s a disgrace. He furnished me an
apartment in a very respectable house in the Rue Louis-le-Grand. When I
went into it I had debts to the amount of ten thousand francs behind me,
the interest on this sum, the rent of two thousand four hundred francs,
not a sou in my pocket, not a relative--"

"That was courageous."

"I did not know that in Paris everything is accomplished through
influence, and I imagined that an intelligent man could make his way
without assistance. I was to learn by experience. When a new doctor
arrives anywhere his brother doctors do not receive him with much
sympathy. 'What does this intruder want?' 'Are there not enough of us
already?' He is watched, and the first patient that he loses is made
use of as an example of his ignorance or imprudence, and his position
becomes uncomfortable. The chemists of my quarter whom I called upon
did not receive me very warmly; they made me feel the distance that
separates an honorable merchant from a beggar, and I was given to
understand that they could patronize me only on condition that I ordered
the specialties that they wished to profit by--iron from this one and
tar from that. On commencing to practise I had as patients only the
people of the quarter, whose principle was never to pay a doctor, and
who wait for the arrival of a new one in order that they may be rid of
the old one and this sort is numerous everywhere. It happened that my
concierge was from Auvergne like myself, and he considered it his duty
to make me give free attendance to all those from our country that
he could find in the quarter and everywhere else, so that I had the
patriotic satisfaction of seeing all the charcoal-dealers from Auvergne
sprawling in my beautiful armchairs. Finally, by remaining religiously
at home every Sunday in summer, while the other doctors were away, by
rising quickly at night every time my bell rang, I was able to acquire
a practice among a class of people who were more reasonable and
satisfactory. I obtained a prize at the Academy. At the same time I
delivered, at a moderate price, lectures in anatomy at schools on the
outskirts of the city; I gave lessons; I undertook all the anonymous
work of the book trade and of journalism that I could find. I slept five
hours a day, and in four years I had decreased my debt seven thousand
francs. If my upholsterer wished to be paid I could have it arranged,
but that was not his intention. He wishes to take his furniture that