LikemostcountrymenIwasreadytobelieveinanyexaggerationofthecity’slatehours，themoreasshemadenoremark。I
supposed——shakingoffthemomentaryimpression——thatwhatIsawwasinnocentandnormal。Besides，IwasthinkingwhatIshouldsaytoPavanneswhenIsawhim———inwhattermsIshouldwarnhimofhisperil，andcasthisperfidyinhisteeth。Wehadhurriedalonginthisway——andinabsolutesilence，savewhensomeobstacleorpitfalldrewfromusanexclamation——foraboutaquarterofamile，whenmycompanion，turningintoaslightlywiderstreet，slackenedherspeed，andindicatedbyagesturethatwehadarrived。Alamphungovertheporch，towhichshepointed，andshowedthesmallsidegatehalfopen。Wewereclosebehindtheotherthreenow。IsawCroisettestooptoenterandasquicklyfallbackapace。Why？
InamomentitflashedacrossmymindthatweweretoolatethattheVidamehadbeenbeforeus。
Andyethowquietitallwas。
ThenIbreathedfreelyagain。IsawthatCroisettehadonlysteppedbacktoavoidsomeonewhowascomingout——theCoadjutorinfact。Themomenttheentrancewasclear，theladshotin，andtheothersafterhim，thepriesttakingnonoticeofthem，northeyofhim。