Old ladies who give good dinners to a Low Church British curate, or an abbe of the Roman confession, or, indeed, to the needy celibate exponents of any creed whatsoever, may always count upon the active conversational support of their spiritual adviser.

And it is not only within the fold of Papacy that careful Christians find the road to heaven made smooth by the arts of an efficient cook.
"You know well enough what I mean, malicious one," retorted the lady, arranging her shawl upon her fat shoulders.
"I always think," murmured the Abbe, sipping his digestive glass of eau-de-vie d'Armagnac, which is better than any cognac of Charente--"I always think that to be thin shows a mean mind, lacking generosity." "Take my word for it," pursued Madame de Chantonnay, warming to her subject, "that is the explanation of the young man's disappearance.

They say the government has taken some underhand way of putting him aside.
One does not give credence to such rumours in these orderly times.

No: it is simply that he prefers the pale eyes of some Mees to glory and France.

Has it not happened before, Abbe ?" "Ah! Madame--" another sip of Armagnac.
"And will it not happen again?
It is the heart that has the first word and the last.