camille-第4章

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〃I　give　way；　sir。〃

Nothing　more　being　offered；　the　book　was　assigned　to　me。

As　I　was　afraid　of　some　new　fit　of　obstinacy；　which　my　amour　propre　might　have　sustained　somewhat　better　than　my　purse；　I　wrote　down　my　name；　had　the　book　put　on　one　side；　and　went　out。　I　must　have　given　considerable　food　for　reflection　to　the　witnesses　of　this　scene；　who　would　nodoubt　ask　themselves　what　my　purpose　could　have　been　in　paying　a　hundred　francs　for　a　book　which　I　could　have　had　anywhere　for　ten；　or；　at　the　outside；　fifteen。

An　hour　after；　I　sent　for　my　purchase。　On　the　first　page　was　written　in　ink；　in　an　elegant　hand；　an　inscription　on　the　part　of　the　giver。　It　consisted　of　these　words：

Manon　to　Marguerite。

Humility。

It　was　signed　Armand　Duval。

What　was　the　meaning　of　the　word　Humility？　Was　Manon　to　recognise　in　Marguerite；　in　the　opinion　of　M。　Armand　Duval；　her　superior　in　vice　or　in　affection？　The　second　interpretation　seemed　the　more　probable；　for　the　first　would　have　been　an　impertinent　piece　of　plain　speaking　which　Marguerite；　whatever　her　opinion　of　herself；　would　never　have　accepted。

I　went　out　again；　and　thought　no　more　of　the　book　until　at　night；　when　I　was　going　to　bed。

Manon　Lescaut　is　a　touching　story。　I　know　every　detail　of　it；　and　yet　whenever　I　come　across　the　volume　the　same　sympathy　always　draws　me　to　it；　I　open　it；　and　for　the　hundredth　time　I　live　over　again　with　the　heroine　of　the　Abbe　Prevost。　Now　this　heroine　is　so　true　to　life　that　I　feel　as　if　I　had　known　her；　and　thus　the　sort　of　comparison　between　her　and　Marguerite　gave　me　an　unusual　inclination　to　read　it；　and　my　indulgence　passed　into　pity；　almost　into　a　kind　of　love　for　the　poor　girl　to　whom　I　owed　the　volume。　Manon　died　in　the　desert；　it　is　true；　but　in　the　arms　of　the　man　who　loved　her　with　the　whole　energy　of　his　soul；　who；　when　she　was　dead；　dug　a　grave　for　her；　and　watered　it　with　his　tears；　and　buried　his　heart　in　it；　while　Marguerite；　a　sinner　like　Manon；　and　perhaps　converted　like　her；　had　died　in　a　sumptuous　bed　（it　seemed；　after　what　I　had　seen；　the　bed　of　her　past）；　but　in　that　desert　of　the　heart；　a　more　barren；　a　vaster；　a　more　pitiless　desert　than　that　in　which　Manon　had　found　her　last　resting…place。

Marguerite；　in　fact；　as　I　had　found　from　some　friends　who　knew　of　the　last　circumstances　of　her　life；　had　not　a　single　real　friend　by　her　bedside　during　the　two　months　of　her　long　and　painful　agony。

Then　from　Manon　and　Marguerite　my　mind　wandered　to　those　whom　I　knew；　and　whom　I　saw　singing　along　the　way　which　led　to　just　such　another　death。　Poor　souls！　if　it　is　not　right　to　love　them；　is　it　not　well　to　pity　them？　You　pity　the　blind　man　who　has　never　seen　the　daylight；　the　deaf　who　has　never　heard　the　harmonies　of　nature；　the　dumb　who　has　never　found　a　voice　for　his　soul；　and；　under　a　false　cloak　of　shame；　you　will　not　pity　this　blindness　of　heart；　this　deafness　of　soul；　this　dumbness　of　conscience；　which　sets　the　poor　afflicted　creature　beside　herself　and　makes　her；　in　spite　of　herself；　incapable　of　seeing　what　is　good；　of　bearing　the　Lord；　and　of　speaking　the　pure　language　of　love　and　faith。

Hugo　has　written　Marion　Delorme；　Musset　has　written　Bernerette；　Alexandre　Dumas　has　written　Fernande；　the　thinkers　and　poets　of　all　time　have　brought　to　the　courtesan　the　offering　of　their　pity；　and　at　times　a　great　man　has　rehabilitated　them　with　his　love　and　even　with　his　name。　If　I　insist　on　this　point；　it　is　because　many　among　those　who　have　begun　to　read　me　will　be　ready　to　throw　down　a　book　in　which　they　will　fear　to　find　an　apology　for　vice　and　prostitution；　and　the　author's　age　will　do　something；　no　doubt；　to　increase　this　fear。　Let　me　undeceive　those　who　think　thus；　and　let　them　go　on　reading；　if　nothing　but　such　a　fear　hinders　them。

I　am　quite　simply　convinced　of　a　certain　principle；　which　is：　For　the　woman　whose　education　has　not　taught　her　what　is　right；　God　almost　always　opens　two　ways　which　lead　thither　the　ways　of　sorrow　and　of　love。　They　are　hard；　those　who　walk　in　them　walk　with　bleeding　feet　and　torn　hands；　but　they　also　leave　the　trappings　of　vice　upon　the　thorns　of　the　wayside；　and　reach　the　journey's　end　in　a　nakedness　which　is　not　shameful　in　the　sight　of　the　Lord。

