the brotherhood of consolation-第29章

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hearing　from　Godefroid's　room　she　stopped。

〃No；〃　she　said；　〃I　haven't　any　letter；　I　only　wanted　to　tell　you　to
beware　of　that　young　man；　he　belongs　to　a　publishing　house。〃

〃That　explains　everything；〃　thought　the　old　man。

He　went　back　to　his　neighbor　with　a　very　different　expression　of
countenance。

The　look　of　calm　coldness　with　which　Monsieur　Bernard　now　entered　the
room　contrasted　so　strongly　with　the　frank　and　cordial　air　he　had　worn
not　an　instant　earlier　that　Godefroid　was　forcibly　struck　by　it。

〃Pardon　me；　monsieur；〃　said　the　old　man；　stiffly；　〃but　you　have　shown
me　many　favors；　and　a　benefactor　creates　certain　rights　in　those　he
benefits。〃

Godefroid　bowed。

〃I；　who　for　the　last　five　years　have　endured　a　passion　like　that　of
our　Lord；　I；　who　for　thirty…six　years　represented　social　welfare；
government；　public　vengeance；　have；　as　you　may　well　believe；　no
illusionsno；　I　have　nothing　left　but　anguish。　Well；　monsieur；　I　was
about　to　say　that　your　little　act　in　closing　the　door　of　my　wretched
lair；　that　simple　little　thing；　was　to　me　the　glass　of　water　Bossuet
tells　of。　Yes；　I　did　find　in　my　heart；　that　exhausted　heart　which
cannot　weep；　just　as　my　withered　body　cannot　sweat；　I　did　find　a　last
drop　of　the　elixir　which　makes　us　fancy　in　our　youth　that　all　human
beings　are　noble；　and　I　came　to　offer　you　my　hand；　I　came　to　bring　you
that　celestial　flower　of　belief　in　good〃

〃Monsieur　Bernard；〃　said　Godefroid；　remembering　the　kind　old　Alain's
lessons。　〃I　have　done　nothing　to　obtain　your　gratitude。　You　are　quite
mistaken。〃

〃Ah；　that　is　frankness　indeed！〃　said　the　former　magistrate。　〃Well；　it
pleases　me。　I　was　about　to　reproach　you；　pardon　me；　I　now　esteem　you。
So　you　are　a　publisher；　and　you　have　come　here　to　get　my　work　away
from　Barbet；　Metivier；　and　Morand？　All　is　now　explained。　You　are
making　me　advances　in　money　as　they　did；　only　you　do　it　with　some
grace。〃

〃Did　Madame　Vauthier　just　tell　you　that　I　was　employed　by　a
publisher？〃　asked　Godefroid。

〃Yes。〃

〃Well；　then；　Monsieur　Bernard；　before　I　can　say　how　much　I　can　/give/
over　what　those　other　gentlemen　/offer/；　I　must　know　the　terms　on
which　you　stand　with　them。〃

〃That　is　fair；〃　said　Monsieur　Bernard；　who　seemed　rather　pleased　to
find　himself　the　object　of　a　competition　by　which　he　might　profit。　〃Do
you　know　what　my　work　is？〃

〃No；　I　only　know　it　is　a　good　enterprise　from　a　business　point　of
view。〃

〃It　is　only　half…past　nine；　my　daughter　has　breakfasted；　and　Cartier
will　not　bring　the　flowers　for　an　hour　or　more；　we　have　time　to　talk；
MonsieurMonsieur　who？〃

〃Godefroid。〃

〃Monsieur　Godefroid；　the　work　in　question　was　projected　by　me　in　1825；
at　the　time　when　the　ministry；　being　alarmed　by　the　persistent
destruction　of　landed　estates；　proposed　that　law　of　primogeniture
which　was；　you　will　remember；　defeated。　I　had　remarked　certain
imperfections　in　our　codes　and　in　the　fundamental　institutions　of
France。　Our　codes　have　often　been　the　subject　of　important　works；　but
those　works　were　all　from　the　point　of　view　of　jurisprudence。　No　one
had　even　ventured　to　consider　the　work　of　the　Revolution；　or　（if　you
prefer　it）　of　Napoleon；　as　a　whole；　no　one　had　studied　the　spirit　of
those　laws；　and　judged　them　in　their　application。　That　is　the　main
purpose　of　my　work；　it　is　entitled；　provisionally；　'The　Spirit　of　the
New　Laws；'　it　includes　organic　laws　as　well　as　codes；　all　codes；　for
we　have　many　more　than　five　codes。　Consequently；　my　work　is　in　several
volumes；　six　in　all；　the　last　being　a　volume　of　citations；　notes；　and
references。　It　will　take　me　now　about　three　months　to　finish　it。　The
proprietor　of　this　house；　a　former　publisher；　of　whom　I　made　a　few
inquiries；　perceived；　scented　I　may　say；　the　chance　of　a　speculation。
I；　in　the　first　instance；　thought　only　of　doing　a　service　to　my
country；　and　not　of　my　own　profit。　Well；　this　Barbet　has　circumvented
me。　You　will　ask　me　how　it　was　possible　for　a　publisher　to　get　the
better　of　a　magistrate；　a　man　who　knows　the　laws。　Well；　it　was　in　this
way：　You　know　my　history；　Barbet　is　an　usurer；　he　has　the　keen　glance
and　the　shrewd　action　of　that　breed　of　men。　His　money　was　always　at　my
heels　to　help　me　over　my　worst　needs。　Strange　to　say；　on　the　days　I
was　most　defenceless　against　despair　he　happened　to　appear。〃

