"Let us never fear robbers nor murderers.
Those are dangers from without, petty dangers.
Let us fear ourselves.
Prejudices are the real robbers; vices are the real murderers.
The great dangers lie within ourselves. What matters it what threatens our head or our purse!
Let us think only of that which threatens our soul."
Then, turning to his sister:
"Sister, never a precaution on the part of the priest, against his fellow-man. That which his fellow does, God permits.
Let us confine ourselves to prayer, when we think that a danger is approaching us.
Let us pray, not for ourselves, but that our brother may not fall into sin on our account."
However, such incidents were rare in his life.
We relate those of which we know; but generally he passed his life in doing the same things at the same moment.
One month of his year resembled one hour of his day.
As to what became of "the treasure" of the cathedral of Embrun, we should be embarrassed by any inquiry in that direction. It consisted of very handsome things, very tempting things, and things which were very well adapted to be stolen for the benefit of the unfortunate.
Stolen they had already been elsewhere. Half of the adventure was completed; it only remained to impart a new direction to the theft, and to cause it to take a short trip in the direction of the poor.
However, we make no assertions on this point.
Only, a rather obscure note was found among the Bishop's papers, which may bear some relation to this matter, and which is couched in these terms, "The question is, to decide whether this should be turned over to the cathedral or to the hospital."
BOOK FIRST--A JUST MAN