Probably Rosalie spoke to Paulette Dubois more often than did any one else in the parish, but that was because the woman came for little things at the shop, and asked for letters, and every week sent one--to a man living in Montreal.

She sent these letters, but not more than once in six months did she get a reply, and she had not had one in a whole year.

Yet every week she asked, and Rosalie found it hard to answer her politely, and sometimes showed it.
So it was that the two disliked each other without good cause, save that they were separated by a chasm as wide as a sea.

The one disliked the other because she must recognise her; the other chafed because she could be recognised by Rosalie officially only.
The late afternoon of the day in which Rosalie decided to nail the cross on the church door again, Paulette arrived to ask for letters at the moment that the office wicket was closed, and Rosalie had answered that it was after office hours, and had almost closed the door in her face.
As she turned away Jo Portugais came out of the tailor-shop opposite.
He saw Paulette, and stood still an instant.

She did the same.