PREFACE
  Myendeavorhasbeentotellasimplestory,preservingascloselyaspossiblethespiritandfeelingoftheoriginal。I
  havetried,asitwere,totaketheplaytopieces,andbuildanoveloutofthesamematerial。IhavenotfeltatlibertytoembellishM。Brieux’sideas,andIhaveusedhisdialoguewordforwordwhereverpossible。UnlessIhavemis—readtheauthor,hissolepurposeinwritingLESAVARIESwastoplaceanumberofmostimportantfactsbeforethemindsofthepublic,andtodrivethemhomebymeansofintenseemotion。IfIhavebeenabletoassisthim,thisbitofliterarycarpenteringwillbeworthwhile。IhavetothankM。Brieuxforhiskindpermissiontomaketheattempt,andforthecordialspiritwhichhehasmanifested。
  UptonSinclairPRESSCOMMENTSONTHEPLAY
  DAMAGEDGOODSwasfirstpresentedinAmericaataFridaymatineeonMarch14th,1913,intheFultonTheater,NewYork,beforemembersoftheSociologicalFund。ImmediatelyitwasacclaimedbypublicpressandpulpitasthegreatestcontributionevermadebytheStagetothecauseofhumanity。Mr。RichardBennett,theproducer,whohadthecouragetopresenttheplay,withtheaidofhisco—workers,inthefaceofmostsavagecriticismfromtheignorant,wasoverwhelmedwithrequestsforarepetitionoftheperformance。
  BeforedecidingwhetherofnottopresentDAMAGEDGOODSbeforethegeneralpublic,itwasarrangedthatthehighestofficialsintheUnitedStatesshouldpassjudgmentuponthemannerinwhichtheplayteachesitsvitallesson。AspecialguestperformanceformembersoftheCabinet,membersofbothhousesofCongress,membersoftheUnitedStatesSupremeCourt,representativesoftheDiplomaticcorpsandothersprominentinnationallifewasgiveninWashington,D。C。
  AlthoughtheperformancewasgivenonaSundayafternoon(April6,1913),theNationalTheaterwascrowdedtotheverydoorswiththemostdistinguishedaudienceeverassembledinAmerica,includingexclusivelytheforemostmenandwomenoftheCapital。
  ThemostnotedclergymenofWashingtonwereamongthespectators。
  TheresultofthisremarkableperformancewasatremendousendorsementoftheplayandofthemannerinwhichMr。Bennettandhisco—workerswerepresentingit。
  ThisreceptionresultedinthecontinuanceoftheNewYorkperformancesuntilmid—summerandisresponsibleforthedecisiononthepartofMr。BennetttooffertheplayineverycityinAmericawherecitizensfeelthattheultimatewelfareofthecommunityisdependentuponahigherstandardofmoralityandclearerunderstandingofthelawsofhealth。
  TheWASHINGTONPOST,commentingontheWashingtonperformance,said:
  Theplaywaspresentedwithalltheimpressivenessofasermon;
  withallthevigoranddynamicforceofagreatdrama;withalltheearnestnessandpowerofavitaltruth。
  Inmanyrespectsthepresentationofthisdramatizationofagreatsocialevilassumedtheaspectsofareligiousservice。
  Dr。DonaldC。Macleod,pastoroftheFirstPresbyterianChurch,mountedtherostrumusuallyoccupiedbytheleaderoftheorchestra,andannouncedthatthenatureoftheperformance,thesacrednessoftheplay,andthecharacteroftheaudiencegavetotheplaythesignificanceofatremendoussermoninbehalfofmankind,andthatassuchitwaseminentlyfittingthatadivineblessingbeinvoked。Dr。EarleWilfley,pastoroftheVermontAvenueChristianChurch,askedallpersonsintheaudiencetobowtheirheadsinaprayerfortheproperreceptionofthemessagetobepresentedfromthestage。Dr。MacLeodthenreadtheBernardShawprefacetotheplay,andaskedthattherebenoapplauseduringtheperformance,asuggestionwhichwasrigidlyfollowed,thusaddinggreatlytotheeffectivenessandtheseriousnessofthedramaticportrayal。
  Theimpressionmadeupontheaudiencebytheremarkableplayisreflectedinsuchcommentsasthefollowingexpressionsvoicedaftertheperformance:
  RABBISIMON,OFTHEWASHINGTONHEBREWCONGREGATION——IfIcouldpreachfrommypulpitasermononetenthaspowerful,asconvincing,asfar—reaching,andashelpfulasthisperformanceofDAMAGEDGOODSmustbe,IwouldconsiderthatIhadachievedthetriumphofmylife。
  COMMISSIONERCUNOH。RUDOLPH——IwasdeeplyimpressedbywhatI
  saw,andIthinkthatthedramashouldberepeatedineverycity,amatineeonedayforfatherandsonandthenextdayformotheranddaughter。
  REV。EARLEWILFLEY——IamconfirmedintheopinionthatwemusttakeupourcudgelsinacrusadeagainstthemodernproblemsbroughttotheforebyDAMAGEDGOODS。Thereportthatthesediseasesareincreasingisenoughtomakeusgetbusyonacampaignagainstthem。
  SURGEONGENERALBLUE——Itwasamoststrikingandtellinglesson。
  Foryearswehavebeenfightingtheseconditioninthenavy。Itishightimethatciviliansawakenedtothedangerssurroundingthemandcrusadedagainsttheminapropermanner。
  MRS。ARCHIBALDHOPKINS——Theplaywasapowerfulpresentationofaveryimportantquestionandwashandledinamostadmirablemanner。Thedramaisafineenteringwedgeforthiscrusadeandisboundtodoconsiderablegoodinconveyinginformationofaveryseriousnature。
  MINISTERPEZET,OFPERU——Therecanbenodoubtbutthattheperformancewillhavegreatupliftingpower,andaccomplishthegoodforwhichitwascreated。Fortunately,wedonothavethepruderyinSouthAmericathatyouofthenorthpossess,andhaveopenmindstoconsidertheseseriousquestions。
  JUSTICEDANIELTHEWWRIGHT——IfeelquitesurethatDAMAGEDGOODS
  willhaveconsiderableeffectineducatingthepeopleofthenatureofthedangerthatsurroundsthem。
  SENATORKERN,OFINDIANA——Therecanbenodenialofthefactthatitistimetolookattheseriousproblemspresentedintheplaywithanopenmind。
  BrieuxhasbeenhailedbyBernardShawas"incomparablythegreatestwriterFrancehasproducedsinceMoliere,"andperhapsnowritereverwieldedhispenmoreearnestlyintheserviceoftherace。ToquotefromanarticlebyEdwinE。SlossonintheINDEPENDENT:
  Brieuxisnotonewhobelievesthatsocialevilsaretobecuredbylawsandyetmorelaws。Hebelievesthatmostofthetroubleiscausedbyignoranceandurgeseducation,publicenlightenmentandfrankerrecognitionofexistingconditions。Allthismaybeneeded,butstillwemaywelldoubtitseffectivenessasaremedy。ThedrunkenHelotargumentisnotastrongone,andthosewholeadaviciouslifeknowmoreaboutitsrisksthananyteacherorpreachercouldtellthem。Brieuxalsourgestherequirementofhealthcertificatesformarriage,suchasmanyclergymennowinsistuponandwhichdoubtlesswillbemadecompulsorybeforelonginmanyofourStates。
  Brieuxpaintsinblackcolorsyetisnofanatic;infact,hewillbecriticisedbymanyasbeingtootolerantofhumanweakness。
