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of　the　court　of　assizes　so　much　to　be　envied？　You　have　almost　done　the

work　of　an　executioner。〃



〃After　sharing　and　stimulating　my　curiosity；　why　are　you　now　lecturing

me　on　morality？〃



〃You　have　made　me　reflect；〃　she　answered。



〃So；　then；　peace　to　villains；　war　to　the　sorrowful；　and　let's　deify

gold！　However；　we　will　drop　the　subject；〃　I　added；　laughing。　〃Do　you

see　that　young　girl　who　is　just　entering　the　salon？〃



〃Yes；　what　of　her？〃



〃I　met　her；　three　days　ago；　at　the　ball　of　the　Neapolitan　ambassador；

and　I　am　passionately　in　love　with　her。　For　pity's　sake　tell　me　her

name。　No　one　was　able〃



〃That　is　Mademoiselle　Victorine　Taillefer。〃



I　grew　dizzy。



〃Her　step…mother；〃　continued　my　neighbor；　〃has　lately　taken　her　from　a

convent；　where　she　was　finishing；　rather　late　in　the　day；　her

education。　For　a　long　time　her　father　refused　to　recognize　her。　She

comes　here　for　the　first　time。　She　is　very　beautiful　and　very　rich。〃



These　words　were　accompanied　by　a　sardonic　smile。



At　this　moment　we　heard　violent；　but　smothered　outcries；　they　seemed

to　come　from　a　neighboring　apartment　and　to　be　echoed　faintly　back

through　the　garden。



〃Isn't　that　the　voice　of　Monsieur　Taillefer？〃　I　said。



We　gave　our　full　attention　to　the　noise；　a　frightful　moaning　reached

our　ears。　The　wife　of　the　banker　came　hurriedly　towards　us　and　closed

the　window。



〃Let　us　avoid　a　scene；〃　she　said。　〃If　Mademoiselle　Taillefer　hears　her

father；　she　might　be　thrown　into　hysterics。〃



The　banker　now　re…entered　the　salon；　looked　round　for　Victorine；　and

said　a　few　words　in　her　ear。　Instantly　the　young　girl　uttered　a　cry；

ran　to　the　door；　and　disappeared。　This　event　produced　a　great

sensation。　The　card…players　paused。　Every　one　questioned　his　neighbor。

The　murmur　of　voices　swelled；　and　groups　gathered。



〃Can　Monsieur　Taillefer　be〃　I　began。



〃dead？〃　said　my　sarcastic　neighbor。　〃You　would　wear　the　gayest

mourning；　I　fancy！〃



〃But　what　has　happened　to　him？〃



〃The　poor　dear　man；〃　said　the　mistress　of　the　house；　〃is　subject　to

attacks　of　a　disease　the　name　of　which　I　never　can　remember；　though

Monsieur　Brousson　has　often　told　it　to　me；　and　he　has　just　been　seized

with　one。〃



〃What　is　the　nature　of　the　disease？〃　asked　an　examining…judge。



〃Oh；　it　is　something　terrible；　monsieur；〃　she　replied。　〃The　doctors

know　no　remedy。　It　causes　the　most　dreadful　suffering。　One　day；　while

the　unfortunate　man　was　staying　at　my　country…house；　he　had　an　attack；

and　I　was　obliged　to　go　away　and　stay　with　a　neighbor　to　avoid　hearing

him；　his　cries　were　terrible；　he　tried　to　kill　himself；　his　daughter

was　obliged　to　have　him　put　into　a　strait…jacket　and　fastened　to　his

bed。　The　poor　man　declares　there　are　live　animals　in　his　head　gnawing

his　brain；　every　nerve　quivers　with　horrible　shooting　pains；　and　he

writhes　in　torture。　He　suffers　so　much　in　his　head　that　he　did　not

even　feel　the　moxas　they　used　formerly　to　apply　to　relieve　it；　but

Monsieur　Brousson；　who　is　now　his　physician；　has　forbidden　that

remedy；　declaring　that　the　trouble　is　a　nervous　affection；　an

inflammation　of　the　nerves；　for　which　leeches　should　be　applied　to　the

neck；　and　opium　to　the　head。　As　a　result；　the　attacks　are　not　so

