ple；　and　those　who；　for　their　own　purposes；　wished　to　prove　to　me　that　I　was　possessed　of　extraordinary　abilities；　found　me　quite　convinced　on　that　head。　Praise　is　the　most　insidious　of　all　methods　of　treachery　known　to　the　world；　and　this　is　nowhere　better　understood　than　in　Paris；　where　intriguing　schemers　know　how　to　stifle　every　kind　of　talent　at　its　birth　by　heaping　laurels　on　its　cradle。　So　I　did　nothing　worthy　of　my　reputation；　I　reaped　no　advantages　from　the　golden　opinions　entertained　of　me；　and　made　no　acquaintances　likely　to　be　useful　in　my　future　career。　I　wasted　my　energies　in　numberless　frivolous　pursuits；　and　in　the　short…lived　love　intrigues　that　are　the　disgrace　of　salons　in　Paris；　where　every　one　seeks　for　love；　grows　blase　in　the　pursuit；　falls　into　the　libertinism　sanctioned　by　polite　society；　and　ends　by　feeling　as　much　astonished　at　real　passion　as　the　world　is　over　a　heroic　action。　I　did　as　others　did。　Often　I　dealt　to　generous　and　candid　souls　the　deadly　wound　from　which　I　myself　was　slowly　perishing。　Yet　though　deceptive　appearances　might　lead　others　to　misjudge　me；　I　could　never　overcome　my　scrupulous　delicacy。　Many　times　I　have　been　duped；　and　should　have　blushed　for　myself　had　it　been　otherwise；　I　secretly　prided　myself　on　acting　in　good　faith；　although　this　lowered　me　in　the　eyes　of　others。　As　a　matter　of　fact　the　world　has　a　considerable　respect　for　cleverness；　whatever　form　it　takes；　and　success　justifies　everything。　So　the　world　was　pleased　to　attribute　to　me　all　the　good　qualities　and　evil　propensities；　all　the　victories　and　defeats　which　had　never　been　mine；　credited　me　with　conquests　of　which　I　knew　nothing；　and　sat　in　judgment　upon　actions　of　which　I　had　never　been　guilty。　I　scorned　to　contradict　the　slanders；　and　self…love　led　me　to　regard　the　more　flattering　rumors　with　a　certain　complacence。　Outwardly　my　existence　was　pleasant　enough；　but　in　reality　I　was　miserable。　If　it　had　not　been　for　the　tempest　of　misfortunes　that　very　soon　burst　over　my　head；　all　good　impulses　must　have　perished；　and　evil　would　have　triumphed　in　the　struggle　that　went　on　within　me；　enervating　self…indulgence　would　have　destroyed　the　body；　as　the　detestable　habits　of　egotism　exhausted　the　springs　of　the　soul。　But　I　was　ruined　financially。　This　was　how　it　came　about。
  〃No　matter　how　large　his　fortune　may　be；　a　man　is　sure　to　find　some　one　else　in　Paris　possessed　of　yet　greater　wealth；　whom　he　must　needs　aim　at　surpassing。　In　this　unequal　conquest　I　was　vanquished　at　the　end　of　four　years；　and；　like　many　another　harebrained　youngster；　I　was　obliged　to　sell　part　of　my　property　and　to　mortgage　the　remainder　to　satisfy　my　creditors。　Then　a　terrible　blow　suddenly　struck　me　down。
  〃Two　years　had　passed　since　I　had　last　seen　the　woman　whom　I　had　deserted。　The　turn　that　my　affairs　were　taking　would　no　doubt　have　brought　me　back　to　her　once　more；　but　one　evening；　in　the　midst　of　a　gay　circle　of　acquaintances；　I　received　a　note　written　in　a　trembling　hand。　It　only　contained　these　few　words：
  〃　'I　have　only　a　very　little　while　to　live；　and　I　should　like　to　see　you；　my　friend；　so　that　I　may　know　what　will　become　of　my　child　whether　henceforward　he　will　be　yours；　and　also　to　soften　the　regret　that　some　day　you　might　perhaps　feel　for　my　death。'
  〃The　letter　made　me　shudder。　It　was　a　revelation　of　secret　anguish　in　the　past；　while　it　contained　a　whole　unknown　future。　I　set　out　on　foot；　I　would　not　wait　for　my　carriage；　I　went　across　Paris；　goaded　by　remorse；　and　gnawed　by　a　dreadful　fear　that　was　confirmed　by　the　first　sight　of　my　victim。　In　the　extreme　neatness　and　cleanliness　beneath　which　she　had　striven　to　hid　her　poverty　I　read　all　the　terrible　sufferings　of　her　life；　she　was　nobly　reticent　about　them　in　her　effort　to　spare　my　feelings；　and　only　alluded　to　them　after　I　had　solemnly　promised　to　adopt　our　child。　She　died；　sir；　in　spite　of　all　the　care　lavished　upon　her；　and　all　that　science　could　suggest　was　done　for　her　in　vain。　The　care　and　devotion　that　had　come　too　late　only　served　to　render　her　last　moments　less　bitter。