  TheconditionsofsocietyandthemoralstandardsofFrancearesodifferentfromthoseofAmericathathispointofviewandhisproposalsforreformwillnotmeetwithgeneralacceptance,butitisencouragingtofindadramatistwhorealizestheimportanceofbeingearnestandwhouseshisartindefenseofvirtueinsteadofitsdestruction。
  Othercommentsfollow,showingthegreatinterestmanifestedintheplayandthebeliefinthehighestseriousnessofitspurpose:
  Thereisnouncleannessinfacts。Theuncleannessisintheglamour,inthesecretimagination。Itisinhints,half—truths,andsuggestionsthethreattolifelies。
  Thisplayputsthehorribletruthinsolivingaway,withsuchclean,artisticforce,thatthemindisimpressedasitcouldpossiblybeimpressedinnoothermanner。
  Bestofall,itisthephysicianwhodominatestheaction。Thereisnosentimentalizing。Thereisnoweakandmorbidhandlingofthetheme。Thedoctorappearsinhisidealfunction,asthemodernhigh—priestoftruth。Aroundhimwrithethevictimsofignoranceandthecriminalsofconventionalcruelty。Kind,stern,high—minded,clear—headed,yethuman—hearted,hetowersoverall,asthemaster。
  Thisisasitshouldbe。Themantosaythewordtosavetheworldofignorantwretches,cursedbythecloudsanddarknessamistakenmodestyhasthrownaroundalife—and—deathinstinct,isthephysician。
  Theonlyquestionisthis:Isthisplaydecent?MyansweristhatitisthedecentestplaythathasbeeninNewYorkforayear。Itissodecentthatitisreligious。
  ——HEARST’SMAGAZINE。
  Theplayis,aboveall,apowerfulpleaforthetearingawayoftheveilofmysterythathassouniversallyshroudedthissubjectofthepenaltyofsexualimmorality。Itisapleaforlightonthishiddendanger,thatfathersandmothers,youngmenandyoungwomen,mayknowtheterriblepricethatmustbepaid,notonlybythegenerationthatviolatesthelaw,butbythegenerationstocome。Itisaseriousquestionjusthowtheeducationofmenandwomen,especiallyyoungmenandyoungwomen,inthevitalmattersofsexrelationshipshouldbecarriedon。Onethingissure,however。Theworstpossiblewayistheonewhichhassooftenbeenfollowedinthepast——nottocarryitonatallbuttoignoreit。
  ——THEOUTLOOK。
  It(DAMAGEDGOODS)is,ofcourse,amasterpieceof"thesisdrama,"——anargument,dogmatic,insistent,inescapable,cumulative,betweenscienceandcommonsense,ononeside,andlove,ofvarioustypes,ontheother。ItiswhatMr。BernardShawhascalleda"dramaofdiscussion";ithasthesplendidmovementofthebestShawplays,unrelieved——andundiluted——byShavianparadox,wit,andirony。WeimaginethatmanyaudiencesattheFultonTheaterwereastonishedattheplay’sshowingofsheerstrengthasacteddrama。Possiblyitmightnotinterestthegeneralpublic;probablyitwouldbeinadvisabletopresentittothem。Butnothinkingperson,withthemostcasualinterestincurrentsocialevils,couldlistentotheversionofRichardBennett,WiltonLackaye,andtheirassociates,withoutbeinggrippedbythepowerofBrieux’smessage。
  ——THEDIAL。
  Itisawonderthattheworldhasbeensolongingettingholdofthisplay,whichisoneofFrance’smostvaluablecontributionstothedrama。Itshistoryisinteresting。Brieuxwroteitovertenyearsago。AntoineproduceditathistheaterandParisimmediatelycensoredit,butsoonthoughtbetterofitandremovedtheban。Duringthesummerof1910itwasplayedinBrusselsbeforecrowdedhouses,forthenthecitywasthrongedwithvisitorstotheexposition。FinallyNewYorkgotitlastspringandeugenicenthusiastsanddoctorseverywherehavewelcomedit。
  ——THEINDEPENDENT。
  AlettertoMr。BennettfromDr。Hills,PastorofPlymouthChurch,Brooklyn。
  23MonroeStreetBklyn。August1,1913。
  Mr。RichardBennett,NewYorkCity,N。Y。
  MyDearMr。Bennett:
  Duringthepasttwenty—oneyearssinceIenteredpubliclife,I
  haveexperiencedmanyexcitinghoursundertheinfluenceofreformer,oratorandactor,but,inthismoodofretrospection,I
  donotknowthatIhaveeverpassedthroughamorethrilling,terrible,andyethopefulexperiencethanlastevening,whileI
  listenedtoyourinterpretationofEugeneBrieux’"DAMAGED
  GOODS。"
  Ihavebeenfollowingyourworkwitheverdeepeninginterest。Itisnottoomuchtosaythatyouhavechangedthethinkingofthepeopleofourcountryastothesocialevil。Atlast,thankGod,thisconspiracyofsilenceisended。Noyoungmanwhosees"DamagedGoods"willeverbethesameagain。IfIwantedtobuildaroundaninnocentboybuttressesoffireandgranite,andlendhimtriplearmouragainsttemptationandtheassaultsofevil,Iwouldputhimforoneeveningunderyourinfluence。Thatwhichtheteacher,thepreacherandtheparenthavefailedtoaccomplishithasbeengiventoyoutoachieve。Youhavedoneaworkforwhichyourgenerationowesyouanimmeasurabledebtofgratitude。
  IshallbedelightedtohaveyouusemyStudyofSocialDiseasesandHeredityinconnectionwithyourgreatreform。
  Withallgoodwishes,Iam,mydearMr。Bennett,Faithfullyyours,NewellDwightHillisCHAPTERI
  Itwasfouro’clockinthemorningwhenGeorgeDupontclosedthedoorandcamedownthestepstothestreet。Thefirstfaintstreaksofdawnwereinthesky,andhenoticedthiswithannoyance,becauseheknewthathishairwasindisarrayandhiswhileaspectdisorderly;yethedarednottakeacab,becausehefearedtoattractattentionathome。Whenhereachedthesidewalk,heglancedabouthimtomakesurethatnoonehadseenhimleavethehouse,thenstarteddownthestreet,hiseyesuponthesidewalkbeforehim。
  Georgehadthefeelingofthemorningafter。Therearefewmeninthisworldofabundantsinwhowillnotknowwhatthephrasemeans。Thefumesofthenighthadevaporated;hewasquitesobernow,quitefreefromexcitement。Hesawwhathehaddone,anditseemedtohimsomethingblackanddisgusting。
  Neverhadawalkseemedlongerthanthefewblockswhichhehadtotraversetoreachhishome。Hemustgettherebeforethemaidwasup,beforethebaker’sboycalledwiththerolls;otherwise,whatexplanationcouldhegive?——hewhohadalwaysbeensuchamoralman,whohadbeenpointedoutbymothersasanexampletotheirsons。
  Georgethoughtofhisownmother,andwhatshewouldthinkifshecouldknowabouthisnight’sadventure。Hethoughtagainandagain,withapangofanguish,ofHenriette。Coulditbepossiblethatamanwhowasengaged,whosemarriagecontracthadactuallybeensigned,whowassoontopossesstheloveofabeautifulandnoblegirl——thatsuchamancouldhavebeenweakenoughandbaseenoughtolethimselfbetrappedintosuchalowaction?
