‘Your lordship is theoretically right; but, unfortunately, the flock will not submit to be milked with as great equanimity as heretofore. Since the local parliaments, to the detriment of the liberties of the Church, have assumed to receive appeals from our courts, we have lost the hold upon the laity that we possessed formerly. I think--but here I bow to your lordship’s superior judgment--that it would not be advisable, just at present--I only urge at present, to draw off too much milk from the laity. Now as for the _prêtrisse_, that is quite another matter. The priests are at your disposal, your lordship can do with them almost what your lordship likes. They are, in fact, mere servants of the bishop.’ ‘True, Ponce,’ said the prelate, blandly; ‘I say to this man go, and he goeth; and to another do this, and he doeth it.’ ‘And the most satisfactory point is this, they have no appeal against their bishop. The law----’ ‘I am the law,’ interrupted Monseigneur; ‘to the diocese in all matters ecclesiastical, I repeat the expression, I am the law.’ ‘Your lordship is right,’ continued the officer; ‘and therefore I would urge that the most ready source of money is to be found in the Church. You have but to fine a priest, and he cannot escape you. He cannot evade your court, he cannot appeal to the crown, he dare not throw himself on public opinion. He is completely at your mercy. He is your slave. If he refuses to comply with your requirements, you can inhibit him, or suspend him. Whilst suspended, the income of the living goes to your lordship, and you have only to provide out of it for the ministration of the sacraments; a small tax, for there are always indigent or disreputable clergy glad enough to take temporary duty for a trifling fee. But the curé knows better than to resist his diocesan. He has been bred to consider it a matter of conscience to yield to his ecclesiastical superior; and, even if conscience does not influence him, common prudence will act upon him, when he considers that every other profession is legally shut against him, so that he must be his bishop’s slave, or starve.’ ‘I have no wish for a moment to act with undue severity towards my clergy,’ said Monseigneur de Narbonne; ‘indeed, I am incapable of any such action; but discipline must be maintained, and when a spirit of defiance manifests itself, even amongst the clergy, it is high time that they should be made to recognise who is master in the Church. The curés dare to call my episcopal acts in question, and to oppose the execution of my projects. Is the Church a constitutional government? Certainly not; it is a monarchy of which every prelate is sovereign in his own see. The laity may have eluded his crook, but with the spike he can transfix his recalcitrant clergy.’ ‘I can give your lordship an instance of insubordination corroborative of what you have just stated. I have just returned from Bernay----’