to attend catechism, as it was called, in order to prepare her for confirmation. This examination was commonly held in a church or chapel where a few benches were placed in a corner, and was principally held for children of the poorer classes; but as her uncle, the Abbé Bimont, an amiable, kind-hearted priest, was at that time in charge of this class, her mother judged it well for her to attend, especially as she felt sure that her daughter's memory would always secure her the first place.
On one of these occasions the rector put in an appearance; and in order to show off his superior theological learning, he asked Manon, with ill-concealed triumph, how many orders of spirits there were in the celestial hierarchy. And the terrible child answered, nothing daunted, that there were nine—as might be learned from the preface to the Missal—as angels, archangels, thrones, dominions, &c. She was already deeply versed in the Bible, as well as in the psalter, the only books to be found at her grandmother's house. This old lady, whom her mother took her to see every Sunday after vespers, was in her dotage, to the poor child's bewilderment. She invariably sat in the same chair, by the window in summer and in winter near the fire-place, and gave no signs of animation except such as might emanate from a vindictive old fairy. For instance, when her grandchild, in high spirits, skipped about the room, she invariably burst into tears; but no sooner did she have a fall or knock herself than the palsied dame showed her merriment by a hoarse chuckling laugh. Such conduct was naturally calculated to hurt Manon's feelings; but her mother eventually made her understand that these visits were a duty not to be dispensed with.