frequent；　they　appear　now　only　about　once　a　year；　and　always　late　in

the　autumn。　When　he　recovers；　Taillefer　says　repeatedly　that　he　would

far　rather　die　than　endure　such　torture。〃



〃Then　he　must　suffer　terribly！〃　said　a　broker；　considered　a　wit；　who

was　present。



〃Oh；〃　continued　the　mistress　of　the　house；　〃last　year　he　nearly　died

in　one　of　these　attacks。　He　had　gone　alone　to　his　country…house　on

pressing　business。　For　want；　perhaps；　of　immediate　help；　he　lay

twenty…two　hours　stiff　and　stark　as　though　he　were　dead。　A　very　hot

bath　was　all　that　saved　him。〃



〃It　must　be　a　species　of　lockjaw；〃　said　one　of　the　guests。



〃I　don't　know；〃　she　answered。　〃He　got　the　disease　in　the　army　nearly

thirty　years　ago。　He　says　it　was　caused　by　a　splinter　of　wood　entering

his　head　from　a　shot　on　board　a　boat。　Brousson　hopes　to　cure　him。　They

say　the　English　have　discovered　a　mode　of　treating　the　disease　with

prussic　acid〃



At　that　instant　a　still　more　piercing　cry　echoed　through　the　house；

and　froze　us　with　horror。



〃There！　that　is　what　I　listened　to　all　day　long　last　year；〃　said　the

banker's　wife。　〃It　made　me　jump　in　my　chair　and　rasped　my　nerves

dreadfully。　But；　strange　to　say；　poor　Taillefer；　though　he　suffers

untold　agony；　is　in　no　danger　of　dying。　He　eats　and　drinks　as　well　as

ever　during　even　short　cessations　of　the　painnature　is　so　queer！　A

German　doctor　told　him　it　was　a　form　of　gout　in　the　head；　and　that

agrees　with　Brousson's　opinion。〃



I　left　the　group　around　the　mistress　of　the　house　and　went　away。　On

the　staircase　I　met　Mademoiselle　Taillefer；　whom　a　footman　had　come　to

fetch。



〃Oh！〃　she　said　to　me；　weeping；　〃what　has　my　poor　father　ever　done　to

deserve　such　suffering？so　kind　as　he　is！〃



I　accompanied　her　downstairs　and　assisted　her　in　getting　into　the

carriage；　and　there　I　saw　her　father　bent　almost　double。



Mademoiselle　Taillefer　tried　to　stifle　his　moans　by　putting　her

handkerchief　to　his　mouth；　unhappily　he　saw　me；　his　face　became　even

more　distorted；　a　convulsive　cry　rent　the　air；　and　he　gave　me　a

dreadful　look　as　the　carriage　rolled　away。



That　dinner；　that　evening　exercised　a　cruel　influence　on　my　life　and

on　my　feelings。　I　loved　Mademoiselle　Taillefer；　precisely；　perhaps；

because　honor　and　decency　forbade　me　to　marry　the　daughter　of　a

murderer；　however　good　a　husband　and　father　he　might　be。　A　curious

fatality　impelled　me　to　visit　those　houses　where　I　knew　I　could　meet

Victorine；　often；　after　giving　myself　my　word　of　honor　to　renounce　the

happiness　of　seeing　her；　I　found　myself　that　same　evening　beside　her。

My　struggles　were　great。　Legitimate　love；　full　of　chimerical　remorse；

assumed　the　color　of　a　criminal　passion。　I　despised　myself　for　bowing

to　Taillefer　when；　by　chance；　he　accompanied　his　daughter；　but　I　bowed

to　him　all　the　same。



Alas！　for　my　misfortune　Victorine　is　not　only　a　pretty　girl；　she　is

also　educated；　intelligent；　full　of　talent　and　of　charm；　without　the

slightest　pedantry　or　the　faintest　tinge　of　assumption。　She　converses

with　reserve；　and　her　nature　has　a　melancholy　grace　which　no　one　can

resist。　She　loves　me；　or　at　least　she　lets　me　think　so；　she　has　a

certain　smile　which　she　keeps　for　me　alone；　for　me；　her　voice　grows

softer　still。　Oh；　yes！　she　loves　me！　But　she　adores　her　father；　she