  Hewentbackoverthewholeseriesofevents,shudderingatthem,tryingtorealizehowtheyhadhappened,tryingtoexcusehimselfforthem。Hehadnotintendedsuchaculmination;hehadnevermeanttodosuchathinginhislife。Hehadnotthoughtofanyharmwhenhehadacceptedtheinvitationtothesupperpartywithhisoldcompanionsfromthelawschool。Ofcourse,hehadknownthatseveralofthesechumsled"fast"lives——but,then,surelyafellowcouldgotoafriend’sroomsforalarkwithoutharm!
  Herememberedthegirlwhohadsatbyhissideatthetable。Shehadcomewithafriendwhowasamarriedwoman,andsohehadassumedthatshewasallright。Georgerememberedhowembarrassedhehadbeenwhenfirsthehadnoticedherglancesathim。Butthenthewinehadbeguntogotohishead——hewasoneofthoseunfortunatewretcheswhocannotdrinkwineatall。Hehadofferedtotakethegirlhomeinacab,andonthewayhehadlosthishead。
  Oh!Whatawretchedthingitwas。Hecouldhardlybelievethatitwashewhohadspokenthosefrenziedwords;andyethemusthavespokenthem,becauseherememberedthem。Herememberedthatithadtakenalongtimetopersuadeher。Hehadhadtopromiseheraringliketheonehermarriedfriendwore。Beforetheyenteredherhomeshehadmadehimtakeoffhisshoes,sothattheportermightnothearthem。ThishadstruckGeorgeparticularly,because,evenflushedwithexcitementashewas,hehadnotforgottenthewarningshisfatherhadgivenhimastothedangersofcontactwithstrangewomen。Hehadthoughttohimself,"Thisgirlmustbesafe。Itisprobablythefirsttimeshehaseverdonesuchathing。"
  ButnowGeorgecouldgetbutlittleconsolationoutofthatidea。
  Hewassufferingintensely——theemotiondescribedbythepoetinthebitterwordsabout"Time’smovingfingerhavingwrit。"Hismind,seekingsomeexplanation,somejustification,wentbacktotheeventsbeforethatnight。Withasuddenpangofyearning,hethoughtofLizette。Shewasadecentgirl,andhadkepthimdecent,andhewaslonelywithouther。Hehadbeensoafraidofbeingfoundoutthathehadgivenherupwhenhebecameengaged;
  butnowforawhilehefeltthathewouldhavetobreakhisresolution,andpayhisregularSundayvisittothelittleflatintheworking—classportionofParis。
  ItwaswhileGeorgewasfittinghimselfforthesamecareerashisfather——thatofnotary——thathehadmadetheacquaintanceoftheyoungworkinggirl。Itmaynotbeeasytobelieve,butLizettehadreallybeenadecentgirl。Shehadafamilytotakecareof,andwasinneed。Therewasagrandmotherinpoorhealth,afathernotmuchbetter,andthreelittlebrothers;soLizettedidnotverylongresistGeorgeDupont,andhefeltquitevirtuousingivinghersufficientmoneytotakecareoftheseunfortunatepeople。Amongpeopleofhisclassitwasconsideredpropertotakesuchthingsifonepaidforthem。
  Allthefamilyofthisworkinggirlweregratefultohim。Theyadoredhim,andtheycalledhimUncleRaoul(forofcoursehehadnotbeensofoolishastogivethemhistruename)。
  SinceGeorgewaspayingforLizette,hefelthehadthetighttocontrolherlife。Hegaveherfairwarningconcerninghisattitude。Ifshedeceivedhimhewouldleaveherimmediately。
  Hetoldthistoherrelativesalso,andsohehadthemallwatchingher。Shewasnevertrustedoutalone。EverySundayGeorgewenttospendthedaywithhislittle"family,"sothathiscomingbecamealmostamatteroftradition。Heinterestedherinchurchaffairs——massandvesperswereherregularoccasionsforexcursions。Georgerentedtwoseats,andthegrandmotherwentwithhertotheservices。Thesimplepeoplewereproudtoseetheirnameengraveduponthebrassplateofthepew。
  ThereasonforalltheseprecautionswasGeorge’sterrorofdisease。Hehadbeenwarnedbyhisfatherastothedangerswhichyoungmenencounterintheiramours。AndtheselessonshadsunkdeepintoGeorge’sheart;hehadmadeuphismindthatwhateverhisfriendsmightdo,he,forone,wouldprotecthimself。
  Thatdidnotmean,ofcourse,thatheintendedtoliveavirtuouslife;suchwasthecustomamongyoungmenofhisclass,nothaditprobablyeveroccurredtohisfatherthatitwaspossibleforayoungmantodosuchathing。TheFrenchhaveaphrase,"l’hommemoyensensuel"——theaveragesensualman。AndGeorgewassuchaman。Hehadnonobleidealisms,noparticularreverenceforwomen。Thebasisofhisattitudewasapurelyselfishone;
  hewantedtoenjoyhimself,andatthesametimetokeepoutoftrouble。
  Hedidnotfindanyhappinessintherenunciationwhichheimposeduponhimself;hehadnoreligiousideasaboutit。Onthecontrary,hesufferedkeenly,andwasbitterbecausehehadnoshareintheamusementsofhisfriends。Hestucktohisworkandforcedhimselftokeepregularhours,preparingforhislawexaminations。Butallthetimehewaslongingforadventures。
  And,ofcourse,thiscouldnotgoonforever,forthemotiveoffearaloneisnotsufficienttosubduethesexualurgeinafull—
  bloodedyoungman。
  TheaffairwithLizettemighthavecontinuedmuchlongerhaditnotbeenforthefactthathisfatherdied。Hediedquitesuddenly,whileGeorgewasawayonatrip。Thesoncamebacktoconsolehisbroken—heartedmother,andinthetwoweektheyspentinthecountrytogetherthemotherbroachedaplantohim。Thelastwishofthedyingmanhadbeenthathissonshouldbefixedinlife。Inthemidstofhisintensesufferinghehadbeenabletothinkaboutthematter,andhadnamedthegirlwhomhewishedGeorgetomarry。Naturally,Georgewaitedwithsomeinteresttolearnwhothismightbe。Hewassurprisedwhenhismothertoldhimthatitwashiscousin,HenrietteLoches。
  Hecouldnotkeephisemotionfromrevealingitselfinhisface。
  "Itdoesn’tpleaseyou?"askedhismother,withatonedisappointment。
  "Whyno,mother,"heanswered。"It’snotthat。Itjustsurprisesme。"
  "Butwhy?"askedthemother。"Henrietteisalovelygirlandagoodgirl。"
  "Yes,Iknow,"saidGeorge;"butthensheismycousin,and——"
  Heblushedalittlewithembarrassment。"Ihadneverthoughtofherinthatway。"
  MadameDupontlaidherhanduponherson’s。"Yes,George,"shesaidtenderly。"Iknow。Youaresuchagoodboy。"
  Now,ofcourse,Georgedidnotfeelthathewasquitesuchagoodboy;buthismotherwasadeeplyreligiouswoman,whohadnoideaofthetruthaboutthemajorityofmen。Shewouldneverhavegotovertheshockifhehadtoldherabouthimself,andsohehadtopretendtobejustwhatshethoughthim。
  "Tellme,"shecontinued,afterapause,"haveyouneverfelttheleastbitinlove?"
