Mademoiselle Marbeau, the postmistress, would, with all her heart, have taken the place of Mademoiselle Hebert, but she dared not, though she was a little musical! She was afraid of being remarked as of the clerical party, and denounced by the Mayor, who was a Freethinker.

That might have been injurious to her interests, and prevented her promotion.
He had nearly reached the end of the wall of the park--that park of which every corner was known to the old priest.

The road now followed the banks of the Lizotte, and on the other side of the little stream stretched the fields belonging to the two farms; then, still farther off, rose the dark woods of La Mionne.
Divided! The domain was going to be divided! The heart of the poor priest was rent by this bitter thought.

All that for thirty years had been inseparable, indivisible to him.

It was a little his own, his very own, his estate, this great property.