ever？〃
〃Possibly；〃 said the judicious physician。
〃I know your /possibly/；〃 said Valerie。 〃I shall look like a woman who
has fallen into the fire！ No； leave me to the Church。 I can please no
one now but God。 I will try to be reconciled to Him； and that will be
my last flirtation； yes； I must try to come round God！〃
〃That is my poor Valerie's last jest； that is all herself！〃 said
Lisbeth in tears。
Lisbeth thought it her duty to go into Crevel's room； where she found
Victorin and his wife sitting about a yard away from the stricken
man's bed。
〃Lisbeth；〃 said he； 〃they will not tell me what state my wife is in；
you have just seen herhow is she？〃
〃She is better； she says she is saved；〃 replied Lisbeth； allowing
herself this play on the word to soothe Crevel's mind。
〃That is well；〃 said the Mayor。 〃I feared lest I had been the cause of
her illness。 A man is not a traveler in perfumery for nothing； I had
blamed myself。If I should lose her； what would become of me？ On my
honor； my children； I worship that woman。〃
He sat up in bed and tried to assume his favorite position。
〃Oh； Papa！〃 cried Celestine； 〃if only you could be well again； I would
make friends with my stepmotherI make a vow！〃
〃Poor little Celestine！〃 said Crevel； 〃come and kiss me。〃
Victorin held back his wife； who was rushing forward。
〃You do not know； perhaps；〃 said the lawyer gently； 〃that your disease
is contagious； monsieur。〃
〃To be sure；〃 replied Crevel。 〃And the doctors are quite proud of
having rediscovered in me some long lost plague of the Middle Ages；
which the Faculty has had cried like lost propertyit is very funny！〃
〃Papa；〃 said Celestine； 〃be brave； and you will get the better of this
disease。〃
〃Be quite easy； my children； Death thinks twice of it before carrying
off a Mayor of Paris；〃 said he； with monstrous composure。 〃And if；
after all； my district is so unfortunate as to lose a man it has twice
honored with its suffragesyou see； what a flow of words I have！
Well； I shall know how to pack up and go。 I have been a commercial
traveler； I am experienced in such matters。 Ah！ my children； I am a
man of strong mind。〃
〃Papa； promise me to admit the Church〃
〃Never；〃 replied Crevel。 〃What is to be said？ I drank the milk of
Revolution； I have not Baron Holbach's wit； but I have his strength of
mind。 I am more /Regence/ than ever； more Musketeer； Abbe Dubois； and
Marechal de Richelieu！ By the Holy Poker！My wife； who is wandering
in her head； has just sent me a man in a gownto me！ the admirer of
Beranger； the friend of Lisette； the son of Voltaire and Rousseau。
The doctor； to feel my pulse； as it were； and see if sickness had
subdued me'You saw Monsieur l'Abbe？' said he。Well； I imitated the
great Montesquieu。 Yes； I looked at the doctorsee； like this；〃 and
he turned to show three…quarters face； like his portrait； and extended
his hand authoritatively〃and I said：
〃The slave was here；
He showed his order； but he nothing gained。
〃/His order/ is a pretty jest； showing that even in death Monsieur le
President de Montesquieu preserved his elegant wit； for they had sent
him a Jesuit。 I admire that passageI cannot say of his life； but of
his deaththe passageanother joke！The passage from life to death
the Passage Montesquieu！〃
Victorin gazed sadly at his father…in…law； wondering whether folly and
vanity were not forces on a par with true greatness of soul。 The
causes that act on the springs of the soul seem to be quite
independent of the results。 Can it be that the fortitude which upholds
a great criminal is the same as that which a Champcenetz so proudly
walks to the scaffold？
By the end of the week Madame Crevel was buried； after dreadful
sufferings； and Crevel followed her within two days。 Thus the
marriage…contract was annulled。 Crevel was heir to Valerie。
On the very day after the funeral； the friar called again on the
lawyer； who received him in perfect silence。 The monk held out his
hand without a word； and without a word Victorin Hulot gave him eighty
thousand…franc notes； taken from a sum of money found in Crevel's
desk。
Young Madame Hulot inherited the estate of Presles and thirty thousand
francs a year。
Madame Crevel had bequeathed a sum of three hundred thousand francs to
Baron Hulot。 Her scrofulous boy Stanislas was to inherit； at his
majority； the Hotel Crevel and eighty thousand francs a year。
Among the many noble associations founded in Paris by Catholic
charity； there is one； originated by Madame de la Chanterie； for
promoting civil and religious marriages between persons who have