  "Whyno——Idon’tthinkso,"Georgestammered,becomingconsciousofasuddenriseoftemperatureinhischeeks。
  "Because,"saidhismother,"itisreallytimethatyouweresettledinlife。Yourfathersaidthatweshouldhaveseentoitbefore,andnowitismydutytoseetoit。Itisnotgoodforyoutolivealonesolong。"
  "But,mother,IhaveYOU,"saidGeorgegenerously。
  "SomedaytheLordmaytakemeaway,"wasthereply。"Iamgettingold。And,George,dear——"Heresuddenlyhervoicebegantotremblewithfeeling——"IwouldliketoseemybabygrandchildrenbeforeIgo。Youcannotimaginewhatitwouldmeantome。"
  MadameDupontsawhowmuchthissubjectdistressedherson,soshewentontothemoreworldlyaspectsofthematter。
  Henriette’sfatherwaswell—to—do,andhewouldgiveheragooddowry。Shewasacharmingandaccomplishedgirl。Everybodywouldconsiderhimmostfortunateifthematchcouldbearranged。
  Also,therewasanelderlyaunttowhomMadameDuponthadspoken,andwhowasmuchtakenwiththeidea。Sheownedagreatdealofpropertyandwouldsurelyhelptheyoungcouple。
  Georgedidnotseejusthowhecouldobjecttothisproposition,evenifhehadwantedto。Whatreasoncouldhegiveforsuchacourse?Hecouldnotexplainthathealreadyhadafamily——withstepchildren,sotospeak,whoadoredhim。Andwhatcouldhesaytohismother’sobsession,towhichshecamebackagainandagain——herlongingtoseehergrandchildrenbeforeshedied?
  MadameDupontwaitedonlylongenoughforGeorgetostammeroutafewprotestations,andtheninthenextbreathtotakethemback;
  afterwhichsheproceededtogoaheadwiththematch。Thefamilylawyersconferredtogether,andthetermsofthesettlementwereworkedoutandagreedupon。IthappenedthatimmediatelyafterwardsGeorgelearnedofanopportunitytopurchasethepracticeofanotary,whowasreadytoretirefrombusinessintwomonths’time。Henriette’sfatherconsentedtoadvanceaportionofherdowryforthispurpose。
  ThusGeorgewassafelystarteduponthesamecareerashisfather,andthiswastohimasourceofsatisfactionwhichhedidnotattempttodeny,eithertohimselfoftoanyoneelse。
  Georgewasacautiousyoungman,whocameofafrugalandsavingstock。Hehadalwaysbeentaughtthatitwashisprimarydutytomakecertainofareasonableamountofcomfort。Fromhisearliestdays,hehadbeentaughttoregardmaterialsuccessasthegreatestgoalinlife,andhewouldneverhavedreamedofengaginghimselftoagirlwithoutmoney。Butwhenhehadthegoodfortunetomeetonewhopossesseddesirablepersonalqualitiesinadditiontomoney,hewasnotintheleastbarredfromappreciatingthosequalities。Theywere,sotospeak,thesaucewhichwentwiththemeat,anditseemedtohimthatinthiscasethesaucewasoftheverybest。
  George——abigfellowoftwenty—six,withlarge,roundeyesandagood—naturedcountenance——wasfullblooded,wellfed,withaheartylaughwhichspokeofunimpairedcontentment,asouluntroubledinitsdeeps。Heseemedtohimselftheluckiestfellowinthewholeroundworld;hecouldnotthinkwhathehaddonetodeservethegoodfortuneofpossessingsuchagirlasHenriette。Hewasordinarilyofasomewhatsentimentalturn——
  easilyinfluencedbywomenandsensitivetotheircharms。
  Moreover,hisrelationshipwithLizettehadsoftenedhim。Hehadlearnedtolovetheyoungworkinggirl,andnowHenriette,itseemed,wastoreapthebenefitofhisexperiencewithher。
  Infact,hefoundhimselfalwayswithmemoriesofLizetteinhisrelationshipswiththegirlwhowastobehiswife。Whentheengagementwasannounced,andheclaimedhisfirstkissfromhisbride—to—be,asheplacedaringuponherfinger,herememberedthefirsttimehehadkissedLizette,andadoubleblushsuffusedhisroundcountenance。WhenhewalkedarmandarmwithHenrietteinthegardenherememberedhowhehadwalkedjustsowiththeothergirl,andhewasinterestedtocomparethewordsofthetwo。HerememberedwhatagoodtimehadhadwhenhehadtakenLizetteandherlittlefamilyforapicnicupononeoftheexcursionsteamerswhichrundowntheRiverSeine。ImmediatelyhedecidedthathewouldliketotakeHenrietteonsuchapicnic,andhepersuadedanauntofHenriette’stogowithherasachaperon。Georgetookhisbride—to—betothesamelittleinnwherehehadlunchbefore。
  Thushewasalwayshauntedbymemories,someofwhichmadehimcheerfulandsomeofwhichmadehimmildlysad。Hesoongotusedtotheidea,anddidnotfinditawkward,exceptwhenhehadtosuppresstheimpulsetotellHenriettesomethingwhichLizettehadsaid,orsomefunnyincidentwhichhadhappenedinthehomeofthelittlefamily。Sometimeshefoundhimselfthinkingthatitwasashametohavetosuppresstheseimpulses。Theremustbesomethingwrong,hethought,withasocialsystemwhichmadeitnecessaryforhimtohideathingwhichwassoobviousandsosensible。Herehewas,amantwenty—sixyearsofage;hecouldnothaveaffordedtomarryearlier,notcouldhe,ashethought,havebeenexpectedtoleadacontinentlife。AndhehadreallylovedLizette;shewasreallyagoodgirl。Yet,ifHenriettehadgotanyideaofit,shewouldhavebeenhorrifiedandindignant——
  shemightevenhavebrokenofftheengagement。
  Andthen,too,therewasHenriette’sfather,apersonageofgreatdignityandimportance。M。LocheswasadeputyoftheFrenchParliament,fromadistrictintheprovinces。Hewasamanofuprightlife,andamanwhomadeagreatdealofthatuprightlife——keepingitonapedestalwhereeveryonemightobserveit。
  ItwasimpossibletoimagineM。Lochesinanundignifiedorcompromisingsituation——suchastheyoungermanfoundhimselffacinginthematterofLizette。
  ThemorehethoughtaboutitthemorenervousandanxiousGeorgebecame。Thenitwasdecideditwouldbenecessaryforhimtobreakwiththegirl,andbe"good"untilthetimeofhismarriage。Dearlittlesoft—eyedLizette——hedidnotdaretofaceherpersonally;hecouldneverbeartosaygood—by,hefelt。
