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to¡¡this¡¡visit¡¡of¡¡Madame¡¡de¡¡Cinq¡­Cygne¡¡he¡¡was¡¡still¡¡undecided£»¡¡but¡¡he
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at¡¡home¡£

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feminine¡¡refinements£»¡¡who¡¡displays¡¡the¡¡graces£»¡¡the¡¡choice¡¡attractions
which¡¡nature¡¡inspires¡¡in¡¡a¡¡woman¡¡for¡¡man£»¡¡she¡¡gives¡¡them£»¡¡and¡¡no
longer¡¡sells¡¡them¡£¡¡Such¡¡a¡¡woman¡¡is¡¡either¡¡detestable¡¡or¡¡perfect£»¡¡for
her¡¡gifts¡¡are¡¡either¡¡not¡¡of¡¡the¡¡flesh¡¡or¡¡they¡¡are¡¡worthless¡£¡¡Madame¡¡de
la¡¡Chanterie¡¡was¡¡perfect¡£¡¡She¡¡seemed¡¡never¡¡to¡¡have¡¡had¡¡a¡¡youth£»¡¡her
glance¡¡never¡¡told¡¡of¡¡a¡¡past¡£¡¡Godefroid's¡¡curiosity¡¡was¡¡far¡¡from¡¡being
appeased¡¡by¡¡a¡¡closer¡¡and¡¡more¡¡intimate¡¡knowledge¡¡of¡¡this¡¡sublime
nature£»¡¡the¡¡discoveries¡¡of¡¡each¡¡succeeding¡¡day¡¡only¡¡redoubled¡¡his
desire¡¡to¡¡learn¡¡the¡¡anterior¡¡life¡¡of¡¡a¡¡woman¡¡whom¡¡he¡¡now¡¡thought¡¡a
saint¡£¡¡Had¡¡she¡¡ever¡¡loved£¿¡¡Had¡¡she¡¡been¡¡a¡¡wife£»a¡¡mother£¿¡¡Nothing
about¡¡her¡¡was¡¡characteristic¡¡of¡¡an¡¡old¡¡maid£»¡¡she¡¡displayed¡¡all¡¡the
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preservation£»¡¡a¡¡divine¡¡life£»¡¡and¡¡a¡¡species¡¡of¡¡ignorance¡¡of¡¡the¡¡earthly
existence¡£

Except¡¡the¡¡gay¡¡and¡¡cheery¡¡goodman¡¡Alain£»¡¡all¡¡these¡¡persons¡¡had
suffered£»¡¡but¡¡Monsieur¡¡Nicolas¡¡himself¡¡seemed¡¡to¡¡give¡¡the¡¡palm¡¡of
martyrdom¡¡to¡¡Madame¡¡de¡¡la¡¡Chanterie¡£¡¡Nevertheless£»¡¡the¡¡memory¡¡of¡¡her
sorrows¡¡was¡¡so¡¡restrained¡¡by¡¡religious¡¡resignation£»¡¡by¡¡her¡¡secret
avocations£»¡¡that¡¡she¡¡seemed¡¡to¡¡have¡¡been¡¡always¡¡happy¡£

¡¨You¡¡are¡¡the¡¡life¡¡of¡¡your¡¡friends£»¡¨¡¡Godefroid¡¡said¡¡to¡¡her¡¡one¡¡day£»
¡¨you¡¡are¡¡the¡¡tie¡¡that¡¡unites¡¡them£»the¡¡house¡­mother£»¡¡as¡¡it¡¡were£»¡¡of
some¡¡great¡¡work£»¡¡and£»¡¡as¡¡we¡¡are¡¡all¡¡mortal£»¡¡I¡¡ask¡¡myself¡¡sometimes
what¡¡your¡¡association¡¡would¡¡become¡¡without¡¡you¡£¡¨

¡¨That¡¡is¡¡what¡¡frightens¡¡the¡¡others£»¡¡but¡¡Providence£»¡¡to¡¡whom¡¡we¡¡owe¡¡our
new¡¡book¡­keeper£»¡¨¡¡she¡¡said£»¡¡smiling£»¡¡¡¨will¡¡provide¡£¡¡Besides£»¡¡I¡¡am¡¡on
the¡¡look¡­out¡£¡¨

¡¨Will¡¡your¡¡new¡¡book¡­keeper¡¡soon¡¡be¡¡allowed¡¡to¡¡work¡¡at¡¡your¡¡business£¿¡¨
asked¡¡Godefroid¡£

¡¨That¡¡depends¡¡on¡¡himself£»¡¨¡¡she¡¡answered£»¡¡smiling¡£¡¡¡¨He¡¡must¡¡be
sincerely¡¡religious£»¡¡truly¡¡pious£»¡¡without¡¡the¡¡least¡¡self¡­interest£»¡¡not
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social¡¡considerations¡¡on¡¡the¡¡two¡¡wings¡¡which¡¡God¡¡has¡¡given¡¡us¡£¡¨

