Charcoal burners, roofers, masons out of a job, discharged firemen, ready to try their hand at anything for a franc.

There are curates who think nothing of saying, 'Need a man?
Go out in the street and pick up a soldier for ten sous.

He'll do.' That's why you read about accidents like the one that happened lately at Notre Dame, I think.

The fellow didn't withdraw in time and the bell came down like the blade of a guillotine and whacked his leg right off.
"People will spend thirty thousand francs on an altar baldachin, and ruin themselves for music, and they have to have gas in their churches, and Lord knows what all besides, but when you mention bells they shrug their shoulders.

Do you know, M.Durtal, there are only two men in Paris who can ring chords?
Myself and Pere Michel, and he is not married and his morals are so bad that he can't be regularly attached to a church.
He can ring music the like of which you never heard, but he, too, is losing interest.