nce。　However　it　was；　these　insignificant　disputes　gave　rise　to　two　parties　in　the　Gallican　Churchthe　Jansenists　and　the　Jesuits。　Great　men　were　found　in　either　camp；　and　a　struggle　began　between　two　powerful　bodies。　The　Jansenists　affected　an　excessive　purity　of　morals　and　of　doctrine；　and　accused　the　Jesuits　of　preaching　a　relaxed　morality。　The　Jansenists；　in　fact；　were　Catholic　Puritans；　if　two　contradictory　terms　can　be　combined。　During　the　Revolution；　the　Concordat　occasioned　an　unimportant　schism；　a　little　segregation　of　ultra…catholics　who　refused　to　recognize　the　Bishops　appointed　by　the　authorities　with　the　consent　of　the　Pope。　This　little　body　of　the　faithful　was　called　the　Little　Church；　and　those　within　its　fold；　like　the　Jansenists；　led　the　strictly　ordered　lives　that　appear　to　be　a　first　necessity　of　existence　in　all　proscribed　and　persecuted　sects。　Many　Jansenist　families　had　joined　the　Little　Church。　The　family　to　which　this　young　girl　belonged　had　embraced　the　equally　rigid　doctrines　of　both　these　Puritanisms；　tenets　which　impart　a　stern　dignity　to　the　character　and　mien　of　those　who　hold　them。　It　is　the　nature　of　positive　doctrine　to　exaggerate　the　importance　of　the　most　ordinary　actions　of　life　by　connecting　them　with　ideas　of　a　future　existence。　This　is　the　source　of　a　splendid　and　delicate　purity　of　heart；　a　respect　for　others　and　for　self；　of　an　indescribably　keen　sense　of　right　and　wrong；　a　wide　charity；　together　with　a　justice　so　stern　that　it　might　well　be　called　inexorable；　and　lastly；　a　perfect　hatred　of　lies　and　of　all　the　vices　comprised　by　falsehood。
  〃I　can　recall　no　more　delightful　moments　than　those　of　our　first　meeting　at　my　old　friend's　house。　I　beheld　for　the　first　time　this　shy　young　girl　with　her　sincere　nature；　her　habits　of　ready　obedience。　All　the　virtues　peculiar　to　the　sect　to　which　she　belonged　shone　in　her；　but　she　seemed　to　be　unconscious　of　her　merit。　There　was　a　grace；　which　no　austerity　could　diminish；　about　every　movement　of　her　lissome；　slender　form；　her　quiet　brow；　the　delicate　grave　outlines　of　her　face；　and　her　clearly　cut　features　indicated　noble　birth；　her　expression　was　gentle　and　proud；　her　thick　hair　had　been　simply　braided；　the　coronet　of　plaits　about　her　head　served；　all　unknown　to　her；　as　an　adornment。　Captain；　she　was　for　me　the　ideal　type　that　is　always　made　real　for　us　in　the　woman　with　whom　we　fall　in　love；　for　when　we　love；　is　it　not　because　we　recognize　beauty　that　we　have　dreamed　of；　the　beauty　that　has　existed　in　idea　for　us　is　realized？　When　I　spoke　to　her；　she　answered　simply；　without　shyness　or　eagerness；　she　did　not　know　the　pleasure　it　was　to　me　to　see　her；　to　hear　the　musical　sounds　of　her　voice。　All　these　angels　are　revealed　to　our　hearts　by　the　same　signs；　by　the　sweetness　of　their　tongues；　the　tenderness　in　their　eyes；　by　their　fair；　pale　faces；　and　their　gracious　ways。　All　these　things　are　so　blended　and　mingled　that　we　feel　the　charm　of　their　presence；　yet　cannot　tell　in　what　that　charm　consists；　and　every　movement　is　an　expression　of　a　divine　soul　within。　I　loved　passionately。　This　newly　awakened　love　satisfied　all　my　restless　longings；　all　my　ambitious　dreams。　She　was　beautiful；　wealthy；　and　nobly　born；　she　had　been　carefully　brought　up；　she　had　all　the　qualifications　which　the　world　positively　demands　of　a　woman　placed　in　the　high　position　which　I　desired　to　reach；　she　had　been　well　educated；　she　expressed　herself　with　a　sprightly　facility　at　once　rare　and　common　in　France；　where　the　most　prettily　worded　phrases　of　many　women　are　emptiness　itself；　while　her　bright　talk　was　full　of　sense。　Above　all；　she　had　a　deep　consciousness　of　her　own　dignity　which　made　others　respect　her；　I　know　of　no　more　excellent　thing　in　a　wife。　I　must　stop；　captain；　no　one　can　describe　the　woman　he　loves　save　very　imperfectly；　preexistent　mysteries　which　defy　analysis　lie　between　them。
  〃I　very　soon　took　my　old　friend　into　my　confidence。　He　introduced　me　to　her　family；　and　gave　me　the　countenance　of　his　honorable　character。　I　was　received　at　first　with　the　frigid　politeness　characteristic　of　those　exclusive　people　who　never　forsake　those　whom　they　have　once　admitted　to　their　friendship。　As　time　went　on　they　welcomed　me　almost　as　one　of　the　family；　this　mark　of　their　esteem　was　won　by　my　behavior　in　the　matter。　In　spite　of　my　passionate　love；　I　did　nothing　that　could　lower　me　in　my　own　eyes；　I　did　not　cringe；　I　paid　no　court　to　those　upon　whom　my　fate　depended；　before　all　things　I　showed　myself　a　man；　and　not　other　than　I　really　was。　When　I　was　well　known　to　them；　my　old　friend；　who　was　as　desirous　as　I　myself　that　my　life　of　melancholy　loneliness　should　come　to　an　end；　spoke　of　my　hopes　and　met　with　a　favorable　reception；　but　with　the　diplomatic　shrewdness　which　is　almost　a　second　nature　with　men　of　the　world；　he　was　silent　with　regard　to　an　error　of　my　youth；　as　he　termed　it。　He　was　anxious　to　bring　about　a　'satisfactory　marriage'　for　me；　an　expression　that　makes　of　so　solemn　an　act　a　business　transaction　in　which　husband　and　wife　endeavor　to　cheat　each　other。　In　his　opinion；　the　existence　of　my　child　would　excite　a　moral　repugnance；　in　comparison　with　which　the　question　of　money　would　be　as　nought；　and　the　whole　affair　would　be　broken　off　at　once；　and　he　was　right。
