Page:The Old Countess (1927).pdf/384

 sieur le maire, a marvellous proximity indeed in the eyes of Buissac, and as the three were seen it was felt, more deeply perhaps than at any other time, that Madame Graham was a remarkable woman.

She was grave and very pale; but she was not wearing black; her clothes were the girlish country clothes they had always seen her wear, and when she got out and made her way among them, she paused to shake hands with Monsieur Prosper, with Blaise, with Madame Jeannin. Then she went to stand beside Monsieur Trumier, stooping to caress the head of the old dog before she looked up at him. It was seen that though she and Monsieur Trumier looked at each other, they did not speak at all.

Monsieur le curé and Monsieur le maire then took their places before the crowd.

Monsieur le curé, who was very red, told them of the filial virtues of the dead girl. She had been, he said, a very perfect example to them all, in that respect. They would all remember how terrible was the cloud of guilt that had rested upon her home and with what patience and fortitude she had tended her mother until her death,  ' munie '  said the curé, with something of doggedness in his tone, '' ' des sacrements de l ' église. '  He ended with an allusion to la sainte Vierge and sainte Anne that was not felt to have much relevance; and indeed the curé evidently felt so himself, for he came to an end abruptly and stepped back to make place for the maire.''

Monsieur le maire spoke at much greater length and