the brotherhood of consolation-第15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！


〃Ah！　you　want　to　know　everything；〃　said　the　old　man。　〃No；　no！　Would
you　believe　it；〃　he　continued　after　this　interruption；　〃the　smallness
of　my　means　to　do　the　work　I　now　desired　to　do　brought　back　the
thought　of　Mongenod。　'If　it　were　not　for　Mongenod；'　I　kept　saying　to
myself；　'I　could　do　so　much　more。　If　a　dishonest　man　had　not　deprived
me　of　fifteen　hundred　francs　a　year　I　could　save　this　or　that　poor
family。'　Excusing　my　own　impotence　by　accusing　another；　I　felt　that
the　miseries　of　those　to　whom　I　could　offer　nothing　but　words　of
consolation　were　a　curse　upon　Mongenod。　That　thought　soothed　my　heart。
One　morning；　in　January；　1816；　my　housekeeper　announced；whom　do　you
suppose？Mongenod！　Monsieur　Mongenod！　And　whom　do　you　think　I　saw
enter　my　room？　The　beautiful　young　woman　I　had　once　seen；only　now
she　was　thirty…six　years　old；followed　by　her　three　children　and
Mongenod。　He　looked　younger　than　when　he　went　away；　for　prosperity　and
happiness　do　shed　a　halo　round　their　favorites。　Thin；　pale；　yellow；
shrivelled；　when　I　last　saw　him；　he　was　now　plump；　sleek；　rosy　as　a
prebendary；　and　well　dressed。　He　flung　himself　into　my　arms。　Feeling；
perhaps；　that　I　received　him　coldly；　his　first　words　were：　'Friend；　I
could　not　come　sooner。　The　ocean　was　not　free　to　passenger　ships　till
1815；　then　it　took　me　a　year　to　close　up　my　business　and　realize　my
property。　I　have　succeeded；　my　friend。　When　I　received　your　letter　in
1806；　I　started　in　a　Dutch　vessel　to　bring　you　myself　a　little
fortune；　but　the　union　of　Holland　with　the　French　Empire　caused　the
vessel　to　be　taken　by　the　English　and　sent　to　Jamaica；　from　which
island　I　escaped　by　mere　chance。　When　I　reached　New　York　I　found　I　was
a　victim　to　the　bankruptcy　of　others。　In　my　absence　my　poor　Charlotte
had　not　been　able　to　protect　herself　against　schemers。　I　was　therefore
forced　to　build　up　once　more　the　edifice　of　my　fortunes。　However；　it
is　all　done　now；　and　here　we　are。　By　the　way　those　children　are
looking　at　you；　you　must　be　aware　that　we　have　often　talked　to　them　of
their　father's　benefactor。'　'Oh；　yes；　yes；　monsieur！'　said　the
beautiful　Mongenod；　'we　have　never　passed　a　single　day　without
remembering　you。　Your　share　has　been　set　aside　in　all　our　affairs。　We
have　looked　forward　eagerly　to　the　happiness　we　now　have　in　returning
to　you　your　fortune；　not　thinking　for　a　moment　that　the　payment　of
these　just　dues　can　ever　wipe　out　our　debt　of　gratitude。'　With　those
words　Madame　Mongenod　held　out　to　me　that　magnificent　box　you　see　over
there；　in　which　were　one　hundred　and　fifty　notes　of　a　thousand　francs
each。〃

