"But that is not all," said Duprez, with delighted mischief sparkling in
his wicked little dark eyes; "the dear religious opened his heart to us.
He spoke thickly, but we could understand him. He was very impressive!
He is quite of my opinion. He says all religion is nonsense, fable,
imposture,--Man is the only god, Woman his creature and subject.
Again,--man and woman conjoined, make up divinity, necessity, law. He
was quite clear on that point. Why did he preach what he did not
believe, we asked? He almost wept! He replied that the children of this
world liked fairy-stories and he was paid to tell them. It was his bread
and butter,--would we wish him to have no bread and butter? We assured
him so cruel a thought had no place in our hearts! Then he is
amorous--yes! the good fat man is amorous! He would have become a
priest, but on close examination of the confessionals he saw there was
no possibility of seeing, much less kissing a lady penitent through the
grating. So he gave up that idea! In his form of faith he _can_ kiss, he
says,--he _does_ kiss!--always a holy kiss, of course! He is so
ingenuous,--so delightfully frank, it is quite charming!"
They laughed again.
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