  Instead,hewenttothefather,whoasamancouldbeexpectedtounderstandthesituation。Georgewasembarrassedandnotalittlenervousaboutit;foralthoughhehadnevermisrepresentedhisattitudetothefamily,onecouldneverfeelentirelyfreefromthepossibilityofblackmailinsuchcases。However,Lizette’sfatherbehaveddecently,andwasdulygratefulforthemoderatesumofmoneywhichGeorgehandedhiminparting。HepromisedtobreakthenewsgentlytoLizette,andGeorgewentawaywithhismindmadeupthathewouldneverseeheragain。
  Thisresolutionhekept,andheconsideredhimselfveryvirtuousindoingit。Butthetruthwasthathehadgrownusedtointimacywithawoman,andwasrestlesswithoutit。Andthat,hetoldhimself,waswhyheyieldedtotheshamefultemptationthenightofthatfatalsupperparty。
  Hepaidforthemisadventureliberallyinremorse。Hefeltthathehadbeenawretch,thathehaddisgracedhimselfforever,thathehadprovedhimselfunworthyofthepuregirlhewastomarry。
  SokeenwashisfeelingthatitwasseveraldaysbeforehecouldbringhimselftoseeHenrietteagain;andwhenhewent,itwaswithamindfilledwithabrand—newsetofresolutions。Itwasthelasttimethathewouldeverfallintoerror。Hewouldbeanewmanfromthenon。HethankedGodthattherewasnochanceofhissinbeingknown,thathemighthaveanopportunitytoprovehisnewdetermination。
  SointensewerehisfeelingsthathecouldnothelpbetrayingapartofthemtoHenriette。Theysatinthegardenonesoftsummerevening,withHenriette’smotheroccupiedwithhercrochetingatadecorousdistance。George,inreverentandhumblemood,begantodropvaguehintsthathewasreallyunworthyofhisbride—to—be。Hesaidthathehadnotalwaysbeenasgoodasheshouldhavebeen;hesaidthatherpurityandsweetnesshadawakenedinhimnewideals;sothathefelthisoldlifehadbeenfullofblunders。Henriette,ofcourse,hadbutthevaguestofideasastowhattheblundersofatenderandgenerousyoungmanlikeGeorgemightbe。Sosheonlylovedhimthemoreforhishumility,andwasflatteredtohavesuchafineeffectuponhim,toawakeninhimsuchmoodsofexaltation。Whenhetoldherthatallmenwerebad,andthatnomanwasworthyofsuchabeautifullove,shewasquiteravished,andwipedawaytearsfromhereyes。
  Itwouldhavebeenashametospoilsuchaheavenlymoodbytellingtherealtruth。Instead,Georgecontentedhimselfwithtellingofthenewresolutionshehadformed。Afterall,theywerethethingswhichreallymattered;forHenriettewasgoingtolivewithhisfuture,notwithhispast。
  ItseemedtoGeorgeamostwonderfulthing,thisinnocenceofayounggirl,whichenabledhertomovethroughaworldofwickednesswithunpollutedmind。Itwasatouchingthing;andalso,asaprudentyoungmancouldnothelprealizing,amostconvenientthing。Herealizedtheimportanceofpreservingit,andthoughtthatifheeverhadadaughter,hewouldprotectherasrigidlyasHenriettehadbeenprotected。Hemadehastetoshyofffromthesubjectofhis"badness"andtoturntheconversationwithwhatseemedacleverjest。
  "IfIamgoingtobesogood,"hesaid,"don’tforgetthatyouwillhavetobegoodalso!"
  "Iwilltry,"saidHenriette,whowasstillserious。
  "Youwillhavetotryhard,"hepersisted。"Youwillfindthatyouhaveaveryjealoushusband。"
  "WillI?"saidHenriette,beamingwithhappiness——forwhenawomanisverymuchinloveshedoesn’tintheleastobjecttotheman’sbeingjealous。
  "Yes,indeed,"smiledGeorge。"I’llalwaysbewatchingyou。"
  "Watchingme?"echoedthegirlwithasurprisedlook。
  Andimmediatelyhefeltashamedofhimselfforhisjest。TherecouldbenoneedtowatchHenriette,anditwasbadtasteeventojokeaboutitatsuchatime。Thatwasoneoftheideaswhichhehadbroughtwithhimfromhisworldofevil。
  Thetruthwas,however,thatGeorgewouldalwaysbeasuspicioushusband;nothingcouldeverchangethatfact,fortherewassomethinginhisownconsciencewhichhecouldnotgetout,andwhichwouldmakeitimpossibleforhimtobeateaseasamarriedman。ItwasthememoryofsomethingwhichhadhappenedearlierinhislifebeforehemetLizette。Therehadbeenoneearlierexperience,withthewifeofhisdearestfriend。Shehadbeenmuchyoungerthanherhusband,andhadbetrayedaninterestinGeorge,whohadyieldedtothetemptation。Forseveralyearstheintriguecontinued,andGeorgeconsidereditagoodsolutionofayoungman’sproblem。Therehadbeennodangerofcontamination,forheknewthathisfriendwasamanofpureandrigidmorals,ajealousmanwhowatchedhiswife,anddidnotpermithertocontractthosenewrelationswhicharealwaysdangerous。AsforGeorge,hehelpedinthisworthywork,keepingthewomaninterrorofsomedisease。Hetoldherthatalmostallmenwereinfected,forhehopedbythismeanstokeepherfromdeceivinghim。
  Iamawarethatthismayseemadreadfulstory。AsIdonotwantanyonetothinktooillofGeorgeDupont,Iought,perhaps,topointoutthatpeoplefeeldifferentlyaboutthesemattersinFrance。Injudgingtheunfortunateyoungman,wemustjudgehimbythecustomsofhisowncountry,andnotbyours。InFrance,theyareaccustomedtowhatiscalledtheMARIAGEDECONVENANCE。
  Theyounggirlisnotpermittedtogoaboutandmakeherownfriendsanddecidewhichoneofthemsheprefersforherhusband;
  onthecontrary,sheisstrictlyguarded,hertrainingoftenisofareligiousnature,andhermarriageisamatterofbusiness,tobeconsideredanddecidedbyherparentsandthoseoftheyoungman。Now,whateverwemaythinkright,itishumanlycertainthatwheremarriagesaremadeinthatway,theneedofmenandwomenforsympathyandforpassionateinterestwilloftenleadtotheformingofirregularrelationshipsaftermarriage。
  ItisnotpossibletopresentstatisticsastothenumberofsuchirregularrelationshipsinParisiansociety;butinthebookswhichhereadandintheplayswhichhesaw,Georgefoundeverythingtoencouragehimtothinkthatitwasaromanticanddelightfulthingtokeepupasecretintriguewiththewifeofhisbestfriend。
