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〃Ah！ you want to know everything；〃 said the old man。 〃No； no！ Would
you believe it；〃 he continued after this interruption； 〃the smallness
of my means to do the work I now desired to do brought back the
thought of Mongenod。 'If it were not for Mongenod；' I kept saying to
myself； 'I could do so much more。 If a dishonest man had not deprived
me of fifteen hundred francs a year I could save this or that poor
family。' Excusing my own impotence by accusing another； I felt that
the miseries of those to whom I could offer nothing but words of
consolation were a curse upon Mongenod。 That thought soothed my heart。
One morning； in January； 1816； my housekeeper announced；whom do you
suppose？Mongenod！ Monsieur Mongenod！ And whom do you think I saw
enter my room？ The beautiful young woman I had once seen；only now
she was thirty…six years old；followed by her three children and
Mongenod。 He looked younger than when he went away； for prosperity and
happiness do shed a halo round their favorites。 Thin； pale； yellow；
shrivelled； when I last saw him； he was now plump； sleek； rosy as a
prebendary； and well dressed。 He flung himself into my arms。 Feeling；
perhaps； that I received him coldly； his first words were： 'Friend； I
could not come sooner。 The ocean was not free to passenger ships till
1815； then it took me a year to close up my business and realize my
property。 I have succeeded； my friend。 When I received your letter in
1806； I started in a Dutch vessel to bring you myself a little
fortune； but the union of Holland with the French Empire caused the
vessel to be taken by the English and sent to Jamaica； from which
island I escaped by mere chance。 When I reached New York I found I was
a victim to the bankruptcy of others。 In my absence my poor Charlotte
had not been able to protect herself against schemers。 I was therefore
forced to build up once more the edifice of my fortunes。 However； it
is all done now； and here we are。 By the way those children are
looking at you； you must be aware that we have often talked to them of
their father's benefactor。' 'Oh； yes； yes； monsieur！' said the
beautiful Mongenod； 'we have never passed a single day without
remembering you。 Your share has been set aside in all our affairs。 We
have looked forward eagerly to the happiness we now have in returning
to you your fortune； not thinking for a moment that the payment of
these just dues can ever wipe out our debt of gratitude。' With those
words Madame Mongenod held out to me that magnificent box you see over
there； in which were one hundred and fifty notes of a thousand francs
each。〃
The old man paused an instant as if to dwell on that moment； then he
went on：
〃Mongenod looked at me fixedly and said： 'My poor Alain； you have
suffered； I know； but we did divine your sufferings； we did try every
means to send the money to you； and failed in every attempt。 You told
me you could not marry；that I had prevented it。 But here is our
eldest daughter； she has been brought up in the thought of becoming
your wife； and she will have a dowry of five hundred thousand francs。'
'God forbid that I should make her miserable！' I cried hastily；
looking at the girl； who was as beautiful as her mother when I first
saw her。 I drew her to me to kiss her brow。 'Don't be afraid； my
beautiful child！' I said。 'A man of fifty to a girl of seventeen？
never！ and a man as plain and ugly as I am？never！' I cried。
'Monsieur；' she said； 'my father's benefactor could not be ugly for
me。' Those words； said spontaneously； with simple candor； made me
understand how true was all that Mongenod had said。 I then gave him my
hand； and we embraced each other again。 'My friend；' I said； 'I have
done you wrong。 I have often accused you； cursed you。' 'You had the
right to do so； Alain；' he replied； blushing； 'you suffered； and
through me。' I took Mongenod's note from my desk and returned it to
him。 'You will all stay and breakfast with me； I hope？' I said to the
family。 'On condition that you dine with us；' said Mongenod。 'We
arrived yesterday。 We are going to buy a house； and I mean to open a
banking business between Paris and North America； so as to leave it to
this fellow here；' he added； showing me his eldest son； who was
fifteen years old。 We spent the rest of the day together and went to
the play； for Mongenod and his family were actually hungry for the
theatre。 The next morning I placed the whole sum in the Funds； and I
now had in all about fifteen thousand francs a year。 This fortune
enabled me to give up book…keeping at night； and also to resign my
place at the Mont…de…piete； to the great satisfaction of the underling
who stepped into my shoes。 My friend died in 1827； at the age of
sixty…three； after founding the great banking…house of Mongenod and
Company； which made enormous profits from the first loans under the
Restoration。 His daughter； to whom he subsequently gave a million in
dowry； married the Vicomte de Fontaine。 The eldest son； whom you know；
is not yet married； he lives with his mother and brother。 We obtain
from them all the sums we need。 Frederic （his father gave him my name
in America）；Frederic Mongenod is； at thirty…seven years of age； one
of the ablest； and most upright； bankers in Paris。 Not very long ago
Madame Mongenod admitted to me that she had sold her hair； as I
suspected； for twelve francs to buy bread。 She gives me now twenty…
four cords of wood a year for my poor people； in exchange for the half
cord which I once sent her。〃
〃This explains to me your relations with the house of Mongenod；〃 said
Godefroid；〃and your fortune。〃
Again the goodman looked at Godefroid with a smile； and the same
expression of kindly mischief。
〃Oh； go on！〃 said Godefroid； seeing from his manner that he had more
to tell。
〃This conclusion； my dear Godefroid； made the deepest impression on
me。 If the man who had suffered so much； if my friend forgave my
injustice； I could not forgive myself。〃
〃Oh！〃 ejaculated Godefroid。
〃I resolved to devote all my superfluous meansabout ten thousand
francs a yearto acts of intelligent benevolence；〃 continued Monsieur
Alain； tranquilly。 〃About this time it was that I made the
acquaintance of a judge of the Lower Civil Court of the Seine named
Popinot； whom we had the great grief of losing three years ago； and
who practised for fifteen years an active and most intelligent charity
in the quartier Saint…Marcel。 It was he； with the venerable vicar of
Notre…Dame and Madame； who first thought of founding the work in which
we are now co…operating； and which； since 1825； has quietly done much
good。 This work has found its soul in Madame de la Chanterie； for she
is truly the inspiration of this enterprise。 The vicar has known how
to make us more religious than we were at first； by showing us the
necessity of being virtuous ourselves in order to inspire virtue； in
short； to preach by example。 The farther we have advanced in our work；
the happier we have mutually found ourselves。 And so； you see； it
really was the repentance I felt for misconceiving the heart of my
friend which gave me the idea of devoting to the poor； through my own
hands； the fortune he returned to