"But what induces them to do this?" said the old man.

"Religion."

"Religion! is it possible?"

"Yes, the catholic, apostolic, and Roman religion."

"Ah! do you belong to the order of Jesus?"

"No, monsieur," replied Godefroid. "Do not feel uneasy; these persons
have no designs upon you, except that of helping you to restore your
family to prosperity."

"Can philanthropy be anything but vanity?"

"Ah! monsieur," said Godefroid, hastily; "do not insult the virtue
defined by Saint Paul, sacred, catholic Love!"

Monsieur Bernard, hearing this answer, began to stride up and down with
long steps.

"I accept," he said suddenly, "and I have but one way of thanking
you, and that is to offer you my work. The notes and citations are
unnecessary to the magistrate you speak of; and I have still two months'
work to do in arranging them for the press. To-morrow I will give you
the five volumes," he added, offering Godefroid his hand.

"Can I have made a conversion?" thought Godefroid, struck by the new
expression which he saw on the old man's face.

XVII. HALPERSOHN

The next afternoon at three o'clock a cabriolet stopped before the
house, and Godefroid saw Halpersohn getting out of it, wrapped in a
monstrous bear-skin pelisse. The cold had strengthened during the night,
the thermometer marking ten degrees of it.

The Jewish doctor examined with curious eyes, though furtively, the
room in which his client of the day before received him, and Godefroid
detected the suspicious thought which darted from his eyes like
the sharp point of a dagger. This rapid conception of distrust gave
Godefroid a cold chill, for he thought within himself that such a man
would be pitiless in all relations; it is so natural to suppose that
genius is connected with goodness that a strong sensation of disgust
took possession of him.

"Monsieur," he said, "I see that the simplicity of my room makes you
uneasy; therefore you need not be surprised at my method of proceeding.
Here are your two hundred francs, and here, too, are three notes of a
thousand francs each," he added, drawing from his pocket-book the money
Madame de la Chanterie had given him to release Monsieur Bernard's
book; but in case you still feel doubtful of my solvency I offer you as
reference Messrs. Mongenod, bankers, rue de la Victoire."

"I know them," said Halpersohn, putting the ten gold pieces into his
pocket.

"He'll inquire of them," thought Godefroid.

"Wh