It was a misfortune, Madame the Countess always said; but Marie preferred to be as Mere Jeanne had been.

The Catholic girls in the village said that Mere Jeanne had gone straight to the pit, but that proved that they were ignorant entirely of the things of religion.
Why, Le Boss was a Catholic, he; and everybody knew that he had the evil eye, and that it was not safe to come near him without making the horns.
"For the land's sake!" cried Abby Rock, dropping her dish-cloth into the sink, "what are you talking about, child ?" "But, the horns!" Marie answered innocently.

"When a person has the evil eye, you not make at him the horns, so way ?" and she held out the index and little finger of her right hand, bending the other fingers down.

"So!" she said; "when they so are held, the evil eye has no power.

What you do here to stop him ?" "We don't believe in any such a thing!" Abby replied, with, some severity.