And then, it seemed to him, he had a good idea. What about the girl on the rue Saint-Honoré? What about Louise? Neither Martine nor her uncle knew about her.

Louise had a little room near the tavern. She’d surely let him sleep with her there. And to show that his repentance was sincere, he wouldn’t make love to her. That might work. He’d go to the tavern and ask her.

With this new, confused hope in his heart, he crossed over the river, and headed north.

There was only one thing that worried him. Once in bed with her, would he still be able to resist temptation? And would she let him? Still pondering this difficulty, he came to the rue Saint-Honoré and started to turn into it.

A hand closed on his elbow. He leaped in the air. His hand flew to the roll of parchment. He twisted, with a terrified face, toward his assailant.

“My dear young man. Did I startle you?”

It was the priest from the church by the Cemetery of the Innocents. The man to whom he’d delivered the letter the week before.

“Father!” he cried.

“I’m very sorry I made you jump,” said the elderly priest apologetically. “But I thought I recognized you. You came to my house the other day. Are you all right?” His mild blue eyes were peering at the younger man. “You look very pale.”

“Yes, mon Père, I am well.” Roland stared at the priest with a mixture of relief and embarrassment. “Thank you. Ah … The truth is that … I did not sleep well last night.”

“Why was that, my son?”

“Well, you see …” Roland searched his mind feverishly. “There was a fire in my lodgings. Just a small fire. It was put out. But my room is a terrible mess. Black dust everywhere …” He was babbling, but the elderly priest continued to look at him kindly.

“And where will you sleep tonight, my son?”

“Oh … Well … I was going to ask a friend …”

“Why don’t you sleep at my house? There is plenty of room.”

“Your house?”

“It would be a strange thing if the priest of the Saints Innocents did not help a scholar in need.”

And then it seemed to Roland that he understood. This was a gift from the Almighty. God had sent this priest to save him from temptation in his hour of need. He need not sleep with Louise. He would be safe.

“Thank you, mon Père,” he said. “I accept.”