LAST VISIT TO COUERON 129 



I addressed you through the voice of the mayor of the town 

 in which you live, since I had not the honor of knowing the 

 mayor any more than the enmity which may exist between you ; 

 I was in duty bound to find out where you were ; I heard it said 

 that Esnaudes was your home and I wrote you more than a 

 year ago ; when I received no reply, the supposition was that 

 I must have been misinformed. I wrote to the mayor of 

 Esnaudes and he had the kindness to reply that you were prac- 

 ticing in his commune. I am writing to you under this cover, 

 persuaded that my last will not have the same fate as my first, 

 which surely had not reached you. 



As to the claim that Madame Audubon has upon you, the 

 different credits which you mention are assuredly more than 

 enough to pay the amount, but with forfeitures ; unfortunately 

 there are many creditors who do nothing but this ; Madame 

 Audubon gets nothing, and finds herself in straightened cir- 

 cumstances, although her hands are full of notes. You say 

 that your creditors can claim only thirty-five hundred francs. 

 I have certain knowledge to the contrary, since already the 

 mortgages on your house reach nearly three thousand francs, 

 while Madame Audubon is your creditor in the sum of at least 

 sixteen hundred francs. I wish in business to be frank, and 

 to have others so with me. You say that you owe rather those 

 who have supplied you with food ; you are unwilling then to 

 recall that the sums that the late Mr. Audubon lent you re- 

 peatedly were for the same purpose. You tell us to be patient, 

 and who have been more patient than we for the past four 

 years ? You speak of reduction of interest ; indeed it is im- 

 possible that you should have thought of this, or that we should 

 be content with what you should be so good as to give us, and 

 that when you deem it convenient, without our being able to 

 file a protest. I leave you to reflect on what we must think of 

 this matter, and I beg you to see in my manner of writing to 

 you the interpretation that I have given to what you write 

 yourself. 



Madame Audubon does not think that she should exact at 

 once the capital in addition to the interest, but she charges 