Those　who　meet　these　bold　travellers　ought　to　succour　them；　and　to　tell　all　that　they　have　met　them；　for　in　so　doing　they　point　out　the　way。　It　is　not　a　question　of　setting　at　the　outset　of　life　two　sign…posts；　one　bearing　the　inscription　〃The　Right　Way；〃　the　other　the　inscription　〃The　Wrong　Way；〃　and　of　saying　to　those　who　come　there；　〃Choose。〃　One　must　needs；　like　Christ；　point　out　the　ways　which　lead　from　the　second　road　to　the　first；　to　those　who　have　been　easily　led　astray；　and　it　is　needful　that　the　beginning　of　these　ways　should　not　be　too　painful　nor　appear　too　impenetrable。

Here　is　Christianity　with　its　marvellous　parable　of　the　Prodigal　Son　to　teach　us　indulgence　and　pardon。　Jesus　was　full　of　love　for　souls　wounded　by　the　passions　of　men；　he　loved　to　bind　up　their　wounds　and　to　find　in　those　very　wounds　the　balm　which　should　heal　them。　Thus　he　said　to　the　Magdalen：　〃Much　shall　be　forgiven　thee　because　thou　hast　loved　much；〃　a　sublimity　of　pardon　which　can　only　have　called　forth　a　sublime　faith。

Why　do　we　make　ourselves　more　strict　than　Christ？　Why；　holding　obstinately　to　the　opinions　of　the　world；　which　hardens　itself　in　order　that　it　may　be　thought　strong；　do　we　reject；　as　it　rejects；　souls　bleeding　at　wounds　by　which；　like　a　sick　man's　bad　blood；　the　evil　of　their　past　may　be　healed；　if　only　a　friendly　hand　is　stretched　out　to　lave　them　and　set　them　in　the　convalescence　of　the　heart？

It　is　to　my　own　generation　that　I　speak；　to　those　for　whom　the　theories　of　M。　de　Voltaire　happily　exist　no　longer；　to　those　who；　like　myself；　realize　that　humanity；　for　these　last　fifteen　years；　has　been　in　one　of　its　most　audacious　moments　of　expansion。　The　science　of　good　and　evil　is　acquired　forever；　faith　is　refashioned；　respect　for　sacred　things　has　returned　to　us；　and　if　the　world　has　not　all　at　once　become　good；　it　has　at　least　become　better。　The　efforts　of　every　intelligent　man　tend　in　the　same　direction；　and　every　strong　will　is　harnessed　to　the　same　principle：　Be　good；　be　young；　be　true！　Evil　is　nothing　but　vanity；　let　us　have　the　pride　of　good；　and　above　all　let　us　never　despair。　Do　not　let　us　despise　the　woman　who　is　neither　mother；　sister；　maid；　nor　wife。　Do　not　let　us　limit　esteem　to　the　family　nor　indulgence　to　egoism。　Since　〃there　is　more　joy　in　heaven　over　one　sinner　that　repenteth　than　over　ninety　and　nine　just　persons　that　need　no　repentance；〃　let　us　give　joy　to　heaven。　Heaven　will　render　it　back　to　us　with　usury。　Let　us　leave　on　our　way　the　alms　of　pardon　for　those　whom　earthly　desires　have　driven　astray；　whom　a　divine　hope　shall　perhaps　save；　and；　as　old　women　say　when　they　offer　you。　some　homely　remedy　of　their　own；　if　it　does　no　good　it　will　do　no　harm。

Doubtless　it　must　seem　a　bold　thing　to　attempt　to　deduce　these　grand　results　out　of　the　meagre　subject　that　I　deal　with；　but　I　am　one　of　those　who　believe　that　all　is　in　little。　The　child　is　small；　and　he　includes　the　man；　the　brain　is　narrow；　and　it　harbours　thought；　the　eye　is　but　a　point；　and　it　covers　leagues。



Chapter　4

Two　days　after；　the　sale　was　ended。　It　had　produced　3。50；000　francs。　The　creditors　divided　among　them　two　thirds；　and　the　family；　a　sister　and　a　grand…nephew；　received　the　remainder。

The　sister　opened　her　eyes　very　wide　when　the　lawyer　wrote　to　her　that　she　had　inherited　50；000　francs。　The　girl　had　not　seen　her　sister　for　six　or　seven　years；　and　did　not　know　what　had　become　of　her　from　the　moment　when　she　had　disappeared　from　home。　She　came　up　to　Paris　in　haste；　and　great　was　the　astonishment　of　those　who　had　known　Marguerite　when　they　saw　as　her　only　heir　a　fine；　fat　country　girl；　who　until　then　had　never　left　her　village。　She　had　made　the　fortune　at　a　single　stroke；　without　even　knowing　the　source　of　that　fortune。　She　went　back；　I　heard　afterward；　to　her　countryside；　greatly　saddened　by　her　sister's　death；　but　with　a　sadness　which　was　somewhat　lightened　by　the　investment　at　four　and　a　half　per　cent　which　she　had　been　able　to　make。