original short stories-13-第20节

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asphyxiated；　or　drowned；　all　came　together；　a　frightful　horde；　like
citizens　to　the　polls；　to　say　to　society：

〃Grant　us；　at　least；　a　gentle　death！　　Help　us　to　die；　you　who　will　not
help　us　to　live！　　See；　we　are　numerous；　we　have　the　right　to　speak　in
these　days　of　freedom；　of　philosophic　independence　and　of　popular
suffrage。　　Give　to　those　who　renounce　life　the　charity　of　a　death　that
will　not　be　repugnant　nor　terrible。〃

I　began　to　dream；　allowing　my　fancy　to　roam　at　will　in　weird　and
mysterious　fashion　on　this　subject。

I　seemed　to　be　all　at　once　in　a　beautiful　city。　　It　was　Paris；　but　at
what　period？　　I　walked　about　the　streets；　looking　at　the　houses；　the
theaters；　the　public　buildings；　and　presently　found　myself　in　a　square
where　I　remarked　a　large　building；　very　handsome；　dainty　and　attractive。
I　was　surprised　on　reading　on　the　facade　this　inscription　in　letters　of
gold；　〃Suicide　Bureau。〃

Oh；　the　weirdness　of　waking　dreams　where　the　spirit　soars　into　a　world　of
unrealities　and　possibilities！　　Nothing　astonishes　one；　nothing　shocks
one；　and　the　unbridled　fancy　makes　no　distinction　between　the　comic　and
the　tragic。

I　approached　the　building　where　footmen　in　knee…breeches　were　seated　in
the　vestibule　in　front　of　a　cloak…room　as　they　do　at　the　entrance　of　a
club。

I　entered　out　of　curiosity。　　One　of　the　men　rose　and　said：

〃What　does　monsieur　wish？〃

〃I　wish　to　know　what　building　this　is。〃

〃Nothing　more？〃

〃Why；　no。〃

〃Then　would　monsieur　like　me　to　take　him　to　the　Secretary　of　the　Bureau？〃

I　hesitated；　and　asked：

〃But　will　not　that　disturb　him？〃

〃Oh；　no；　monsieur；　he　is　here　to　receive　those　who　desire　information。〃

〃Well；　lead　the　way。〃

He　took　me　through　corridors　where　old　gentlemen　were　chatting；　and
finally　led　me　into　a　beautiful　office；　somewhat　somber；　furnished
throughout　in　black　wood。　　A　stout　young　man　with　a　corporation　was
writing　a　letter　as　he　smoked　a　cigar；　the　fragrance　of　which　gave
evidence　of　its　quality。

He　rose。　　We　bowed　to　each　other；　and　as　soon　as　the　footman　had　retired
he　asked：

〃What　can　I　do　for　you？〃

〃Monsieur；〃　I　replied；　〃pardon　my　curiosity。　　I　had　never　seen　this
establishment。　　The　few　words　inscribed　on　the　facade　filled　me　with
astonishment；　and　I　wanted　to　know　what　was　going　on　here。〃

He　smiled　before　replying；　then　said　in　a　low　tone　with　a　complacent　air：

〃Mon　Dieu；　monsieur；　we　put　to　death　in　a　cleanly　and　gentleI　do　not
venture　to　say　agreeable　manner　those　persons　who　desire　to　die。〃

I　did　not　feel　very　shocked；　for　it　really　seemed　to　me　natural　and
right。　　What　particularly　surprised　me　was　that　on　this　planet；　with　its
low；　utilitarian；　humanitarian　ideals；　selfish　and　coercive　of　all　true
freedom；　any　one　should　venture　on　a　similar　enterprise；　worthy　of　an
emancipated　humanity。