The　old　man　paused　an　instant　as　if　to　dwell　on　that　moment；　then　he
went　on：

〃Mongenod　looked　at　me　fixedly　and　said：　'My　poor　Alain；　you　have
suffered；　I　know；　but　we　did　divine　your　sufferings；　we　did　try　every
means　to　send　the　money　to　you；　and　failed　in　every　attempt。　You　told
me　you　could　not　marry；that　I　had　prevented　it。　But　here　is　our
eldest　daughter；　she　has　been　brought　up　in　the　thought　of　becoming
your　wife；　and　she　will　have　a　dowry　of　five　hundred　thousand　francs。'
'God　forbid　that　I　should　make　her　miserable！'　I　cried　hastily；
looking　at　the　girl；　who　was　as　beautiful　as　her　mother　when　I　first
saw　her。　I　drew　her　to　me　to　kiss　her　brow。　'Don't　be　afraid；　my
beautiful　child！'　I　said。　'A　man　of　fifty　to　a　girl　of　seventeen？
never！　and　a　man　as　plain　and　ugly　as　I　am？never！'　I　cried。
'Monsieur；'　she　said；　'my　father's　benefactor　could　not　be　ugly　for
me。'　Those　words；　said　spontaneously；　with　simple　candor；　made　me
understand　how　true　was　all　that　Mongenod　had　said。　I　then　gave　him　my
hand；　and　we　embraced　each　other　again。　'My　friend；'　I　said；　'I　have
done　you　wrong。　I　have　often　accused　you；　cursed　you。'　'You　had　the
right　to　do　so；　Alain；'　he　replied；　blushing；　'you　suffered；　and
through　me。'　I　took　Mongenod's　note　from　my　desk　and　returned　it　to
him。　'You　will　all　stay　and　breakfast　with　me；　I　hope？'　I　said　to　the
family。　'On　condition　that　you　dine　with　us；'　said　Mongenod。　'We
arrived　yesterday。　We　are　going　to　buy　a　house；　and　I　mean　to　open　a
banking　business　between　Paris　and　North　America；　so　as　to　leave　it　to
this　fellow　here；'　he　added；　showing　me　his　eldest　son；　who　was
fifteen　years　old。　We　spent　the　rest　of　the　day　together　and　went　to
the　play；　for　Mongenod　and　his　family　were　actually　hungry　for　the
theatre。　The　next　morning　I　placed　the　whole　sum　in　the　Funds；　and　I
now　had　in　all　about　fifteen　thousand　francs　a　year。　This　fortune
enabled　me　to　give　up　book…keeping　at　night；　and　also　to　resign　my
place　at　the　Mont…de…piete；　to　the　great　satisfaction　of　the　underling
who　stepped　into　my　shoes。　My　friend　died　in　1827；　at　the　age　of
sixty…three；　after　founding　the　great　banking…house　of　Mongenod　and
Company；　which　made　enormous　profits　from　the　first　loans　under　the
Restoration。　His　daughter；　to　whom　he　subsequently　gave　a　million　in
dowry；　married　the　Vicomte　de　Fontaine。　The　eldest　son；　whom　you　know；
is　not　yet　married；　he　lives　with　his　mother　and　brother。　We　obtain
from　them　all　the　sums　we　need。　Frederic　（his　father　gave　him　my　name
in　America）；Frederic　Mongenod　is；　at　thirty…seven　years　of　age；　one
of　the　ablest；　and　most　upright；　bankers　in　Paris。　Not　very　long　ago
Madame　Mongenod　admitted　to　me　that　she　had　sold　her　hair；　as　I
suspected；　for　twelve　francs　to　buy　bread。　She　gives　me　now　twenty…
four　cords　of　wood　a　year　for　my　poor　people；　in　exchange　for　the　half
cord　which　I　once　sent　her。〃

〃This　explains　to　me　your　relations　with　the　house　of　Mongenod；〃　said
Godefroid；〃and　your　fortune。〃

Again　the　goodman　looked　at　Godefroid　with　a　smile；　and　the　same
expression　of　kindly　mischief。

〃Oh；　go　on！〃　said　Godefroid；　seeing　from　his　manner　that　he　had　more
to　tell。

〃This　conclusion；　my　dear　Godefroid；　made　the　deepest　impression　on
me。　If　the　man　who　had　suffered　so　much；　if　my　friend　forgave　my
injustice；　I　could　not　forgive　myself。〃

