Page:Dellada - The Woman and the Priest, 1922.djvu/143

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
THE WOMAN AND THE PRIEST

he stood a little away from the door and said:

"Then let us make room for them to escape!"

"They will enter into the body of your dog," cried Antiochus.

"They cannot enter because they are there already," replied the keeper. He spoke in jest, but maintained his usual gravity. On the threshold of the room he drew himself up and saluted the priest without condescending even to glance at the women.

"Can I speak to you in private, sir?"

The women withdrew into the kitchen and Antiochus carried the Testament upstairs. When he came down, although still full of excitement at the miracle, he stopped to listen to what the keeper was saying:

"I beg your pardon for bringing this animal into the house, but he is quite clean and he will give no trouble because he understands where he is." (The dog, in fact, was standing motionless, with lowered eyes and hanging tail.) "I've come about the matter of old Nicodemus Pania, nicknamed King Nicodemus.

137