第26章

"I resolved to devote all my superfluous means--about ten thousand francs a year--to acts of intelligent benevolence," continued Monsieur Alain, tranquilly."About this time it was that I made the acquaintance of a judge of the Lower Civil Court of the Seine named Popinot, whom we had the great grief of losing three years ago, and who practised for fifteen years an active and most intelligent charity in the quartier Saint-Marcel.It was he, with the venerable vicar of Notre-Dame and Madame, who first thought of founding the work in which we are now co-operating, and which, since 1825, has quietly done much good.This work has found its soul in Madame de la Chanterie, for she is truly the inspiration of this enterprise.The vicar has known how to make us more religious than we were at first, by showing us the necessity of being virtuous ourselves in order to inspire virtue; in short, to preach by example.The farther we have advanced in our work, the happier we have mutually found ourselves.And so, you see, it really was the repentance I felt for misconceiving the heart of my friend which gave me the idea of devoting to the poor, through my own hands, the fortune he returned to me, and which I accepted without objecting to the immensity of the sum returned in proportion to the sum lent.Its destination justified my taking it."This narration, made quietly, without assumption, but with a gentle kindliness in accent, look, and gesture, would have inspired Godefroid to enter this noble and sacred association if his resolution had not already been taken.

"You know the world very little," he said, "if you have such scruples about a matter that would not weigh on any other man's conscience.""I know only the unfortunate," said Monsieur Alain."I do not desire to know a world in which men are so little afraid of judging one another.But see! it is almost midnight, and I still have my chapter of the 'Imitation of Jesus Christ' to meditate upon! Good-night!"Godefroid took the old man's hand and pressed it, with an expression of admiration.

"Can you tell me Madame de la Chanterie's history?""Impossible, without her consent," replied Monsieur Alain; "for it is connected with one of the most terrible events of Imperial policy.It was through my friend Bordin that I first knew Madame.He had in his possession all the secrets of that noble life; it was he who, if I may say so, led me to this house.""I thank you," said Godefroid, "for having told me your life; there are many lessons in it for me.""Do you know what is the moral of it?"

"Tell me," said Godefroid, "for perhaps I may see something different in it from what you see.""Well, it is this: that pleasure is an accident in a Christian's life;it is not the aim of it; and this we learn too late.""What happens when we turn to Christianity?" asked Godefroid.

"See!" said the goodman.

He pointed with his finger to some letters of gold on a black ground which the new lodger had not observed, for this was the first time he had ever been in Monsieur Alain's room.Godefroid turned and read the words: TRANSIRE BENEFACIENDO.

"That is our motto.If you become one of us, that will be your only commission.We read that commission, which we have given to ourselves, at all times, in the morning when we rise, in the evening when we lie down, and when we are dressing.Ah! if you did but know what immense pleasures there are in accomplishing that motto!""Such as--?" said Godefroid, hoping for further revelations.

"I must tell you that we are as rich as Baron de Nucingen himself.But the 'Imitation of Jesus Christ' forbids us to regard our wealth as our own.We are only the spenders of it; and if we had any pride in being that, we should not be worthy of dispensing it.It would not be /transire benefaciendo/; it would be inward enjoyment.For if you say to yourself with a swelling of the nostrils, 'I play the part of Providence!' (as you might have thought if you had been in my place this morning and saved the future lives of a whole family), you would become a Sardanapalus,--an evil one! None of these gentlemen living here thinks of himself when he does good.All vanity, all pride, all self-love, must be stripped off, and that is hard to do,--yes, very hard."Godefroid bade him good-night, and returned to his own room, deeply affected by this narrative.But his curiosity was more whetted than satisfied, for the central figure of the picture was Madame de la Chanterie.The history of the life of that woman became of the utmost importance to him, so that he made the obtaining of it the object of his stay in that house.He already perceived in this association of five persons a vast enterprise of Charity; but he thought far less of that than he did of its heroine.