The priest had returned to his congregations, and had founded the
new altar that they were to worship at on the deck of the ship!
Razed from the face of the earth, their church had not been
destroyed--for Father Paul and the priests who acted with him had
given that church a refuge on the sea. Henceforth, their children
could still be baptized, their sons and daughters could still be
married, the burial of their dead could still be solemnized,
under the sanction of the old religion for which, not vainly,
they had suffered so patiently and so long.
Throughout the remaining time of trouble the services were
uninterrupted on board the ship. A code of signals was
established by which those on shore were always enabled to direct
their brethren at sea toward such parts of the coast as happened
to be uninfested by the enemies of their worship. On the morning
of Gabriel's visit to the farmhouse these signals had shaped the
course of the ship toward the extremity of the peninsula of
Quiberon. The people of the district were all prepared to expect
the appearance of the vessel some time in the evening, and had
their boats ready at a moment's notice to put off, and attend the
service. At the conclusion of this service Pere Bonan had
arranged that the marriage of his daughter and Gabriel was to
take place.
They waited for evening at the farmhouse.
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