  〃　'It　is　a　matter　which　will　be　very　easily　settled　between　you　and　your　wife；　it　will　be　easy　to　obtain　her　full　and　free　forgiveness；'　he　said。
  〃In　short；　he　tried　to　silence　my　scruples；　and　all　the　insidious　arguments　that　worldly　wisdom　could　suggest　were　brought　to　bear　upon　me　to　this　end。　I　will　confess　to　you；　sir；　that　in　spite　of　my　promise；　my　first　impulse　was　to　act　straightforwardly　and　to　make　everything　known　to　the　head　of　the　family；　but　the　thought　of　his　uncompromising　sternness　made　me　pause；　and　the　probable　consequences　of　the　confession　appalled　me；　my　courage　failed；　I　temporized　with　my　conscience；　I　determined　to　wait　until　I　was　sufficiently　sure　of　the　affection　of　the　girl　I　hoped　to　win；　before　hazarding　my　happiness　by　the　terrible　confession。　My　resolution　to　acknowledge　everything　openly；　at　a　convenient　season；　vindicated　the　sophistries　of　worldly　wisdom　and　the　sagacity　of　my　old　friend。　So　the　young　girl's　parents　received　me　as　their　future　son…in…law　without；　as　yet；　taking　their　friends　into　their　confidence。
  〃An　infinite　discretion　is　the　distinguishing　quality　of　pious　families；　they　are　reticent　about　everything；　even　about　matters　of　no　importance。　You　would　not　believe；　sir；　how　this　sedate　gravity　and　reserve；　pervading　every　least　action；　deepens　the　current　of　feeling　and　thought。　Everything　in　that　house　was　done　with　some　useful　end　in　view；　the　women　spent　their　leisure　time　in　making　garments　for　the　poor；　their　conversation　was　never　frivolous；　laughter　was　not　banished；　but　there　was　a　kindly　simplicity　about　their　merriment。　Their　talk　had　none　of　the　piquancy　which　scandal　and　ill…natured　gossip　give　to　the　conversation　of　society；　only　the　father　and　uncle　read　the　newspapers；　even　the　most　harmless　journal　contains　references　to　crimes　or　to　public　evils；　and　she　whom　I　hoped　to　win　had　never　cast　her　eyes　over　their　sheets。　How　strange　it　was；　at　first；　to　listen　to　these　orthodox　people！　But　in　a　little　while；　the　pure　atmosphere　left　the　same　impression　upon　the　soul　that　subdued　colors　give　to　the　eyes；　a　sense　of　serene　repose　and　of　tranquil　peace。
  〃To　a　superficial　observer；　their　life　would　have　seemed　terribly　monotonous。　There　was　something　chilling　about　the　appearance　of　the　interior　of　the　house。　Day　after　day　I　used　to　see　everything；　even　the　furniture　in　constant　use；　always　standing　in　the　same　place；　and　this　uniform　tidiness　pervaded　the　smallest　details。　Yet　there　was　something　very　attractive　about　their　household　ways。　I　had　been　used　to　the　pleasures　of　variety；　to　the　luxury　and　stir　of　life　in　Paris；　it　was　only　when　I　had　overcome　my　first　repugnance　that　I　saw　the　advantages　of　this　existence；　how　it　lent　itself　to　continuity　of　thought　and　to　involuntary　meditation；　how　a　life　in　which　the　heart　has　undisturbed　sway　seems　to　widen　and　grow　vast　as　the　sea。　It　is　like　the　life　of　the　cloister；　where　the　outward　surroundings　never　vary；　and　thought　is　thus　compelled　to　detach　itself　from　outward　things　and　to　turn　to　the　infinite　that　lies　within　the　soul！
  〃For　a　man　as　sincerely　in　love　as　I　was；　the　silence　and　simplicity　of　the　life；　the　almost　conventual　regularity　with　which　the　same　things　are　done　daily　at　the　same　hours；　only　deepened　and　strengthened　love。　In　that　profound　calm　the　interest　attaching　to　the　least　action；　word；　or　gesture　became　immense。　I　learned　to　know　that；　in　the　interchange　of　glances　and　in　answering　smiles；　there　lies　an　eloquence　and　a　variety　of　language　far　beyond　the　possibilities　of　the　most　magnificent　of　spoken　phrases；　that　when　the　expression　of　the　feelings　is　spontaneous　and　unforced；　there　is　no　idea；　no　joy　nor　sorrow　that　cannot　thus　be　communicated　by　hearts　that　understand　each　other。　How　many　times　I　have　tried　to　set　forth　my　soul　in　my　eyes　or　on　my　lips；　compelled　at　once　to　speak　and　to　be　silent　concerning　my　passion；　for　the　young　girl　who；　in　my　presence；　was