unknown； the arrears unpaid on Vauvinet's demand remained to his
credit in the Treasury。 Vauvinet now signed his renunciation of any
further claims； and it was still indispensable to find the pensioner
before the arrears could be drawn。
Thanks to Bianchon's care； the Baroness had recovered her health； and
to this Josepha's good heart had contributed by a letter； of which the
orthography betrayed the collaboration of the Duc d'Herouville。 This
was what the singer wrote to the Baroness； after twenty days of
anxious search：
〃MADAME LA BARONNE；Monsieur Hulot was living； two months since；
in the Rue des Bernardins； with Elodie Chardin； a lace…mender； for
whom he had left Mademoiselle Bijou； but he went away without a
word； leaving everything behind him； and no one knows where he
went。 I am not without hope； however； and I have put a man on this
track who believes he has already seen him in the Boulevard
Bourdon。
〃The poor Jewess means to keep the promise she made to the
Christian。 Will the angel pray for the devil？ That must sometimes
happen in heaven。I remain； with the deepest respect； always your
humble servant；
〃JOSEPHA MIRAH。〃
The lawyer； Maitre Hulot d'Ervy； hearing no more of the dreadful
Madame Nourrisson； seeing his father…in…law married； having brought
back his brother…in…law to the family fold； suffering from no
importunity on the part of his new stepmother； and seeing his mother's
health improve daily； gave himself up to his political and judicial
duties； swept along by the tide of Paris life； in which the hours
count for days。
One night； towards the end of the session； having occasion to write up
a report to the Chamber of Deputies； he was obliged to sit at work
till late at night。 He had gone into his study at nine o'clock； and；
while waiting till the man…servant should bring in the candles with
green shades； his thoughts turned to his father。 He was blaming
himself for leaving the inquiry so much to the singer； and had
resolved to see Monsieur Chapuzot himself on the morrow； when he saw
in the twilight； outside the window； a handsome old head； bald and
yellow； with a fringe of white hair。
〃Would you please to give orders； sir； that a poor hermit is to be
admitted； just come from the Desert； and who is instructed to beg for
contributions towards rebuilding a holy house。〃
This apparition； which suddenly reminded the lawyer of a prophecy
uttered by the terrible Nourrisson； gave him a shock。
〃Let in that old man；〃 said he to the servant。
〃He will poison the place； sir；〃 replied the man。 〃He has on a brown
gown which he has never changed since he left Syria； and he has no
shirt〃
〃Show him in；〃 repeated the master。
The old man came in。 Victorin's keen eye examined this so…called
pilgrim hermit； and he saw a fine specimen of the Neapolitan friars；
whose frocks are akin to the rags of the /lazzaroni/； whose sandals
are tatters of leather； as the friars are tatters of humanity。 The
get…up was so perfect that the lawyer； though still on his guard； was
vexed with himself for having believed it to be one of Madame
Nourrisson's tricks。
〃How much to you want of me？〃
〃Whatever you feel that you ought to give me。〃
Victorin took a five…franc piece from a little pile on his table； and
handed it to the stranger。
〃That is not much on account of fifty thousand francs；〃 said the
pilgrim of the desert。
This speech removed all Victorin's doubts。
〃And has Heaven kept its word？〃 he said； with a frown。
〃The question is an offence； my son；〃 said the hermit。 〃If you do not
choose to pay till after the funeral； you are in your rights。 I will
return in a week's time。〃
〃The funeral！〃 cried the lawyer； starting up。
〃The world moves on；〃 said the old man； as he withdrew； 〃and the dead
move quickly in Paris！〃
When Hulot； who stood looking down； was about to reply； the stalwart
old man had vanished。
〃I don't understand one word of all this；〃 said Victorin to himself。
〃But at the end of the week I will ask him again about my father； if
we have not yet found him。 Where does Madame Nourrissonyes； that was
her namepick up such actors？〃
On the following day； Doctor Bianchon allowed the Baroness to go down
into the garden； after examining Lisbeth； who had been obliged to keep
to her room for a month by a slight bronchial attack。 The learned
doctor； who dared not pronounce a definite opinion on Lisbeth's case
till he had seen some decisive symptoms； went into the garden with
Adeline to observe the effect of the fresh air on her nervous
trembling after two months of seclusion。 He was interested and allured
