（
神医狂妃）（
酷酷总裁你跑不掉）（
仙武同修）（
无厘红尘）（
灵域）（
绝宠腹黑妃）the odule sabot’s confession
by guymaupassant
when sabot entered the innmartinvillewaignala roguewas, this sabot!there waan who did not like priests, for instance!oh, no, oh, no!he did not spare them, the scamp.
sabot (theodule), a master carpenter, represented liberal thoughaall, thin, than, with gray, cunning eyes, and thin lips, and wore his hair plastered downhisaid: “our holy father, the pope”a certain manner, everyon madointworkingsunday during the houilled his pig each yearmondayholy weekorderhave enough black puddinglast till easter, and when the priest passed by,always saidwaya joke:“there goes one who has just swallowed his god ofalver.”
the priest, a stout man and also very tall, dreaded himaccounthis boastful talk which attracte abbe maritime waolitic man, and believedbein had beeivalry between them for ten years, a secret, intense, incessan was municipal councillor, and they thoughtwould bee mayor, which would inevitably mean the final overthrowthe church.
the elections were abouttak church party was shakingits shoesmartinville.
one morning the cure set out for rouen, telling his servant thatwas goingseereturnedtwo days witoyous, triumphan everyone knew the following day that the chancelthe church was goingbsix hundred francs had been contributedthe archbishop outhis privat the old pine pews werebe removed, and replacednew pews madoulda big carpentering job, and they talked aboutthat very eveningall the housesth sabot was not laughing.
whenwent through the village the following morning, the neighbors, friends and enemies, all asked him, jokingly:“are you goingdo the workthe chancelthe church?”he could find nothingsay, butwas furious,was goodpeople added:“ita good piecework; and will bringnot less than twothree per cent profit.”
two days later, they heard that the workrenovation had been entrustedcelestin chambrelan, the carpenter fro this was denied, andwas said that all the pewsthe church were goingb wouldwell worth the two thousand francs that had been demandedthe church administration.
theodule sabot could not sleep for thinking about it. never,all the memoryman, haountry carpenter undertakeimilar piec rumor spread abroad that the cure felt very grieved thathadgive this worka carpenter who watrangerthe munity, but that sabot’s opinions werarrierhis being entrusted with the job.
sabot knealledthe parsonage justit was growin servant told him that the cure waentth attendantsthe altarthe virgin, two soar old maids, were decorating the altar for the monthmary, under the directionthe priest, who stoodthe middlethe chancel with his portly paunch, directing the two women who, mountedchairs, were placing flowers around the tabernacle.
sabot felt illeasethere,thoughwerethe househis greatest enemy, but the greedgain was gnawinghi drew nearer, holding his caphis hand, and not paying any attentionthe “demoisellesla vierge,” who remained standing startled, astonished, motionlesstheir chairs.
he faltered:“good morning, monsieurcure.”the priest replied without lookinghim, all occupiedhe was with the altar:“good morning, mr. carpenter.”sabot, nonplussed, knew not whatsa afteauseremarked:“you are making preparations?”abbe maritime replied:“yes,are near the monthmary.”“why, why,” remarked sabot and then was silent.
hewould have likedretire now without saying anything, bulancethe chancel heldsaw sixteen seats that hadbe remade, sixthe right and eightthe left, the doorthe sacristy occupying the placak seats, that wouldworthmost three hundred francs, andfiguring carefully one might certainly make two hundred francsthe workone were not clumsy.
thenstammered out:“i have e about the work.”the cure appeare asked:“what work?”“the workbe done,” murmured sabot, i the priest turned round and looking him straightthe eyes, said:“do you mean the repairsthe chancelmy church?”at the tonethe abbe, theodule sabot felhill run down his back andonce more haongingtakehi,replied humbly:“why, yes, monsieurcure.”then the abbe folded his arms across his large stomach and,if filled with amazement, said:“isyou you you, sabot who have easkfor this ...you the only irreligious manmy parish!why,woulda scandal, a public scandal!the archbishop would givea reprimand, perhaps transferme.”
hestoppeew seconds, for breath, and then resumeda calmer tone:can understand thatpains youseorksuch importance entrusteda carpenter froeighboriannototherwise, unless butitimpossible you would not consent, and unless you did, never.”sabot now lookedthe rowbencheslinefarthe entranc,they were goingchange all those!
andasked:“what would you requireme?tell me.”the priest,a firm tone replied:“i must haveextraordinary tokenyour good intentions.”“inot say inot say; perhapsmight ean understanding,” faltered sabot.“you will havetake munion publiclyhigh mass next sunday,” declaredcarpenter feltwas growing pale, and without replying,asked:“and the benches, are they goingbe renovated?”the abbe replied with confidence:“yes, but later on.”
sabot resumed:“inot say, ino not callingoff, iconsentingreligion,what rubsthe wrong way is, puttingin practice; butthis casill notrefractory.”the attendantsthe virgin, having got off their chairs had concealed themselves behind the altar; and they listened pale wit cure, seeinghad gained the victory, became allonce very friendly, quite familiar.
