the brotherhood of consolation-第44章

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perambulating　trader。

It　must　not　be　thought　that　the　scene　in　〃The　Talisman〃　where　Saladin
cures　the　King　of　England　is　a　fiction。　Halpersohn　possesses　a　silk
purse　which　he　steeps　in　water　till　the　liquid　is　slightly　colored；
certain　fevers　yield　immediately　when　the　patient　has　drunk　the
prescribed　dose　of　it。　The　virtue　of　plants；　according　to　his　man；　is
infinite；　and　the　cure　of　the　worst　diseases　possible。　Nevertheless；
he；　like　the　rest　of　his　professional　brethren；　stops　short　at　certain
incomprehensibilities。　Halpersohn　approved　of　the　invention　of
homoeopathy；　more　on　account　of　its　therapeutics　than　for　its　medical
system；　he　was　corresponding　at　this　time　with　Hedenius　of　Dresden；
Chelius　of　Heidelburg；　and　the　celebrated　German　doctors；　all　the
while　holding　his　hand　closed；　though　it　was　full　of　discoveries。　He
wished　for　no　pupils。

The　frame　was　in　keeping　with　this　embodiment　of　a　Rembrandt　picture。
The　study；　hung　with　a　paper　imitating　green　velvet；　was　shabbily
furnished　with　a　green　divan；　the　cover　of　which　was　threadbare。　A
worn…out　green　carpet　was　on　the　floor。　A　large　armchair　of　black
leather；　intended　for　clients；　stood　before　the　window；　which　was
draped　with　green　curtains。　A　desk　chair　of　Roman　shape；　made　in
mahogany　and　covered　with　green　morocco；　was　the　doctor's　own　seat。

Between　the　fireplace　and　the　long　table　at　which　he　wrote；　a　common
iron　safe　stood　against　the　wall；　and　on　it　was　a　clock　of　Viennese
granite；　surmounted　by　a　group　in　bronze　representing　Cupid　playing
with　Death；　the　present　of　a　great　German　sculptor　whom　Halpersohn　had
doubtless　cured。　On　the　mantel…shelf　was　a　vase　between　two
candlesticks；　and　no　other　ornament。　On　either　side　of　the　divan　were
corner…buffets　of　ebony；　holding　plates　and　dishes；　and　Godefroid　also
noticed　upon　them　two　silver　bowls；　glass　decanters；　and　napkins。

This　simplicity；　which　amounted　almost　to　bareness　struck　Godefroid；
whose　quick　eye　took　it　all　in　as　he　recovered　his　self…possession。

〃Monsieur；　I　am；　as　you　say；　perfectly　well　myself；　I　have　come　on
behalf　of　a　woman　to　whom　you　were　asked　to　pay　a　visit　some　time　ago。
She　lives　on　the　boulevard　du　Mont…Parnasse。〃

〃Ah！　yes；　the　lady　who　has　sent　her　son　here　several　times。　Well；
monsieur；　let　her　come　here　to　me。〃

〃Come　here！〃　repeated　Godefroid；　indignantly。　〃Monsieur；　she　cannot
even　be　moved　from　her　bed　to　a　chair；　they　lift　her　with　pulleys。〃

〃You　are　not　a　physician；　I　suppose？〃　said　the　Jewish　doctor；　with　a
singular　grimace　which　made　his　face　appear　more　wicked　than　it　really
was。

〃If　the　Baron　de　Nucingen　sent　word　that　he　was　ill　and　wanted　you　to
visit　him；　would　you　reply；　'Let　him　come　here　to　me'？〃

〃I　should　go　to　him；〃　said　the　Jew；　coldly；　spitting　into　a　Dutch　pot
made　of　mahogany　and　full　of　sand。

〃You　would　go；〃　said　Godefroid；　gently；　〃because　the　Baron　de　Nucingen
has　two　millions　a　year；　and〃

〃The　rest　has　nothing　to　do　with　the　matter；　I　should　go。〃

〃Well；　monsieur；　you　must　go　to　the　lady　on　the　boulevard　du　Mont…
Parnasse　for　the　same　reason。　Without　possessing　the　fortune　of　the
Baron　du　Nucingen；　I　am　here　to　tell　you　that　you　may　yourself　put　a
price　upon　this　lady's　cure；　or　upon　your　attendance　if　you　fail；　I　am
ready　to　pay　it　in　advance。　But　perhaps；　monsieur；　as　you　are　a　Polish
refugee　and；　I　believe；　a　communist；　the　lady's　parentage　may　induce
you　to　make　a　sacrifice　to　Poland。　She　is　the　granddaughter　of　Colonel
Tarlowski；　the　friend　of　Poniatowski。〃

〃Monsieur；　you　came　here　to　ask　me　to　cure　that　lady；　and　not　to　give
me　advice。　In　Poland　I　am　a　Pole；　in　Paris　I　am　Parisian。　Every　man
does　good　in　his　own　way；　the　greed　with　which　I　am　credited　is　not
without　its　motive。　The　wealth　I　am　amassing　has　its　destination；　it
is　a　sacred　one。　I　sell　health；　the　rich　can　afford　to　purchase　it；
and　I　make　them　pay。　The　poor　have　their　doctors。　If　I　had　not　a
purpose　in　view　I　would　not　practise　medicine。　I　live　soberly　and　I
spend　my　time　in　rushing　hither　and　thither；　my　natural　inclination　is
to　be　lazy；　and　I　used　to　be　a　gambler。　Draw　your　conclusions；　young
man。　You　are　too　young　still　to　judge　old　men。〃

