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第39节

the brotherhood of consolation-第39节

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much for his genius as for his avarice) caused some surprise in
Godefroid's mind; and he said to himself:

〃I wonder if he takes me for a thief。〃

The answer to this mental question was on the doctor's table and
fireplace。 Godefroid thought he was the first to arrive; he was really
the last。 Preceding clients had left large offerings behind them;
among them Godefroid noticed piles of twenty and forty…franc gold
pieces and two notes of a thousand francs each。 Could that be the
product of one morning? He doubted it; and suspected the Pole of
intentional trickery。 Perhaps the grasping but infallible doctor took
this method of showing his clients; mostly rich persons; that gold
must be dropped into his pouch; and not buttons。

Moses Halpersohn was; undoubtedly; largely paid; for he cured; and he
cured precisely those desperate diseases which science declares
incurable。 It is not known in Europe that the Slav races possess many
secrets。 They have a collection of sovereign remedies; the fruits of
their connection with the Chinese; Persians; Cossacks; Turks; and
Tartars。 Certain peasant women in Poland; who pass for witches; cure
insanity radically with the juice of herbs。 A vast body of
observation; not codified; exists in Poland on the effects of certain
plants; and certain barks of trees reduced to powder; which are
transmitted from father to son; and family to family; producing cures
that are almost miraculous。

Halpersohn; who for five or six years was called a quack on account of
his powders and herb medicines; had the innate science of a great
physician。 Not only had he studied much and observed much; but he had
travelled in every part of Germany; Russia; Persia; and Turkey; whence
he had gathered many a traditionary secret; and as he knew chemistry
he became a living volume of those wonderful recipes scattered among
the wise women; or; as the French call them; the /bonnes femmes/; of
every land to which his feet had gone; following his father; a
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 att

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