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“Isupposethatnooneshowedyouaphotographoftheplace？“sheaskeddoubtfully，“forasithappensIknowit。ItisonlyabouttwomilesfromLucernebytheshortwaythroughthewoods。Whatismore，thereisatreewithadeliciousfruit，eitherabigcherryorasmallplum，forIhaveeatensomeofitseveralyearsago。“
“No，“heanswered，“noone。MyfatheronlytoldmethatthenameofthelittlevillageisKleindorf。Hewroteitonthelabelformybag。“
Justthenthelinewentroundabend。“Look，“hesaid，“thereistheplaceItoldyouwewerecomingto，withthedarktrees，thethreepeaks，andthestream，andthewhitechurchwiththecockontopofthespire。“
Sheletdownthecarriagewindow，andstaredatthescene。
“Yes，“sheexclaimed，“itisjustasyoudescribed。Oh!atlastIhavefoundwhatIhavebeenseekingforyears。Godfrey，Ibelievethatyouhavethetruegift。“
“Whatgift，MissOgilvy？“
“Clairvoyance，ofcourse，andperhapsclairaudienceaswell。“
Theladburstoutlaughing，andsaidthathewisheditweresomethingmoreuseful。
FromallofwhichitwillbeguessedthatEthelOgilvywasamysticofthefirstwater。
About11o’clockonthedayfollowingthisconversation，GodfreyfoundhimselfstandingontheplatforminthebigstationofLucerne。
“HowareyougoingtogettoKleindorf？“MissOgilvyaskedofhim。
“It’sfivemilesawaybytheroad。Ithinkyouhadbettercometomyhouseandhavesome/déjeuner/。AfterwardsIwillsendyouthereinthecarriage。“
Asshespokeatallgauntmaninultra-clericalattire，withaverylargehookednoseandwearingapairofbluespectacles，cameshufflingtowardsthem。
“MadameisEngleesh？“hesaid，peeringatherthroughtheblueglasses。“Oh!itiseasytoknowit，thoughIamsoblind。HasMadamebychanceseenaleetle，leetleEngleeshboy，whoshouldarriveoutofthistrain？IlookeverywhereandIcannotfindhim，andtheconducteur，hesayshenotthere。Noleetleboyinthesecondclass。
HisnameitisGodfrey，thesonofanEnglishpasteur，amanwhofearGodintherightway。“
Therewassomethingsoabsurdintheoldgentleman’sappearanceandmethodofaddress，thatMissOgilvy，whohadasenseofhumour，wasobligedtoturnawaytohidehermirth。Recovering，sheanswered：
“Ithinkthisisyourlittleboy，MonsieurlePasteur，“andsheindicatedthetallandhandsomeGodfrey，whostoodgazingathisfutureinstructoropen-mouthed。Whoeverhehadmetinhisvisions，thePasteurBoisetwasnotoneofthem。Never，asleeporwaking，hadheseenanyoneintheleastlikehim。
TheclergymanpeeredatGodfrey，studyinghimfromheadtofoot。
“MonDieu!“heexclaimed，“Iunderstoodhewasquite，quiteleetle，notabigyoungmanwhowilleatmuchandwantmanythings。Well，hewillbe/boncompagnon/forJuliette，andMadametoo，shelikethebigbetterthantheleetle。/Ilestbeauetilal’airintelligent，n’estcepas，Madame？/“headdedconfidentially。
“/Bienbeauettrèsintelligent/，“shereplied，observingthatGodfreywasengagedinretrievinghisovercoatwhichhehadleftinthecarriage。Thensheexplainedthatshehadbecomefriendlywiththisyounggentleman，andhopedthathewouldbeallowedtovisitherwheneverhewished。Alsoshegavehernameandaddress。
“Oh!yes，MademoiselleOgilvee，therichEnglishladywholiveinthefinehouse。Ihaveheardofher。/Maisvoyons!/MademoiselleisnotCatholic，isshe，forIpromisetoprotectthisladfromthatredwolf？“
“No，Monsieur，fearnothing。WhateverIam，IamnotCatholic，“
(though，perhaps，ifyouknewall，youwouldthinkmesomethingmuchmoredangerous，sheaddedtoherself。)
Thentheysaidgoodbye。
“Isay，MissOgilvy，“exclaimedGodfrey，blushing，“you’vebeenawfullykindtome。Ifithadn’tbeenforyouIshouldhavemissedthattrainandneverheardthelastofit。Also，IshouldhavehadtogohungryfromLondonhere，sinceIpromisedmyfathernottobuyanythingonthejourney，andyouknowIforgotthebasket。“(Bytheway，beingaddressed，itarrivedthreedaysafterwards，amassofcorruption，withsixfrancstopayonit，andmanypaperstobesigned。)
“Notatall，Godfrey，itwasdelightfultohaveyouasacompanion——
andafriend，“sheaddedmeaningly。“Youwillcomeandseeme，won’tyou？“
“Yes，ofcourse，ifIcan。Butmeanwhile，pleasewaitaminute，“andhepulledouthispurse。