〃How　did　you　get　the　idea？〃　I　asked。

〃Monsieur；〃　he　replied；　〃the　number　of　suicides　increased　so　enormously
during　the　five　years　succeeding　the　world　exposition　of　1889　that　some
measures　were　urgently　needed。　　People　killed　themselves　in　the　streets；
at　fetes；　in　restaurants；　at　the　theater；　in　railway　carriages；　at　the
receptions　held　by　the　President　of　the　Republic；　everywhere。　　It　was　not
only　a　horrid　sight　for　those　who　love　life；　as　I　do；　but　also　a　bad
example　for　children。　　Hence　it　became　necessary　to　centralize　suicides。〃

〃What　caused　this　suicidal　epidemic？〃

〃I　do　not　know。　　The　fact　is；　I　believe；　the　world　is　growing　old。
People　begin　to　see　things　clearly　and　they　are　getting　disgruntled。
It　is　the　same　to…day　with　destiny　as　with　the　government；　we　have　found
out　what　it　is；　people　find　that　they　are　swindled　in　every　direction；
and　they　just　get　out　of　it　all。　　When　one　discovers　that　Providence
lies；　cheats；　robs；　deceives　human　beings　just　as　a　plain　Deputy　deceives
his　constituents；　one　gets　angry；　and　as　one　cannot　nominate　a　fresh
Providence　every　three　months　as　we　do　with　our　privileged
representatives；　one　just　gets　out　of　the　whole　thing；　which　is　decidedly
bad。〃

〃Really！〃

〃Oh；　as　for　me；　I　am　not　complaining。〃

〃Will　you　inform　me　how　you　carry　on　this　establishment？〃

〃With　pleasure。　　You　may　become　a　member　when　you　please。　　It　is　a　club。〃

〃A　club！〃

〃Yes；　monsieur；　founded　by　the　most　eminent　men　in　the　country；　by　men　of
the　highest　intellect　and　brightest　intelligence。　　And；〃　he　added；
laughing　heartily；　〃I　swear　to　you　that　every　one　gets　a　great　deal　of
enjoyment　out　of　it。〃

〃In　this　place？〃

〃Yes；　in　this　place。〃

〃You　surprise　me。〃

〃Mon　Dieu；　they　enjoy　themselves　because　they　have　not　that　fear　of　death
which　is　the　great　killjoy　in　all　our　earthly　pleasures。〃

〃But　why　should　they　be　members　of　this　club　if　they　do　not　kill
themselves？〃

〃One　may　be　a　member　of　the　club　without　being　obliged　for　that　reason　to
commit　suicide。〃

〃But　then？〃

〃I　will　explain。　　In　view　of　the　enormous　increase　in　suicides；　and　of
the　hideous　spectacle　they　presented；　a　purely　benevolent　society　was
formed　for　the　protection　of　those　in　despair；　which　placed　at　their
disposal　the　facilities　for　a　peaceful；　painless；　if　not　unforeseen
death。〃

〃Who　can　have　authorized　such　an　institution？〃

〃General　Boulanger　during　his　brief　tenure　of　power。　　He　could　never
refuse　anything。　　However；　that　was　the　only　good　thing　he　did。　　Hence；　a
society　was　formed　of　clear…sighted；　disillusioned　skeptics　who　desired
to　erect　in　the　heart　of　Paris　a　kind　of　temple　dedicated　to　the　contempt
for　death。　　This　place　was　formerly　a　dreaded　spot　that　no　one　ventured
to　approach。　　Then　its　founders；　who　met　together　here；　gave　a　grand
inaugural　entertainment　with　Mmes。　Sarah　Bernhardt；　Judic；　Theo；　Granier；
and　twenty　others；　and　Mme。　de　Reske；　Coquelin；　Mounet…Sully；　Paulus；
etc。；　present；　followed　by　concerts；　the　comedies　of　Dumas；　of　Meilhac；
Halevy　and　Sardon。　　We　had　only　one　thing　to　mar　it；　one　drama　by　Becque
which　seemed　sad；　but　which　subsequently　had　a　great　success　at　the
Comedie…Francaise。　　In　fact　all　Paris　came。　　The　enterprise　was
launched。〃

