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seminarist； with white bands at wrists and throat and silver
buckles to his shoes。 His neatly clubbed brown hair was innocent
of powder。
〃You talk like a lawyer；〃 he exploded。
〃Naturally。 But don't waste anger on me on that account。 Tell me
what you want me to do。〃
〃I want you to come to M。 de Kercadiou with me； and to use your
influence to obtain justice。 I suppose I am asking too much。〃
〃My dear Philippe； I exist to serve you。 I warn you that it is a
futile quest； but give me leave to finish my breakfast； and I am
at your orders。〃
M。 de Vilmorin dropped into a winged armchair by the well…swept
hearth； on which a piled…up fire of pine logs was burning cheerily。
And whilst he waited now he gave his friend the latest news of the
events in Rennes。 Young； ardent； enthusiastic； and inspired by
Utopian ideals； he passionately denounced the rebellious attitude
of the privileged。
Andre…Louis； already fully aware of the trend of feeling in the
ranks of an order in whose deliberations he took part as the
representative of a nobleman； was not at all surprised by what he
heard。 M。 de Vilmorin found it exasperating that his friend should
apparently decline to share his own indignation。
〃Don't you see what it means？〃 he cried。 〃The nobles； by disobeying
the King； are striking at the very foundations of the throne。 Don't
they perceive that their very existence depends upon it； that if the
throne falls over； it is they who stand nearest to it who will be
crushed？ Don't they see that？〃
〃Evidently not。 They are just governing classes； and I never heard
of governing classes that had eyes for anything but their own profit。〃
〃That is our grievance。 That is what we are going to change。〃
〃You are going to abolish governing classes？ An interesting
experiment。 I believe it was the original plan of creation； and it
might have succeeded but for Cain。〃
〃What we are going to do；〃 said M。 de Vilmorin； curbing his
exasperation； 〃is to transfer the government to other hands。〃
〃And you think that will make a difference？〃
〃I know it will。〃
〃Ah！ I take it that being now in minor orders； you already possess
the confidence of the Almighty。 He will have confided to you His
intention of changing the pattern of mankind。〃
M。 de Vilmorin's fine ascetic face grew overcast。 〃You are profane；
Andre；〃 he reproved his friend。
〃I assure you that I am quite serious。 To do what you imply would
require nothing short of divine intervention。 You must change man；
not systems。 Can you and our vapouring friends of the Literary
Chamber of Rennes； or any other learned society of France； devise a
system of government that has never yet been tried？ Surely not。
And can they say of any system tried that it proved other than a
failure in the end？ My dear Philippe； the future is to be read
with certainty only in the past。 Ab actu ad posse valet consecutio。
Man never changes。 He is always greedy； always acquisitive； always
vile。 I am speaking of Man in the bulk。〃
〃Do you pretend that it is impossible to ameliorate the lot of the
people？〃 M。 de Vilmorin challenged him。
〃When you say the people you mean； of course； the populace。 Will
you abolish it？ That is the only way to ameliorate its lot； for as
long as it remains populace its lot will be damnation。〃
〃You argue； of course； for the side that employs you。 That is
natural； I suppose。〃 M。 de Vilmorin spoke between sorrow and
indignation。
〃On the contrary； I seek to argue with absolute detachment。 Let us
test these ideas of yours。 To what form of government do you aspire？
A republic； it is to be inferred from what you have said。 Well； you
have it already。 France in reality is a republic to…day。〃
Philippe stared at him。 〃You are being paradoxical； I think。 What
of the King？〃
〃The King？ All the world knows there has been no king in France
since Louis XIV。 There is an obese gentleman at Versailles who
wears the crown； but the very news you bring shows for how little
he really counts。 It is the nobles and clergy who sit in the high
places； with the people of France harnessed under their feet； who
are the real rulers。 That is why I say that France is a republic；
she is a republic built on the best pattern … the Roman pattern。
Then； as now； there were great patrician families in luxury；
preserving for themselves power and wealth； and what else is
accounted worth possessing； and there was the populace crushed and
groaning； sweating； bleeding； starving； and perishing in the Roman
kennels。 That was a republic； the mightiest we have seen。〃
Philippe strove with his impatience。 〃At least you will admit … you
have； in fact； admitted it … that we could not be worse governed
than we are？〃
〃That is not the point。 The point is should we be better governed
if we replaced the present ruling class by another？ Without some
guarantee of that I should be the last to lift a finger to effect a
change。 And what guarantees can you give？ What is the class that
aims at government？ I will tell you。 The bourgeoisie。〃
〃What？〃
〃That startles you； eh？ Truth is so often disconcerting。 You hadn't
thought of it？ Well； think of it now。 Look well into this Nantes
manifesto。 Who are the authors of it？〃
〃I can tell you who it was constrained the municipality of Nantes
to send it to the King。 Some ten thousand workmen … shipwrights；
weavers； labourers； and artisans of every kind。〃
〃Stimulated to it； driven to it； by their employers； the wealthy
traders and shipowners of that city；〃 Andre…Louis replied。 〃I have
a habit of observing things at close quarters； which is why our
colleagues of the Literary Chamber dislike me so cordially in debate。
Where I delve they but skim。 Behind those labourers and artisans of
Nantes； counselling them； urging on these poor； stupid； ignorant
toilers to shed their blood in pursuit of the will o' the wisp of
freedom； are the sail…makers； the spinners； the ship…owners and the
slave…traders。 The slave…traders！ The men who live and grow rich
by a traffic in human flesh and blood in the colonies； are conducting
at home a campaign in the sacred name of liberty！ Don't you see that
the whole movement is a movement of hucksters and traders and
peddling vassals swollen by wealth into envy of the power that lies
in birth alone？ The money…changers in Paris who hold the bonds in
the national debt； seeing the parlous financial condition of the
State； tremble at the thought that it may lie in the power of a
single man to cancel the debt by bankruptcy。 To secure themselves
they are burrowing underground to overthrow a state and build upon
its ruins a new one in which they shall be the masters。 And to
accomplish this they inflame the people。 Already in Dauphiny we
have seen blood run like water … the blood of the populace； always
the blood of the populace。 Now in Brittany we may see the like。
And if in the end the new ideas prevail？ if the seigneurial rule
is overthrown； what then？ You will have exchanged an aristocracy
for a plutocracy。 Is that worth while？ Do you 'think that under
money…changers and slave…traders and men who have waxed r