tells　me　of　his　kindness；　his　gentleness；　his　excellent　qualities。

Those　praises　are　so　many　dagger…thrusts　with　which　she　stabs　me　to

the　heart。



One　day　I　came　near　making　myself　the　accomplice；　as　it　were；　of　the

crime　which　led　to　the　opulence　of　the　Taillefer　family。　I　was　on　the

point　of　asking　the　father　for　Victorine's　hand。　But　I　fled；　I

travelled；　I　went　to　Germany；　to　Andernach；　and　thenI　returned！　I

found　Victorine　pale；　and　thinner；　if　I　had　seen　her　well　in　health

and　gay；　I　should　certainly　have　been　saved。　Instead　of　which　my　love

burst　out　again　with　untold　violence。　Fearing　that　my　scruples　might

degenerate　into　monomania；　I　resolved　to　convoke　a　sanhedrim　of　sound

consciences；　and　obtain　from　them　some　light　on　this　problem　of　high

morality　and　philosophy；a　problem　which　had　been；　as　we　shall　see；

still　further　complicated　since　my　return。



Two　days　ago；　therefore；　I　collected　those　of　my　friends　to　whom　I

attribute　most　delicacy；　probity；　and　honor。　I　invited　two　Englishmen；

the　secretary　of　an　embassy；　and　a　puritan；　a　former　minister；　now　a

mature　statesman；　a　priest；　an　old　man；　also　my　former　guardian；　a

simple…hearted　being　who　rendered　so　loyal　a　guardianship　account　that

the　memory　of　it　is　still　green　at　the　Palais；　besides　these；　there

were　present　a　judge；　a　lawyer；　and　a　notary；in　short；　all　social

opinions；　and　all　practical　virtues。



We　began　by　dining　well；　talking　well；　and　making　some　noise；　then；　at

dessert；　I　related　my　history　candidly；　and　asked　for　advice；

concealing；　of　course；　the　Taillefer　name。



A　profound　silence　suddenly　fell　upon　the　company。　Then　the　notary

took　leave。　He　had；　he　said；　a　deed　to　draw。



The　wine　and　the　good　dinner　had　reduced　my　former　guardian　to

silence；　in　fact　I　was　obliged　later　in　the　evening　to　put　him　under

guardianship；　to　make　sure　of　no　mishap　to　him　on　his　way　home。



〃I　understand！〃　I　cried。　〃By　not　giving　an　opinion　you　tell　me

energetically　enough　what　I　ought　to　do。〃



On　this　there　came　a　stir　throughout　the　assembly。



A　capitalist　who　had　subscribed　for　the　children　and　tomb　of　General

Foy　exclaimed：



〃Like　Virtue's　self；　a　crime　has　its　degrees。〃



〃Rash　tongue！〃　said　the　former　minister；　in　a　low　voice；　nudging　me

with　his　elbow。



〃Where's　your　difficulty？〃　asked　a　duke　whose　fortune　is　derived　from

the　estates　of　stubborn　Protestants；　confiscated　on　the　revocation　of

the　Edict　of　Nantes。



The　lawyer　rose；　and　said：



〃In　law；　the　case　submitted　to　us　presents　no　difficulty。　Monsieur　le

duc　is　right！〃　cried　the　legal　organ。　〃There　are　time　limitations。

Where　should　we　all　be　if　we　had　to　search　into　the　origin　of

fortunes？　This　is　simply　an　affair　of　conscience。　If　you　must

absolutely　carry　the　case　before　some　tribunal；　go　to　that　of　the

confessional。〃



The　Code　incarnate　ceased　speaking；　sat　down；　and　drank　a　glass　of

champagne。　The　man　charged　with　the　duty　of　explaining　the　gospel；　the

good　priest；　rose。



〃God　has　made　us　all　frail　beings；〃　he　said　firmly。　〃If　you　love　the

heiress　of　that　crime；　marry　her；　but　content　yourself　with　the

property　she　derives　from　her　mother；　give　that　of　the　father　to　the

poor。〃



〃But；〃　cried　one　of　those　pitiless　hair…splitters　who　are　often　to　be

met　with　in　the　world；　〃perha