"Precisely; while they are within the curtilage of your house," I
retorted. "However as the punishment was summary, and the man
had no time to confess himself, I am willing to--"
"Well?"
"To pay Father Pierre to say ten masses for his soul."
The way the Vidame received this surprised me. He broke into
boisterous laughter. "By our Lady, my friend," he cried with
rough merriment, "but you are a joker! You are indeed. Masses?
Why the man was a Protestant!"
And that startled me more than anything which had gone before;
more indeed than I can explain. For it seemed to prove that this
man, laughing his unholy laugh was not like other men. He did
not pick and choose his servants for their religion. He was sure
that the Huguenot would stone his fellow at his bidding; the
Catholic cry "Vive Coligny!" I was so completely taken aback
that I found no words to answer him, and it was Croisette who
said smartly, "Then how about his enthusiasm for the true faith,
M. le Vidame?"
"The true faith," he answered--"for my servants is my faith.
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