o families. But as for me, my dear
doctor, it is impossible. You know very well that in my position I
absolutely can't."

Then, for the hundredth time, he gave his reasons, relating how the
works had narrowly escaped being cut into pieces, annihilated, simply
because he had unfortunately been burdened with a sister. Seraphine had
behaved abominably. There had been first her dowry; next her demands for
the division of the property on their father's death; and the works had
been saved only by means of a large pecuniary sacrifice which had long
crippled their prosperity. And people imagined that he would be as
imprudent as his father! Why, if Maurice should have a brother or a
sister, he might hereafter find himself in the same dire embarrassment,
in which the family property might already have been destroyed. No, no!
He would not expose the boy to the necessity of dividing the inheritance
in accordance with badly framed laws. He was resolved that Maurice
should be the sole master of the fortune which he himself had derived
from his father, and which he would transmit to his heir increased
tenfold. For his son he dreamt of supreme wealth, a colossal fortune,
such as nowadays alone ensures power.

Mathieu, refraining from any intervention, listened and remained grave;
for this question of the birth-rate seemed to him a frightful one,
the foremost of all questions, deciding the destiny of mankind and the
world. There has never been any progress but such as has been determined
by increase of births. If nations have accomplished evolutions, if
civilization has advanced, it is because the nations have multiplied and
subsequently spread through all the countries of the earth. And will not
to-morrow's evolution, the advent of truth and justice, be brought
about by the constant onslaught of the greater number, the revolutionary
fruitfulness of the toilers and the poor?

It is quite true that Mathieu did not plainly say all these things to
himself; indeed, he felt slightly ashamed of the four children that he
already had, and was disturbed by the counsels of prudence addressed to
him by the Beauchenes. But within him there struggled his faith in life,
his belief that the greatest possible sum of life must bring about the
greatest sum of happiness.

At last, wishing to change the subject, he bethought himself of
Marianne's commission, and at the first favorable opportunity exclaimed:
"Well, we shall rely on you, Marianne and I,