“Whatonearthareyougoingtodo，Godfrey？Idon’twantyourcard。“
“Card!Ihaven’tgotacard。Iamgoingtomakeyouapresent。“
“Makemeapresent？“gaspedMissOgilvy，avaguevisionofhalf-crownsflashingbeforehermind。
“Yes，itisratheracuriousthing。Itwasfoundroundtheneck-boneofanoldknight，whoseremainstheythrewoutoftheAbbeyChurchwhentheyputintheheatingapparatus。Isawitthere，andthesextongaveittomewhenhediscoveredthatitwasonlystone。Youwillseeithasaholeinit，sohemusthavewornitasanornament。ThegravehelayinwasthatofaCrusader，forthelegsarecrosseduponhisbrass，althoughhisnamehasgone。Oh!hereitis，“andheproducedanoblongpieceofblackgraphiteorsomesuchstone，coveredwithmysticalengravings。
Sheseizedtheobject，andexaminediteagerly。
“Why，itisatalisman，“shesaid，“Gnostic，Ishouldthink，forthereisthecockuponit，andalotthatIcan’tread，probablyamagicformula。NodoubttheoldCrusadergotitintheEast，perhapsasagiftfromsomeSaraceninwhosefamilyithaddescended。Oh!mydearboy，Idothankyou。YoucouldnothavemademeapresentthatI
shouldvaluemore。“
“Iamsoglad，“saidGodfrey。
“Yes，butIamashamedtotakeitfromyou。Well，I’llleaveitbacktoyouoneday。“
“Leaveitback!Thenyoumustdiebeforeme，andwhyshouldyoudothat？Youarequiteyoung。“
“BecauseIshall，“sheansweredwithasadlittlesmile。“IlookstrongerthanIam。Meanwhileyouwillcomeandtellmeallaboutthistalisman。“
“IhavetoldyouallIknow，MissOgilvy。“
“Doyouthinkso？Idon’t。Butlook，youroldpasteuriscallingthatthediligenceiscoming。Good-bye。I’llsendthecarriageforyounextSundayintimefor/déjeuner/。“
AfewminuteslaterGodfreyfoundhimselfpackedinarumblingolddiligenceamidstanumberofpeasantwomenwithbaskets。AlsotherewasaRomanCatholicpriestwhosatoppositetothePasteur。Forawhilethesetwoeyedeachotherwithevidentanimosity，justlikeapairofrivaldogs，Godfreythoughttohimself。
Attheoutskirtsofthetowntheypassedashrine，inwhichwastheimageofsomesaint。ThepriestcrossedhimselfandbowedsolowthathestruckthekneeofthePasteur，whoremonstratedinanelaborateandsarcasticfashion。Thenthefightbegan，andthosetwoholymenbelabouredeachother，withwords，notfists，fortherestofthejourney。Godfrey’sFrenchwassadlytoseek，stillbeforeitwasdone，hedidwonderwhetheralltheirlanguagewasstrictlyChristian，forsuchwordsas/Sapristi/，and/NomdeDieu/，accompaniedbysnappingofthefingers，andangrystares，struckhimasshowingacontentiousandevenahostilespirit。Moreover，thatwasnottheendofit，sinceoftheoccupantsofthediligence，aboutonehalfseemedtobelongtothepartyofthepriest，andtheotherhalftothepartyofthePasteur。
Bydegreesalloftheseweredrawnintotheconflict。Theyshoutedandscreamedateachother，theywavedtheirarms，andincidentallytheirbaskets，oneofwhichstruckGodfreyonthenose，andindeednearlycametoactualfisticuffs。
Apparentlythedriverwasaccustomedtosuchscenes，forafteraglancethroughhislittlewindowhetooknofurthernotice。Soitwentonuntilatlasthepulledupandshouted：
“/VoyageurspourKleindorf，descendez。Vite，s’ilvousplait。/“
“Herewedogetdown，youngMonsieur，“saidthePasteur，suddenlyrelapsingintoakindofunnaturalcalm。Indeed，atthedoorheturnedandbowedpolitelytohisadversary，wishinghim/bonvoyage/，towhichthepriestrepliedwithasolemnbenedictioninthemostCatholicform。
“Heisnotbadofheart，thatpriest，“saidthePasteur，asheledthewaytothegateofalittleshrubbery，“buthedotrytostealmysheep，andIprotectthemfromhim，theblood-toothedwolf。Jean，Jean!“
AbrawnySwissappearedandseizedthebaggage。Thentheyadvancedacrossthebeltofshrubberytoalawn，throughwhichranapath。Lo!
inthecentreofthatlawngrewsuchafruit-tree，coveredwithlargecherriesorsmallplums，asGodfreyhaddescribedtoMissOgilvy，andbeyonditstoodthelongwhitehouse，old，andbig，andpeacefullooking。Whathehadnotdescribed，becauseofthemhissubliminalsensehadgivenhimnoinkling，werethetwoladies，whosatexpectantontheverandah，thatcommandedabeautifulviewofthelakeandthemountainsbeyond。
