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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..617e4c6 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #50179 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50179) diff --git a/old/50179-0.txt b/old/50179-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 990dd1b..0000000 --- a/old/50179-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5647 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Human Follies, by Jules Noriac - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Human Follies - (La Bêtise Humaine.) - -Author: Jules Noriac - -Translator: George Marlow - -Release Date: October 11, 2015 [EBook #50179] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HUMAN FOLLIES *** - - - - -Produced by Clarity and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from -scanned images of public domain material from the Google -Books project.) - - - - - - - - - - HUMAN FOLLIES. - - - - - HUMAN FOLLIES. - - (_La Bêtise Humaine._) - - BY - - JULES NORIAC. - - _Translated from the_ SIXTEENTH _Paris Edition_. - - BY - - GEORGE MARLOW. - - - [Illustration] - - - PHILADELPHIA: - FREDERICK LEYPOLDT. - NEW YORK: F. W. CHRISTERN. - 1863. - - - - -HUMAN FOLLIES. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - - -When Eusebe Martin had attained his twenty-first year, his father, -who was a man of sense, thus addressed him:-- - -“Eusebe, you are no longer a child: it is time to begin your -education. You were but eight years old when you lost your mother, -my beloved wife. This was a great misfortune, no doubt; for her -heart would have been to you a treasure of affection. However, if -we were permitted to believe in compensations in this world, I -should think that you had been recompensed for this loss, great as -it was. Your mother, had she lived, would have spoiled you, and -to-day you would not have been half the man you are. - -“Remember that I have been to you a father full of solicitude. -Since the day of your mother’s death, I have left you as free as -the bird that at this moment is singing on the linden-tree at -the door. I have clothed you according to the season,--in summer -in linen, in winter in wool. My table has always been abundantly -supplied. As I never told you that you ate too much, you have never -shown a desire to overload your stomach. I have accustomed you to -running in the fields and to working with the peasants, which has -rendered you strong and vigorous. - -“Morally, I owed you nothing more. Nevertheless, I have taught you -to read and to write. I cannot tell you how thankful I am that -you have not a thick head: instead of six months, you would have -wearied me two long years,--perhaps more. What use have you made -of the little learning I have given you? I have never taken the -pains to inquire. I have left my library entirely at your disposal, -because I knew that if it contained no good books it also contained -no bad ones. Have the books you have read tended to form or deform -your judgment? Little do I care; for, since no one can know where -falsehood is to be found and where truth is hidden, my reflections -would, probably, have been at war with reason.” - -“Books generally tire me,” interrupted Eusebe. “Up to the present -time I have read nothing but the adventures of a sailor named -Robinson Crusoe, and of one Telemachus, son of Ulysses.” - -“So much the better,” replied M. Martin; “or, perhaps, so much the -worse. I would rather see you an enthusiastic admirer of Robinson, -than of Paul and Virginia, or Faublas. But perhaps I am wrong; for, -after all, Paul and Virginia are all tenderness, Faublas all love, -and Robinson is egotism personified. However, nothing proves that -egotism, which is a fault, is not alone worth as much as tenderness -and love, which are considered good qualities. - -“Now, my son, listen to me. You owe me your existence, for which, -if I do not merit your thanks, I should not incur your displeasure. -I but fulfilled a natural law. I have provided for your wants: the -laws of society made it my duty. I have just paid a sum of money -which exempts you from military service. You will, however, be -at liberty to become a soldier at any time you may think proper. -To-day I have received from my notary your mother’s fortune. Here -it is: it is yours. In this belt there are forty-eight pieces of -paper of the Bank of France, and one hundred pieces of gold. Each -one of these pieces of paper is worth fifty pieces of gold: each -piece of gold is worth twenty of those white pieces which I give -you on Sunday, when you go to play with the vagabond boys of the -village on the church square. In short, you possess fifty thousand -francs,--that is, more twenty-sous pieces than we gather apples -in ten years. Compared with some, you are rich; with others, you -are poor. Do not trouble yourself either about those who are above -or about those who are below you. The interest of this money will -enable you to live until, after having become acquainted with the -world, you decide to choose a vocation. If, however, you do not see -fit to take the trouble of investing it, you have only to limit -your expenses to ten francs per day, when your patrimony will -last five thousand days,--that is, about fourteen years. In all -probability, at the expiration of this time I shall be dead, and -you will naturally be the possessor of our domain, the Capelette, -the revenues of which are three thousand francs a year, in bad -times as well as in good. - -“You are about to set out for Paris, the city _par excellence_ of -civilization. Never will you have so good a theatre for studying -the world. Profit by it. Go, Eusebe, and do not take the goods of -others: you would have no excuse, since you have enough of your -own. Never disguise the truth. The play is not worth the candle. -Never strike the weak, and be equally careful not to defend them: -you would make yourself two enemies. Try to have neither enemies -nor friends: there is little to choose between them. And now, -good-bye, my boy: here is the coach.” - -The young man threw his arms around his father’s neck and embraced -him affectionately. M. Martin was moved by this unexpected outburst -of feeling. In a trembling voice, he said,-- - -“Farewell, my son! farewell!” - -The young man started. His father, having placed himself at the -window a moment afterwards, looked at him as he hurried towards the -road. - -“Eusebe!” cried he: “come here a moment, and tell me what put it -into your head to embrace me, and who taught you to make this -demonstration of affection.” - -“Father,” replied the young man, “ten years ago M. Jaucourt, the -curate, who died last year, seeing me divide a piece of bread with -a poor idiot, embraced me as I just embraced you when you divided -your fortune with me.” - -At this moment the diligence passed. With one bound, Eusebe seated -himself beside the postilion. - -M. Martin closed the window, and, as he with a large plaid -handkerchief wiped away a tear that was ready to fall, said,-- - -“Plague on the curates! they are always sticking their noses where -they have no business!” - - - - -CHAPTER II. - - -M. Martin was neither a wicked man nor a fool, but he was a -confirmed skeptic. For forty years (he was now sixty) he had been -disappointed in all the events of his life. - -When it became necessary for him to marry, he had to choose between -two of his cousins, who were equally accomplished and equally -beautiful. He preferred the one who pleased him least, because -she was of a more robust constitution than her sister. Nine years -afterwards she died, while the delicate sister was still living. - -Martin was half ruined by a friend of his youth, for whom he would -have given his life. - -One day, when he was from home, one of his outbuildings caught -fire, and the flames would have communicated to his dwelling but -for a man, who, at the risk of his life, succeeded in arresting -them. This man was his only enemy! - -Well informed for a man of his condition, and endowed with a fair -share of sense, he was looked up to by his neighbors with a certain -degree of deference. He studied hard in order to strengthen a -reputation of which he was proud; but in so doing he was not slow -to discover that he knew nothing. - -His first visit to Paris was still fresh in his memory. It was in -September, 1832. One morning he went to breathe the fresh air in -the garden of the Tuileries, when a man of a noble and friendly -mien, wearing a gray hat, commenced conversation with him. - -“You are a stranger in Paris?” - -“I am from Limousin,” replied Martin. - -“You are a manufacturer, perhaps?” - -“No: I am a farmer.” - -“I am not acquainted with your section of the country, but I have -heard it highly spoken of.” - -“We have, indeed, a beautiful country,” replied the -countryman,--“rich and picturesque, industrious and patriotic: we -are in want of but one thing,--a river.” - -“But you have the Vienna.” - -“The Vienna is not navigable.” - -“Could it not be made so?” - -“It is the dream of the entire population of Limousin.” - -“Monsieur, what is your name?” - -“Martin.” - -“Very well, Monsieur Martin: when you return home, tell your -neighbors that in less than three years their river will be -navigable.” - -“Who are you,” asked Martin, “who speak with so much authority?” - -A bland smile lighted up the features of the man with the gray hat, -as he replied, with simplicity,-- - -“I am the King of the French.” - -It seemed as if the crowd which had gathered around the two -promenaders had only waited for this announcement. Cries of “_Vive -le Roi!_” many times repeated, burst forth. The people surrounded -the king, who smiled at some, offered his hand to others, and had a -kind word for all. - -“There is a great king and a great people,” thought Martin, who -returned to the Capelette to narrate his royal adventure and -acquaint the whole department with the king’s promises. - -Seventeen years wore away. Martin, tired of the monotony of the -country, and living alone with his son, who was still a child, -resolved to go once more to Paris. Scarcely had he arrived at a -hotel, when he hurried to dress himself in his best, saying that, -although the king had not kept his promise, he owed him the first -visit. “I shall see him in his garden,” said he: “he will be less -embarrassed than if I were to call at his palace.” - -He found the entrances to the Tuileries blocked up, and motley -crowds, who were loud in their cries, surrounded the palace. “What -excellent people!--what love for their sovereign!” thought honest -Martin. - -Multitudes of ragged boys were running through the streets, -singing,-- - - “Mourir pour la patrie, - C’est le sort le plus beau, - Le plus digne d’envie: - C’est le sort * * * *” - -“What youths! What noble youths!” cried honest Martin, with tears -in his eyes. - -Seeing that he could not approach the garden from the side of the -Rue de Rivoli, he went round to the Place de la Concorde. Just as -he arrived at the quay, a small half-hidden gate in the wall opened -before him, from which issued an old man, wearing a blue blouse, -leaning on the arm of another man scarcely less aged than himself. - -“Monsieur Martin,” said he, “help me, I pray you, to get into this -cab.” - -“Who are you? I do not recollect you,” said the astonished rustic. - -“An hour ago I was King of the French,” replied the old man. - -“Ah! sire,” cried Martin, preoccupied by the one idea, “the Vienna -is not yet navigable.” - -“It is true: I failed to keep my promise, and I am cruelly -punished.” - -The cab drove rapidly away, while Martin remained fixed to the -spot, unable to comprehend the meaning of this royal apparition. -He was, however, soon roused from his revery by a noisy crowd that -issued from the little gate. - -“The brigand has escaped us,” cried they. - -“We will have him before he gets far.” - -“So much the better.” - -“Unfortunate king! deluded people!” murmured the countryman; and -he took the road to the Capelette, where he lived in solitude. His -mind became more and more wavering. Having no one with whom to -engage in discussion, he had contracted the habit of controverting -his ideas himself, and the consequence was, that he had become a -skeptic in every thing. This was the reason why he had brought -up his son as he had done, or, rather, the reason why he had not -brought him up at all. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - - -On the evening of the day on which he left home, Eusebe arrived at -the railroad-depot. He approached the ticket-office, and said to -the agent,-- - -“I want to go to Paris.” - -“Which class car do you wish, sir?” - -“The best.” - -“Fifty-four francs,” replied the agent. - -Eusebe handed him three louis, and received six francs in return. - -“There,” thought Eusebe, “is a clever fellow: it did not take him a -minute to tell how much was coming to me.” - -“And now,” he asked, “could you tell me, sir, where I will find the -carriage?” - -“The train, you mean.” - -“I don’t know. Is that the name of the vehicle that is to transport -me to Paris?” asked Eusebe, timidly. - -“Vehicle!” cried the man. “What do you call a vehicle? Your -jesting is ill timed, sir. Here is your car: another time try to be -a little more polite.” - -“This man,” said Eusebe to himself, “is not so clever, after all: -he is a fool,--an ignoramus!” - -Eusebe’s journey was without incident. Alone in a first-class -_coupé_, he made himself a couch, on the floor, of the cushions, -and, placing his valise under his head for a pillow, he slept -quietly until daylight. - -When he awoke, he had passed Orleans. His eyes, half open, glanced -at the country, and a cry of admiration escaped him. - -“Oh, what splendid farms! what beautiful fields!” cried he: -“how admirably the land is cultivated! what care, what labor, -is bestowed on it! My father was right: civilization has not -penetrated into the departments of the interior. Fifteen hours -ago, I left the Capelette. What a difference! Why is the soil so -fertile here and so sterile with us? The soil is the same, but -the cultivation is not. Here there are no immense forests, no -uncultivated fields: the country is as populous as our cities. -Laborers abound, and agricultural implements are brought to the -highest state of perfection. What abundance! what riches! Everybody -seems to be happy and contented. How beautiful and grand all this -is!” - -At the moment he made these reflections, the train began to slacken -its speed. They approached a station. Eusebe watched attentively -the groups of people who were waiting behind a barrier for the -train to pass, in order that they might, in their turn, pass also. -The noise of the locomotive frightened a cart-horse tied to a post -near by. The poor animal, trembling with fear, snorted and reared -up on his hind legs, when a man, armed with a whip, came out of an -inn and began to strike the beast with all his might. The more he -struck, the more the horse reared and pranced. Finally, breaking -his halter, the animal sprang furiously against the barrier, which -he struck with his head and fell dead. The man cursed like a -carter, which he was. - -“Surely,” said Eusebe to himself, “this is a very bad business. -The fault is the man’s, and not the beast’s. If the man had not -left the horse, the horse would not have been frightened. If the -horse had not been frightened, the man would not have struck him; -and if the man had not struck the horse, the animal would not -be dead. This man is perhaps a savage, recently arrived among -civilized people. That, however, I think scarcely probable, since -he speaks with tolerable correctness. Is my father right in saying -that extremes touch, and that the last word of civilization is -perhaps the first of barbarism?” - -Eusebe had arrived at this point in his reflections, when two -travellers entered the _coupé_ he occupied. Although it was still -early in September, the two new-comers wore fur caps and overshoes -and thick woollen cloaks, while their faces were half concealed by -immense woollen comforters. - -“Upon my word,” said one of them, “the winter is already setting -in: this northwest wind is any thing but agreeable. What do you say -to taking a puff? It will give us an appetite.” - -On hearing these words, Eusebe was a prey to the most lively -curiosity. The singular costume of his travelling-companions made -him suspect he had in them two subjects for study, coming from some -distant clime. To judge from their furs, they must have first seen -the light at Moscow. On hearing them talk about “taking a puff,” -he expected to see something new and extraordinary, and prepared -himself to be all eyes and ears, in order to become acquainted with -the customs of the strangers whom chance had thrown in his way. - -To the great disappointment of the young man, the traveller took -some cigars out of his pocket and lighted one, after having offered -them to his companion and then to Eusebe, who had refused. - -“You do not smoke, young man?” - -“No, sir.” - -“Bah! How old are you, then?” - -“Twenty-one.” - -“Twenty-one years old, and you do not smoke! Where the devil do you -come from, my young friend?” - -“I come from the Capelette, a domain near Saint-Brice, in Limousin; -I am going to Paris to see the world; and I cannot be your friend, -since I never met you until this morning.” - -“Do not get angry, young man. It was not my intention to be rude.” - -“I know that,” said Eusebe. “On the contrary, you offered me your -rolls of tobacco, for which I am obliged.” - -“Ah! you are from Monsieur de Pourceaugnac’s neighborhood,” said -the other, who until now had remained silent. - -“I do not know the gentleman,” replied Eusebe: “my father and I -live a very retired life.” - -“Naïve, upon my word!” cried the smoker. “He ought to be framed. -What, young man! you do not know the gayest of Molière’s heroes?” - -“I have never been away from the Capelette, sir, and my condition -does not allow me to become acquainted with heroes. I do not even -know where Molière is situated.” - -The two travellers burst into a hearty laugh. - -“Gentlemen,” said Eusebe, when the hilarity of his neighbors had -ceased, “you amuse yourselves at my expense, because I am ignorant, -which, I think, is any thing but kind of you. You indiscreetly -questioned me; I answered: I might have remained silent. Recollect, -I beg of you, that you meddled with my affairs, and that I have -not concerned myself about yours. I have not asked you whence you -come, where you are going, or who you are. When you laughed at me, -I might have thrown you out of the window; but I did not do it, and -you ought to be thankful.” - -“Out of the window! Not so fast, my dear sir.” - -“I could certainly have done it,” said Eusebe, with simplicity. - -“Pardon me,” said the second traveller. “We do not wish to make -ourselves disagreeable. You are too quick to take offence. I am in -the habit of travelling a great deal. During the last ten years, my -friend and I have been almost always _en route_. Whenever we find -ourselves in company, we ask how _it happens_, where our companions -come from, and where they are going. That helps to while away the -time, and injures no one.” - -“And is that all you travel for?” asked Eusebe. - -“What an idea! We are travelling clerks: we represent two of the -first houses in Paris.” - -“However great my simplicity may be,” replied Eusebe, “I think -there are no first houses in Paris, and, what is more, that there -can be none, since the first on arriving from the north are the -last when one comes from the south.” - -They arrived at Paris, and Martin, junior, got out of the car. - -With his valise in his hand, Eusebe stepped out of the depot, when -a cabman cried out to him,-- - -“Here you are, sir! Where shall I drive you to, sir?” - -“I don’t know,” replied Eusebe. - -“It’s not me that’ll tell you, then.” - -“I have not asked you.” - -“Eh! do you hear that? Here is a gentleman that don’t know where he -is going.” - -“Mind your own business.” - -“Bah! you lubber! you haven’t a sou.” - -The provincial was about to reply, when the cabman, to whom a -traveller had just made a sign, hurried away. - -“These people do not seem to be very familiar with the laws of -hospitality,” thought Eusebe: “they call you to insult you. What -does all this mean?” - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - - -Paris is the dream of all provincialists. Rich and poor want to -come here, at least once,--the first to enjoy life, the second to -try to make their fortunes. No one can imagine the disappointment -of these visitors, since each one has had his own peculiar ideas -of the metropolis. For some, Paris is an immense succession of -palaces; for others, the houses are built of gold and precious -stones. - -Paris never comes up to the ideas strangers have formed of it. -In order to love and admire this great city, one must become -acquainted with it. The inhabitants of the South, particularly, are -greatly disappointed on arriving at the capital. Their imagination, -more lively than that of the people of the North, embellishes the -metropolis in a thousand different ways. As if to punish them for -their imaginary castles, accident has always made them enter the -city at its homeliest point. Before the railroad was built, the -people of the South arrived at the Barrière d’Enfer. To them Paris -presented a sorry aspect; to those who arrive now it presents no -aspect at all. - -Eusebe, on leaving the depot, walked straight ahead, valise in hand. - -He saw the Seine, which he thought narrow. Then he came to -a bridge, which he thought shabby. But all at once his face -brightened up with an expression of delight: he was opposite the -garden of the Museum. - -“At last,” said he, “here is something worth looking at. What a -beautiful, what an immense, garden! How admirably it is cultivated! -It is unfortunate that a sentinel is placed at the gate to keep -people from entering: it is ridiculous. But it is said there are a -great many thieves in this immense city.” - -Eusebe approached the soldier who guarded the entrance to the -garden, and said,-- - -“Be so kind as to tell me the name of this magnificent enclosure.” - -“Enclosure!” repeated the soldier: “don’t know.” - -“I ask you the name of this enclosure.” - -“Enclosure! Not known to the regiment.” - -“I beg your pardon,” said Eusebe, mildly: “I simply want to know -the name of this garden that you guard so well.” - -“Ah! ah!” replied the son of Mars. “Should express yourself -_categorically_, young man. That is called the Garden of Plants.” -(Jardin des Plantes.) - -“Thank you,” said Eusebe; but, as he turned to go, he made this -reflection, which seemed to him sensible:-- - -“Garden of Plants: that is not a name. All gardens have plants; -gardens give birth to plants, and a garden without plants would not -be a garden. This soldier has evidently deceived me.” - -Seeing an old man sitting on a bench enjoying the autumn sun, -Eusebe, approaching him, took off his hat respectfully, and said,-- - -“I am a stranger, sir. Excuse me for troubling you, but I should -like to know the name of this superb park.” - -“I am glad, sir,” said the old man, kindly, “that I am able to tell -you. The grounds that you see yonder are the garden of the king.” - -“Of the emperor, you mean to say.” - -“I mean to say what I say; and believe me, sir, it is not very -becoming in a youth of your age to amuse himself at the expense of -an old man like me. If it was for that you stopped, you would have -done better to have kept on your way.” - -Eusebe, not knowing what to reply, passed on, thinking himself -really unfortunate. Since he left the Capelette, he had fallen from -Charybdis into Scylla. The railroad agent had bullied him; the -two travellers had laughed at him; the cabman had insulted him; -the soldier had deceived him; and the old man had abused him. He -began to think he would have to undergo a great deal in becoming -acquainted with the world, and that the Parisians were not so -highly civilized as they were generally supposed to be. - -At this moment he was interrupted in his reflections by the cries -of a woman. The people gathered around her, and he followed their -example. - -“What is the matter with this woman?” he asked of his neighbor. - -“Her husband,” replied the spectator, “was a native of Auvergnat, -a tradesman, who rented this shop six months ago. Business has -not been good with him. His wife is a shrew, and his landlord an -unfeeling Jew, who wanted to make him leave the premises. The poor -man was unable to endure so many misfortunes, and has just hung -himself. From where I stand you could see him hanging at the end of -a cord. They have gone to inform the authorities.” - -Eusebe stretched out his arms, thrust the crowd aside, and, with -one bound, entered the shop, knife in hand. - -“Stop!” cried the spectators. “Stop, young man! You will get into -trouble. Wait for the officers. The law forbids you to touch -persons who hang themselves. You will wish you had let him alone.” - -Without listening to any of these remonstrances, the young man had -cut the cord and placed the poor shopkeeper on a chair. With a -motion of the hand he had kept back the crowd, that intercepted the -air, and, on his knees before the Auvergnat, he watched anxiously -for some signs of returning life. - -All at once a murmur was heard in the crowd. - -“Here comes the commissary! Here is M. Bézieux. Make way for the -commissary.” - -The magistrate advanced quietly. There was a pleasing benevolence -in his expression, as his mild but piercing eyes ran over the -group. The representative of the law arrived slowly, and without -any appearance of being annoyed, to verify the sinister event that -had just been announced to him. - -“Where is the suicide?” demanded the magistrate. - -For an instant the group was still, appearing to hesitate between -anxiety to speak and silence. The bad instincts, however, soon got -the ascendency, and, pointing to Eusebe, three or four persons -cried out,-- - -“It was this young man who cut the cord: it was impossible for us -to stop him.” - -“He did perfectly right,” said the magistrate. “Although younger -than any one of you, he greatly surpasses you all in good sense. -You ought to know that the idea is absurd that it is dangerous to -assist an individual who attempts to commit suicide, or has been -assassinated, before the arrival of the officers of justice. The -magistrates come simply to take cognizance of the fact. It is the -duty of every good citizen to save the lives of his fellow-men -by every means in his power. The stupid tradition which makes -the vulgar suppose one ought not to assist a man in danger, is -not, however, without foundation. It unfortunately happened in -the Middle Ages, and even before and after that period, that some -individuals, who, at the risk of their lives, ventured to assist -persons attacked by assassins, were arrested under the supposition -that they were themselves the murderers, and as such they were -executed; but in the enlightened age in which we live, with the -means for ascertaining the truth at our command, justice cannot be -mistaken.” - -“I would not trust to it,--not I,” murmured a ragpicker, who had -been a calm spectator of the drama of which the shop had been the -scene. “I don’t pretend to say that justice can be mistaken, but I -would not trust to it: I, for my part, prefer keeping on the safe -side. There are a great many strange things now-a-days.” - -“Sir,” said the commissary to Eusebe, who was anxiously watching -the convulsive movements of the Auvergnat, “your conduct in this -affair merits the highest commendation.” - -“Not at all,” replied the young man, timidly. - -“I beg your pardon,” rejoined the magistrate, who had -misinterpreted Eusebe’s reply: “a man, whoever he may be, is still -a man, and as such is a member of the great family which we call -humanity.” - -“Certainly, sir; you are perfectly right,” said the young man, who -sought in vain for _profundity_ in the good-natured officer’s -reply. He then added, “This man, sir, was driven to this unnatural -deed by poverty. I wish to assist him.” - -“This desire does you honor.” - -“Here,” continued Eusebe, “is a paper of the Bank of France, which -is worth fifty louis, and each louis, as you doubtless know, is -worth twenty twenty-sous pieces. Be so kind as to give it to -him, if he will promise not to make another attempt to commit -suicide until his money is gone. It is probable that by that time -Providence, who has preserved him to-day, will make provision for -his future welfare.” - -The magistrate looked at Eusebe attentively. His dress, which was -more than plain, his manner of expressing himself, his timidity, -his gestures, and even the belt that contained his treasure, -puzzled the functionary in a manner which he did not try to -conceal. This honorable magistrate, who by years of experience in -his profession had learned to form a tolerably correct opinion -of men at a glance, was at a loss to know what to think of the -singular being he had before him. The clerk, who imagined what was -passing in the brain of the commissary, was as much perplexed as -his superior. Nevertheless, as a murmur of applause and some words -in favor of the young stranger ran through the circle, the worthy -functionary thought the time propitious for ventilating his ideas -in a short discourse. Addressing himself now to the crowd, and now -to Eusebe, he was thus delivered:-- - -“If it is beautiful and rare to find presence of mind and reason -united in youth, it is certainly not less honorable to add to these -qualities philanthropy. Not only did you wish to save this man (and -you have saved him), but you now desire to assure the existence he -owes you. This I call sublime. Such acts, sir, do so great honor -to their author that our thanks would be out of place: he finds -his reward in his heart. What recompense is to be compared to the -consciousness of having been a benefactor? Allow me, sir, to ask -your name, in order that I may send it in to the Administration, -which knows how to appreciate such disinterestedness.” - -“My name is Eusebe Martin.” - -“Are you a relation of M. Martin, of the Tribunal of Commerce?” - -“I think not. I have just arrived from Limousin. I know no one in -Paris.” - -“You are quite young.” - -“Twenty-one.” - -“I am glad of it; for were you not of age I could not accept your -gift.” - -“I don’t know,” said Eusebe. - -The commissary looked at the clerk with astonishment. - -“You have a trade?” - -“No. I came to Paris to admire civilization and study life.” - -“Study life!” said the clerk, who was inclined to be humorous. “He -is not a physician.” - -The magistrate was lost in conjectures. - -“What is your father’s business?” he inquired. - -“My father, sir, lives at the Capelette. His chief employment is to -seek where truth and falsehood are to be found.” - -“Be so kind as to accompany me,” said the functionary, dryly, -making a sign to the crowd to stand aside and let them pass. - -Eusebe bowed without replying, and walked along beside the -commissary, which allowed him to hear the clerk say to his -superior,-- - -“The poor fellow is stark mad.” - -To which the magistrate replied,-- - -“That is very evident.” - -Eusebe felt the blood mount to his cheeks, not from fear, but -from shame. He thought they took him for a fool because he was so -ignorant. - -This unexpected departure was interpreted in different ways by the -curious, who had not heard the dialogue. - -“They are going to give him the _cross_,” (of the Legion of Honor,) -said a naïve policeman. - -“The cross! Oh, very likely, since it is the police that gives the -cross now-a-days!” replied a wag, in a white blouse. - -“Why not?” - -“Because it is not in their power.” - -“They have power enough to put you where the dogs won’t bite you, -you blackguard!” - -“Hear! hear!” - -“Did you hear?” said a woman with a handkerchief over her head; -“did you hear? He began by saying the young man did right in -cutting the rope, and still he has arrested him all the same.” - -“Just as though he was obliged to go!” - -A quarter of an hour later, a physician hurried through the crowd, -crying,-- - -“Where is the patient?” - -The unfortunate shopkeeper was in one corner, studying how he -could possess himself of the thousand francs without letting his -wife know it, while she had followed the commissary, hoping to get -the money without the knowledge of her husband. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - - -At the door of the commissary’s office, the clerk politely begged -Eusebe to enter first, introducing him into a room divided into two -parts by a screen of green lustring. The dilapidated walls were -covered with black designs executed by offenders, who had whiled -away the tedium of waiting by cultivating the fine arts. The rays -of the sun, struggling to enter at a window that looked into the -court, shone feebly on an old black desk, upon which a quantity -of stamped papers, that seemed to have the jaundice, were lying. -Two clerks, whose appearance was in keeping with the place, were -scribbling away mechanically. Eusebe, who thought the adjective -_shabby_ the proper word with which to qualify the _ensemble_, said -to the clerk,-- - -“Is this, sir, what is called the formidable _appareil_ of the -courts of justice?” - -The magistrate’s drudge smiled, and, regarding the young -provincialist with a look of benevolence mingled with compassion, -replied,-- - -“No, sir: the courts of justice are held at the Palace: this may be -considered as being one of the laboratories that supply them with -materials.” - -“I don’t understand you,” said the youth. - -“No matter,” replied the clerk. “It is to be hoped you will -understand better by-and-by. Here comes the commissary. Be seated, -and answer the questions he asks you.” - -“You told me that your name was Eusebe Martin,” said the commissary. - -“Yes, sir.” - -“How did you leave your father’s house?” - -“By taking the Pénicault coach as far as Vierzon.” - -The commissary and his clerk exchanged significant glances. “Write -the replies,” said M. Bézieux to the clerk. - -“Have you a passport?” - -“I don’t know what it is.” - -“Write this reply also.” - -“What did you say you came to Paris for?” - -“I told you I came to Paris to study civilization.” - -“To what purpose?” - -“Why, to be----civilized.” - -“Ah! very well. Have you, besides this thousand francs, the means -of existence?” - -“By limiting my expenses to ten francs per day, with what I have, -I shall be able to live five thousand days,--about fourteen years. -Here is my money----” - -“Very well. Do you know any one in Paris?” - -“Yes, four persons: a coachman who insulted me, a soldier who -amused himself at my expense, an old man who abused me, and the -shopkeeper whose life I saved.” - -“That is sufficient,” said the magistrate. “Your age, the -incoherence of your replies, and the large sum of money in your -possession make it my duty to detain you until I have more ample -information. You need not give yourself any uneasiness, for you -will be well treated, and very soon, I trust, you will be set at -liberty and restored to your family.” - -“I am in no hurry. You can take your own time.” - -For the last half-minute the commissary had been making a fruitless -search in all his pockets. - -“I have lost my handkerchief,” said he to his clerk. “When you go -home, call at the house where we have been, and see if it is not -there.” - -“That will be useless,” said Eusebe: “I saw a child take it out of -your pocket and run away.” - -“And you did not tell me!” cried M. Bézieux. - -“Unless it be an affair of more than ordinary importance, I trouble -myself as little as possible about other people’s business. Allow -me to offer you another.” - -Without waiting for a reply, the young man opened his valise -and took out a handkerchief, which he politely handed to the -commissary, who refused it. - -“Thank you,” said he: “I will send for one. What is this paper that -has just fallen out of your valise?” - -“My _port d’armes_.” - -“Your license to hunt! You have a license to hunt? Why did you not -tell me so before? Let me see it.” - -“Because you did not ask me for it.” - -M. Bézieux read and reread the paper, and examined the description -closely. As Eusebe had two black spots on his left cheek, it was -not difficult to discover that the license was his. - -“My young friend,” said the magistrate, “a thousand pardons for my -questions. It was my duty to do as I have done. You are _en règle_: -I have nothing more to say to you. You are at liberty to go. With -your inexperience, you will, sooner or later, certainly be duped. -Should you get into trouble, remember that you have in me a friend.” - -“Sir,” said Eusebe, “you are very kind, and I am greatly obliged.” -He took his valise, and, bowing, retired slowly. On the stairs he -stopped an instant, then, in a loud voice, as though some one were -listening, he said,-- - -“This is certainly a very singular--a most -incomprehensible--affair! This man, who calls himself a minister of -justice, sees me do two good deeds and arrests me, saying that I am -either a fool or a madman, and it is only on seeing my license to -hunt that he is convinced of his error. Now, the license ought, on -the contrary, to have confirmed him in his opinion, and made him -believe that I was really insane; for I did a very stupid thing -the day I gave the Mayor of Moustier twenty-five francs for the -permission to kill birds that were none of his.” - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - - -Eusebe, absorbed in his reflections, walked nearly two hours, -gazing to the right and left, without seeing any thing. Finally, he -found himself, by accident, on the Place de la Bastille. Great was -his astonishment when his eyes rested on the July Column. He could -not imagine the utility of this immense tower of bronze. He would -gladly have asked some questions of the passers-by, but his former -experience deterred him. He approached the column and examined the -inscriptions minutely. - -“This is very singular,” thought he. “Here is a monument erected -to the memory of citizens who died for liberty. Is it possible that -in 1830, at so recent a period, there were in France, the centre -of civilization, persons who were opposed to liberty? This would -seem to me improbable, if it were not engraved here. Are there, -too, those who are so abandoned as to think of depriving us of our -liberty, the greatest of blessings? This was a remarkable event, -about which I shall know more so soon as I am able to read the -historians of that period.” - -Hunger put a stop to Eusebe’s reflections on the liberties of the -people. He walked on, glancing eagerly about, and hoping to see a -signboard swinging in the wind and bearing that fallacious legend, -“Here they give something to eat and drink,” such as he had seen -on the rural roads. He had commenced to despair of finding what he -sought, however, when the magic word “dinner” greeted his eyes. On -closer inspection of the establishment where this promise was held -out, he read,-- - - RESTAURANT BROCHONS. - - _Dîners à 2 francs; déjeuners à 1 franc 25._ - -Eusebe fairly sprang towards the door, but entered the place in a -humble manner, and took a seat at the table nearest to the window, -so that he might satisfy at the same time his stomach and his -curiosity. - -“What will you have, monsieur?” inquired a waiter. - -“Whatever you please,” replied Eusebe. “Having been raised in the -country, I am not difficult to please.” - -“After the soup, will monsieur have a beefsteak?” - -“As it pleases you.” - -“Oh, it is all the same to me. Would you prefer a kidney?” - -“I have no preference.” - -“A calf’s liver?” - -“It is a matter of indifference to me.” - -“To me also. We have, besides, cutlets, collops, fricasseed -chicken, rabbits, partridges, roast chicken, mutton----” - -Eusebe caught the word cutlets, as the waiter ran rapidly through -the bill of fare, and eagerly interrupted him with,-- - -“Give me a cutlet.” - -“How will you have it?” And the waiter again went into a catalogue -of which Eusebe understood only the word “broiled.” - -“I will have it broiled,” he exclaimed. - -“Cutlet broiled! One!” exclaimed the waiter to the cook. - -“Here is a queer servant,” said the young provincial, _solus_. -Having obtained the cutlet, he devoted himself to it with an -appetite sharpened by abstinence and exercise. After the dish had -been finished, the waiter again began to run over his bill of -fare; but Eusebe interrupted him with,-- - -“Give me another cutlet.” - -“Would you not prefer fish of some kind,--salmon, river trout, -or----” - -“I prefer another cutlet.” - -“Very well, monsieur. _Chef_, another cutlet--one!” - -“The _chef_ of this establishment is certainly deaf,” thought -Eusebe; “and that is a disagreeable infirmity both for himself and -for other people.” - -After the second cutlet, Eusebe demanded a third, and then a piece -of cheese. While he was eating his last piece of bread and drinking -a glass of water, there was a sudden commotion in the room, -and several persons ran to the windows. The provincial thought -something extraordinary was in progress, and was all eyes and ears -for the time. He could see nothing, at first, but the usual throng -of vehicles and pedestrians. Then a tightly closed wagon, escorted -by four gendarmes, attracted his attention. The wagon passed on; -the persons in the restaurant returned to their seats, and the -conversation became animated. - -“It is unfortunate, beyond doubt,” said a large man with a white -cravat, “but we cannot punish too severely those who are trying to -bring about anarchy and disorder.” - -“Poor fellows!” said a young woman: “they have sisters and mothers -who weep for them.” - -“Yes, and mistresses too,” added a man whose features were marked -by the ravages of the smallpox. - -The young woman turned towards the speaker, and, after looking at -him fixedly, responded,-- - -“Yes, monsieur, they have mistresses.” - -“Poor fellows! they may never see their country again.” - -“Life is long.” - -“While they live there is hope.” - -Eusebe was exceedingly curious. He did not comprehend a word of -this conversation, and dared not question anybody. His neighbor, -however, a man of rough and swarthy aspect, came to his relief, -saying,-- - -“These people indulge in very absurd reflections.” - -“I know not what they have said,” responded the provincial. - -“They alluded to the men who have just passed: they are condemned -to transportation.” - -“May I venture to ask what they mean by transportation?” - -“Sending men into exile.” - -“For what reason?” - -“Because they wished to fight for liberty,” whispered the swarthy -man, who then took his hat, and, casting a glance of defiance at -the throng, departed. - -Eusebe followed. As he passed out of the door, he heard the waiter -exclaim,-- - -“There goes a verdant one.” - -Eusebe thought this was intended as an insult, but he was not sure -of the sense of the term verdant, and, therefore, gave himself -no trouble about it. He took a seat on one of the benches of the -Boulevard du Temple, and seemed absorbed in reflection. What he -thought, it is impossible for us to say; but when he arose, he -might have been heard to murmur,-- - -“They raise monuments to the memory of citizens who have died for -liberty, and they banish others who wish to fight for it. This does -not appear consistent,--unless there are two kinds of liberty, one -good and the other bad.” - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - - -Night had come on, which, however, did not disturb Eusebe. He had -heard that in Paris night was turned into day,--that Paris was more -brilliant at midnight than at noon,--and many other absurdities. -While observing the rapid illumination of myriads of gas-lamps, he -had begun to think that his provincial anticipations were about -to be realized. But when the poor youth, who had spent two hours -in hunting a restaurant, wished to find a shelter, he perceived -that gaslight fell far short of sunshine. Notwithstanding all the -attention he devoted to the multitude of signs, he could nowhere -discover the word _auberge_. - -His anxiety was great. He noticed a clock, the hands of which -marked the hour of half-past ten. He had never before remained out -of bed so late. - -He had a strong inclination to ask the pedestrians who passed him -where he could find a bed; but his mishaps of the morning were -vividly remembered. At length he realized that there was no other -course to take, and decided to question the first female who passed -him. - -“A woman,” thought Eusebe, “will be milder and more accessible than -a man.” And as, at this moment, a lady emerged from a neighboring -mansion, the provincial ventured to say,-- - -“Permit me, madame, as a stranger who is very much embarrassed, to -ask you for some information.” - -The lady passed on without condescending to make any reply. - -“I have an awkward address,” said the provincial. “That person is -certainly a great and haughty lady. I had better speak to this one, -who has the air of a working-woman.” - -“Madame,” said Eusebe to a female who brushed past him, “a little -information, I pray you.” - -“This is a well-chosen hour for asking questions, truly. What do -you want?” - -“Inform me, if you please, of a place where I can sleep to-night.” - -“Pass on your way, you insolent scamp! For whom do you take me, you -low-bred fellow? Cease to disturb me, or I will have you arrested.” - -This cut was too much for the poor Limousin. He felt as if his legs -would give way under him. He sank upon a stone step, and, in a -despairing tone, asked himself what would become of him. - -He was endowed with a strong, healthy constitution. No ordinary -peril could frighten him; but this solitude in the midst of a crowd -gave him strange sensations: he felt his heart swell, while the -tears started. - -“Are you sick, monsieur?” inquired a man who was engaged in closing -a store. - -“No,” responded Eusebe, “but I am not much better off.” - -“Are you hungry?” - -“No.” - -“Do you want money?” - -“No.” - -“Then what is the matter?” - -Eusebe arose, revived by the sympathetic curiosity of the man, and -replied,-- - -“I arrived in Paris, this morning, from my native province, and -already a coachman has insulted me, a soldier has mocked me, an -old man has deceived me, a commissary of police has desired to -arrest me, as he thought me crazy, because I had saved a man’s -life, a waiter in a restaurant has called me _green_, a great -lady has refused to answer me, and a working-woman has heaped -epithets upon me because I asked her to direct me to an _auberge_. -Really, I might inquire whether I am crazy, or whether, instead of -coming into a civilized region, I have not fallen among a horde of -savages.” - -The merchant--for such the man evidently was--rejoined,-- - -“There is, perhaps, some truth in the latter supposition. Come in -and take a seat for a moment, and I will aid you.” - -“Generous man! Blessings on you! God, I am sure, will take account -of your good action; and if ever you or your son should visit -distant shores, he will prepare for you shelter in a hospitable -tent.” - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - - -“I am not married,” said the merchant, “and, therefore, have no -son. If I had one, I would not let him travel. For myself, I will -never go farther than Versailles, where I am going to retire. I -shall be sure to find a hospitable tent there, for I have an income -of ten thousand francs. Finally, I am not a generous man: I am a -dealer in porcelain.” - -“It is not a dull trade,” observed Eusebe, sententiously. - -“I invited you to come in,” continued the merchant, “because I knew -by your accent that you were a compatriot. I am from Rochechouart. -My name is Lansade.” - -Eusebe thereupon gave an account of his journey, and detailed the -motives for the undertaking,--which, however, the merchant did not -comprehend. - -“What I can see clearly in all this is, that M. Martin, your -father,--I know him well,--wishes you to see the world. It is quite -natural. A young man ought to know something of life.” - -“Such is, indeed, his wish.” - -“But,” continued Lansade, “he should have given you letters of -introduction to some friends, who would take pleasure in piloting -you through Paris.” - -“My father has no friends.” - -“As times go, that is perhaps as well. But one must have -acquaintances: one cannot live like a bear.” - -“My father lives like a philosopher.” - -“It is the same thing,” said Lansade. “Now, since your good star -has conducted you to my door, I wish to be useful to you. First, -take these cards, which have my address. Do not lose them. I will -close my store, and then conduct you to Madame Morin, a lady who -rents chambers. She is a fine woman, who will take care of you. I -am not sorry to take her a tenant. I shall thereby render service -to two persons.” - -“You are very good, monsieur,” said Eusebe: “I cannot tell you how -much I am obliged to you.” - -“It is not worth mentioning. As soon as I have closed my store, we -will set out.” - -“Shall I assist you?” inquired Eusebe. - -“I have only three shutters to put up. For twenty-five years I have -put them up at night and taken them down in the morning. You may -presume that I have learned my task.” - -So saying, the merchant set about closing his shop. Eusebe was -quite another man: his anxiety had vanished. After waiting a few -moments, he went to the door. Lansade had made no progress. He -stood looking at the shutters, and seemed puzzled. - -“Well, this is a nice piece of business!” exclaimed the merchant. -“Ah, Pierichou, to-morrow you shall hear from me.” - -“What is the matter?” asked Eusebe. - -“My porter is a lazy rascal whom I rescued from misery. Two weeks -ago, I decided to have the front of my store painted. The painter -forgot to number the shutters. Then I told Pierichou to number them -with ink. The scamp has numbered them with Spanish white; and now -one of the figures is effaced.” - -“Well, what is the consequence?” - -“The consequence is, that I don’t know how to put them up. If I put -the first in the second place, they cannot be fastened.” - -“Excuse me, monsieur, but will you permit me to suggest----” - -“What?” - -“There is but one number effaced.” - -“That is quite enough.” - -“See which numbers remain, and you will know the one you want.” - -“Precisely so. Thank you.” - -The merchant closed his store, and, taking the arm of the young -provincial, conducted him towards the residence of Madame Morin. - -“Madame Morin,” said Lansade, on the way, “is an excellent woman. -She has been frivolous and fond of pleasure in her time, but I do -not attach any importance to that. I am a Voltairian, like your -father. I am a philosopher, also, in my way. Between you and me, I -may add that there are few now-a-days of my worth: besides, I have -amassed a nice little fortune.” - -They reached the house. Lansade presented Eusebe, who was cordially -welcomed by Madame Morin, and then the merchant retired. - -“Before you retire to rest,” said the landlady to Eusebe, “give -me your papers, so that I may give you a proper description on my -book.” - -“What papers?” asked the young man, astonished. - -“Not for my own satisfaction,--because it is sufficient for me to -know that M. Lansade brought you here,--but for the police.” - -At the word “police,” Eusebe recalled the scene at the office of -the commissary, and hastened to give to Madame Morin his _port -d’armes_. She then wrote in her book,-- - -“Chamber No. 17.--M. Eusebe Martin, born at the Capelette, -department of the Upper Vienne, aged twenty-one years, by -profession a hunter.” - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - - -The chamber which Madame Morin had assigned to Eusebe had been -much used. It was in the fourth story. The furniture consisted of -a mahogany bedstead, a chest of drawers fancifully ornamented, -a bureau, a table, a _causeuse_, two arm-chairs, two ordinary -chairs,--covered with damask which had been red, like the color -of the curtains at the window,--a clock, and three pictures,--to -wit, a steel engraving of Diana, a colored picture of a Calabrian -brigand, and a lithograph, designated as the “Entrance to the Port -of Buenos Ayres.” - -The finest room at La Capelette was the saloon, or parlor. The -floor had never been waxed. Great curtains of white and yellow -calico hung at the windows. A walnut table, some chairs covered -with velvet, and an alabaster clock were the only ornaments of the -room, where, moreover, no strangers were received. - -In making a comparison, the provincial found his new quarters -splendid. - -“Behold,” thought he, “what they call comfortable! It is one of -the benefits of civilization; but it produces effeminacy in the -strongest man, and it is better to know how to bear up under -adversity.” - -After this sage reflection, inspired by the counsels addressed by -Mentor to Telemachus, Eusebe retired to bed. If his fatigue had -been less, he would have very soon comprehended the difference -between the mattress of his bed and the soft turf of the isle of -Calypso. - -The youth closed his eyes and thought of his father, who by this -time was sound asleep. He saw himself departing from La Capelette. -All the little incidents of his journey recurred to his mind. He -rejoiced that he had met with Lansade. He was glad that he had -found Madame Morin such an excellent woman, and vowed an eternal -remembrance of her kindness. Then he wondered why madame had -written in her book that he was a hunter by profession. He thought, -also, of the trouble experienced by the porcelain-merchant in -closing his store, and of his not knowing, after a practice of -thirty years, which shutter ought to go up first. This led him -to think of the sagacity of the savages, who, in the midst of a -forest, tell by the curve of a blade of grass what enemy they -have to fear. He endeavored to discover on which side was the -superiority; and he fell into a sound sleep without having solved -the question. