chment. The debt of what I owed my wife burned itself into
my ungrateful heart, and also the sense of the villainous conduct to
which I had sacrificed her. All those whose life's happiness, whose
entire existence, I had ruined with heartless indifference were like
tormenting spirits of vengeance, and I heard their hoarse hollow voices
echoing from the grave, upbraiding me with all the guilt and
criminality, the seed of which I had planted in their bosoms. It was
only my wife who was able to drive away the unutterable distress and
horror that then came upon me. I made a vow never to touch a card more.
I lived in retirement; I rent asunder all the ties which held me fast
to my former mode of life; I withstood the enticements of my croupiers,
when they came and said they could not do without me and my good-luck.
I bought a small country villa not far from Rome, and thither, as soon
as I was recovered of my illness, I fled for refuge along with my wife.
Oh! only one single year did I enjoy a calmness, a happiness, a
peaceful content, such as I had never dreamt of! My wife bore me a
daughter, and died a few weeks later. I was in despair; I railed at
Heaven and again cursed myself and my reprobate life, for which Heaven
was now exacting vengeance upon me by depriving me of my wife--she who
had saved me from ruin, who was the only creature who afforded me hope
and consolation. I was driven away from my country villa hither to
Paris, like the criminal who fears the horrors of solitude. Angela grew
up the lovely image of her mother; my heart was wholly wrapt up in her;
for her sake I felt called upon not so much to obtain a large fortune
for her as to increase what I had already got. It is the truth that I
lent money at a high rate of interest; but it is a foul calumny to
accuse me of deceitful usury. And who are these my accusers?
Thoughtless, frivolous people who worry me to death until I lend them
money, which they immediately go and squander like a thing of no worth,
and then get in a rage if I demand inexorable punctuality in repayment
of the money which does not indeed belong to me,--no, but to my
daughter, for I merely look upon myself as her steward. It's not long
since I saved a young man from disgrace and ruin by advancing him a
considerable sum. As I knew he was terribly poor, I never mentioned a
syllable about repayment until I knew he had got together a rich
property. Then I applied to him for settlement of his debt W