Theodule Sabot's Confession

Guy de Maupassant

When Sabot entered the inn at Martinville it was a signal for laughter. What a rogue he was,

this Sabot! There was a man who did not like priests, for instance! Oh, no, oh, no! He did

not spare them, the scamp.

Sabot (Theodule), a master carpenter, represented liberal thought in Martinville. He was a

tall, thin, than, with gray, cunning eyes, and thin lips, and wore his hair plastered down on

his temples. When he said: "Our holy father, the pope" in a certain manner, everyone

laughed. He made a point of working on Sunday during the hour of mass. He killed his pig

each year on Monday in Holy Week in order to have enough black pudding to last till

would inevitably mean the final overthrow of the church.

The elections were about to take place. The church party was shaking in its shoes in

Martinville.

One morning the cure set out for Rouen, telling his servant that he was going to see the

archbishop. He returned in two days with a joyous, triumphant air. And everyone knew the

following day that the chancel of the church was going to be renovated. A sum of six

hundred francs had been contributed by the archbishop out of his private fund. All the old

pine pews were to be removed, and replaced by new pews made of oak. It would be a big

carpentering job, and they talked about it that very evening in all the houses in the village.

Theodule Sabot was not laughing.

Two days later, they heard that the work of renovation had been entrusted to Celestin

Chambrelan, the carpenter from Percheville. Then this was denied, and it was said that all

the pews in the church were going to be changed. That would be well worth the two

Livros Grátis

Theodule Sabot could not sleep for thinking about it. Never, in all the memory of man, had

a country carpenter undertaken a similar piece of work. Then a rumor spread abroad that the

cure felt very grieved that he had to give this work to a carpenter who was a stranger in the

community, but that Sabot's opinions were a barrier to his being entrusted with the job.

Sabot knew it well. He called at the parsonage just as it was growing dark. The servant told

him that the cure was at church. He went to the church.

Two attendants on the altar of the Virgin, two soar old maids, were decorating the altar for

the month of Mary, under the direction of the priest, who stood in the middle of the chancel

with his portly paunch, directing the two women who, mounted on chairs, were placing

flowers around the tabernacle.

The priest replied without looking at him, all occupied as he was with the altar:

"Good morning, Mr. Carpenter.'

Sabot, nonplussed, knew not what to say next. But after a pause he remarked:

"You are making preparations?"

Abbe Maritime replied:

"Yes, we are near the month of Mary."

"Why, why," remarked Sabot and then was silent. He would have liked to retire now

without saying anything, but a glance at the chancel held him back. He saw sixteen seats

that had to be remade, six to the right and eight to the left, the door of the sacristy

occupying the place of two. Sixteen oak seats, that would be worth at most three hundred

"The work to be done," murmured Sabot, in dismay.

"Do you mean the repairs in the chancel of my church?"

At the tone of the abbe, Theodule Sabot felt a chill run down his back and he once more had

a longing to take to his heels. However, he replied humbly:

"Why, yes, monsieur le cure."

Then the abbe folded his arms across his large stomach and, as if filled with amazement,

said:

"Is it you--you--you, Sabot--who have come to ask me for this . . . You--the only irreligious

man in my parish! Why, it would be a scandal, a public scandal! The archbishop would give

me a reprimand, perhaps transfer me."

He stopped a few seconds, for breath, and then resumed in a calmer tone: "I can understand

"What would you require of me? Tell me."

The priest, in a firm tone replied:

"I must have an extraordinary token of your good intentions."

"I do not say--I do not say; perhaps we might come to an understanding," faltered Sabot.

"You will have to take communion publicly at high mass next Sunday," declared the cure.

The carpenter felt he was growing pale, and without replying, he asked:

"And the benches, are they going to be renovated?"

The abbe replied with confidence:

"Yes, but later on."

"I do not say, I do not say. I am not calling it off, I am consenting to religion, for sure. But

what rubs me the wrong way is, putting it in practice; but in this case I will not be

refractory."

The attendants of the Virgin, having got off their chairs had concealed themselves behind

the altar; and they listened pale with emotion.

But the priest replied, resuming his severe expression:

"From the moment that the work is put into your hands, I want to be assured of your

"You will come to confession to-morrow; for I must examine you at least twice."

"Twice?" repeated Sabot.

"Yes."

The priest smiled.

"You understand perfectly that you must have a general cleaning up, a thorough cleansing.

So I will expect you to-morrow."

The carpenter, much agitated, asked:

"Where do you do that?"

"Why--in the confessional."

"In--that box, over there in the corner? The fact is--is--that it does not suit me, your box."

"Well, then! you shall come to my house and into my parlor. We will have it just the two of

us, tete-a-tete. Does that suit you?"

"That is understood, that is all right, that is agreed on. To-morrow, monsieur le cure.

resounded through the church.

Theodule Sabot was not easy in his mind all the following day. He had a feeling analogous

him at every moment: "I must go to confession this evening." And his troubled mind, the

mind of an atheist only half convinced, was bewildered with a confused and overwhelming

dread of the divine mystery.

As soon as he had finished his work, he betook himself to the parsonage. The cure was

waiting for him in the garden, reading his breviary as he walked along a little path. He

appeared radiant and greeted him with a good-natured laugh.

"Well, here we are! Come in, come in, Monsieur Sabot, no one will eat you."

And Sabot preceded him into the house. He faltered:

the white vestment with its pleated folds. The priest beckoned to him and said:

"Is it necessary?"

But the abbe had become dignified.

"You cannot approach the penitent bench except on your knees."

"Repeat the confiteor," said the priest.

"The confiteor. If you do not remember it, repeat after me, one by one, the words I am going

which the carpenter repeated after him. Then he said:

"My child, I will ask you questions, since you don't seem familiar with these things. We

will take, one by one, the commandments of God. Listen to me and do not be disturbed.

"'One God alone, thou shalt adore,

And love him perfectly.'

Have you ever loved anything, or anybody, as well as you loved God? Have you loved him

with all your soul, all your heart, all the strength of your love?"

Sabot was perspiring with the effort of thinking. He replied:

"No. Oh, no, m'sieu le cure. I love God as much as I can. That is-- yes--I love him very

"Why, I serve God as best I can, m'sieu le cure. I serve him--at home. I work on Sunday."

"I know, you will do better in future. I will pass over the following commandments, certain

resume:

The priest resumed severely:

"To take one single centime constitutes a theft. Do not do it again.

"When I go to town, to say that I never go into a house, you know, one of the licensed

houses, just to laugh and talk and see something different, I could not say that. But I always

pay, monsieur le cure, I always pay. From the moment you pay, without anyone seeing or

The cure did not insist, and gave him absolution.

Theodule Sabot did the work on the chancel, and goes to communion every month.