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - - -On the following morning, at five o’clock, Eusebe awoke, and was -somewhat surprised at not seeing the projecting beams on the -ceiling, his gun hanging on the wall, and his three favorite -ornaments on the mantel. A second, however, sufficed for him to -recollect where he was. He leaped from his couch, and threw open -the window. - -“Behold Paris,” he exclaimed, “the city _par excellence_,--the -crown of the world,--the city of a thousand palaces,--the----” - -He paused. A profound silence reigned around him. The steps of a -belated scavenger alone disturbed the quiet of the sleeping city. -The eyes of the provincial were strained to see the thousand -palaces: he saw little more than a throng of brick chimneys. The -prospect was not enchanting. He closed the window, and proceeded to -dress himself. - -Five o’clock sounded. Eusebe made the sign of the cross, and waited -to hear the three strokes of the _angelus_, to which he had been -accustomed at that hour; but he listened in vain. - -“This is the hour,” said he, “when my father rises to walk in the -fields and commune with nature. Pierre curries the horses. Big -Katy goes to the town to sell milk. Monsieur the Curé of Moustier -prepares for mass. Here everybody is asleep. Is it progress that -delays, or routine that advances?” - -Not being able to resist the desire to see the city, the young man -descended the stairs, found the street-door open, and went out. - -This would be the moment to give a rapid description of the -Boulevards of Paris at six o’clock in the morning, and to depict -the surprises and misconceptions of the young provincial; but, -unhappily, descriptions give too little information to those who -read and too much trouble to those who write. Then, if they rest -the reader, we must admit that they encourage the bad habit of -going to sleep over a volume. - -Eusebe Martin was neither astonished nor mistaken. He had dreamed, -in his country home, of a city built of gold and paved with rubies -and emeralds. He saw only a mass of stones and mud. He walked for -some time without raising his eyes, and then, looking about him, -without giving serious attention to any thing, he decided that the -best thing he could do was to go and consult his Voltairian friend, -the merchant, who would not fail to give him good advice. - -Lansade received the young man with open arms, and detained him -to breakfast. As soon as they were seated at the table, the -porcelain-dealer began to question him earnestly. - -“You see, my young friend, I did not wish, last evening, to be -intrusive, or to aggravate your annoyances, by inquiring into the -precise object that brought you to Paris. But I hope that now, -since you seek counsel of me, you will tell me truly what are your -intentions, and what is your aim.” - -“I have already told you that I have come to visit the capital -of the civilized world, to see life, study civilization, and, if -possible, to distinguish the true from the false; and, finally, I -have come here in obedience to my father’s wishes.” - -“Verily,” responded Lansade, “I do not comprehend a word of -what you tell me. To see life there is but one way, and that is, -to live. To study civilization you had no need to come so far: -it is everywhere. Do you believe Limoges is peopled by savages? -They traffic there as well as elsewhere, and perhaps better. -Civilization, you see, is commerce, and nothing else. Work is -truth.” - -Eusebe responded,-- - -“Then I will work.” - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - - -The porcelain-merchant warmly applauded the resolution announced by -Eusebe. - -“But what will you do?” he inquired of the provincial. - -Eusebe confessed that he would have some difficulty in answering -that question. Lansade resumed:-- - -“You had better reflect. Spend a few days in diverting your mind -with the sights of Paris. Endeavor to make acquaintances. On my -part, I will look about for something that may be agreeable to you.” - -A young man, with a smiling countenance, at this moment entered the -store, and exclaimed,-- - -“Good-morning, Monsieur Lansade! Here are your two vases. How do -you like them? Are they sufficiently finished?” - -“Very good, indeed,” replied Lansade, after carefully examining the -paintings on the vases, which were ornamented in the old style. -“Very good, Monsieur Buck. When you choose to take pains, you do -your work better than anybody else. Here are twenty-five francs. -Write me a receipt.” - -“A pound sterling. The price is certainly not excessive, Monsieur -Lansade; and yet you insist upon a receipt to complete the -transaction. Well, give me pen and paper. If ever I become a -celebrated painter,--which I certainly shall,--you will have an -autograph which will be worth its weight in gold.” - -“So much the better for us both, Monsieur Buck.” - -Paul Buck was an excellent and worthy young man, who dreamed of -glory. The son of a German painter on porcelain, he thoroughly -understood that decorative art, and might have earned the means -of living handsomely if he had only been industrious. Unhappily, -he regarded his profession with contempt. He aspired to be a -great painter, and only decorated vases in order to procure the -necessaries of life. Lansade, who held Paul in high esteem on -account of his frankness and honesty of disposition, introduced him -to Eusebe. - -Buck was a physiognomist. The countenance of Eusebe pleased him, -and he invited the provincial to pay him a visit. - -“You wish to study the comedy of human life? I will give you a box -gratis.” - -Eusebe expressed his gratitude, and, in the simple warmth of his -heart, vowed to the painter eternal friendship. - -“Friendship!” said the painter. “If you have brought it from the -provinces, I will accept it most willingly; but at Paris we have -no more friendship. The secret was lost long ago. If we cannot be -friends, we will be two _bons camarades_.” - -“Can you tell me the difference,” inquired Eusebe, “between -friendship and good-fellowship?” - -“Nothing can be clearer,” replied the artist, as he drew from his -pocket two pieces of colored glass. “Look at these. This piece was -manufactured about three hundred years ago, by a process known to -the artists of the Middle Ages. The color is made a part of the -glass itself. If you break it, you find the red within as well as -without. Now look at the other piece. That was made only a week -ago. At the first glance, it appears like the other. But break it, -and you find that the red has not penetrated beyond the surface. Do -you see? - -“Well, this illustrates the difference between friendship and -boon-companionship. Friendship permeates the heart of man; -good-fellowship only gives it a superficial tint.” - -“I comprehend,” said Eusebe. - -“To-day, the manner by which color may be rendered permanent and -friendship lasting is ranked among the lost arts,” continued the -painter. “He who discovers the first will become rich; he who finds -the second will be happy.” - -“If you will consent,” stammered Eusebe, “we will seek them -together.” - -“Agreed: it will not kill us,” responded Paul; and they separated. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - - -The son of the respectable philosopher M. Martin had now been at -Paris for two weeks. He spent the day in various ways, but in the -evening he was invariably found at one of the places of amusement. - -In order to become acquainted with the different features of the -French stage, he had resolved to visit all the theatres of the -French capital, commencing with the most distant. - -In the first place, he visited the “Délassements Comiques.” On that -occasion the attraction consisted of a “Review of the Year,” an -allegorical spectacle in fourteen tableaux. Eusebe was unable to -comprehend the drift of the piece, and returned to his lodgings in -a melancholy mood. - -On the following evening the provincial went to the “Folies -Dramatiques,” where they gave another “review.” He could not -comprehend this effort at all, and retired before the close of the -piece. His mind was more hopelessly puzzled than it had been on the -previous evening. - -On the third evening he went to the “Variétés,” where there was -another “review.” This time the provincial thought his brain was -turned. - -“Ah,” said Eusebe, “I am the most ignorant being in the world, or -else all the comedians and those who listen to them are fools. Why -do they paint their faces like Indians? Why do they wear costumes -which do not belong to any nation? Why do the public laugh so -loudly at seeing them deceive a foolish old man? Why do they -applaud when the comedians make use of words with a double meaning? -Why do they sing _àpropos_ of nothing? How do they manage to speak -my mother-tongue so that I cannot understand it? I will go no more.” - -On the following evening, however, he resumed his visits, saying -that perhaps the theatres were not all alike! - -He passed five hours at the “Gaieté,” listening to the history of -a lost child. On the ensuing evening he went to the “Ambigu,” to -witness the representation of a drama based upon the history of a -foundling. Subsequently, at the “Porte Saint-Martin,” he had the -immense satisfaction of seeing in a single piece a child lost and -found, then lost again, and, finally, recovered. - -At the “Français,” at the “Odéon,” at the “Gymnase,” at the -“Vaudeville,” and at the “Palais Royal,” the provincial saw the -same piece in fifteen different forms: a young man wished to wed -a young woman, and, notwithstanding a thousand obstacles, he -succeeded in accomplishing his object. - -“When I have seen two dozen of them married,” said Eusebe, “I will -save my money.” - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - - -Eusebe imparted his reflections to his new friend, Paul Buck, the -painter. The artist smiled, and said,-- - -“Eusebe,--my friend Eusebe,--what pleasure your society affords -me! Since I made your acquaintance, I have sought to understand -the sympathy I feel for you, and I have hitherto been unable to -comprehend the cause. Those who say such sentiments arise without -cause are fools. I like you, and now I know why. You were born -an artist; and it is, perhaps, for the best that your father, -whom they accuse of having neglected to cultivate your intellect, -did not spoil your nature by routine culture. You know nothing, -barbarian that you are; but you have good instincts, since you -have not fallen, as I feared you would, into admiration of the -_rengaines_ of the modern theatre.” - -“Tell me, pray, what you mean by _rengaines_.” - -“The _rengaines_, my dear fellow, are all the familiar commonplaces -and vulgar and hackneyed sentiments. The narrow and plodding -spirits have formed a museum, which they open, at a specified -hour, to human stupidity. The crowd have visited the museum for -centuries, and departed every evening, perfectly satisfied, without -seeming to be aware that the spectacle always amounts to the same -thing.” - -“I believe I comprehend you. You do not wish me to share the -opinion of the crowd.” - -“I should pity you if you did. Observe: I am fortunate in having a -feeling of the good, the true, and the just. The sentiment of the -beautiful--which is the same thing--is born in some men: it cannot -be acquired. Happy are those who possess it! They may be hooted -and scorned; but they will live in a world of enchantment to which -they alone have access. Their lives will be totally unlike the -existence of those who rail at them; and, while the latter may be -cast down by the petty trials of every-day life, the privileged -ones soar into those regions where they revel in the perfection of -the ideal,--the true.” - -“Are you one of those favored ones, Paul Buck?” - -“I am.” - -“Well, then, by the affection you say you bear me, and by the love -of my father, whose wisdom you admire, tell me where the true may -be found.” - -“In art:--nowhere else,” responded Paul Buck. And, lighting his -pipe, he turned the conversation to other topics. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - - -Eusebe understood that he did not understand. The provincial felt -humiliated because he could not catch the sense of certain phrases -and words which were, doubtless, clear enough to Paul Buck. The -painter, who cared more for a listener than for an adept who -understood him, did not take the trouble to explain the theories he -promulgated. - -As a consequence, Eusebe grew uneasy of the conversation; and, -as Buck perceived this, he conducted his friend to a café, where -artists, “models,” and other people fond of lounging and chat, were -wont to congregate. - -But there Eusebe found the language used to be still more -incomprehensible than that of Paul. The conversation consisted -of dissertations on the æsthetic in art, intermingled with cant -phrases and philosophical reflections. - -To this resort the provincial accompanied his friend two or three -times. He would undoubtedly have finished by understanding the -peculiar language of the artistic assemblage, if chance had not -given him another occupation and preserved him from this great -danger. He escaped Scylla to be sacrificed at Capua. - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - - -The occupation of Eusebe consisted in going to the theatre every -evening, an amusement which he now thought as sublime as he -formerly thought it despicable. _Voici pourquoi._ - -Faithful to his programme, he had visited the “Opéra Comique.” -The evening on which accident conducted him to the Rue Favart, -the bills announced “The Black Domino.” Our hero was entirely -ignorant of the meaning of the word “domino;” but he courageously -entered, saying to himself that since he had seen a dozen persons -assassinated at the “Gaieté” and at the “Porte Saint-Martin,” and -double that number married at the “Gymnase” and at the “Français,” -nothing worse could possibly happen to him. - -Installed in an orchestra-chair, he looked around at the spectators -with profound surprise. - -“What!” said he to himself; “these are the same faces, the same -men, the same women, I have seen elsewhere!” - -And he was right. At Paris there are two thousand persons who go -to the theatres every evening for nothing,--artists, literary men, -or employés of certain branches of the government, besides a large -number of persons who are neither the one nor the other, but who -know an _artiste_ of the circus, who has introduced them to an -actor of the “Vaudeville,” who knows a musician of the “Variétés,” -who is intimate with the secretary of the “Porte Saint-Martin,” who -is the friend of M’lle X. of the Grand Opera, who is the mistress -of Binet the vaudevillist. Then there are the wives of journalists, -the mistresses of journalists, the friends of journalists, the -comrades of journalists, the porters of journalists, and the -washerwomen of authors. - -Eusebe was lost in a thousand conjectures. He was asking himself -how he should ever succeed in getting accustomed to the habits -and tastes of a people whom he saw only at a distance, when his -neighbor at the right, a lean, sallow individual, nudged him with -his elbow, saying,-- - -“Ah! there is Mdme. de Cornacé.” - -“Where?” asked Eusebe. - -“There, in the private box to the right,--the lady with curls _à -l’anglaise_, wearing a low-necked dress.” - -“I do not know her.” - -“Indeed!” - -“Pardon me if I am indiscreet,” said Eusebe; “but----” - -“No indiscretion,” replied his neighbor. “All Paris knows her. -Her mother was a dealer in butter at the _Halle_. She was very -handsome, and when she married M. de Cornacé, who was a ruined -nobleman, she brought him a dowry of one hundred and fifty thousand -francs. To-day they have three millions, thanks to an intimacy that -exists between Mdme. de Cornacé and Froment, the banker. You see -she is a woman of the times.” - -“How so?” - -“How? Why, that is not difficult to comprehend.” - -“I do not understand you, sir.” - -“When one does not understand French, one ought not to enter into -conversation,” replied the neighbor, angrily, turning his back to -Eusebe. - -Our hero was on the point of assuring his interlocutor that it -was not his intention to be inquisitive, when the conductor -gave the signal to begin the overture. The son of M. Martin had -never heard any music but that of the vaudeville. From the first -measures executed by the orchestra, he experienced certain strange -sensations, for which, however, he did not pause to account. -Enchanted by the melody, he found himself isolated in the middle -of the crowd, and a prey to emotions that were unknown to him, and -really inexpressible. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - - -There is nothing that penetrates the heart, and prepares it for -love, like music. - -The curtain had risen, and _Horace_ had recounted to _Juliano_ -his adventure with the beautiful unknown, without exciting the -slightest interest on the part of Eusebe. The heroes of Scribe -talked of love, a something unknown to the provincial, who would -have been wholly ignorant of the word, had he not met with it in -pronouncing his prayers. - -The entrance of the two masked women made a strange impression on -him. His heart beat violently, the blood rushed to his temples, a -cold, trembling sensation pervaded his whole frame, and when the -woman who personated _Angèle_ removed her black velvet mask, he -experienced one of those indescribable sensations of delight which -nature accords to those only who have not sinned against her. - -Trembling, and his eyes intently fixed on the lips of the -cantatrice, Eusebe Martin forgot the universe: he felt his blood -coursing rapidly through his veins, and his heart expand within his -breast. - -He remained in his seat between the acts. One thought alone -occupied him: should he see the beautiful creature again who had -produced such a magic effect on him? He closed his eyes, in order -the better to see her in imagination. - -Meanwhile the curtain rose for the second time. During the first -three scenes _Angèle_ did not appear. Her absence was the first -real disappointment Eusebe had ever experienced. Up to that time -his life had been as calm and monotonous as the surface of a lake. - -All at once his heart leaped with joy: she had just entered. Pale -and agitated, he did not breathe freely until the good _Jacinthe_ -had promised that she would do all in her power to conceal _Angèle_. - -“Excellent woman!” cried Eusebe. - -His neighbor at the right could not help smiling, while the lean -gentleman on his left gave vent to his feelings by grumbling. - -Eusebe paid no attention to these demonstrations. His chin resting -on his hands, which he had placed on the back of the chair in front -of him, he watched intently the impossible action of the piece. -He had already forgotten that what he saw was only fiction. His -joy or grief augmented or diminished with the development of the -plot. If _Angèle_ succeeded in extricating herself from one of her -thousand difficulties, he breathed again. On the contrary, when -a new disaster befell the poor abbess, the heart of Eusebe bled -for her, and his eyes filled with tears. Twenty times was he on -the point of springing upon the stage and saying, “I will defend -you: don’t be afraid.” Fortunately, _Angèle_ succeeded without his -assistance in escaping the snares M. Scribe had prepared for her. - -What would the audience have said, what would the police have -done, if Eusebe had executed his design? Nothing, probably. The -public are amused by madmen, and the police interfere only in cases -with which they are familiar. By remaining in his seat, our poor -provincial caused himself to be put out-of-doors. - -The curtain rose for the third time. _Angèle_ had just arrived at -the convent, and sang the famous rondeau-- - - “Ah! what a night!” - -She detailed pathetically the perils she had encountered during -the frightful night,--recounted her adventures with the drunken -soldiers, the thief, who had robbed her of her golden cross, and -the student, who was content to steal only a kiss. - -The neighbor at the left, a fat man, with a good-natured -physiognomy, leaned towards Eusebe and said,-- - -“How confoundedly stupid! She has succeeded in escaping -unperceived,--a miracle!--and now, instead of going to her cell -and changing her costume, she remains there like a fool to sing. I -would give a trifle if they would come and take her by surprise.” - -“You are a wretch!” cried Eusebe. “I am half inclined to strangle -you.” - -“You are extremely insolent, sir!” - -“You are a coward!” - -“Chut! chut!” “Silence!” “Out with him!” suggested several voices. - -The fat gentleman grasped at the young man’s collar; but Eusebe -foiled his design by planting a heavy blow full in his face, which -inconvenienced him not a little, but not sufficiently to prevent -his calling for assistance. A policeman soon made his appearance, -and Eusebe was very unceremoniously shown into the street. - -At any other time he would have submitted without a word; but when -he thought that the angelic creature with whom he was so charmed -had disappeared forever, he thrust the public functionary aside and -hurried away like a maniac. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - - -Eusebe returned directly to his lodgings. For a long time he sat in -his room, his elbows resting on the table, and his face buried in -his hands. His heart had taken possession of his head, and he did -not try to account for what was passing within him. Although he had -no light, he closed his eyes, and the cantatrice appeared before -him, encircled by a resplendent halo. - -He threw himself on his bed without undressing, but sleep he could -not. One by one he took off his garments, throwing some one way -and some another. He listened to the clock every time it struck -even the fractions of the hour, and every quarter seemed to him a -century. He breathed heavily, and a cold perspiration covered his -brow, while he rolled about on his couch, grating his teeth, and -occasionally muttering,-- - -“Mon Dieu! will the day never dawn?” - -And then he found relief in tears. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - - -The day at last dawned; but Eusebe, pale and his eyes sunken, -slept soundly. At a late hour, a noise in the street awoke him. -He rose up, and, looking wildly around the room, thought he had -been dreaming. But the incidents of the previous evening, and the -sleepless hours of the night, were soon clear to his recollection. - -“No, it was not a dream,” said he. “I was never at the same time -so happy and so miserable: this woman, I see her still. Why does -she exert such an influence over me? Last night I tried to banish -her from my thoughts; but I was wrong, for I am never so happy as -when I am thinking of her. I will see her again this evening, and -to-morrow, and--forever.” - -The day wore slowly away. The doors of the theatre were scarcely opened, -when Eusebe was installed in the first row of the orchestra-chairs, -where he awaited the commencement of the play. But the patience of -the poor provincial was destined to go unrecompensed. That evening -they played “Zampa; or, The Marble Bride;” and it was in vain that -he watched for the angelic creature who was the subject of his -thoughts. He returned home sadly disappointed, but determined to -retrace his steps on the following evening. - -The next day he was sure of realizing his hopes. Twenty times he -stopped to read the large posters of the theatre. He had bought the -programme, and long before the doors of the theatre opened, seated -in a neighboring café, he read it for the hundredth time:-- - - =THE BLACK DOMINO.= - - Comic Opera, In Three Acts. - - SCRIBE, AUBER. - - Mademoiselle ADÉONNE will continue her _débuts_ in the - _rôle_ of ANGÈLE. - -“What a pretty name!” said Eusebe to himself. “Adéonne! How -euphonious! how it resembles her! Adéonne! She is the only one on -earth who is worthy to bear it.” - -At length the hour arrived. He entered the theatre and was soon -intoxicated with the pleasure of gazing at her whom he loved. This -time he took a lively interest in the piece. He followed, step -by step, this singular and improbable story, the product of the -imagination of the most skilful dramatist of modern times. From the -theatre he returned slowly to his lodgings. - -“I am like _Horace de Massarena_,” said he, as he entered his -chamber. “The love of the hero of the piece enabled him to discover -his own. I love her, while he is only playing comedy; I love her -truly and sincerely, and am happy in the thought that I shall see -her often. When I see her I forget all else: it is impossible to -describe my feelings. How fortunate that man is who sings with her! -If I could only sing! But I cannot, and I am not sure that, near -her, I should be able to content myself with being a simple actor. -I would not confine myself to the words of the author, to a studied -lesson of love: she would not believe me, I am sure. It seems to me -that I would find something else to say to her, or I would remain -silent. I would throw myself at her feet; I would not take my eyes -off of her; I would prove my devotion in a thousand ways!” - -For three weeks, Eusebe did not miss a night at the Comic Opera. He -was happy, but confided his secret to no one. This love, egotistic -and true,--true because it was egotistic, and egotistic because it -was true,--would perhaps have been of short duration, but for the -intermeddling of this meddling world. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - - -Paul Buck came one morning to see his friend. - -“I come,” said he, “to have you go with me to see the house Lansade -has just bought at Versailles.” - -“What do you want to see it for?” asked Eusebe. - -“What do I want to see it for? Why, to see it! Is that not reason -enough?” - -“I don’t want to see it.” - -“Nor I; but that would displease Lansade.” - -“Ah!” - -“The fact is, we cannot well avoid going.” - -“Why?” - -“Because he is our friend. He is a bore, I grant you, but he is -nevertheless a sterling good fellow: he has done me many a good -turn, and you have told me yourself that but for his kind offices -you do not know what would have become of you in this great city.” - -“True,” replied Eusebe. - -“And, consequently, you ought to avail yourself of every -opportunity to make yourself agreeable to him.” - -“Without doubt. But--I cannot go: an affair of importance renders -it necessary for me to be at Paris this evening at seven o’clock.” - -“Nothing is easier: we will return by the six o’clock train.” - -“Very well: I will go.” - -Arm in arm, the two friends directed their steps towards the -Western depot. - -Eusebe was silent and thoughtful, and so was Paul Buck. Eusebe was -thinking of Adéonne, and Paul thought of what his friend could be -thinking of. - -In the car they met a merchant, named Bonnaud, an intimate friend -of Lansade. It was necessary to break the silence and engage in one -of those trivial conversations so tedious to persons preoccupied by -a single idea. Fortunately, the merchant was loquacious, and the -two friends were content to let him do most of the talking. - -“When we reflect,” cried Bonnaud, “that formerly it took three -hours and a half, and sometimes five, to go to Versailles, and -that now thirty-five minutes suffice for the whole trip, it is -almost incredible! It took me, in 1829,--the year of the cold -winter,--five days and nights to come from Bordeaux, which is -to-day a journey of only thirteen hours! It is astounding!” - -“Nothing more so,” replied Paul, complacently assenting. - -“And to think,” continued Bonnaud, “that there are in the world so -many ignorant and insincere people----” - -“There are a great many,” interrupted Buck. - -“What?” - -“Ignorant and insincere people, as you just remarked.” - -“True; ignorant and insincere people, who pretend--what do I say? -who deny--that this is an age of progress.” - -“What! there are individuals so stupid, so benighted, as to -maintain such absurdities!” returned the painter, rising angrily: -“that is not possible!” - -“Yes, my dear sir, there are such people,--more of them than you -may imagine: I know many such.” - -“Well, my best wishes to them, but their intellects are sadly -obscured.” - -Eusebe, who was ignorant of what the artists call “_faire poser -un bourgeois_” (to make a fool of one), looked at his friend with -astonishment. The merchant, however, continued, with an air of -importance:-- - -“Since devastating wars have ceased to ravage our glorious country, -the arts, the other victorious weapon of France, have secured to -her conquests of far greater importance, to say nothing of steam, -which would have given the world to the great Napoleon; and then -the astonishing discoveries of chemistry! But, leaving all that -out of the question, what is so grand and surprising as to see the -events that agitate the universe heralded from point to point by -numerous metal threads bordering the roads and traversing the land? -The electric telegraph would suffice to illustrate our age! And -then photography!----” - -“No more, I beg of you!” interrupted Paul Buck. “I will say nothing -of the electric wires, although they disfigure the landscape; but -not a word of photography before breakfast, I insist: it would -bring bad luck.” - -“I respect every thing, even the most absurd superstition. It is my -inflexible tolerance for opinions of every description which has -rendered me hostile to those who would mar the grandeur of our age -and check our progress towards a perfect civilization.” - -The painter, who could hardly restrain an inclination to laugh, bit -his lips, and turned to look out at the door. Then Bonnaud, who -was determined to have an interlocutor at all hazards, addressed -himself to Eusebe:-- - -“Are you not of my opinion, Monsieur Martin?” - -The young provincial was absorbed and abstracted, and only -caught the last words of the garrulous merchant. Seeing that it -was absolutely necessary to make some sort of response, Eusebe -repeated, mechanically, some of the phrases which constituted the -staple of his father’s philosophical observations:-- - -“In the first place, before responding, it is necessary to clear up -certain points which have been left involved in obscurity. Who can -tell where to find the false and where the true, since the greatest -minds have differed concerning them? Who can tell where progress -commences, and where it ends? Who will venture to affirm that in an -extreme degree of civilization the people are more or less happy, -when men of profound and enlightened judgment have confessed that -the last word of civilization is the first of barbarism?” - -Bonnaud was stupefied. He had nothing to say. Like all persons who -have no opinions of their own about men and things, and who, from -ignorance or lack of judgment, accept those of others, the merchant -was not tenacious of the views he had expressed. At length he -recovered his balance so far as to murmur,-- - -“Certainly. Concerning every thing there is a pro and a con.” - -Paul, thinking that Eusebe had penetrated his intention to quiz the -merchant, continued to gratify his humor:-- - -“Assuredly: M. Martin is right. He has told the precise truth, and -I can prove it. He belongs to a race who have been at the head -of civilization, and who have fallen back into their primitive -condition. When were they happiest? I cannot tell; nor can you. -You must admit that it would be impertinent to the last degree to -assert that the residents of Versailles are to-day happier than -were those of Salente under the wise and far-sighted administration -of Idomeneus.” - -“I do not say so,” rejoined Bonnaud. “But their condition must -depend, in a great measure, upon the character of their prefects.” - -They had now reached the end of their journey, and the young -men alighted, laughing immoderately at the simplicity of their -companion, who, for his part, looked to the right and the left, as -if trying to discover what excited their mirth. - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - - -The house that Lansade had purchased for his retirement was one of -those ordinary country mansions which are so dear to the _petits -bourgeois_ of Paris. Situated on the summit of a small eminence, -it could be seen at a considerable distance. This modest elevation -had been preferred by the merchant to sites of a more commanding -description, and which could have been obtained at a more -advantageous price. The fortunate purchaser was persuaded that all -persons who journeyed from Paris to Versailles, and from Versailles -to Paris, would eagerly inquire,-- - -“To whom does that pretty piece of property belong? Who resides in -that charming cottage on the hill yonder?” - -And then some well-informed traveller would respond,-- - -“It is the chateau of M. Lansade, a very rich merchant, who has -retired from business.” - -This idea seemed to fascinate Lansade, and he was never weary of -trying to improve the aspect of his house. - -The “retired merchant” was seated in front of his mansion, watching -for the arrival of his guests, in order to enjoy their astonishment -at the sight of his splendid establishment. As soon as he caught -sight of them, he shouted,-- - -“Hurry, my young friends; breakfast is waiting. I had ceased to -look for you, upon my word. I was about to go to the table. What do -you think of my little establishment?” - -The painter and Bonnaud went into ecstasies, the first for -politeness, and the second in honest admiration. Eusebe was silent. -After considerable trifling chat, the party seated themselves at -the table. - -Those who reside in the suburbs of Paris are wholly ignorant of the -charms of a rural repast: they live as they would live in the city. -Those who live on the borders of the Seine eat no other fish than -those purchased in the market of Paris. Let any one who does not -credit this singularity go to Asnières or to Chaton, and he will be -convinced. - -Lansade pressed his guests to satisfy their appetite, and made -earnest inquiries as to the quality of the dishes. - -“How do you find that capon?” - -“Delicious,” answered Buck, who was obliged to keep up the -conversation while Bonnaud ate and Eusebe mused. “Delicious! Your -poultry-yard is, then, already populated?” - -“Not at all. But I have a friend in the market of the Vallée. -When I wish to obtain game or poultry, I can always procure the -best. I have only to write three days previous. Will you try the -_matelotte_?” - -“Directly. You are in a convenient place for fresh fish.” - -“Yes, the river is quite near; but the fishermen prefer to send -their fish to Paris: they may get a lower price there, but they are -sure of a sale. As to fruits, however, the case is different: none -can be procured in the whole _commune_.” - -“That is a trifling misfortune.” - -“Monsieur Martin, what is the matter with you? You appear sad!” - -“No.” - -“You do not eat?” - -“Pardon me, my dear Lansade.” - -“It is true,” said Bonnaud: “monsieur is quite abstracted.” - -“Eusebe,” cried Buck, “these gentlemen speak truly. You have -something concealed from us. Are you unhappy? Are you home-sick, my -boy? are you anxious to behold your native meadows? Do these maples -awaken in you a desire to see once more your tall chestnuts? and -the good things spread before us by our friend Lansade, do they -remind you of your own rural repasts in the paternal mansion?” - -“No.” - -“Then perhaps you have left, seated on the banks of the Vienna, a -young shepherdess, who sadly awaits your return?” - -Lansade laughed rather boisterously. He and his mercantile friend -had drank very little, but nevertheless more than usual. - -“Well,” continued Buck, “let Eusebe swear to us that he is not in -love, and I will leave him in peace.” - -“I never swear.” - -“Then admit that you are in love, my melancholy friend.” - -“It is true,” replied Eusebe. - -This confession was made with some reluctance, because delicate -souls always dislike to allow a third person to intrude between -them and the object of their affection. But Eusebe did not know -how to lie, and did not wish to learn. As he felt his heart -swelling and his eyes moistening, he arose and went out. He seated -himself in a chair in the garden; and there Paul soon rejoined him. - -“I gave you pain, my gentle savage,” said the painter. “Pardon me, -I beg of you. I am sorry, above all, that I was not more guarded -before those vulgar fellows. You are angry with me?” - -“No: I even intended to tell you every thing,--but at another time. -I know not whether it was because of the presence of our friends, -or because I was not prepared, but your persistence provoked me.” - -“Ah! I am grieved. I do not like to meddle with the palette of a -comrade: each to his own color. But, since we have touched upon the -subject, tell me all. I can serve you, perhaps. I also have loved.” - -“Is that true?” said Eusebe, rising. - -“At least ten times; perhaps more.” - -Eusebe sank back upon the seat, saying, sadly,-- - -“It is useless. You will not comprehend me.” - -Paul insisted. His friend finished by yielding to his -importunities, and related all that had occurred to him, and all he -had felt. Buck, notwithstanding his frivolity, became grave and -serious as he listened to the details of this affair of the heart. - -“Poor fellow!” said he. “It is unlucky that your first love should -be inspired by a comédienne, and, above all, by this one.” - -“Why?” - -“For many reasons. You must see her no more.” - -“Impossible!” - -“Ay, I know what you would say. If you could not see her any more, -you would die.” - -“I might not die; but I could not live.” - -The voice of Lansade was now heard:-- - -“Come, messieurs: the coffee is getting cold.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - - -Paul preceded Eusebe in entering the house, and apprized the two -merchants of the revelation his friend had just made. - -Then occurred a lamentable, but quite common, manifestation of -human perversity. These two business-men, who would not for all -the world have done a decidedly bad action,--these two plain -store-keepers, who even spoke with respect of the woman at the -street-stand who had but one lover,--and the artist who had often -observed, in passing unfortunate girls in the street, “These -unfortunate creatures are more to be pitied than blamed,”--these -three men, in fine, who in the whole course of their lives had -not failed in showing respect for the gentler sex, indulged in -invectives against Adéonne, with whom neither of them had any -personal acquaintance. - -“Monsieur Martin,” said Lansade, “I pity you with all my heart. -I was quite right when I said that your father should have -recommended you to the care and guidance of some rational person. -In that case this would not have occurred. Understand me. I am -not an enemy of pleasure. I have been young, and I am not too far -advanced to remember the amusements of my youthful days. I should -not have been displeased to see you enamored of a respectable -maiden. But a comédienne!--an actress! Really, I hardly know how to -express the grief this affair causes me.” - -“You are right, my good Lansade,” said Paul Buck. “It grieves -me, also, that Eusebe should have been so unfortunate as to be -victimized by one of these _filles de marbre_, these women without -heart, without honor, accustomed to excesses, despising all the -pleasures of the world, because they have completely exhausted -their sensations.” - -Bonnaud was not the man to allow such an opportunity for airing his -eloquence to escape him. He immediately began to deliver a tirade -against women in general and actresses in particular. - -“Ah! Lansade will tell you,” said he, “that I, too, have been an -admirer of beauty in my time, and that I was not unsuccessful. I -had plenty of money; but never, never was I caught by a comédienne. -No, indeed: I was not so stupid.” - -“One moment,” said Eusebe: “do you know M’lle Adéonne?” - -“Only too well,” replied Paul Buck, earnestly. “Like others of her -class, this woman has neither youth, beauty, nor talent. She owes -every thing to the _claqueurs_ and her perfumer. This creature, my -friend, is deception personified.” - -“I do not understand you,” murmured Eusebe. - -“I never take an indirect road to reach an object,” said Lansade. -“I will make you comprehend. Your Adéonne, like others of her -class, seeks in the morning to whom she will sell herself in the -evening, and in the evening she is only troubled about the price of -her affections. Innocent as you may be, you would not be the son -of M. Martin if your heart did not swell with indignation at the -idea of one of God’s creatures selling herself for gold. Do you -comprehend now?” - -Eusebe did not venture to respond. Paul resumed:-- - -“Adéonne is, they say, charming; but, you see, to woo persons of -that description, it is necessary to be without heart and to have -plenty of money.” - -“You astonish me,” muttered Eusebe. “I do not question what you -have told me; and I thank you for having opened my eyes to the -truth.” - -“Bravo!” cried Lansade. “Here’s to the health of your good father. -Let us change the subject.” - -Eusebe took advantage of a moment when Lansade was engaged in -showing his grounds to Paul and Bonnaud, to escape from the house -and fly towards Paris as if pursued by an enemy. Absorbed in -thought, he reached the theatre and entered. From the first he -fixed his attention upon the beautiful Adéonne, and lost sight of -the audience entirely. - -If actresses only knew of the raging passions they kindle in the -hearts of youthful spectators, they would, perhaps, have a higher -estimate of their own attractions. - -Eusebe returned to his lodgings filled with strange dreams and -fired with strange impulses. He sat, musing, long after the candle -had burned down into the socket. Suddenly he arose, as if he had at -last reached a decision, and exclaimed,-- - -“She sells herself! I will be her purchaser.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - - -If a woman has been reading this story, she will probably throw it -aside at this place, with the contemptuous remark that Eusebe is an -absurd rustic, destitute of interest, without heart, and all that, -because the poor youth did not break his glass at the breakfast at -Viroflay, and exclaim,-- - -“You are three cowards! You insult a woman, a charming creature, -who has done you no wrong, and whom I love. You have lied! You are -unworthy, all three of you, to kiss the toe of her boot. You shall -give me satisfaction!” - -I ask pardon of the lady, but there would be no sense in the remark. - -If Eusebe had used, with passionate vehemence, all these and other -fine phrases, he would simply have shown himself familiar with the -literature of the Boulevard (yellow-covered literature). - -The language of truth and nature no longer exists. Society, -lamentable to say, has adopted the favorite style of the stage. I -know that the theatre professes to copy the world as it is; but -it has exaggerated every thing, under the specious pretext that -the simple truth will not amuse. Swelling words, violent gestures, -absurd mannerisms, empty phrases, and unnatural dialogue are -cherished upon the stage, and thence communicated to society. Life -has become but a transcript of a drama at the “Porte Saint-Martin” -or a poor copy of a comedy at the “Odéon.” - -Under the pressure of a great sorrow, the true man is always, no -matter what his temperament, gloomy and bowed down. Speak not of -griefs that are expressed by gesticulations, or of sorrows which -are worked off in loud complaints. They are false and affected. - -Our age, which has been called the age of photography, is so -oppressed with mimicry that everybody mourns in the same style for -the father, mother, or brother whom death has removed. Do not break -forth in indignant denial, but strive to recollect. Whoever has -seen one funeral has seen all. The sons weep in the same manner, -wipe away their tears _à la mode_, walk with the same step, and -lean in the same manner upon the same friend of the family. The -husbands have their peculiar mode of grief. The mothers alone weep -without busying themselves with what occurs on the way. Some sob a -little too violently; but this happens only when the lost child was -_not_ the favorite. - -I do not wish to be understood as representing that society is so -positively bad,--only that it is governed by conventional comedy. -Nothing is done without an accompaniment of ready-made phrases. -When two men engage in a duel, they salute each other, as it is -done at the theatre. If a husband finds himself the victim of a -deception, he bears himself in the same style and uses the same -language he has seen and heard at the theatre. Do not take your -daughters to the theatre. They will never believe themselves truly -loved unless they are wooed in the style of the actor Lafontaine. - -Eusebe had not learned to love, to suffer, and to avenge himself -according to the rules which society has borrowed from the theatre; -and this is why he did not break his glass and indulge in stormy -exclamations at the breakfast given at Viroflay. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - - -It was broad day. Eusebe had been awake for a long time, -impatiently awaiting a convenient hour to visit the operatic -_artiste_. He thought of going to a splendid store he had noticed -on the Boulevards, and of purchasing at that establishment an -elegant and fashionable suit. But, upon reflection, he concluded to -present himself in the habiliments which he already possessed. - -“Of what use would that be,” thought the provincial, “since this -woman loves nothing, and sells herself to the first comer? The -toilet will be unavailing: it is money that is necessary.” - -It had been sufficient for these unthinking persons to pronounce -the word “money” before the poor rustic, to make him as calculating -as a miser. - -As soon as he could with any degree of propriety call at the -theatre, Eusebe did so, for the purpose of ascertaining the address -of Adéonne. The hour of noon had sounded, when the provincial, with -a hesitating voice, said to a young and pretty _femme de chambre_, -who opened the door at the singer’s residence,-- - -“I desire to speak to M’lle Adéonne.” - -“If monsieur will wait,” said the girl, showing him into a small -parlor, “I will go and ask madame if she can receive monsieur. Will -monsieur give me his name?” - -“It is useless,” replied the visitor: “your mistress does not know -me. Tell her I come to see her concerning some very important -business.” - -The _salon_ of Adéonne was a very ordinary apartment. Curtains of -blue brocatelle and white muslin hung at the windows. The furniture -included a piano and a centre-table. In a splendid frame, covered -with a bulging glass, were the crowns that an idolizing public had -lavished upon the cantatrice. - -The provincial looked around him in gaping wonder. He had never -seen so much magnificence concentrated in the same small space. He -hardly dared to put his boots upon the flowers in the carpet. With -his hat in his hand, he stood as immovable as a statue. At length -his eyes, which had wandered over every thing, rested on a pastel, -representing Adéonne in a _rôle_ in _Val d’Andore_. The white -cap, the Pyrenean costume, in which the painter had clothed the -_artiste_, produced a strange effect upon Eusebe. - -During those sleepless nights when he had shaped his fortune -in dreams, his dearest fancy was to behold Adéonne become -his intimate companion, seated beside him under the great -chestnut-trees of the Capelette, or strolling along the road in the -evening, leaning upon his arm. The illusion had sometimes become so -powerful that he had seemed to hear the sweet voice of the singer -trilling the favorite _chanson_ of the country:-- - - “Baisse-toi, montagne, - Lève-toi, vallée, - Que je puisse voir - Ma mie Jeannette.” - -From the song to the national costume there was only the flash of -a desire. Without being absolutely the same, the costume in which -_Rose de Mai_ was clothed had a strong similitude to that of _ma -mie Jeannette_. The provincial forgot Adéonne. Entirely absorbed in -the dreams which he had cherished for the last two months, his mind -wandered in the sweet fields of revery. It seemed to him that he -had always known her whose image filled his heart. - -A curtain was softly raised, and Adéonne advanced without Eusebe, -who was lost in contemplation, noticing her. She scrutinized the -stranger for a few seconds, but it seemed as if her survey did not -terminate in fixing her idea of his social position. One moment she -wondered if the peculiar rapt expression of the young man was not -a piece of acting. But the sparkle of his eye, the pallor of his -brow, and the quick beating of his heart revealed to the actress, -accustomed to witnessing acting and to acting herself, a sentiment -profound and sincere. - -“You wish to see me, monsieur,” said she. “What do you require of -me?” - -Eusebe started as if he had been suddenly roused from slumber, and, -in his turn, he looked at Adéonne. - -The cantatrice wore a dress of black satin. A collar and ruffles -of Holland lace were the only addition to this simple costume. Her -luxuriant hair fell, carelessly looped, upon her neck like a river -of gold. Her eyes were large and dark, and her complexion white -even to pallor, and without a rosy tint. Her lips were pale and -bloodless. She was no longer the brilliant _artiste_ whom Eusebe -had so often seen at the theatre. She was beautiful, but more like -a statue than a woman. Eusebe seemed to want words to express -the object of his visit. Adéonne was too much of a woman not to -comprehend the effect she produced. She felt somewhat flattered, -and said, in a softer tone,-- - -“May I ask, monsieur, the object of your visit?” - -“Madame,” said Eusebe, stammering and becoming red and pale by -turns, “madame, I wish to purchase you.” - -The peculiar accent and costume of the young man led Adéonne to -suppose Eusebe to be a foreigner. She understood him to propose an -engagement in the line of her profession. - -“I thank you, monsieur, but an engagement of three years binds me -to the theatre in which I am now performing, and I have decided not -to sing in the provinces, much less in a foreign country. I am too -good a patriot for that. I am, however, not the less grateful for -the offers you have come to make. For what city did you wish to -engage me?” - -“I have evidently not expressed myself clearly, madame, since I see -you do not comprehend me. I do not come to engage you. I come to -purchase you.” - -“For whom?” asked the _artiste_, with disgust. - -“For myself.” - -“If this is done for a wager, monsieur, I find it to be in more -than questionable taste. If it be a jest, I think it very gross and -insulting.” - -“It is neither the one nor the other,” said Eusebe, terrified by -the indignation of the cantatrice. - -“Begone, monsieur!” exclaimed Adéonne, imperiously. “Begone, or -I will have you driven from the house. You have come to insult a -woman, under her own roof, who has never done you wrong. It is -cowardly!” - -“Madame,” cried Eusebe, falling upon his knees, “madame, pity me. -I am not so censurable as I may seem, I assure you. Insult you! Oh, -if you only knew!--I will tell you as soon as these tears cease to -stifle me. Insult you! It is impossible. I do not know how I ought -to speak. You see I am but a poor rustic,--yes, only a rustic. -When you have heard me, you will pardon me,--I know you will. You -can drive me away afterwards, if you please. Give me but a minute: -I will not abuse the privilege. Listen, and then it will not be -necessary to drive me away, for I shall go of my own accord. You -can see that I am not wicked. Others have found me good and mild. -But I am from the country, and there people do not act as they -do in the city. I have come to learn. My father sent me here for -that. For only three months have I been in Paris. About one month -had elapsed when I first saw you. It was on Wednesday: I did not -expect to see you when I went to the theatre. I saw you remove your -mask; and if you only knew what I have felt and suffered since -then. I cannot tell you. It seemed to me that I had never seen but -one woman. I was at once very happy and very miserable. At night I -closed my eyes only to behold you in the dark. When day came again, -you disappeared, and I slept only to forget that I saw you no more. -It was not my fault. I went to the theatre without dreaming of the -consequences. How could I? I did wrong to return every evening; but -I could not help it. Do not drive me away yet.” - -“Continue,” murmured Adéonne. - -“You may imagine that I was happy,--very happy. When I had looked -at you all the evening, I returned home, only to indulge in dreams -the most charming you can conceive. You were born, like me, at -Capelette. When I saw this portrait in which you appear as a -peasant, I believed that my dreams were to be realized. I fancied -that I arose early in the morning to behold you sleeping. Then I -went to gather flowers to strew the path where you loved to walk. -I said to my father, ‘Father, you wish to know where the true is -to be found. The true is happiness.’ My father called you his -daughter, and thanked you for having brought joy to his household. -In the evening we went to the banks of the river. You sang; and I -was happy. All this seemed like reality, and I felt myself living -with you and for you. I thought I passed entire days by your side. -One day, we were seated on the rock of La Jouve, whence a young -maiden threw herself into the river because the one she loved had -ceased to love her in return. I had a gun with me, and was about to -fire at a bird, when you said, ‘Do not kill it,’ and laid your hand -gently upon my shoulder. I spared the bird, and kissed the spot -where your hand had touched me. You see, I recall all this, yet -know that it was only a dream. - -“One day, I was in the country with three friends. They succeeded -in wringing my secret from me. Then they censured and mocked me. -They said--they are cowards! Do not force me to repeat what they -said. If you will not pardon me, I will kill them.” - -“Tell me all. My pardon is granted on that condition.” - -“Well, they told me--ah! it is too bad! I repeat it only to be -assured of pardon--for it burns my lips--they told me that you -were a worthless woman, without heart, without soul, a creature -cursed of God, selling yourself to all who would buy. After having -suffered for three days and three nights, I have taken my money and -have come to make the purchase. Pardon me now; for I have told you -all.” - -“You wish to buy me,” said Adéonne, whose countenance had reflected -no emotion whatever during this strange recital: “are you, then, so -rich?” - -“I have here all that I possess,--forty-eight thousand francs.” - -“And you think that for this sum I will give myself to you for -eternity?” said the cantatrice, smiling. - -“No; but for a moment I have had the foolish hope that for this -money, and through pity, you would permit me to look at you, to -touch your hand, to hear your voice, and then, at sunset, I would -depart so happy as to bless your memory forever.” - -“What? Only for a day?” - -“Three hours,--two,--one.” - -“On your word?” - -“I have never lied.” - -“Be seated,” said Adéonne, coldly. Then the cantatrice summoned her -_femme de chambre_, to whom she said,-- - -“Jenny, I am not at home to anybody.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - - -The order given by Adéonne to her _femme de chambre_ had been so -scrupulously observed that up to ten o’clock on the ensuing morning -nobody had succeeded in gaining admittance to the boudoir of the -comédienne. - -Silence and obscurity reigned in the apartment. Long after the sun -had risen, one might have supposed that the night continued, but -for the gleams of light that came through the slight apertures -between the curtains of the windows. - -At length, Adéonne, in the same attire she had worn on the previous -evening, opened, with extreme caution, the door which led from -her chamber to the saloon. She paused at each creak of the lock. -Closing the door with the same care, she traversed, with the -lightness of a sylph, the two rooms which separated her boudoir -from the dining-room. She advanced so noiselessly that her _femme -de chambre_, who was writing to her lover,--a dragoon of the third -regiment,--did not hear her approach. - -“What are you doing there, Jenny?” inquired Adéonne, in a low voice. - -“Madame may see for herself,” replied the girl, quite embarrassed. -“I am writing to my cousin.” - -“To your lover. What does he do?” - -“He is a soldier. We are going to be married.” - -“Why does he not come to see you?” - -“Madame has ordered me not to receive anybody.” - -“I will permit you now.” - -“Madame is very kind.” - -“Soldiers are always honest fellows,” added the cantatrice, as a -reason for making the concession. - -“Madame may be sure that he comes with the best motives.” - -“That is a matter of indifference to me. Get breakfast immediately, -and without noise.” - -Adéonne returned to her boudoir, and applied herself to arranging -her somewhat disordered tresses. When she had succeeded in giving -them the desired contour, she remained pensive, her face supported -by her fair hand. Two or three times she arose as if to go to her -chamber. Once her delicate fingers even touched the door-knob; but -she returned and seated herself again, as though she could not -decide how to proceed. A slight rustle caused her to start. She -listened attentively. Her bosom heaved with sudden agitation, and a -deadly pallor spread over her countenance. Eusebe partially opened -the door, and, upon perceiving Adéonne, remained motionless. - -“I thought I had been dreaming,” said the provincial. - -Adéonne threw herself upon his neck, and held him long in her -embrace. - -“Come, tell me that you love me, my dear Eusebe,” she murmured, -leading him to the divan; “or, no----tell me nothing. Let me look -at you. Yes: it is, indeed, you. How handsome you are! Say that you -will love me always!” - -“I will,” replied Eusebe. “I would say many things, if I only knew -how; but I cannot find words. I am so ignorant! But I love you very -dearly. I am happy beyond expression.” - -“Listen, my good angel,” she said. “We will never separate. Shall -it not be so? You have nothing to do: you have told me so already. -We will never separate. If you would not remain here, I will -follow wherever you wish to go. If you desire it, I will quit the -theatre,--every thing.” - -“I do not wish you to make any sacrifice for me. That is not -necessary to my happiness.” - -“No sacrifice! I have never clung to any thing, for I have never -had any thing to love: now I must cling to you, for I love you. I -have never had but one dream, and that was to be loved as you love -me. I believed that I should never be thus blessed. I was wrong: -was I not?” - -“Like you, I have a full heart,” replied Eusebe. “I have no words -to express all I feel.” - -“This love, too, will render me good, as well as happy,” said -Adéonne. “I have told my maid that she could receive her lover: -this was prompted by the new feelings kindled in my heart. Thus -good often results from intentions that are evil. If your friends -had not told you that I was a worthless creature, you would not -have ventured to visit me. If you had not come, I should never -have loved anybody. Do not you believe in a good and overruling -Providence, my dear Eusebe?” - -“When I was a child, my mother taught me to pray. Later in life, my -father told me that if any man believed in God, he would do many -things of which he would not otherwise be capable.” - -“Your father, it would seem, is a queer man. But no matter. I love -him because he is your father. He wishes you to be instructed: he -is right. I will teach you life as it is. I know it thoroughly. I -have been so unfortunate! We women are wiser than you men: we know -every thing without the process of learning. When I think of your -anxiety to distinguish the false from the true, I could laugh, if I -did not love you so dearly. There is nothing true, my dear Eusebe, -but love!” - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - - -Eusebe had ample time to meditate upon the aphorism so boldly -announced by Adéonne. For a whole year they lived and loved -together. - -The young provincial had forgotten the great world, which, on its -part, troubled itself but little about him. - -The comédienne loved with all the fire of a passionate nature. But -she experienced another sentiment in harmony with love. The docile -character of Eusebe, and his complete ignorance of life, rendered -Adéonne the arbiter of his destiny, and she, whose past career -had been worse than a blank, was proud to have an acknowledged -_protégé_. - -She did not, however, abuse the ascendency she had obtained. More -than once, upon her knees before Eusebe, she had said,-- - -“Oh, how good you are not to wish to be the master!” - -When women who live outside of social laws reach the age of twenty, -they regard humanity with a shrug of the shoulder; they despise -men, because their weaknesses are well known to them. These women -often shed bitter tears, not because they feel their degradation or -their servitude, but because they have not masters more deserving -of respect. