CHAPTER XXV

All sins whatever, quoth the abbess, turning casuist in the distress they were under, are held by the confessor of our convent to be either mortal or venial: there is no further division. Now a venial sin being the slightest and least of all sins--being halved--by taking either only the half of it, and leaving the rest--or, by taking it all, and amicably halving it betwixt yourself and another person--in course becomes diluted into no sin at all.

Now I see no sin in saying, _bou_, _bou_, _bou_, _bou_, _bou_, a hundred times together; nor is there any turpitude in pronouncing the syllable _ger_, _ger_, _ger_, _ger_, _ger_, were it from our matins to our vespers: Therefore, my dear daughter, continued the abbess of _Andoüillets_ --I will say _bou_, and thou shalt say _ger_; and then alternately, as there is no more sin in _fou_ than in _bou_ --Thou shalt say _fou_--and I will come in (like fa, sol, la, re, mi, ut, at our complines) with _ter_. And accordingly the abbess, giving the pitch note, set off thus:

Abbess, } Bou - - bou - - bou - - _Margarita_, } ----ger, - - ger, - - ger. _Margarita_, } Fou - - fou - - fou - - Abbess, } ----ter, - - ter, - - ter.

The two mules acknowledged the notes by a mutual lash of their tails; but it went no further----’Twill answer by an’ by, said the novice.

Abbess } Bou- bou- bou- bou- bou- bou- _Margarita_, } --ger, ger, ger, ger, ger, ger.

Quicker still, cried _Margarita_.

Fou, fou, fou, fou, fou, fou, fou, fou, fou.

Quicker still, cried _Margarita_.

Bou, bou, bou, bou, bou, bou, bou, bou, bou,

Quicker still --God preserve me; said the abbess --They do not understand us, cried _Margarita_ --But the Devil does, said the abbess of _Andoüillets_.

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