〃No；　no；　my　dear　Monsieur　Bernard；〃　said　Godefroid；　〃he　had　a　spy　in
Madame　Vauthier；　she　told　him　when　you　needed　money。　But　the　terms；
the　conditions？　Tell　them　to　me　briefly。〃

〃He　has　lent　me　from　time　to　time　fifteen　hundred　francs；　for　which　I
have　signed　three　notes　of　a　thousand　francs　each；　and　those　notes　are
secured　by　a　sort　of　mortgage　on　the　copyright　of　my　book；　so　that　I
cannot　sell　my　book　unless　I　pay　off　those　notes；　and　the　notes　are
now　protested；he　has　taken　the　matter　into　court　and　obtained　a
judgment　against　me。　Such　are　the　complications　of　poverty！　At　the
lowest　valuation；　the　first　edition　of　my　great　work；　a　work
representing　ten　years'　toil　and　thirty…six　years'　experience；　is
fully　worth　ten　thousand　francs。　Well；　ten　days　ago　Morand　proposed　to
give　me　three　thousand　francs　and　my　notes　cancelled　for　the　entire
rights　in　perpetuity。　Now　as　it　is　not　possible　for　me　to　refund　the
amount　of　my　notes　and　interest；　namely；　three　thousand　two　hundred
and　forty　francs；　I　must；unless　you　intend　to　step　between　those
usurers　and　me；I　must　yield　to　them。　They　are　not　content　with　my
word　of　honor；　they　first　obtained　the　notes；　then　they　had　them
protested；　and　now　I　am　threatened　with　arrest　for　debt。　If　I　could
manage　to　pay　them　back；　those　scoundrels　would　have　doubled　their
money。　If　I　accept　their　terms　they　will　make　a　fortune　out　of　my　book
and　I　shall　get　almost　nothing；　one　of　them　is　a　paper…maker；　and　God
knows　how　they　may　keep　down　the　costs　of　publication。　They　will　have
my　name；　and　that　alone　will　sell　ten　thousand　copies　for　them。〃

〃But；　monsieur；　how　could　you；　a　former　magistrate！〃

〃How　could　I　help　it？　Not　a　friend；　not　a　claim　that　I　could　make！　And
yet　I　saved　many　heads；　if　I　made　some　fall！　And；　then；　my　daughter；
my　daughter！　whose　nurse　I　am；　whose　companion　I　must　be；　so　that　I
can　work　but　a　few　hours　snatched　from　sleep。　Ah；　young　man！　none　but
the　wretched　can　judge　the　wretched！　Sometimes　I　think　I　used　to　be
too　stern　to　misery。〃

〃Monsieur；　I　do　not　ask　your　name。　I　cannot　provide　three　thousand
francs；　especially　if　I　pay　Halpersohn　and　your　lesser　debts；　but　I
will　save　you　if　you　will　promise　me　not　to　part　with　your　book
without　letting　me　know。　It　is　impossible　for　me　to　arrange　a　matter
as　important　as　this　without　consulting　others。　My　backers　are
powerful；　and　I　can　promise　you　success　if　you；　in　return；　will
promise　me　absolute　secrecy；　even　to　your　children；　and　keep　your
promise。〃

〃The　only　success　I　care　for　is　the　recovery　of　my　poor　Vanda；　for
such　sufferings　as　hers　extinguish　every　other　feeling　in　a　father's
heart。　As　for　fame；　what　is　that　to　one　who　sees　an　open　grave　before
him？〃

〃I　will　come　and　see　you　this　evening；　they　expect　Halpersohn　at　any
time；　and　I　shall　go　there　day　after　day　until　I　find　him。〃

〃Ah；　monsieur！　if　you　should　be　the　cause　of　my　daughter's　recovery；　I
would　like；yes；　I　would　like　to　give　you　my　work！〃

〃Monsieur；〃　said　Godefroid；　〃I　am　not　a　publisher。〃

The　old　man　started　with　surprise。

〃I　let　that　old　Vauthier　think　so　in　order　to　discover　the　traps　they
were　laying　for　you。〃

