on　/polenta/；　and　a　furnished　apartment　at　Paris　in　an　eighteenth…rate　lodging…house。　If　a　hundred　or　two　hundred　thousand　francs　were　not　a　consideration；　one　ought　to　be　able　to　obtain　a　favourable　decision　from　this　honourable　pauper　who；　sounded　by　Paganetti；　would　say　neither　yes　nor　no；　tempted　by　the　large　sum　of　money；　held　back　by　the　vainglory　of　his　position。　The　matter　had　reached　that　point；　it　might　be　decided　from　one　day　to　another。
  As　for　the　cross；　things　were　going　still　better。　The　Bethlehem　Society　had　assuredly　made　the　devil　of　a　noise　at　the　Tuileries。　They　were　now　only　waiting　until　after　the　visit　of　M。　de　la　Perriere　and　his　report；　which　could　not　be　other　than　favorable；　before　inscribing　on　the　list　for　the　16th　March；　on　the　date　of　an　imperial　anniversary；　the　glorious　name　of　Jansoulet。　The　16th　March；　that　was　to　say；　within　a　month。　What　would　the　fat　Hemerlingue　find　to　say　of　this　signal　favour；　he　who　for　so　long　had　had　to　content　himself　with　the　Nisham？　And　the　Bey；　who　had　been　misled　into　believing　that　Jansoulet　was　cut　by　Parisian　society；　and　the　old　mother；　down　yonder　at　Saint…Romans；　ever　so　happy　in　the　successes　of　her　son！　Was　that　not　worth　a　few　millions　cleverly　squandered　along　the　path　of　glory　which　the　Nabob　was　treading　like　a　child；　all　unconscious　of　the　fate　that　lay　waiting　to　devour　him　at　its　end？　And　in　these　external　joys；　these　honours；　this　consideration　so　dearly　bought；　was　there　not　a　compensation　for　all　the　troubles　of　this　Oriental　won　back　to　European　life；　who　desired　a　home　and　possessed　only　a　caravansary；　looked　for　a　wife　and　found　only　a　Levantine？
  THE　BETHLEHEM　SOCIETY
  BETHLEHEM！　Why　did　it　give　one　such　a　chill　to　see　written　in　letters　of　gold　over　the　iron　gate　that　historic　name；　sweet　and　warm　like　the　straw　of　the　miraculous　stable！　Perhaps　it　was　partly　to　be　accounted　for　by　the　melancholy　of　the　landscape；　that　immense　gloomy　plain　which　stretches　from　Nanterre　to　Saint　Cloud；　broken　only　by　a　few　clumps　of　trees　or　the　smoke　of　factory　chimneys。　Possibly　also　by　the　disproportion　that　existed　between　the　humble　little　straggling　village　which　you　expected　to　find　and　the　grandiose　establishment；　this　country　mansion　in　the　style　of　Louis　XIII；　an　agglomeration　of　mortar　looking　pink　through　the　branches　of　its　leafless　park；　ornamented　with　wide　pieces　of　water　thick　with　green　weeds。　What　is　certain　is　that　as　you　passed　this　place　your　heart　was　conscious　of　an　oppression。　When　you　entered　it　was　still　worse。　A　heavy　inexplicable　silence　weighed　on　the　house；　and　the　faces　you　might　see　at　the　windows　had　a　mournful　air　behind　the　little；　old…fashioned　greenish　panes。　The　goats　scattered　along　the　paths　nibbled　languidly　at　the　new　spring　grass；　with　〃baas〃　at　the　woman　who　was　tending　them；　and　looked　bored；　as　she　followed　the　visitors　with　a　lack…　lustre　eye。　A　mournfulness　was　over　the　place；　like　the　terror　of　a　contagion。　Yet　it　had　been　a　cheerful　house；　and　one　where　even　recently　there　had　been　high　junketings。　Replanted　with　timber　for　the　famous　singer　who　had　sold　it　to　Jenkins；　it　revealed　clearly　the　kind　of　imagination　which　is　characteristic　of　the　opera…house　in　a　bridge　flung　over　the　miniature　lake；　with　its　broken　punt　half　filled　with　mouldy　leaves；　and　in　its　pavilion　all　of　rockery…work；　garlanded　by　ivy。　It　had　witnessed　gay　scenes；　this　pavilion；　in　the　singer's　time；　now　it　looked　on　sad　ones；　for　the　infirmary　was　installed　in　it。
  To　tell　the　truth；　the　whole　establishment　was　one　vast　infirmary。　The　children　had　hardly　arrived　when　they　fell　ill；　languished；　and　ended　by　dying；　if　their　parents　did　not　quickly　take　them　away　and　put　them　again　under　the　protection　of　home。　The　cure　of　Nanterre　had　to　go　so　often　to　Bethlehem　with　his　black　vestments　and　his　silver　cross；　the　undertaker　had　so　many　orders　from　the　house；　that　it　became　known　in　the　district；　and　indignant　mothers　shook　their　fists　at　the　model　nurse；　from　a　long　way　off；　it　is　true；　for　they　might　chance　to　have　in　their　arms　pink…and…white　babies　to　be　preserved　from　all　the　contagions　of　the　place。　It　was　these　things　that　gave　to　the　poor　place　so　heart…rending　an　aspect。　A　house　in　which　children　die　cannot　be　gay；　you　cannot　see　trees　break　into　flower　there；　birds　building；　streams　flowing　like　rippling　laughter。
