sent ourselves as the agent of a pious,
saintly person (in fact, we are working for God), so that none of those
we deal with may feel the obligation of gratitude towards any of us,
or think we are wealthy persons. True, sincere humility, not the false
humility of those who seek thereby to be set in the light, must inspire
you and rule all your thoughts. You may indeed be glad when you succeed;
but so long as you feel within you a sentiment of vanity or of pride,
you are not worthy to do the work of the order. We have known two
perfect men: one, who was one of our founders, Judge Popinot; the other
is revealed by his works; he is a country doctor whose name is written
on the annals of his canton. That man, my dear Godefroid, is one of the
greatest men of our time; he brought a whole region out of wretchedness
into prosperity, out of irreligion into Christianity, out of barbarism
into civilization.[*] The names of those two men are graven on our
hearts and we have taken them as our models. We should be happy indeed
if we ourselves could some day acquire in Paris the influence that
country doctor had in his canton. But here, the sore is vast, beyond our
strength at present. May God preserve to us Madame, may he send us
some young helpers like you, and perhaps we may yet leave behind us
an institution worthy of his divine religion. And now good-bye; your
initiation begins--Ah! I chatter like a professor and forget the
essential thing! Here is the address of that family," he added, giving
Godefroid a piece of paper; "I have added the number of Dr. Berton's
house in the rue d'Enfer; and now, go and pray to God to help you."

[*] The Country Doctor. Little, Brown & Co., Boston.

Godefroid took the old man's hands and pressed them tenderly, wishing
him good-night, and assuring him he would not neglect a single point of
his advice.

"All that you have said to me," he added, "is graven in my memory
forever."

The old man smiled, expressing no doubts; then he rose, to kneel in
his accustomed place. Godefroid retired, joyful in at last sharing the
mysteries of that house and in having an occupation, which, feeling as
he did then, was to him an untold pleasure.

The next day at breakfast, Monsieur Alain's place was vacant, but no
one remarked upon it; Godefroid made no allusion to the cause of his
absence, neither did any one question him as to the mission the old man
had entrusted to him; he thus took his first lesson in