the liberal professions prove all-devouring:  there is a rush for public functions; manual toil is regarded with contempt; luxury increases and becomes necessary; and wealth and power are furiously appropriated by assault in order that one may greedily taste the voluptuousness of enjoyment.  And in such a state of affairs, children, as Valerie put it, were incumbrances, whereas one needed to be free, absolutely unburdened, if one wished to climb over all one’s competitors.

Mathieu also thought of that law of imitation which impels even the least fortunate to impoverish themselves by striving to copy the happy ones of the world.  How great the distress which really lurks beneath that envied luxury that is copied at such great cost!  All sorts of useless needs are created, and production is turned aside from the strictly necessary.  One can no longer express hardship by saying that people lack bread; what they lack in the majority of cases is the superfluous, which they are unable to renounce without imagining that they have gone to the dogs and are in danger of starvation.

At dessert, when the servant was no longer present, Morange, excited by his good meal, became expansive.  Glancing at his wife he winked towards their guest, saying: 

“Come, he’s a safe friend; one may tell him everything.”

And when Valerie had consented with a smile and a nod, he went on:  “Well, this is the matter, my dear fellow:  it is possible that I may soon leave the works.  Oh! it’s not decided, but I’m thinking of it.  Yes, I’ve been thinking of it for some months past; for, when all is said, to earn five thousand francs a year, after eight years’ zeal, and to think that one will never earn much more, is enough to make one despair of life.”

“It’s monstrous,” the young woman interrupted:  “it is like breaking one’s head intentionally against a wall.”

“Well, in such circumstances, my dear friend, the best course is to look out for something elsewhere, is it not?  Do you remember Michaud, whom I had under my orders at the works some six years ago?  A very intelligent fellow he was.  Well, scarcely six years have elapsed since he left us to go to the Credit National, and what do you think he is now earning there?  Twelve thousand francs—­you hear me—­twelve thousand francs!”

The last words rang out like a trumpet-call.  The Moranges’ eyes dilated with ecstasy.  Even the little girl became very red.

“Last March,” continued Morange, “I happened to meet Michaud, who told me all that, and showed himself very amiable.  He offered to take me with him and help me on in my turn.  Only there’s some risk to run.  He explained to me that I must at first accept three thousand six hundred, so as to rise gradually to a very big figure.  But three thousand six hundred!  How can one live on that in the meantime, especially now that this flat has increased our expenses?”

At this Valerie broke in impetuously:  “‘Nothing venture, nothing have!’ That’s what I keep on repeating to him.  Of course I am in favor of prudence; I would never let him do anything rash which might compromise his future.  But, at the same time, he can’t moulder away in a situation unworthy of him.”