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - - -Eusebe had deposited his will on the _étagère_ of his mistress. -Adéonne regulated his life as the wind blows the leaves that fall -upon a tranquil stream. She made him dress according to her taste, -gave him the books she loved to read, and conversed with him about -every thing that could interest him in the slightest degree. Eusebe -seemed to belong entirely to the cantatrice. This ascendency never -troubled his thoughts. He was happy; and, as he was only twenty-two -years old, he believed in the eternity of this happiness, as -devoted but not pious souls have faith in the eternity of pain. - -This felicity might have endured a long time; for Eusebe, simple -and artless, like the majority of those who have been brought up in -the country, never inquired into Adéonne’s past life, and jealousy -was to him unknown. The infidelity of the cantatrice was alone to -be feared. But Adéonne loved with that sincere _furia_ which is -characteristic of women who reach maturity before they love at -all. There was, therefore, seemingly nothing that threatened to -disturb the limpidity of these two existences that appeared to flow -in one. - -It was a companion of the _artiste_ who, in this instance, was the -grain of sand which changed the current of destiny. - -Marie Bachu was a sort of “double” of Adéonne at the theatre and in -the affections of Fontournay, the former lover of the cantatrice. -On one occasion, thanks to the influence of Fontournay, Marie -obtained what she called a _création_, a new part in an old work -which had been revised and improved. Adéonne complained to the -_régisseur-général_ of the theatre, and declared that under no -pretext whatever would she resign her legitimate rights. Marie -Bachu begged, supplicated, and stormed; but her adversary was -inexorable. - -“Think you,” said Marie, “that I must be forever content with that -which you reject?” - -“Well,” retorted Adéonne, with a wicked allusion to Fontournay, -“you have been trying to accustom yourself to that for a year past: -you ought to have succeeded by this time.” - -The _régisseur_, who comprehended the force of the retort, burst -into a laugh. This hilarity rendered the two women still more -determined in their enmity. While the vanity of Adéonne was -flattered, the anger of Marie was rendered still fiercer. Marie -rejoined,-- - -“If I have your leavings, it is not your fault.” - -“True,” said Adéonne: “I ordinarily give old things which I can no -longer use to my _femme de chambre_.” - -“You ought to speak more respectfully of a man who lifted you out -of misery.” - -“That would be contrary to all the ideas acquired through him.” - -“Say, rather, that you are still irritated at his desertion.” - -“_Ma belle_,” said Adéonne, calmly, but with trembling lips, -“do not jest. You know very well that I turned your Fontournay -out-of-doors. You also know that for six months I was so plainly -weary of his company that he thought it a great favor to get a -pleasant look from me. You know this: everybody knows it: so you -must sing another tune. However, I bear no malice. You desire this -_rôle_. Take it; I will resign my claim to it; but, for Heaven’s -sake, do not weary me any more with your ridiculous friend. Leave -me to possess mine in peace. He is as noble as yours is vile, as -young as yours is old, and as handsome as yours is ugly.” - -“_Mes enfants_,” interrupted the _régisseur_, “do not devour each -other entirely: it would be a pity.” He then drew Adéonne aside. - -“Handsome, eh!” murmured Marie Bachu, so that she could be heard. -“That is doubtless the reason why we never see him.” - -On returning home, Adéonne said to Eusebe,-- - -“This evening, my dear, I wish you to accompany me to the theatre.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII. - - -Theatrical performers, and operatic _artistes_ above all, dine at -a comparatively early hour. At five o’clock, Adéonne made Eusebe -kneel down before her, while she arranged his hair with the care of -a mother who dresses the hair of her son. - -“These locks are soft and silky, Eusebe,” said she: “do you know -that they are finer than my own?” - -“That only proves that they will not last.” - -“They harmonize well with the hue of your complexion, which people -call olive,--I know not why.” - -“Because olives are green.” - -“You are foolish. I do not want them to mock him whom I love. My -dear, we are going into society. I hope you will be careful how -you talk, or they may take you for a character in a forgotten -vaudeville. Now let me tie your cravat. There! you are charming. -Let us go.” - -The loving couple left the house arm in arm. For about an hour -the cantatrice promenaded with Eusebe on the Boulevards, where -pedestrians frequently turned to scrutinize this handsome but -somewhat curiously assorted pair. - -“All the ladies are looking at you,” said Adéonne. “I was sure they -would think you handsome.” - -“I also was sure of it,” responded Eusebe, with simplicity, “since -you loved me.” - -The cantatrice looked at her lover with profound tenderness. - -“If you were ugly, I would love you all the same; for no one but -you can say such agreeable things.” - -“What have I said?” - -“You have given expression to the most delightful flattery.” - -“I was not conscious of it.” - -“Fortunately, it was only a compliment.” - -“And the difference?” - -“The difference? There are two kinds of compliments,--those which -are sought for, and those that are offered gratuitously; those -which spring from the heart, and those which come merely from -the lips. The one class are used but once for the being beloved; -the others are employed at all times and by everybody,--they are -current coin, of which men have a full supply.” - -“I comprehend. The poorest may seem to be the richest.” - -“Hold,” said Adéonne, on reaching the Rue Favart. “Do you see that -little window, the third of the first story, above the _entresol_? -That is the window of my _loge_.” - -“I know it.” - -“Behold, my dear Eusebe, the palace of your beloved,” said Adéonne, -opening the door of her _loge_. Her smile was checked, and her -countenance wore a troubled expression, as she added, “This is the -laboratory in which we _artistes_ prepare our beauty, our hearts, -our bodies, to please the public, who think, after all, that we -have neither beauty nor heart. It is a sad thought! I had resolved -never to reveal to you the mysteries of our profession, but they -said that you were not handsome. Come, let me embrace you: I have -not loved you here yet.” - -Eusebe looked at Adéonne with surprise. He comprehended neither the -incoherence of her words nor the cause of her agitation. At length -he said,-- - -“Something strange affects you,--something that I do not -comprehend.” - -“Leave this place, then. I did wrong to bring you here. It was -vanity, I fear, that prompted me. I scent misfortune in the very -air. We were so happy at home. Go, then, Eusebe, go, if you love -me.” - -“I will do whatever you desire.” - -“I knew you would. I love you so dearly!--if you only knew how -dearly! Jenny will make tea for you. You will read until my return. -I will be home early.” - -A boldly trilled _roulade_ was heard just as Eusebe kissed the hand -of Adéonne and bade her adieu. The cantatrice suddenly detained -him, and said,-- - -“Since _you_ are there, Eusebe must remain. I have need of you, -dearest. My heart sings false.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. - - -The “Opéra Comique” and the “Gymnase Dramatique” possess _foyers_ -of which the prudery has become proverbial. The life of the -vocalist is one of protracted labor, rewarded, however, in a very -liberal style. The comparative prudence of lyric _artistes_ can be -easily explained. They have little leisure, and a great deal of -money to spend. This is why cantatrices more frequently contract -honorable alliances with men of position than other women of the -theatrical world. A faulty construction adds to the dulness of the -evenings spent at the “Opéra Comique.” The _foyer des artistes_ -is small, gloomy, and inconvenient. The visitors are often forced -to talk to themselves,--which is a wearisome occupation. Still, -notwithstanding the seeming dulness of this narrow place, it is -very rare that the evening passes without some incident of an -interesting character occurring there, owing to the peculiarities -of the company assembled. - -In this atmosphere, so novel to him, Eusebe learned more in one -month than he could have learned elsewhere in ten years. - -Astonishment, doubt, and disenchantment succeeded each other with -desolating rapidity. The first of Eusebe’s sentiments which yielded -to a forced dissection was his love for Adéonne. In proportion as -the affection of the cantatrice was increased by the success of -her lover, whose manly beauty was only equalled by the freshness -of his simplicity, that of the young man diminished before stern -realities, the existence of which he had never before suspected. - -Adéonne prepared her face for the stage by the use of rouge, -powder, &c. Eusebe did not comprehend that the glare of the -footlights rendered this necessary. - -The cantatrice covered her hands, arms, and shoulders with powder. -Eusebe said that she deceived the public; and when she put carmine -on her nails and vermilion on her lips, he shrugged his shoulders. - -“I like you better without all this plaster,” remarked the -provincial. - -“My dear Eusebe,” responded the singer, “I also would prefer to -dispense with it; but it is necessary----” - -“I assure you that without this paint you are a hundred times -handsomer.” - -“That I do not deny; but we cannot do without it.” - -“Why?” - -“Because----” - -“You can give me no good reason. If you love me, go on the stage, -one evening, with your pretty face just as nature made it. You will -see the result.” - -“You do not understand the necessities of the stage.” - -“That is to say that you refuse to grant the first favor I have -ever asked of you.” - -“Absolutely. Embrace me, and be silent.” - -“Thank you: I do not wish to daub my lips.” - -Adéonne went upon the stage with a heavy heart, murmuring,-- - -“His love is vanishing.” - -Eusebe, on his part, was very angry, and insisted that Adéonne had -refused to make a very small sacrifice to please him. - -When lovers begin to count the sacrifices refused, and when friends -take account of money loaned each other, love and friendship fly to -regions where hearts are made of more generous stuff. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX. - - -As Eusebe had seen Adéonne from the auditorium, he had thought that -the world did not contain an _artiste_ more marvellously gifted as -a vocalist and comédienne. The hearty applause of the public had -confirmed him in this opinion. But his attendance at the rehearsals -resulted in an entire change of the estimate he had formed. He -had heard Adéonne say, “I am learning my part;” “I am studying my -principal cavatina.” In his simplicity, the provincial thought that -was sufficient. The first time, therefore, he attended a rehearsal, -he was disenchanted. - -The musician who played the accompaniment for Adéonne upon the -piano labored furiously, and occasionally burst forth in angry -exclamations, as follows:-- - -“Bah! You have no ear. You have no idea of that piece.” - -“Monsieur,” said Eusebe, “I do not exactly catch the sense of your -words, but it seems to me that you are a little severe with madame.” - -“I would like to see you in my place, monsieur, forced to go -through the same routine for four months, and at the fifth, when -you think you have finished, discover that your care and labor have -been wasted.” - -“Now, my dear Bruin,” said Adéonne, “do not be ferocious: we will -be very docile.” - -“I am not ferocious. But why the devil does monsieur meddle with -matters that do not concern him?” - -“Do not pay any attention to him. He is not a musician,” responded -the cantatrice. - -After the lesson, Adéonne took Eusebe aside. - -“My dear,” said she, “you do not understand theatrical affairs. We -are going to rehearse on the stage. I beg you will not make any -observation: you would only render yourself ridiculous, and me -also. Go into the auditorium, and be silent.” - -“I will be silent,” responded Eusebe, who seated himself in the -most obscure corner of the auditorium, which seemed to him a vast -tomb. - -“To your places!” cried the _régisseur_. “Attention! Adéonne Pepita -enters. Not there:--from this side. You are to go there.” - -Adéonne commenced:-- - - “Enfin le jour reluit, Lelio va venir; - Rien ne saurait le retenir, je pense. - Le ciel en ce moment commence à s’éclaircir, - Mon cœur joyeux renaît a l’espérance.” - -_Régisseur._--“No, no: it is not so.” - -_Adéonne._--“But----” - -_Régisseur._--“But there are no buts. You say, ‘_Enfin le jour -reluit_.’ You must not look at the auditorium: your eyes ought to -be turned towards the horizon. You continue, ‘_Lelio va venir_.’ -It is requisite that here the most complete satisfaction should -sparkle in your look.” - -_Adéonne._--“It will sparkle at night.” - -_Régisseur._--“I know all about that. You _artistes_ always say so, -and at the representation nothing sparkles. As you proceed, you -should look at the skies, instead of your gaiters, as you do.” - -_Adéonne._--“I cannot recognize the skies of yonder canvas.” - -_Régisseur._--“That is no reason. But proceed.” - -And so on, through a rehearsal full of vexation for the fastidious -_régisseur_ and wearisome practice for Adéonne and the other -performers. - -Eusebe was present every day at these tedious but, to him, -instructive rehearsals. His native sagacity, the experience he had -already acquired, and his frequent contact with the artistic world, -led him at last to one painful truth. Adéonne was not a great -_artiste_: he had made of her a divinity; she was only an ordinary -woman, who could not even place herself properly on the stage -without special instructions. - -A woman may be loved for three things:--for her superior -intellect,--a love serious, but rare; for her beauty,--a love -vulgar and brief; for the qualities of her heart,--a love lasting, -but monotonous. - -The superiority of Adéonne had vanished. Her beauty remained; but -her lover was accustomed to that. She could still boast of her -heart; but she had either too much or too little of that to retain -her hold upon the affections of Eusebe. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX. - - -An absurd fashion that prevails behind the scenes gave the -finishing stroke to the provincial’s faltering passion for Adéonne. -Eusebe, being mild and modest in his manners, soon won the general -favor of the people connected with the theatre, who had a pleasant -word for him whenever he made his appearance there. Thus, the -second _régisseur_ never failed to say,-- - -“Good-evening, monsieur: allow me to congratulate you. You sang -like an angel the other evening.” - -Some one else would say,-- - -“Ah, Monsieur Martin, you ought to be satisfied. They say that your -_rôle_ in the new piece is charming.” - -“Monsieur Martin,” said another, “I speak as a friend. Marie Bachu -is striving to injure you in the esteem of the director. She wants -the _rôle_ in the new production of Meyerbeer. You know that she is -capable of any thing. Distrust her.” - -An old man, a member of the company, however, did more to irritate -Eusebe than all the rest. - -“M. Eusebe,” said he, “remember that I speak from experience. -Without talent, voice and youth go for nothing. You must not -slumber. If you knew the public as well as I do, you would not -laugh at my prognostications. One fine day a new performer will -appear, and the public will no longer look at you. The management -will follow the whims of the public.” - -The corpulent Fontournay,--the discarded lover of Adéonne,--who -affected an easy indifference in love-affairs, and would not for -any consideration have the world think that he cherished ill -feeling towards his fortunate successor, showered compliments upon -Eusebe, after the style of the following:-- - -“My dear sir, your toilet is always superb: it cannot be surpassed.” - -“M. Martin,” said the first _régisseur_, “you are late: I shall be -compelled to fine you.” - -During his novitiate at the theatre, Eusebe had smiled at this -absurd manner of addressing him, as if he and Adéonne were -identical. But, as he acquired more experience, such remarks -irritated him. One evening, on returning from the theatre with -Adéonne, he said,-- - -“Why are you not an unknown woman,--an unnoticed _médiocrité_? -Assuredly, I would be happier. My individuality is confounded with -yours; and, though I have no vanity, this practice is extremely -humiliating.” - -“I do not comprehend you. Explain.” - -“I say,” continued Eusebe, “that my nothingness oppresses me. By -your side, I am like the husband of a reigning queen. They do not -address a word to me, except to speak of you. This very evening, -that fat man you call Fontournay told me that _I_ had a pretty -toilet. If a stranger asks who I am, they do not say, ‘That is M. -Martin:’ they answer, ‘That is the lover of Adéonne.’” - -“And does that displease you?” - -“It does not displease me: it makes me sad.” - -“Oh, what a child you are! Of whom do you wish them to speak? They -presume that you love me, and, therefore, speak of me to you. What -is more natural? As to that foolish Fontournay, I forbid your -speaking to him at all.” - -“But it is not he alone who addresses me in this manner. Everybody -does the same, from the _régisseur_ to the machinist. If this goes -on, it will be necessary for me to put on an old shawl and bonnet, -and pass for the mother of the actress, like Madame Baudry. I will -become Madame Adéonne _la mère_.” - -Adéonne was silent. She did not understand the sensitive nature of -Eusebe, and could not prolong the discussion. She finally adopted -the course usually taken by women when they are embarrassed: she -became sad and tender. At length she replied, in a bitter tone,-- - -“A shawl and a bonnet will not suffice for that: nothing can -replace the mother one has lost.” - -Eusebe, hearing this cry of the heart, repented of his harshness. -Hardly had he entered the apartment of Adéonne, when he threw -himself upon his knees before her. - -“Forgive me, my darling. I have done wrong, and shown a want of -heart, in awakening a sad remembrance.” - -“No, no,” said Adéonne, untying the ribands of her bonnet: “I said -that as I might have said any thing else. My mother never had any -claim upon my remembrance.” - -On the following morning, at breakfast, Adéonne saw that Eusebe was -sad and gloomy. - -“My darling,” said she, “we tire of every thing,--even of -happiness. I think it is time for you to seek some diversion.” - -“I think so too,” responded Eusebe. “This evening I will go and -dine with Clamens.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI. - - -Daniel Clamens was a Jew, with a weakness for literature. He was -an intelligent fellow, who knew how to manage his affairs with -tact, so that, though he possessed neither fortune nor talent, he -generally commanded the means of subsistence. - -Clamens had three brothers,--one a composer, another a sculptor, -and a third a painter: he himself was a dramatist. Of the four, -Daniel had the least talent. He had never achieved any remarkable -success. Still, he was very well known,--owing, in a great measure, -to the reputation of his brothers. Eusebe had made the acquaintance -of Clamens at the theatre, and was quite intimate with him. Daniel -was anxious to get Adéonne to personate a character in one of his -productions, and had cultivated her provincial lover with that -object in view. He had often invited Eusebe to dine with him, but -the invitation had never been accepted. When the dramatist saw the -lover of Adéonne actually enter, he uttered an exclamation of joy. - -“And do I behold you at last? You do not know how anxious I have -been to see you. Now that you have come, there shall be no peace -until you promise to come again.” - -“I promise,” answered Eusebe. “I will come often. I have need of -some diversion.” - -“You say that, but you will not do it. For the rest, I understand -that you keep your nest. You ought to be very happy.” - -“I was.” - -“Bah! that has not ended?” - -“Not quite.” - -“Has there been a quarrel?” inquired Daniel, quite anxiously. - -“Oh, not at all. Quite the reverse. But it seems that we grow weary -of happiness, as of every thing else, and I have need of some -diversion.” - -“Ah! you frightened and amazed me at the same time. Adéonne is so -charming.” - -“Very charming, indeed,--so charming that for her I have neglected -to follow the counsels of my father,--had even forgotten the object -of my life.” - -“Fortunately, you are young. What career do you design to pursue?” - -“I know not. I wished to study life before deciding; but I have -now been two years at Paris, and I am no more advanced than when -I left my native province. My ignorance and my nothingness are -humiliating. I am ashamed of being of no importance in society, -because I feel that I can be of none.” - -“Life, my dear sir, is not a difficult thing to learn. The trick is -to know its secrets. When one has penetrated them, one has learned -every thing.” - -“Alas!” said Eusebe, “if I have not been sufficiently skilful to -learn life, how could I penetrate its secrets?” - -“With the gimlet of friendship.” - -“A painter, with whom I formerly associated, told me that -friendship no longer existed.” - -“My brother the painter is also of that opinion. I have always -thought that skepticism is developed by the mixing of colors. -Distrust, my dear friend, people who deny the sentiments: such -persons look upon the world through the impure medium of their own -natures.” - -“You do not like your brother, then?” - -“I adore him,” responded the dramatist; “but I do not share his -principles. To prove to you that friendship does exist, I offer you -mine. You wish to know the world,--to study life. Come, and I will -give you the clew. I will be your guide,--your adviser. We will -devote ourselves to social anatomy, and dissect humanity. I will -show you the manner of holding the scalpel.” - -“Let us begin,” said Eusebe, eagerly. - -“One moment,” said his friend. “Before we commence, it is requisite -that I should give you a piece of advice. If you wish to see all, -hear all, and study all, it will be necessary, before setting out, -to pad your elbows, bridle your tongue, and put cotton in your left -ear, so that what enters at the right cannot get out again. And -now,” continued Clamens, with a majestic gesture, “follow me, as is -said in ‘William Tell.’” - -“Where are you going?” asked Eusebe. - -“My friend,” responded the _cicerone_, “the best way to arrive -_anywhere_ is not to know where you are going.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII. - - -“Hold!” said Clamens. “Do you see this expanse of asphaltum, which -extends from where we stand to the Chaussée d’Antin?” - -“Yes,” replied Eusebe: “it is the Boulevard des Italiens.” - -“Just so. Well, all humanity is represented in this narrow space, -which is hardly more extensive than your father’s garden. Take a -seat, and observe, and in one hour you will know Paris as well as -if you had made it; and Paris is the universe. The other cities -of the world, such as Bordeaux, Lyons, London, Berlin, Rome, and -St. Petersburg, are rivers for which Paris is the sea. Every -variety of the human species flows hither, to roll and writhe, like -furious waves, in that sublime tempest which we call life. You -wish to investigate this billowy mass. You will find nothing there -but froth and foam, or you will drown yourself for want of that -life-preserver which is called experience.” - -“Better to drown oneself at once than to die of weariness on a rock -whence nothing but a void is visible; but, indeed, it seems to me -we are employing very large words to speak of very small things.” - -“Ah,” rejoined Clamens, “there is nothing insignificant in this -world. A drop of water may save a man; three may kill him; a -hundred will fill a gutter; a thousand will form a rivulet. -Multiply ten times these numbers by themselves, and you will have -a torrent which may inundate France. Men are like drops of water. -Look at them separately, and you see nothing terrible; but when, -by a mysterious free-masonry, they assemble and arrange themselves -according to their vices, their merits, their passions, or their -aspirations, they can convulse society to its very centre.” - -“What is one to do in the midst of such a tumult?” inquired Eusebe. - -“Laugh,” responded the poet; “laugh, so that you may not weep; turn -to account the vices of one class and the virtues of another, and -close your eyes to what the morrow may bring forth.” - -“Admitting the justness of this theory,” said Eusebe, “it seems to -me very difficult to gain a sufficient knowledge of men to enable -one to profit by their merits or weaknesses.” - -“One knows everybody else better than one knows one’s self. Do you -see that gentleman who is walking before us? He is dressed like a -prince, dines at the best tables, and denies himself nothing. Four -years ago, he arrived at Paris in _sabots_. Now he is in debt for -his boots,--which explains the whole mystery. That fellow would -refuse the pension of a Councillor of State: he gains more by -borrowing.” - -“I understand, then, that he has a confirmed vice. But what -advantage can you draw from his peculiar defect?” - -“I borrow money of him.” - -Eusebe was inclined to think that Clamens was quizzing him, as Paul -Buck had quizzed Bonnaud on the railroad; but the poet did not give -him time to determine whether this suspicion was justifiable. - -“I borrow money of him,” continued Clamens, “and he loans it -because he appreciates better than anybody else the necessity -of having it. Adroit himself in chasing up twenty-franc pieces, -he thinks he has in me a promising pupil. Then his loans to me -serve as an excuse to his conscience. If he strips others, he -considers that I strip him, and, therefore, concludes that, -instead of practising the trade of a sharper, he is only making -an application of the _lex talionis_. The man is not exactly a -dangerous character; but he has ten thousand _confrères_, who prey -upon forty thousand fools, and their mode of life operates to the -detriment of a hundred thousand poor devils, who perish from hunger -or find their way to the galleys. I suppose that the term ‘usurer’ -represents to your mind a miserly old man in a brown overcoat and a -black silk cap?” - -“There is in my native province,” replied Eusebe, “an old man named -Gardet, who is said to be very grinding on the poor who borrow -money from him; and it is a fact that this creature is attired -nearly as you say, with the exception of the black silk cap. In a -number of books that I have read during the past two years, the -usurer is always described as dressed in that style.” - -“It is an error. Now-a-days, the evil-doer is young. That is one of -the most curious characteristics of our age. The young men gamble -at the Bourse, while the old devote their attention to trade. The -young men keep the women; the old conceal themselves in their -closets. It is a sad thing to contemplate; but such is nevertheless -the case. _Revenons à nos moutons._ Those two young dandies before -us, who balance their canes with such an air, count hardly fifty -years between them; yet they are the most unmerciful Jews in Paris.” - -“But,” interrupted Eusebe, “I thought you were a Jew.” - -“I am an Israelite,” responded Clamens, rather hastily,--“which is -not at all the same thing. Such as you see them, that fashionable -youth and his dazzling friend have ruined many people. At this -moment, they are not merely promenading, as you might perhaps -suppose: they are seeking custom. Have you need of money?” - -“My friend,” said Eusebe, “you know that I am quite a barbarian, -and ignorant of many features of Parisian life. Do me the favor, -then,--if I do not try your patience,--to define more exactly the -profession of these men.” - -“That is easy enough. These fellows have comprehended the fact that -the want of money is the complaint of almost everybody, and they -have undertaken to supply the needful by founding a loan-and-trust -company,--which would be quite philanthropic if the premium were -not cent. per cent. For example: they loan on security five hundred -francs for six months; at the expiration of that time they receive -one thousand for their five hundred.” - -“Why a thousand?” - -“For the interest of the money advanced for six months.” - -“If they make that much, they ought to lend the money for a year: -they would then have no need to give any at all.” - -“An original idea! I must communicate it to them.” - -“You know these persons, then?” - -“They are my friends.” - -“You astonish me!” - -“Let us understand each other. I am not _procureur-impérial_. Their -conduct does not concern me. Let them continue to dupe fools: that -is an affair between their consciences and human stupidity. For -myself, I have always found them very agreeable: they have often -proved serviceable in lending me money.” - -“At cent. per cent.?” - -“At nothing per cent.” - -“Then they are not such usurers as you wish to represent.” - -“They go further in that direction than I care to say; but not -with me. Why? The day is approaching when their fortunes will be -made. They will abandon their business, keep their carriages, -maintain mistresses, marry heiresses, and endeavor to make a figure -in society. But there is one thing they cannot purchase,--social -esteem. They count upon me to help them in that particular and set -them in a favorable light before the public.” - -“Sad! sad!” murmured Eusebe. - -“No matter: such is the world.” - -“Well, then I would rather not make its acquaintance,” rejoined -Eusebe. - -“You are wrong. You ought to learn many curious things which it is -important that you should know. The first thing to do is to learn -the vices of the times, so as to be able to avoid them.” - -“I would prefer knowing what they are to scrutinizing them too -closely,” responded the provincial. “A thousand thanks to you, my -dear Clamens, for wishing to be my guide. But I feel that I am too -feeble to seek an object by paths so perilous. You know the mud of -all the ruts, the briers of all the bushes: you will reach your -object, no doubt. But what could I do, simple and artless as I am, -pursuing such dangerous ways? Let each one take his own road. You -may advance, confident of the future; I will return to the joys I -already know.” - -“What do you call your joys?” - -“The woman I love, and the poets of whom I spoke to you last -evening.” - -“Alas! my friend,” said Clamens, “such joys will not last. Woman -is a bell that will not always ring. As to the poets, their charms -will not prove so enduring as those of your mistress,--since we -have but three. The most bitter sadness characterizes these three -great geniuses. The first died out of heart: he will dishearten -you. The second lived in exile, where every thing was mournful. -The third, disgusted with the ingratitude of his contemporaries, -imposed silence upon the harmonious orchestra of his soul, to sit -down, in despair, by the wayside, and play the clarionet.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIII. - - -The two friends walked on a long time in silence. Clamens, rather -disappointed by the provincial’s obstinate peculiarities, said -to himself, “Eusebe is a simpleton.” On his part, the provincial -reflected, “Daniel is a sage.” And, as they were both profoundly in -error, each remained convinced that he had hit upon the truth. At -the moment of separation, Daniel said to his refractory pupil,-- - -“I will see you again, my friend. At a later day you will regret -that you have not heeded my counsel. Do not forget, however, that I -am always ready to resume my course of instruction.” - -“Thank you,” responded Eusebe. “Your goodness touches me nearly, -and----” The remainder of the sentence was lost in a sudden murmur. - -Dropping the hand of his friend, young Martin passed rapidly on to -where a group of young men were seated before the door of the Café -Tortoni. - -“What is the matter?” asked Daniel, who followed him. - -“Do you not hear?” said Eusebe, apparently agitated. - -“Yes,” said one of the young men; “Adéonne is a fascinating -creature. During the week that I have enjoyed her acquaintance, I -have been able to comprehend the desperate love that has inspired -that old fool Fontournay.” - -“Did you say, monsieur,” demanded Eusebe, pale and trembling, “that -you have lived with Adéonne for a week?” - -“I have said what I pleased,” haughtily responded the young man. “I -do not know that I am accountable to you for what I say.” - -“I ask nothing of you,” rejoined Eusebe. “I only wish you to repeat -your words, in order that I may tell you that you lie. If you do -not repeat your words, it is of no consequence. I say that you have -lied.” - -And, taking Clamens by the arm, the indignant provincial moved away. - -“This is a bad business,” said the poet. - -“Why?” - -“You will soon see.” - -At this moment a young man of irreproachable elegance advanced to -the lover of Adéonne. - -“Monsieur,” said he to Eusebe, saluting him with exquisite -politeness, “my friend the Count de la Soulaye deputes me to remind -you that you have given him the lie in public, and have omitted to -leave your card.” - -Eusebe was about to reply, when Clamens stepped before him. -“Monsieur,” said the poet, “oblige me by giving my address to M. de -la Soulaye. My friend M. Eusebe Martin, of the Capelette, in the -fury of anger, has forgotten to leave his card. Here is mine. Until -to-morrow at noon we shall be at your disposal.” - -“I thank you,” said the young man, exchanging cards with the -dramatist; and then, bowing politely, he rejoined his friends. - -“And now,” said Eusebe, “will you tell me, my good Clamens, what -this exchange of cards signifies?” - -“Alas! It means that you will fight M. de la Soulaye to-morrow.” - -“I fight? How?” - -“With swords, sabres, or pistols, as he may see fit. He has the -choice of weapons, since you gave the insult.” - -“For Heaven’s sake, my friend, do not mock me!” - -“Nothing can be more serious. Unfortunately, I am not joking,” -replied Clamens, sadly. “I foresaw that you would do something of -which you knew not the consequences. Now that the evil is done, -there is no help for it: you must fight: the laws of honor, or -rather the laws of society, oblige you to do so.” - -“What!” exclaimed Eusebe, with vehemence; “I encounter in my walk a -wretch who slanders in the most infamous style a woman whom I love -and whom I had quitted but a moment previous. I could pulverize -this fellow with my fists, but refrain, because his shameful -conduct awakens only contempt. I am content to tell him that he -lies. And now I am forced to fight with this infamous scoundrel, -and, as you say, to put myself at his disposal, and accept the -weapons with which he is familiar, but which I have never used! -Really, this cannot be so! it is barbarous!” - -“But it is so, my dear fellow. I repeat, the laws of honor are -inflexible.” - -“The laws of honor! What honor? It is not I who have broken these -laws, if any such exist: he is the guilty party.” - -“Listen, Eusebe,” rejoined Clamens, gravely. “You have defended -the reputation of Adéonne; and in so doing you have acted nobly, -not only because she is your mistress, but because she is a -noble creature who loves you with all her heart. Yes, you have -acted nobly. I also am convinced that La Soulaye has lied like a -pickpocket. But in telling him so you did him an injury for which -he has a right to demand reparation in the field. If you refuse to -fight, you will be regarded as a coward, and the world will believe -that he has truth and right on his side. I have made myself your -second in this affair. I do not regret the step thus taken, and, if -you refuse to fight, I will take your place.” - -“Why so?” - -“The laws of honor force me to do so.” - -“I will fight,” said Eusebe, resolutely; “but may the devil fly -away with me if I can comprehend what you call the laws of honor!” - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIV. - - -After a long discussion, during which Clamens talked a great deal -and Eusebe comprehended very little, the necessity for securing -another second for the duel occurred to them, and the provincial -started to hunt up his old friend Paul Buck, the painter. Paul -had broken up his modest establishment some time previous, and it -was not without extreme difficulty and much wearisome search that -Eusebe found him, located in a wretched garret in the Rue Neuve -Coquenard. - -Alas! Paul Buck was sadly changed. He was no longer the joyous -artist with a contented heart and merry countenance. His woebegone -features, neglected hair, ragged garments, and ventilated boots -made him a sorry shadow of his former self. - -“Ah!” he exclaimed, upon seeing Eusebe, “I was thinking of you this -morning. I said to myself, ‘If I knew the address of the barbarian, -I would go to him and borrow ten francs?’” - -“Here are twenty,” said Eusebe. “Are you ill?” - -“Not at all. You find me much changed, do you not?” - -“Yes.” - -“It is from grief.” - -“Have you been unfortunate?” - -“Yes.” - -“The cause? You have talent, love art, and are persevering.” - -“As for talent, I no longer possess it. Art I despise, since I see -fame bestowed upon fellows without merit. As for my strength, it -vanished with Virginie,--a girl who left me to follow a waiter of a -_café_.” - -“Did you love the girl?” asked Eusebe, with an air of surprise. - -“She was all that remained to console me. There is no denying that -I was attached to her. But, tell me, how do you come on?” - -“I fight to-morrow.” - -“Ah!” - -Eusebe then related to his friend all that had occurred to him -since they had seen one another. At the conclusion, he said,-- - -“Well, what do you think of the affair?” - -“I think you have done right to come in search of me, and that you -acted bravely in giving the lie to this gentleman of the card. But -it is quite possible, nevertheless, that he spoke the truth.” - -Eusebe became pale, and Paul continued:-- - -“You see, women are very strange creatures. Why may not Adéonne -have deceived you for the sake of a count, since Virginie has -deceived me for the sake of a waiter?” - -“Adéonne has too much heart for that.” - -“Mon Dieu! It is always the woman who has too much heart who -experiences the need of sharing it. Do you know how to shoot?” - -“No.” - -“You are not afraid, I hope?” - -“Yes,” replied Eusebe, “I am afraid,--very much afraid.” - -“It is not possible!” exclaimed Buck, dropping his pipe: “you -mistake your own nature.” - -“No: I know what I say. I have no fear of being wounded, or of -being forced to suffer pain: I have none of that ignoble shrinking -from danger which characterizes cowards. Yet I fear to die while -still so young: I fear to die and leave Adéonne, whom I love. I -fear to die without having seen my father and the dear old trees of -the Capelette once more. For the last two hours, the thought that -I may be slain to-morrow has given me a fit of home-sickness. I no -longer seek to read the future. My eyes are turned to the past, -where it seems to me I have never known any thing but happiness. -The most humble creatures for whom I have cherished affection -appear to have taken a firmer hold upon my heart. There remain to -me, perhaps, not more than fifteen hours of life. I would give -seven of them to once more behold big Katy, a peasant who nursed me -when an infant, and to embrace my poor dog Medor, who is blind.” - -“Bah! All will go well,” said Paul. “Courage! You can count upon -my services. To-morrow, at the hour indicated, I will visit your -friend Clamens.” - -Eusebe shook the hand of the painter, and departed. Paul, as soon -as he found himself alone, thus soliloquized:-- - -“Poor fellow! He is right. It is hard to die at his age, when one -has so many reasons to regret life. But who says he will die? It is -hardly probable. If he should escape with a wound, he can go see -his father and the dear old trees again, and continue to love his -mistress. My father, now, is dead. When he was alive, we never had -any other trees than those of the road. My mistress has fled. I do -not possess even an old blind dog; and--I have just broken my pipe.” - -And then, as the painter’s eyes fell upon the piece of gold left by -Eusebe, he exclaimed,-- - -“However, I have no right to complain while I possess twenty -francs,--the means to live well for one day, or to keep me from -starving for at least two weeks.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXXV. - - -As chance or destiny would have it, four persons met at the -lodgings of Clamens, whose opinions in regard to the approaching -duel were widely different. (These were the four individuals who, -according to the French code, acted as “seconds” for Eusebe and his -antagonist.) - -Paul Buck contended, with the utmost simplicity, that the duel was -a piece of stupidity. - -Daniel Clamens maintained that such combats were a necessary evil. - -The Commandant de Vic, who was the _premier témoin_ (principal -second) of the Count de la Soulaye, affirmed that the duel was the -judgment of God. - -As for M. de Buffières, the young gentleman who had exchanged cards -with Clamens, he confessed that his opinion was governed by the -laws and customs of society. - -Notwithstanding the disparity of their ideas, the quartette soon -came to an understanding. Only one--Paul Buck--thought of extending -the olive-branch of peace. - -“Messieurs,” said the painter, “I believe that, as the honor of -our principals is not in peril, our duty dictates that we should -arrange this foolish difficulty.” - -“Monsieur,” replied M. de Buffières, “we--that is, myself and -the Commandant de Vic--are not authorized to entertain such a -proposition from anybody.” - -“You are perfectly free to listen or not, messieurs, and I am just -as free to make known my impressions. If I speak, it is not idly, -but because I feel that I am in some measure responsible for the -lives of two men, one of whom is my friend. If any thing serious -should occur, I wish to enjoy my rest afterwards.” - -“If speaking will insure you easy slumbers hereafter, proceed.” - -“If I seek to insure the tranquillity of my nights,” said the -artist, “it is because, up to the present, my days have not been -too happy. Come, gentlemen, let us talk little, but let us speak to -the point. We ought to be able to come to an understanding. I am -certain that each of us regrets what has occurred.” - -“Certainly,” rejoined the Commandant de Vic. “As for myself, I -have been engaged in ten duels, and am not yet dead. Nevertheless, -I never take pleasure in seeing two men cross swords with a deadly -purpose. I will even go further, and say that the spectacle is very -disagreeable to me. But, you know, there are circumstances--you -understand me.” - -“Youth must be broken in,” observed Clamens, humorously, which -caused M. de Buffières to smile. Paul Buck thought this a favorable -moment for renewing his attempt at reconciliation. - -“After all, to what does this affair amount? Nothing. A young -gentleman, jesting with his friends, boasts of possessing a woman -to whom he has never spoken,--at least so we are assured; the real -proprietor of the lady overhears this vaunt, and tells the young -boaster that he has spoken falsely: that seems rather rough. But, -between ourselves, what else could he have done? He could not very -well invite the young gentleman to dinner. Well, then, let M. de -la Soulaye, who, I am sure, is a man of courage, acknowledge that -he was wrong, and let the affair drop. Parbleu! We do not seek the -life of the offender.” - -“You forget,” said M. de Buffières, “that it is the man who gave -the insult, and not the one who was insulted, who ought to make the -apology.” - -“There is another way,” resumed the painter, “of terminating this -absurd difficulty. Let M. de la Soulaye prove that he spoke the -truth when he referred to the lady. We will prevent our friend from -fighting for a woman who is not worth the trouble.” - -“M. de la Soulaye,” replied the commandant, “will prove all that -is required, after he has obtained reparation for the outrage -perpetrated upon him.” - -“Precisely so,” added M. de Buffières. - -“If,” continued Paul, “by an unfortunate chance, M. de la Soulaye -should kill M. Martin, or M. Martin should kill M. de la Soulaye, -would that prove that the one did wrong, or that the other lied? Or -would the reputation of Adéonne be in the least benefited?” - -“Probably not,” said M. de Buffières, dryly. - -Paul Buck, seeing that his efforts to effect a reconciliation would -be fruitless, withdrew to a corner, and seemed absorbed in thought. -At length, M. de Vic arose and said,-- - -“Well, is it understood? To-morrow, at seven o’clock, at the Pecq, -Avenue de la Grotte; each to bring swords.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVI. - - -Paul and Clamens conducted Eusebe to a renowned _maître d’armes_, -named Grisier, or Gate-chair. - -“Professor,” said Clamens, “I have the honor to introduce to -you one of my best friends, M. Eusebe Martin, who is to fight -to-morrow, and who does not know how to hold a sword. I have -persuaded him that you will be kind enough to give him the benefit -of your valuable counsel.” - -“I can give him only one piece of advice,” replied the professor; -“and that is, not to kill himself. I tender him that, with all my -heart: it is all I can do for him.” - -“How? Do you mean to say that you cannot teach him how to make some -passes with the weapon?” - -“Fencing is not to be learned in an hour.” - -“Doubtless; but are there not some special mysteries of the art in -which you can instruct him?” - -“All the movements are mysteries to one who does not know how to -parry them.” - -“But can you not at least show my friend the manner of putting -himself on guard? He is to fight with a man of the world, and he -ought to be able to show that he knows as well how to kill as to -live.” - -“That is easy enough,” said the professor. “I am at your disposal.” - -The professor then put Eusebe in position, explained to him how -to hold his weapon, how to make passes, how to break the force of -a stroke, and many other things pertaining to the art of fencing. -The quickness with which Eusebe comprehended the demonstrations and -followed the instructions, as well as his graceful attitude and -manly vigor, excited the interest of the professor. Eusebe thanked -him, and was about to withdraw, when the master of the sword -recalled him. - -“Resume your guard,” said he, “and listen to me attentively. In -order to give you a correct idea of duelling, I am going to charge -upon you with this sword, which, you see, is very sharp. Observe -my movements, and endeavor to parry; for, while I am sure of not -giving you dangerous thrusts, the vigor of my attack, or your lack -of skill, may result in your receiving some severe scratches. Now -protect yourself.” - -The professor suddenly precipitated himself upon Eusebe with -extreme violence. His sword menaced the breast of the young -man, who, however, retreated and parried so adroitly as not to -be touched. The professor stopped as soon as the provincial -had reached the wall. Eusebe was perfectly calm. The professor -scrutinized him closely, and, seeing his entire self-possession, -said,-- - -“That will do, monsieur: you will return from the field, I promise -you.” - -“God grant that I may!” solemnly responded Eusebe. - -On the following day the three friends were the first to reach the -appointed rendezvous. A convenient spot was chosen, the swords were -measured, and the Commandant de Vic pronounced the word “Go!” - -Eusebe attacked his adversary furiously. Surprised by a vigor -which he had by no means anticipated, and not recognizing in the -passes of the provincial any of those movements usually taught -in the schools of fencing, the count manifested an embarrassment -which only served to encourage Eusebe. Suddenly M. de la Soulaye -was touched in the hand. The seconds immediately interposed, and -Clamens hastily cried,-- - -“Messieurs, the combat is finished.” - -“How so?” inquired Eusebe. - -“Honor has been satisfied,” responded the Commandant de Vic. - -The young provincial thought that this honor was not difficult to -satisfy; but he said nothing, and, in company with his two friends, -took the road back to Paris. - -Eusebe thought proper not to say a word about this affair to her -who had been the involuntary cause of the quarrel. In this matter -his native delicacy served him admirably. Adéonne would have thrown -herself upon her knees and implored him not to fight, or she would -have turned him out-of-doors if he had refused. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVII. - - -About three-quarters of an hour after the combatants had quitted -the Bois du Vésinet, two gendarmes arrived in the Avenue de la -Grotte. They looked about them for a moment, and their attitude -betokened disappointment. - -“We have arrived too late,” said one. - -“I doubt it,” rejoined the other. - -“Good gentlemen, charity, if you please; for the love of God and -the Holy Virgin, a little charity, if you please,” murmured a -dolorous voice. - -“Brigadier, suppose we seek information of the beggar.” - -“It is our duty to push our inquiries to the furthest limit.” - -“That is also my way of doing business, if I may say so without -offence to you.” - -“Ho! woman!” cried the first officer, addressing an old woman as -wrinkled as a dried pear, “didn’t you see two men pass this way?” - -“I could not see any such persons,” responded the beggar, “because -I could not see any thing, having been blind for now twenty years; -for twenty years I have been deprived of the light of heaven.” - -“Ah! that alters the case.” - -“I have not seen them; but, my good sir, I certainly heard them.” - -“Then they have gone this way?” - -“They have gone and returned. By this time they ought to be in -Paris, for they arrived in time for the train.” - -The gendarmes expressed their disappointment in the phraseology -peculiar to their calling. - -“My good woman,” said one, “you can perhaps give us some -information. Speak without fear.” - -The gendarme spoke majestically, as the representative of the law. - -“There were seven in the party of young gentlemen,--three on one -side and four on the other.” - -“How do you know there were seven?” inquired the officer. - -“Because they stopped to give me a little charity. Five gave me -something. Of the two others, one said, ‘I have no money,’ and the -other, ‘I am not superstitious.’” - -“How do you know they were young?” - -“Because they walked quickly; and, you see, when one is old, one is -not in a hurry to die.” - -“How? to die?” - -“Yes; since they came to fight.” - -“Who told you that?” - -“I learned that from their alms. Four of them gave me twenty sous -each. They supposed that bit of charity would bring good luck -to their friends. The fifth, a fine young man, who was going to -fight, gave me a five-franc piece. One is generous when one is -either very unfortunate or very fortunate, when one weeps or when -one laughs. The sixth said, ‘I have no money:’ he was the surgeon. -The doctors never give any thing to beggars, because it is of no -importance to them whether we live or die. The seventh said, ‘It is -a superstition:’ he is the one who committed the wrong.” - -“Of course,” said one of the gendarmes, laughing, “you think -the one who gave you the five-franc piece was in the right. I -understand that.” - -“You do not understand it at all, my dear sir, I can assure you. I -understand it, I do. I have seen so many persons pass here on their -way to fight. Those who have not the right on their side never give -any thing, not on account of their avarice, but because they know -very well that it is not with a hundred sous they can turn aside -the hand of God.” - -“Well?” - -“They did not go very far into the woods, for they did not remain -more than ten minutes. They fought with swords, for I did not hear -any pistol-shots. They returned, without either party being badly -wounded.” - -“Until now, your sagacity has not been at fault,” said one of the -officers. “But how do you know that the wound was slight?” - -“Ah, my son, I am quite certain of what I tell you. If the wound -had been dangerous, they would have given me much greater alms upon -their return.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVIII. - - -Eusebe had forgotten this “adventure,” as the Commandant de -Vic would have called it, when, one morning, Adéonne, pale and -trembling, embraced him tenderly, and handed him a document bearing -an official stamp. - -“You have fought, my dear Eusebe,” she cried, “you have fought, and -you have not told me!” - -“It is true.” - -“Oh, it was wrong, very wrong, not to tell me!” - -“What is this paper?” - -“Read!” - -The document was a “summons,” in which the sieur Eusebe Martin, -perpetrator of sundry strokes and wounds on the person of the sieur -Ravaud, calling himself De la Soulaye, &c. &c. was summoned to -appear on the following Wednesday before Monsieur De la Varade, -_juge d’instruction_, at Versailles. It was also set forth that, in -default of his appearance at the time specified, a warrant would be -issued for his arrest. - -Eusebe took the official document to Clamens, for the purpose of -asking an explanation. The dramatist reassured him, saying that he -also had been summoned, but that the affair was of no importance. - -“We will be sentenced to pay a few hundred francs as a fine, and to -spend a few months in prison: that’s all. Do not alarm yourself.” - -“So!” said Eusebe, “a fellow is pleased to slander a lady; I have -risked my life against his, when I ought to have simply strangled -him; and now it is necessary that I should pay a fine and be -subjected, with you and Paul, to imprisonment!” - -“All very natural,” replied the poet. - -“But he will be condemned also, I hope?” said Eusebe, with some -vehemence of tone. - -“Not at all. He will be acquitted,--first, because he was insulted, -and second, because he has suffered at your hands.” - -“But if I had killed him?” - -“As the combat was honorably conducted, we should have been -exonerated from all blame.” - -“Ah!” exclaimed Eusebe, “my father said wisely that we should -never do things by halves.