To have enough appreciation of happiness and goodness, to be able to live alone among geniuses of every kind; to be able, when the heart longs for silence, to sit rapt in silent ecstasy, to pass from one delight to another; to speak to one another of love, through the sublime voices of the divine poets of all the ages, or through the celestial harmonies of the great masters whose melodies enchant us when called forth by a loving hand; to compare the exquisite beauty of the idolised being, the expression of her features, with all the wonders of art, and to be able to say with pride, "She is still more beautiful!" to be able to draw forth from this threefold source of inspiration, and to behold our love, fecundated by the divine dew, become each day more radiant and more expansive; to glorify the Creator in everything, in the felicity we enjoy, in the woman we love, in the magnificent nature which delights our eyes and charms our soul,--oh, what a glorious existence it must have been, that led by these two beings! But the sad voice of the abbé recalled me from these imaginings. I sighed and followed him, quite determined to penetrate his secret. Very soon the sky became overcast. The morning, which had been beautiful, became sombre; great clouds swept over the sky and some drops of rain began to fall. "There is no inn here," said the curé, "you are on horseback, monsieur, there is a mountain storm gathering, and, if a hurricane comes on, the little river, which you found fordable, will become in a few hours a rapid torrent. Allow me to offer you such poor hospitality as I can in the presbytery until the violence of the storm is over. Your guide and his horses will find a shelter in the barn." I accepted his offer, delighted by the hope that I might have an opportunity of satisfying my curiosity. We entered the house. "_Eh bien_, Joseph?" said Jeanne to the curé, overcome with emotion. "_Hélas!_ Jeanne, may God's will be done! But it was a great trial to me, and I had not the courage to enter her room." Jeanne wiped away her tears, and began to busy herself about receiving me as well as possible in their modest home. Very soon the storm broke with the greatest violence, and I finally decided to spend the night at the presbytery of ----. CHAPTER III THE CURÉ'S TALE After a sojourn of three days at the presbytery of ---- I had so far gained the curé's confidence that he opened his heart to me, and related all that he knew as to the history of those persons in whom I had become so singularly interested. I will try to tell the tale in his grave and simple words.