Lindet sprang to his feet and worked his way to the front. ‘I maintain,’ said he, ‘that an inhibition does not disqualify me from appearing.’ The bishop leaned back in his velvet chair, crossed his feet, folded his hands, and looked at the president. ‘I have been inhibited without just cause, without having been given a hearing, or allowed to clear myself of imputations maliciously cast upon me.’ ‘M. Lindet,’ said the grand bailiff, ‘we cannot enter upon the question of the rights of the inhibition; we are solely concerned with the question, whether that said inhibition incapacitates you from voting.’ ‘Quite so,’ the prelate interjected; then his cold grey eye rested upon Lindet, who returned the look with one of defiance. M. de Courcy whispered with the Procureur du Roi. ‘I think,’ said the bishop, in a formal tone, ‘that, whatever may be the decision on the legality of your appearing, M. Lindet, there can be but one opinion on its propriety. If you have not the decency to remain in retirement, when lying under rebuke for scandalous and immoral conduct, you will probably not be shamed by anything I may say.’ ‘My Lord,’ began the curé, ‘I protest--’ but he was interrupted by the president, who, nodding to M. Gozan, the agent for the king, said: ‘The objection raised by monseigneur appears to me not to invalidate the claim of M. Lindet to have a voice in the redaction of the cahiers and the election of the clerical delegates. The order of his Majesty makes no provision for the case of a clerk under censure, and silence on this point may fairly be construed in his favour. The sentence upon him was purely spiritual, his status as stipendiary curate remains unaltered. If he have a grievance, an opportunity is graciously afforded him by his Majesty of declaring it. The ends proposed would be frustrated, if all those who had grievances were precluded by an exercise of authority on the part of their lords, feudal or spiritual, from expressing them.’ The bishop coloured, bowed stiffly, and began to converse in a low tone with M. de la Ferronays, bishop of Lisieux. The preliminary work of calling over the names of electors and delegates occupied the session of that day. At four o’clock in the afternoon it was dissolved, and the vast concourse began to flow out at the Cathedral doors. But it was observed by the bishops, that the clergy showed no signs of moving from their places. M. de Narbonne rose from his violet velvet chair, and with a smile at his brother prelate, and then at the dean, suggested that they should retire through the private entrance in the south transept to the palace garden. He was about to cross before the table at which Adrian Buzot was still engaged with his papers, when Thomas Lindet, standing on his chair, addressed him.