela est hor- 

 rible !33 



Meanwhile the struggle to have the vows annulled was being 

 continued in each case, and the final result^failure^ — -was the same in 

 each. 



The letter bringing the bad news had to be communicated to the 

 Superior before it could be read by the interested person. The girl 

 entered the Superior's cell with eyes cast down: "La Supérieure 

 était avec quelques autres religieuses; je m'en aperçus au bas de 

 leurs robes, car je n'osais pas lever les yeux."'^ 



The monk entered also with eyes cast down and he "could only 

 see the hems of many habits, whose wearers were all assembled in the 

 Superior's apartment."^'* 



^^Mel. I, pp. 290-292— La R., pp. 85-S6. 

 ^'La R., p. 91~Mel. I, p. 294. 