by the hope of curing this nervous complaint。 On seeing the great
physician sitting with them and sparing them a few minutes； the
Baroness and her family conversed with him on general subjects。
〃You life is a very full and a very sad one；〃 said Madame Hulot。 〃I
know what it is to spend one's days in seeing poverty and physical
suffering。〃
〃I know； madame；〃 replied the doctor； 〃all the scenes of which charity
compels you to be a spectator； but you will get used to it in time； as
we all do。 It is the law of existence。 The confessor； the magistrate；
the lawyer would find life unendurable if the spirit of the State did
not assert itself above the feelings of the individual。 Could we live
at all but for that？ Is not the soldier in time of war brought face to
face with spectacles even more dreadful than those we see？ And every
soldier that has been under fire is kind…hearted。 We medical men have
the pleasure now and again of a successful cure； as you have that of
saving a family from the horrors of hunger； depravity； or misery； and
of restoring it to social respectability。 But what comfort can the
magistrate find； the police agent； or the attorney； who spend their
lives in investigating the basest schemes of self…interest； the social
monster whose only regret is when it fails； but on whom repentance
never dawns？
〃One…half of society spends its life in watching the other half。 A
very old friend of mine is an attorney； now retired； who told me that
for fifteen years past notaries and lawyers have distrusted their
clients quite as much as their adversaries。 Your son is a pleader； has
he never found himself compromised by the client for whom he held a
brief？〃
〃Very often；〃 said Victorin； with a smile。
〃And what is the cause of this deep…seated evil？〃 asked the Baroness。
〃The decay of religion；〃 said Bianchon； 〃and the pre…eminence of
finance； which is simply solidified selfishness。 Money used not to be
everything； there were some kinds of superiority that ranked above it
nobility； genius； service done to the State。 But nowadays the law
takes wealth as the universal standard； and regards it as the measure
of public capacity。 Certain magistrates are ineligible to the Chamber；
Jean…Jacques Rousseau would be ineligible！ The perpetual subdivision
of estate compels every man to take care of himself from the age of
twenty。
〃Well； then； between the necessity for making a fortune and the
depravity of speculation there is no check or hindrance； for the
religious sense is wholly lacking in France； in spite of the laudable
endeavors of those who are working for a Catholic revival。 And this is
the opinion of every man who； like me； studies society at the core。〃
〃And you have few pleasures？〃 said Hortense。
〃The true physician； madame； is in love with his science；〃 replied the
doctor。 〃He is sustained by that passion as much as by the sense of
his usefulness to society。
〃At this very time you see in me a sort of scientific rapture； and
many superficial judges would regard me as a man devoid of feeling。 I
have to announce a discovery to…morrow to the College of Medicine； for
I am studying a disease that had disappeareda mortal disease for
which no cure is known in temperate climates； though it is curable in
the West Indiesa malady known here in the Middle Ages。 A noble fight
is that of the physician against such a disease。 For the last ten days
I have thought of nothing but these casesfor there are two； a
husband and wife。Are they not connections of yours？ For you； madame；
are surely Monsieur Crevel's daughter？〃 said he； addressing Celestine。
〃What； is my father your patient？〃 asked Celestine。 〃Living in the Rue
Barbet…de…Jouy？〃
〃Precisely so；〃 said Bianchon。
〃And the disease is inevitably fatal？〃 said Victorin in dismay。
〃I will go to see him；〃 said Celestine； rising。
〃I positively forbid it； madame；〃 Bianchon quietly said。 〃The disease
is contagious。〃
〃But you go there； monsieur；〃 replied the young woman。 〃Do you think
that a daughter's duty is less binding than a doctor's？〃
〃Madame； a physician knows how to protect himself against infection；
and the rashness of your devotion proves to me that you would probably
be less prudent than I。〃
Celestine； however； got up and went to her room； where she dressed to
go out。
〃Monsieur；〃 said Victorin to Bianchon； 〃have you any hope of saving
Monsieur and Madame Crevel？〃
〃I hope； but I do not believe that I may；〃 said Bianchon。 〃The case is
to me quite inexplicable。 The disease is peculiar to ne