the brotherhood of consolation-第14章

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gratitude。　You　have　indeed　saved　us。　Were　it　not　for　you　I　might　never
have　seen　Mongenod　again。　He　might；yes；　he　would　have　thrown　himself
in　the　river。　He　was　desperate　when　he　left　me　to　go　and　see　you。'　On
examining　this　person　I　was　surprised　to　see　her　head　tied　up　in　a
foulard；　and　along　the　temples　a　curious　dark　line；　but　I　presently
saw　that　her　head　was　shaved。　'Have　you　been　ill？'　I　asked；　as　I
noticed　this　singularity。　She　cast　a　glance　at　a　broken　mirror　in　a
shabby　frame　and　colored；　then　the　tears　came　into　her　eyes。　'Yes；
monsieur；'　she　said；　'I　had　horrible　headaches；　and　I　was　obliged　to
have　my　hair　cut　off；　it　came　to　my　feet。'　'Am　I　speaking　to　Madame
Mongenod？'　I　asked。　'Yes；　monsieur；'　she　answered；　giving　me　a　truly
celestial　look。　I　bowed　to　the　poor　little　woman　and　went　away；
intending　to　make　the　landlady　tell　me　something　about　them；　but　she
was　out。　I　was　certain　that　poor　young　woman　had　sold　her　hair　to　buy
bread。　I　went　from　there　to　a　wood　merchant　and　ordered　half　a　cord　of
wood；　telling　the　cartman　and　the　sawyer　to　take　the　bill；　which　I
made　the　dealer　receipt　to　the　name　of　citizen　Mongenod；　and　give　it
to　the　little　woman。

〃There　ends　the　period　of　what　I　long　called　/my　foolishness/；〃　said
Monsieur　Alain；　clasping　his　hands　and　lifting　them　with　a　look　of
repentance。

Godefroid　could　not　help　smiling。　He　was；　as　we　shall　see；　greatly
mistaken　in　that　smile。

〃Two　days　later；〃　resumed　the　worthy　man；　〃I　met　one　of　those　men　who
are　neither　friends　nor　strangers；　with　whom　we　have　relations　from
time　to　time；　and　call　acquaintances；a　certain　Monsieur　Barillaud；
who　remarked　accidentally；　/a　propos/　of　the　'Peruviens；'　that　the
author　was　a　friend　of　his。　'Then　you　know　citizen　Mongenod？'　I　said。

〃In　those　days　we　were　obliged　by　law　to　call　each　other　'citizen；'〃
said　Monsieur　Alain　to　Godefroid；　by　way　of　parenthesis。　Then　he
continued　his　narrative：

〃The　citizen　looked　at　me；　exclaiming；　'I　wish　I　never　had　known　him；
for　he　has　several　times　borrowed　money　of　me；　and　shown　his
friendship　by　not　returning　it。　He　is　a　queer　fellow；good…hearted
and　all　that；　but　full　of　illusions！　always　an　imagination　on　fire！　I
will　do　him　this　justice；he　does　not　mean　to　deceive；　but　as　he
deceives　himself　about　everything；　he　manages　to　behave　like　a
dishonest　man。'　'How　much　does　he　owe　you？'　I　asked。　'Oh！　a　good　many
hundred　francs。　He's　a　basket　with　a　hole　in　the　bottom。　Nobody　knows
where　his　money　goes；　perhaps　he　doesn't　know　himself。'　'Has　he　any
resources？'　'Well；　yes；'　said　Barillaud；　laughing；　'just　now　he　is
talking　of　buying　land　among　the　savages　in　the　United　States。'　I
carried　away　with　me　the　drop　of　vinegar　which　casual　gossip　thus　put
into　my　heart；　and　it　soured　all　my　feelings。　I　went　to　see　my　old
master；　in　whose　office　Mongenod　and　I　had　studied　law；　he　was　now　my
counsel。　When　I　told　him　about　my　loan　to　Mongenod　and　the　manner　in
which　I　had　acted；'What！'　he　cried；　'one　of　my　old　clerks　to　behave
in　that　way！　You　ought　to　have　put　him　off　till　the　next　day　and　come
to　see　me。　You　would　then　have　found　out　that　I　have　forbidden　my
clerks　to　let　Mongenod　into　this　office。　Within　the　last　year　he　has
borrowed　three　hundred　francs　of　me　in　silver；an　enormous　sum　at
present　rates。　Three　days　before　he　breakfasted　with　you　I　met　him　on
the　street；　and　he　gave　such　a　piteous　account　of　his　poverty　that　I
let　him　have　two　louis。'　'If　I　have　been　the　dupe　of　a　clever
comedian；'　I　said　to　Bordin；　'so　much　the　worse　for　him；　not　for　me。
But　tell　me　what　to　do。'　'You　must　try　to　get　from　him　a　written
acknowledgment；　for　a　debtor；　however；　insolvent　he　may　be；　may　become
solvent；　and　then　he　will　pay。'　Thereupon　Bordin　took　from　a　tin　box　a
case　on　which　I　saw　the　name　of　Mongenod；　he　showed　me　three　receipts
of　a　hundred　francs　each。　'The　next　time　he　comes　I　shall　have　him
admitted；　and　I　shall　make　him　add　the　interest　and　the　two　louis；　and
give　me　a　note　for　the　whole。　I　shall；　at　any　rate；　have　things
properly　done；　and　be　in　a　position　to　obtain　payment。'　'Well；'　said　I
to　Bordin；　'can　you　have　my　matter　set　right　so　far；　as　well　as　yours？
for　I　know　you　are　a　good　man；　and　what　you　do　will　be　right。'　'I　have
remained　master　of　my　ground；'　he　said；　'but　when　persons　behave　as
you　have　done　they　are　at　the　mercy　of　a　man　who　can　snap　his　fingers
at　them。　As　for　me；　I　don't　choose　that　any　man　should　get　the　better
of　me；get　the　better　of　a　former　attorney　to　the　Chatelet！ta…ra…
ra！　Every　man　to　whom　a　sum　of　money　is　lent　as　heedlessly　as　you　lent
yours　to　Mongenod；　ends；　after　a　certain　time；　by　thinking　that　money
his　own。　It　is　no　longer　your　money；　it　is　/his/　money；　you　become　his
creditor；an　inconvenient；　unpleasant　person。　A　debtor　will　then　try
to　get　rid　of　you　by　some　juggling　with　his　conscience；　and　out　of　one
hundred　men　in　his　position；　seventy…five　will　do　their　best　never　to
see　or　hear　of　you　again。'　'Then　you　think　only　twenty…five　men　in　a
hundred　are　honest？'　'Did　I　say　that？'　he　replied；　smiling
maliciously。　'The　estimate　is　too　high？'〃