  The　thing　seemed　altogether　false。　Excellent　in　itself；　Jenkins's　scheme　was　difficult；　almost　impracticable　in　its　application。　Yet；　God　knows；　the　affair　had　been　started　and　carried　out　with　the　greatest　enthusiasm　to　the　last　details；　with　as　much　money　and　as　large　a　staff　as　were　requisite。　At　its　head；　one　of　the　most　skilful　of　practitioners；　M。　Pondevez；　who　had　studied　in　the　Paris　hospitals；　and　by　his　side；　to　attend　to　the　more　intimate　needs　of　the　children；　a　trusty　matron；　Mme。　Polge。　Then　there　were　nursemaids；　seamstresses；　infirmary…nurses。　And　how　many　the　arrangements　and　how　thorough　was　the　maintenance　of　the　establishment；　from　the　water　distributed　by　a　regular　system　from　fifty　taps　to　the　omnibus　trotting　off　with　jingling　of　its　posting　bells　to　meet　every　train　of　the　day　at　Rueil　station！　Finally；　magnificent　goats；　Thibetan　goats；　silky；　swollen　with　milk。　In　regard　to　organization；　everything　was　admirable；　but　there　was　a　point　where　it　all　failed。　This　artificial　feeding；　so　greatly　extolled　by　the　advertisements；　did　not　agree　with　the　children。　It　was　a　singular　piece　of　obstinacy；　a　word　which　seemed　to　have　been　passed　between　them　by　a　signal；　poor　little　things！　for　they　couldn't　yet　speak；　most　of　them　indeed　were　never　to　speak　at　all：　〃Please；　we　will　not　suck　the　goats。〃　And　they　did　not　suck　them；　they　preferred　to　die　one　after　another　rather　than　suck　them。　Was　Jesus　of　Bethlehem　in　his　stable　suckled　by　a　goat？　On　the　contrary；　did　he　not　press　a　woman's　soft　breast；　on　which　he　could　go　to　sleep　when　he　was　satisfied？　Who　ever　saw　a　goat　between　the　ox　and　the　ass　of　the　story　on　that　night　when　the　beasts　spoke　to　each　other？　Then　why　lie　about　it；　why　call　the　place　Bethlehem？
  The　director　had　been　moved　at　first　by　the　spectacle　of　so　many　victims。　This　Pondevez；　a　waif　of　the　life　of　the　〃Quarter；〃　mere　student　still　after　twenty　years；　and　well　known　in　all　the　resorts　of　the　Boulevard　St。　Michel　under　the　name　of　Pompon；　was　not　an　unkind　man。　When　he　perceived　the　small　success　of　the　artificial　feeding；　he　simply　brought　in　four　or　five　vigorous　nurses　from　the　district　around　and　the　children's　appetites　soon　returned。　This　humane　impulse　went　near　costing　him　his　place。
  〃Nurses　at　Bethlehem！〃　said　Jenkins；　furious；　when　he　came　to　pay　his　weekly　visit。　〃Are　you　out　of　your　mind？　Well！　why　then　have　we　goats　at　all；　and　meadows　to　pasture　them；　what　becomes　of　my　idea；　and　the　pamphlets　upon　my　idea？　What　happens　to　all　that？　But　you　are　going　against　my　system。　You　are　stealing　the　founder's　money。〃
  〃All　the　same；　/mon　cher　maitre/；〃　the　student　tried　to　reply；　passing　his　hands　through　his　long　red　beard；　〃all　the　same；　they　will　not　take　this　nourishment。〃
  〃Well；　then；　let　them　go　without；　but　let　the　principle　of　artificial　lactation　be　respected。　That　is　the　whole　point。　I　do　not　wish　to　have　to　repeat　it　to　you　again。　Send　off　these　wretched　nurses。　For　the　rearing　of　our　children　we　have　goats'　milk；　cows'　milk　in　case　of　absolute　necessity。　I　can　make　no　further　concession　in　the　matter。〃
  He　added；　with　an　assumption　of　his　apostle's　air：　〃We　are　here　for　the　demonstration　of　a　philanthropic　idea。　It　must　be　made　to　triumph；　even　at　the　price　of　some　sacrifices。〃
  Pondevez　insisted　no　further。　After　all　the　place　was　a　good　one；　near　enough　to　Paris　to　allow　of　descents　upon　Nanterre　of　a　Sunday　from　the　Quarter；　or　to　allow　the　director　to　pay　a　visit　to　his　old　/brasseries/。　Mme。　Polge；　to　whom　Jenkins　always　referred　as　〃our　intelligent　superintendent；〃　and　whom　he　had　placed　there　to　superintend　everything；　and　chiefly　the　director　himself；　was　not　so　austere；　as　her　prerogatives　might　have　led　one　to　suppose；　and　submitted　willingly　to　a　few　liqueur…glasses　of　cognac　or　to　a　game　of　bezique。　He　dismissed　the　nurses；　therefore；　and　endeavoured　to　harden　himself　in　advance　to　everything　that　could　happen。　What　did　happen？　A　veritable　Massacre　of　the　Innocents。　Consequently　the　few　parents　in　fairly　easy　circumstances；　workpeople　or　suburban　tradesfolk；　who；　tempted　by　the　advertisements；　had　severed　themselves　from　their　children；　very　soon　took　them　home　again；　and　there　only　remained　in　the　establishment　some　little　unfortunates　picked　up　on　doorsteps　or　in　out…of…the…way　places；　sent　from　the　foundling　hospitals；　doomed　to　all　evil　things　from　their　birth。　As　the　mortality　continued　to　increase；　even　these　came　to　be　scarce；　and　the　omnibus　which　had　posted　to　the　railway　station　would　return　bouncing　and　light　as　an　empty　hearse。　How　long　would　the　thing　last？　How　long　would　the　twenty…five　or　thirty　little　ones　who　remained　take　to　die？　This　was　what　Monsieur　the　Director；　or　rather；　to　give　him　the　nickname　which　he　had　himself　invented；　Monsieur　the　Grantor…of…Certificates…of…death　Pondevez；　was　asking　himself　one　morning　as