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIX. - - -On the appointed Wednesday, Eusebe, Daniel Clamens, and Paul Buck -arrived at Versailles. As the hour fixed for the hearing had not -yet come, the three friends took a stroll through the city before -repairing to the court-room. - -“Is that what you call the _Palais de Justice_?” inquired Eusebe, -pointing to a building of rather pitiful appearance. - -“Yes,” responded Clamens. - -“You said to me, on the way,” rejoined the lover of Adéonne, -“that justice was the first of established powers. One could have -very little reason to question that, if he compared the palace of -justice with that of a king.” - -“We have in France,” said Paul, “but ten palaces for kings, while -for justice there are more than five hundred, in which she condemns -more in a day than a monarch could pardon in a year.” - -“Fortunately for society, messieurs,” said the Commandant de Vic, -who had just arrived, and who was followed by MM. de la Soulaye -and de Buffières. - -The first step Justice takes in the punishment of duellists is -to bring them together in her ante-chamber. But for the profound -respect the French profess for her, conflicts might be renewed -there. It is true, nevertheless, that the custom, which might be -attended with grave consequences, has often a wholesome effect. -Adversaries often shake hands at the moment they are about to -appear before the judge. - -M. de la Soulaye, perceiving the lover of Adéonne, saluted him -courteously, and offered his hand. - -Eusebe bowed, but did not respond to the advance made by his late -antagonist. - -“Monsieur,” said the Commandant de Vic, frowning, “I have the honor -to call your attention to the fact that M. de la Soulaye offers you -his hand.” - -“I do not wish to offer him mine,” replied Eusebe, “and am sorry -that you compel me to say so.” - -The officer, fired by this curt repulse, advanced, as if he -meditated a quarrel; but M. de Buffières restrained him. - -“You are too condescending, commandant,” said the latter, “in -paying any attention to this rustic.” - -On their part, Paul Buck and Daniel Clamens reproached Eusebe with -his want of courtesy. - -At this moment, three gendarmes entered, escorting three men with -villainous countenances, who were seated near the actors in the -duel at Peck. - -“What!” exclaimed Eusebe; “you wish to persuade me that I would act -like a well-bred man in giving my hand to a rogue who has slandered -a lady, who has tried to kill me, and, in addition, is the cause -of our being brought to this disagreeable place, here to await -condemnation, in company with three thieves? I cannot credit such -a monstrosity of meanness; and I would rather pass for the worst -blackguard in the world than touch a finger of the villain.” - -MM. de la Soulaye, de Vic, and de Buffières were first called into -the presence of the magistrate, who kept them away for nearly three -hours. - -Eusebe bit his nails with fierce impatience during this vexatious -delay. Clamens, pencil in hand, occupied himself in composing -couplets upon the incidents in which he had recently figured. Paul -Buck speculated with one of the gendarmes on the philosophy of -history. - -“Monsieur,” said one of the thieves to Eusebe, “won’t you please -to give me a little tobacco? I have not smoked for more than four -months.” - -“I have no tobacco,” responded Martin, “but I have some cigars, -which, if these gentlemen will permit me, I will give you -willingly.” - -“Give them to him, if you wish,” said one of the gendarmes. “It -ought not to be allowed; but”----and the officer shrugged his -shoulders. - -The three young men then emptied their cigar-cases, and slipped -some money into the hands of the malefactors. The ice was broken. - -“Why were you arrested?” asked Paul Buck of a thief who had just -been gladdened with three cigars and two francs. - -“Oh, I have been jugged by mistake,” replied the bandit, with a -voice of sinister tone. - -“It was the seventh time that Justice was deceived in your case,” -dryly observed a gendarme. - -“As for the other times,” rejoined the rogue, “I have nothing to -say; but for this, as true as you are an honest man, monsieur, I am -innocent. I didn’t do it.” - -“If it was not you, it was your brother,” said the gendarme, -sententiously. - -“By my faith,” said the man, “that’s worth thinking of: it might be -so. I will just mention that to the judge.” - -“And you,” said Eusebe to a second rogue, “are you also charged -with robbery?” - -“Yes, monsieur.” - -“Who or what could have led you to rob?” - -“You shall hear. My story is a very simple one. I was only nineteen -years old when I fell in love with a young girl residing in my -native province. One day she asked me to bring her some flowers; it -was the day after the festival of Sainte-Marie, and she wished to -cover the altar with flowers, so that the Blessed Virgin would be -favorable to us. Her parents troubled themselves but little about -our union. I had neither garden nor flowers. Night came, and I took -a stroll. When all the village was sound asleep, I reached the wall -of a garden adjoining that of the Maire----” - -“Robbery, with escalade, at midnight, in an inhabited house: five -years in irons,” interrupted a gendarme. - -“That is the penalty,” resumed the bandit; “but as I was young, -had good antecedents, and the booty was only a few roses, which, -sooner or later, would have been offered to the Virgin, I was let -off with imprisonment for three years. When the term of my sentence -expired, I found my mistress a wife. While in prison I had learned -the theory of crime; and, as I was now an outcast on account of -having been a convict, I was forced to commence its practice.” - -“And you, old fellow,” demanded Clamens of the third criminal, “why -did you steal?” - -“From taste,” was the laconic reply. - -“Mon Dieu!” exclaimed the gendarme, “there are all sorts of taste -in human nature.” - - - - -CHAPTER XL. - - -Notwithstanding his cold and rigid aspect, M. de la Varade was not -a malicious or a severe man. - -From the time of Francis I. to the Revolution of ’93, the family -of la Varade had always held office in a judicial capacity. The -first of the judges was ennobled because he labored to please -the beautiful Diana, Countess de Brézé; one of the latest was -guillotined because he had displeased the fair Manon Ladri, who had -considerable influence with the Revolutionary authorities. - -The father of the present _juge d’instruction_ died, after the -Restoration, attorney-general of the provinces. - -M. de la Varade spoke with extreme difficulty. Naturally mild and -indolent, the magistracy had few charms for him. His profession -caused him many torments and vexations; but he would have thought -himself wanting in self-respect and regard for the memory of his -ancestors had he not continued to exercise the functions of the -office. - -“A la Varade,” said he to his son, “must be a magistrate: his -nobility demands it.” - -When the magistrate was alone, he bitterly regretted that he was -not able to pursue a more congenial career, and expend in the -gratification of his tastes his income of sixty thousand livres. He -often asked himself if a citizen was not justified in withdrawing -from such severe duties, when the State possessed many thousands of -persons quite competent to fill the vacancy. His wife said “yes,” -but his conscience said “no.” - -Madame de la Varade, who ardently desired to reside in Paris, -sometimes said to her lord,-- - -“Please to explain, _mon ami_, what society gains by substituting a -la Varade for a Rabauel--for example--to instruct the big thieves -how to draw the little ones to Versailles. Do you imagine that -with your name and fortune you could not render service to your -country in any other way? A pleasant duty, truly, that which you -have chosen. You will exercise your functions for about twenty-five -years, and then, as a reward, you will be made President of the -Court in some out-of-the-way province.” - -“As my fathers have done,” replied the husband, “I will do; and, -God willing, I hope my sons will imitate my example.” - -The wife shrugged her shoulders; the mother sighed. - -Eusebe entered the _cabinet_ of this magistrate, bowed, and waited -the examination. - -“Will you, monsieur,” said the magistrate, after some preliminary -formalities, “narrate the circumstances which led to the -_rencontre_ between you and M. de la Soulaye?” - -“But first,” replied Eusebe, eagerly, “I am accused of having -inflicted blows and wounds upon my adversary. I desire you to take -note that I did not hurt him at all.” - -“That does not signify,” said the magistrate. “It is a mere form. -Come to the facts of the case.” - -“Is it possible that you are ignorant of them? These gentlemen say -that they have told you all.” - -“No matter: I must needs learn them from you.” - -“Well, if you desire it,” rejoined Eusebe. And he then narrated his -story of the quarrel and the duel. - -“Sir,” said the magistrate, “it was you who gave the lie.” - -“Certainly; and in my place you would have done the same.” - -“I am not here to say what I should have done: I am here only to -question you. Was the affair honorably conducted?” - -“No.” - -“With what do you reproach your adversary?” - -“With having lied.” - -“That is not the point. I speak of his conduct on the field of -combat. I have nothing to do with the rest.” - -“On the field, we were seven in number. My adversary could not have -behaved dishonorably had we been but two. I have an arm equal to -his own. I do not fear him.” - -“You are doubtless skilful with the sword?” - -“I do not know. Until this affair, I had never held a sword on -guard.” - -“Then there is nothing with which you can reproach your adversary?” - -“Yes: with having lied.” - -“And are you quite sure?” - -“Yes, quite sure.” - -“Then why did you fight?” - -“Indeed, I don’t know. They told me that honor demanded that I -should fight.” - -“Then, if they had not represented honor as being so exacting, you -would not have fought?” - -“No: I would have told the man that he was an impostor, and that -would have sufficed.” - -The frankness of Eusebe evidently made an impression on the -magistrate. - -“Monsieur Martin,” said he, “I am a father. Permit me to address -you as a man.” - -Eusebe bowed, and the magistrate continued. - -“Do you think that an actress cares for those who get themselves -killed in her defence?” - -“Yes,” replied the provincial, “when she is honorable and when she -knows she is beloved.” - -“And you love this creature?” - -“Ah! monsieur, with all my heart!” - -“Where and how did you make her acquaintance?” - -Eusebe then related how his father had sent him to Paris to study -life, admire civilization, and learn to distinguish the false -from the true. His journey, his arrival, his illusions, his -meeting with Adéonne, his mode of life since then, his grief, his -humiliation,--all,--were told with perfect candor and simplicity. - -“My son,” said M. de la Varade, “I know something of human nature, -and I feel sure that you are sincere. Your affair here will not -be followed up. Now it is no longer the judge who speaks: it is -the man. Listen! Up to the present time you have not followed the -injunctions of your father: you are on the wrong road. Are you not -conscious that your present pleasures are entirely factitious and -forced? Have you never thought of the hollowness of such fancied -enjoyments? Are you not ashamed of being absolutely nothing in a -society where each individual has a mission?” - -“Yes, indeed,” exclaimed the young man. “I have experienced all the -sensations you describe. But what can I do, powerless as I am to -discover the true path, and with no counsellor to point the way?” - -“The true is synonymous with one word, which is the religion of -society: that word is DUTY.” - - - - -CHAPTER XLI. - - -Eusebe, upon quitting the _cabinet_ of the magistrate, rejoined his -two friends, who were glad to learn that the affair of the duel -would be dropped. All three then returned to Paris. - -Adéonne fairly wept with joy on seeing Eusebe return. But, while -the cantatrice did not try to conceal her delight, the provincial -seemed abstracted, and paid little attention to this evidence of -affection. - -On the following morning, Eusebe arose at an early hour, hastily -completed his toilet, and left the house, much to the astonishment -of Adéonne, who did not venture to interrogate him as to the cause -of his hasty departure. - -“He did not close his eyes during the night,” said she to herself, -“and he leaves me at this early hour. What can be the matter with -him, and where is he going?” - -Eusebe had taken but a few steps when he returned, as if he had -forgotten something. After embracing his mistress, he said,-- - -“Adéonne, my sweet queen, do you know what duty is?” - -“Certainly I do.” - -“Well?” - -“My duty,” replied the comédienne, “consists in not being hissed -off the stage, and in being faithful to the man I love,--to you, my -dear Eusebe.” - -“Then the duty of a woman is not like that of a man.” - -“The same precisely. Your duty is to love me as I love you.” - -Eusebe then left the house, and directed his steps towards the -residence of Clamens. When he entered the apartment of the poet, he -found him snoring in a most unpoetical manner. - -“My friend,” said Eusebe, “I ask pardon for disturbing you at so -early an hour, but there is an important question I wish to have -answered. Have the goodness to tell me what duty is.” - -Daniel opened his eyes with difficulty, stared at his provincial -visitor for a moment, and then responded,-- - -“As for me, my duty is to get a piece in five acts accepted at the -Théâtre Français.” - -So saying, he turned his face to the wall, and was soon snoring as -vigorously as ever. Eusebe departed, and, not long afterwards, -ascended to the attic apartment of Paul Buck, the painter. - -“Welcome!” exclaimed the artist, upon the entrance of his -provincial friend. “Happiness has again taken up her abode under -my roof. Gredinette has returned, and I have pardoned her. You -are about to censure me,--to tell me that I have been weak. But -could I do otherwise? My happiness is attached to the ribbons of -her bonnet. Besides, why should not clemency, which is a virtue in -kings, be exercised by artists?” - -“Who could blame you for seeking to be happy? Not I, assuredly. My -visit here has quite another purpose.” - -“Ah?” - -“I wish you to tell me what duty is.” - -“Duty is the only thing that Gredinette ignores.” - -“Your definition is very vague.” - -“Duty! Oh, there are many interpretations of the word.” - -“Give me the best.” - -“In my opinion, the duty of a man is to smoke his pipe in peace -under the eye of Heaven, and to do no wrong to his neighbor.” - -“Thank you,” was the sole response of Eusebe, as he abruptly -quitted his artist friend. - -Once more in the street, the poor provincial strolled about, at -the mercy of chance, more embarrassed and perplexed than ever. The -sight of the old store of Lansade, before which he passed, reminded -him of the honest merchant who had assisted him in an emergency of -a more serious character. He decided to go at once to Lansade and -ask his advice. On the way he met the stage-manager of the theatre, -who saluted him politely. - -“M. Sainval,” said Eusebe, hurrying towards him, “you can perhaps -save me a long walk.” - -“I am at your service.” - -“Please explain to me what you understand by duty.” - -“That is very easy, M. Martin. My duty is to first please the -director, then the public.” - -“Thank you,” said Eusebe; and he continued his walk. - -On reaching Viroflay, the young man had great difficulty in -recognizing the house he went to seek. The garden was no longer -there,--the space being filled with boxes and packages. The house, -formerly so white and neat, had become gray, and the walls were -nearly covered by the gigantic letters of a sign, reading as -follows:-- - - F. B. LANSADE, - - Formerly of the Boulevard Saint-Denis, at Paris. - - DEPOT OF PORCELAIN AND CRYSTAL, - - THE BEST IN FRANCE. - - MANUFACTURED FOR EXPORT. - -A man, wearing a blue blouse, his brow dropping perspiration, -appeared before the astonished provincial. - -“Ah! M. Martin,” he exclaimed, “is this indeed you? I did not -expect to see you again. I thought you had left Paris. I have often -intended to inquire for you, but I am so busy when I go to the city -that I have not a minute to spare.” - -“You have then resumed business?” asked Eusebe. - -“Oh, no; far from it. I was so fortunate as to acquire enough to -satisfy my modest desires; I live now quite at my ease. Now and -then, ’tis true, I do a little something in the way of trade, just -to kill time.” - -“One would suppose to see your house that it had been turned into a -factory.” - -“Would you not? But such is by no means the case. I furnish a few -of the merchants in the neighborhood: indeed, I sell almost as much -as I did in Paris. This is the only pastime I have. Formerly I -employed a salesman and a porter; now I am entirely alone. To tell -the truth, I do the work of four; but, you know, it is necessary -for a man to be occupied.” - -Without taking any further notice of his visitor, Lansade resumed -his work among the glass and porcelain. After a few moments he -said,-- - -“_Sans cérémonie_, M. Martin. Of course you remain to breakfast.” - -“Thank you,” said Eusebe: “it is absolutely necessary that I should -be at Versailles before noon. I came to ask a favor.” - -A sudden change of expression was visible in Lansade’s features, -and it was evident that he felt uncomfortable. - -“I should be glad,” continued the young man, “if you would tell me -in what, in your opinion, duty consists.” - -“That is very easy, M. Martin,” replied the porcelain-merchant, -his features resuming their usual expression. “Duty consists in -working when one is young, in always honoring one’s signature, and -in giving way to others when one has acquired a sufficiency.” - -Eusebe then took leave of the merchant. - -“I hope to see you again, M. Martin,” said Lansade. “Come breakfast -with me one of these days. Let it be some Sunday.” - -The weather was fine; the shrubbery along the road was in bloom. -Eusebe, who had not seen the country for a long time, felt, in -spite of his preoccupation, the reviving influence of natural -beauty, and resolved to pursue his journey afoot. - -“I have done wrong,” said he, “in questioning all these people, -each of whom regards duty from a different point of view. The only -man who can give me any light on the subject is the honorable -magistrate, who kindly pointed out my error in living without an -object.” - -An hour afterwards, the young man knocked at the door of M. de la -Varade, who, unfortunately, was absent. A servant conducted the -visitor into the magistrate’s study, and asked him to await the -return of the master of the house. - -Eusebe had waited for something more than ten minutes, and, -becoming impatient, was about to retire, when among the books on -the table he observed a dictionary. - -“Ah!” thought he, “I was sure that here my expectations would be -realized. Now I shall certainly find what I seek.” - -He turned over the leaves of the dictionary, and found,-- - -“DUTY.--_Subst._ That which conscience, reason, law, or custom -demands that one should do.” - -Eusebe dropped the book, with an expression of bitter -disappointment. - -“Now,” thought he, “I am more perplexed than ever; since the things -which law and custom oblige one to do are directly contrary to -those dictated by conscience and reason.” - -Eusebe was absorbed in reflection, when a young lady, with a -sparkling eye, appeared at the door of the study. It was Madame de -la Varade. - -“My husband,” said she, “told me that he would not return until -late in the day. I regret that you have been kept waiting -uselessly.” - -“And I, madame, regret having disturbed you.” - -“Will you oblige me with your name?” - -“Eusebe Martin.” - -The wives of magistrates generally know more about any matters of -interest that are transacted at their husbands’ offices than the -_procureur-général_. M. de la Varade had related to his wife the -particulars of the late duel, and imparted to her the curiosity he -felt in regard to the young man who possessed the love of a woman -comparatively celebrated. After a protracted silence, Madame de la -Varade observed,-- - -“If you are particularly desirous to speak to my husband, and wish -to await his return----” - -“No, madame,” interrupted Eusebe, “I have nothing of importance -to say to Monsieur de la Varade. Yesterday he was so kind as to -give me some good advice. But, unfortunately, I did not entirely -comprehend his meaning; and to-day I have come to beg him to define -a word which he said was the religion of society.” - -“And what is the word?” - -“Duty.” - -Madame de la Varade burst into a laugh,--which enabled Eusebe to -note that she had pearly teeth and rosy lips. - -“And so, monsieur, it is for this you have come all the way from -Paris?” - -“Yes, madame.” - -“Well, I can satisfy you.” - -“I shall be very grateful for the favor, indeed, madame.” - -“You have, doubtless, heard of the ancient Hydra?” - -“But,” stammered the provincial, “I thought that was a fabulous -monster.” - -“Precisely so:--a vile beast, with seven heads. If one were cut -off, seven others appeared in its stead. Monsieur, duty is a moral -monster. While you may accomplish one, seven others will rise to -demand your attention.” - - - - -CHAPTER XLII. - - -One morning, about a month after his visit to Versailles, Eusebe, -with an enormous bouquet in his hand, entered the boudoir of -Adéonne. - -“Why do you bring these flowers?” inquired the comédienne. “This is -not my birthday, if I remember rightly.” - -“No,” responded the young man: “it is only the birthday of the -bouquet.” - -“It is one of those days on which both flowers and compliments are -of bad augury. I will wager that these camellias conceal some bad -news.” - -“That is true.” - -“The nature of it?” - -“I hardly know how to inform you.” - -“You are about to be married: is it not so?” - -“Yes. Who could have told you?” - -“I have known it for more than two weeks. I found a letter from -your father in the pocket of your coat. You need not attempt to -excuse yourself. I know all you could say.” - -“I shall not attempt to justify myself,” replied Eusebe, affecting -a tranquillity of mind which he was far from possessing. “I take a -wife because a man must discharge the duties he owes to society.” - -“You see, my dear Eusebe,” continued the actress, “we are thought -to be hardened, to have no heart,--we women of the theatre. Nothing -could be further from the truth. I loved you because I thought you -a man of sense and of courage. How grossly I was deceived! You are -a fool and a coward!” - -“Adéonne!” - -“Do not become excited: you see that I am perfectly calm. I repeat -that you are both a fool and a coward. The first duty of a man -is to live for the woman whom he loves and who loves him. The -characteristic of a man of intelligence is to prefer that happiness -he knows to that which is untried. Of what importance is it to me -that you are going to be married, since you love me no longer? I -should only ask time to avenge myself, if I did not love you still. -It is a great misfortune for me; for my love will kill me, if I -cannot succeed in crushing it, which would be little better than -death itself.” - -“Do you desire me to break off this marriage?” demanded Eusebe. -“There is yet time.” - -“No, Eusebe. If you were to revoke your promise, I could not recall -my illusions.” - - - - -CHAPTER XLIII. - - -“M.---- - -“Monsieur and Madame Bonnaud, _rentiers_, have the honor to -notify you of the marriage of their daughter, Mademoiselle Louise -Clementine Bonnaud, with Monsieur Eusebe Martin. - -“The nuptial benediction will be pronounced on the 27th instant, at -eleven o’clock in the morning, in the Church of Marly-le-Roi.” - -This notice was addressed to Adéonne by Bonnaud, who, like a -prudent father, wished to advise the cantatrice of the approaching -nuptials, in case Eusebe had failed to do so, and thereby prevent -the occurrence of an unpleasant scene at Marly-le-Roi. After having -read the note, Adéonne said to Marie Bachu, who had come to console -her,-- - -“If Heaven did not appear to favor me so little, I would have a -mass said for my happiness, which on that day will be buried.” - -“Mine was long since entombed, and I am not yet dead,” was the -response of Marie. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIV. - - -On the eve of the day fixed for the marriage, Monsieur, Madame, and -Mademoiselle Bonnaud, with their friends, Eusebe Martin, assisted -by Lansade and Monsieur de la Varade, went to sign, in the official -presence of Monflor, the notary, two important documents. The first -was a contract of marriage; the second was a deed of partnership -between Eusebe Martin and Isidore Boncain, manufacturer of -chemicals, and successor of Bonnaud. Isidore Boncain brought to the -firm of E. Martin & Co. his commercial information and experience. -Eusebe brought the money which constituted the dowry of his wife. - -The notary read the two documents in a loud tone. Then Eusebe arose -and said, “Will you add that I also bring into the partnership the -sum of forty-eight thousand francs, which I now deposit in your -hands?” - -Bonnaud and Lansade uttered an exclamation which could not be -rendered by any known assemblage of letters. - -“What!” exclaimed the first: “the actress has, then, restored your -money?” - -“Read!” said Eusebe, offering the astonished merchants a letter, -the contents of which they immediately began to devour. The epistle -ran as follows:-- - - “Eusebe:--You desired to purchase me; but I did not sell myself. - I send you the forty-eight notes which you placed in my hands. - I deposited the money at my banker’s. The interest has sufficed - to defray your expenses. Allow me to retain the leather belt in - which you used to carry the money, for my commissions. You will - not return to your chestnut woods, and nowhere else could you - have further use for this rustic purse. - - “Adieu, Eusebe, - - “ADÉONNE.” - -“Insolent creature!” muttered Bonnaud, and, turning to the notary, -he added, in a whisper, “Will you put in an additional clause, to -the effect that, in case of the decease of one of the parties, if -there be no children born of their union, all the property shall go -to the survivor?” - - - - -CHAPTER XLV. - - -When all the honest _bourgeois_ friends of Bonnaud and Lansade had -satisfied their appetites, they did not leave the table, but began -to drink, and, as they drank, they sang. It was Bonnaud himself, -the father of the bride, who commenced: the guests joined in the -chorus. Take ten men of the world, accustomed to every variety of -debauch, give them the means to indulge in the most fearful orgies, -and at the moment when the riot and revel are at their height call -them to the window to see a newly-married couple pass from church. -Then you will behold a novel and curious spectacle. The orgies will -cease; the ribald song will be hushed. The happy couple will pass, -and the innocent laugh of their friends will alone disturb the -silence of the hour. These revellers are suddenly reminded of their -sisters, of their mothers, and of the days of their youth, blighted -and darkened by vice and debauchery. Well, for marriage--this -solemn and formidable sacrament,--this act, horrible, or sublime, -which rivets forever two beings to a chain, of which each broken -link is a grief or a shame--the _bourgeois_ have not the least -respect. They await the moment when the priest shall have finished, -to break forth in silly songs or idle jests. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVI. - - -Great sorrows only encroach upon one’s life little by little, and -Heaven has given to the man who must experience such trials the -strength to support them. In the presence of a great misfortune, -nature seems to harden itself; it bends or breaks only under the -petty miseries of existence. - -On the day after his marriage, Eusebe began to realize the depth -of his love for Adéonne. He felt that the simple pronunciation of -the sacramental words by a man in priestly robes did not suffice to -destroy the greatest of human weaknesses,--habit. By nature mild -and honest, the son of the skeptic Martin did not seek to deceive -himself. He saw the magnitude of his misfortune, and determined to -bear it with resignation. Daily and nightly comparisons between the -objects by which he was then surrounded, and those to which he had -been accustomed, destroyed his tranquillity of mind and heart. The -modest coldness of Clementine’s manner contrasted painfully with -the passionate enthusiasm of Adéonne. The sober simplicity of his -wife had no charm for him like the warm sympathy of the actress. -The interior of the chemical factory gave him the vertigo. He never -touched the books in the counting-house without fear and disgust. -He regretted the pleasures of the past, and suffered continually -from _ennui_ and gloom. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVII. - - -One morning, an irresistible impulse drove Eusebe to visit Adéonne. - -“Jenny,” said he, on entering the house, “where is madame?” - -“Madame is dead,” replied the girl, beginning to weep. - -Eusebe threw himself on a divan, and for two hours patiently waited -an effusion of his grief in tears. His heart beat violently, and -his throat seemed parched; but no tears came to his relief. Jenny -had at first regarded Eusebe with anger, for his desertion had -caused her mistress’s untimely end. But the depth of his sorrow -touched her pity. - -“Monsieur,” said the girl, producing a small steel casket, “I was -about to write you, in order to fulfil the last wishes of my poor -mistress. She said to me, ‘One week after my death, take this to -Eusebe.’ Here it is, monsieur: here it is.” And the girl sobbed -more bitterly than ever. - -Eusebe took the casket, looked at it fixedly for a moment, and -then opened it with a key he found behind the frame of Adéonne’s -portrait. In the box there was a letter. Eusebe broke the seal with -a trembling hand, and read:-- - - “MY DEAR EUSEBE:-- - - “When you read this ugly letter, I shall be dead; my love for you - will have killed me. Weep for me, but do not pity me. I prefer - to die of this love than from any other cause. I feel myself - gradually sinking, yet I experience a certain joy in thinking - that it is for you I am about to part with life. If you only knew - how good it is to love so wildly and so faithfully! Marie Bachu - has endeavored to console me with her pity and her reasoning: how - foolish! - - “What follows, my dear Eusebe, I wish you to regard as my - last will and testament. I bequeath to you my ring, set with - turquoise and brilliants; it was the first article I purchased - with money I had earned. You will find in one of my drawers my - other jewels, in little packets, with names written upon them. - These are _souvenirs_ for my companions of the theatre. You will - give my watch and chain to Madame Marignan, my dresser, and pay - forty-two francs that I owe to Adolphe, the _coiffeur_. You will - wear mourning for me for at least a month, will you not, my - dear Eusebe? you can say at home that you have lost a cousin. I - have seen your wife: she is beautiful, but her beauty will not - remind you of Adéonne. Give all my dresses and linen to Jenny, - my maid, and, also, two thousand francs, upon condition that she - marry her lover. When you have done all this, and sold all my - furniture, you will have about fifteen thousand francs. Go to - Strasburg and seek out a turner in wood, named Antoine Krutger. - If you find him, ask him if he was not a sutler in a regiment of - chasseurs, at Saumur, twenty-two years ago. If he should reply - in the affirmative, give him all the money. He is my father,--a - respectable man, who would have despised me, if he had known how - I was living. If he be dead, give the money to his children. - Are they not my brothers and sisters? And now, my dear Eusebe, - farewell forever. I have loved you,--oh, I cannot tell you how I - have loved you; and I embrace you now as I embraced you the day - you wished to purchase me. Farewell forever! - - “ADÉONNE. - - “P.S.--I ask pardon for the trouble I give you; I am yours for - life, but that will not be long.” - -Eusebe sobbed and moaned. After having read and reread Adéonne’s -letter, he summoned Jenny. - -“Jenny,” said he, “madame has not forgotten you: she has left you a -dowry.” - -“How, monsieur? Then I can return to my native town. Ah! monsieur, -poor madame was so good.” - -“From what town are you?” inquired Eusebe. - -“From Strasburg.” - -“Did madame know you were from Strasburg?” - -“No, monsieur. In Paris, Alsatians have difficulty in procuring -places. Upon coming here, I said I was from Nancy.” - -“Did you ever hear of a turner named Antoine Krutger?” - -“Antoine Krutger!” exclaimed the girl. “Did you know him? He was my -father.” - -“Was he ever attached to the army?” - -“Oh, yes, monsieur: he served in the cavalry at Saumur. If he had -lived, I should have been better off than I am.” - -“My girl,” said Eusebe, after a pause, “all that is here belongs -to you. Madame has made you her sole legatee.” - -“Ah, monsieur!” exclaimed Jenny, weeping with joy and sorrow, “I -am very happy and very unhappy at the same time. I had no need of -this to make me love madame like a sister.” - - - - -CHAPTER XLVIII. - - -Eusebe, oppressed with grief, returned home a prey to a violent -fever. Notwithstanding his efforts to conceal his suffering, he was -forced to take to his bed, where he remained for a month, almost -without consciousness. When he recovered his senses, he found Paul -Buck and Gredinette at his bedside. Eusebe asked for his wife: -they told him that she had gone to attend a dying sister. Some -days afterwards, Eusebe, being convalescent, walked in the garden, -leaning on the arm of Gredinette. - -“Eusebe,” said the young woman, stopping suddenly, “since you -must learn the truth sooner or later, I prefer relieving my mind -by telling you at once. Prepare yourself to hear of a great -misfortune.” - -“Speak!” said Eusebe: “I could not be more unhappy than I am.” - -After much hesitation and circumlocution, Gredinette informed -Eusebe that his wife had eloped with Isidore Boncain, and that the -guilty couple had carried away with them the money of the firm. - -Eusebe made no response, nor did his countenance betray any inward -emotion. - -“He takes it better than I thought he would,” said Gredinette, in -the evening, to Paul. - -By degrees, Eusebe was restored to health. One morning he said to -his two friends,-- - -“I am about to bid you farewell. I am going to return to La -Capelette, which I should never have quitted. I shall say good-bye -to my father-in-law, and set out this very evening. Thanks for all -your kind friendship: I shall never forget it. If, some day, weary -of life, you should desire to taste the sweets of repose, come to -my home, and I will love you as you have loved me.” - -“Do not go to see Bonnaud,” said Paul: “the distracted father -accuses you of being the cause of his daughter’s fault.” - -“Accuses me!” - -“Yes. He pretends that this elopement is one of the results of -your _liaison_ with Adéonne. Nor would I advise you to trouble -yourself any more about Madame de la Varade. She is absorbed in -the preaching of a missionary who is creating a sensation at -Versailles.” - -“A missionary? What is that?” - -“Missionaries, my friend,” replied Paul, seriously, “are men, or -rather children of God, who traverse the seas, and encounter a -thousand perils, to bear to benighted savages the word of God and -civilization. The priest of whom I speak has been crucified, and -has been six times in danger of being eaten.” - -“I will go to see him,” said Eusebe; and he departed. - -Father Vernier belonged to the Congregation of Lazaristes of Turin. -He was an old man, with a snowy beard and a bronzed complexion. His -black eyes were full of courage and good nature. He received Eusebe -kindly. - -“What do you desire, my son?” he inquired. - -“Father,” replied the young man, “I am weary of struggling with the -contradictions and troubles of life. The more I seek truth, the -more deeply do I become involved in doubt. To-day I come to you, -like the wounded bird flying for rest to the branch of an aged oak. -In the name of Heaven, tell me where to find the true, and where -the false is hidden.” - -“Monsieur,” said the priest, dryly, “I have devoted my life -to the service of the Lord. I have traversed the wilderness to -teach His word to the heathen. I owe my support to the humble -and the suffering, to whom I am devoted. I have neither time nor -inclination to enter into philosophic speculations.” - -The same evening, Eusebe departed for the home of his childhood. -Not finding at Limoges any vehicle to convey him to La Capelette, -he determined to perform the rest of the journey on foot. He had -proceeded scarcely half the distance, when a violent storm arose -and forced him to seek shelter in a wayside inn. While the landlady -was preparing his supper, he picked up, mechanically, a greasy -volume which was lying on the table, and read. After he had eaten, -he retired to his chamber, where he passed the night in reading -the same book. At dawn he arose and tendered a golden louis to the -landlord for the privilege of carrying away the volume in which he -was so deeply interested. When once more on the road, Eusebe said,-- - -“Why have I gone so far and exposed myself to so much sorrow in the -search of truth, when it was at my very door?” - -The volume contained the various books of the New Testament. - -“I was wrong to let the gentleman carry away the book,” said the -innkeeper to his wife. - -“Bah! it cost only twelve sous,” she replied. - -“And suppose it did: would he have given us twenty francs for it, -if it had not been worth more?” - -On reaching the great gate of his father’s house, Eusebe knocked. - -“Ah! The good Lord be praised, Monsieur Eusebe,” exclaimed Katy, -who soon appeared, “here you are at last. Hurry up to your father’s -chamber: he so wishes to see you before he dies.” - -Eusebe ascended quickly to his father’s chamber. - -“Do I behold you at last, my son?” said M. Martin, gasping. “Have -you attained your object? Tell me, if you can, before I die, where -is the false; where is the true?” - -“_Father_,” replied Eusebe, “_the false is on earth; the true is in -heaven!_” - -“You are perhaps right,” said the dying man; “and if the Abbé -Jaucourt were not dead, and there were yet time, I would invite him -to my bedside.” - -“Father,” rejoined the young man, “the preachers of the word of -God never die. They have no need to marry to reproduce themselves. -Religion is a prolific mother. For one of her children who dies, -ten are born.” - -“You may be right, my son,” murmured Martin, in a tone that was -scarcely audible; “but I do not wish to see the Abbé Faye: he has -such red hair!” And so he breathed his last sigh. - -“Father! father!” cried Eusebe, not yet aware that his parent was -dead, “believe me, _there is nothing true but the greatness of -God_!” - -“And,” cried the Abbé Faye, who at that moment thrust his red head -in at the door, - - “HUMAN FOLLIES!” - - - STEREOTYPED BY L. JOHNSON & CO. - PHILADELPHIA. - - - - -Transcriber’s Notes - - -Quotation marks missed by the printer have been restored. - -Period spellings were retained. - -“hand” changed to “hard” on page 166. (It is hard to die) - -“renowed” changed to “renowned” on page 172. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Human Follies - (La Bêtise Humaine.) - -Author: Jules Noriac - -Translator: George Marlow - -Release Date: October 11, 2015 [EBook #50179] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HUMAN FOLLIES *** - - - - -Produced by Clarity and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from -scanned images of public domain material from the Google -Books project.) - - - - - - -</pre> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span></p> -<h1>HUMAN FOLLIES.</h1> -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[2]</a></span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span></p> -<p class="center xxlarge">HUMAN FOLLIES.</p> -<p class="center large p2">(<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">La Bêtise Humaine.</i>)</p> -<p class="center small p2">BY</p> -<p class="center large">JULES NORIAC.</p> -<p class="center p2"><i>Translated from the</i> <span class="smcap lowercase">SIXTEENTH</span> <i>Paris Edition</i>.</p> -<p class="center small p2">BY</p> -<p class="center">GEORGE MARLOW.</p> -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 100px; margin-top: 4em;"> -<img src="images/illus_title.png" width="100" height="100" alt="" /> -</div> -<p class="center p4">PHILADELPHIA:</p> -<p class="center gesperrt">FREDERICK LEYPOLDT.</p> -<p class="center smcap small">New York: F. W. Christern.</p> -<p class="center">1863.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS"></a>CONTENTS</h2> - -<table style="margin-left: 20%"> -<tr><td><a href="#HUMAN_FOLLIES">HUMAN FOLLIES.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XIX">CHAPTER XIX.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XX">CHAPTER XX.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XXI">CHAPTER XXI.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XXII">CHAPTER XXII.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIII">CHAPTER XXIII.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIV">CHAPTER XXIV.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XXV">CHAPTER XXV.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVI">CHAPTER XXVI.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVII">CHAPTER XXVII.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVIII">CHAPTER XXVIII.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIX">CHAPTER XXIX.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XXX">CHAPTER XXX.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXI">CHAPTER XXXI.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXII">CHAPTER XXXII.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXIII">CHAPTER XXXIII.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXIV">CHAPTER XXXIV.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXV">CHAPTER XXXV.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXVI">CHAPTER XXXVI.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXVII">CHAPTER XXXVII.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXVIII">CHAPTER XXXVIII.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXIX">CHAPTER XXXIX.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XL">CHAPTER XL.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XLI">CHAPTER XLI.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XLII">CHAPTER XLII.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XLIII">CHAPTER XLIII.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XLIV">CHAPTER XLIV.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XLV">CHAPTER XLV.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XLVI">CHAPTER XLVI.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XLVII">CHAPTER XLVII.</a></td></tr> -<tr><td><a href="#CHAPTER_XLVIII">CHAPTER XLVIII.</a></td></tr> -</table> -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span></p> - -<p class="center xlarge"><a name="HUMAN_FOLLIES" id="HUMAN_FOLLIES"></a>HUMAN FOLLIES.</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I.</h2> - - -<p>When Eusebe Martin had attained his twenty-first year, his father, -who was a man of sense, thus addressed him:—</p> - -<p>“Eusebe, you are no longer a child: it is time to begin your -education. You were but eight years old when you lost your mother, -my beloved wife. This was a great misfortune, no doubt; for her -heart would have been to you a treasure of affection. However, if -we were permitted to believe in compensations in this world, I -should think that you had been recompensed for this loss, great as -it was. Your mother, had she lived, would have spoiled you, and -to-day you would not have been half the man you are.</p> - -<p>“Remember that I have been to you a father full of solicitude. -Since the day of your mother’s death, I have left you as free as -the bird that at<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span> this moment is singing on the linden-tree at -the door. I have clothed you according to the season,—in summer -in linen, in winter in wool. My table has always been abundantly -supplied. As I never told you that you ate too much, you have never -shown a desire to overload your stomach. I have accustomed you to -running in the fields and to working with the peasants, which has -rendered you strong and vigorous.</p> - -<p>“Morally, I owed you nothing more. Nevertheless, I have taught you -to read and to write. I cannot tell you how thankful I am that -you have not a thick head: instead of six months, you would have -wearied me two long years,—perhaps more. What use have you made -of the little learning I have given you? I have never taken the -pains to inquire. I have left my library entirely at your disposal, -because I knew that if it contained no good books it also contained -no bad ones. Have the books you have read tended to form or deform -your judgment? Little do I care; for, since no one can know where -falsehood is to be found and where truth is hidden, my reflections -would, probably, have been at war with reason.”</p> - -<p>“Books generally tire me,” interrupted Eusebe.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span> “Up to the present -time I have read nothing but the adventures of a sailor named -Robinson Crusoe, and of one Telemachus, son of Ulysses.”</p> - -<p>“So much the better,” replied M. Martin; “or, perhaps, so much the -worse. I would rather see you an enthusiastic admirer of Robinson, -than of Paul and Virginia, or Faublas. But perhaps I am wrong; for, -after all, Paul and Virginia are all tenderness, Faublas all love, -and Robinson is egotism personified. However, nothing proves that -egotism, which is a fault, is not alone worth as much as tenderness -and love, which are considered good qualities.</p> - -<p>“Now, my son, listen to me. You owe me your existence, for which, -if I do not merit your thanks, I should not incur your displeasure. -I but fulfilled a natural law. I have provided for your wants: the -laws of society made it my duty. I have just paid a sum of money -which exempts you from military service. You will, however, be -at liberty to become a soldier at any time you may think proper. -To-day I have received from my notary your mother’s fortune. Here -it is: it is yours. In this belt there are forty-eight pieces of -paper of the Bank of France, and one hundred pieces of gold. Each -one of these pieces of paper is worth fifty pieces of gold: each -piece of gold is worth twenty<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span> of those white pieces which I give -you on Sunday, when you go to play with the vagabond boys of the -village on the church square. In short, you possess fifty thousand -francs,—that is, more twenty-sous pieces than we gather apples -in ten years. Compared with some, you are rich; with others, you -are poor. Do not trouble yourself either about those who are above -or about those who are below you. The interest of this money will -enable you to live until, after having become acquainted with the -world, you decide to choose a vocation. If, however, you do not see -fit to take the trouble of investing it, you have only to limit -your expenses to ten francs per day, when your patrimony will -last five thousand days,—that is, about fourteen years. In all -probability, at the expiration of this time I shall be dead, and -you will naturally be the possessor of our domain, the Capelette, -the revenues of which are three thousand francs a year, in bad -times as well as in good.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span></p> -<p>“You are about to set out for Paris, the city <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">par excellence</i> of -civilization. Never will you have so good a theatre for studying -the world. Profit by it. Go, Eusebe, and do not take the goods of -others: you would have no excuse, since you have enough of your -own. Never disguise the truth. The play is not worth the candle. -Never strike the weak, and be equally careful not to defend them: -you would make yourself two enemies. Try to have neither enemies -nor friends: there is little to choose between them. And now, -good-bye, my boy: here is the coach.”</p> - -<p>The young man threw his arms around his father’s neck and embraced -him affectionately. M. Martin was moved by this unexpected outburst -of feeling. In a trembling voice, he said,—</p> - -<p>“Farewell, my son! farewell!”</p> - -<p>The young man started. His father, having placed himself at the -window a moment afterwards, looked at him as he hurried towards the -road.</p> - -<p>“Eusebe!” cried he: “come here a moment, and tell me what put it -into your head to embrace me, and who taught you to make this -demonstration of affection.”</p> - -<p>“Father,” replied the young man, “ten years ago M. Jaucourt, the -curate, who died last year, seeing me divide a piece of bread with -a poor idiot, embraced me as I just embraced you when you divided -your fortune with me.”</p> - -<p>At this moment the diligence passed. With one bound, Eusebe seated -himself beside the postilion.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span></p> - -<p>M. Martin closed the window, and, as he with a large plaid -handkerchief wiped away a tear that was ready to fall, said,—</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span></p> -<p>“Plague on the curates! they are always sticking their noses where -they have no business!”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II.</h2> - - -<p>M. Martin was neither a wicked man nor a fool, but he was a -confirmed skeptic. For forty years (he was now sixty) he had been -disappointed in all the events of his life.</p> - -<p>When it became necessary for him to marry, he had to choose between -two of his cousins, who were equally accomplished and equally -beautiful. He preferred the one who pleased him least, because -she was of a more robust constitution than her sister. Nine years -afterwards she died, while the delicate sister was still living.</p> - -<p>Martin was half ruined by a friend of his youth, for whom he would -have given his life.</p> - -<p>One day, when he was from home, one of his outbuildings caught -fire, and the flames would have communicated to his dwelling but -for a man, who, at the risk of his life, succeeded in arresting -them. This man was his only enemy!</p> - -<p>Well informed for a man of his condition, and endowed with a fair -share of sense, he was looked up to by his neighbors with a certain -degree of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span> deference. He studied hard in order to strengthen a -reputation of which he was proud; but in so doing he was not slow -to discover that he knew nothing.</p> - -<p>His first visit to Paris was still fresh in his memory. It was in -September, 1832. One morning he went to breathe the fresh air in -the garden of the Tuileries, when a man of a noble and friendly -mien, wearing a gray hat, commenced conversation with him.</p> - -<p>“You are a stranger in Paris?”</p> - -<p>“I am from Limousin,” replied Martin.</p> - -<p>“You are a manufacturer, perhaps?”</p> - -<p>“No: I am a farmer.”</p> - -<p>“I am not acquainted with your section of the country, but I have -heard it highly spoken of.”</p> - -<p>“We have, indeed, a beautiful country,” replied the -countryman,—“rich and picturesque, industrious and patriotic: we -are in want of but one thing,—a river.”</p> - -<p>“But you have the Vienna.”</p> - -<p>“The Vienna is not navigable.”</p> - -<p>“Could it not be made so?”</p> - -<p>“It is the dream of the entire population of Limousin.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span></p> -<p>“Monsieur, what is your name?”</p> - -<p>“Martin.”</p> - -<p>“Very well, Monsieur Martin: when you return home, tell your -neighbors that in less than three years their river will be -navigable.”</p> - -<p>“Who are you,” asked Martin, “who speak with so much authority?”</p> - -<p>A bland smile lighted up the features of the man with the gray hat, -as he replied, with simplicity,—</p> - -<p>“I am the King of the French.”</p> - -<p>It seemed as if the crowd which had gathered around the two -promenaders had only waited for this announcement. Cries of “<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Vive -le Roi!</i>” many times repeated, burst forth. The people surrounded -the king, who smiled at some, offered his hand to others, and had a -kind word for all.</p> - -<p>“There is a great king and a great people,” thought Martin, who -returned to the Capelette to narrate his royal adventure and -acquaint the whole department with the king’s promises.</p> - -<p>Seventeen years wore away. Martin, tired of the monotony of the -country, and living alone with his son, who was still a child, -resolved to go once more to Paris. Scarcely had he arrived at a -hotel, when he hurried to dress himself in his best, saying that, -although the king had not kept his promise, he owed him the first -visit.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span> “I shall see him in his garden,” said he: “he will be less -embarrassed than if I were to call at his palace.”</p> - -<p>He found the entrances to the Tuileries blocked up, and motley -crowds, who were loud in their cries, surrounded the palace. “What -excellent people!—what love for their sovereign!” thought honest -Martin.</p> - -<p>Multitudes of ragged boys were running through the streets, -singing,—</p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Mourir pour la patrie,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">C’est le sort le plus beau,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Le plus digne d’envie:<br /></span> -<span class="i2">C’est le sort * * * *”<br /></span> -</div></div> - -<p>“What youths! What noble youths!” cried honest Martin, with tears -in his eyes.</p> - -<p>Seeing that he could not approach the garden from the side of the -Rue de Rivoli, he went round to the Place de la Concorde. Just as -he arrived at the quay, a small half-hidden gate in the wall opened -before him, from which issued an old man, wearing a blue blouse, -leaning on the arm of another man scarcely less aged than himself.</p> - -<p>“Monsieur Martin,” said he, “help me, I pray you, to get into this -cab.”</p> - -<p>“Who are you? I do not recollect you,” said the astonished rustic.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span></p> - -<p>“An hour ago I was King of the French,” replied the old man.</p> - -<p>“Ah! sire,” cried Martin, preoccupied by the one idea, “the Vienna -is not yet navigable.”</p> - -<p>“It is true: I failed to keep my promise, and I am cruelly -punished.”</p> - -<p>The cab drove rapidly away, while Martin remained fixed to the -spot, unable to comprehend the meaning of this royal apparition. -He was, however, soon roused from his revery by a noisy crowd that -issued from the little gate.</p> - -<p>“The brigand has escaped us,” cried they.</p> - -<p>“We will have him before he gets far.”</p> - -<p>“So much the better.”</p> - -<p>“Unfortunate king! deluded people!” murmured the countryman; and -he took the road to the Capelette, where he lived in solitude. His -mind became more and more wavering. Having no one with whom to -engage in discussion, he had contracted the habit of controverting -his ideas himself, and the consequence was, that he had become a -skeptic in every thing. This was the reason why he had brought -up his son as he had done, or, rather, the reason why he had not -brought him up at all.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III.</h2> - - -<p>On the evening of the day on which he left home, Eusebe arrived at -the railroad-depot. He approached the ticket-office, and said to -the agent,—</p> - -<p>“I want to go to Paris.”</p> - -<p>“Which class car do you wish, sir?”</p> - -<p>“The best.”</p> - -<p>“Fifty-four francs,” replied the agent.</p> - -<p>Eusebe handed him three louis, and received six francs in return.</p> - -<p>“There,” thought Eusebe, “is a clever fellow: it did not take him a -minute to tell how much was coming to me.”</p> - -<p>“And now,” he asked, “could you tell me, sir, where I will find the -carriage?”</p> - -<p>“The train, you mean.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know. Is that the name of the vehicle that is to transport -me to Paris?” asked Eusebe, timidly.</p> - -<p>“Vehicle!” cried the man.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span> “What do you call a vehicle? Your jesting -is ill timed, sir. Here is your car: another time try to be a -little more polite.”</p> - -<p>“This man,” said Eusebe to himself, “is not so clever, after all: -he is a fool,—an ignoramus!”</p> - -<p>Eusebe’s journey was without incident. Alone in a first-class -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">coupé</i>, he made himself a couch, on the floor, of the cushions, -and, placing his valise under his head for a pillow, he slept -quietly until daylight.</p> - -<p>When he awoke, he had passed Orleans. His eyes, half open, glanced -at the country, and a cry of admiration escaped him.