3 Anticlerical feeling ran strong during the Revolution; many churches and other religious buildings were

"What is this all about?" he thought. "Is it some preparatory ceremony this young priest is performing? Perhaps he's the bishop's secretary. ...He'll be just as insolent as the other lackeys. Ah well, no matter: let's give it a try." He walked carefully down the length of the hall, his eyes focused on that one window, watching the young man, who went on giving the benediction, slowly, but over and over, never resting for a moment. As he grew closer, he saw quite clearly the young man's irritated face. The richness of his lace overrobe caused Julien to stop, still some steps from the magnificent mirror. "It's my duty to speak," he told himself, at last. But the hall's beauty had moved him, and he felt himself already wounded in advance by the harsh words he expected to hear. The young man saw Julien in his mirror, turned around, and immediately dropping his air of irritation, spoke in the gentlest tones: "So, sir! Is everything finally ready?" Julien stood there, stunned. As the young man had swung toward him, Julien had seen the great cross hanging on his breast. This was the Bishop of Agde.4 "So young," thought Julien, "no more than six or eight years older than me! ..." And he was ashamed of his spurs. "My lord," he replied shyly, "I have been sent by the dean of the chapter, Father Chélan." "Ah! He comes very highly recommended," said the bishop, his courtly manner redoubling Julien's fascination. "But I must beg your pardon, sir. I took you for the person who was supposed to fetch my miter. They did a ghastly job of packing it in Paris: the silver foil toward the top is horribly damaged. It would be a most ugly sight," the young bishop added sadly, "so I still have to wait!" "My lord, I'll go fetch your miter, if Your Grace will allow me." Julien's beautiful eyes had their effect. "Do go, sir," replied the bishop, with charming politeness. "I must have it at once. I am desolated, being thus obliged to keep the gentlemen of the chapter waiting." When he got to the middle of the hall, Julien turned back toward the bishop, and saw him once again giving benedictions. "What could that be?" he asked himself. "Surely, some ecclesiastical ceremony required by the ceremony that's going to take place." Back in the valets' antechamber, he saw they had the miter in their hands. Yielding to Julien's imperious look, in spite of themselves they gave him their lord's miter. He was proud to carry it. Crossing through the hall, he walked deliberately, holding it with respect. The bishop was sitting in front of the mirror. But from time to time his right hand, no matter how tired, kept making the sign of the cross. Julien helped him set the miter in place. The bishop shook his head from side to side. "Ah! It will stay on," he said to Julien happily. "Would you step back a bit?" Then the bishop walked, extremely quickly, to the middle of the chamber, after which he came back toward the mirror, his stride very deliberate. He'd gone back to frowning and, most solemnly, making the sign of the cross. Julien was immobilized by astonishment, trying to understand, but unable to risk it. The bishop paused and looked at Julien, his face rapidly losing its grave appearance: "What do you think of my miter, sir? Will it go all right?" "Very well indeed, my lord."