She had come thither by Donna Serafina's orders, and sat watching her two dear children as she called them, whilst keeping an eye upon all who came in and went out.

And, on seeing the young priest so pale and nearly swooning, she at once made room for him to sit down beside her.

"Ah!" he murmured after drawing a long breath, "may they at least have the joy of being together elsewhere, of living a new life in another world." Victorine, however, shrugged her shoulders, and in an equally low voice responded, "Oh! live again, Monsieur l'Abbe, why?
When one's dead the best is to remain so and to sleep.

Those poor children had enough torments on earth, one mustn't wish that they should begin again elsewhere." This naive yet deep remark on the part of an ignorant unbelieving woman sent a shudder through Pierre's very bones.

To think that his own teeth had chattered with fear at night time at the sudden thought of annihilation.