Don't think that I deny the power of science, above all, that of surgery, but a clean conscience! Read the pious books and you'll see how many cures are effected merely by a clean confession." "Pardon me," objected the piqued Dona Victorina, "this power of the confessional--cure the alferez's woman with a confession!" "A wound, madam, is not a form of illness which the conscience can affect," replied Padre Salvi severely.

"Nevertheless, a clean confession will preserve her from receiving in the future such blows as she got this morning." "She deserves them!" went on Dona Victorina as if she had not heard what Padre Salvi said.

"That woman is so insolent! In the church she did nothing but stare at me.

You can see that she's a nobody.

Sunday I was going to ask her if she saw anything funny about my face, but who would lower oneself to speak to people that are not of rank ?" The curate, on his part, continued just as though he had not heard this tirade.