536 THE MASS OF TUB ATHEIST. 



seemed instinctively to comprehend that the end ennobles ail, when 

 tliat is honourable and the means honest. 



" When I left him to become an in-door student at the Hotel 

 Dieu, he experienced a sort of painful melancholy impossible to ren- 

 der in words, at the thought that he could no longer live with me ; 

 but he consoled himself with the idea of amassing the sum that would 

 be required for the expenses of my thesis, and made me promise to 

 visit him all the days of leave. He was proud of me, he loved me for 

 myself and for him. If you were to seek out my thesis, you would 

 see that it is dedicated to him. In my last year as an in-door pupil, 

 I had made enough to enable me to return to him all that he had 

 done for me, by purchasing for him a horse, and a water-butt with 

 its carriage. He was outrageously angry at finding that I had strip- 

 ped myself of my money, and nevertheless in a stale of enchantment 

 at seeing his wishes realized. He was laughing involuntarily while 

 he was scolding me. He was contemplating his water-butt and his 

 horse, and wiping away a tear, as he said to me, ' It is ill done of 

 you.' Never have I witnessed a scene more affecting. He would 

 absolutely present me with the silver-mounted case for my instru- 

 ments which you have seen in my cabinet, and which, to me, is the 

 most precious thing it contains. Although intoxicated with my first 

 success, he never suffered to escape from him the least word, the 

 smallest gesture, which might have been interpreted into This man 

 is my work. And yet, but for him, misery and its attendant priva- 

 tions would have killed me. But all this while the poor man wasde- 

 stroying himself for me ; he lived upon bread rubbed with garlick, 

 so that I might have the coffee which enabled me to support my 

 painful vigils. He fell ill. I passed, as you may well suppose, the 

 nights of his suffering at his pillow. The first time I was happy 

 enough to restore him to his usual health ; but he had a relapse a year 

 afterwards, and in spite of the most assiduous cares, in spite of the 

 greatest efforts that science could make, he fell the victim of his dis- 

 ease. Never was king attended as he was attended. Yes, I attempted, in 

 inystruggleslo tear this life from the graspof death, unheard-of things; 

 for I would have made him live, in order to have rendered him the 

 happy witness of his own work,-— to have realized all his gentle wishes, 

 to have satisfied the only gratitude which filled my heart. — to have 

 extino-uished a focus of consuming fire which still boils in my veins. 



Bourgeat," resumed Desplein, in strong and visible emotion, 



" my second father, expired in my arms, leaving me all he possessed 

 by a testament which he had made by a public writer, and dated the 

 very year in which we went to lodge together in the Cour de Rohan. 



" This man had the faith of the charboiuiier, that is to say, of a man 

 pure, simple, unsophisticated. He loved the holy virgin as he would 

 have loved his wife, had he possessed one. He was an ardent catholic, 

 and yet had never said one word to me on my irreligion ; but, when 

 he knew himself to be in danger, he begged me not to think of ex- 

 pense in obtaining for him the succours of the church. I caused a 

 mass to be said every day for him. Often, during the night, he testi- 

 fied to me his fears respecting his future state ; he was afraid (hat he 

 had not lived as piously as he ought to have done. Poor man ! he 



