Conscience -- Volume 1

hopes on Caffie's reply, he went to see

after ringing the bell. At la

here?" Ca

l answered, the

do not always open the door," Caffie said. "But I have a signal for my cli

nation they enter

Saniel asked, after a moment, as Caffie se

ve been running about a

y clients; their

pau

" Sani

an expressio

t a man of my experience does not speak lightly. What I foresaw has come to pass.

for a larg

n. As for me, I believe in your future, and I have proved it by my proposition

tion," and underlined them with a glance

sterer's summo

ere, and your creditor must indemnify him before going farther. Will he submit? We shall see. If he doe

much

e thing depends upon our adversary. But wha

until

yourself in April? If you have expectations founded on somethi

uch an air of benevolence, t

o pass two examinations; they will last three months, and in March, or, at the latest, in April, I shall be a physician of the hospitals, and fellow of the Faculty. In that c

was wrong in thus committing him

idea that we could gain so much time. Whatever it costs me-and it costs me much, I assure you-I must t

s," Saniel said, rising,

after

hall

position; I think only of you. When I learned that I could not find the sum y

superior education in

dsome, my dear sir, and it is no flattery to say this-in good health, a peasant by birth, who presented himself as a husband. She appeared flattered, I tell you frankly. But immediately afterward she

wait for

d I examined it leisurely. It is very delicate, my dear sir, and like its father. The poor baby! I doubt if you, with all your skill, can

iel, who did not wish to reply, "did

utthroats; but I am going this evening to see one of my cl

ee you ag

ir; when you have reflect

Phillis might go immediately to his rooms. On his return the concierge told him

trembling voice, befo

you yesterday; he

in a long, pas

e uphol

mised to gain s

burned on the hearth, and an inviting dinner w

e, you see; I am goi

g herself i

swer would be, and I did not wish you to be alone on y

his ch

e a piece de

, and thes

. I should have been so happy if they h

of various things in order to distract him. But what their lips did not sa

suddenly betrayed

affie well," he said, a

id, i

most thorough rascal

omething infam

d that I sh

pected

am situated, and how important it is for me to be free until April. He hopes that I shall be so pushed that I

she asked, not da

r. One is the drunken widow of a butcher, a

ose such women to

that Caffie had said to

ter he is!"

ght of what you said-that if some one killed

perfect

tic, such as he is, who has not more than six months to live, I am sure, could not have resisted a grasp like this. I could take his keys from his pocket, open his safe, and take the thirty, forty,

nce can do such things; but

t conscience that woul

orse, if I may u

cons, and know what the consequences of their actions will be to others as well as to themselves. If this previous examination proves to them that

ommitted faults, many of them deliberately, after the examination of which you speak. I should have been, according to you, perfectly placid and free from th

t speak, this voice, mor

f my conscienc

s evidence; whereas, nothing is more uncertain and elusive than the thing that is ca

ot unde

ce tell you it is a

decid

tted, from the religious and from the social point of view, that a young girl is guilty when she has a lover. Of course, you see, also

u did right not to

self, have cond

y yours, any more than by Florentin's or mine, although we

our objections, as I did

ppi

ssary to sa