"By the nose of John, but it must be a king has deigned to honor me with his commands," laughed the
priest. "Raise your visor, My Lord, I would fain look upon the countenance from which issue the commands of royalty."
The
priest waited a few seconds to see if he would not say more, and closing his eyes he said quickly, with a broad, Vladimirsky accent:
Finding the higher Orders wavering and undecided, the leaders of the Revolution advanced still further in their requirements, and at last demanded that all classes alike, the
Priests and the Women not excepted, should do homage to Colour by submitting to be painted.
Villefort met them at the door of his study; having in a few words thanked the district doctor, he turned to d'Avrigny, and said, -- "And now the
priest."
"All night I shall torture him," she muttered to her
priests, "and at the first streak of dawn you may prepare the flaming altar upon which his heart shall be offered up to the Flaming God.
Either help me to gain the nearest village or swear to me on your salvation that you will send me the first monk, the first cure, the first
priest you may meet.
The effort sent him rolling from the altar to the stone floor on the opposite side from that on which the priestess stood; but as he sprang to his feet the thongs dropped from his freed arms, and at the same time he realized that he was alone in the inner temple--the high priestess and the mad
priest had disappeared.
Whether the little
priest's coat and creed touched some southern memories of confession, or whether she fancied he knew more than he did, she said to him in a low voice as to a fellow plotter, "He is right enough in one way, your friend.
Thus refreshed and sobered, the jolly
priest twirled his heavy partisan round his head with three fingers, as if he had been balancing a reed, exclaiming at the same time, ``Where be those false ravishers, who carry off wenches against their will?
Hearing this the
priest bade him think of the welfare of his soul rather than of the cravings of the body, and in all earnestness implore God's pardon for his sins and for his rash resolve; to which Basilio replied that he was determined not to confess unless Quiteria first gave him her hand in marriage, for that happiness would compose his mind and give him courage to make his confession.
He had planted his person at a flying leap next to the lovely Englishwoman; on the other side of her sat the
priest, whose name was Brown and who was fortunately a silent individual; the courier and the father and son were on the banc behind.
The
priest, on his knees, for he had not the strength to stand erect, was not even fastened to the stake, his weakness rendering that precaution superfluous.