In the shanty, among rough and careless men, may he not have had moments of weakness; blasphemed or taken the names of the saints in vain, and thus have gone to his death with sin upon his conscience, under the weight of divine wrath.
Her parents had promised but a little ago that masses should be said.

How good they were! Having guessed her secret how kindly had they been silent! But she herself might help with prayers the poor soul in torment.

Her beads still lay upon the table; she takes them in her hands, and forthwith the words of the Ave mount to her lips,--"Hail Mary, full of grace..." Did you doubt of her, O mother of the Galilean?
Since that only eight days before she strove to reach your ear with her thousand prayers, and you but clothed yourself in divine impassivity while fate accomplished its purpose, think you that she questions your goodness or your power?
It would indeed have been to misjudge her.
As once she sought your aid for a man, so now she asks your pardon for a soul, in the same words, with the same humility and boundless faith.
"Blessed art Thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus." But still she cowers by the great stove, and though the fire's heat strikes through her, she ceases not to shudder as she thinks of the frozen world about her, of Paradis, who cannot be insentient, who must be so bitter cold in his bed of snow..