  Itshouldalso,perhaps,bepointedoutthatweareheretellingthetruth,andthewhiletruth,aboutGeorgeDupont;andthatitisnotcustomarytotellthisaboutmen,eitherinreallifeorinnovels。Thereisagreatdealofconcealmentintheworldaboutmattersofsex;andinsuchmattersthetruth—tellingmanisapttosufferinreputationincomparisonwiththetruth—
  concealingone。
  NorhadGeorgereallybeenaltogethercallousaboutthething。
  Ithadhappenedthathisbestfriendhaddiedinhisarms;andthishadsoaffectedtheguiltypairthattheyhadfelttheirrelationshipwasnolongerpossible。Shehadwithdrawntonursehergriefalone,andGeorgehadbeensodeeplyaffectedthathehadavoidedaffairsandentanglementswithwomenuntilhismeetingwithLizette。
  Allthiswasnowinthefardistantpast,butithadmadeadeeperimpressionuponGeorgethanheperhapsrealized,anditwasnowworkinginhismindandmarringhishappiness。Herewasagirlwholovedhimwithanobleandunselfishandwhole—heartedlove——andyethewouldneverbeabletotrustherasshedeserved,butwouldalwayshavesuspicionslurkinginthebackofhismind。Hewouldbeunabletohavehisfriendsintimateinhishome,becauseofthememoryofwhathehadoncedonetoafriend。
  Itwasasubtlekindofpunishment。ButsoitisthatNatureoftenfindswaysofpunishingus,withoutourevenbeingawareofit。
  Thatwasallforthefuture,however。Atpresent,Georgewashappy。Heputhisblacksinbehindhim,feelingthathehadobtainedabsolutionbyhisconfessiontoHenriette。Daybyday,asherealizedhisgoodfortune,hisroundfacebeamedwithmoreandyetmorejoy。
  HewentforalittletriptoHenriette’shomeinthecountry。Itwasasimplevillage,andtheytookwalksinthecountry,andstoppedtorefreshthemselvesatafarmhouseoccupiedbyoneofM。Loches’tenants。Herewasarosyandbuxompeasantwoman,withanursingchildinherarms。Shewasdestinedacoupleofyearslatertobethefoster—motherofHenriette’slittlegirlandtoplayanimportantpartinherlife。Butthepairhadnoideaofthatatpresent。Theysimplysawaproudandhappymother,andHenrietteplayedwiththebaby,givingventtochildishdelight。ThensuddenlyshelookedupandsawthatGeorgewaswatchingher,andasshereadhisthoughtsabeautifulblushsuffusedhercheeks。
  AsforGeorge,heturnedawayandwentoutundertheblueskyinakindofecstasy。Lifeseemedverywonderfultohimjustthen;
  hehadfounditssupremehappiness,whichwaslove。HewasreallygettingquitemadaboutHenriette,hetoldhimself。Hecouldhardlybelievethatthedaywascomingwhenhewouldbeabletoclaspherinhisarms。
  ButintheblueskyofGeorge’shappinesstherewasonelittlecloudofstorm。Asoftenhappenswithstorm—clouds,itwassosmallthatatfirsthepaidnoattentiontoitatall。
  Henoteduponhisbodyonedayatinyulcer。Atfirsthetreateditwithsalvepurchasedfromanapothecary。Thenafteraweekortwo,whenthishadnoeffect,hebegantofeeluncomfortable。Herememberedsuddenlyhehadheardaboutthesymptomsofanunmentionable,dreadfuldisease,andavagueterrortookpossessionofhim。
  Fordayshetriedtoputittooneside。Theideawasnonsense,itwasabsurdinconnectionwithawomansorespectable!Butthethoughtwouldnotbeputaway,andfinallyhewenttoaschoolfriend,whowasamanoftheworld,andgothimtotalkonthesubject。Ofcourse,Georgehadtobecareful,sothathisfriendshouldnotsuspectthathehadanyspecialpurposeinmind。
  Thefriendwaswillingtotalk。Itwasaviledisease,hesaid;
  butonewasfoolishtobotheraboutit,becauseitwassorare。
  Therewereotherdiseaseswhichfellowsgot,whichnearlyeveryfellowhad,andtowhichnoneofthempaidanyattention。ButoneseldommetanyonewhohadtheredplaguethatGeorgedreaded。
  "Andyet,"headded,"accordingtothebooks,itisn’tsouncommon。Isupposethetruthisthatpeoplehideit。Achapnaturallywouldn’ttell,whenheknewitwoulddamnhimforlife。"
  Georgehadasicksensationinsideofhim。"Isitasbadasthat?"heasked。
  "Ofcourse,"saidtheother,"Shouldyouwanttohaveanythingtodowithapersonwhohadit?Shouldyoubewillingtoroomwithhimortravelwithhim?Youwouldn’tevenwanttoshakehandswithhim!"
  "No,Isupposenot,"saidGeorge,feebly。
  "Iremember,"continuedtheother,"anoldfellowwhousedtoliveoutinthecountrynearme。Hewasnotsoveryold,either,buthelookedit。Hehadtobepushedaroundinawheel—chair。
  Peoplesaidhehadlocomotorataxia,butthatreallymeantsyphilis。Weboysusedtopokeallkindsoffunathimbecauseonewindydayhishatandhiswigwereblownofftogether,andwediscoveredthathewasasbaldasanegg。Weusedtomakejokesabouthisautomobile,aswecalledit。Ithadalittlehandleinfront,insteadofasteering—wheel,andamanbehindtopush,insteadofanengine。"
  "Howhorrible!"remarkedGeorgewithgenuinefeeling。
  "Irememberthepoordevilhadaparalysissoonafter,"continuedthefriend,quitecarelessly。"Hecouldnotsteeranymore,andalsohelosthisvoice。Whenyoumethimhewouldlookatyouasithethoughthewastalking,butallhecouldsaywas’Ga—ga—ga’。"
  Georgewentawayfromthisconversationinacoldsweat。Hetoldhimselfoverandoveragainthathewasafool,butstillhecouldnotgetthehellishideaoutofhismind。Hefoundhimselfbroodingoveritalldayandlyingawakeatnight,hauntedbyimagesofhimselfinawheel—chair,andwithoutanyhaironhishead。Herealizedthatthesensiblethingwouldbeforhimtogotoadoctorandmakecertainabouthiscondition;buthecouldnotbringhimselftofacetheordeal——hewasashamedtoadmittoadoctorthathehadlaidhimselfopentosuchataint。
  Hebegantolosetheradiantexpressionfromhisroundandrosyface。Hehadlessappetite,andhismoodsofdepressionbecamesofrequentthathecouldnothidethenevenfromHenriette。Sheaskedhimonceortwiceiftherewerenotsomethingthematterwithhim,andhelaughed——aforcedandhurriedlaugh——andtoldherthathehadsatuptoolatethenightbefore,worryingoverthematterofhisexaminations。Oh,whatacruelthingitwasthatamanwhostoodintheverygatewayofsuchagardenofdelightshouldbetormentedandmademiserablebythisloathsomeidea!