</p> - -<p>“Oh, what splendid farms! what beautiful fields!” cried he:<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span> -“how admirably the land is cultivated! what care, what labor, -is bestowed on it! My father was right: civilization has not -penetrated into the departments of the interior. Fifteen hours -ago, I left the Capelette. What a difference! Why is the soil so -fertile here and so sterile with us? The soil is the same, but -the cultivation is not. Here there are no immense forests, no -uncultivated fields: the country is as populous as our cities. -Laborers abound, and agricultural implements are brought to the -highest state of perfection. What abundance! what riches! Everybody -seems to be happy and contented. How beautiful and grand all this -is!”</p> - -<p>At the moment he made these reflections, the train began to slacken -its speed. They approached a station. Eusebe watched attentively -the groups of people who were waiting behind a barrier for the -train to pass, in order that they might, in their turn, pass also. -The noise of the locomotive frightened a cart-horse tied to a post -near by. The poor animal, trembling with fear, snorted and reared -up on his hind legs, when a man, armed with a whip, came out of an -inn and began to strike the beast with all his might. The more he -struck, the more the horse reared and pranced. Finally, breaking -his halter, the animal sprang furiously against the barrier, which -he struck with his head and fell dead. The man cursed like a -carter, which he was.</p> - -<p>“Surely,” said Eusebe to himself,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span> “this is a very bad business. The -fault is the man’s, and not the beast’s. If the man had not left -the horse, the horse would not have been frightened. If the horse -had not been frightened, the man would not have struck him; and if -the man had not struck the horse, the animal would not be dead. -This man is perhaps a savage, recently arrived among civilized -people. That, however, I think scarcely probable, since he speaks -with tolerable correctness. Is my father right in saying that -extremes touch, and that the last word of civilization is perhaps -the first of barbarism?”</p> - -<p>Eusebe had arrived at this point in his reflections, when two -travellers entered the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">coupé</i> he occupied. Although it was still -early in September, the two new-comers wore fur caps and overshoes -and thick woollen cloaks, while their faces were half concealed by -immense woollen comforters.</p> - -<p>“Upon my word,” said one of them, “the winter is already setting -in: this northwest wind is any thing but agreeable. What do you say -to taking a puff? It will give us an appetite.”</p> - -<p>On hearing these words, Eusebe was a prey to the most lively -curiosity. The singular costume of his travelling-companions made -him suspect he had in them two subjects for study, coming from some -distant clime. To judge from their furs, they must have first seen -the light at Moscow. On hearing them talk about “taking a puff,” -he expected to see something new and extraordinary, and prepared -himself to be all eyes and ears, in order to become acquainted with -the customs of the strangers whom chance had thrown in his way.</p> - -<p>To the great disappointment of the young man,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span> the traveller took -some cigars out of his pocket and lighted one, after having offered -them to his companion and then to Eusebe, who had refused.</p> - -<p>“You do not smoke, young man?”</p> - -<p>“No, sir.”</p> - -<p>“Bah! How old are you, then?”</p> - -<p>“Twenty-one.”</p> - -<p>“Twenty-one years old, and you do not smoke! Where the devil do you -come from, my young friend?”</p> - -<p>“I come from the Capelette, a domain near Saint-Brice, in Limousin; -I am going to Paris to see the world; and I cannot be your friend, -since I never met you until this morning.”</p> - -<p>“Do not get angry, young man. It was not my intention to be rude.”</p> - -<p>“I know that,” said Eusebe. “On the contrary, you offered me your -rolls of tobacco, for which I am obliged.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! you are from Monsieur de Pourceaugnac’s neighborhood,” said -the other, who until now had remained silent.</p> - -<p>“I do not know the gentleman,” replied Eusebe: “my father and I -live a very retired life.”</p> - -<p>“Naïve, upon my word!” cried the smoker.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span> “He ought to be framed. -What, young man! you do not know the gayest of Molière’s heroes?”</p> - -<p>“I have never been away from the Capelette, sir, and my condition -does not allow me to become acquainted with heroes. I do not even -know where Molière is situated.”</p> - -<p>The two travellers burst into a hearty laugh.</p> - -<p>“Gentlemen,” said Eusebe, when the hilarity of his neighbors had -ceased, “you amuse yourselves at my expense, because I am ignorant, -which, I think, is any thing but kind of you. You indiscreetly -questioned me; I answered: I might have remained silent. Recollect, -I beg of you, that you meddled with my affairs, and that I have -not concerned myself about yours. I have not asked you whence you -come, where you are going, or who you are. When you laughed at me, -I might have thrown you out of the window; but I did not do it, and -you ought to be thankful.”</p> - -<p>“Out of the window! Not so fast, my dear sir.”</p> - -<p>“I could certainly have done it,” said Eusebe, with simplicity.</p> - -<p>“Pardon me,” said the second traveller.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span> “We do not wish to make -ourselves disagreeable. You are too quick to take offence. I am in -the habit of travelling a great deal. During the last ten years, -my friend and I have been almost always <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">en route</i>. Whenever we -find ourselves in company, we ask how <em>it happens</em>, where our -companions come from, and where they are going. That helps to while -away the time, and injures no one.”</p> - -<p>“And is that all you travel for?” asked Eusebe.</p> - -<p>“What an idea! We are travelling clerks: we represent two of the -first houses in Paris.”</p> - -<p>“However great my simplicity may be,” replied Eusebe, “I think -there are no first houses in Paris, and, what is more, that there -can be none, since the first on arriving from the north are the -last when one comes from the south.”</p> - -<p>They arrived at Paris, and Martin, junior, got out of the car.</p> - -<p>With his valise in his hand, Eusebe stepped out of the depot, when -a cabman cried out to him,—</p> - -<p>“Here you are, sir! Where shall I drive you to, sir?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know,” replied Eusebe.</p> - -<p>“It’s not me that’ll tell you, then.”</p> - -<p>“I have not asked you.”</p> - -<p>“Eh! do you hear that? Here is a gentleman that don’t know where he -is going.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span></p> -<p>“Mind your own business.”</p> - -<p>“Bah! you lubber! you haven’t a sou.”</p> - -<p>The provincial was about to reply, when the cabman, to whom a -traveller had just made a sign, hurried away.</p> - -<p>“These people do not seem to be very familiar with the laws of -hospitality,” thought Eusebe:<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> “they call you to insult you. What -does all this mean?”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV.</h2> - - -<p>Paris is the dream of all provincialists. Rich and poor want to -come here, at least once,—the first to enjoy life, the second to -try to make their fortunes. No one can imagine the disappointment -of these visitors, since each one has had his own peculiar ideas -of the metropolis. For some, Paris is an immense succession of -palaces; for others, the houses are built of gold and precious -stones.</p> - -<p>Paris never comes up to the ideas strangers have formed of it. -In order to love and admire this great city, one must become -acquainted with it. The inhabitants of the South, particularly, are -greatly disappointed on arriving at the capital. Their imagination, -more lively than that of the people of the North, embellishes the -metropolis in a thousand different ways. As if to punish them for -their imaginary castles, accident has always made them enter the -city at its homeliest point. Before the railroad was built, the -people<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span> of the South arrived at the Barrière d’Enfer. To them Paris -presented a sorry aspect; to those who arrive now it presents no -aspect at all.</p> - -<p>Eusebe, on leaving the depot, walked straight ahead, valise in hand.</p> - -<p>He saw the Seine, which he thought narrow. Then he came to -a bridge, which he thought shabby. But all at once his face -brightened up with an expression of delight: he was opposite the -garden of the Museum.</p> - -<p>“At last,” said he, “here is something worth looking at. What a -beautiful, what an immense, garden! How admirably it is cultivated! -It is unfortunate that a sentinel is placed at the gate to keep -people from entering: it is ridiculous. But it is said there are a -great many thieves in this immense city.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe approached the soldier who guarded the entrance to the -garden, and said,—</p> - -<p>“Be so kind as to tell me the name of this magnificent enclosure.”</p> - -<p>“Enclosure!” repeated the soldier: “don’t know.”</p> - -<p>“I ask you the name of this enclosure.”</p> - -<p>“Enclosure! Not known to the regiment.”</p> - -<p>“I beg your pardon,” said Eusebe, mildly:<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span> “I simply want to know -the name of this garden that you guard so well.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! ah!” replied the son of Mars. “Should express yourself -<em>categorically</em>, young man. That is called the Garden of Plants.” -(Jardin des Plantes.)</p> - -<p>“Thank you,” said Eusebe; but, as he turned to go, he made this -reflection, which seemed to him sensible:—</p> - -<p>“Garden of Plants: that is not a name. All gardens have plants; -gardens give birth to plants, and a garden without plants would not -be a garden. This soldier has evidently deceived me.”</p> - -<p>Seeing an old man sitting on a bench enjoying the autumn sun, -Eusebe, approaching him, took off his hat respectfully, and said,—</p> - -<p>“I am a stranger, sir. Excuse me for troubling you, but I should -like to know the name of this superb park.”</p> - -<p>“I am glad, sir,” said the old man, kindly, “that I am able to tell -you. The grounds that you see yonder are the garden of the king.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span></p> -<p>“Of the emperor, you mean to say.”</p> - -<p>“I mean to say what I say; and believe me, sir, it is not very -becoming in a youth of your age to amuse himself at the expense of -an old man like me. If it was for that you stopped, you would have -done better to have kept on your way.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe, not knowing what to reply, passed on, thinking himself -really unfortunate. Since he left the Capelette, he had fallen from -Charybdis into Scylla. The railroad agent had bullied him; the -two travellers had laughed at him; the cabman had insulted him; -the soldier had deceived him; and the old man had abused him. He -began to think he would have to undergo a great deal in becoming -acquainted with the world, and that the Parisians were not so -highly civilized as they were generally supposed to be.</p> - -<p>At this moment he was interrupted in his reflections by the cries -of a woman. The people gathered around her, and he followed their -example.</p> - -<p>“What is the matter with this woman?” he asked of his neighbor.</p> - -<p>“Her husband,” replied the spectator,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span> “was a native of Auvergnat, -a tradesman, who rented this shop six months ago. Business has -not been good with him. His wife is a shrew, and his landlord an -unfeeling Jew, who wanted to make him leave the premises. The poor -man was unable to endure so many misfortunes, and has just hung -himself. From where I stand you could see him hanging at the end of -a cord. They have gone to inform the authorities.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe stretched out his arms, thrust the crowd aside, and, with -one bound, entered the shop, knife in hand.</p> - -<p>“Stop!” cried the spectators. “Stop, young man! You will get into -trouble. Wait for the officers. The law forbids you to touch -persons who hang themselves. You will wish you had let him alone.”</p> - -<p>Without listening to any of these remonstrances, the young man had -cut the cord and placed the poor shopkeeper on a chair. With a -motion of the hand he had kept back the crowd, that intercepted the -air, and, on his knees before the Auvergnat, he watched anxiously -for some signs of returning life.</p> - -<p>All at once a murmur was heard in the crowd.</p> - -<p>“Here comes the commissary! Here is M. Bézieux. Make way for the -commissary.”</p> - -<p>The magistrate advanced quietly. There was a pleasing benevolence -in his expression, as his mild but piercing eyes ran over the -group. The representative of the law arrived slowly, and without -any appearance of being annoyed, to verify<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span> the sinister event that -had just been announced to him.</p> - -<p>“Where is the suicide?” demanded the magistrate.</p> - -<p>For an instant the group was still, appearing to hesitate between -anxiety to speak and silence. The bad instincts, however, soon got -the ascendency, and, pointing to Eusebe, three or four persons -cried out,—</p> - -<p>“It was this young man who cut the cord: it was impossible for us -to stop him.”</p> - -<p>“He did perfectly right,” said the magistrate.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span> “Although younger -than any one of you, he greatly surpasses you all in good sense. -You ought to know that the idea is absurd that it is dangerous to -assist an individual who attempts to commit suicide, or has been -assassinated, before the arrival of the officers of justice. The -magistrates come simply to take cognizance of the fact. It is the -duty of every good citizen to save the lives of his fellow-men -by every means in his power. The stupid tradition which makes -the vulgar suppose one ought not to assist a man in danger, is -not, however, without foundation. It unfortunately happened in -the Middle Ages, and even before and after that period, that some -individuals, who, at the risk of their lives, ventured to assist -persons attacked by assassins, were arrested under the supposition -that they were themselves the murderers, and as such they were -executed; but in the enlightened age in which we live, with the -means for ascertaining the truth at our command, justice cannot be -mistaken.”</p> - -<p>“I would not trust to it,—not I,” murmured a ragpicker, who had -been a calm spectator of the drama of which the shop had been the -scene. “I don’t pretend to say that justice can be mistaken, but I -would not trust to it: I, for my part, prefer keeping on the safe -side. There are a great many strange things now-a-days.”</p> - -<p>“Sir,” said the commissary to Eusebe, who was anxiously watching -the convulsive movements of the Auvergnat, “your conduct in this -affair merits the highest commendation.”</p> - -<p>“Not at all,” replied the young man, timidly.</p> - -<p>“I beg your pardon,” rejoined the magistrate, who had -misinterpreted Eusebe’s reply: “a man, whoever he may be, is still -a man, and as such is a member of the great family which we call -humanity.”</p> - -<p>“Certainly, sir; you are perfectly right,” said the young man, who -sought in vain for <em>profundity</em><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span> in the good-natured officer’s -reply. He then added, “This man, sir, was driven to this unnatural -deed by poverty. I wish to assist him.”</p> - -<p>“This desire does you honor.”</p> - -<p>“Here,” continued Eusebe, “is a paper of the Bank of France, which -is worth fifty louis, and each louis, as you doubtless know, is -worth twenty twenty-sous pieces. Be so kind as to give it to -him, if he will promise not to make another attempt to commit -suicide until his money is gone. It is probable that by that time -Providence, who has preserved him to-day, will make provision for -his future welfare.”</p> - -<p>The magistrate looked at Eusebe attentively. His dress, which was -more than plain, his manner of expressing himself, his timidity, -his gestures, and even the belt that contained his treasure, -puzzled the functionary in a manner which he did not try to -conceal. This honorable magistrate, who by years of experience in -his profession had learned to form a tolerably correct opinion -of men at a glance, was at a loss to know what to think of the -singular being he had before him. The clerk, who imagined what was -passing in the brain of the commissary, was as much perplexed as -his superior. Nevertheless, as a murmur of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> applause and some words -in favor of the young stranger ran through the circle, the worthy -functionary thought the time propitious for ventilating his ideas -in a short discourse. Addressing himself now to the crowd, and now -to Eusebe, he was thus delivered:—</p> - -<p>“If it is beautiful and rare to find presence of mind and reason -united in youth, it is certainly not less honorable to add to these -qualities philanthropy. Not only did you wish to save this man (and -you have saved him), but you now desire to assure the existence he -owes you. This I call sublime. Such acts, sir, do so great honor -to their author that our thanks would be out of place: he finds -his reward in his heart. What recompense is to be compared to the -consciousness of having been a benefactor? Allow me, sir, to ask -your name, in order that I may send it in to the Administration, -which knows how to appreciate such disinterestedness.”</p> - -<p>“My name is Eusebe Martin.”</p> - -<p>“Are you a relation of M. Martin, of the Tribunal of Commerce?”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span></p> -<p>“I think not. I have just arrived from Limousin. I know no one in -Paris.”</p> - -<p>“You are quite young.”</p> - -<p>“Twenty-one.”</p> - -<p>“I am glad of it; for were you not of age I could not accept your -gift.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know,” said Eusebe.</p> - -<p>The commissary looked at the clerk with astonishment.</p> - -<p>“You have a trade?”</p> - -<p>“No. I came to Paris to admire civilization and study life.”</p> - -<p>“Study life!” said the clerk, who was inclined to be humorous. “He -is not a physician.”</p> - -<p>The magistrate was lost in conjectures.</p> - -<p>“What is your father’s business?” he inquired.</p> - -<p>“My father, sir, lives at the Capelette. His chief employment is to -seek where truth and falsehood are to be found.”</p> - -<p>“Be so kind as to accompany me,” said the functionary, dryly, -making a sign to the crowd to stand aside and let them pass.</p> - -<p>Eusebe bowed without replying, and walked along beside the -commissary, which allowed him to hear the clerk say to his -superior,—</p> - -<p>“The poor fellow is stark mad.”</p> - -<p>To which the magistrate replied,—</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span></p> -<p>“That is very evident.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe felt the blood mount to his cheeks, not from fear, but -from shame. He thought they took him for a fool because he was so -ignorant.</p> - -<p>This unexpected departure was interpreted in different ways by the -curious, who had not heard the dialogue.</p> - -<p>“They are going to give him the <em>cross</em>,” (of the Legion of Honor,) -said a naïve policeman.</p> - -<p>“The cross! Oh, very likely, since it is the police that gives the -cross now-a-days!” replied a wag, in a white blouse.</p> - -<p>“Why not?”</p> - -<p>“Because it is not in their power.”</p> - -<p>“They have power enough to put you where the dogs won’t bite you, -you blackguard!”</p> - -<p>“Hear! hear!”</p> - -<p>“Did you hear?” said a woman with a handkerchief over her head; -“did you hear? He began by saying the young man did right in -cutting the rope, and still he has arrested him all the same.”</p> - -<p>“Just as though he was obliged to go!”</p> - -<p>A quarter of an hour later, a physician hurried through the crowd, -crying,—</p> - -<p>“Where is the patient?”</p> - -<p>The unfortunate shopkeeper was in one corner,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span> studying how he -could possess himself of the thousand francs without letting his -wife know it, while she had followed the commissary, hoping to get -the money without the knowledge of her husband.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V.</h2> - - -<p>At the door of the commissary’s office, the clerk politely begged -Eusebe to enter first, introducing him into a room divided into two -parts by a screen of green lustring. The dilapidated walls were -covered with black designs executed by offenders, who had whiled -away the tedium of waiting by cultivating the fine arts. The rays -of the sun, struggling to enter at a window that looked into the -court, shone feebly on an old black desk, upon which a quantity -of stamped papers, that seemed to have the jaundice, were lying. -Two clerks, whose appearance was in keeping with the place, were -scribbling away mechanically. Eusebe, who thought the adjective -<em>shabby</em> the proper word with which to qualify the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">ensemble</i>, said -to the clerk,—</p> - -<p>“Is this, sir, what is called the formidable <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">appareil</i> of the -courts of justice?”</p> - -<p>The magistrate’s drudge smiled, and, regarding the young -provincialist with a look of benevolence mingled with compassion, -replied,—</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span></p> -<p>“No, sir: the courts of justice are held at the Palace: this may -be considered as being one of the laboratories that supply them -with materials.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t understand you,” said the youth.</p> - -<p>“No matter,” replied the clerk. “It is to be hoped you will -understand better by-and-by. Here comes the commissary. Be seated, -and answer the questions he asks you.”</p> - -<p>“You told me that your name was Eusebe Martin,” said the commissary.</p> - -<p>“Yes, sir.”</p> - -<p>“How did you leave your father’s house?”</p> - -<p>“By taking the Pénicault coach as far as Vierzon.”</p> - -<p>The commissary and his clerk exchanged significant glances. “Write -the replies,” said M. Bézieux to the clerk.</p> - -<p>“Have you a passport?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know what it is.”</p> - -<p>“Write this reply also.”</p> - -<p>“What did you say you came to Paris for?”</p> - -<p>“I told you I came to Paris to study civilization.”</p> - -<p>“To what purpose?”</p> - -<p>“Why, to be——civilized.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span></p> -<p>“Ah! very well. Have you, besides this thousand francs, the means -of existence?”</p> - -<p>“By limiting my expenses to ten francs per day, with what I have, -I shall be able to live five thousand days,—about fourteen years. -Here is my money——”</p> - -<p>“Very well. Do you know any one in Paris?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, four persons: a coachman who insulted me, a soldier who -amused himself at my expense, an old man who abused me, and the -shopkeeper whose life I saved.”</p> - -<p>“That is sufficient,” said the magistrate. “Your age, the -incoherence of your replies, and the large sum of money in your -possession make it my duty to detain you until I have more ample -information. You need not give yourself any uneasiness, for you -will be well treated, and very soon, I trust, you will be set at -liberty and restored to your family.”</p> - -<p>“I am in no hurry. You can take your own time.”</p> - -<p>For the last half-minute the commissary had been making a fruitless -search in all his pockets.</p> - -<p>“I have lost my handkerchief,” said he to his clerk. “When you go -home, call at the house where we have been, and see if it is not -there.”</p> - -<p>“That will be useless,” said Eusebe:<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span> “I saw a child take it out of -your pocket and run away.”</p> - -<p>“And you did not tell me!” cried M. Bézieux.</p> - -<p>“Unless it be an affair of more than ordinary importance, I trouble -myself as little as possible about other people’s business. Allow -me to offer you another.”</p> - -<p>Without waiting for a reply, the young man opened his valise -and took out a handkerchief, which he politely handed to the -commissary, who refused it.</p> - -<p>“Thank you,” said he: “I will send for one. What is this paper that -has just fallen out of your valise?”</p> - -<p>“My <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">port d’armes</i>.”</p> - -<p>“Your license to hunt! You have a license to hunt? Why did you not -tell me so before? Let me see it.”</p> - -<p>“Because you did not ask me for it.”</p> - -<p>M. Bézieux read and reread the paper, and examined the description -closely. As Eusebe had two black spots on his left cheek, it was -not difficult to discover that the license was his.</p> - -<p>“My young friend,” said the magistrate,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span> “a thousand pardons for my -questions. It was my duty to do as I have done. You are <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">en règle</i>: -I have nothing more to say to you. You are at liberty to go. With -your inexperience, you will, sooner or later, certainly be duped. -Should you get into trouble, remember that you have in me a friend.”</p> - -<p>“Sir,” said Eusebe, “you are very kind, and I am greatly obliged.” -He took his valise, and, bowing, retired slowly. On the stairs he -stopped an instant, then, in a loud voice, as though some one were -listening, he said,—</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span></p> -<p>“This is certainly a very singular—a most -incomprehensible—affair! This man, who calls himself a minister of -justice, sees me do two good deeds and arrests me, saying that I am -either a fool or a madman, and it is only on seeing my license to -hunt that he is convinced of his error. Now, the license ought, on -the contrary, to have confirmed him in his opinion, and made him -believe that I was really insane; for I did a very stupid thing -the day I gave the Mayor of Moustier twenty-five francs for the -permission to kill birds that were none of his.”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI.</h2> - - -<p>Eusebe, absorbed in his reflections, walked nearly two hours, -gazing to the right and left, without seeing any thing. Finally, he -found himself, by accident, on the Place de la Bastille. Great was -his astonishment when his eyes rested on the July Column. He could -not imagine the utility of this immense tower of bronze. He would -gladly have asked some questions of the passers-by, but his former -experience deterred him. He approached the column and examined the -inscriptions minutely.</p> - -<p>“This is very singular,” thought he.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span> “Here is a monument erected to -the memory of citizens who died for liberty. Is it possible that -in 1830, at so recent a period, there were in France, the centre -of civilization, persons who were opposed to liberty? This would -seem to me improbable, if it were not engraved here. Are there, -too, those who are so abandoned as to think of depriving us of our -liberty, the greatest of blessings? This was a remarkable event, -about which I shall know more so soon as I am able to read the -historians of that period.”</p> - -<p>Hunger put a stop to Eusebe’s reflections on the liberties of the -people. He walked on, glancing eagerly about, and hoping to see a -signboard swinging in the wind and bearing that fallacious legend, -“Here they give something to eat and drink,” such as he had seen -on the rural roads. He had commenced to despair of finding what he -sought, however, when the magic word “dinner” greeted his eyes. On -closer inspection of the establishment where this promise was held -out, he read,—</p> - -<p class="smcap large center p1">Restaurant Brochons.</p> -<p class="center"><i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Dîners à 2 francs; déjeuners à 1 franc 25.</i></p> - -<p class="p1">Eusebe fairly sprang towards the door, but entered the place in a -humble manner, and took a seat at the table nearest to the window, -so that he might satisfy at the same time his stomach and his -curiosity.</p> - -<p>“What will you have, monsieur?” inquired a waiter.</p> - -<p>“Whatever you please,” replied Eusebe.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> “Having been raised in the -country, I am not difficult to please.”</p> - -<p>“After the soup, will monsieur have a beefsteak?”</p> - -<p>“As it pleases you.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, it is all the same to me. Would you prefer a kidney?”</p> - -<p>“I have no preference.”</p> - -<p>“A calf’s liver?”</p> - -<p>“It is a matter of indifference to me.”</p> - -<p>“To me also. We have, besides, cutlets, collops, fricasseed -chicken, rabbits, partridges, roast chicken, mutton——”</p> - -<p>Eusebe caught the word cutlets, as the waiter ran rapidly through -the bill of fare, and eagerly interrupted him with,—</p> - -<p>“Give me a cutlet.”</p> - -<p>“How will you have it?” And the waiter again went into a catalogue -of which Eusebe understood only the word “broiled.”</p> - -<p>“I will have it broiled,” he exclaimed.</p> - -<p>“Cutlet broiled! One!” exclaimed the waiter to the cook.</p> - -<p>“Here is a queer servant,” said the young provincial, <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">solus</i>. -Having obtained the cutlet, he devoted himself to it with an -appetite sharpened by abstinence and exercise. After the dish had -been finished, the waiter again began to run over<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> his bill of -fare; but Eusebe interrupted him with,—</p> - -<p>“Give me another cutlet.”</p> - -<p>“Would you not prefer fish of some kind,—salmon, river trout, -or——”</p> - -<p>“I prefer another cutlet.”</p> - -<p>“Very well, monsieur. <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Chef</i>, another cutlet—one!”</p> - -<p>“The <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">chef</i> of this establishment is certainly deaf,” thought -Eusebe; “and that is a disagreeable infirmity both for himself and -for other people.”</p> - -<p>After the second cutlet, Eusebe demanded a third, and then a piece -of cheese. While he was eating his last piece of bread and drinking -a glass of water, there was a sudden commotion in the room, -and several persons ran to the windows. The provincial thought -something extraordinary was in progress, and was all eyes and ears -for the time. He could see nothing, at first, but the usual throng -of vehicles and pedestrians. Then a tightly closed wagon, escorted -by four gendarmes, attracted his attention. The wagon passed on; -the persons in the restaurant returned to their seats, and the -conversation became animated.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span></p> - -<p>“It is unfortunate, beyond doubt,” said a large man with a white -cravat, “but we cannot punish too severely those who are trying to -bring about anarchy and disorder.”</p> - -<p>“Poor fellows!” said a young woman: “they have sisters and mothers -who weep for them.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, and mistresses too,” added a man whose features were marked -by the ravages of the smallpox.</p> - -<p>The young woman turned towards the speaker, and, after looking at -him fixedly, responded,—</p> - -<p>“Yes, monsieur, they have mistresses.”</p> - -<p>“Poor fellows! they may never see their country again.”</p> - -<p>“Life is long.”</p> - -<p>“While they live there is hope.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe was exceedingly curious. He did not comprehend a word of -this conversation, and dared not question anybody. His neighbor, -however, a man of rough and swarthy aspect, came to his relief, -saying,—</p> - -<p>“These people indulge in very absurd reflections.”</p> - -<p>“I know not what they have said,” responded the provincial.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span></p> - -<p>“They alluded to the men who have just passed: they are condemned -to transportation.”</p> - -<p>“May I venture to ask what they mean by transportation?”</p> - -<p>“Sending men into exile.”</p> - -<p>“For what reason?”</p> - -<p>“Because they wished to fight for liberty,” whispered the swarthy -man, who then took his hat, and, casting a glance of defiance at -the throng, departed.</p> - -<p>Eusebe followed. As he passed out of the door, he heard the waiter -exclaim,—</p> - -<p>“There goes a verdant one.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe thought this was intended as an insult, but he was not sure -of the sense of the term verdant, and, therefore, gave himself -no trouble about it. He took a seat on one of the benches of the -Boulevard du Temple, and seemed absorbed in reflection. What he -thought, it is impossible for us to say; but when he arose, he -might have been heard to murmur,—</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span></p> -<p>“They raise monuments to the memory of citizens who have died for -liberty, and they banish others who wish to fight for it. This does -not appear consistent,—unless there are two kinds of liberty, one -good and the other bad.”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII.</h2> - - -<p>Night had come on, which, however, did not disturb Eusebe. He had -heard that in Paris night was turned into day,—that Paris was more -brilliant at midnight than at noon,—and many other absurdities. -While observing the rapid illumination of myriads of gas-lamps, he -had begun to think that his provincial anticipations were about -to be realized. But when the poor youth, who had spent two hours -in hunting a restaurant, wished to find a shelter, he perceived -that gaslight fell far short of sunshine. Notwithstanding all the -attention he devoted to the multitude of signs, he could nowhere -discover the word <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">auberge</i>.</p> - -<p>His anxiety was great. He noticed a clock, the hands of which -marked the hour of half-past ten. He had never before remained out -of bed so late.</p> - -<p>He had a strong inclination to ask the pedestrians who passed him -where he could find a bed; but his mishaps of the morning were -vividly remembered. At length he realized that there was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span> no other -course to take, and decided to question the first female who passed -him.</p> - -<p>“A woman,” thought Eusebe, “will be milder and more accessible than -a man.” And as, at this moment, a lady emerged from a neighboring -mansion, the provincial ventured to say,—</p> - -<p>“Permit me, madame, as a stranger who is very much embarrassed, to -ask you for some information.”</p> - -<p>The lady passed on without condescending to make any reply.</p> - -<p>“I have an awkward address,” said the provincial. “That person is -certainly a great and haughty lady. I had better speak to this one, -who has the air of a working-woman.”</p> - -<p>“Madame,” said Eusebe to a female who brushed past him, “a little -information, I pray you.”</p> - -<p>“This is a well-chosen hour for asking questions, truly. What do -you want?”</p> - -<p>“Inform me, if you please, of a place where I can sleep to-night.”</p> - -<p>“Pass on your way, you insolent scamp! For whom do you take me, you -low-bred fellow? Cease to disturb me, or I will have you arrested.”</p> - -<p>This cut was too much for the poor Limousin. He felt as if his legs -would give way under him.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span> He sank upon a stone step, and, in a -despairing tone, asked himself what would become of him.</p> - -<p>He was endowed with a strong, healthy constitution. No ordinary -peril could frighten him; but this solitude in the midst of a crowd -gave him strange sensations: he felt his heart swell, while the -tears started.</p> - -<p>“Are you sick, monsieur?” inquired a man who was engaged in closing -a store.</p> - -<p>“No,” responded Eusebe, “but I am not much better off.”</p> - -<p>“Are you hungry?”</p> - -<p>“No.”</p> - -<p>“Do you want money?”</p> - -<p>“No.”</p> - -<p>“Then what is the matter?”</p> - -<p>Eusebe arose, revived by the sympathetic curiosity of the man, and -replied,—</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span></p> -<p>“I arrived in Paris, this morning, from my native province, and -already a coachman has insulted me, a soldier has mocked me, an -old man has deceived me, a commissary of police has desired to -arrest me, as he thought me crazy, because I had saved a man’s -life, a waiter in a restaurant has called me <em>green</em>, a great -lady has refused to answer me, and a working-woman has heaped -epithets upon me because I asked her to direct me to an <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">auberge</i>. -Really, I might inquire whether I am crazy, or whether, instead of -coming into a civilized region, I have not fallen among a horde of -savages.”</p> - -<p>The merchant—for such the man evidently was—rejoined,—</p> - -<p>“There is, perhaps, some truth in the latter supposition. Come in -and take a seat for a moment, and I will aid you.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span></p> -<p>“Generous man! Blessings on you! God, I am sure, will take account -of your good action; and if ever you or your son should visit -distant shores, he will prepare for you shelter in a hospitable -tent.”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII.</h2> - - -<p>“I am not married,” said the merchant, “and, therefore, have no -son. If I had one, I would not let him travel. For myself, I will -never go farther than Versailles, where I am going to retire. I -shall be sure to find a hospitable tent there, for I have an income -of ten thousand francs. Finally, I am not a generous man: I am a -dealer in porcelain.”</p> - -<p>“It is not a dull trade,” observed Eusebe, sententiously.</p> - -<p>“I invited you to come in,” continued the merchant, “because I knew -by your accent that you were a compatriot. I am from Rochechouart. -My name is Lansade.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe thereupon gave an account of his journey, and detailed the -motives for the undertaking,—which, however, the merchant did not -comprehend.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span></p> -<p>“What I can see clearly in all this is, that M. Martin, your -father,—I know him well,—wishes you to see the world. It is quite -natural. A young man ought to know something of life.”</p> - -<p>“Such is, indeed, his wish.”</p> - -<p>“But,” continued Lansade, “he should have given you letters of -introduction to some friends, who would take pleasure in piloting -you through Paris.”</p> - -<p>“My father has no friends.”</p> - -<p>“As times go, that is perhaps as well. But one must have -acquaintances: one cannot live like a bear.”</p> - -<p>“My father lives like a philosopher.”</p> - -<p>“It is the same thing,” said Lansade. “Now, since your good star -has conducted you to my door, I wish to be useful to you. First, -take these cards, which have my address. Do not lose them. I will -close my store, and then conduct you to Madame Morin, a lady who -rents chambers. She is a fine woman, who will take care of you. I -am not sorry to take her a tenant. I shall thereby render service -to two persons.”</p> - -<p>“You are very good, monsieur,” said Eusebe: “I cannot tell you how -much I am obliged to you.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span></p> -<p>“It is not worth mentioning. As soon as I have closed my store, we -will set out.”</p> - -<p>“Shall I assist you?” inquired Eusebe.</p> - -<p>“I have only three shutters to put up. For twenty-five years I have -put them up at night and taken them down in the morning. You may -presume that I have learned my task.”</p> - -<p>So saying, the merchant set about closing his shop. Eusebe was -quite another man: his anxiety had vanished. After waiting a few -moments, he went to the door. Lansade had made no progress. He -stood looking at the shutters, and seemed puzzled.</p> - -<p>“Well, this is a nice piece of business!” exclaimed the merchant. -“Ah, Pierichou, to-morrow you shall hear from me.”</p> - -<p>“What is the matter?” asked Eusebe.</p> - -<p>“My porter is a lazy rascal whom I rescued from misery. Two weeks -ago, I decided to have the front of my store painted. The painter -forgot to number the shutters. Then I told Pierichou to number them -with ink. The scamp has numbered them with Spanish white; and now -one of the figures is effaced.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span></p> -<p>“Well, what is the consequence?”</p> - -<p>“The consequence is, that I don’t know how to put them up. If I put -the first in the second place, they cannot be fastened.”</p> - -<p>“Excuse me, monsieur, but will you permit me to suggest——”</p> - -<p>“What?”</p> - -<p>“There is but one number effaced.”</p> - -<p>“That is quite enough.”</p> - -<p>“See which numbers remain, and you will know the one you want.”</p> - -<p>“Precisely so. Thank you.”</p> - -<p>The merchant closed his store, and, taking the arm of the young -provincial, conducted him towards the residence of Madame Morin.</p> - -<p>“Madame Morin,” said Lansade, on the way, “is an excellent woman. -She has been frivolous and fond of pleasure in her time, but I do -not attach any importance to that. I am a Voltairian, like your -father. I am a philosopher, also, in my way. Between you and me, I -may add that there are few now-a-days of my worth: besides, I have -amassed a nice little fortune.”</p> - -<p>They reached the house. Lansade presented Eusebe, who was cordially -welcomed by Madame Morin, and then the merchant retired.</p> - -<p>“Before you retire to rest,” said the landlady to Eusebe,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span> “give -me your papers, so that I may give you a proper description on my -book.”</p> - -<p>“What papers?” asked the young man, astonished.</p> - -<p>“Not for my own satisfaction,—because it is sufficient for me to -know that M. Lansade brought you here,—but for the police.”</p> - -<p>At the word “police,” Eusebe recalled the scene at the office of -the commissary, and hastened to give to Madame Morin his <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">port -d’armes</i>. She then wrote in her book,—</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span></p> -<p>“Chamber No. 17.—M. Eusebe Martin, born at the Capelette, -department of the Upper Vienne, aged twenty-one years, by -profession a hunter.”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX"></a>CHAPTER IX.</h2> - - -<p>The chamber which Madame Morin had assigned to Eusebe had been -much used. It was in the fourth story. The furniture consisted of -a mahogany bedstead, a chest of drawers fancifully ornamented, -a bureau, a table, a <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">causeuse</i>, two arm-chairs, two ordinary -chairs,—covered with damask which had been red, like the color -of the curtains at the window,—a clock, and three pictures,—to -wit, a steel engraving of Diana, a colored picture of a Calabrian -brigand, and a lithograph, designated as the “Entrance to the Port -of Buenos Ayres.”</p> - -<p>The finest room at La Capelette was the saloon, or parlor. The -floor had never been waxed. Great curtains of white and yellow -calico hung at the windows. A walnut table, some chairs covered -with velvet, and an alabaster clock were the only ornaments of the -room, where, moreover, no strangers were received.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span></p> - -<p>In making a comparison, the provincial found his new quarters -splendid.</p> - -<p>“Behold,” thought he, “what they call comfortable! It is one of -the benefits of civilization; but it produces effeminacy in the -strongest man, and it is better to know how to bear up under -adversity.”</p> - -<p>After this sage reflection, inspired by the counsels addressed by -Mentor to Telemachus, Eusebe retired to bed. If his fatigue had -been less, he would have very soon comprehended the difference -between the mattress of his bed and the soft turf of the isle of -Calypso.</p> - -<p>The youth closed his eyes and thought of his father, who by this -time was sound asleep. He saw himself departing from La Capelette. -All the little incidents of his journey recurred to his mind. He -rejoiced that he had met with Lansade. He was glad that he had -found Madame Morin such an excellent woman, and vowed an eternal -remembrance of her kindness. Then he wondered why madame had -written in her book that he was a hunter by profession. He thought, -also, of the trouble experienced by the porcelain-merchant in -closing his store, and of his not knowing, after a practice of -thirty years, which shutter ought to go<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span> up first. This led him -to think of the sagacity of the savages, who, in the midst of a -forest, tell by the curve of a blade of grass what enemy they -have to fear. He endeavored to discover on which side was the -superiority; and he fell into a sound sleep without having solved -the question.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X"></a>CHAPTER X.</h2> - - -<p>On the following morning, at five o’clock, Eusebe awoke, and was -somewhat surprised at not seeing the projecting beams on the -ceiling, his gun hanging on the wall, and his three favorite -ornaments on the mantel. A second, however, sufficed for him to -recollect where he was. He leaped from his couch, and threw open -the window.</p> - -<p>“Behold Paris,” he exclaimed, “the city <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">par excellence</i>,—the -crown of the world,—the city of a thousand palaces,—the——”</p> - -<p>He paused. A profound silence reigned around him. The steps of a -belated scavenger alone disturbed the quiet of the sleeping city. -The eyes of the provincial were strained to see the thousand -palaces: he saw little more than a throng of brick chimneys. The -prospect was not enchanting. He closed the window, and proceeded to -dress himself.</p> - -<p>Five o’clock sounded. Eusebe made the sign of the cross, and waited -to hear the three strokes of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span> the <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">angelus</i>, to which he had been -accustomed at that hour; but he listened in vain.</p> - -<p>“This is the hour,” said he, “when my father rises to walk in the -fields and commune with nature. Pierre curries the horses. Big -Katy goes to the town to sell milk. Monsieur the Curé of Moustier -prepares for mass. Here everybody is asleep. Is it progress that -delays, or routine that advances?”</p> - -<p>Not being able to resist the desire to see the city, the young man -descended the stairs, found the street-door open, and went out.</p> - -<p>This would be the moment to give a rapid description of the -Boulevards of Paris at six o’clock in the morning, and to depict -the surprises and misconceptions of the young provincial; but, -unhappily, descriptions give too little information to those who -read and too much trouble to those who write. Then, if they rest -the reader, we must admit that they encourage the bad habit of -going to sleep over a volume.</p> - -<p>Eusebe Martin was neither astonished nor mistaken. He had dreamed, -in his country home, of a city built of gold and paved with rubies -and emeralds. He saw only a mass of stones and mud. He walked for -some time without raising his eyes,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span> and then, looking about him, -without giving serious attention to any thing, he decided that the -best thing he could do was to go and consult his Voltairian friend, -the merchant, who would not fail to give him good advice.</p> - -<p>Lansade received the young man with open arms, and detained him -to breakfast. As soon as they were seated at the table, the -porcelain-dealer began to question him earnestly.</p> - -<p>“You see, my young friend, I did not wish, last evening, to be -intrusive, or to aggravate your annoyances, by inquiring into the -precise object that brought you to Paris. But I hope that now, -since you seek counsel of me, you will tell me truly what are your -intentions, and what is your aim.”</p> - -<p>“I have already told you that I have come to visit the capital -of the civilized world, to see life, study civilization, and, if -possible, to distinguish the true from the false; and, finally, I -have come here in obedience to my father’s wishes.”</p> - -<p>“Verily,” responded Lansade,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span> “I do not comprehend a word of what -you tell me. To see life there is but one way, and that is, to -live. To study civilization you had no need to come so far: it -is everywhere. Do you believe Limoges is peopled by savages? -They traffic there as well as elsewhere, and perhaps better. -Civilization, you see, is commerce, and nothing else. Work is -truth.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe responded,—</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span></p> -<p>“Then I will work.”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI"></a>CHAPTER XI.</h2> - - -<p>The porcelain-merchant warmly applauded the resolution announced by -Eusebe.</p> - -<p>“But what will you do?” he inquired of the provincial.</p> - -<p>Eusebe confessed that he would have some difficulty in answering -that question. Lansade resumed:—</p> - -<p>“You had better reflect. Spend a few days in diverting your mind -with the sights of Paris. Endeavor to make acquaintances. On my -part, I will look about for something that may be agreeable to you.”</p> - -<p>A young man, with a smiling countenance, at this moment entered the -store, and exclaimed,—</p> - -<p>“Good-morning, Monsieur Lansade! Here are your two vases. How do -you like them? Are they sufficiently finished?”</p> - -<p>“Very good, indeed,” replied Lansade, after carefully examining the -paintings on the vases, which were ornamented in the old style.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span> -“Very good, Monsieur Buck. When you choose to take pains, you do -your work better than anybody else. Here are twenty-five francs. -Write me a receipt.”</p> - -<p>“A pound sterling. The price is certainly not excessive, Monsieur -Lansade; and yet you insist upon a receipt to complete the -transaction. Well, give me pen and paper. If ever I become a -celebrated painter,—which I certainly shall,—you will have an -autograph which will be worth its weight in gold.”</p> - -<p>“So much the better for us both, Monsieur Buck.”</p> - -<p>Paul Buck was an excellent and worthy young man, who dreamed of -glory. The son of a German painter on porcelain, he thoroughly -understood that decorative art, and might have earned the means -of living handsomely if he had only been industrious. Unhappily, -he regarded his profession with contempt. He aspired to be a -great painter, and only decorated vases in order to procure the -necessaries of life. Lansade, who held Paul in high esteem on -account of his frankness and honesty of disposition, introduced him -to Eusebe.</p> - -<p>Buck was a physiognomist. The countenance of Eusebe pleased him, -and he invited the provincial to pay him a visit.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span></p> - -<p>“You wish to study the comedy of human life? I will give you a box -gratis.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe expressed his gratitude, and, in the simple warmth of his -heart, vowed to the painter eternal friendship.</p> - -<p>“Friendship!” said the painter. “If you have brought it from the -provinces, I will accept it most willingly; but at Paris we have -no more friendship. The secret was lost long ago. If we cannot be -friends, we will be two <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">bons camarades</i>.”</p> - -<p>“Can you tell me the difference,” inquired Eusebe, “between -friendship and good-fellowship?”</p> - -<p>“Nothing can be clearer,” replied the artist, as he drew from his -pocket two pieces of colored glass. “Look at these. This piece was -manufactured about three hundred years ago, by a process known to -the artists of the Middle Ages. The color is made a part of the -glass itself. If you break it, you find the red within as well as -without. Now look at the other piece. That was made only a week -ago. At the first glance, it appears like the other. But break it, -and you find that the red has not penetrated beyond the surface. Do -you see?</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span></p> -<p>“Well, this illustrates the difference between friendship and -boon-companionship. Friendship permeates the heart of man; -good-fellowship only gives it a superficial tint.”</p> - -<p>“I comprehend,” said Eusebe.</p> - -<p>“To-day, the manner by which color may be rendered permanent and -friendship lasting is ranked among the lost arts,” continued the -painter. “He who discovers the first will become rich; he who finds -the second will be happy.”</p> - -<p>“If you will consent,” stammered Eusebe, “we will seek them -together.”</p> - -<p>“Agreed: it will not kill us,” responded Paul; and they separated.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII"></a>CHAPTER XII.</h2> - - -<p>The son of the respectable philosopher M. Martin had now been at -Paris for two weeks. He spent the day in various ways, but in the -evening he was invariably found at one of the places of amusement.</p> - -<p>In order to become acquainted with the different features of the -French stage, he had resolved to visit all the theatres of the -French capital, commencing with the most distant.</p> - -<p>In the first place, he visited the “Délassements Comiques.” On that -occasion the attraction consisted of a “Review of the Year,” an -allegorical spectacle in fourteen tableaux. Eusebe was unable to -comprehend the drift of the piece, and returned to his lodgings in -a melancholy mood.</p> - -<p>On the following evening the provincial went to the “Folies -Dramatiques,” where they gave another “review.” He could not -comprehend this effort at all, and retired before the close of the -piece. His mind was more hopelessly puzzled than it had been on the -previous evening.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span></p> - -<p>On the third evening he went to the “Variétés,” where there was -another “review.” This time the provincial thought his brain was -turned.</p> - -<p>“Ah,” said Eusebe, “I am the most ignorant being in the world, or -else all the comedians and those who listen to them are fools. Why -do they paint their faces like Indians? Why do they wear costumes -which do not belong to any nation? Why do the public laugh so -loudly at seeing them deceive a foolish old man? Why do they -applaud when the comedians make use of words with a double meaning? -Why do they sing <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">àpropos</i> of nothing? How do they manage to speak -my mother-tongue so that I cannot understand it? I will go no more.”</p> - -<p>On the following evening, however, he resumed his visits, saying -that perhaps the theatres were not all alike!</p> - -<p>He passed five hours at the “Gaieté,” listening to the history of -a lost child. On the ensuing evening he went to the “Ambigu,” to -witness the representation of a drama based upon the history of a -foundling. Subsequently, at the “Porte Saint-Martin,” he had the -immense satisfaction of seeing in a single piece a child lost and -found, then lost again, and, finally, recovered.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span></p> - -<p>At the “Français,” at the “Odéon,” at the “Gymnase,” at the -“Vaudeville,” and at the “Palais Royal,” the provincial saw the -same piece in fifteen different forms: a young man wished to wed -a young woman, and, notwithstanding a thousand obstacles, he -succeeded in accomplishing his object.</p> - -<p>“When I have seen two dozen of them married,” said Eusebe,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span> “I will -save my money.”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIII" id="CHAPTER_XIII"></a>CHAPTER XIII.