formed a voluntary but illicit union。 Legislators； who draw large
revenues from the registration fees； and the Bourgeois dynasty； which
benefits by the notary's profits； affect to overlook the fact that
three…fourths of the poorer class cannot afford fifteen francs for the
marriage…contract。 The pleaders； a sufficiently vilified body；
gratuitously defend the cases of the indigent； while the notaries have
not as yet agreed to charge nothing for the marriage…contract of the
poor。 As to the revenue collectors； the whole machinery of Government
would have to be dislocated to induce the authorities to relax their
demands。 The registrar's office is deaf and dumb。
Then the Church； too； receives a duty on marriages。 In France the
Church depends largely on such revenues； even in the House of God it
traffics in chairs and kneeling stools in a way that offends
foreigners； though it cannot have forgotten the anger of the Saviour
who drove the money…changers out of the Temple。 If the Church is so
loath to relinquish its dues； it must be supposed that these dues；
known as Vestry dues； are one of its sources of maintenance； and then
the fault of the Church is the fault of the State。
The co…operation of these conditions； at a time when charity is too
greatly concerned with the negroes and the petty offenders discharged
from prison to trouble itself about honest folks in difficulties；
results in the existence of a number of decent couples who have never
been legally married for lack of thirty francs； the lowest figure for
which the Notary； the Registrar； the Mayor and the Church will unite
two citizens of Paris。 Madame de la Chanterie's fund； founded to
restore poor households to their religious and legal status； hunts up
such couples； and with all the more success because it helps them in
their poverty before attacking their unlawful union。
As soon as Madame Hulot had recovered； she returned to her
occupations。 And then it was that the admirable Madame de la Chanterie
came to beg that Adeline would add the legalization of these voluntary
unions to the other good works of which she was the instrument。
One of the Baroness' first efforts in this cause was made in the
ominous…looking district； formerly known as la Petite PologneLittle
Polandbounded by the Rue du Rocher； Rue de la Pepiniere； and Rue de
Miromenil。 There exists there a sort of offshoot of the Faubourg
Saint…Marceau。 To give an idea of this part of the town； it is enough
to say that the landlords of some of the houses tenanted by working
men without work； by dangerous characters； and by the very poor
employed in unhealthy toil； dare not demand their rents； and can find
no bailiffs bold enough to evict insolvent lodgers。 At the present
time speculating builders； who are fast changing the aspect of this
corner of Paris； and covering the waste ground lying between the Rue
d'Amsterdam and the Rue Faubourg…du…Roule； will no doubt alter the
character of the inhabitants； for the trowel is a more civilizing
agent than is generally supposed。 By erecting substantial and handsome
houses； with porters at the doors； by bordering the streets with
footwalks and shops； speculation； while raising the rents； disperses
the squalid class； families bereft of furniture； and lodgers that
cannot pay。 And so these districts are cleared of such objectionable
residents； and the dens vanish into which the police never venture but
under the sanction of the law。
In June 1844； the purlieus of the Place de Laborde were still far from
inviting。 The genteel pedestrian； who by chance should turn out of the
Rue de la Pepiniere into one of those dreadful side…streets； would
have been dismayed to see how vile a bohemia dwelt cheek by jowl with
the aristocracy。 In such places as these； haunted by ignorant poverty
and misery driven to bay； flourish the last public letter…writers who
are to be found in Paris。 Wherever you see the two words 〃Ecrivain
Public〃 written in a fine copy hand on a sheet of letter…paper stuck
to the window pane of some low entresol or mud…splashed ground…floor
room； you may safely conclude that the neighborhood is the lurking
place of many unlettered folks； and of much vice and crime； the
outcome of misery； for ignorance is the mother of all sorts of crime。
A crime is； in the first instance； a defect of reasoning powers。
While the Baroness had been ill； this quarter； to which she was a
minor Providence； had seen the advent of a public writer who settled
in the Passage du SoleilSun Alleya spot of which the name is one
of the antitheses dear to t