  Thedisturbingsymptomstillcontinued,andsoatlastGeorgepurchasedamedicalbook,dealingwiththesubjectofthedisease。Then,indeed,heopenedupachamberofhorrors;hemadeuphismindanabidingplaceofghastlyimages。Inthebooktherewerepicturesofthingssoawfulthatheturnedwhite,andtrembledlikealeaf,andhadtoclosethevolumeandhideitinthebottomofhistrunk。Buthecouldnotbanishthepicturesfromhismind。Worstofall,hecouldnotforgetthedescriptionofthefirstsymptomofthedisease,whichseemedtocorrespondexactlywithhisown。Soatlasthemadeuphismindhemustascertaindefinitelythetruthabouthiscondition。
  Hebegantothinkoverplansforseeingadoctor。Hehadheardsomewhereastoryaboutayoungfellowwhohadfallenintothehandsofaquack,andbeenruinedforever。Sohedecidedthathewouldconsultonlythebestauthority。
  Hegotthenamesofthebest—knownworksonthesubjectfromabookstore,andfoundthattheauthorofoneofthesebookswaspracticinginParisasaspecialist。Twoorthreedayselapsedbeforehewasabletogetupthecouragetocallonthisdoctor。
  Andoh,theshameandhorrorofsittinginhiswaiting—roomwiththeotherpeople,noneofwhomdaredtolookeachotherintheeyes!Theymustallbeafflicted,Georgethought,andheglancedatthemfurtively,lookingforthevarioussymptomsofwhichhehadread。Orwerethere,perhaps,somelikehimself——merelyvictimsofafoolisherror,comingtohavethehagofdreadpulledfromofftheirbacks?
  Andthensuddenly,whilehewasspeculating,therestoodthedoctor,signalingtohim。Histurnhadcome!
  CHAPTERII
  Thedoctorwasamanaboutfortyyearsofage,robust,witheveryappearanceofastrongcharacter。Inthebuttonholeofthefrockcoatheworewasaredrosette,thedecorationofsomeorder。
  ConfusedandnervousasGeorgewas,hegotavagueimpressionofthephysician’srichlyfurnishedoffice,withitsbronzes,marblesandtapestries。
  Thedoctorsignaledtotheyoungmantobeseatedinthechairbeforehisdesk。Georgecomplied,andthen,ashewipedawaytheperspirationfromhisforehead,stammeredoutafewwords,explaininghiserrand。Ofcourse,hesaid,itcouldnotbetrue,butitwasaman’sdutynottotakeanychancesinsuchamatter。
  "Ihavenotbeenamanoflooselife,"headded;"Ihavenottakensomanychancesasothermen。"
  Thedoctorcuthimshortwiththebriefremarkthatonechancewasallthatwasnecessary。Insteadofdiscussingsuchquestions,hewouldmakeanexamination。"Wedonotsaypositivelyinthesecasesuntilwehavemadeabloodtest。Thatistheonewaytoavoidthepossibilityofmistake。"
  AdropofbloodwassqueezedoutofGeorge’sfingerontoalittleglassplate。Thedoctorretiredtoanadjoiningroom,andthevictimsataloneintheoffice,derivingnoenjoymentfromtheworksofartwhichsurroundedhim,butfeelinglikeaprisonerwhositsinthedockwithhislifeatstakewhilethejurydeliberates。
  Thedoctorreturned,calmandimpassive,andseatedhimselfinhisoffice—chair。
  "Well,doctor?"askedGeorge。Hewastremblingwithterror。
  "Well,"wasthereply,"thereisnodoubtwhatever。"
  Georgewipedhisforehead。Hecouldnotcreditthewords。"Nodoubtwhatever?Inwhatsense?"
  "Inthebadsense,"saidtheother。
  Hebegantowriteaprescription,withoutseemingtonoticehowGeorgeturnedpagewithterror。"Come,"hesaid,afterasilence,"youmusthaveknownthetruthprettywell。"
  "No,no,sir!"exclaimedGeorge。
  "Well,"saidtheother,"youhavesyphilis。"
  Georgewasutterlystunned。"MyGod!"heexclaimed。
  Thedoctor,havingfinishedhisprescription,lookedupandobservedhiscondition。"Don’ttroubleyourself,sir。Outofeverysevenmenyoumeetuponthestreet,insociety,oratthetheater,thereisatleastonewhohasbeeninyourcondition。
  Oneoutofseven——fifteenpercent!"
  Georgewasstaringbeforehim。Hespokelow,asiftohimself。
  "IknowwhatIamgoingtodo。"
  "AndIknowalso,"saidthedoctor,withasmile。"Thereisyourprescription。Youaregoingtotakeittothedrugstoreandhaveitputup。"
  Georgetooktheprescription,mechanically,butwhispered,"No,sir。"
  "Yes,sir,youaregoingtodoaseverybodyelsedoes。"
  "No,becausemysituationisnotthatofeverybodyelse。IknowwhatIamgoingtodo。"
  Saidthedoctor:"Fivetimesoutoften,inthechairwhereyouaresitting,peopletalklikethat,perfectlysincerely。Eachonebelieveshimselfmoreunhappythanalltheothers;butafterthinkingitover,andlisteningtome,theyunderstandthatthisdiseaseisacompanionwithwhomonecanlive。Justasineveryhousehold,onegetsalongatthecostofmutualconcessions,that’sall。Come,sir,Itellyouagain,thereisnothingaboutitthatisnotperfectlyordinary,perfectlynatural,perfectlycommon;itisanaccidentwhichcanhappentoanyone。Itisagreatmistakethatpeoplespeakifthisasthe’FrenchDisease,’
  forthereisnonewhichismoreuniversal。Underthepictureofthisdisease,addressingmyselftothosewhofollowtheoldestprofessionintheworld,Iwouldwritethefamousphrase:’Hereisyourmaster。Itis,itwas,oritmustbe。’"
  Georgewasputtingtheprescriptionintotheoutsidepocketofhiscoat,stupidly,asifhedidnotknowwhathewasdoing。
  "But,sir,"heexclaimed,"Ishouldhavebeenspared!"
  "Why?"inquiredtheother。"Becauseyouareamanofposition,becauseyouarerich?Lookaroundyou,sir。Seetheseworksofartinmyroom。Doyouimaginethatsuchthingshavebeenpresentedtomebychimney—sweeps?"
  "But,Doctor,"criedGeorge,withamoan,"Ihaveneverbeenalibertine。Therewasneveranyone,youunderstandme,neveranyonecouldhavebeenmorecarefulinhispleasures。IfIweretotellyouthatinallmylifeIhaveonlyhadtwomistresses,whatwouldyouanswertothat?"
  "Iwouldanswer,thatasingleonewouldhavebeensufficienttobringyoutome。"
  "No,sir!"criedGeorge。"Itcouldnothavebeeneitherofthosewomen。"Hewentontotellthedoctorabouthisfirstmistress,andthenaboutLizette。FinallyhetoldaboutHenriette,howmuchheadoredher。Hecouldreallyusesuchaword——helovedhermosttenderly。Shewassogood——andhehadthoughthimselfsolucky!
  Ashewenton,hecouldhardlykeepfromgoingtopieces。"Ihadeverything,"heexclaimed,"everythingamanneeded!Allwhoknewmeenviedme。AndthenIhadtoletthosefellowsdragmeofftothatmiserablesupper—party!AndnowhereIam!Myfutureisruined,mywholeexistencepoisoned!Whatistobecomeofme?Everybodywillavoidme——Ishallbeapariah,aleper!"
  Hepaused,andtheninsuddenwildgriefexclaimed,"Come,now!
  WoulditnotbebetterthatIshouldtakemyselfoutoftheway?