〃In　the　midst　of　the　festivities！　　What　a　funereal　joke！〃

〃Not　at　all。　　Death　need　not　be　sad；　it　should　be　a　matter　of
indifference。　　We　made　death　cheerful；　crowned　it　with　flowers；　covered
it　with　perfume；　made　it　easy。　　One　learns　to　aid　others　through　example；
one　can　see　that　it　is　nothing。〃

〃I　can　well　understand　that　they　should　come　to　the　entertainments；　but
did　they　come　to　。　　。　　。　　Death？〃

〃Not　at　first；　they　were　afraid。〃

〃And　later？〃

〃They　came。〃

〃Many　of　them？〃

〃In　crowds。　　We　have　had　more　than　forty　in　a　day。　　One　finds　hardly　any
more　drowned　bodies　in　the　Seine。〃

〃Who　was　the　first？〃

〃A　club　member。〃

〃As　a　sacrifice　to　the　cause？〃

〃I　don't　think　so。　　A　man　who　was　sick　of　everything；　a　'down　and　out'
who　had　lost　heavily　at　baccarat　for　three　months。〃

〃Indeed？〃

〃The　second　was　an　Englishman；　an　eccentric。　　We　then　advertised　in　the
papers；　we　gave　an　account　of　our　methods；　we　invented　some　attractive
instances。　　But　the　great　impetus　was　given　by　poor　people。〃

〃How　do　you　go　to　work？〃

〃Would　you　like　to　see？　　I　can　explain　at　the　same　time。〃

〃Yes；　indeed。〃

He　took　his　hat；　opened　the　door；　allowed　me　to　precede　him；　and　we
entered　a　card　room；　where　men　sat　playing　as　they；　play　in　all　gambling
places。　　They　were　chatting　cheerfully；　eagerly。　　I　have　seldom　seen　such
a　jolly；　lively；　mirthful　club。

As　I　seemed　surprised；　the　secretary　said：

〃Oh；　the　establishment　has　an　unheard　of　prestige。　　All　the　smart　people
all　over　the　world　belong　to　it　so　as　to　appear　as　though　they　held　death
in　scorn。　　Then；　once　they　get　here；　they　feel　obliged　to　be　cheerful
that　they　may　not　appear　to　be　afraid。　　So　they　joke　and　laugh　and　talk
flippantly；　they　are　witty　and　they　become　so。　　At　present　it　is
certainly　the　most　frequented　and　the　most　entertaining　place　in　Paris。
The　women　are　even　thinking　of　building　an　annex　for　themselves。〃

〃And；　in　spite　of　all　this；　you　have　many　suicides　in　the　house？〃

〃As　I　said；　about　forty　or　fifty　a　day。　　Society　people　are　rare；　but
poor　devils　abound。　　The　middle　class　has　also　a　large　contingent。

〃And　how　。　　。　　。　　do　they　do？〃

〃They　are　asphyxiated　。　　。　　。　　very　slowly。〃

〃In　what　manner？〃

〃A　gas　of　our　own　invention。　　We　have　the　patent。　　On　the　other　side　of
the　building　are　the　public　entrancesthree　little　doors　opening　on
small　streets。　　When　a　man　or　a　woman　present　themselves　they　are
interrogated。　　Then　they　are　offered　assistance；　aid；　protection。　　If　a
client　accepts；　inquiries　are　made；　and　sometimes　we　have　saved　their
lives。〃

〃Where　do　you　get　your　money？〃

〃We　have　a　great　deal。　　There　are　a　large　number　of　shareholders。
Besides　it　is　fashionable　to　contribute　to　the　establishment。　　The　names
of　the　donors　are　published　in　Figaro。　　Then　the　suicide　of　every　rich
man　costs　a　thousand　francs。　　And　they　look　as　if　they　were　lying　in
state。　　It　costs　the　poor　nothing。〃

〃How　can　you　tell　who　is　poor？〃

〃Oh；　oh；　monsieur；　we　can　guess！　　And；　besides；　they　must　bring　a
certificate　of　indigency　from　the　commissary　of　police　of　t