  〃To　support　her　little　one　she　had　worked　incessantly　with　her　needle。　Love　for　her　child　had　given　her　strength　to　endure　her　life　of　hardship；　but　it　had　not　enabled　her　to　bear　my　desertion；　the　keenest　of　all　her　griefs。　Many　times　she　had　thought　of　trying　to　see　me；　but　her　woman's　pride　had　always　prevented　this。　While　I　squandered　floods　of　gold　upon　my　caprices；　no　memory　of　the　past　had　ever　bidden　a　single　drop　to　fall　in　her　home　to　help　mother　and　child　to　live；　but　she　had　been　content　to　weep；　and　had　not　cursed　me；　she　had　looked　upon　her　evil　fortune　as　the　natural　punishment　of　her　error。　With　the　aid　of　a　good　priest　of　Saint　Sulpice；　whose　kindly　voice　had　restored　peace　to　her　soul；　she　had　sought　for　hope　in　the　shadow　of　the　altar；　whither　she　had　gone　to　dry　her　tears。　The　bitter　flood　that　I　had　poured　into　her　heart　gradually　abated；　and　one　day；　when　she　heard　her　child　say　'Father；'　a　word　that　she　had　not　taught　him；　she　forgave　my　crime。　But　sorrow　and　weeping　and　days　and　nights　of　ceaseless　toil　injured　her　health。　Religion　had　brought　its　consolations　and　the　courage　to　bear　the　ills　of　life；　but　all　too　late。　She　fell　ill　of　a　heart　complaint　brought　on　by　grief　and　by　the　strain　of　expectation；　for　she　always　thought　that　I　should　return；　and　her　hopes　always　sprang　up　afresh　after　every　disappointment。　Her　health　grew　worse；　and　at　last；　as　she　was　lying　on　her　deathbed；　she　wrote　those　few　lines；　containing　no　word　of　reproach；　prompted　by　religion；　and　by　a　belief　in　the　goodness　in　my　nature。　She　knew；　she　said；　that　I　was　blinded　rather　than　bent　on　doing　wrong。　She　even　accused　herself　of　carrying　her　womanly　pride　too　far。　'If　I　had　only　written　sooner；'　she　said；　'perhaps　there　might　have　been　time　for　a　marriage　which　would　have　legitimated　our　child。'
  〃It　was　only　on　her　child's　account　that　she　wished　for　the　solemnization　of　the　ties　that　bound　us；　nor　would　she　have　sought　for　this　if　she　had　not　felt　that　death　was　at　hand　to　unloose　them。　But　it　was　too　late；　even　then　she　had　only　a　few　hours　to　live。　By　her　bedside；　where　I　learned　to　know　the　worth　of　a　devoted　heart；　my　nature　underwent　a　final　change。　I　was　still　at　an　age　when　tears　are　shed。　During　those　last　days；　while　the　precious　life　yet　lingered；　my　tears；　my　words；　and　everything　I　did　bore　witness　to　my　heartstricken　repentance。　The　meanness　and　pettiness　of　the　society　in　which　I　had　moved；　the　emptiness　and　selfishness　of　women　of　fashion；　had　taught　me　to　wish　for　and　to　seek　an　elect　soul；　and　now　I　had　found　ittoo　late。　I　was　weary　of　lying　words　and　of　masked　faces；　counterfeit　passion　had　set　me　dreaming；　I　had　called　on　love；　and　now　I　beheld　love　lying　before　me；　slain　by　my　own　hands；　and　had　no　power　to　keep　it　beside　me；　no　power　to　keep　what　was　so　wholly　mine。
  〃The　experience　of　four　years　had　taught　me　to　know　my　own　real　character。　My　temperament；　the　nature　of　my　imagination；　my　religious　principles；　which　had　not　been　eradicated；　but　had　rather　lain　dormant；　my　turn　of　mind；　my　heart　that　only　now　began　to　make　itself　felteverything　within　me　led　me　to　resolve　to　fill　my　life　with　the　pleasures　of　affection；　to　replace　a　lawless　love　by　family　happiness　the　truest　happiness　on　earth。　Visions　of　close　and　dear　companionship　appealed　to　me　but　the　more　strongly　for　my　wanderings　in　the　wilderness；　my　grasping　at　pleasures　unennobled　by　thought　or　feeling。　So　though　the　revolution　within　me　was　rapidly　effected；　it　was　permanent。　With　my　southern　temperament；　warped　by　the　life　I　led　in　Paris；　I　should　certainly　have　come　to　look　without　pity　on　an　unhappy　girl　betrayed　by　her　lover；　I　should　have　laughed　at　the　story　if　it　had　been　told　me　by　some　wag　in　merry　company　（for　with　us　in　France　a　clever　bon　mot　dispels　all　feelings　of　horror　at　a　crime）；　but　all　sophistries　were　silenced　in　the　presence　of　this　angelic　creature；　against　whom　I　could　bring　no　least　word　of　reproach。　There　stood　her　coffin；　and　my　child；　who　did　not　know　that　I　had　murdered　his　mother；　and　smiled　at　me。
  〃She　died。　She　died　happy　when　she　saw　that　I　loved　her；　and　that　this　new　love　was　due　neither　to　pity　nor　to　the　ties　that　bound　us　together。　Never　shall　I　forget　her　last　hours。　Love　had　been　won　back；　her　mind　was　at　rest　about　her　child；　and　happiness　triumphed　over　suffering。　The　comfort　and　luxury　about　her；　the　merriment　of　her　child；　who　looked　prettier　still　in　the　dainty　garb　that　had　replaced　his　baby…clothes；　were　pledges　of　a　happy　future　for　the　little　one；　in　whom　she　saw　her　own　life　renewed。
  〃The　curate　of　Saint　Sulpice　witnessed　my　terrible　distress。　His　words　well…nigh　made　me　despair。　He　did　not　attempt　to　offer　conventional　consolation；　and　put　the　gravity　of　my　responsibilities　unsparingly　before　me；　but　I　had　no　need　of　a　spur。　The　conscience　within　me　spoke　loudly　enough　already。　A　woman　had　placed　a　generous　confidence　in　me。　I　had　lied　to　her　from　the　first；　I　had　told　her　that　I　loved　her；　and　then　I　had　cast　her　off；　I　had　brought　all　this　sorrow　upon　an　unhappy　girl　who　had　braved　the　opinion　of　the　world　for　me；　and　who　therefore　should　have　been　sacred　in　my　e