p when he
became engaged; but now for a while he felt that he would have to break
his resolution, and pay his regular Sunday visit to the little flat in
the working-class portion of Paris.

It was while George was fitting himself for the same career as his
father--that of notary--that he had made the acquaintance of the young
working girl. It may not be easy to believe, but Lizette had really been
a decent girl. She had a family to take care of, and was in need. There
was a grandmother in poor health, a father not much better, and three
little brothers; so Lizette did not very long resist George Dupont, and
he felt quite virtuous in giving her sufficient money to take care of
these unfortunate people. Among people of his class it was considered
proper to take such things if one paid for them.

All the family of this working girl were grateful to him. They adored
him, and they called him Uncle Raoul (for of course he had not been so
foolish as to give them his true name).

Since George was paying for Lizette, he felt he had the right to control
her life. He gave her fair warning concerning his attitude. If she
deceived him he would leave her immediately. He told this to her
relatives also, and so he had them all watching her. She was never
trusted out alone. Every Sunday George went to spend the day with his
little "family," so that his coming became almost a matter of tradition.
He interested her in church affairs--mass and vespers were her regular
occasions for excursions. George rented two seats, and the grandmother
went with her to the services. The simple people were proud to see their
name engraved upon the brass plate of the pew.

The reason for all these precautions was George's terror of disease.
He had been warned by his father as to the dangers which young men
encounter in their amours. And these lessons had sunk deep into George's
heart; he had made up his mind that whatever his friends might do, he,
for one, would protect himself.

That did not mean, of course, that he intended to live a virtuous life;
such was the custom among young men of his class, not had it probably
ever occurred to his father that it was possible for a young man to do
such a thing. The French have a phrase, "l'homme moyen sensuel"--the
average sensual man. And George was such a man. He had no noble
idealisms, no particular reverence for women. The basis of his attitude
was a purely selfish one; he wanted to enjoy himself, and at t