第44章

Maitre Mouche excuses himself for having intruded upon me at a moment when....He does not characterise the moment; but I think he means to say a moment in which I happen to be without my cravat.It is not my fault, as you very well know.Maitre Mouche, who does not know, does not appear to be at all shocked, however.He is only afraid that he might have dropped in at the wrong moment.Isucceeded in partially reassuring him at once upon that point.He then tells me it is as guardian of Mademoiselle Alexandre that he has come to talk with me.First of all, he desires that I shall not hereafter pay any heed to those restrictions he had at first deemed necessary to put upon the permit given to visit Mademoiselle Jeanne at the boarding-school.Henceforth the establishment of Mademoiselle Prefere will be open to me any day that I might choose to call--between the hours of midday and four o'clock.Knowing the interest I have taken in the young girl, he considers it his duty to give me some information about the person to whom he has confided his ward.Mademoiselle Prefere, whom he has known for many years, is in possession of his utmost confidence.Mademoiselle Prefere is, in his estimation, an enlightened person, of excellent morals, and capable of giving excellent counsel.

"Mademoiselle Prefer," he said to me, "has principles; and principles are rare these days, Monsieur.Everything has been totally changed;and this epoch of ours cannot compare with the preceding ones.""My stairway is a good example, Monsieur," I replied; "twenty-five years ago it used to allow me to climb it without any trouble, and now it takes my breath away, and wears my legs out before I have climbed half a dozen steps.It has had its character spoiled.Then there are those journals and books I used once to devour without difficulty by moonlight: to-day, even in the brightest sunlight, they mock my curiosity, and exhibit nothing but a blur of white and black when I have not got my spectacles on.Then the gout has got into my limbs.That is another malicious trick of the times!""Not only that, Monsieur," gravely replied Maitre Mouche, "but what is really unfortunate in our epoch is that no one is satisfied with his position.From the top of society to the bottom, in every class, there prevails a discontent, a restlessness, a love of comfort....""Mon Dieu, Monsieur!" I exclaimed."You think this love of comfort is a sign of the times? Men have never had at any epoch a love of discomfort.They have always tried to better their condition.This constant effort produces constant changes, and the effort is always going on--that is all there is about it!""Ah! Monsieur," replied Maitre Mouche, "it is easy to see that you live in your books--out of the business world altogether.You do not see, as I see them, the conflicts of interest, the struggle for money.It is the same effervescence in all minds, great or small.The wildest speculations are being everywhere indulged in.

What I see around me simply terrifies me!"I wondered within myself whether Maitre Mouche had called upon me only for the purpose of expressing his virtuous misanthropy; but all at once I heard words of a more consoling character issue from his lips.Maitre Mouche began to speak to me of Virginie Prefere as a person worthy of respect, of esteem, and of sympathy,--highly honourable, capable of great devotedness, cultivated, discreet,--able to read aloud remarkably well, extremely modest, and skillful in the art of applying blisters.Then I began to understand that he had only been painting that dismal picture of universal corruption in order the better to bring out, by contrast, the virtues of the schoolmistress.I was further informed that the institution in the Rue Demours was well patronised, prosperous, and enjoyed a high reputation with the public.Maitre Mouche lifted up his hand--with a black woollen glove on it--as if making oath to the truth of these statements.Then he added:

"I am enabled, by the very character of my profession, to know a great deal about people.A notary is, to a certain extent, a father-confessor.

"I deemed it my duty, Monsieur, to give you this agreeable information at the moment when a lucky chance enabled you to meet Mademoiselle Prefere.There is only one thing more which I would like to say.This lady--who is, of course, quite unaware of my action in the matter--spoke to me of you the other day in terms of deepest sympathy.I could only weaken their expression by repeating them to you; and furthermore, I could not repeat them without betraying, to a certain extent, the confidence of Mademoiselle Prefere.""Do not betray it, Monsieur; do not betray it!" I responded."To tell you the truth, I had no idea that Mademoiselle Prefere knew anything whatever about me.But since you have the influence of an old friend with her, I will take advantage of your good will, Monsieur, to ask you to exercise that influence in behalf of Mademoiselle Jeanne Alexandre.The child--for she is still a child--is overloaded with work.She is at once a pupil and a mistress--she is overtasked.Besides, she is punished in petty disgusting ways; and hers is one of those generous natures which will be forced into revolt by such continual humiliation.""Alas!" replied Maitre Mouche, "she must be trained to take her part in the struggle of life.One does not come into this world simply to amuse oneself, and to do just what one pleases.""One comes into this world," I responded, rather warmly, "to enjoy what is beautiful and what is good, and to do as one pleases, when the things one wants to do are noble, intelligent, and generous.

An education which does not cultivate the will, is an education that depraves the mind.It is a teacher's duty to teach the pupil HOW to will."I perceived that Maitre Mouche began to think me a rather silly man.

With a great deal of quiet self-assurance, he proceeded: