Pierre and Jean

nature and broke the strength of his arms and legs. He felt too limp to stir a finger, even to get to bed; limp body and soul, crushed and heart-broken. He had not been hit, as Pierre had bee

. He did not like contending against any one, least of all against himself, so he resigned himself at once; and by instinctive tendency, a congenital love of peace, and of an easy and tranquil life, he began to anticipate the agitations which must surge up around him and at once be his ruin. He foresaw that they were inevitable, and to avert them he made up his mind to superhuman efforts of energy and activity. The knot must be cut immediately, this very day; for even he had fits of that imperious demand for a swift solution which is the only strength of weak natures, incapable of a prolonged effort of will. His lawyer's mind, accustomed as it was to disentangling and studying complicated situations and quest

torm. This fortune which had come

come poor again. After all he should not die of it. His eyes were fixed on the gas lamp burning at the opposite side of the street. A woman, much belated, happened to pass; suddenly he thought of Mme. Rosemilly with a pang at his heart, the shock of deep feeling which comes of a cruel suggestion. All the dire results of his decision rose up before him together. He wou

ecious interests were struggling and contending. His first scruples yielde

convince his natural rectitude. Twenty times over had he asked himself this question: "Since I am this m

not suppress the "No" murmu

my father, I can take nothing from him, neither during his lifetime nor after his

relieved him and quieted his cons

e. I must let Pierre have the whole of it, since I am not his father's son.

on giving up the whole of this money, he agreed; he resigned himself to keepin

mily. How was he to be got rid of? He was giving up his search for any practical solution when th

bed without undressing, and d

s were feasible. Then, after making sundry inquiries and calls, h

he said, "I should never

rd on the stairs: "Are we to have

, with a thundering oath this time: "J

me up from the dept

sieu-wha

s your M

pstairs with

oking up at the hig

f opened her do

s it, m

othing to eat to-

dear, I a

down, follo

on as he saw

u are! Sick of y

omething to talk over wi

in the old man's fatherly clasp, a strange, unforeseen emotion thrill

oland

is not c

shrugged h

e is always behind-hand. W

rned t

, my child; it hurts his feeli

ther. I

red determination of a man who is about to fight a duel and

me

er was writing, lea

rning,"

re r

hey shook hands as if

coming down t

r brother's voice was tremulous, and his anxious

waiting

is-is my mo

he who sent me

ell; then I

oing in first; then he abruptly opened the door and saw hi

as he had done for some time past, instead of kissing her on both cheeks as of old. He supposed that she put her lips near but h

y to each other a

"mother," or "dear mother," took care of h

t he could not read their minds. Did Jean believe in h

le thing came upon him again, choking his throat and hi

, no matter whither, feeling that everything was over, that he could not endure to stay with them, that his presence was torture to them, and that they would bring on him incessant suffering too great to endur

leet. They say she is of 6,500 tons. Sh

was a

he was not to be read

through her first voyage before the autumn. I looked in at the Comp

Which o

great friend of the C

you kn

anted to ask

o over every part of the Lorrain

nothing cou

ighing his words, and to want to lead

nd Havre; and the remainder at sea with delightful company. In fact, very pleasant acquaintances are sometimes made among the passengers, and very useful in

whistle, which testified to his deep

wen

ry of five thousand, with lodgings, keep, light, firing, service, and ever

eyes met his brothe

some hesitat

place as medical man on bo

epends on circumstanc

pause; then the d

u say, the Lorr

On the

said noth

uld be gaining a living, and asking for nothing from his parents. Only two days since he had been forced to sell his watch, for he would no longer hold out his hand to beg of his mother. So he had no other r

would very glad

n a

ould hin

the Transatlantic

was ast

of all your fine sc

lied in a

d renounce our fondest hopes. And after all it is only to make a beginni

was promptl

ix or seven thousand francs, and that well laid out, will

oice so low as to

Pierre

d exc

the Chamber of Commerce and takes an interest in the affairs of the Company. There

ked his

o feel my way with M

hould be

a few minutes

ometimes shipped on board those vessels. Letters of strong recommendation from such professors as Mas-Roussel, Remusot, Flanche, and Borriquel would do

proved

e reassured, almost happy, sure of success and inc

rite to-day

and do so. I do not care for any co

and left

turned to

er, what are y

. I do n

ith me to call o

yes-

positively go t

es. To

and, whose habit it was never to und

promised he

d he began to fill his pipe, while the mo

e in the stre

take my ar

they were in the habit of walking side

hey did not spe

is quite ready and

murm

or

ll not be in the least unh

I was thinking o

to her son's; then, in the peculiar voice in which we sometimes give ut

cross any sweetness in it, we sin in letting ours

in a w

of that any

ble? I think o

ll forg

ent; then with de

have been, marrie

the vulgarity of his person. It was to this that it was owing that she had betrayed him, had driven one son to desperation, and had been forced to utter to the ot

others, and the very maid-servant's contempt for Roland, had somewhat prepared his mind for his mother's terrible avowal. It had all made it less dreadful to him to find that he was another man's son; and if, after the great shock and agitat

hed the dwelling

cond floor of a large tenement which she owned. Th

y holding out her hands as usual, she put her arms round h

in. They represented sentimental scenes of seafaring life. In the first a fisherman's wife was seen, waving a handkerchief on shore, while the vessel which bore away her husband vanished on the horizon. In th

hair, resting her elbows on the ledge of a large steamship quitting the shore, gazed at

view of the sea, had fainted in an arm-chair; a letter sh

racted to these four pictures, and riveted as if fascinated. If it wandered it was only to return and contemplate the four expressions on the faces of the two women, who were as like each other as two sisters. And the very style of these works, in their shining frames, crisp, sharp, and highly finished, with the elegance of a fashion plate, suggested a sense of cleanliness and propriety which was confirmed by the rest of the fittin

wn somewhat altered the norm

out this morning?

wn to being r

his mother, of all the pleasure she had deriv

"and they were excellent. If you felt inc

man interr

nd fishing excursion, supp

t seems to me q

mething on the rocks of Saint Jouain wh

innocent and

it be? What can

e come to ask you whether she ha

monsieur. I never

e put hers into it with a quick, determined move

n as yo

ix we

What does my futur

ed with a rather

y thank you for having accepted Jean

do our be

her own might have done; and under this new embrace the poor woman's sick heart swelled with deep emotion. She could not have expressed

they took hands and remained so, looking at each an

y marriage, and when everything was settled and decided Mme. Rosemilly seemed sudden

instant on the face of both mother a

ome explanation was needed, and added: "We do everything without sayi

only smiled, taking it as a matter of cour

in the street again w

oms for a little while. I

, shelterless, her own ho

nto Jean's

the pocket-handkerchiefs, and socks. She changed the arrangement to place them in more harmonious order, more pleasing to her housekeeper's eye; and when she had put everything to her mind, laying out the towels, t

n, and see how

admired it t

and putting her right arm round his neck she kissed him, while she laid on the chi

she made no reply, he understood,

t me!"

in the drawer of his writing-table, which he locked and double locked. She wiped away a tear with the tip of her finger, and said in a rather quave