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 
