第70章

"Poland has produced many singular, mysterious beings," said Monsieur Bernard."To-day, for instance, besides this extraordinary doctor, we have Hoene Wronski, the enlightened mathematician, the poet Mickievicz, Towianksi the mystic, and Chopin, whose talent is supernatural.Great national convulsions always produce various species of dwarfed giants.""Oh! dear papa; what a man you are! If you would only write down what we hear you say merely to amuse me you would make your reputation.

Fancy, monsieur, my dear old father invents wonderful stories when Ihave no novels to read; he often puts me to sleep in that way.His voice lulls me, and he quiets my mind with his wit.Who can ever reward him? Auguste, my child, you ought for my sake, to kiss the print of your grandfather's footsteps."The young man raised his beautiful moist eyes to his mother, and the look he gave her, full of a long-repressed compassion, was a poem.

Godefroid rose, took the lad's hand, and pressed it.

"God has placed two angels beside you, madame," he said.

"Yes, I know that.And for that reason I often reproach myself for harassing them.Come, my dear Auguste, and kiss your mother.He is a child, monsieur, of whom all mothers might be proud; pure as gold, frank and honest, a soul without sin--but too passionate a soul, alas!

like that of his poor mother.Perhaps God has fastened me in this bed to keep me from the follies of women--who have too much heart," she added, smiling.

Godefroid replied with a smile and a bow.

"Adieu, monsieur; and thank your friend for the instrument; tell him it makes the happiness of a poor cripple.""Monsieur," said Godefroid, when they were alone in the latter's room.

"I think I may assure you that you shall not be robbed by that trio of bloodsuckers.I have the necessary sum to free your book, but you must first show me your written agreement with them.And after that, in order to do still more for you, you must let me have your work to read,--not I myself, of course, I have not knowledge enough to judge of it, but a former magistrate, a lawyer of eminence and of perfect integrity, who will undertake, according to what he thinks of the book, to find you an honorable publisher with whom you can make an equitable agreement.This, however, I will not insist upon.Meantime here are five hundred francs," he added, giving a bank-note to the stupefied old man, "to meet your present needs.I do not ask for any receipt; you will be under obligations to your own conscience only, and that conscience is not to move you until you have recovered a sufficient competence,--I undertake to pay Halpersohn.""Who are you, then?" asked the old man, dropping into a chair.

"I myself," replied Godefroid, "am nothing; but I serve powerful persons to whom your distress is known, and who feel an interest in you.Ask me nothing more about them.""But what induces them to do this?" said the old man.

"Religion."

"Religion! is it possible?"

"Yes, the catholic, apostolic, and Roman religion.""Ah! do you belong to the order of Jesus?""No, monsieur," replied Godefroid."Do not feel uneasy; these persons have no designs upon you, except that of helping you to restore your family to prosperity.""Can philanthropy be anything but vanity?""Ah! monsieur," said Godefroid, hastily; "do not insult the virtue defined by Saint Paul, sacred, catholic Love!"Monsieur Bernard, hearing this answer, began to stride up and down with long steps.

"I accept," he said suddenly, "and I have but one way of thanking you, and that is to offer you my work.The notes and citations are unnecessary to the magistrate you speak of; and I have still two months' work to do in arranging them for the press.To-morrow I will give you the five volumes," he added, offering Godefroid his hand.

"Can I have made a conversion?" thought Godefroid, struck by the new expression which he saw on the old man's face.