¡¨What¡¡are¡¡they£¿¡¨

¡¨Singleness¡¡of¡¡mind¡¡and¡¡purity£»¡¨¡¡replied¡¡Madame¡¡de¡¡la¡¡Chanterie¡£¡¡¡¨Your
ignorance¡¡shows¡¡that¡¡you¡¡have¡¡neglected¡¡the¡¡reading¡¡of¡¡our¡¡book¡£¡¨¡¡she
added£»¡¡laughing¡¡at¡¡the¡¡innocent¡¡trick¡¡she¡¡had¡¡played¡¡to¡¡know¡¡if
Godefroid¡¡had¡¡read¡¡the¡¡¡¨Imitation¡¡of¡¡Jesus¡¡Christ¡£¡¨¡¡¡¨And£»¡¡lastly£»¡¨¡¡she
went¡¡on£»¡¡¡¨fill¡¡your¡¡soul¡¡with¡¡Saint¡¡Paul's¡¡epistle¡¡upon¡¡Charity¡£¡¡When
that¡¡is¡¡done£»¡¨¡¡she¡¡added£»¡¡with¡¡a¡¡sublime¡¡look£»¡¡¡¨it¡¡will¡¡not¡¡be¡¡you¡¡who
belong¡¡to¡¡us£»¡¡we¡¡shall¡¡belong¡¡to¡¡you£»¡¡and¡¡you¡¡will¡¡be¡¡able¡¡to¡¡count¡¡up
greater¡¡riches¡¡than¡¡the¡¡sovereigns¡¡of¡¡this¡¡world¡¡possess£»¡¡you¡¡will
enjoy¡¡as¡¡we¡¡enjoy£»¡¡yes£»¡¡let¡¡me¡¡tell¡¡you¡¡£¨if¡¡you¡¡remember¡¡the¡¡'Arabian
Nights'£©¡¡that¡¡the¡¡treasures¡¡of¡¡Aladdin¡¡are¡¡nothing¡¡to¡¡those¡¡we
possess¡£¡¡And¡¡so¡¡for¡¡the¡¡last¡¡year¡¡we¡¡have¡¡not¡¡sufficed¡¡for¡¡our
affairs£»¡¡and¡¡we¡¡needed£»¡¡as¡¡you¡¡see£»¡¡a¡¡book¡­keeper¡£¡¨

While¡¡speaking£»¡¡she¡¡studied¡¡Godefroid's¡¡face£»¡¡he£»¡¡on¡¡his¡¡part£»¡¡did¡¡not
know¡¡how¡¡to¡¡take¡¡this¡¡extraordinary¡¡confidence¡£¡¡But¡¡as¡¡the¡¡scene¡¡in
the¡¡counting¡­room¡¡at¡¡Mongenod's¡¡came¡¡often¡¡to¡¡his¡¡mind£»¡¡he¡¡hovered
between¡¡doubt¡¡and¡¡belief¡£

¡¨Ah£»¡¡you¡¡will¡¡be¡¡very¡¡happy£¡¡¨¡¡she¡¡said¡£

Godefroid¡¡was¡¡so¡¡consumed¡¡with¡¡curiosity¡¡that¡¡from¡¡this¡¡moment¡¡he
determined¡¡to¡¡break¡¡through¡¡the¡¡reserve¡¡of¡¡one¡¡of¡¡the¡¡four¡¡friends¡¡and
question¡¡him¡£¡¡Now£»¡¡the¡¡one¡¡to¡¡whom¡¡he¡¡felt¡¡the¡¡most¡¡drawn£»¡¡and¡¡who
seemed¡¡naturally¡¡to¡¡excite¡¡the¡¡sympathies¡¡of¡¡all¡¡classes£»¡¡was¡¡the
kind£»¡¡gay£»¡¡simple¡¡Monsieur¡¡Alain¡£¡¡By¡¡what¡¡strange¡¡path¡¡could
Providence¡¡have¡¡led¡¡a¡¡being¡¡so¡¡guileless¡¡into¡¡this¡¡monastery¡¡without¡¡a
lock£»¡¡where¡¡recluses¡¡of¡¡both¡¡sexes¡¡lived¡¡beneath¡¡a¡¡rule¡¡in¡¡the¡¡midst
of¡¡Paris£»¡¡in¡¡absolute¡¡freedom£»¡¡as¡¡though¡¡they¡¡were¡¡guarded¡¡by¡¡the
sternest¡¡of¡¡superiors£¿¡¡What¡¡drama£»¡¡what¡¡event£»¡¡had¡¡made¡¡him¡¡leave¡¡his
own¡¡road¡¡in¡¡life£»¡¡and¡¡take¡¡this¡¡path¡¡among¡¡the¡¡sorrows¡¡of¡¡the¡¡great
city£¿

Godefroid¡¡resolved¡¡to¡¡ask¡£



VII

MONSIEUR¡¡ALAIN¡¡TELLS¡¡HIS¡¡SECRETS

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floor¡¡above¡¡him£»¡¡with¡¡the¡¡intention¡¡of¡¡satisfying¡¡a¡¡curiosity¡¡more
excited¡¡by¡¡the¡¡apparent¡¡impossibility¡¡of¡¡a¡¡catastrophe¡¡in¡¡such¡¡an
existence¡¡than¡¡it¡¡would¡¡have¡¡been¡¡under¡¡the¡¡expectation¡¡of¡¡discovering
some¡¡terrible¡¡episode¡¡in¡¡the¡¡life¡¡of¡¡a¡¡corsair¡£

At¡¡the¡¡words¡¡¡¨Come¡¡in£¡¡¨¡¡given¡¡in¡¡answer¡¡to¡¡two¡¡r

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