the brotherhood of consolation-第13节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


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　number　of　things　besides　the　interest　on　my　money。　We　all
think　that。　Mongenod　not　only　did　not　send　me　a　ticket；　but　I　saw　him
from　a　distance　coming　towards　me　in　that　dark　passage　under　the
Theatre　Feydeau；　well　dressed；　almost　elegant；　he　pretended　not　to　see
me；　then；　after　he　had　passed　and　I　turned　to　run　after　him；　my　debtor
hastily　escaped　through　a　transverse　alley。　This　circumstance　greatly
irritated　me；　and　the　irritation；　instead　of　subsiding　with　time；　only
increased；　and　for　the　following　reason：　Some　days　after　this
encounter；　I　wrote　to　Mongenod　somewhat　in　these　terms：　'My　friend；
you　ought　not　to　think　me　indifferent　to　whatever　happens　to　you　of
good　or　evil。　Are　you　satisfied　with　the　success　of　'Les　Peruviens'？
You　forgot　me　（of　course　it　was　your　right　to　do　so）　for　the　first
representation；　at　which　I　should　have　applauded　you。　But；
nevertheless；　I　hope　you　found　a　Peru　in　your　Peruvians；　for　I　have
found　a　use　for　my　funds；　and　shall　look　to　you　for　the　payment　of
them　when　the　note　falls　due。　Your　friend；　Alain。'　After　waiting　two
weeks　for　an　answer；　I　went　to　the　rue　des　Moineaux。　The　landlady　told
me　that　the　little　wife　really　did　go　away　with　her　father　at　the　time
when　Mongenod　told　Bordin　of　their　departure。　Mongenod　always　left　the
garret　very　early　in　the　morning　and　did　not　return　till　late　at
night。　Another　two　weeks；　I　wrote　again；　thus：　'My　dear　Mongenod；　I
cannot　find　you；　and　you　do　not　reply　to　my　letters。　I　do　not
understand　your　conduct。　If　I　behaved　thus　to　you；　what　would　you
think　of　me？'　I　did　not　subscribe　the　letter　as　before；　'Your　friend；'
I　merely　wrote；　'Kind　regards。'

〃Well；　it　was　all　of　no　use；〃　said　Monsieur　Alain。　〃A　month　went　by
and　I　had　no　news　of　Mongenod。　'Les　Peruviens'　did　not　obtain　the
great　success　on　which　he　counted。　I　went　to　the　twentieth
representation；　thinking　to　find　him　and　obtain　my　money。　The　house
was　less　than　half　full；　but　Madame　Scio　was　very　beautiful。　They　told
me　in　the　foyer　that　the　play　would　run　a　few　nights　longer。　I　went
seven　different　times　to　Mongenod's　lodging　and　did　not　find　him；　each
time　I　left　my　name　with　the　landlady。　At　last　I　wrote　again：
'Monsieur；　if　you　do　not　wish　to　lose　my　respect；　as　you　have　my
friendship；　you　will　treat　me　now　as　a　stranger；that　is　to　say；　with
politeness；　and　you　will　tell　me　when　you　will　be　ready　to　pay　your
note；　which　is　now　due。　I　shall　act　according　to　your　answer。　Your
obedient　servant；　Alain。'　No　answer。　We　were　then　in　1799；　one　year；
all　but　two　months；　had　expired。　At　the　end　of　those　two　months　I　went
to　Bordin。　Bordin　took　the　note；　had　it　protested；　and　sued　Mongenod
for　me。　Meantime　the　disasters　of　the　French　armies　had　produced　such
depreciation　of　the　Funds　that　investors　could　buy　a　five…francs
dividend　on　seven　francs　capital。　Therefore；　for　my　hundred　louis　in
gold；　I　might　have　bought　myself　fifteen　hundred　francs　of　income。
Every　morning；　as　I　took　my　coffee　and　read　the　paper；　I　said　to
myself：　'That　cursed　Mongenod！　if　it　were　not　for　him　I　should　have
three　thousand　francs　a　year　to　live　on。'　Mongenod　became　by　/bete…
noire/；　I　inveighed　against　him　even　as　I　walked　the　streets。　'Bordin
is　there；'　I　thought　to　myself；　'Bordin　will　put　the　screws　on；　and　a
good　thing；　too。'　My　feelings　turned　to　hatred；　and　my　hatred　to
imprecations；　I　cursed　the　man；　and　I　believed　he　had　every　vice。　'Ah！
Monsieur　Barillaud　was　very　right；'　thought　I；　'in　all　he　told　me！'〃

Monsieur　Alain　paused　reflectively。

〃Yes；〃　he　said　again；　〃I　thought　him　very　right　in　all　he　told　me。　At
last；　one　morning；　in　came　my　debtor；　no　more　embarrassed　than　if　he
didn't　owe　me　a　sou。　When　I　saw　him　I　felt　all　the　shame　he　ought　to
have　felt。　I　was　like　a　criminal　taken　in　the　act；　I　was　all　upset。
The　eighteenth　Brumaire　had　just　taken　place。　Public　affairs　were
doing　well；　the　Funds　had　gone　up。　Bonaparte　was　off　to　fight　the
battle　of　Marengo。　'It　is　unfortunate；　monsieur；'　I　said；　receiving
Mongenod　standing；　'that　I　owe　your　visit　to　a　sheriff's　summons。'
Mongenod　took　a　chair　and　sat　down。　'I　came　to　tell　you；'　he　said；
'that　I　am　totally　unable　to　pay　you。'　'You　made　me　miss　a　fine
investment　before　the　election　of　the　First　Consul；an　investment
which　would　have　given　me　a　little　fortune。'　'I　know　it；　Alain；'　he
said；　'I　know　it。　But　what　is　the　good　of　suing　me　and　crushing　me
with　bills　of　costs？　I　have　nothing　with　which　to　pay　anything。
Lately　I　received　letters　from　my　wife　and　father…in…law；　they　have
bought　land　with　the　money　you　lent　me；　and　they　send　me　a　list　of
things　they　need　to　improve　it。　Now；　unless　some　one　prevents　it；　I
shall　sail　on　a　Dutch　vessel　from　Flushing；　whither　I　have　sent　the
few　things　I　am　taking　out　to　them。　Bonaparte　has　won　the　battle　of
Marengo；　peace　will　be　signed；　I　may　safely　rejoin　my　family；　and　I
have　need　to；　for　my　dear　little　wife　is　about　to　give　birth　to　a
child。'　'And　so　you　have　sacrificed　me　to　your　own　interests？'　said　I。
'Yes；'　he　answered；　'for　I　believed　you　my