is a far more wonderful
thing still, and that tool you have, thanks to God in the first
place, and to your mother in the second. It was she had the notion
of educating you, I only followed her lead. Your work will be
lighter than mine, but you must do it. I am a poor man, as you
know; but, were I rich, I would not give you the means to lead
an idle life, because that would be tempting you to vices and
shaming you. Ah! if I thought your education had given you a
taste for idleness, I should be sorry not to have made you a
working man like myself. But then, I know you have a good heart;
you have not got into your stride yet, that's all! The first
steps will be uphill work; Monsieur Bargemont said so. The State
services are overcrowded; there are over many graduates--though
it is well enough to be one. Besides, I shall be at your back;
I will help you, I will work for you; I have a pair of stout
arms still. You shall have pocket-money, never fear; you will
want it among the folks you will live with. We will save and
pinch. But you must help yourself, lad; never be afraid of hard
work, hit out from the shoulder and strike home. Good work never
spoiled play yet. Your job done, laugh and sing and amuse yourself
to your heart's content; you won't find me interfere. And, when
you are a great man, if I am still in this world, don't you be
afraid; I shall not get in your way. I am not a fellow to make
a noise. We will hide away in some quiet hole, your aunt and
I, and nobody will hear one word said of the old father."

Aunt Servien, who had slipped into the shop and been listening
for the last few moments, broke into sobs; she was quite ready
to follow her brother and hide away in a corner; but when her
nephew had risen to greatness, she would insist on going every day
to keep things straight in his grand house. She was not going to
leave "the little lad" to be a prey to housekeepers--housekeepers,
indeed, she called them housebreakers!

"The creatures keep great hampers," she declared, "that swallow
up bottles of wine, cold chickens, and other titbits, fine linen,
old clothes, oil, sugar, and candles--the best pickings from a
rich man's house. No, I'll not let my little Jean be sucked to
death by such vampires. _I_ mean to keep your house in order. No
one will ever know I am your aunt. And if they did know, there's
nobody, I should hope, could object. I don't know why anyone
should be ashamed of me. They can lay my whole lif