have
natural rights, and the law with me. I protest! The country will go to
ruin if a father's rights are trampled under foot. That is easy to see.
The whole world turns on fatherly love; fatherly love is the foundation
of society; it will crumble into ruin when children do not love their
fathers. Oh! if I could only see them, and hear them, no matter what
they said; if I could simply hear their voices, it would soothe the
pain. Delphine! Delphine most of all. But tell them when they come not
to look so coldly at me as they do. Oh! my friend, my good Monsieur
Eugene, you do not know that it is when all the golden light in a glance
suddenly turns to a leaden gray. It has been one long winter here since
the light in their eyes shone no more for me. I have had nothing but
disappointments to devour. Disappointment has been my daily bread; I
have lived on humiliation and insults. I have swallowed down all the
affronts for which they sold me my poor stealthy little moments of
joy; for I love them so! Think of it! a father hiding himself to get a
glimpse of his children! I have given all my life to them, and to-day
they will not give me one hour! I am hungering and thirsting for them,
my heart is burning in me, but they will not come to bring relief in the
agony, for I am dying now, I feel that this is death. Do they not know
what it means to trample on a father's corpse? There is a God in heaven
who avenges us fathers whether we will or no.

"Oh! they will come! Come to me, darlings, and give me one more kiss;
one last kiss, the Viaticum for your father, who will pray God for you
in heaven. I will tell Him that you have been good children to your
father, and plead your cause with God! After all, it is not their fault.
I tell you they are innocent, my friend. Tell every one that it is not
their fault, and no one need be distressed on my account. It is all my
own fault, I taught them to trample upon me. I loved to have it so.
It is no one's affair but mine; man's justice and God's justice have
nothing to do in it. God would be unjust if He condemned them for
anything they may have done to me. I did not behave to them properly;
I was stupid enough to resign my rights. I would have humbled myself in
the dust for them. What could you expect? The most beautiful nature, the
noblest soul, would have been spoiled by such indulgence. I am a wretch,
I am justly punished. I, and I only, am to blame for all their sins; I
spoiled them. To