</h2> - - -<p>Eusebe imparted his reflections to his new friend, Paul Buck, the -painter. The artist smiled, and said,—</p> - -<p>“Eusebe,—my friend Eusebe,—what pleasure your society affords -me! Since I made your acquaintance, I have sought to understand -the sympathy I feel for you, and I have hitherto been unable to -comprehend the cause. Those who say such sentiments arise without -cause are fools. I like you, and now I know why. You were born -an artist; and it is, perhaps, for the best that your father, -whom they accuse of having neglected to cultivate your intellect, -did not spoil your nature by routine culture. You know nothing, -barbarian that you are; but you have good instincts, since you -have not fallen, as I feared you would, into admiration of the -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">rengaines</i> of the modern theatre.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span></p> -<p>“Tell me, pray, what you mean by <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">rengaines</i>.”</p> - -<p>“The <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">rengaines</i>, my dear fellow, are all the familiar commonplaces -and vulgar and hackneyed sentiments. The narrow and plodding -spirits have formed a museum, which they open, at a specified -hour, to human stupidity. The crowd have visited the museum for -centuries, and departed every evening, perfectly satisfied, without -seeming to be aware that the spectacle always amounts to the same -thing.”</p> - -<p>“I believe I comprehend you. You do not wish me to share the -opinion of the crowd.”</p> - -<p>“I should pity you if you did. Observe: I am fortunate in having a -feeling of the good, the true, and the just. The sentiment of the -beautiful—which is the same thing—is born in some men: it cannot -be acquired. Happy are those who possess it! They may be hooted -and scorned; but they will live in a world of enchantment to which -they alone have access. Their lives will be totally unlike the -existence of those who rail at them; and, while the latter may be -cast down by the petty trials of every-day life, the privileged -ones soar into those regions where they revel in the perfection of -the ideal,—the true.”</p> - -<p>“Are you one of those favored ones, Paul Buck?”</p> - -<p>“I am.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span></p> -<p>“Well, then, by the affection you say you bear me, and by the love -of my father, whose wisdom you admire, tell me where the true may -be found.”</p> - -<p>“In art:—nowhere else,” responded Paul Buck. And, lighting his -pipe, he turned the conversation to other topics.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIV" id="CHAPTER_XIV"></a>CHAPTER XIV.</h2> - - -<p>Eusebe understood that he did not understand. The provincial felt -humiliated because he could not catch the sense of certain phrases -and words which were, doubtless, clear enough to Paul Buck. The -painter, who cared more for a listener than for an adept who -understood him, did not take the trouble to explain the theories he -promulgated.</p> - -<p>As a consequence, Eusebe grew uneasy of the conversation; and, -as Buck perceived this, he conducted his friend to a café, where -artists, “models,” and other people fond of lounging and chat, were -wont to congregate.</p> - -<p>But there Eusebe found the language used to be still more -incomprehensible than that of Paul. The conversation consisted -of dissertations on the æsthetic in art, intermingled with cant -phrases and philosophical reflections.</p> - -<p>To this resort the provincial accompanied his friend two or three -times. He would undoubtedly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span> have finished by understanding the -peculiar language of the artistic assemblage, if chance had not -given him another occupation and preserved him from this great -danger. He escaped Scylla to be sacrificed at Capua.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XV" id="CHAPTER_XV"></a>CHAPTER XV.</h2> - - -<p>The occupation of Eusebe consisted in going to the theatre every -evening, an amusement which he now thought as sublime as he -formerly thought it despicable. <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Voici pourquoi.</i></p> - -<p>Faithful to his programme, he had visited the “Opéra Comique.” -The evening on which accident conducted him to the Rue Favart, -the bills announced “The Black Domino.” Our hero was entirely -ignorant of the meaning of the word “domino;” but he courageously -entered, saying to himself that since he had seen a dozen persons -assassinated at the “Gaieté” and at the “Porte Saint-Martin,” and -double that number married at the “Gymnase” and at the “Français,” -nothing worse could possibly happen to him.</p> - -<p>Installed in an orchestra-chair, he looked around at the spectators -with profound surprise.</p> - -<p>“What!” said he to himself; “these are the same faces, the same -men, the same women, I have seen elsewhere!”</p> - -<p>And he was right. At Paris there are two<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span> thousand persons who go -to the theatres every evening for nothing,—artists, literary men, -or employés of certain branches of the government, besides a large -number of persons who are neither the one nor the other, but who -know an <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">artiste</i> of the circus, who has introduced them to an -actor of the “Vaudeville,” who knows a musician of the “Variétés,” -who is intimate with the secretary of the “Porte Saint-Martin,” who -is the friend of M’lle X. of the Grand Opera, who is the mistress -of Binet the vaudevillist. Then there are the wives of journalists, -the mistresses of journalists, the friends of journalists, the -comrades of journalists, the porters of journalists, and the -washerwomen of authors.</p> - -<p>Eusebe was lost in a thousand conjectures. He was asking himself -how he should ever succeed in getting accustomed to the habits -and tastes of a people whom he saw only at a distance, when his -neighbor at the right, a lean, sallow individual, nudged him with -his elbow, saying,—</p> - -<p>“Ah! there is Mdme. de Cornacé.”</p> - -<p>“Where?” asked Eusebe.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span></p> -<p>“There, in the private box to the right,—the lady with curls <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">à -l’anglaise</i>, wearing a low-necked dress.”</p> - -<p>“I do not know her.”</p> - -<p>“Indeed!”</p> - -<p>“Pardon me if I am indiscreet,” said Eusebe; “but——”</p> - -<p>“No indiscretion,” replied his neighbor. “All Paris knows her. -Her mother was a dealer in butter at the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Halle</i>. She was very -handsome, and when she married M. de Cornacé, who was a ruined -nobleman, she brought him a dowry of one hundred and fifty thousand -francs. To-day they have three millions, thanks to an intimacy that -exists between Mdme. de Cornacé and Froment, the banker. You see -she is a woman of the times.”</p> - -<p>“How so?”</p> - -<p>“How? Why, that is not difficult to comprehend.”</p> - -<p>“I do not understand you, sir.”</p> - -<p>“When one does not understand French, one ought not to enter into -conversation,” replied the neighbor, angrily, turning his back to -Eusebe.</p> - -<p>Our hero was on the point of assuring his interlocutor that it -was not his intention to be inquisitive, when the conductor -gave the signal to begin the overture. The son of M. Martin had -never heard any music but that of the vaudeville. From the first -measures executed by the orchestra,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span> he experienced certain strange -sensations, for which, however, he did not pause to account. -Enchanted by the melody, he found himself isolated in the middle -of the crowd, and a prey to emotions that were unknown to him, and -really inexpressible.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVI" id="CHAPTER_XVI"></a>CHAPTER XVI.</h2> - - -<p>There is nothing that penetrates the heart, and prepares it for -love, like music.</p> - -<p>The curtain had risen, and <i>Horace</i> had recounted to <i>Juliano</i> -his adventure with the beautiful unknown, without exciting the -slightest interest on the part of Eusebe. The heroes of Scribe -talked of love, a something unknown to the provincial, who would -have been wholly ignorant of the word, had he not met with it in -pronouncing his prayers.</p> - -<p>The entrance of the two masked women made a strange impression on -him. His heart beat violently, the blood rushed to his temples, a -cold, trembling sensation pervaded his whole frame, and when the -woman who personated <i>Angèle</i> removed her black velvet mask, he -experienced one of those indescribable sensations of delight which -nature accords to those only who have not sinned against her.</p> - -<p>Trembling, and his eyes intently fixed on the lips of the -cantatrice, Eusebe Martin forgot the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span> universe: he felt his blood -coursing rapidly through his veins, and his heart expand within his -breast.</p> - -<p>He remained in his seat between the acts. One thought alone -occupied him: should he see the beautiful creature again who had -produced such a magic effect on him? He closed his eyes, in order -the better to see her in imagination.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile the curtain rose for the second time. During the first -three scenes <i>Angèle</i> did not appear. Her absence was the first -real disappointment Eusebe had ever experienced. Up to that time -his life had been as calm and monotonous as the surface of a lake.</p> - -<p>All at once his heart leaped with joy: she had just entered. Pale -and agitated, he did not breathe freely until the good <i>Jacinthe</i> -had promised that she would do all in her power to conceal <i>Angèle</i>.</p> - -<p>“Excellent woman!” cried Eusebe.</p> - -<p>His neighbor at the right could not help smiling, while the lean -gentleman on his left gave vent to his feelings by grumbling.</p> - -<p>Eusebe paid no attention to these demonstrations. His chin resting -on his hands, which he had placed on the back of the chair in front -of him, he watched intently the impossible action of the piece. -He had already forgotten that what<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span> he saw was only fiction. His -joy or grief augmented or diminished with the development of the -plot. If <i>Angèle</i> succeeded in extricating herself from one of her -thousand difficulties, he breathed again. On the contrary, when -a new disaster befell the poor abbess, the heart of Eusebe bled -for her, and his eyes filled with tears. Twenty times was he on -the point of springing upon the stage and saying, “I will defend -you: don’t be afraid.” Fortunately, <i>Angèle</i> succeeded without his -assistance in escaping the snares M. Scribe had prepared for her.</p> - -<p>What would the audience have said, what would the police have -done, if Eusebe had executed his design? Nothing, probably. The -public are amused by madmen, and the police interfere only in cases -with which they are familiar. By remaining in his seat, our poor -provincial caused himself to be put out-of-doors.</p> - -<p>The curtain rose for the third time. <i>Angèle</i> had just arrived at -the convent, and sang the famous rondeau—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p class="center small">“Ah! what a night!”</p></div> - -<p>She detailed pathetically the perils she had encountered during -the frightful night,—recounted<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span> her adventures with the drunken -soldiers, the thief, who had robbed her of her golden cross, and -the student, who was content to steal only a kiss.</p> - -<p>The neighbor at the left, a fat man, with a good-natured -physiognomy, leaned towards Eusebe and said,—</p> - -<p>“How confoundedly stupid! She has succeeded in escaping -unperceived,—a miracle!—and now, instead of going to her cell -and changing her costume, she remains there like a fool to sing. I -would give a trifle if they would come and take her by surprise.”</p> - -<p>“You are a wretch!” cried Eusebe. “I am half inclined to strangle -you.”</p> - -<p>“You are extremely insolent, sir!”</p> - -<p>“You are a coward!”</p> - -<p>“Chut! chut!” “Silence!” “Out with him!” suggested several voices.</p> - -<p>The fat gentleman grasped at the young man’s collar; but Eusebe -foiled his design by planting a heavy blow full in his face, which -inconvenienced him not a little, but not sufficiently to prevent -his calling for assistance. A policeman soon made his appearance, -and Eusebe was very unceremoniously shown into the street.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span></p> - -<p>At any other time he would have submitted without a word; but when -he thought that the angelic creature with whom he was so charmed -had disappeared forever, he thrust the public functionary aside and -hurried away like a maniac.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVII" id="CHAPTER_XVII"></a>CHAPTER XVII.</h2> - - -<p>Eusebe returned directly to his lodgings. For a long time he sat in -his room, his elbows resting on the table, and his face buried in -his hands. His heart had taken possession of his head, and he did -not try to account for what was passing within him. Although he had -no light, he closed his eyes, and the cantatrice appeared before -him, encircled by a resplendent halo.</p> - -<p>He threw himself on his bed without undressing, but sleep he could -not. One by one he took off his garments, throwing some one way -and some another. He listened to the clock every time it struck -even the fractions of the hour, and every quarter seemed to him a -century. He breathed heavily, and a cold perspiration covered his -brow, while he rolled about on his couch, grating his teeth, and -occasionally muttering,—</p> - -<p>“Mon Dieu! will the day never dawn?”</p> - -<p>And then he found relief in tears.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVIII" id="CHAPTER_XVIII"></a>CHAPTER XVIII.</h2> - - -<p>The day at last dawned; but Eusebe, pale and his eyes sunken, -slept soundly. At a late hour, a noise in the street awoke him. -He rose up, and, looking wildly around the room, thought he had -been dreaming. But the incidents of the previous evening, and the -sleepless hours of the night, were soon clear to his recollection.</p> - -<p>“No, it was not a dream,” said he. “I was never at the same time -so happy and so miserable: this woman, I see her still. Why does -she exert such an influence over me? Last night I tried to banish -her from my thoughts; but I was wrong, for I am never so happy as -when I am thinking of her. I will see her again this evening, and -to-morrow, and—forever.”</p> - -<p>The day wore slowly away. The doors of the theatre were scarcely -opened, when Eusebe was installed in the first row of the -orchestra-chairs, where he awaited the commencement of the play. -But the patience of the poor provincial was destined to go -unrecompensed. That evening they<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span> played “Zampa; or, The Marble -Bride;” and it was in vain that he watched for the angelic creature -who was the subject of his thoughts. He returned home sadly -disappointed, but determined to retrace his steps on the following -evening.</p> - -<p>The next day he was sure of realizing his hopes. Twenty times he -stopped to read the large posters of the theatre. He had bought the -programme, and long before the doors of the theatre opened, seated -in a neighboring café, he read it for the hundredth time:—</p> - -<p class="center p2"><b>THE BLACK DOMINO.</b></p> - -<p class="center small p1">Comic Opera, In Three Acts.</p> - -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">Scribe, Auber.</span></p> - -<p class="center small">Mademoiselle <span class="smcap">Adéonne</span> will continue her <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">débuts</i> in the -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">rôle</i> of <span class="smcap">Angèle</span>.</p> - -<p class="p2">“What a pretty name!” said Eusebe to himself. “Adéonne! How -euphonious! how it resembles her! Adéonne! She is the only one on -earth who is worthy to bear it.”</p> - -<p>At length the hour arrived. He entered the theatre and was soon -intoxicated with the pleasure<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span> of gazing at her whom he loved. This -time he took a lively interest in the piece. He followed, step -by step, this singular and improbable story, the product of the -imagination of the most skilful dramatist of modern times. From the -theatre he returned slowly to his lodgings.</p> - -<p>“I am like <i>Horace de Massarena</i>,” said he, as he entered his -chamber. “The love of the hero of the piece enabled him to discover -his own. I love her, while he is only playing comedy; I love her -truly and sincerely, and am happy in the thought that I shall see -her often. When I see her I forget all else: it is impossible to -describe my feelings. How fortunate that man is who sings with her! -If I could only sing! But I cannot, and I am not sure that, near -her, I should be able to content myself with being a simple actor. -I would not confine myself to the words of the author, to a studied -lesson of love: she would not believe me, I am sure. It seems to me -that I would find something else to say to her, or I would remain -silent. I would throw myself at her feet; I would not take my eyes -off of her; I would prove my devotion in a thousand ways!”</p> - -<p>For three weeks, Eusebe did not miss a night at the Comic Opera. He -was happy, but confided<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span> his secret to no one. This love, egotistic -and true,—true because it was egotistic, and egotistic because it -was true,—would perhaps have been of short duration, but for the -intermeddling of this meddling world.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIX" id="CHAPTER_XIX"></a>CHAPTER XIX.</h2> - - -<p>Paul Buck came one morning to see his friend.</p> - -<p>“I come,” said he, “to have you go with me to see the house Lansade -has just bought at Versailles.”</p> - -<p>“What do you want to see it for?” asked Eusebe.</p> - -<p>“What do I want to see it for? Why, to see it! Is that not reason -enough?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t want to see it.”</p> - -<p>“Nor I; but that would displease Lansade.”</p> - -<p>“Ah!”</p> - -<p>“The fact is, we cannot well avoid going.”</p> - -<p>“Why?”</p> - -<p>“Because he is our friend. He is a bore, I grant you, but he is -nevertheless a sterling good fellow: he has done me many a good -turn, and you have told me yourself that but for his kind offices -you do not know what would have become of you in this great city.”</p> - -<p>“True,” replied Eusebe.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span></p> - -<p>“And, consequently, you ought to avail yourself of every -opportunity to make yourself agreeable to him.”</p> - -<p>“Without doubt. But—I cannot go: an affair of importance renders -it necessary for me to be at Paris this evening at seven o’clock.”</p> - -<p>“Nothing is easier: we will return by the six o’clock train.”</p> - -<p>“Very well: I will go.”</p> - -<p>Arm in arm, the two friends directed their steps towards the -Western depot.</p> - -<p>Eusebe was silent and thoughtful, and so was Paul Buck. Eusebe was -thinking of Adéonne, and Paul thought of what his friend could be -thinking of.</p> - -<p>In the car they met a merchant, named Bonnaud, an intimate friend -of Lansade. It was necessary to break the silence and engage in one -of those trivial conversations so tedious to persons preoccupied by -a single idea. Fortunately, the merchant was loquacious, and the -two friends were content to let him do most of the talking.</p> - -<p>“When we reflect,” cried Bonnaud,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span> “that formerly it took three -hours and a half, and sometimes five, to go to Versailles, and -that now thirty-five minutes suffice for the whole trip, it is -almost incredible! It took me, in 1829,—the year of the cold -winter,—five days and nights to come from Bordeaux, which is -to-day a journey of only thirteen hours! It is astounding!”</p> - -<p>“Nothing more so,” replied Paul, complacently assenting.</p> - -<p>“And to think,” continued Bonnaud, “that there are in the world so -many ignorant and insincere people——”</p> - -<p>“There are a great many,” interrupted Buck.</p> - -<p>“What?”</p> - -<p>“Ignorant and insincere people, as you just remarked.”</p> - -<p>“True; ignorant and insincere people, who pretend—what do I say? -who deny—that this is an age of progress.”</p> - -<p>“What! there are individuals so stupid, so benighted, as to -maintain such absurdities!” returned the painter, rising angrily: -“that is not possible!”</p> - -<p>“Yes, my dear sir, there are such people,—more of them than you -may imagine: I know many such.”</p> - -<p>“Well, my best wishes to them, but their intellects are sadly -obscured.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe, who was ignorant of what the artists<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span> call “<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">faire poser -un bourgeois</i>” (to make a fool of one), looked at his friend with -astonishment. The merchant, however, continued, with an air of -importance:—</p> - -<p>“Since devastating wars have ceased to ravage our glorious country, -the arts, the other victorious weapon of France, have secured to -her conquests of far greater importance, to say nothing of steam, -which would have given the world to the great Napoleon; and then -the astonishing discoveries of chemistry! But, leaving all that -out of the question, what is so grand and surprising as to see the -events that agitate the universe heralded from point to point by -numerous metal threads bordering the roads and traversing the land? -The electric telegraph would suffice to illustrate our age! And -then photography!——”</p> - -<p>“No more, I beg of you!” interrupted Paul Buck. “I will say nothing -of the electric wires, although they disfigure the landscape; but -not a word of photography before breakfast, I insist: it would -bring bad luck.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span></p> -<p>“I respect every thing, even the most absurd superstition. It is my -inflexible tolerance for opinions of every description which has -rendered me hostile to those who would mar the grandeur of our age -and check our progress towards a perfect civilization.”</p> - -<p>The painter, who could hardly restrain an inclination to laugh, bit -his lips, and turned to look out at the door. Then Bonnaud, who -was determined to have an interlocutor at all hazards, addressed -himself to Eusebe:—</p> - -<p>“Are you not of my opinion, Monsieur Martin?”</p> - -<p>The young provincial was absorbed and abstracted, and only -caught the last words of the garrulous merchant. Seeing that it -was absolutely necessary to make some sort of response, Eusebe -repeated, mechanically, some of the phrases which constituted the -staple of his father’s philosophical observations:—</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span></p> -<p>“In the first place, before responding, it is necessary to clear up -certain points which have been left involved in obscurity. Who can -tell where to find the false and where the true, since the greatest -minds have differed concerning them? Who can tell where progress -commences, and where it ends? Who will venture to affirm that in an -extreme degree of civilization the people are more or less happy, -when men of profound and enlightened judgment have confessed that -the last word of civilization is the first of barbarism?”</p> - -<p>Bonnaud was stupefied. He had nothing to say. Like all persons who -have no opinions of their own about men and things, and who, from -ignorance or lack of judgment, accept those of others, the merchant -was not tenacious of the views he had expressed. At length he -recovered his balance so far as to murmur,—</p> - -<p>“Certainly. Concerning every thing there is a pro and a con.”</p> - -<p>Paul, thinking that Eusebe had penetrated his intention to quiz the -merchant, continued to gratify his humor:—</p> - -<p>“Assuredly: M. Martin is right. He has told the precise truth, and -I can prove it. He belongs to a race who have been at the head -of civilization, and who have fallen back into their primitive -condition. When were they happiest? I cannot tell; nor can you. -You must admit that it would be impertinent to the last degree to -assert that the residents of Versailles are to-day happier than -were those of Salente under the wise and far-sighted administration -of Idomeneus.”</p> - -<p>“I do not say so,” rejoined Bonnaud. “But their condition must -depend, in a great measure, upon the character of their prefects.”</p> - -<p>They had now reached the end of their journey,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span> and the young -men alighted, laughing immoderately at the simplicity of their -companion, who, for his part, looked to the right and the left, as -if trying to discover what excited their mirth.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XX" id="CHAPTER_XX"></a>CHAPTER XX.</h2> - - -<p>The house that Lansade had purchased for his retirement was one of -those ordinary country mansions which are so dear to the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">petits -bourgeois</i> of Paris. Situated on the summit of a small eminence, -it could be seen at a considerable distance. This modest elevation -had been preferred by the merchant to sites of a more commanding -description, and which could have been obtained at a more -advantageous price. The fortunate purchaser was persuaded that all -persons who journeyed from Paris to Versailles, and from Versailles -to Paris, would eagerly inquire,—</p> - -<p>“To whom does that pretty piece of property belong? Who resides in -that charming cottage on the hill yonder?”</p> - -<p>And then some well-informed traveller would respond,—</p> - -<p>“It is the chateau of M. Lansade, a very rich merchant, who has -retired from business.”</p> - -<p>This idea seemed to fascinate Lansade, and he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span> was never weary of -trying to improve the aspect of his house.</p> - -<p>The “retired merchant” was seated in front of his mansion, watching -for the arrival of his guests, in order to enjoy their astonishment -at the sight of his splendid establishment. As soon as he caught -sight of them, he shouted,—</p> - -<p>“Hurry, my young friends; breakfast is waiting. I had ceased to -look for you, upon my word. I was about to go to the table. What do -you think of my little establishment?”</p> - -<p>The painter and Bonnaud went into ecstasies, the first for -politeness, and the second in honest admiration. Eusebe was silent. -After considerable trifling chat, the party seated themselves at -the table.</p> - -<p>Those who reside in the suburbs of Paris are wholly ignorant of the -charms of a rural repast: they live as they would live in the city. -Those who live on the borders of the Seine eat no other fish than -those purchased in the market of Paris. Let any one who does not -credit this singularity go to Asnières or to Chaton, and he will be -convinced.</p> - -<p>Lansade pressed his guests to satisfy their appetite, and made -earnest inquiries as to the quality of the dishes.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span></p> - -<p>“How do you find that capon?”</p> - -<p>“Delicious,” answered Buck, who was obliged to keep up the -conversation while Bonnaud ate and Eusebe mused. “Delicious! Your -poultry-yard is, then, already populated?”</p> - -<p>“Not at all. But I have a friend in the market of the Vallée. -When I wish to obtain game or poultry, I can always procure the -best. I have only to write three days previous. Will you try the -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">matelotte</i>?”</p> - -<p>“Directly. You are in a convenient place for fresh fish.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, the river is quite near; but the fishermen prefer to send -their fish to Paris: they may get a lower price there, but they are -sure of a sale. As to fruits, however, the case is different: none -can be procured in the whole <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">commune</i>.”</p> - -<p>“That is a trifling misfortune.”</p> - -<p>“Monsieur Martin, what is the matter with you? You appear sad!”</p> - -<p>“No.”</p> - -<p>“You do not eat?”</p> - -<p>“Pardon me, my dear Lansade.”</p> - -<p>“It is true,” said Bonnaud: “monsieur is quite abstracted.”</p> - -<p>“Eusebe,” cried Buck,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span> “these gentlemen speak truly. You have -something concealed from us. Are you unhappy? Are you home-sick, my -boy? are you anxious to behold your native meadows? Do these maples -awaken in you a desire to see once more your tall chestnuts? and -the good things spread before us by our friend Lansade, do they -remind you of your own rural repasts in the paternal mansion?”</p> - -<p>“No.”</p> - -<p>“Then perhaps you have left, seated on the banks of the Vienna, a -young shepherdess, who sadly awaits your return?”</p> - -<p>Lansade laughed rather boisterously. He and his mercantile friend -had drank very little, but nevertheless more than usual.</p> - -<p>“Well,” continued Buck, “let Eusebe swear to us that he is not in -love, and I will leave him in peace.”</p> - -<p>“I never swear.”</p> - -<p>“Then admit that you are in love, my melancholy friend.”</p> - -<p>“It is true,” replied Eusebe.</p> - -<p>This confession was made with some reluctance, because delicate -souls always dislike to allow a third person to intrude between -them and the object of their affection. But Eusebe did not know<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span> -how to lie, and did not wish to learn. As he felt his heart -swelling and his eyes moistening, he arose and went out. He seated -himself in a chair in the garden; and there Paul soon rejoined him.</p> - -<p>“I gave you pain, my gentle savage,” said the painter. “Pardon me, -I beg of you. I am sorry, above all, that I was not more guarded -before those vulgar fellows. You are angry with me?”</p> - -<p>“No: I even intended to tell you every thing,—but at another time. -I know not whether it was because of the presence of our friends, -or because I was not prepared, but your persistence provoked me.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! I am grieved. I do not like to meddle with the palette of a -comrade: each to his own color. But, since we have touched upon the -subject, tell me all. I can serve you, perhaps. I also have loved.”</p> - -<p>“Is that true?” said Eusebe, rising.</p> - -<p>“At least ten times; perhaps more.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe sank back upon the seat, saying, sadly,—</p> - -<p>“It is useless. You will not comprehend me.”</p> - -<p>Paul insisted. His friend finished by yielding to his -importunities, and related all that had occurred to him, and all he -had felt. Buck, notwithstanding<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span> his frivolity, became grave and -serious as he listened to the details of this affair of the heart.</p> - -<p>“Poor fellow!” said he. “It is unlucky that your first love should -be inspired by a comédienne, and, above all, by this one.”</p> - -<p>“Why?”</p> - -<p>“For many reasons. You must see her no more.”</p> - -<p>“Impossible!”</p> - -<p>“Ay, I know what you would say. If you could not see her any more, -you would die.”</p> - -<p>“I might not die; but I could not live.”</p> - -<p>The voice of Lansade was now heard:—</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span></p> -<p>“Come, messieurs: the coffee is getting cold.”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXI" id="CHAPTER_XXI"></a>CHAPTER XXI.</h2> - - -<p>Paul preceded Eusebe in entering the house, and apprized the two -merchants of the revelation his friend had just made.</p> - -<p>Then occurred a lamentable, but quite common, manifestation of -human perversity. These two business-men, who would not for all -the world have done a decidedly bad action,—these two plain -store-keepers, who even spoke with respect of the woman at the -street-stand who had but one lover,—and the artist who had often -observed, in passing unfortunate girls in the street, “These -unfortunate creatures are more to be pitied than blamed,”—these -three men, in fine, who in the whole course of their lives had -not failed in showing respect for the gentler sex, indulged in -invectives against Adéonne, with whom neither of them had any -personal acquaintance.</p> - -<p>“Monsieur Martin,” said Lansade,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span> “I pity you with all my heart. -I was quite right when I said that your father should have -recommended you to the care and guidance of some rational person. -In that case this would not have occurred. Understand me. I am -not an enemy of pleasure. I have been young, and I am not too far -advanced to remember the amusements of my youthful days. I should -not have been displeased to see you enamored of a respectable -maiden. But a comédienne!—an actress! Really, I hardly know how to -express the grief this affair causes me.”</p> - -<p>“You are right, my good Lansade,” said Paul Buck. “It grieves -me, also, that Eusebe should have been so unfortunate as to be -victimized by one of these <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">filles de marbre</i>, these women without -heart, without honor, accustomed to excesses, despising all the -pleasures of the world, because they have completely exhausted -their sensations.”</p> - -<p>Bonnaud was not the man to allow such an opportunity for airing his -eloquence to escape him. He immediately began to deliver a tirade -against women in general and actresses in particular.</p> - -<p>“Ah! Lansade will tell you,” said he, “that I, too, have been an -admirer of beauty in my time, and that I was not unsuccessful. I -had plenty of money; but never, never was I caught by a comédienne. -No, indeed: I was not so stupid.”</p> - -<p>“One moment,” said Eusebe:<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span> “do you know M’lle Adéonne?”</p> - -<p>“Only too well,” replied Paul Buck, earnestly. “Like others of her -class, this woman has neither youth, beauty, nor talent. She owes -every thing to the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">claqueurs</i> and her perfumer. This creature, my -friend, is deception personified.”</p> - -<p>“I do not understand you,” murmured Eusebe.</p> - -<p>“I never take an indirect road to reach an object,” said Lansade. -“I will make you comprehend. Your Adéonne, like others of her -class, seeks in the morning to whom she will sell herself in the -evening, and in the evening she is only troubled about the price of -her affections. Innocent as you may be, you would not be the son -of M. Martin if your heart did not swell with indignation at the -idea of one of God’s creatures selling herself for gold. Do you -comprehend now?”</p> - -<p>Eusebe did not venture to respond. Paul resumed:—</p> - -<p>“Adéonne is, they say, charming; but, you see, to woo persons of -that description, it is necessary to be without heart and to have -plenty of money.”</p> - -<p>“You astonish me,” muttered Eusebe. “I do not question what you -have told me; and I thank you for having opened my eyes to the -truth.”</p> - -<p>“Bravo!” cried Lansade.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span> “Here’s to the health of your good father. -Let us change the subject.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe took advantage of a moment when Lansade was engaged in -showing his grounds to Paul and Bonnaud, to escape from the house -and fly towards Paris as if pursued by an enemy. Absorbed in -thought, he reached the theatre and entered. From the first he -fixed his attention upon the beautiful Adéonne, and lost sight of -the audience entirely.</p> - -<p>If actresses only knew of the raging passions they kindle in the -hearts of youthful spectators, they would, perhaps, have a higher -estimate of their own attractions.</p> - -<p>Eusebe returned to his lodgings filled with strange dreams and -fired with strange impulses. He sat, musing, long after the candle -had burned down into the socket. Suddenly he arose, as if he had at -last reached a decision, and exclaimed,—</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span></p> -<p>“She sells herself! I will be her purchaser.”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXII" id="CHAPTER_XXII"></a>CHAPTER XXII.</h2> - - -<p>If a woman has been reading this story, she will probably throw it -aside at this place, with the contemptuous remark that Eusebe is an -absurd rustic, destitute of interest, without heart, and all that, -because the poor youth did not break his glass at the breakfast at -Viroflay, and exclaim,—</p> - -<p>“You are three cowards! You insult a woman, a charming creature, -who has done you no wrong, and whom I love. You have lied! You are -unworthy, all three of you, to kiss the toe of her boot. You shall -give me satisfaction!”</p> - -<p>I ask pardon of the lady, but there would be no sense in the remark.</p> - -<p>If Eusebe had used, with passionate vehemence, all these and other -fine phrases, he would simply have shown himself familiar with the -literature of the Boulevard (yellow-covered literature).</p> - -<p>The language of truth and nature no longer exists. Society, -lamentable to say, has adopted the favorite style of the stage. I -know that the theatre professes to copy the world as it is; but -it<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span> has exaggerated every thing, under the specious pretext that -the simple truth will not amuse. Swelling words, violent gestures, -absurd mannerisms, empty phrases, and unnatural dialogue are -cherished upon the stage, and thence communicated to society. Life -has become but a transcript of a drama at the “Porte Saint-Martin” -or a poor copy of a comedy at the “Odéon.”</p> - -<p>Under the pressure of a great sorrow, the true man is always, no -matter what his temperament, gloomy and bowed down. Speak not of -griefs that are expressed by gesticulations, or of sorrows which -are worked off in loud complaints. They are false and affected.</p> - -<p>Our age, which has been called the age of photography, is so -oppressed with mimicry that everybody mourns in the same style for -the father, mother, or brother whom death has removed. Do not break -forth in indignant denial, but strive to recollect. Whoever has -seen one funeral has seen all. The sons weep in the same manner, -wipe away their tears <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">à la mode</i>, walk with the same step, and -lean in the same manner upon the same friend of the family. The -husbands have their peculiar mode of grief. The mothers alone weep -without busying themselves with what occurs on<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span> the way. Some sob a -little too violently; but this happens only when the lost child was -<em>not</em> the favorite.</p> - -<p>I do not wish to be understood as representing that society is so -positively bad,—only that it is governed by conventional comedy. -Nothing is done without an accompaniment of ready-made phrases. -When two men engage in a duel, they salute each other, as it is -done at the theatre. If a husband finds himself the victim of a -deception, he bears himself in the same style and uses the same -language he has seen and heard at the theatre. Do not take your -daughters to the theatre. They will never believe themselves truly -loved unless they are wooed in the style of the actor Lafontaine.</p> - -<p>Eusebe had not learned to love, to suffer, and to avenge himself -according to the rules which society has borrowed from the theatre; -and this is why he did not break his glass and indulge in stormy -exclamations at the breakfast given at Viroflay.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIII" id="CHAPTER_XXIII"></a>CHAPTER XXIII.</h2> - - -<p>It was broad day. Eusebe had been awake for a long time, -impatiently awaiting a convenient hour to visit the operatic -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">artiste</i>. He thought of going to a splendid store he had noticed -on the Boulevards, and of purchasing at that establishment an -elegant and fashionable suit. But, upon reflection, he concluded to -present himself in the habiliments which he already possessed.</p> - -<p>“Of what use would that be,” thought the provincial, “since this -woman loves nothing, and sells herself to the first comer? The -toilet will be unavailing: it is money that is necessary.”</p> - -<p>It had been sufficient for these unthinking persons to pronounce -the word “money” before the poor rustic, to make him as calculating -as a miser.</p> - -<p>As soon as he could with any degree of propriety call at the -theatre, Eusebe did so, for the purpose of ascertaining the address -of Adéonne. The hour of noon had sounded, when the provincial, with -a hesitating voice, said to a young and pretty <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">femme<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span> de chambre</i>, -who opened the door at the singer’s residence,—</p> - -<p>“I desire to speak to M’lle Adéonne.”</p> - -<p>“If monsieur will wait,” said the girl, showing him into a small -parlor, “I will go and ask madame if she can receive monsieur. Will -monsieur give me his name?”</p> - -<p>“It is useless,” replied the visitor: “your mistress does not know -me. Tell her I come to see her concerning some very important -business.”</p> - -<p>The <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">salon</i> of Adéonne was a very ordinary apartment. Curtains of -blue brocatelle and white muslin hung at the windows. The furniture -included a piano and a centre-table. In a splendid frame, covered -with a bulging glass, were the crowns that an idolizing public had -lavished upon the cantatrice.</p> - -<p>The provincial looked around him in gaping wonder. He had never -seen so much magnificence concentrated in the same small space. He -hardly dared to put his boots upon the flowers in the carpet. With -his hat in his hand, he stood as immovable as a statue. At length -his eyes, which had wandered over every thing, rested on a pastel, -representing Adéonne in a <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">rôle</i> in <cite>Val d’Andore</cite>. The white -cap, the Pyrenean costume, in which<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span> the painter had clothed the -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">artiste</i>, produced a strange effect upon Eusebe.</p> - -<p>During those sleepless nights when he had shaped his fortune -in dreams, his dearest fancy was to behold Adéonne become -his intimate companion, seated beside him under the great -chestnut-trees of the Capelette, or strolling along the road in the -evening, leaning upon his arm. The illusion had sometimes become so -powerful that he had seemed to hear the sweet voice of the singer -trilling the favorite <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">chanson</i> of the country:—</p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Baisse-toi, montagne,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Lève-toi, vallée,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Que je puisse voir<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Ma mie Jeannette.”<br /></span> -</div></div> - -<p>From the song to the national costume there was only the flash of -a desire. Without being absolutely the same, the costume in which -<i>Rose de Mai</i> was clothed had a strong similitude to that of <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">ma -mie Jeannette</i>. The provincial forgot Adéonne. Entirely absorbed in -the dreams which he had cherished for the last two months, his mind -wandered in the sweet fields of revery. It seemed to him that he -had always known her whose image filled his heart.</p> - -<p>A curtain was softly raised, and Adéonne advanced<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span> without Eusebe, -who was lost in contemplation, noticing her. She scrutinized the -stranger for a few seconds, but it seemed as if her survey did not -terminate in fixing her idea of his social position. One moment she -wondered if the peculiar rapt expression of the young man was not -a piece of acting. But the sparkle of his eye, the pallor of his -brow, and the quick beating of his heart revealed to the actress, -accustomed to witnessing acting and to acting herself, a sentiment -profound and sincere.</p> - -<p>“You wish to see me, monsieur,” said she. “What do you require of -me?”</p> - -<p>Eusebe started as if he had been suddenly roused from slumber, and, -in his turn, he looked at Adéonne.</p> - -<p>The cantatrice wore a dress of black satin. A collar and ruffles -of Holland lace were the only addition to this simple costume. Her -luxuriant hair fell, carelessly looped, upon her neck like a river -of gold. Her eyes were large and dark, and her complexion white -even to pallor, and without a rosy tint. Her lips were pale and -bloodless. She was no longer the brilliant <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">artiste</i> whom Eusebe -had so often seen at the theatre. She was beautiful, but more like -a statue than a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span> woman. Eusebe seemed to want words to express -the object of his visit. Adéonne was too much of a woman not to -comprehend the effect she produced. She felt somewhat flattered, -and said, in a softer tone,—</p> - -<p>“May I ask, monsieur, the object of your visit?”</p> - -<p>“Madame,” said Eusebe, stammering and becoming red and pale by -turns, “madame, I wish to purchase you.”</p> - -<p>The peculiar accent and costume of the young man led Adéonne to -suppose Eusebe to be a foreigner. She understood him to propose an -engagement in the line of her profession.</p> - -<p>“I thank you, monsieur, but an engagement of three years binds me -to the theatre in which I am now performing, and I have decided not -to sing in the provinces, much less in a foreign country. I am too -good a patriot for that. I am, however, not the less grateful for -the offers you have come to make. For what city did you wish to -engage me?”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span></p> -<p>“I have evidently not expressed myself clearly, madame, since I see -you do not comprehend me. I do not come to engage you. I come to -purchase you.”</p> - -<p>“For whom?” asked the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">artiste</i>, with disgust.</p> - -<p>“For myself.”</p> - -<p>“If this is done for a wager, monsieur, I find it to be in more -than questionable taste. If it be a jest, I think it very gross and -insulting.”</p> - -<p>“It is neither the one nor the other,” said Eusebe, terrified by -the indignation of the cantatrice.</p> - -<p>“Begone, monsieur!” exclaimed Adéonne, imperiously. “Begone, or -I will have you driven from the house. You have come to insult a -woman, under her own roof, who has never done you wrong. It is -cowardly!”</p> - -<p>“Madame,” cried Eusebe, falling upon his knees,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span> “madame, pity me. I -am not so censurable as I may seem, I assure you. Insult you! Oh, -if you only knew!—I will tell you as soon as these tears cease to -stifle me. Insult you! It is impossible. I do not know how I ought -to speak. You see I am but a poor rustic,—yes, only a rustic. -When you have heard me, you will pardon me,—I know you will. You -can drive me away afterwards, if you please. Give me but a minute: -I will not abuse the privilege. Listen, and then it will not be -necessary to drive me away, for I shall go of my own accord. You -can see that I am not wicked. Others have found me good and mild. -But I am from the country, and there people do not act as they -do in the city. I have come to learn. My father sent me here for -that. For only three months have I been in Paris. About one month -had elapsed when I first saw you. It was on Wednesday: I did not -expect to see you when I went to the theatre. I saw you remove your -mask; and if you only knew what I have felt and suffered since -then. I cannot tell you. It seemed to me that I had never seen but -one woman. I was at once very happy and very miserable. At night I -closed my eyes only to behold you in the dark. When day came again, -you disappeared, and I slept only to forget that I saw you no more. -It was not my fault. I went to the theatre without dreaming of the -consequences. How could I? I did wrong to return every evening; but -I could not help it. Do not drive me away yet.”</p> - -<p>“Continue,” murmured Adéonne.</p> - -<p>“You may imagine that I was happy,—very happy. When I had looked -at you all the evening, I returned home, only to indulge in dreams -the most charming you can conceive. You were born, like me, at -Capelette. When I saw this<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span> portrait in which you appear as a -peasant, I believed that my dreams were to be realized. I fancied -that I arose early in the morning to behold you sleeping. Then I -went to gather flowers to strew the path where you loved to walk. -I said to my father, ‘Father, you wish to know where the true is -to be found. The true is happiness.’ My father called you his -daughter, and thanked you for having brought joy to his household. -In the evening we went to the banks of the river. You sang; and I -was happy. All this seemed like reality, and I felt myself living -with you and for you. I thought I passed entire days by your side. -One day, we were seated on the rock of La Jouve, whence a young -maiden threw herself into the river because the one she loved had -ceased to love her in return. I had a gun with me, and was about to -fire at a bird, when you said, ‘Do not kill it,’ and laid your hand -gently upon my shoulder. I spared the bird, and kissed the spot -where your hand had touched me. You see, I recall all this, yet -know that it was only a dream.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span></p> -<p>“One day, I was in the country with three friends. They succeeded -in wringing my secret from me. Then they censured and mocked me. -They said—they are cowards! Do not force me to repeat what they -said. If you will not pardon me, I will kill them.”</p> - -<p>“Tell me all. My pardon is granted on that condition.”</p> - -<p>“Well, they told me—ah! it is too bad! I repeat it only to be -assured of pardon—for it burns my lips—they told me that you -were a worthless woman, without heart, without soul, a creature -cursed of God, selling yourself to all who would buy. After having -suffered for three days and three nights, I have taken my money and -have come to make the purchase. Pardon me now; for I have told you -all.”</p> - -<p>“You wish to buy me,” said Adéonne, whose countenance had reflected -no emotion whatever during this strange recital: “are you, then, so -rich?”</p> - -<p>“I have here all that I possess,—forty-eight thousand francs.”</p> - -<p>“And you think that for this sum I will give myself to you for -eternity?” said the cantatrice, smiling.</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span></p> -<p>“No; but for a moment I have had the foolish hope that for this -money, and through pity, you would permit me to look at you, to -touch your hand, to hear your voice, and then, at sunset, I would -depart so happy as to bless your memory forever.”</p> - -<p>“What? Only for a day?”</p> - -<p>“Three hours,—two,—one.”</p> - -<p>“On your word?”</p> - -<p>“I have never lied.”</p> - -<p>“Be seated,” said Adéonne, coldly. Then the cantatrice summoned her -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">femme de chambre</i>, to whom she said,—</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span></p> -<p>“Jenny, I am not at home to anybody.”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIV" id="CHAPTER_XXIV"></a>CHAPTER XXIV.</h2> - - -<p>The order given by Adéonne to her <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">femme de chambre</i> had been so -scrupulously observed that up to ten o’clock on the ensuing morning -nobody had succeeded in gaining admittance to the boudoir of the -comédienne.</p> - -<p>Silence and obscurity reigned in the apartment. Long after the sun -had risen, one might have supposed that the night continued, but -for the gleams of light that came through the slight apertures -between the curtains of the windows.</p> - -<p>At length, Adéonne, in the same attire she had worn on the previous -evening, opened, with extreme caution, the door which led from -her chamber to the saloon. She paused at each creak of the lock. -Closing the door with the same care, she traversed, with the -lightness of a sylph, the two rooms which separated her boudoir -from the dining-room. She advanced so noiselessly that her <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">femme -de chambre</i>, who was writing to her lover,—a dragoon of the third -regiment,—did not hear her approach.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span></p> - -<p>“What are you doing there, Jenny?” inquired Adéonne, in a low voice.</p> - -<p>“Madame may see for herself,” replied the girl, quite embarrassed. -“I am writing to my cousin.”</p> - -<p>“To your lover. What does he do?”</p> - -<p>“He is a soldier. We are going to be married.”</p> - -<p>“Why does he not come to see you?”</p> - -<p>“Madame has ordered me not to receive anybody.”</p> - -<p>“I will permit you now.”</p> - -<p>“Madame is very kind.”</p> - -<p>“Soldiers are always honest fellows,” added the cantatrice, as a -reason for making the concession.</p> - -<p>“Madame may be sure that he comes with the best motives.”</p> - -<p>“That is a matter of indifference to me. Get breakfast immediately, -and without noise.”</p> - -<p>Adéonne returned to her boudoir, and applied herself to arranging -her somewhat disordered tresses. When she had succeeded in giving -them the desired contour, she remained pensive, her face supported -by her fair hand. Two or three times she arose as if to go to her -chamber. Once her delicate fingers even touched the door-knob; but -she returned and seated herself again, as though she could not -decide how to proceed. A slight<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span> rustle caused her to start. She -listened attentively. Her bosom heaved with sudden agitation, and a -deadly pallor spread over her countenance. Eusebe partially opened -the door, and, upon perceiving Adéonne, remained motionless.</p> - -<p>“I thought I had been dreaming,” said the provincial.</p> - -<p>Adéonne threw herself upon his neck, and held him long in her -embrace.</p> - -<p>“Come, tell me that you love me, my dear Eusebe,” she murmured, -leading him to the divan; “or, no——tell me nothing. Let me look -at you. Yes: it is, indeed, you. How handsome you are! Say that you -will love me always!”</p> - -<p>“I will,” replied Eusebe. “I would say many things, if I only knew -how; but I cannot find words. I am so ignorant! But I love you very -dearly. I am happy beyond expression.”</p> - -<p>“Listen, my good angel,” she said. “We will never separate. Shall -it not be so? You have nothing to do: you have told me so already. -We will never separate. If you would not remain here, I will -follow wherever you wish to go. If you desire it, I will quit the -theatre,—every thing.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span></p> -<p>“I do not wish you to make any sacrifice for me. That is not -necessary to my happiness.”</p> - -<p>“No sacrifice! I have never clung to any thing, for I have never -had any thing to love: now I must cling to you, for I love you. I -have never had but one dream, and that was to be loved as you love -me. I believed that I should never be thus blessed. I was wrong: -was I not?”</p> - -<p>“Like you, I have a full heart,” replied Eusebe. “I have no words -to express all I feel.”</p> - -<p>“This love, too, will render me good, as well as happy,” said -Adéonne. “I have told my maid that she could receive her lover: -this was prompted by the new feelings kindled in my heart. Thus -good often results from intentions that are evil. If your friends -had not told you that I was a worthless creature, you would not -have ventured to visit me. If you had not come, I should never -have loved anybody. Do not you believe in a good and overruling -Providence, my dear Eusebe?”</p> - -<p>“When I was a child, my mother taught me to pray. Later in life, my -father told me that if any man believed in God, he would do many -things of which he would not otherwise be capable.”