  Atleast,Ishouldnotsufferanymore。Youseethattherecouldnotbeanyonemoreunhappythanmyself——notanyone,Itellyou,sir,notanyone!"Completelyovercome,hebegantoweepinhishandkerchief。
  Thedoctorgotup,andwenttohim。"Youmustbeaman,"hesaid,"andnotcrylikeachild。"
  "Butsir,"criedtheyoungman,withtearsrunningdownhischeeks,"ifIhadledawildlife,ifIhadpassedmytimeindissipationwithchorusgirls,thenIcouldunderstandit。ThenIwouldsaythatIhaddeservedit。"
  Thedoctorexclaimedwithemphasis,"No,no!Youwouldnotsayit。However,itisofnomatter——goon。"
  "ItellyouthatIwouldsayit。Iamhonest,andIwouldsaythatIhaddeservedit。Butno,Ihaveworked,Ihavebeenaregulargrind。Andnow,whenIthinkoftheshamethatisinstoreforme,thedisgustingthings,thefrightfulcatastrophestowhichIamcondemned——"
  "Whatisallthisyouaretellingme?"askedthedoctor,laughing。
  "Oh,Iknow,Iknow!"criedtheother,andrepeatedwhathisfriendhadtoldhimaboutthemaninawheel—chair。"AndtheyusedtocallmehandsomeRaoul!Thatwasmyname——handsomeRaoul!"
  "Now,mydearsir,"saidthedoctor,cheerfully,"wipeyoureyesonelasttime,blowyournose,putyourhandkerchiefintoyourpocket,andhearmedry—eyed。"
  Georgeobeyedmechanically。"ButIgiveyoufairwarning,"hesaid,"youarewastingyourtime。"
  "Itellyou——"begantheother。
  "Iknowexactlywhatyouaregoingtotellme!"criedGeorge。
  "Well,inthatcase,thereisnothingmoreforyoutodohere——
  runalong。"
  "SinceIamhere,"saidthepatientsubmissively,"Iwillhearyou。"
  "Verywell,then。Itellyouthatifyouhavethewillandtheperseverance,noneofthethingsyoufearwillhappentoyou。"
  "Ofcourse,itisyourdutytotellmethat。"
  "IwilltellyouthatthereareonehundredthousandlikeyouinParis,alert,andseeminglywell。Come,takewhatyouwerejustsaying——wheel—chairs。Onedoesn’tseesomanyofthem。"
  "No,that’strue,"saidGeorge。
  "Andbesides,"addedthedoctor,"agoodmanypeoplewhorideinthemarenotthereforthecauseyouthink。Thereisnomorereasonwhyyoushouldbethevictimofacatastrophethananyoftheonehundredthousand。Thediseaseisserious,nothingmore。"
  "Youadmitthatitisaseriousdisease?"arguedGeorge。
  "Yes。"
  "Oneofthemostserious?"
  "Yes,butyouhavethegoodfortune——"
  "TheGOODfortune?"
  "Relatively,ifyouplease。Youhavethegoodfortunetobeinfectedwithoneofthediseasesoverwhichwehavethemostcertaincontrol。"
  "Yes,yes,"exclaimedGeorge,"buttheremediesareworsethanthedisease。"
  "Youdeceiveyourself,"repliedtheother。
  "YouaretryingtomakemebelievethatIcanbecured?"
  "Youcanbe。"
  "AndthatIamnotcondemned?"
  "Iswearittoyou。"
  "Youarenotdeceivingyourself,youarenotdeceivingme?Why,Iwastold——"
  Thedoctorlaughed,contemptuously。"Youweretold,youweretold!I’llwagerthatyouknowthelawsoftheChineseconcerningparty—walls。"
  "Yes,naturally,"saidGeorge。"ButIdon’tseewhattheyhavetodowithit。"
  "Insteadofteachingyousuchthings,"wasthereply,"itwouldhavebeenagreatdealbettertohavetaughtyouaboutthenatureandcauseofdiseasesofthissort。Thenyouwouldhaveknownhowtoavoidthecontagion。Suchknowledgeshouldbespreadabroad,foritisthemostimportantknowledgeintheworld。Itshouldbefoundineverynewspaper。"
  ThisremarkgaveGeorgesomethingofashock,forhisfatherhadownedalittlepaperintheprovinces,andhehadasuddenvisionofthewaysubscriberswouldhavefallenoff,ifhehadprintedevensomuchasthenameofthisviledisease。
  "Andyet,"pursuedthedoctor,"youpublishromancesaboutadultery!"
  "Yes,"saidGeorge,"that’swhatthereaderswant。"
  "Theydon’twantthetruthaboutvenerealdiseases,"exclaimedtheother。"Iftheyknewthefulltruth,theywouldnolongerthinkthatadulterywasromanticandinteresting。"
  Hewentontogivehisadviceastothemeansofavoidingsuchdiseases。Therewasreallybutonerule。Itwas:Tolovebutonewoman,totakeherasavirgin,andtolovehersomuchthatshewouldneverdeceiveyou。"Takethatfromme,"addedthedoctor,"andteachittoyourson,whenyouhaveone。"
  George’sattentionwascaughtbythislastsentence。
  "YoumeanthatIshallbeabletohavechildren?"hecried。
  "Certainly,"wasthereply。
  "Healthychildren?"
  "Irepeatittoyou;ifyoutakecareofyourselfproperlyforalongtime,conscientiously,youhavelittletofear。"
  "That’scertain?"
  "Ninety—ninetimesoutofahundred。"
  Georgefeltasifhehadsuddenlyemergedfromadungeon。"Why,then,"heexclaimed,"Ishallbeabletomarry!"
  "Youwillbeabletomarry,"wasthereply。
  "Youarenotdeceivingme?Youwouldnotgivemethathope,youwouldnotexposeme?HowsoonwillIbeabletomarry?"
  "Inthreeorfouryears,"saidthedoctor。
  "What!"criedGeorgeinconsternation。"Inthreeorfouryears?
  Notbefore?"
  "Notbefore。"
  "Howisthat?AmIgoingtobesickallthattime?Why,youtoldmejustnow——"
  Saidthedoctor:"Thediseasewillnolongerbedangeroustoyou,yourself——butyouwillbedangeroustoothers。"
  "But,"theyoungmancried,indespair,"Iamtobemarriedamonthfromnow。"
  "Thatisimpossible。"
  "ButIcannotdoanydifferently。Thecontractisready!Thebannshavebeenpublished!Ihavegivenmyword!"
  "Well,youareagreatone!"thedoctorlaughed。"Justnowyouwerelookingforyourrevolver!Nowyouwanttobemarriedwithinthemonth。"
  "But,Doctor,itisnecessary!"
  "ButIforbidit。"
  "AssoonasIknewthatthediseaseisnotwhatIimagined,andthatIcouldbecured,naturallyIdidn’twanttocommitsuicide。
  AndassoonasImakeupmymindnottocommitsuicide,Ihavetotakeupmyregularlife。Ihavetokeepmyengagements;Ihavetogetmarried。"
  "No,"saidthedoctor。
  "Yes,yes!"persistedGeorge,withblindobstinacy。"Why,Doctor,ifIdidn’tmarryitwouldbeadisaster。Youaretalkingaboutsomethingyoudon’tunderstand。I,formypart——itisnotthatIamanxioustobemarried。AsItoldyou,Ihadalmostasecondfamily。Lizette’slittlebrothersadoredme。