“thatgood, thaas wisely said, and not stupid,will see, you will see.”sabot smiled and asked withawkward air:“wouldnotpossibleput off this munion jusrifle?”
but the priest replied, resuming his severe expression:“from the moment that the workput into your hands, i wantbe assuredyour conversion.”thencontinued more gently:“you will econfession to-morrow; foust examine youleast twice.”“twice?” repeated sabot.“yes.”
the priest smiled.“you understand perfectly that you must haveneral cleaning up, a thorouill expect youmorrow.”the carpenter, much agitated, asked:“whereyouthat?”“whythe confessional.”“in that box, over therethe corner?the factis thatdoes not suit me, your box.”“howthat?”“seeing that seeing that inot accustomedthat, and also irather hardhearing”
the cure was very affable and said:“well, then!you shall emy house and intill havejust the twous, tete that suit you?”“yes, thatall right, that will suit me, but your box, no.”“well, then, tomorrow after the days work,six o’clock.”“thatunderstood, thatall right, thatagreed on.to-morrow, monsieuraws backa skunk!”
andheld out his great rough hand which the priest grasped heartily witlap that resounded through the church.
theodule sabot was not easyhis mind all the followin haeeling analogousthe apprehension one experiences wheooth hasb thought recurredhimevery moment:mustto confession this evening.”and his troubled mind, the mindan atheist only half convinced, was bewildered witonfused and overwhelming dreadthe divin soonhe had finished his work,betook himselfth cure was waiting for himthe garden, reading his breviaryhe walked alonittl appeared radiant and greeted him witood-natured laugh.
“well, hereare!e in, e in, monsieur sabot,one will eat you.”and sabot preceded him intofaltered:“if younot minhould likeget through with this little matteronce.”the cure replied:“iat yousurplic minute anill listenyou.”
the carpenter,disturbed thathad not two ideashis head, watched himhe putthe white vestment with its pleate priest beckonedhim and said:“kneel downthis cushion.”sabot remained standing, ashamedhavintuttered:“isnecessary?”but the abbe had bee dignified.“you cannot approach the penitent bench exceptyour knees.”and sabot kneltdown.
“repeat the confiteor,” said the priest.“whatthat?” asked sabot.“th younot remember it, repeat after me, oneone, the words igoingsay.”and the cure repeated the sacred prayer,a slow tone, emphasizing the words which the carpenter repeated aftesaid:“now make your confession.”but sabot was silent, not knowing wherbbe then camehis aid.
“my child, i will ask you questions, since you don’t seem familiar with thes will take, oneone, the mandments ome andnoery frankly and never fear that you may say too much.“‘one god alone, thou shalt adore, and love him perfectly.’“have you ever loved anything,anybody,wellyou loved god?have you loved him with all your soul, all your heart, all the strengthyourlove?”
sabot was perspiring with the efforeplied:“no.oh, no, m’sieodmuchyeove him ver say that inot lovechildren,i cannotsay thati hadchoose between them and god, i could noay thati hadlosundred francs for the lovegod, i could not say aboove him well, for sure, i love him all the same.”the priest said gravely:“you must love him more than all besides.”and sabot, meaning well, declared:“i willwhaossibly can, m’sieucure.”the abbe resumed:“‘god’s namevain thou shalt not take nor swearany other thing.’“did you ever swear?”
“no oh, that, no!i never swear,momentanger, i may say sacre nomdieu!but then, i never swear.”“thatswearing,” cried the priest, and added seriously:“do notit again.“‘thy sundays thou shalt keepserving god devoutly.’“whatyouon sunday?”this time sabot scratched his ear.“why, i serve godbesan, m’sieim asunday.”
the cure interrupted him, saying magnanimously:“i know, you willbetteass over the following mandments, certain that you have not transgressed thewill take from the sixthth resume:“‘others’ goods thou shalt not take nor keep whatnot thine.’“have you ever takenany way what belongedanother?”but theodule sabot became indignant.
“of course not,course not!ian honest man, m’sieucure, i swear it,say thaave not sometimes charged foew more hoursworkcustomers who had means, i could notsay thaever adew centimesbills, onlew, i would notto steal, no!oh, not that, no!”the priest resumed severely:“to take one single centime constitutes notit again.“‘false witness thou shalt not bear, nor lieany way.’“have you ever tolie?”
“no,to that, no.inoay thaave never tolig story, i would not likesa say thaave never made people believe things that were not true whenwasmy own interest, i would not likesafor lying, inoiar.”the priest simply said:“watch yourself more closely.”thencontinued:“‘the worksthe flesh thou shalt not desire exceptmarriage only.’“did you ever desire,live with, any other woman than your wife?”
sabot exclaimed with sincerity:“asthat, no; oh,to that, no, m’sieoor wife, deceive her!no, no!notmuchthe tipa finger, eitherthoughtithe truth.”they were silenew seconds, then,a lower tone,thougoubt had arisenhis mind,resumed:“when ito town,say thaeverintouse, you know, onethe licensed houses, justlaugh and talk and see something different, i could noti always pay, monsieurcure, i alway the moment you pay, without anyone seeingknowing you,one can get you into trouble.”
the cure did not insist, and gave him absolution.
theodule sabot did the workthe chancel, and goesmunion every month.
m.pi.co
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