the brotherhood of consolation-第40章

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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。〃

〃I　don't　want　one；〃　said　Godefroid；　seeing　that　the　widow　followed
him。　〃I　shall　spend　the　evening　in　Monsieur　Bernard's　apartment。〃

〃Well；　well！　you　must　be　his　cousin；　if　you　are　hand　and　glove　like
that！　Perhaps　monsieur　will　finish　now　the　little　conversation　we
began。〃

〃Ah；　yes！about　that　four　hundred　francs。　Look　here；　my　good　Madame
Vauthier；　you　are　trying　to　see　which　way　the　cat　jumps；　and　you'll
tumble　yourself　between　two　stools。　As　for　me；　you　have　betrayed　me；
and　made　me　miss　the　whole　affair。〃

〃Now；　don't　think　that；　my　dear　monsieur。　To…morrow；　while　you
breakfast〃

〃To…morrow　I　shall　not　breakfast　here。　I　am　going　out；　like　your
authors；　at　cock…crow。〃

Godefroid's　antecedents；　his　life　as　a　man　of　the　world　and　a
journalist；　served　him　in　this；　that　he　felt　quite　sure；　unless　he
took　this　tone；　that　Barbet's　spy　would　warn　the　old　publisher　of
danger；　and　probably　lead　to　active　measures　under　which　Monsieur
Bernard　would　before　long　be　arrested；　whereas；　if　he　left