10/15 I cannot therefore be suspected of favouring civil burials. But I hardly understand why you persist in offering the cure of Saint-Etienne-du-Mont a dead body which he repudiates. Now why do you want this unfortunate Chevalier to go to church ?" "Why ?" replied Madame Doulce. "For the salvation of his soul and because it is more seemly." "What would be seemly," replied Constantin Marc, "would be to obey the laws of the Church, which excommunicates suicides." "Monsieur Constantin Marc, have you read _Les Soirees de Neuilly_ ?" inquired Pradel, who was an ardent collector of old books and a great reader. "What, you have not read _Les Soirees de Neuilly_, by Monsieur de Fongeray? |