But, after it answers the first question with 'God,' nothing but questions follow; and so, one day, this man gave a ship full of merchandise for one little book which answered those questions.

God help him to understand it! and God help you, monsieur and you, madame, sitting here in your _smuggled clothes_, to beat upon the breast with me and cry, 'I, too, Lord--I, too, stood by and consented.'" Pere Jerome had not intended these for his closing words; but just there, straight away before his sight and almost at the farthest door, a man rose slowly from his seat and regarded him steadily with a kind, bronzed, sedate face, and the sermon, as if by a sign of command, was ended.

While the _Credo_ was being chanted he was still there; but when, a moment after its close, the eye of Pere Jerome returned in that direction, his place was empty.
As the little priest, his labor done and his vestments changed, was turning into the Rue Royale and leaving the cathedral out of sight, he just had time to understand that two women were purposely allowing him to overtake them, when the one nearer him spoke in the Creole patois, saying, with some timid haste: "Good-morning, Pere--Pere Jerome; Pere Jerome, we thank the good God for that sermon." "Then, so do I," said the little man.

They were the same two that he had noticed when he was preaching.

The younger one bowed silently; she was a beautiful figure, but the slight effort of Pere Jerome's kind eyes to see through the veil was vain.