</p> - -<p>“Your father, it would seem, is a queer man. But no matter. I love -him because he is your father. He wishes you to be instructed: he -is right. I will teach you life as it is. I know it <span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span>thoroughly. I -have been so unfortunate! We women are wiser than you men: we know -every thing without the process of learning. When I think of your -anxiety to distinguish the false from the true, I could laugh, if I -did not love you so dearly. There is nothing true, my dear Eusebe, -but love!”<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span></p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXV" id="CHAPTER_XXV"></a>CHAPTER XXV.</h2> - - -<p>Eusebe had ample time to meditate upon the aphorism so boldly -announced by Adéonne. For a whole year they lived and loved -together.</p> - -<p>The young provincial had forgotten the great world, which, on its -part, troubled itself but little about him.</p> - -<p>The comédienne loved with all the fire of a passionate nature. But -she experienced another sentiment in harmony with love. The docile -character of Eusebe, and his complete ignorance of life, rendered -Adéonne the arbiter of his destiny, and she, whose past career -had been worse than a blank, was proud to have an acknowledged -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">protégé</i>.</p> - -<p>She did not, however, abuse the ascendency she had obtained. More -than once, upon her knees before Eusebe, she had said,—</p> - -<p>“Oh, how good you are not to wish to be the master!”</p> - -<p>When women who live outside of social laws reach the age of twenty, -they regard humanity with a shrug of the shoulder; they despise -men,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span> because their weaknesses are well known to them. These women -often shed bitter tears, not because they feel their degradation or -their servitude, but because they have not masters more deserving -of respect.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVI" id="CHAPTER_XXVI"></a>CHAPTER XXVI.</h2> - - -<p>Eusebe had deposited his will on the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">étagère</i> of his mistress. -Adéonne regulated his life as the wind blows the leaves that fall -upon a tranquil stream. She made him dress according to her taste, -gave him the books she loved to read, and conversed with him about -every thing that could interest him in the slightest degree. Eusebe -seemed to belong entirely to the cantatrice. This ascendency never -troubled his thoughts. He was happy; and, as he was only twenty-two -years old, he believed in the eternity of this happiness, as -devoted but not pious souls have faith in the eternity of pain.</p> - -<p>This felicity might have endured a long time; for Eusebe, simple -and artless, like the majority of those who have been brought up in -the country, never inquired into Adéonne’s past life, and jealousy -was to him unknown. The infidelity of the cantatrice was alone to -be feared. But Adéonne loved with that sincere <i lang="it" xml:lang="it">furia</i> which is -characteristic of women who reach maturity before<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span> they love at -all. There was, therefore, seemingly nothing that threatened to -disturb the limpidity of these two existences that appeared to flow -in one.</p> - -<p>It was a companion of the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">artiste</i> who, in this instance, was the -grain of sand which changed the current of destiny.</p> - -<p>Marie Bachu was a sort of “double” of Adéonne at the theatre and in -the affections of Fontournay, the former lover of the cantatrice. -On one occasion, thanks to the influence of Fontournay, Marie -obtained what she called a <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">création</i>, a new part in an old work -which had been revised and improved. Adéonne complained to the -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">régisseur-général</i> of the theatre, and declared that under no -pretext whatever would she resign her legitimate rights. Marie -Bachu begged, supplicated, and stormed; but her adversary was -inexorable.</p> - -<p>“Think you,” said Marie, “that I must be forever content with that -which you reject?”</p> - -<p>“Well,” retorted Adéonne, with a wicked allusion to Fontournay, -“you have been trying to accustom yourself to that for a year past: -you ought to have succeeded by this time.”</p> - -<p>The <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">régisseur</i>, who comprehended the force of the retort, burst -into a laugh. This hilarity rendered<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span> the two women still more -determined in their enmity. While the vanity of Adéonne was -flattered, the anger of Marie was rendered still fiercer. Marie -rejoined,—</p> - -<p>“If I have your leavings, it is not your fault.”</p> - -<p>“True,” said Adéonne: “I ordinarily give old things which I can no -longer use to my <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">femme de chambre</i>.”</p> - -<p>“You ought to speak more respectfully of a man who lifted you out -of misery.”</p> - -<p>“That would be contrary to all the ideas acquired through him.”</p> - -<p>“Say, rather, that you are still irritated at his desertion.”</p> - -<p>“<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Ma belle</i>,” said Adéonne, calmly, but with trembling lips,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span> -“do not jest. You know very well that I turned your Fontournay -out-of-doors. You also know that for six months I was so plainly -weary of his company that he thought it a great favor to get a -pleasant look from me. You know this: everybody knows it: so you -must sing another tune. However, I bear no malice. You desire this -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">rôle</i>. Take it; I will resign my claim to it; but, for Heaven’s -sake, do not weary me any more with your ridiculous friend. Leave -me to possess mine in peace. He is as noble as yours is vile, as -young as yours is old, and as handsome as yours is ugly.”</p> - -<p>“<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Mes enfants</i>,” interrupted the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">régisseur</i>, “do not devour each -other entirely: it would be a pity.” He then drew Adéonne aside.</p> - -<p>“Handsome, eh!” murmured Marie Bachu, so that she could be heard. -“That is doubtless the reason why we never see him.”</p> - -<p>On returning home, Adéonne said to Eusebe,—</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span></p> -<p>“This evening, my dear, I wish you to accompany me to the theatre.”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVII" id="CHAPTER_XXVII"></a>CHAPTER XXVII.</h2> - - -<p>Theatrical performers, and operatic <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">artistes</i> above all, dine at -a comparatively early hour. At five o’clock, Adéonne made Eusebe -kneel down before her, while she arranged his hair with the care of -a mother who dresses the hair of her son.</p> - -<p>“These locks are soft and silky, Eusebe,” said she: “do you know -that they are finer than my own?”</p> - -<p>“That only proves that they will not last.”</p> - -<p>“They harmonize well with the hue of your complexion, which people -call olive,—I know not why.”</p> - -<p>“Because olives are green.”</p> - -<p>“You are foolish. I do not want them to mock him whom I love. My -dear, we are going into society. I hope you will be careful how -you talk, or they may take you for a character in a forgotten -vaudeville. Now let me tie your cravat. There! you are charming. -Let us go.”</p> - -<p>The loving couple left the house arm in arm. For about an hour -the cantatrice promenaded with<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span> Eusebe on the Boulevards, where -pedestrians frequently turned to scrutinize this handsome but -somewhat curiously assorted pair.</p> - -<p>“All the ladies are looking at you,” said Adéonne. “I was sure they -would think you handsome.”</p> - -<p>“I also was sure of it,” responded Eusebe, with simplicity, “since -you loved me.”</p> - -<p>The cantatrice looked at her lover with profound tenderness.</p> - -<p>“If you were ugly, I would love you all the same; for no one but -you can say such agreeable things.”</p> - -<p>“What have I said?”</p> - -<p>“You have given expression to the most delightful flattery.”</p> - -<p>“I was not conscious of it.”</p> - -<p>“Fortunately, it was only a compliment.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</a></span></p> -<p>“And the difference?”</p> - -<p>“The difference? There are two kinds of compliments,—those which -are sought for, and those that are offered gratuitously; those -which spring from the heart, and those which come merely from -the lips. The one class are used but once for the being beloved; -the others are employed at all times and by everybody,—they are -current coin, of which men have a full supply.”</p> - -<p>“I comprehend. The poorest may seem to be the richest.”</p> - -<p>“Hold,” said Adéonne, on reaching the Rue Favart. “Do you see that -little window, the third of the first story, above the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">entresol</i>? -That is the window of my <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">loge</i>.”</p> - -<p>“I know it.”</p> - -<p>“Behold, my dear Eusebe, the palace of your beloved,” said Adéonne, -opening the door of her <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">loge</i>. Her smile was checked, and her -countenance wore a troubled expression, as she added, “This is the -laboratory in which we <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">artistes</i> prepare our beauty, our hearts, -our bodies, to please the public, who think, after all, that we -have neither beauty nor heart. It is a sad thought! I had resolved -never to reveal to you the mysteries of our profession, but they -said that you were not handsome. Come, let me embrace you: I have -not loved you here yet.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe looked at Adéonne with surprise. He comprehended neither the -incoherence of her words nor the cause of her agitation. At length -he said,—</p> - -<p>“Something strange affects you,—something that I do not -comprehend.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span></p> -<p>“Leave this place, then. I did wrong to bring you here. It was -vanity, I fear, that prompted me. I scent misfortune in the very -air. We were so happy at home. Go, then, Eusebe, go, if you love -me.”</p> - -<p>“I will do whatever you desire.”</p> - -<p>“I knew you would. I love you so dearly!—if you only knew how -dearly! Jenny will make tea for you. You will read until my return. -I will be home early.”</p> - -<p>A boldly trilled <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">roulade</i> was heard just as Eusebe kissed the hand -of Adéonne and bade her adieu. The cantatrice suddenly detained -him, and said,—</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span></p> -<p>“Since <em>you</em> are there, Eusebe must remain. I have need of you, -dearest. My heart sings false.”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVIII" id="CHAPTER_XXVIII"></a>CHAPTER XXVIII.</h2> - - -<p>The “Opéra Comique” and the “Gymnase Dramatique” possess <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">foyers</i> -of which the prudery has become proverbial. The life of the -vocalist is one of protracted labor, rewarded, however, in a very -liberal style. The comparative prudence of lyric <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">artistes</i> can be -easily explained. They have little leisure, and a great deal of -money to spend. This is why cantatrices more frequently contract -honorable alliances with men of position than other women of the -theatrical world. A faulty construction adds to the dulness of the -evenings spent at the “Opéra Comique.” The <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">foyer des artistes</i> -is small, gloomy, and inconvenient. The visitors are often forced -to talk to themselves,—which is a wearisome occupation. Still, -notwithstanding the seeming dulness of this narrow place, it is -very rare that the evening passes without some incident of an -interesting character occurring there, owing to the peculiarities -of the company assembled.</p> - -<p>In this atmosphere, so novel to him, Eusebe<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span> learned more in one -month than he could have learned elsewhere in ten years.</p> - -<p>Astonishment, doubt, and disenchantment succeeded each other with -desolating rapidity. The first of Eusebe’s sentiments which yielded -to a forced dissection was his love for Adéonne. In proportion as -the affection of the cantatrice was increased by the success of -her lover, whose manly beauty was only equalled by the freshness -of his simplicity, that of the young man diminished before stern -realities, the existence of which he had never before suspected.</p> - -<p>Adéonne prepared her face for the stage by the use of rouge, -powder, &c. Eusebe did not comprehend that the glare of the -footlights rendered this necessary.</p> - -<p>The cantatrice covered her hands, arms, and shoulders with powder. -Eusebe said that she deceived the public; and when she put carmine -on her nails and vermilion on her lips, he shrugged his shoulders.</p> - -<p>“I like you better without all this plaster,” remarked the -provincial.</p> - -<p>“My dear Eusebe,” responded the singer,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span> “I also would prefer to -dispense with it; but it is necessary——”</p> - -<p>“I assure you that without this paint you are a hundred times -handsomer.”</p> - -<p>“That I do not deny; but we cannot do without it.”</p> - -<p>“Why?”</p> - -<p>“Because——”</p> - -<p>“You can give me no good reason. If you love me, go on the stage, -one evening, with your pretty face just as nature made it. You will -see the result.”</p> - -<p>“You do not understand the necessities of the stage.”</p> - -<p>“That is to say that you refuse to grant the first favor I have -ever asked of you.”</p> - -<p>“Absolutely. Embrace me, and be silent.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you: I do not wish to daub my lips.”</p> - -<p>Adéonne went upon the stage with a heavy heart, murmuring,—</p> - -<p>“His love is vanishing.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe, on his part, was very angry, and insisted that Adéonne had -refused to make a very small sacrifice to please him.</p> - -<p>When lovers begin to count the sacrifices refused, and when friends -take account of money loaned each other, love and friendship fly to -regions where hearts are made of more generous stuff.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIX" id="CHAPTER_XXIX"></a>CHAPTER XXIX.</h2> - - -<p>As Eusebe had seen Adéonne from the auditorium, he had thought that -the world did not contain an <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">artiste</i> more marvellously gifted as -a vocalist and comédienne. The hearty applause of the public had -confirmed him in this opinion. But his attendance at the rehearsals -resulted in an entire change of the estimate he had formed. He -had heard Adéonne say, “I am learning my part;” “I am studying my -principal cavatina.” In his simplicity, the provincial thought that -was sufficient. The first time, therefore, he attended a rehearsal, -he was disenchanted.</p> - -<p>The musician who played the accompaniment for Adéonne upon the -piano labored furiously, and occasionally burst forth in angry -exclamations, as follows:—</p> - -<p>“Bah! You have no ear. You have no idea of that piece.”</p> - -<p>“Monsieur,” said Eusebe,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span> “I do not exactly catch the sense of -your words, but it seems to me that you are a little severe with -madame.”</p> - -<p>“I would like to see you in my place, monsieur, forced to go -through the same routine for four months, and at the fifth, when -you think you have finished, discover that your care and labor have -been wasted.”</p> - -<p>“Now, my dear Bruin,” said Adéonne, “do not be ferocious: we will -be very docile.”</p> - -<p>“I am not ferocious. But why the devil does monsieur meddle with -matters that do not concern him?”</p> - -<p>“Do not pay any attention to him. He is not a musician,” responded -the cantatrice.</p> - -<p>After the lesson, Adéonne took Eusebe aside.</p> - -<p>“My dear,” said she, “you do not understand theatrical affairs. We -are going to rehearse on the stage. I beg you will not make any -observation: you would only render yourself ridiculous, and me -also. Go into the auditorium, and be silent.”</p> - -<p>“I will be silent,” responded Eusebe, who seated himself in the -most obscure corner of the auditorium, which seemed to him a vast -tomb.</p> - -<p>“To your places!” cried the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">régisseur</i>. “Attention! Adéonne Pepita -enters. Not there:—from this side. You are to go there.”</p> - -<p>Adéonne commenced:—</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span></p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">“Enfin le jour reluit, Lelio va venir;<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Rien ne saurait le retenir, je pense.<br /></span> -<span class="i1">Le ciel en ce moment commence à s’éclaircir,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Mon cœur joyeux renaît a l’espérance.”<br /></span> -</div></div> - -<p><i>Régisseur.</i>—“No, no: it is not so.”</p> - -<p><i>Adéonne.</i>—“But——”</p> - -<p><i>Régisseur.</i>—“But there are no buts. You say, ‘<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Enfin le jour -reluit</i>.’ You must not look at the auditorium: your eyes ought to -be turned towards the horizon. You continue, ‘<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Lelio va venir</i>.’ -It is requisite that here the most complete satisfaction should -sparkle in your look.”</p> - -<p><i>Adéonne.</i>—“It will sparkle at night.”</p> - -<p><i>Régisseur.</i>—“I know all about that. You <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">artistes</i> always say so, -and at the representation nothing sparkles. As you proceed, you -should look at the skies, instead of your gaiters, as you do.”</p> - -<p><i>Adéonne.</i>—“I cannot recognize the skies of yonder canvas.”</p> - -<p><i>Régisseur.</i>—“That is no reason. But proceed.”</p> - -<p>And so on, through a rehearsal full of vexation for the fastidious -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">régisseur</i> and wearisome practice for Adéonne and the other -performers.</p> - -<p>Eusebe was present every day at these tedious but, to him, -instructive rehearsals. His native<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span> sagacity, the experience he had -already acquired, and his frequent contact with the artistic world, -led him at last to one painful truth. Adéonne was not a great -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">artiste</i>: he had made of her a divinity; she was only an ordinary -woman, who could not even place herself properly on the stage -without special instructions.</p> - -<p>A woman may be loved for three things:—for her superior -intellect,—a love serious, but rare; for her beauty,—a love -vulgar and brief; for the qualities of her heart,—a love lasting, -but monotonous.</p> - -<p>The superiority of Adéonne had vanished. Her beauty remained; but -her lover was accustomed to that. She could still boast of her -heart; but she had either too much or too little of that to retain -her hold upon the affections of Eusebe.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXX" id="CHAPTER_XXX"></a>CHAPTER XXX.</h2> - - -<p>An absurd fashion that prevails behind the scenes gave the -finishing stroke to the provincial’s faltering passion for Adéonne. -Eusebe, being mild and modest in his manners, soon won the general -favor of the people connected with the theatre, who had a pleasant -word for him whenever he made his appearance there. Thus, the -second <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">régisseur</i> never failed to say,—</p> - -<p>“Good-evening, monsieur: allow me to congratulate you. You sang -like an angel the other evening.”</p> - -<p>Some one else would say,—</p> - -<p>“Ah, Monsieur Martin, you ought to be satisfied. They say that your -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">rôle</i> in the new piece is charming.”</p> - -<p>“Monsieur Martin,” said another,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[142]</a></span> “I speak as a friend. Marie Bachu -is striving to injure you in the esteem of the director. She wants -the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">rôle</i> in the new production of Meyerbeer. You know that she is -capable of any thing. Distrust her.”</p> - -<p>An old man, a member of the company, however, did more to irritate -Eusebe than all the rest.</p> - -<p>“M. Eusebe,” said he, “remember that I speak from experience. -Without talent, voice and youth go for nothing. You must not -slumber. If you knew the public as well as I do, you would not -laugh at my prognostications. One fine day a new performer will -appear, and the public will no longer look at you. The management -will follow the whims of the public.”</p> - -<p>The corpulent Fontournay,—the discarded lover of Adéonne,—who -affected an easy indifference in love-affairs, and would not for -any consideration have the world think that he cherished ill -feeling towards his fortunate successor, showered compliments upon -Eusebe, after the style of the following:—</p> - -<p>“My dear sir, your toilet is always superb: it cannot be surpassed.”</p> - -<p>“M. Martin,” said the first <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">régisseur</i>, “you are late: I shall be -compelled to fine you.”</p> - -<p>During his novitiate at the theatre, Eusebe had smiled at this -absurd manner of addressing him, as if he and Adéonne were -identical. But, as he acquired more experience, such remarks -irritated<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</a></span> him. One evening, on returning from the theatre with -Adéonne, he said,—</p> - -<p>“Why are you not an unknown woman,—an unnoticed <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">médiocrité</i>? -Assuredly, I would be happier. My individuality is confounded with -yours; and, though I have no vanity, this practice is extremely -humiliating.”</p> - -<p>“I do not comprehend you. Explain.”</p> - -<p>“I say,” continued Eusebe, “that my nothingness oppresses me. By -your side, I am like the husband of a reigning queen. They do not -address a word to me, except to speak of you. This very evening, -that fat man you call Fontournay told me that <em>I</em> had a pretty -toilet. If a stranger asks who I am, they do not say, ‘That is M. -Martin:’ they answer, ‘That is the lover of Adéonne.’”</p> - -<p>“And does that displease you?”</p> - -<p>“It does not displease me: it makes me sad.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span></p> -<p>“Oh, what a child you are! Of whom do you wish them to speak? They -presume that you love me, and, therefore, speak of me to you. What -is more natural? As to that foolish Fontournay, I forbid your -speaking to him at all.”</p> - -<p>“But it is not he alone who addresses me in this manner. Everybody -does the same, from the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">régisseur</i> to the machinist. If this goes -on, it will be necessary for me to put on an old shawl and bonnet, -and pass for the mother of the actress, like Madame Baudry. I will -become Madame Adéonne <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">la mère</i>.”</p> - -<p>Adéonne was silent. She did not understand the sensitive nature of -Eusebe, and could not prolong the discussion. She finally adopted -the course usually taken by women when they are embarrassed: she -became sad and tender. At length she replied, in a bitter tone,—</p> - -<p>“A shawl and a bonnet will not suffice for that: nothing can -replace the mother one has lost.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe, hearing this cry of the heart, repented of his harshness. -Hardly had he entered the apartment of Adéonne, when he threw -himself upon his knees before her.</p> - -<p>“Forgive me, my darling. I have done wrong, and shown a want of -heart, in awakening a sad remembrance.”</p> - -<p>“No, no,” said Adéonne, untying the ribands of her bonnet: “I said -that as I might have said any thing else. My mother never had any -claim upon my remembrance.”</p> - -<p>On the following morning, at breakfast, Adéonne saw that Eusebe was -sad and gloomy.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[145]</a></span></p> - -<p>“My darling,” said she, “we tire of every thing,—even of -happiness. I think it is time for you to seek some diversion.”</p> - -<p>“I think so too,” responded Eusebe.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[146]</a></span> “This evening I will go and -dine with Clamens.”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXXI" id="CHAPTER_XXXI"></a>CHAPTER XXXI.</h2> - - -<p>Daniel Clamens was a Jew, with a weakness for literature. He was -an intelligent fellow, who knew how to manage his affairs with -tact, so that, though he possessed neither fortune nor talent, he -generally commanded the means of subsistence.</p> - -<p>Clamens had three brothers,—one a composer, another a sculptor, -and a third a painter: he himself was a dramatist. Of the four, -Daniel had the least talent. He had never achieved any remarkable -success. Still, he was very well known,—owing, in a great measure, -to the reputation of his brothers. Eusebe had made the acquaintance -of Clamens at the theatre, and was quite intimate with him. Daniel -was anxious to get Adéonne to personate a character in one of his -productions, and had cultivated her provincial lover with that -object in view. He had often invited Eusebe to dine with him, but -the invitation had never been accepted. When the dramatist saw the -lover of Adéonne actually enter, he uttered an exclamation of joy.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[147]</a></span></p> - -<p>“And do I behold you at last? You do not know how anxious I have -been to see you. Now that you have come, there shall be no peace -until you promise to come again.”</p> - -<p>“I promise,” answered Eusebe. “I will come often. I have need of -some diversion.”</p> - -<p>“You say that, but you will not do it. For the rest, I understand -that you keep your nest. You ought to be very happy.”</p> - -<p>“I was.”</p> - -<p>“Bah! that has not ended?”</p> - -<p>“Not quite.”</p> - -<p>“Has there been a quarrel?” inquired Daniel, quite anxiously.</p> - -<p>“Oh, not at all. Quite the reverse. But it seems that we grow weary -of happiness, as of every thing else, and I have need of some -diversion.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! you frightened and amazed me at the same time. Adéonne is so -charming.”</p> - -<p>“Very charming, indeed,—so charming that for her I have neglected -to follow the counsels of my father,—had even forgotten the object -of my life.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[148]</a></span></p> -<p>“Fortunately, you are young. What career do you design to pursue?”</p> - -<p>“I know not. I wished to study life before deciding; but I have -now been two years at Paris, and I am no more advanced than when -I left my native province. My ignorance and my nothingness are -humiliating. I am ashamed of being of no importance in society, -because I feel that I can be of none.”</p> - -<p>“Life, my dear sir, is not a difficult thing to learn. The trick is -to know its secrets. When one has penetrated them, one has learned -every thing.”</p> - -<p>“Alas!” said Eusebe, “if I have not been sufficiently skilful to -learn life, how could I penetrate its secrets?”</p> - -<p>“With the gimlet of friendship.”</p> - -<p>“A painter, with whom I formerly associated, told me that -friendship no longer existed.”</p> - -<p>“My brother the painter is also of that opinion. I have always -thought that skepticism is developed by the mixing of colors. -Distrust, my dear friend, people who deny the sentiments: such -persons look upon the world through the impure medium of their own -natures.”</p> - -<p>“You do not like your brother, then?”</p> - -<p>“I adore him,” responded the dramatist;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span> “but I do not share his -principles. To prove to you that friendship does exist, I offer you -mine. You wish to know the world,—to study life. Come, and I will -give you the clew. I will be your guide,—your adviser. We will -devote ourselves to social anatomy, and dissect humanity. I will -show you the manner of holding the scalpel.”</p> - -<p>“Let us begin,” said Eusebe, eagerly.</p> - -<p>“One moment,” said his friend. “Before we commence, it is requisite -that I should give you a piece of advice. If you wish to see all, -hear all, and study all, it will be necessary, before setting out, -to pad your elbows, bridle your tongue, and put cotton in your left -ear, so that what enters at the right cannot get out again. And -now,” continued Clamens, with a majestic gesture, “follow me, as is -said in ‘William Tell.’”</p> - -<p>“Where are you going?” asked Eusebe.</p> - -<p>“My friend,” responded the <i lang="it" xml:lang="it">cicerone</i>,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span> “the best way to arrive -<em>anywhere</em> is not to know where you are going.”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXXII" id="CHAPTER_XXXII"></a>CHAPTER XXXII.</h2> - - -<p>“Hold!” said Clamens. “Do you see this expanse of asphaltum, which -extends from where we stand to the Chaussée d’Antin?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” replied Eusebe: “it is the Boulevard des Italiens.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[151]</a></span></p> -<p>“Just so. Well, all humanity is represented in this narrow space, -which is hardly more extensive than your father’s garden. Take a -seat, and observe, and in one hour you will know Paris as well as -if you had made it; and Paris is the universe. The other cities -of the world, such as Bordeaux, Lyons, London, Berlin, Rome, and -St. Petersburg, are rivers for which Paris is the sea. Every -variety of the human species flows hither, to roll and writhe, like -furious waves, in that sublime tempest which we call life. You -wish to investigate this billowy mass. You will find nothing there -but froth and foam, or you will drown yourself for want of that -life-preserver which is called experience.”</p> - -<p>“Better to drown oneself at once than to die of weariness on a -rock whence nothing but a void is visible; but, indeed, it seems to -me we are employing very large words to speak of very small things.”</p> - -<p>“Ah,” rejoined Clamens, “there is nothing insignificant in this -world. A drop of water may save a man; three may kill him; a -hundred will fill a gutter; a thousand will form a rivulet. -Multiply ten times these numbers by themselves, and you will have -a torrent which may inundate France. Men are like drops of water. -Look at them separately, and you see nothing terrible; but when, -by a mysterious free-masonry, they assemble and arrange themselves -according to their vices, their merits, their passions, or their -aspirations, they can convulse society to its very centre.”</p> - -<p>“What is one to do in the midst of such a tumult?” inquired Eusebe.</p> - -<p>“Laugh,” responded the poet; “laugh, so that you may not weep; turn -to account the vices of one class and the virtues of another, and -close your eyes to what the morrow may bring forth.”</p> - -<p>“Admitting the justness of this theory,” said Eusebe,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[152]</a></span> “it seems to -me very difficult to gain a sufficient knowledge of men to enable -one to profit by their merits or weaknesses.”</p> - -<p>“One knows everybody else better than one knows one’s self. Do you -see that gentleman who is walking before us? He is dressed like a -prince, dines at the best tables, and denies himself nothing. Four -years ago, he arrived at Paris in <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">sabots</i>. Now he is in debt for -his boots,—which explains the whole mystery. That fellow would -refuse the pension of a Councillor of State: he gains more by -borrowing.”</p> - -<p>“I understand, then, that he has a confirmed vice. But what -advantage can you draw from his peculiar defect?”</p> - -<p>“I borrow money of him.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe was inclined to think that Clamens was quizzing him, as Paul -Buck had quizzed Bonnaud on the railroad; but the poet did not give -him time to determine whether this suspicion was justifiable.</p> - -<p>“I borrow money of him,” continued Clamens,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span> “and he loans it -because he appreciates better than anybody else the necessity -of having it. Adroit himself in chasing up twenty-franc pieces, -he thinks he has in me a promising pupil. Then his loans to me -serve as an excuse to his conscience. If he strips others, he -considers that I strip him, and, therefore, concludes that, -instead of practising the trade of a sharper, he is only making -an application of the <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">lex talionis</i>. The man is not exactly a -dangerous character; but he has ten thousand <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">confrères</i>, who prey -upon forty thousand fools, and their mode of life operates to the -detriment of a hundred thousand poor devils, who perish from hunger -or find their way to the galleys. I suppose that the term ‘usurer’ -represents to your mind a miserly old man in a brown overcoat and a -black silk cap?”</p> - -<p>“There is in my native province,” replied Eusebe, “an old man named -Gardet, who is said to be very grinding on the poor who borrow -money from him; and it is a fact that this creature is attired -nearly as you say, with the exception of the black silk cap. In a -number of books that I have read during the past two years, the -usurer is always described as dressed in that style.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154]</a></span></p> -<p>“It is an error. Now-a-days, the evil-doer is young. That is one of -the most curious characteristics of our age. The young men gamble -at the Bourse, while the old devote their attention to trade. The -young men keep the women; the old conceal themselves in their -closets. It is a sad thing to contemplate; but such is nevertheless -the case. <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Revenons à nos moutons.</i> Those two young dandies before -us, who balance their canes with such an air, count hardly fifty -years between them; yet they are the most unmerciful Jews in Paris.”</p> - -<p>“But,” interrupted Eusebe, “I thought you were a Jew.”</p> - -<p>“I am an Israelite,” responded Clamens, rather hastily,—“which is -not at all the same thing. Such as you see them, that fashionable -youth and his dazzling friend have ruined many people. At this -moment, they are not merely promenading, as you might perhaps -suppose: they are seeking custom. Have you need of money?”</p> - -<p>“My friend,” said Eusebe, “you know that I am quite a barbarian, -and ignorant of many features of Parisian life. Do me the favor, -then,—if I do not try your patience,—to define more exactly the -profession of these men.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[155]</a></span></p> -<p>“That is easy enough. These fellows have comprehended the fact that -the want of money is the complaint of almost everybody, and they -have undertaken to supply the needful by founding a loan-and-trust -company,—which would be quite philanthropic if the premium were -not cent. per cent. For example: they loan on security five hundred -francs for six months; at the expiration of that time they receive -one thousand for their five hundred.”</p> - -<p>“Why a thousand?”</p> - -<p>“For the interest of the money advanced for six months.”</p> - -<p>“If they make that much, they ought to lend the money for a year: -they would then have no need to give any at all.”</p> - -<p>“An original idea! I must communicate it to them.”</p> - -<p>“You know these persons, then?”</p> - -<p>“They are my friends.”</p> - -<p>“You astonish me!”</p> - -<p>“Let us understand each other. I am not <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">procureur-impérial</i>. Their -conduct does not concern me. Let them continue to dupe fools: that -is an affair between their consciences and human stupidity. For -myself, I have always found them very agreeable: they have often -proved serviceable in lending me money.”</p> - -<p>“At cent. per cent.?”</p> - -<p>“At nothing per cent.”</p> - -<p>“Then they are not such usurers as you wish to represent.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[156]</a></span></p> -<p>“They go further in that direction than I care to say; but not -with me. Why? The day is approaching when their fortunes will -be made. They will abandon their business, keep their carriages, -maintain mistresses, marry heiresses, and endeavor to make a figure -in society. But there is one thing they cannot purchase,—social -esteem. They count upon me to help them in that particular and set -them in a favorable light before the public.”</p> - -<p>“Sad! sad!” murmured Eusebe.</p> - -<p>“No matter: such is the world.”</p> - -<p>“Well, then I would rather not make its acquaintance,” rejoined -Eusebe.</p> - -<p>“You are wrong. You ought to learn many curious things which it is -important that you should know. The first thing to do is to learn -the vices of the times, so as to be able to avoid them.”</p> - -<p>“I would prefer knowing what they are to scrutinizing them too -closely,” responded the provincial.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[157]</a></span> “A thousand thanks to you, my -dear Clamens, for wishing to be my guide. But I feel that I am too -feeble to seek an object by paths so perilous. You know the mud of -all the ruts, the briers of all the bushes: you will reach your -object, no doubt. But what could I do, simple and artless as I am, -pursuing such dangerous ways? Let each one take his own road. You -may advance, confident of the future; I will return to the joys I -already know.”</p> - -<p>“What do you call your joys?”</p> - -<p>“The woman I love, and the poets of whom I spoke to you last -evening.”</p> - -<p>“Alas! my friend,” said Clamens,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span> “such joys will not last. Woman -is a bell that will not always ring. As to the poets, their charms -will not prove so enduring as those of your mistress,—since we -have but three. The most bitter sadness characterizes these three -great geniuses. The first died out of heart: he will dishearten -you. The second lived in exile, where every thing was mournful. -The third, disgusted with the ingratitude of his contemporaries, -imposed silence upon the harmonious orchestra of his soul, to sit -down, in despair, by the wayside, and play the clarionet.”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXXIII" id="CHAPTER_XXXIII"></a>CHAPTER XXXIII.</h2> - - -<p>The two friends walked on a long time in silence. Clamens, rather -disappointed by the provincial’s obstinate peculiarities, said -to himself, “Eusebe is a simpleton.” On his part, the provincial -reflected, “Daniel is a sage.” And, as they were both profoundly in -error, each remained convinced that he had hit upon the truth. At -the moment of separation, Daniel said to his refractory pupil,—</p> - -<p>“I will see you again, my friend. At a later day you will regret -that you have not heeded my counsel. Do not forget, however, that I -am always ready to resume my course of instruction.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you,” responded Eusebe. “Your goodness touches me nearly, -and——” The remainder of the sentence was lost in a sudden murmur.</p> - -<p>Dropping the hand of his friend, young Martin passed rapidly on to -where a group of young men were seated before the door of the Café -Tortoni.</p> - -<p>“What is the matter?” asked Daniel, who followed him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Do you not hear?” said Eusebe, apparently agitated.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” said one of the young men; “Adéonne is a fascinating -creature. During the week that I have enjoyed her acquaintance, I -have been able to comprehend the desperate love that has inspired -that old fool Fontournay.”</p> - -<p>“Did you say, monsieur,” demanded Eusebe, pale and trembling, “that -you have lived with Adéonne for a week?”</p> - -<p>“I have said what I pleased,” haughtily responded the young man. “I -do not know that I am accountable to you for what I say.”</p> - -<p>“I ask nothing of you,” rejoined Eusebe. “I only wish you to repeat -your words, in order that I may tell you that you lie. If you do -not repeat your words, it is of no consequence. I say that you have -lied.”</p> - -<p>And, taking Clamens by the arm, the indignant provincial moved away.</p> - -<p>“This is a bad business,” said the poet.</p> - -<p>“Why?”</p> - -<p>“You will soon see.”</p> - -<p>At this moment a young man of irreproachable elegance advanced to -the lover of Adéonne.</p> - -<p>“Monsieur,” said he to Eusebe, saluting him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[160]</a></span> with exquisite -politeness, “my friend the Count de la Soulaye deputes me to remind -you that you have given him the lie in public, and have omitted to -leave your card.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe was about to reply, when Clamens stepped before him. -“Monsieur,” said the poet, “oblige me by giving my address to M. de -la Soulaye. My friend M. Eusebe Martin, of the Capelette, in the -fury of anger, has forgotten to leave his card. Here is mine. Until -to-morrow at noon we shall be at your disposal.”</p> - -<p>“I thank you,” said the young man, exchanging cards with the -dramatist; and then, bowing politely, he rejoined his friends.</p> - -<p>“And now,” said Eusebe, “will you tell me, my good Clamens, what -this exchange of cards signifies?”</p> - -<p>“Alas! It means that you will fight M. de la Soulaye to-morrow.”</p> - -<p>“I fight? How?”</p> - -<p>“With swords, sabres, or pistols, as he may see fit. He has the -choice of weapons, since you gave the insult.”</p> - -<p>“For Heaven’s sake, my friend, do not mock me!”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[161]</a></span></p> -<p>“Nothing can be more serious. Unfortunately, I am not joking,” -replied Clamens, sadly. “I foresaw that you would do something of -which you knew not the consequences. Now that the evil is done, -there is no help for it: you must fight: the laws of honor, or -rather the laws of society, oblige you to do so.”</p> - -<p>“What!” exclaimed Eusebe, with vehemence; “I encounter in my walk a -wretch who slanders in the most infamous style a woman whom I love -and whom I had quitted but a moment previous. I could pulverize -this fellow with my fists, but refrain, because his shameful -conduct awakens only contempt. I am content to tell him that he -lies. And now I am forced to fight with this infamous scoundrel, -and, as you say, to put myself at his disposal, and accept the -weapons with which he is familiar, but which I have never used! -Really, this cannot be so! it is barbarous!”</p> - -<p>“But it is so, my dear fellow. I repeat, the laws of honor are -inflexible.”</p> - -<p>“The laws of honor! What honor? It is not I who have broken these -laws, if any such exist: he is the guilty party.”</p> - -<p>“Listen, Eusebe,” rejoined Clamens, gravely.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[162]</a></span> “You have defended -the reputation of Adéonne; and in so doing you have acted nobly, -not only because she is your mistress, but because she is a -noble creature who loves you with all her heart. Yes, you have -acted nobly. I also am convinced that La Soulaye has lied like a -pickpocket. But in telling him so you did him an injury for which -he has a right to demand reparation in the field. If you refuse to -fight, you will be regarded as a coward, and the world will believe -that he has truth and right on his side. I have made myself your -second in this affair. I do not regret the step thus taken, and, if -you refuse to fight, I will take your place.”</p> - -<p>“Why so?”</p> - -<p>“The laws of honor force me to do so.”</p> - -<p>“I will fight,” said Eusebe, resolutely;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[163]</a></span> “but may the devil fly -away with me if I can comprehend what you call the laws of honor!”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXXIV" id="CHAPTER_XXXIV"></a>CHAPTER XXXIV.</h2> - - -<p>After a long discussion, during which Clamens talked a great deal -and Eusebe comprehended very little, the necessity for securing -another second for the duel occurred to them, and the provincial -started to hunt up his old friend Paul Buck, the painter. Paul -had broken up his modest establishment some time previous, and it -was not without extreme difficulty and much wearisome search that -Eusebe found him, located in a wretched garret in the Rue Neuve -Coquenard.</p> - -<p>Alas! Paul Buck was sadly changed. He was no longer the joyous -artist with a contented heart and merry countenance. His woebegone -features, neglected hair, ragged garments, and ventilated boots -made him a sorry shadow of his former self.</p> - -<p>“Ah!” he exclaimed, upon seeing Eusebe, “I was thinking of you this -morning. I said to myself, ‘If I knew the address of the barbarian, -I would go to him and borrow ten francs?’”</p> - -<p>“Here are twenty,” said Eusebe.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[164]</a></span> “Are you ill?”</p> - -<p>“Not at all. You find me much changed, do you not?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“It is from grief.”</p> - -<p>“Have you been unfortunate?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“The cause? You have talent, love art, and are persevering.”</p> - -<p>“As for talent, I no longer possess it. Art I despise, since I see -fame bestowed upon fellows without merit. As for my strength, it -vanished with Virginie,—a girl who left me to follow a waiter of a -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">café</i>.”</p> - -<p>“Did you love the girl?” asked Eusebe, with an air of surprise.</p> - -<p>“She was all that remained to console me. There is no denying that -I was attached to her. But, tell me, how do you come on?”</p> - -<p>“I fight to-morrow.”</p> - -<p>“Ah!”</p> - -<p>Eusebe then related to his friend all that had occurred to him -since they had seen one another. At the conclusion, he said,—</p> - -<p>“Well, what do you think of the affair?”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[165]</a></span></p> -<p>“I think you have done right to come in search of me, and that you -acted bravely in giving the lie to this gentleman of the card. But -it is quite possible, nevertheless, that he spoke the truth.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe became pale, and Paul continued:—</p> - -<p>“You see, women are very strange creatures. Why may not Adéonne -have deceived you for the sake of a count, since Virginie has -deceived me for the sake of a waiter?”</p> - -<p>“Adéonne has too much heart for that.”</p> - -<p>“Mon Dieu! It is always the woman who has too much heart who -experiences the need of sharing it. Do you know how to shoot?”</p> - -<p>“No.”</p> - -<p>“You are not afraid, I hope?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” replied Eusebe, “I am afraid,—very much afraid.”</p> - -<p>“It is not possible!” exclaimed Buck, dropping his pipe: “you -mistake your own nature.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[166]</a></span></p> -<p>“No: I know what I say. I have no fear of being wounded, or of -being forced to suffer pain: I have none of that ignoble shrinking -from danger which characterizes cowards. Yet I fear to die while -still so young: I fear to die and leave Adéonne, whom I love. I -fear to die without having seen my father and the dear old trees of -the Capelette once more. For the last two hours, the thought that -I may be slain to-morrow has given me a fit of home-sickness. I -no longer seek to read the future. My eyes are turned to the past, -where it seems to me I have never known any thing but happiness. -The most humble creatures for whom I have cherished affection -appear to have taken a firmer hold upon my heart. There remain to -me, perhaps, not more than fifteen hours of life. I would give -seven of them to once more behold big Katy, a peasant who nursed me -when an infant, and to embrace my poor dog Medor, who is blind.”</p> - -<p>“Bah! All will go well,” said Paul. “Courage! You can count upon -my services. To-morrow, at the hour indicated, I will visit your -friend Clamens.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe shook the hand of the painter, and departed. Paul, as soon -as he found himself alone, thus soliloquized:—</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[167]</a></span></p> -<p>“Poor fellow! He is right. <a name="Err1" id="Err1"></a>It is hard to die at his age, when one -has so many reasons to regret life. But who says he will die? It -is hardly probable. If he should escape with a wound, he can go -see his father and the dear old trees again, and continue to love -his mistress. My father, now, is dead. When he was alive, we never -had any other trees than those of the road. My mistress has fled. -I do not possess even an old blind dog; and—I have just broken my -pipe.”</p> - -<p>And then, as the painter’s eyes fell upon the piece of gold left by -Eusebe, he exclaimed,—</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[168]</a></span></p> -<p>“However, I have no right to complain while I possess twenty -francs,—the means to live well for one day, or to keep me from -starving for at least two weeks.”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXXV" id="CHAPTER_XXXV"></a>CHAPTER XXXV.</h2> - - -<p>As chance or destiny would have it, four persons met at the -lodgings of Clamens, whose opinions in regard to the approaching -duel were widely different. (These were the four individuals who, -according to the French code, acted as “seconds” for Eusebe and his -antagonist.)</p> - -<p>Paul Buck contended, with the utmost simplicity, that the duel was -a piece of stupidity.</p> - -<p>Daniel Clamens maintained that such combats were a necessary evil.</p> - -<p>The Commandant de Vic, who was the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">premier témoin</i> (principal -second) of the Count de la Soulaye, affirmed that the duel was the -judgment of God.</p> - -<p>As for M. de Buffières, the young gentleman who had exchanged cards -with Clamens, he confessed that his opinion was governed by the -laws and customs of society.</p> - -<p>Notwithstanding the disparity of their ideas, the quartette soon -came to an understanding. Only one—Paul Buck—thought of extending -the olive-branch of peace.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[169]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Messieurs,” said the painter, “I believe that, as the honor of -our principals is not in peril, our duty dictates that we should -arrange this foolish difficulty.”</p> - -<p>“Monsieur,” replied M. de Buffières, “we—that is, myself and -the Commandant de Vic—are not authorized to entertain such a -proposition from anybody.”</p> - -<p>“You are perfectly free to listen or not, messieurs, and I am just -as free to make known my impressions. If I speak, it is not idly, -but because I feel that I am in some measure responsible for the -lives of two men, one of whom is my friend. If any thing serious -should occur, I wish to enjoy my rest afterwards.”</p> - -<p>“If speaking will insure you easy slumbers hereafter, proceed.”</p> - -<p>“If I seek to insure the tranquillity of my nights,” said the -artist, “it is because, up to the present, my days have not been -too happy. Come, gentlemen, let us talk little, but let us speak to -the point. We ought to be able to come to an understanding. I am -certain that each of us regrets what has occurred.”</p> - -<p>“Certainly,” rejoined the Commandant de Vic.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[170]</a></span> “As for myself, I have -been engaged in ten duels, and am not yet dead. Nevertheless, I -never take pleasure in seeing two men cross swords with a deadly -purpose. I will even go further, and say that the spectacle is very -disagreeable to me. But, you know, there are circumstances—you -understand me.”</p> - -<p>“Youth must be broken in,” observed Clamens, humorously, which -caused M. de Buffières to smile. Paul Buck thought this a favorable -moment for renewing his attempt at reconciliation.</p> - -<p>“After all, to what does this affair amount? Nothing. A young -gentleman, jesting with his friends, boasts of possessing a woman -to whom he has never spoken,—at least so we are assured; the real -proprietor of the lady overhears this vaunt, and tells the young -boaster that he has spoken falsely: that seems rather rough. But, -between ourselves, what else could he have done? He could not very -well invite the young gentleman to dinner. Well, then, let M. de -la Soulaye, who, I am sure, is a man of courage, acknowledge that -he was wrong, and let the affair drop. Parbleu! We do not seek the -life of the offender.”</p> - -<p>“You forget,” said M. de Buffières,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[171]</a></span> “that it is the man who gave -the insult, and not the one who was insulted, who ought to make -the apology.”</p> - -<p>“There is another way,” resumed the painter, “of terminating this -absurd difficulty. Let M. de la Soulaye prove that he spoke the -truth when he referred to the lady. We will prevent our friend from -fighting for a woman who is not worth the trouble.”</p> - -<p>“M. de la Soulaye,” replied the commandant, “will prove all that -is required, after he has obtained reparation for the outrage -perpetrated upon him.”</p> - -<p>“Precisely so,” added M. de Buffières.</p> - -<p>“If,” continued Paul, “by an unfortunate chance, M. de la Soulaye -should kill M. Martin, or M. Martin should kill M. de la Soulaye, -would that prove that the one did wrong, or that the other lied? Or -would the reputation of Adéonne be in the least benefited?”</p> - -<p>“Probably not,” said M. de Buffières, dryly.</p> - -<p>Paul Buck, seeing that his efforts to effect a reconciliation would -be fruitless, withdrew to a corner, and seemed absorbed in thought. -At length, M. de Vic arose and said,—</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[172]</a></span></p> -<p>“Well, is it understood? To-morrow, at seven o’clock, at the Pecq, -Avenue de la Grotte; each to bring swords.”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXXVI" id="CHAPTER_XXXVI"></a>CHAPTER XXXVI.</h2> - - -<p>Paul and Clamens conducted Eusebe to a <a name="Err2" id="Err2"></a>renowned <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">maître d’armes</i>, -named Grisier, or Gate-chair.</p> - -<p>“Professor,” said Clamens, “I have the honor to introduce to -you one of my best friends, M. Eusebe Martin, who is to fight -to-morrow, and who does not know how to hold a sword. I have -persuaded him that you will be kind enough to give him the benefit -of your valuable counsel.”</p> - -<p>“I can give him only one piece of advice,” replied the professor; -“and that is, not to kill himself. I tender him that, with all my -heart: it is all I can do for him.”</p> - -<p>“How? Do you mean to say that you cannot teach him how to make some -passes with the weapon?”</p> - -<p>“Fencing is not to be learned in an hour.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[173]</a></span></p> -<p>“Doubtless; but are there not some special mysteries of the art in -which you can instruct him?”</p> - -<p>“All the movements are mysteries to one who does not know how to -parry them.”</p> - -<p>“But can you not at least show my friend the manner of putting -himself on guard? He is to fight with a man of the world, and he -ought to be able to show that he knows as well how to kill as to -live.”</p> - -<p>“That is easy enough,” said the professor. “I am at your disposal.”</p> - -<p>The professor then put Eusebe in position, explained to him how -to hold his weapon, how to make passes, how to break the force of -a stroke, and many other things pertaining to the art of fencing. -The quickness with which Eusebe comprehended the demonstrations and -followed the instructions, as well as his graceful attitude and -manly vigor, excited the interest of the professor. Eusebe thanked -him, and was about to withdraw, when the master of the sword -recalled him.