〃Oh！〃　ejaculated　Godefroid。

〃I　resolved　to　devote　all　my　superfluous　meansabout　ten　thousand
francs　a　yearto　acts　of　intelligent　benevolence；〃　continued　Monsieur
Alain；　tranquilly。　〃About　this　time　it　was　that　I　made　the
acquaintance　of　a　judge　of　the　Lower　Civil　Court　of　the　Seine　named
Popinot；　whom　we　had　the　great　grief　of　losing　three　years　ago；　and
who　practised　for　fifteen　years　an　active　and　most　intelligent　charity
in　the　quartier　Saint…Marcel。　It　was　he；　with　the　venerable　vicar　of
Notre…Dame　and　Madame；　who　first　thought　of　founding　the　work　in　which
we　are　now　co…operating；　and　which；　since　1825；　has　quietly　done　much
good。　This　work　has　found　its　soul　in　Madame　de　la　Chanterie；　for　she
is　truly　the　inspiration　of　this　enterprise。　The　vicar　has　known　how
to　make　us　more　religious　than　we　were　at　first；　by　showing　us　the
necessity　of　being　virtuous　ourselves　in　order　to　inspire　virtue；　in
short；　to　preach　by　example。　The　farther　we　have　advanced　in　our　work；
the　happier　we　have　mutually　found　ourselves。　And　so；　you　see；　it
really　was　the　repentance　I　felt　for　misconceiving　the　heart　of　my
friend　which　gave　me　the　idea　of　devoting　to　the　poor；　through　my　own
hands；　the　fortune　he　returned　to　me；　and　which　I　accepted　without
objecting　to　the　immensity　of　the　sum　returned　in　proportion　to　the
sum　lent。　Its　destination　justified　my　taking　it。〃

This　narration；　made　quietly；　without　assumption；　but　with　a　gentle
kindliness　in　accent；　look；　and　gesture；　would　have　inspired　Godefroid
to　enter　this　noble　and　sacred　association　if　his　resolution　had　not
already　been　taken。

〃You　know　the　world　very　little；〃　he　said；　〃if　you　have　such　scruples
about　a　matter　that　would　not　weigh　on　any　other　man's　conscience。〃

〃I　know　only　the　unfortunate；〃　said　Monsieur　Alain。　〃I　do　not　desire
to　know　a　world　in　which　men　are　so　little　afraid　of　judging　one
another。　But　see！　it　is　almost　midnight；　and　I　still　have　my　chapter
of　the　'Imitation　of　Jesus　Christ'　to　meditate　upon！　Good…night！〃

Godefroid　took　the　old　man's　hand　and　pressed　it；　with　an　expression
of　admiration。

〃Can　you　tell　me　Madame　de　la　Chanterie's　history？〃

〃Impossible；　without　her　consent；〃　replied　Monsieur　Alain；　〃for　it　is
connected　with　one　of　the　most　terrible　events　of　Imperial　policy。　It
was　through　my　friend　Bordin　that　I　first　knew　Madame。　He　had　in　his
possession　all　the　secrets　of　that　noble　life；　it　was　he　who；　if　I　may
say　so；　led　me　to　this　house。〃

〃I　thank　you；〃　said　Godefroid；　〃for　having　told　me　your　life；　there
are　many　lessons　in　it　for　me。〃

〃Do　you　know　what　is　the　moral　of　it？〃

〃Tell　me；〃　said　Godefroid；　〃for　perhaps　I　may　see　something　different
in　it　from　what　you　see。〃

〃Well；　it　is　this：　that　pleasure　is　an　accident　in　a　Christian's　life；
it　is　not　the　aim　of　it；　and　this　we　learn　too　late。〃

〃What　happens　when　we　turn　to　Christianity？〃　asked　Godefroid。

〃See！〃　said　the　goodman。

He　pointed　with　his　finger　to　some　letters　of　gold　on　a　black　ground
which　the　new　lodger　had　not　observed；　for　this　was　the　first　time　he
had　ever　been　in　Monsieur　Alain's　room。　Godefroid　turned　and　read　the
words：　TRANSIRE　BENEFACIENDO。

〃That　is　our　motto。　If　you　become　one　of　us；　that　will　be　your　on