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。