</p> - -<p>“Resume your guard,” said he,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[174]</a></span> “and listen to me attentively. In -order to give you a correct idea of duelling, I am going to charge -upon you with this sword, which, you see, is very sharp. Observe -my movements, and endeavor to parry; for, while I am sure of not -giving you dangerous thrusts, the vigor of my attack, or your lack -of skill, may result in your receiving some severe scratches. Now -protect yourself.”</p> - -<p>The professor suddenly precipitated himself upon Eusebe with -extreme violence. His sword menaced the breast of the young -man, who, however, retreated and parried so adroitly as not to -be touched. The professor stopped as soon as the provincial -had reached the wall. Eusebe was perfectly calm. The professor -scrutinized him closely, and, seeing his entire self-possession, -said,—</p> - -<p>“That will do, monsieur: you will return from the field, I promise -you.”</p> - -<p>“God grant that I may!” solemnly responded Eusebe.</p> - -<p>On the following day the three friends were the first to reach the -appointed rendezvous. A convenient spot was chosen, the swords were -measured, and the Commandant de Vic pronounced the word “Go!”</p> - -<p>Eusebe attacked his adversary furiously. Surprised by a vigor -which he had by no means anticipated, and not recognizing in the -passes of the provincial any of those movements usually taught -in the schools of fencing, the count manifested an embarrassment -which only served to encourage Eusebe. Suddenly M. de la Soulaye -was touched in the hand. The seconds immediately interposed, and -Clamens hastily cried,—</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[175]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Messieurs, the combat is finished.”</p> - -<p>“How so?” inquired Eusebe.</p> - -<p>“Honor has been satisfied,” responded the Commandant de Vic.</p> - -<p>The young provincial thought that this honor was not difficult to -satisfy; but he said nothing, and, in company with his two friends, -took the road back to Paris.</p> - -<p>Eusebe thought proper not to say a word about this affair to her -who had been the involuntary cause of the quarrel. In this matter -his native delicacy served him admirably. Adéonne would have thrown -herself upon her knees and implored him not to fight, or she would -have turned him out-of-doors if he had refused.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[176]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXXVII" id="CHAPTER_XXXVII"></a>CHAPTER XXXVII.</h2> - - -<p>About three-quarters of an hour after the combatants had quitted -the Bois du Vésinet, two gendarmes arrived in the Avenue de la -Grotte. They looked about them for a moment, and their attitude -betokened disappointment.</p> - -<p>“We have arrived too late,” said one.</p> - -<p>“I doubt it,” rejoined the other.</p> - -<p>“Good gentlemen, charity, if you please; for the love of God and -the Holy Virgin, a little charity, if you please,” murmured a -dolorous voice.</p> - -<p>“Brigadier, suppose we seek information of the beggar.”</p> - -<p>“It is our duty to push our inquiries to the furthest limit.”</p> - -<p>“That is also my way of doing business, if I may say so without -offence to you.”</p> - -<p>“Ho! woman!” cried the first officer, addressing an old woman as -wrinkled as a dried pear, “didn’t you see two men pass this way?”</p> - -<p>“I could not see any such persons,” responded the beggar,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[177]</a></span> “because -I could not see any thing, having been blind for now twenty years; -for twenty years I have been deprived of the light of heaven.”</p> - -<p>“Ah! that alters the case.”</p> - -<p>“I have not seen them; but, my good sir, I certainly heard them.”</p> - -<p>“Then they have gone this way?”</p> - -<p>“They have gone and returned. By this time they ought to be in -Paris, for they arrived in time for the train.”</p> - -<p>The gendarmes expressed their disappointment in the phraseology -peculiar to their calling.</p> - -<p>“My good woman,” said one, “you can perhaps give us some -information. Speak without fear.”</p> - -<p>The gendarme spoke majestically, as the representative of the law.</p> - -<p>“There were seven in the party of young gentlemen,—three on one -side and four on the other.”</p> - -<p>“How do you know there were seven?” inquired the officer.</p> - -<p>“Because they stopped to give me a little charity. Five gave me -something. Of the two others, one said, ‘I have no money,’ and the -other, ‘I am not superstitious.’”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[178]</a></span></p> -<p>“How do you know they were young?”</p> - -<p>“Because they walked quickly; and, you see, when one is old, one is -not in a hurry to die.”</p> - -<p>“How? to die?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; since they came to fight.”</p> - -<p>“Who told you that?”</p> - -<p>“I learned that from their alms. Four of them gave me twenty sous -each. They supposed that bit of charity would bring good luck -to their friends. The fifth, a fine young man, who was going to -fight, gave me a five-franc piece. One is generous when one is -either very unfortunate or very fortunate, when one weeps or when -one laughs. The sixth said, ‘I have no money:’ he was the surgeon. -The doctors never give any thing to beggars, because it is of no -importance to them whether we live or die. The seventh said, ‘It is -a superstition:’ he is the one who committed the wrong.”</p> - -<p>“Of course,” said one of the gendarmes, laughing, “you think -the one who gave you the five-franc piece was in the right. I -understand that.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[179]</a></span></p> -<p>“You do not understand it at all, my dear sir, I can assure you. I -understand it, I do. I have seen so many persons pass here on their -way to fight. Those who have not the right on their side never give -any thing, not on account of their avarice, but because they know -very well that it is not with a hundred sous they can turn aside -the hand of God.”</p> - -<p>“Well?”</p> - -<p>“They did not go very far into the woods, for they did not remain -more than ten minutes. They fought with swords, for I did not hear -any pistol-shots. They returned, without either party being badly -wounded.”</p> - -<p>“Until now, your sagacity has not been at fault,” said one of the -officers. “But how do you know that the wound was slight?”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[180]</a></span></p> -<p>“Ah, my son, I am quite certain of what I tell you. If the wound -had been dangerous, they would have given me much greater alms upon -their return.”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXXVIII" id="CHAPTER_XXXVIII"></a>CHAPTER XXXVIII.</h2> - - -<p>Eusebe had forgotten this “adventure,” as the Commandant de -Vic would have called it, when, one morning, Adéonne, pale and -trembling, embraced him tenderly, and handed him a document bearing -an official stamp.</p> - -<p>“You have fought, my dear Eusebe,” she cried, “you have fought, and -you have not told me!”</p> - -<p>“It is true.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, it was wrong, very wrong, not to tell me!”</p> - -<p>“What is this paper?”</p> - -<p>“Read!”</p> - -<p>The document was a “summons,” in which the sieur Eusebe Martin, -perpetrator of sundry strokes and wounds on the person of the sieur -Ravaud, calling himself De la Soulaye, &c. &c. was summoned to -appear on the following Wednesday before Monsieur De la Varade, -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">juge d’instruction</i>, at Versailles. It was also set forth that, in -default of his appearance at the time specified, a warrant would be -issued for his arrest.</p> - -<p>Eusebe took the official document to Clamens,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</a></span> for the purpose of -asking an explanation. The dramatist reassured him, saying that he -also had been summoned, but that the affair was of no importance.</p> - -<p>“We will be sentenced to pay a few hundred francs as a fine, and to -spend a few months in prison: that’s all. Do not alarm yourself.”</p> - -<p>“So!” said Eusebe, “a fellow is pleased to slander a lady; I have -risked my life against his, when I ought to have simply strangled -him; and now it is necessary that I should pay a fine and be -subjected, with you and Paul, to imprisonment!”</p> - -<p>“All very natural,” replied the poet.</p> - -<p>“But he will be condemned also, I hope?” said Eusebe, with some -vehemence of tone.</p> - -<p>“Not at all. He will be acquitted,—first, because he was insulted, -and second, because he has suffered at your hands.”</p> - -<p>“But if I had killed him?”</p> - -<p>“As the combat was honorably conducted, we should have been -exonerated from all blame.”</p> - -<p>“Ah!” exclaimed Eusebe,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[182]</a></span> “my father said wisely that we should never -do things by halves.”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXXIX" id="CHAPTER_XXXIX"></a>CHAPTER XXXIX.</h2> - - -<p>On the appointed Wednesday, Eusebe, Daniel Clamens, and Paul Buck -arrived at Versailles. As the hour fixed for the hearing had not -yet come, the three friends took a stroll through the city before -repairing to the court-room.</p> - -<p>“Is that what you call the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Palais de Justice</i>?” inquired Eusebe, -pointing to a building of rather pitiful appearance.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” responded Clamens.</p> - -<p>“You said to me, on the way,” rejoined the lover of Adéonne, -“that justice was the first of established powers. One could have -very little reason to question that, if he compared the palace of -justice with that of a king.”</p> - -<p>“We have in France,” said Paul, “but ten palaces for kings, while -for justice there are more than five hundred, in which she condemns -more in a day than a monarch could pardon in a year.”</p> - -<p>“Fortunately for society, messieurs,” said the Commandant de Vic, -who had just arrived, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[183]</a></span> who was followed by MM. de la Soulaye -and de Buffières.</p> - -<p>The first step Justice takes in the punishment of duellists is -to bring them together in her ante-chamber. But for the profound -respect the French profess for her, conflicts might be renewed -there. It is true, nevertheless, that the custom, which might be -attended with grave consequences, has often a wholesome effect. -Adversaries often shake hands at the moment they are about to -appear before the judge.</p> - -<p>M. de la Soulaye, perceiving the lover of Adéonne, saluted him -courteously, and offered his hand.</p> - -<p>Eusebe bowed, but did not respond to the advance made by his late -antagonist.</p> - -<p>“Monsieur,” said the Commandant de Vic, frowning, “I have the honor -to call your attention to the fact that M. de la Soulaye offers you -his hand.”</p> - -<p>“I do not wish to offer him mine,” replied Eusebe, “and am sorry -that you compel me to say so.”</p> - -<p>The officer, fired by this curt repulse, advanced, as if he -meditated a quarrel; but M. de Buffières restrained him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[184]</a></span></p> - -<p>“You are too condescending, commandant,” said the latter, “in -paying any attention to this rustic.”</p> - -<p>On their part, Paul Buck and Daniel Clamens reproached Eusebe with -his want of courtesy.</p> - -<p>At this moment, three gendarmes entered, escorting three men with -villainous countenances, who were seated near the actors in the -duel at Peck.</p> - -<p>“What!” exclaimed Eusebe; “you wish to persuade me that I would act -like a well-bred man in giving my hand to a rogue who has slandered -a lady, who has tried to kill me, and, in addition, is the cause -of our being brought to this disagreeable place, here to await -condemnation, in company with three thieves? I cannot credit such -a monstrosity of meanness; and I would rather pass for the worst -blackguard in the world than touch a finger of the villain.”</p> - -<p>MM. de la Soulaye, de Vic, and de Buffières were first called into -the presence of the magistrate, who kept them away for nearly three -hours.</p> - -<p>Eusebe bit his nails with fierce impatience during this vexatious -delay. Clamens, pencil in hand, occupied himself in composing -couplets upon the incidents in which he had recently figured. Paul<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[185]</a></span> -Buck speculated with one of the gendarmes on the philosophy of -history.</p> - -<p>“Monsieur,” said one of the thieves to Eusebe, “won’t you please -to give me a little tobacco? I have not smoked for more than four -months.”</p> - -<p>“I have no tobacco,” responded Martin, “but I have some cigars, -which, if these gentlemen will permit me, I will give you -willingly.”</p> - -<p>“Give them to him, if you wish,” said one of the gendarmes. “It -ought not to be allowed; but”——and the officer shrugged his -shoulders.</p> - -<p>The three young men then emptied their cigar-cases, and slipped -some money into the hands of the malefactors. The ice was broken.</p> - -<p>“Why were you arrested?” asked Paul Buck of a thief who had just -been gladdened with three cigars and two francs.</p> - -<p>“Oh, I have been jugged by mistake,” replied the bandit, with a -voice of sinister tone.</p> - -<p>“It was the seventh time that Justice was deceived in your case,” -dryly observed a gendarme.</p> - -<p>“As for the other times,” rejoined the rogue,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[186]</a></span> “I have nothing to -say; but for this, as true as you are an honest man, monsieur, I am -innocent. I didn’t do it.”</p> - -<p>“If it was not you, it was your brother,” said the gendarme, -sententiously.</p> - -<p>“By my faith,” said the man, “that’s worth thinking of: it might be -so. I will just mention that to the judge.”</p> - -<p>“And you,” said Eusebe to a second rogue, “are you also charged -with robbery?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, monsieur.”</p> - -<p>“Who or what could have led you to rob?”</p> - -<p>“You shall hear. My story is a very simple one. I was only nineteen -years old when I fell in love with a young girl residing in my -native province. One day she asked me to bring her some flowers; it -was the day after the festival of Sainte-Marie, and she wished to -cover the altar with flowers, so that the Blessed Virgin would be -favorable to us. Her parents troubled themselves but little about -our union. I had neither garden nor flowers. Night came, and I took -a stroll. When all the village was sound asleep, I reached the wall -of a garden adjoining that of the Maire——”</p> - -<p>“Robbery, with escalade, at midnight, in an inhabited house: five -years in irons,” interrupted a gendarme.</p> - -<p>“That is the penalty,” resumed the bandit;<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[187]</a></span> “but as I was young, -had good antecedents, and the booty was only a few roses, which, -sooner or later, would have been offered to the Virgin, I was let -off with imprisonment for three years. When the term of my sentence -expired, I found my mistress a wife. While in prison I had learned -the theory of crime; and, as I was now an outcast on account of -having been a convict, I was forced to commence its practice.”</p> - -<p>“And you, old fellow,” demanded Clamens of the third criminal, “why -did you steal?”</p> - -<p>“From taste,” was the laconic reply.</p> - -<p>“Mon Dieu!” exclaimed the gendarme,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[188]</a></span> “there are all sorts of taste -in human nature.”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XL" id="CHAPTER_XL"></a>CHAPTER XL.</h2> - - -<p>Notwithstanding his cold and rigid aspect, M. de la Varade was not -a malicious or a severe man.</p> - -<p>From the time of Francis I. to the Revolution of ’93, the family -of la Varade had always held office in a judicial capacity. The -first of the judges was ennobled because he labored to please -the beautiful Diana, Countess de Brézé; one of the latest was -guillotined because he had displeased the fair Manon Ladri, who had -considerable influence with the Revolutionary authorities.</p> - -<p>The father of the present <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">juge d’instruction</i> died, after the -Restoration, attorney-general of the provinces.</p> - -<p>M. de la Varade spoke with extreme difficulty. Naturally mild and -indolent, the magistracy had few charms for him. His profession -caused him many torments and vexations; but he would have thought -himself wanting in self-respect and regard for the memory of his -ancestors had he not continued to exercise the functions of the -office.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[189]</a></span></p> - -<p>“A la Varade,” said he to his son, “must be a magistrate: his -nobility demands it.”</p> - -<p>When the magistrate was alone, he bitterly regretted that he was -not able to pursue a more congenial career, and expend in the -gratification of his tastes his income of sixty thousand livres. He -often asked himself if a citizen was not justified in withdrawing -from such severe duties, when the State possessed many thousands of -persons quite competent to fill the vacancy. His wife said “yes,” -but his conscience said “no.”</p> - -<p>Madame de la Varade, who ardently desired to reside in Paris, -sometimes said to her lord,—</p> - -<p>“Please to explain, <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">mon ami</i>, what society gains by substituting a -la Varade for a Rabauel—for example—to instruct the big thieves -how to draw the little ones to Versailles. Do you imagine that -with your name and fortune you could not render service to your -country in any other way? A pleasant duty, truly, that which you -have chosen. You will exercise your functions for about twenty-five -years, and then, as a reward, you will be made President of the -Court in some out-of-the-way province.”</p> - -<p>“As my fathers have done,” replied the husband,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[190]</a></span> “I will do; and, -God willing, I hope my sons will imitate my example.”</p> - -<p>The wife shrugged her shoulders; the mother sighed.</p> - -<p>Eusebe entered the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">cabinet</i> of this magistrate, bowed, and waited -the examination.</p> - -<p>“Will you, monsieur,” said the magistrate, after some preliminary -formalities, “narrate the circumstances which led to the -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">rencontre</i> between you and M. de la Soulaye?”</p> - -<p>“But first,” replied Eusebe, eagerly, “I am accused of having -inflicted blows and wounds upon my adversary. I desire you to take -note that I did not hurt him at all.”</p> - -<p>“That does not signify,” said the magistrate. “It is a mere form. -Come to the facts of the case.”</p> - -<p>“Is it possible that you are ignorant of them? These gentlemen say -that they have told you all.”</p> - -<p>“No matter: I must needs learn them from you.”</p> - -<p>“Well, if you desire it,” rejoined Eusebe. And he then narrated his -story of the quarrel and the duel.</p> - -<p>“Sir,” said the magistrate,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[191]</a></span> “it was you who gave the lie.”</p> - -<p>“Certainly; and in my place you would have done the same.”</p> - -<p>“I am not here to say what I should have done: I am here only to -question you. Was the affair honorably conducted?”</p> - -<p>“No.”</p> - -<p>“With what do you reproach your adversary?”</p> - -<p>“With having lied.”</p> - -<p>“That is not the point. I speak of his conduct on the field of -combat. I have nothing to do with the rest.”</p> - -<p>“On the field, we were seven in number. My adversary could not have -behaved dishonorably had we been but two. I have an arm equal to -his own. I do not fear him.”</p> - -<p>“You are doubtless skilful with the sword?”</p> - -<p>“I do not know. Until this affair, I had never held a sword on -guard.”</p> - -<p>“Then there is nothing with which you can reproach your adversary?”</p> - -<p>“Yes: with having lied.”</p> - -<p>“And are you quite sure?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, quite sure.”</p> - -<p>“Then why did you fight?”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[192]</a></span></p> -<p>“Indeed, I don’t know. They told me that honor demanded that I -should fight.”</p> - -<p>“Then, if they had not represented honor as being so exacting, you -would not have fought?”</p> - -<p>“No: I would have told the man that he was an impostor, and that -would have sufficed.”</p> - -<p>The frankness of Eusebe evidently made an impression on the -magistrate.</p> - -<p>“Monsieur Martin,” said he, “I am a father. Permit me to address -you as a man.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe bowed, and the magistrate continued.</p> - -<p>“Do you think that an actress cares for those who get themselves -killed in her defence?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” replied the provincial, “when she is honorable and when she -knows she is beloved.”</p> - -<p>“And you love this creature?”</p> - -<p>“Ah! monsieur, with all my heart!”</p> - -<p>“Where and how did you make her acquaintance?”</p> - -<p>Eusebe then related how his father had sent him to Paris to study -life, admire civilization, and learn to distinguish the false -from the true. His journey, his arrival, his illusions, his -meeting with Adéonne, his mode of life since then, his grief, his -humiliation,—all,—were told with perfect candor and simplicity.</p> - -<p>“My son,” said M. de la Varade,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[193]</a></span> “I know something of human nature, -and I feel sure that you are sincere. Your affair here will not -be followed up. Now it is no longer the judge who speaks: it is -the man. Listen! Up to the present time you have not followed the -injunctions of your father: you are on the wrong road. Are you not -conscious that your present pleasures are entirely factitious and -forced? Have you never thought of the hollowness of such fancied -enjoyments? Are you not ashamed of being absolutely nothing in a -society where each individual has a mission?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, indeed,” exclaimed the young man. “I have experienced all the -sensations you describe. But what can I do, powerless as I am to -discover the true path, and with no counsellor to point the way?”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[194]</a></span></p> -<p>“The true is synonymous with one word, which is the religion of -society: that word is <span class="smcap">Duty</span>.”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XLI" id="CHAPTER_XLI"></a>CHAPTER XLI.</h2> - - -<p>Eusebe, upon quitting the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">cabinet</i> of the magistrate, rejoined his -two friends, who were glad to learn that the affair of the duel -would be dropped. All three then returned to Paris.</p> - -<p>Adéonne fairly wept with joy on seeing Eusebe return. But, while -the cantatrice did not try to conceal her delight, the provincial -seemed abstracted, and paid little attention to this evidence of -affection.</p> - -<p>On the following morning, Eusebe arose at an early hour, hastily -completed his toilet, and left the house, much to the astonishment -of Adéonne, who did not venture to interrogate him as to the cause -of his hasty departure.</p> - -<p>“He did not close his eyes during the night,” said she to herself, -“and he leaves me at this early hour. What can be the matter with -him, and where is he going?”</p> - -<p>Eusebe had taken but a few steps when he returned, as if he had -forgotten something. After embracing his mistress, he said,—</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[195]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Adéonne, my sweet queen, do you know what duty is?”</p> - -<p>“Certainly I do.”</p> - -<p>“Well?”</p> - -<p>“My duty,” replied the comédienne, “consists in not being hissed -off the stage, and in being faithful to the man I love,—to you, my -dear Eusebe.”</p> - -<p>“Then the duty of a woman is not like that of a man.”</p> - -<p>“The same precisely. Your duty is to love me as I love you.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe then left the house, and directed his steps towards the -residence of Clamens. When he entered the apartment of the poet, he -found him snoring in a most unpoetical manner.</p> - -<p>“My friend,” said Eusebe, “I ask pardon for disturbing you at so -early an hour, but there is an important question I wish to have -answered. Have the goodness to tell me what duty is.”</p> - -<p>Daniel opened his eyes with difficulty, stared at his provincial -visitor for a moment, and then responded,—</p> - -<p>“As for me, my duty is to get a piece in five acts accepted at the -Théâtre Français.”</p> - -<p>So saying, he turned his face to the wall, and was soon snoring as -vigorously as ever. Eusebe<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[196]</a></span> departed, and, not long afterwards, -ascended to the attic apartment of Paul Buck, the painter.</p> - -<p>“Welcome!” exclaimed the artist, upon the entrance of his -provincial friend. “Happiness has again taken up her abode under -my roof. Gredinette has returned, and I have pardoned her. You -are about to censure me,—to tell me that I have been weak. But -could I do otherwise? My happiness is attached to the ribbons of -her bonnet. Besides, why should not clemency, which is a virtue in -kings, be exercised by artists?”</p> - -<p>“Who could blame you for seeking to be happy? Not I, assuredly. My -visit here has quite another purpose.”</p> - -<p>“Ah?”</p> - -<p>“I wish you to tell me what duty is.”</p> - -<p>“Duty is the only thing that Gredinette ignores.”</p> - -<p>“Your definition is very vague.”</p> - -<p>“Duty! Oh, there are many interpretations of the word.”</p> - -<p>“Give me the best.”</p> - -<p>“In my opinion, the duty of a man is to smoke his pipe in peace -under the eye of Heaven, and to do no wrong to his neighbor.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you,” was the sole response of Eusebe, as he abruptly -quitted his artist friend.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[197]</a></span></p> - -<p>Once more in the street, the poor provincial strolled about, at -the mercy of chance, more embarrassed and perplexed than ever. The -sight of the old store of Lansade, before which he passed, reminded -him of the honest merchant who had assisted him in an emergency of -a more serious character. He decided to go at once to Lansade and -ask his advice. On the way he met the stage-manager of the theatre, -who saluted him politely.</p> - -<p>“M. Sainval,” said Eusebe, hurrying towards him, “you can perhaps -save me a long walk.”</p> - -<p>“I am at your service.”</p> - -<p>“Please explain to me what you understand by duty.”</p> - -<p>“That is very easy, M. Martin. My duty is to first please the -director, then the public.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you,” said Eusebe; and he continued his walk.</p> - -<p>On reaching Viroflay, the young man had great difficulty in -recognizing the house he went to seek. The garden was no longer -there,—the space being filled with boxes and packages. The house, -formerly so white and neat, had become gray, and the walls were -nearly covered by the gigantic letters of a sign, reading as -follows:—</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[198]</a></span></p> - -<p class="center large strong p2">F. B. LANSADE,</p> -<p class="center small strong p1">Formerly of the Boulevard Saint-Denis, at Paris.</p> -<p class="center large p1">DEPOT OF PORCELAIN AND CRYSTAL,</p> -<p class="center small strong p1">THE BEST IN FRANCE.</p> -<p class="center small strong p1">MANUFACTURED FOR EXPORT.</p> - -<p class="p2">A man, wearing a blue blouse, his brow dropping perspiration, -appeared before the astonished provincial.</p> - -<p>“Ah! M. Martin,” he exclaimed, “is this indeed you? I did not -expect to see you again. I thought you had left Paris. I have often -intended to inquire for you, but I am so busy when I go to the city -that I have not a minute to spare.”</p> - -<p>“You have then resumed business?” asked Eusebe.</p> - -<p>“Oh, no; far from it. I was so fortunate as to acquire enough to -satisfy my modest desires; I live now quite at my ease. Now and -then, ’tis true, I do a little something in the way of trade, just -to kill time.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[199]</a></span></p> -<p>“One would suppose to see your house that it had been turned into a -factory.”</p> - -<p>“Would you not? But such is by no means the case. I furnish a few -of the merchants in the neighborhood: indeed, I sell almost as -much as I did in Paris. This is the only pastime I have. Formerly I -employed a salesman and a porter; now I am entirely alone. To tell -the truth, I do the work of four; but, you know, it is necessary -for a man to be occupied.”</p> - -<p>Without taking any further notice of his visitor, Lansade resumed -his work among the glass and porcelain. After a few moments he -said,—</p> - -<p>“<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">Sans cérémonie</i>, M. Martin. Of course you remain to breakfast.”</p> - -<p>“Thank you,” said Eusebe: “it is absolutely necessary that I should -be at Versailles before noon. I came to ask a favor.”</p> - -<p>A sudden change of expression was visible in Lansade’s features, -and it was evident that he felt uncomfortable.</p> - -<p>“I should be glad,” continued the young man, “if you would tell me -in what, in your opinion, duty consists.”</p> - -<p>“That is very easy, M. Martin,” replied the porcelain-merchant, -his features resuming their usual expression.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[200]</a></span> “Duty consists in -working when one is young, in always honoring one’s signature, and -in giving way to others when one has acquired a sufficiency.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe then took leave of the merchant.</p> - -<p>“I hope to see you again, M. Martin,” said Lansade. “Come breakfast -with me one of these days. Let it be some Sunday.”</p> - -<p>The weather was fine; the shrubbery along the road was in bloom. -Eusebe, who had not seen the country for a long time, felt, in -spite of his preoccupation, the reviving influence of natural -beauty, and resolved to pursue his journey afoot.</p> - -<p>“I have done wrong,” said he, “in questioning all these people, -each of whom regards duty from a different point of view. The only -man who can give me any light on the subject is the honorable -magistrate, who kindly pointed out my error in living without an -object.”</p> - -<p>An hour afterwards, the young man knocked at the door of M. de la -Varade, who, unfortunately, was absent. A servant conducted the -visitor into the magistrate’s study, and asked him to await the -return of the master of the house.</p> - -<p>Eusebe had waited for something more than ten minutes, and, -becoming impatient, was about to retire, when among the books on -the table he observed a dictionary.</p> - -<p>“Ah!” thought he,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[201]</a></span> “I was sure that here my expectations would be -realized. Now I shall certainly find what I seek.”</p> - -<p>He turned over the leaves of the dictionary, and found,—</p> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">Duty.</span>—<i>Subst.</i> That which conscience, reason, law, or -custom demands that one should do.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe dropped the book, with an expression of bitter -disappointment.</p> - -<p>“Now,” thought he, “I am more perplexed than ever; since the things -which law and custom oblige one to do are directly contrary to -those dictated by conscience and reason.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe was absorbed in reflection, when a young lady, with a -sparkling eye, appeared at the door of the study. It was Madame de -la Varade.</p> - -<p>“My husband,” said she, “told me that he would not return until -late in the day. I regret that you have been kept waiting -uselessly.”</p> - -<p>“And I, madame, regret having disturbed you.”</p> - -<p>“Will you oblige me with your name?”</p> - -<p>“Eusebe Martin.”</p> - -<p>The wives of magistrates generally know more about any matters of -interest that are transacted at their husbands’ offices than the -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">procureur-général</i>. M. de la Varade had related to his wife the -particulars of the late duel, and imparted to<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[202]</a></span> her the curiosity he -felt in regard to the young man who possessed the love of a woman -comparatively celebrated. After a protracted silence, Madame de la -Varade observed,—</p> - -<p>“If you are particularly desirous to speak to my husband, and wish -to await his return——”</p> - -<p>“No, madame,” interrupted Eusebe, “I have nothing of importance -to say to Monsieur de la Varade. Yesterday he was so kind as to -give me some good advice. But, unfortunately, I did not entirely -comprehend his meaning; and to-day I have come to beg him to define -a word which he said was the religion of society.”</p> - -<p>“And what is the word?”</p> - -<p>“Duty.”</p> - -<p>Madame de la Varade burst into a laugh,—which enabled Eusebe to -note that she had pearly teeth and rosy lips.</p> - -<p>“And so, monsieur, it is for this you have come all the way from -Paris?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, madame.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I can satisfy you.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[203]</a></span></p> -<p>“I shall be very grateful for the favor, indeed, madame.”</p> - -<p>“You have, doubtless, heard of the ancient Hydra?”</p> - -<p>“But,” stammered the provincial, “I thought that was a fabulous -monster.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[204]</a></span></p> -<p>“Precisely so:—a vile beast, with seven heads. If one were cut -off, seven others appeared in its stead. Monsieur, duty is a moral -monster. While you may accomplish one, seven others will rise to -demand your attention.”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XLII" id="CHAPTER_XLII"></a>CHAPTER XLII.</h2> - - -<p>One morning, about a month after his visit to Versailles, Eusebe, -with an enormous bouquet in his hand, entered the boudoir of -Adéonne.</p> - -<p>“Why do you bring these flowers?” inquired the comédienne. “This is -not my birthday, if I remember rightly.”</p> - -<p>“No,” responded the young man: “it is only the birthday of the -bouquet.”</p> - -<p>“It is one of those days on which both flowers and compliments are -of bad augury. I will wager that these camellias conceal some bad -news.”</p> - -<p>“That is true.”</p> - -<p>“The nature of it?”</p> - -<p>“I hardly know how to inform you.”</p> - -<p>“You are about to be married: is it not so?”</p> - -<p>“Yes. Who could have told you?”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[205]</a></span></p> -<p>“I have known it for more than two weeks. I found a letter from -your father in the pocket of your coat. You need not attempt to -excuse yourself. I know all you could say.”</p> - -<p>“I shall not attempt to justify myself,” replied Eusebe, affecting -a tranquillity of mind which he was far from possessing. “I take a -wife because a man must discharge the duties he owes to society.”</p> - -<p>“You see, my dear Eusebe,” continued the actress, “we are thought -to be hardened, to have no heart,—we women of the theatre. Nothing -could be further from the truth. I loved you because I thought you -a man of sense and of courage. How grossly I was deceived! You are -a fool and a coward!”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[206]</a></span></p> -<p>“Adéonne!”</p> - -<p>“Do not become excited: you see that I am perfectly calm. I repeat -that you are both a fool and a coward. The first duty of a man -is to live for the woman whom he loves and who loves him. The -characteristic of a man of intelligence is to prefer that happiness -he knows to that which is untried. Of what importance is it to me -that you are going to be married, since you love me no longer? I -should only ask time to avenge myself, if I did not love you still. -It is a great misfortune for me; for my love will kill me, if I -cannot succeed in crushing it, which would be little better than -death itself.”</p> - -<p>“Do you desire me to break off this marriage?” demanded Eusebe. -“There is yet time.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[207]</a></span></p> -<p>“No, Eusebe. If you were to revoke your promise, I could not recall -my illusions.”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XLIII" id="CHAPTER_XLIII"></a>CHAPTER XLIII.</h2> - - -<p>“M.——</p> - -<p>“Monsieur and Madame Bonnaud, <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">rentiers</i>, have the honor to -notify you of the marriage of their daughter, Mademoiselle Louise -Clementine Bonnaud, with Monsieur Eusebe Martin.</p> - -<p>“The nuptial benediction will be pronounced on the 27th instant, at -eleven o’clock in the morning, in the Church of Marly-le-Roi.”</p> - -<p>This notice was addressed to Adéonne by Bonnaud, who, like a -prudent father, wished to advise the cantatrice of the approaching -nuptials, in case Eusebe had failed to do so, and thereby prevent -the occurrence of an unpleasant scene at Marly-le-Roi. After having -read the note, Adéonne said to Marie Bachu, who had come to console -her,—</p> - -<p>“If Heaven did not appear to favor me so little, I would have a -mass said for my happiness, which on that day will be buried.”</p> - -<p>“Mine was long since entombed, and I am not yet dead,” was the -response of Marie.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[208]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XLIV" id="CHAPTER_XLIV"></a>CHAPTER XLIV.</h2> - - -<p>On the eve of the day fixed for the marriage, Monsieur, Madame, and -Mademoiselle Bonnaud, with their friends, Eusebe Martin, assisted -by Lansade and Monsieur de la Varade, went to sign, in the official -presence of Monflor, the notary, two important documents. The first -was a contract of marriage; the second was a deed of partnership -between Eusebe Martin and Isidore Boncain, manufacturer of -chemicals, and successor of Bonnaud. Isidore Boncain brought to the -firm of E. Martin & Co. his commercial information and experience. -Eusebe brought the money which constituted the dowry of his wife.</p> - -<p>The notary read the two documents in a loud tone. Then Eusebe arose -and said, “Will you add that I also bring into the partnership the -sum of forty-eight thousand francs, which I now deposit in your -hands?”</p> - -<p>Bonnaud and Lansade uttered an exclamation which could not be -rendered by any known assemblage of letters.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[209]</a></span></p> - -<p>“What!” exclaimed the first: “the actress has, then, restored your -money?”</p> - -<p>“Read!” said Eusebe, offering the astonished merchants a letter, -the contents of which they immediately began to devour. The epistle -ran as follows:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Eusebe:—You desired to purchase me; but I did not sell myself. -I send you the forty-eight notes which you placed in my hands. -I deposited the money at my banker’s. The interest has sufficed -to defray your expenses. Allow me to retain the leather belt in -which you used to carry the money, for my commissions. You will -not return to your chestnut woods, and nowhere else could you -have further use for this rustic purse.</p> - -<p class="center">“Adieu, Eusebe,</p> - -<p class="right">“<span class="smcap">Adéonne</span>.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>“Insolent creature!” muttered Bonnaud, and, turning to the notary, -he added, in a whisper,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[210]</a></span> “Will you put in an additional clause, to -the effect that, in case of the decease of one of the parties, if -there be no children born of their union, all the property shall go -to the survivor?”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XLV" id="CHAPTER_XLV"></a>CHAPTER XLV.</h2> - - -<p>When all the honest <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">bourgeois</i> friends of Bonnaud and Lansade had -satisfied their appetites, they did not leave the table, but began -to drink, and, as they drank, they sang. It was Bonnaud himself, -the father of the bride, who commenced: the guests joined in the -chorus. Take ten men of the world, accustomed to every variety of -debauch, give them the means to indulge in the most fearful orgies, -and at the moment when the riot and revel are at their height call -them to the window to see a newly-married couple pass from church. -Then you will behold a novel and curious spectacle. The orgies will -cease; the ribald song will be hushed. The happy couple will pass, -and the innocent laugh of their friends will alone disturb the -silence of the hour. These revellers are suddenly reminded of their -sisters, of their mothers, and of the days of their youth, blighted -and darkened by vice and debauchery. Well, for marriage—this -solemn and formidable sacrament,—this act, horrible, or<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[211]</a></span> sublime, -which rivets forever two beings to a chain, of which each broken -link is a grief or a shame—the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">bourgeois</i> have not the least -respect. They await the moment when the priest shall have finished, -to break forth in silly songs or idle jests.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[212]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XLVI" id="CHAPTER_XLVI"></a>CHAPTER XLVI.</h2> - - -<p>Great sorrows only encroach upon one’s life little by little, and -Heaven has given to the man who must experience such trials the -strength to support them. In the presence of a great misfortune, -nature seems to harden itself; it bends or breaks only under the -petty miseries of existence.</p> - -<p>On the day after his marriage, Eusebe began to realize the depth -of his love for Adéonne. He felt that the simple pronunciation of -the sacramental words by a man in priestly robes did not suffice to -destroy the greatest of human weaknesses,—habit. By nature mild -and honest, the son of the skeptic Martin did not seek to deceive -himself. He saw the magnitude of his misfortune, and determined to -bear it with resignation. Daily and nightly comparisons between the -objects by which he was then surrounded, and those to which he had -been accustomed, destroyed his tranquillity of mind and heart. The -modest coldness of Clementine’s manner contrasted painfully with -the passionate enthusiasm of Adéonne. The sober simplicity of his -wife had<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[213]</a></span> no charm for him like the warm sympathy of the actress. -The interior of the chemical factory gave him the vertigo. He never -touched the books in the counting-house without fear and disgust. -He regretted the pleasures of the past, and suffered continually -from <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">ennui</i> and gloom.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[214]</a></span></p> - - - - -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XLVII" id="CHAPTER_XLVII"></a>CHAPTER XLVII.</h2> - - -<p>One morning, an irresistible impulse drove Eusebe to visit Adéonne.</p> - -<p>“Jenny,” said he, on entering the house, “where is madame?”</p> - -<p>“Madame is dead,” replied the girl, beginning to weep.</p> - -<p>Eusebe threw himself on a divan, and for two hours patiently waited -an effusion of his grief in tears. His heart beat violently, and -his throat seemed parched; but no tears came to his relief. Jenny -had at first regarded Eusebe with anger, for his desertion had -caused her mistress’s untimely end. But the depth of his sorrow -touched her pity.</p> - -<p>“Monsieur,” said the girl, producing a small steel casket, “I was -about to write you, in order to fulfil the last wishes of my poor -mistress. She said to me, ‘One week after my death, take this to -Eusebe.’ Here it is, monsieur: here it is.” And the girl sobbed -more bitterly than ever.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[215]</a></span></p> - -<p>Eusebe took the casket, looked at it fixedly for a moment, and -then opened it with a key he found behind the frame of Adéonne’s -portrait. In the box there was a letter. Eusebe broke the seal with -a trembling hand, and read:—</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">My dear Eusebe</span>:—</p> - -<p>“When you read this ugly letter, I shall be dead; my love for you -will have killed me. Weep for me, but do not pity me. I prefer -to die of this love than from any other cause. I feel myself -gradually sinking, yet I experience a certain joy in thinking -that it is for you I am about to part with life. If you only knew -how good it is to love so wildly and so faithfully! Marie Bachu -has endeavored to console me with her pity and her reasoning: how -foolish!</p> - -<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[216]</a></span> - -<p>“What follows, my dear Eusebe, I wish you to regard as my -last will and testament. I bequeath to you my ring, set with -turquoise and brilliants; it was the first article I purchased -with money I had earned. You will find in one of my drawers my -other jewels, in little packets, with names written upon them. -These are <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">souvenirs</i> for my companions of the theatre. You will -give my watch and chain to Madame Marignan, my dresser, and -pay forty-two francs that I owe to Adolphe, the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">coiffeur</i>. You -will wear mourning for me for at least a month, will you not, my -dear Eusebe? you can say at home that you have lost a cousin. I -have seen your wife: she is beautiful, but her beauty will not -remind you of Adéonne. Give all my dresses and linen to Jenny, -my maid, and, also, two thousand francs, upon condition that she -marry her lover. When you have done all this, and sold all my -furniture, you will have about fifteen thousand francs. Go to -Strasburg and seek out a turner in wood, named Antoine Krutger. -If you find him, ask him if he was not a sutler in a regiment of -chasseurs, at Saumur, twenty-two years ago. If he should reply -in the affirmative, give him all the money. He is my father,—a -respectable man, who would have despised me, if he had known how -I was living. If he be dead, give the money to his children. -Are they not my brothers and sisters? And now, my dear Eusebe, -farewell forever. I have loved you,—oh, I cannot tell you how I -have loved you; and I embrace you now as I embraced you the day -you wished to purchase me. Farewell forever!</p> - -<p class="right">“<span class="smcap">Adéonne.</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[217]</a></span></p> - -<p>“P.S.—I ask pardon for the trouble I give you; I am yours for -life, but that will not be long.”</p></div> - -<p>Eusebe sobbed and moaned. After having read and reread Adéonne’s -letter, he summoned Jenny.</p> - -<p>“Jenny,” said he, “madame has not forgotten you: she has left you a -dowry.”</p> - -<p>“How, monsieur? Then I can return to my native town. Ah! monsieur, -poor madame was so good.”</p> - -<p>“From what town are you?” inquired Eusebe.</p> - -<p>“From Strasburg.”</p> - -<p>“Did madame know you were from Strasburg?”</p> - -<p>“No, monsieur. In Paris, Alsatians have difficulty in procuring -places. Upon coming here, I said I was from Nancy.”</p> - -<p>“Did you ever hear of a turner named Antoine Krutger?”</p> - -<p>“Antoine Krutger!” exclaimed the girl. “Did you know him? He was my -father.”</p> - -<p>“Was he ever attached to the army?”</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes, monsieur: he served in the cavalry at Saumur. If he had -lived, I should have been better off than I am.”</p> - -<p>“My girl,” said Eusebe, after a pause,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[218]</a></span> “all that is here belongs -to you. Madame has made you her sole legatee.”</p> - -<p>“Ah, monsieur!” exclaimed Jenny, weeping with joy and sorrow,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[219]</a></span> “I am -very happy and very unhappy at the same time. I had no need of this -to make me love madame like a sister.”</p> - - - -<hr class="chap" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XLVIII" id="CHAPTER_XLVIII"></a>CHAPTER XLVIII.</h2> - - -<p>Eusebe, oppressed with grief, returned home a prey to a violent -fever. Notwithstanding his efforts to conceal his suffering, he was -forced to take to his bed, where he remained for a month, almost -without consciousness. When he recovered his senses, he found Paul -Buck and Gredinette at his bedside. Eusebe asked for his wife: -they told him that she had gone to attend a dying sister. Some -days afterwards, Eusebe, being convalescent, walked in the garden, -leaning on the arm of Gredinette.</p> - -<p>“Eusebe,” said the young woman, stopping suddenly, “since you -must learn the truth sooner or later, I prefer relieving my mind -by telling you at once. Prepare yourself to hear of a great -misfortune.”</p> - -<p>“Speak!” said Eusebe: “I could not be more unhappy than I am.”</p> - -<p>After much hesitation and circumlocution, Gredinette informed -Eusebe that his wife had eloped with Isidore Boncain, and that the -guilty couple<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[220]</a></span> had carried away with them the money of the firm.</p> - -<p>Eusebe made no response, nor did his countenance betray any inward -emotion.</p> - -<p>“He takes it better than I thought he would,” said Gredinette, in -the evening, to Paul.</p> - -<p>By degrees, Eusebe was restored to health. One morning he said to -his two friends,—</p> - -<p>“I am about to bid you farewell. I am going to return to La -Capelette, which I should never have quitted. I shall say good-bye -to my father-in-law, and set out this very evening. Thanks for all -your kind friendship: I shall never forget it. If, some day, weary -of life, you should desire to taste the sweets of repose, come to -my home, and I will love you as you have loved me.”</p> - -<p>“Do not go to see Bonnaud,” said Paul: “the distracted father -accuses you of being the cause of his daughter’s fault.”</p> -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[221]</a></span></p> -<p>“Accuses me!”</p> - -<p>“Yes. He pretends that this elopement is one of the results of -your <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">liaison</i> with Adéonne. Nor would I advise you to trouble -yourself any more about Madame de la Varade. She is absorbed in -the preaching of a missionary who is creating a sensation at -Versailles.”</p> - -<p>“A missionary? What is that?”</p> - -<p>“Missionaries, my friend,” replied Paul, seriously, “are men, or -rather children of God, who traverse the seas, and encounter a -thousand perils, to bear to benighted savages the word of God and -civilization. The priest of whom I speak has been crucified, and -has been six times in danger of being eaten.”</p> - -<p>“I will go to see him,” said Eusebe; and he departed.</p> - -<p>Father Vernier belonged to the Congregation of Lazaristes of Turin. -He was an old man, with a snowy beard and a bronzed complexion. His -black eyes were full of courage and good nature. He received Eusebe -kindly.</p> - -<p>“What do you desire, my son?” he inquired.</p> - -<p>“Father,” replied the young man, “I am weary of struggling with the -contradictions and troubles of life. The more I seek truth, the -more deeply do I become involved in doubt. To-day I come to you, -like the wounded bird flying for rest to the branch of an aged oak. -In the name of Heaven, tell me where to find the true, and where -the false is hidden.”</p> - -<p>“Monsieur,” said the priest, dryly,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[222]</a></span> “I have devoted my life to -the service of the Lord. I have traversed the wilderness to -teach His word to the heathen. I owe my support to the humble -and the suffering, to whom I am devoted. I have neither time nor -inclination to enter into philosophic speculations.”</p> - -<p>The same evening, Eusebe departed for the home of his childhood. -Not finding at Limoges any vehicle to convey him to La Capelette, -he determined to perform the rest of the journey on foot. He had -proceeded scarcely half the distance, when a violent storm arose -and forced him to seek shelter in a wayside inn. While the landlady -was preparing his supper, he picked up, mechanically, a greasy -volume which was lying on the table, and read. After he had eaten, -he retired to his chamber, where he passed the night in reading -the same book. At dawn he arose and tendered a golden louis to the -landlord for the privilege of carrying away the volume in which he -was so deeply interested. When once more on the road, Eusebe said,—</p> - -<p>“Why have I gone so far and exposed myself to so much sorrow in the -search of truth, when it was at my very door?”</p> - -<p>The volume contained the various books of the New Testament.</p> - -<hr class="chap" /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[223]</a></span></p> - -<p>“I was wrong to let the gentleman carry away the book,” said the -innkeeper to his wife.</p> - -<p>“Bah! it cost only twelve sous,” she replied.</p> - -<p>“And suppose it did: would he have given us twenty francs for it, -if it had not been worth more?”</p> - -<p>On reaching the great gate of his father’s house, Eusebe knocked.</p> - -<p>“Ah! The good Lord be praised, Monsieur Eusebe,” exclaimed Katy, -who soon appeared, “here you are at last. Hurry up to your father’s -chamber: he so wishes to see you before he dies.”</p> - -<p>Eusebe ascended quickly to his father’s chamber.</p> - -<p>“Do I behold you at last, my son?” said M. Martin, gasping. “Have -you attained your object? Tell me, if you can, before I die, where -is the false; where is the true?”</p> - -<p>“<em>Father</em>,” replied Eusebe, “<em>the false is on earth; the true is in -heaven!</em>”</p> - -<p>“You are perhaps right,” said the dying man; “and if the Abbé -Jaucourt were not dead, and there were yet time, I would invite him -to my bedside.”</p> - -<p>“Father,” rejoined the young man,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[224]</a></span> “the preachers of the word of God -never die. They have no need to marry to reproduce themselves. -Religion is a prolific mother. For one of her children who dies, -ten are born.”</p> - -<p>“You may be right, my son,” murmured Martin, in a tone that was -scarcely audible; “but I do not wish to see the Abbé Faye: he has -such red hair!” And so he breathed his last sigh.</p> - -<p>“Father! father!” cried Eusebe, not yet aware that his parent was -dead, “believe me, <em>there is nothing true but the greatness of -God</em>!”</p> - -<p>“And,” cried the Abbé Faye, who at that moment thrust his red head -in at the door,</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p class="center large">“<span class="smcap">Human Follies!</span>”</p></div> - -<hr class="p4" /> - -<p class="center xsmall smcap">STEREOTYPED BY L. JOHNSON & CO.<br />PHILADELPHIA.</p> - -<hr class="full" /> - - -<h2><a name="Transcribers_Notes" id="Transcribers_Notes"></a>Transcriber’s Notes</h2> - -<p>Page 4 (blank in the original) was replaced with a Table of Contents to facilitate eBook navigation.</p> - -<p>Quotation marks missed by the printer have been restored.</p> - -<p>Period spellings were retained.</p> - -<p>“hand” changed to “hard” on page 166. (<a href="#Err1">It is hard to die</a>)</p> - -<p>“renowed” changed to “renowned” on page 172. (<a href="#Err2">a renowned maître d’armes</a>)</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Human Follies, by Jules Noriac - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HUMAN FOLLIES *** - -***** This file should be named 50179-h.htm or 50179-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/0/1/7/50179/ - -Produced by Clarity and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from -scanned images of public domain material from the Google -Books project.) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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