The father-in-law's voice had become faint. "No," he said.

"But why not?"

"Because that is not the custom."

"Very well, but that ought to be the custom. Surely the father of a
family, before he gives his daughter to a man, should take as much
precaution as a business concern which accepts an employee."

"You are right," was the reply, "there should be a law." The man spoke
as a deputy, having authority in these matters.

But the doctor cried, "No, no, sir! Do not make a new law. We have
too many already. There is no need of it. It would suffice that people
should know a little better what syphilis is. The custom would establish
itself very quickly for a suitor to add to all the other documents
which he presents, a certificate of a doctor, as proof that he could
be received into a family without bringing a pestilence with him. That
would be very simple. Once let the custom be established, then the
suitor would go to the doctor for a certificate of health, just as he
goes to the priest for a certificate that he has confessed; and by that
means you would prevent a great deal of suffering in the world. Or let
me put it another way, sir. Nowadays, before you conclude a marriage,
you get the lawyers of the two families together. It would be of at
least equal importance to get their two doctors together. You see, sir,
your inquiry concerning your son-in-law was far from complete. So your
daughter may fairly ask you, why you, being a man, being a father who
ought to know these things, did not take as much care of her health as
you took of her fortune. So it is, sir, that I say to you, forgive!"

But Monsieur Loches said again, "Never!"

And again the doctor sat and watched him for a minute. "Come, sir," he
began, finally, "since it is necessary to employ the last argument, I
will do so. To be so severe and so pitiless--are you yourself without
sin?"

The other answered, "I have never had a shameful disease."

"I do not ask you that," interrupted the doctor. "I ask you if you have
never exposed yourself to the chance of having it." And then, reading
the other's face, he went on, in a tone of quiet certainty. "Yes, you
have exposed yourself. Then, sir, it was not virtue that you had; it
was good fortune. That is one of the things which exasperate me the
most--that term 'shameful disease' which you have just used. Like all
other diseases, that is one of our misfortunes, and it is never shameful
to be unfortunate--eve