Monsieur　Alain　paused　to　put　the　fire　together；　that　done；　he
resumed：

〃Two　weeks　later　I　received　a　letter　from　Bordin　asking　me　to　go　to
his　office　and　get　my　receipt。　I　went。　'I　tried　to　get　fifty　of　your
louis　for　you；'　he　said；　'but　the　birds　had　flown。　Say　good…by　to　your
yellow　boys；　those　pretty　canaries　are　off　to　other　climes。　You　have
had　to　do　with　a　sharper；　that's　what　he　is。　He　declared　to　me　that
his　wife　and　father…in…law　had　gone　to　the　United　States　with　sixty　of
your　louis　to　buy　land；　that　he　intended　to　follow；　for　the　purpose；
he　said；　of　making　a　fortune　and　paying　his　debts；　the　amount　of
which；　carefully　drawn　up；　he　confided　to　me；　requesting　me　to　keep　an
eye　on　what　became　of　his　creditors。　Here　is　a　list　of　the　items；'
continued　Bordin；　showing　me　a　paper　from　which　he　read　the　total；
'Seventeen　thousand　francs　in　coin；　a　sum　with　which　a　house　could　be
bought　that　would　bring　in　two　thousand　francs　a　year。'　After
replacing　the　list　in　the　case；　Bordin　gave　me　a　note　for　a　sum
equivalent　to　a　hundred　louis　in　gold；　with　a　letter　in　which　Mongenod
admitted　having　received　my　hundred　louis；　on　which　he　owed　interest。
'So　now　I　am　all　right；'　I　said　to　Bordin。　'He　cannot　deny　the　debt；'
replied　my　old　master；　'but　where　there　are　no　funds；　even　the　kingI
should　say　the　Directorycan't　enforce　rights。'　I　went　home。
Believing　that　I　had　been　robbed　in　a　way　intentionally　screened　from
the　law；　I　withdrew　my　esteem　from　Mongenod；　and　resigned　myself
philosophically。

〃If　I　have　dwelt　on　these　details；　which　are　so　commonplace　and　seem
so　slight；〃　said　the　worthy　man；　looking　at　Godefroid；　〃it　is　not
without　good　reason。　I　want　to　explain　to　you　how　I　was　led　to　act；　as
most　men　act；　in　defiance　of　the　rules　which　savages　observe　in　the
smallest　matters。　Many　persons　would　justify　themselves　by　the　opinion
of　so　excellent　a　man　as　Bordin；　but　to…day　I　know　myself　to　have　been
inexcusable。　When　it　comes　to　condemning　one　of　our　fellows；　and
withdrawing　our　esteem　from　him；　we　should　act　from　our　own
convictions　only。　But　have　we　any　right　to　make　our　heart　a　tribunal
before　which　we　arraign　our　neighbor？　Where　is　the　law？　what　is　our
standard　of　judgment？　That　which　in　us　is　weakness　may　be　strength　in
our　neighbor。　So　many　beings；　so　many　different　circumstances　for
every　act；　and　there　are　no　two　beings　exactly　alike　in　all　humanity。
Society　alone　has　the　right　over　its　members　of　repression；　as　for
punishment；　I　deny　it　that　right。　Repression　suffices；　and　that；
besides；　brings　with　it　punishment　enough。

〃So；〃　resumed　Monsieur　Alain；　continuing　his　history；　having　drawn
from　it　that　noble　teaching；　〃after　listening　to　the　gossip　of　the
Parisian；　and　relying　on　the　wisdom　of　my　old　master；　I　condemned
Mongenod。　His　play；　'Les　Peruviens；'　was　announced。　I　expected　to
receive　a　ticket　from　Mongenod　for　the　first　representation；　I
established　in　my　own　mind　a　sort　of　claim　on　him。　It　seemed　to　me
that　by　reason　of　my　loan　my　friend　was　a　sort　of　vassal　of　mine；　who
owed　me　a　num