〃Then　who　are　you？〃

〃Godefroid；〃　replied　the　initiate；　〃and　since　you　allow　me　to　offer
you　enough　to　make　the　pot　boil；　you　can　call　me；　if　you　like；
Godefroid　de　Bouillon。〃

The　old　man　was　far　too　moved　to　laugh　at　a　joke。　He　held　out　his　hand
to　Godefroid；　and　pressed　that　which　the　young　man　gave　him　in　return。

〃You　wish　to　keep　your　incognito？〃　he　said；　looking　at　Godefroid
sadly；　with　some　uneasiness。

〃If　you　will　allow　it。〃

〃Well；　as　you　will。　Come　to…night；　and　you　shall　see　my　daughter　if
her　condition　permits。〃

This　was　evidently　a　great　concession　in　the　eyes　of　the　poor　father；
and　he　had　the　satisfaction　of　seeing；　by　the　look　on　Godefroid's
face；　that　it　was　understood。

An　hour　later；　Cartier　returned　with　a　number　of　beautiful　flowering
plants；　which　he　placed　himself　in　the　jardinieres；　covering　them　with
fresh　moss。　Godefroid　paid　his　bill；　also　that　of　the　circulating
library；　which　was　brought　soon　after。　Books　and　flowers！these　were
the　daily　bread　of　this　poor　invalid；　this　tortured　creature；　who　was
satisfied　with　so　little。

As　he　thought　of　this　family；　coiled　by　misfortunes　like　that　of　the
Laocoon　（sublime　image　of　so　many　lives）；　Godefroid；　who　was　now　on
his　way　on　foot　to　the　rue　Marbeuf；　was　conscious　in　his　heart　of　more
curiosity　than　benevolence。　This　sick　woman；　surrounded　by　luxury　in
the　midst　of　such　direful　poverty；　made　him　forget　the　horrible
details　of　the　strangest　of　all　nervous　disorders；　which　is　happily
rare；　though　recorded　by　a　few　historians。　One　of　our　most　gossiping
chroniclers；　Tallemant　des　Reaux；　cites　an　instance　of　it。　The　mind
instinctively　pictures　a　woman　as　being　elegant　in　the　midst　of　her
worst　sufferings；　and　Godefroid　let　himself　dwell　on　the　pleasure　of
entering　that　chamber　where　none　but　the　father；　son；　and　doctor　had
been　admitted　for　six　years。　Nevertheless；　he　ended　by　blaming　himself
for　his　curiosity。　He　even　felt　that　the　sentiment；　natural　as　it　was；
would　cease　as　he　went　on　exercising　his　beneficent　ministry；　from　the
mere　fact　of　seeing　more　distressed　homes　and　many　sorrows。

Such　agents　do　reach　in　time　a　divine　serenity　which　nothing　surprises
or　confounds；　just　as　in　love　we　come　to　the　divine　quietude　of　that
emotion；　sure　of　its　strength；　sure　of　its　lastingness；　through　our
constant　experience　of　its　pains　and　sweetnesses。

Godefroid　was　told　that　Halpersohn　had　returned　during　the　night；　but
had　been　obliged　to　go　out　at　once　to　visit　patients　who　were　awaiting
him。　The　porter　told　Godefroid　to　come　the　next　day　before　nine
o'clock　in　the　morning。

Remembering　Monsieur　Alain's　injunction　to　parsimony　in　his　personal
expenses；　Godefroid　dined　for　twenty…five　sous　in　the　rue　de　Tournon；
and　was　rewarded　for　his　abnegation　by　finding　himself　in　the　midst　of
compositors　and　pressmen。　He　heard　a　discussion　on　costs　of
manufacturing；　and　learned　that　an　edition　of　one　thousand　copies　of
an　octavo　volume　of　forty　sheets　did　not　cost　more　than　thirty　sous　a
copy；　in　the　best　style　of　printing。　He　resolved　to　ascertain　the
price　at　which　publishers　of　law　books　sold　their　volumes；　so　as　to　be
prepared　for　a　discussion　with　the　men　who　held　Monsieur　Bernard　in
their　clutches　if　he　should　have　to　meet　them。

Towards　seven　in　the　evening　he　returned　to　the　boulevard　du　Mont…
Parnasse；　by　way　of　the　rue　de　Vaugiraud　and　the　rue　de　l'Ouest；　and
he　saw　then　how　deserted　the　quarter　was；　for　he　met　no　one。　It　is
true　that　the　cold　was　rigorous；　and　the　snow　fell　in　great　flakes；
the　wheels　of　the　carriages　making　no　noise　upon　the　pavements。

〃Ah；　here　you　are；　monsieur！〃　said　Madame　Vauthier。　〃If　I　had　known
you　were　coming　home　so　early　I　would　have　made　your　fire。〃

〃