Милий друг
Death and a Proposal
"WhenImentionedthepriesttohim,hisfaceassumedascaredexpression.Heknewthattheendwasnear.Ishallneverforgethisface."
Atthatmomenttheyheardthepriestsayingtohim:"Whyno,youarenotsolowasthat.Youareill,butnotindanger.TheproofofthatisthatIcameasafriend,aneighbor."Theycouldnothearhisreply.Thepriestcontinued:"No,Ishallnotadministerthesacrament.Wewillspeakofthatwhenyouarebetter.Ifyouwillonlyconfess,Iasknomore.Iamapastor;Itakeadvantageofeveryoccasiontogatherinmysheep."
Alongsilencefollowed.Thensuddenlythepriestsaid,inthetoneofoneofficiatingatthealtar:
"ThemercyofGodisinfinite;repeatthe‘Confiteor,’myson.Perhapsyouhaveforgottenit;Iwillhelpyou.Repeatwithme:‘ConfiteorDeoomnipotenti;BeataMariaesempervirgini.’"Hepausedfromtimetotimetopermitthedyingmantocatchuptohim.
Thenhesaid:"Now,confess."Thesickmanmurmuredsomething.Thepriestrepeated:"Youhavecommittedsins:ofwhatkind,myson?"
Theyoungwomanroseandsaidsimply:"Letusgointothegarden.Wemustnotlistentohissecrets."
Theyseatedthemselvesuponabenchbeforethedoor,beneathablossomingrosebush.AfterseveralmomentsofsilenceDuroyasked:"WillitbesometimebeforeyoureturntoParis?"
"No,"shereplied;"whenallisover,Iwillgoback.