Godefroid　was　silent。

〃From　what　you　say；〃　went　on　the　doctor；　〃the　lady　in　question　is　the
granddaughter　of　that　imbecile　who　had　no　courage　but　that　of
fighting；　and　who　took　part　in　delivering　over　his　country　to
Catherine　II？〃

〃Yes；　monsieur。〃

〃Well；　be　at　her　house　Monday　next　at　three　o'clock；〃　said　Halpersohn；
taking　out　a　note…book　in　which　he　wrote　a　few　words。　〃You　will　give
me　then　two　hundred　francs；　and　if　I　promise　to　cure　the　patient　you
will　give　me　three　thousand。　I　am　told；〃　he　added；　〃that　the　lady　has
shrunk　to　almost　nothing。〃

〃Monsieur；　if　the　most　celebrated　doctors　in　Paris　are　to　be　believed；
it　is　a　neurotic　case　of　so　extraordinary　a　nature　that　they　denied
the　possibility　of　its　symptoms　until　they　saw　them。〃

〃Ah！　yes；　I　remember　now　what　the　young　lad　told　me。　To…morrow；
monsieur。〃

Godefroid　withdrew；　after　bowing　to　the　man　who　seemed　to　him　as　odd
as　he　was　extraordinary。　Nothing　about　him　indicated　a　physician；　not
even　the　study；　in　which　the　most　notable　object　was　the　iron　safe；
made　by　Huret　or　Fichet。

Godefroid　had　just　time　to　get　to　the　passage　Vivienne　before　the
shops　closed　for　the　day；　and　there　he　bought　a　superb　accordion；
which　he　ordered　sent　at　once　to　Monsieur　Bernard；　giving　the　address。



XVI

A　LESSON　IN　CHARITY

From　the　doctor's　house　Godefroid　made　his　way　to　the　rue　Chanoinesse；
passing　along　the　quai　des　Augustins；　where　he　hoped　to　find　one　of
the　shops　of　the　commission…publishers　open。　He　was　fortunate　enough
to　do　so；　and　had　a　long　talk　with　a　young　clerk　on　books　of
jurisprudence。

When　he　reached　the　rue　Chanoinesse；　he　found　Madame　de　la　Chanterie
and　her　friends　just　returning　from　high　mass；　in　reply　to　the　look
she　gave　him　Godefroid　made　her　a　significant　sign　with　his　head。

〃Isn't　our　dear　father　Alain　here　to…day？〃　he　said。

〃No；〃　she　replied；　〃not　this　Sunday；　you　will　not　see　him　till　a　week
from　to…dayunless　you　go　where　he　gave　you　rendezvous。〃

〃Madame；〃　said　Godefroid　in　a　low　voice；　〃you　know　he　doesn't
intimidate　me　as　these　gentlemen　do；　I　wanted　to　make　my　report　to
him〃

〃And　I？〃

〃Oh　you！　I　can　tell　you　all；　and　I　have　a　great　deal　to　tell。　For　my
first　essay　I　have　found　a　most　extraordinary　misfortune；　a　cruel
mingling　of　pauperism　and　the　need　for　luxuries；　also　scenes　of　a
sublimity　which　surpasses　all　the　inventions　of　our　great　novelists。〃

〃Nature；　especially　moral　nature；　is　always　greater　than　art；　just　as
God　is　greater　than　his　creatures。　But　come；〃　said　madame　de　la
Chanterie；　〃tell　me　the　particulars　of　your　first　trip　into　worlds
unknown　to　you。〃

Monsieur　Nicolas　and　Monsieur　Joseph　（for　the　Abbe　de　Veze　had
remained　a　few　moments　in　Notre…Dame）　left　Madame　de　la　Chanterie
alone　with　Godefroid；　who；　being　still　under　the　influence　of　the
emotions　he　had　gone　through　the　night　before；　related　even　the
smallest　details　of　his　story　with　the　force　and　ardor　and　action　of　a
first　experience　of　such　a　spectacle　and　its　attendant　persons　and
things。　His　narrative　had　a　great　success；　for　the　calm　and　gentle
Madame　de　la　Chanterie　wept；　accustomed　as　she　was　to　sound　the　depths
of　sorrows。

〃You　did　quite　right　to　send　the　accordion；〃　she　said。

〃I　would　like　to　do　a　great　deal　more；〃　said　Godefroid；　〃inasmuch　as
this　family　is　the　first　that　has　shown　me　the　pleasures　of　charity；　I
should　like　to　obtain　for　that　splendid　old　man　a　full　return　for　his
great　book。　I　don't　know　if　you　have　confidence　enough　in　my　capacity
to　give　me　the　means　of　undertaking　such　an　affair。　From　information　I
have　obtained；　it　will　cost　nine　thousand　francs　to　manufacture　an
edition　of　fifteen　hundred　copies；　and　their　selling　value　will　be
twenty…four　thousand　francs。　But　as　we　should　have　to　pay　off　the
three　thousand　and　some　hundred　francs　due　to　Barbet；　it　would　be　an
outlay　of　twelve　thousand　francs　to　risk。　Oh！　madame；　if　you　only　knew
what　bitter　regrets　I　feel　for　having　dissipated　my　little