ought out all that he
vaguely knew of Malthusianism, the geometrical increase of births, and
the arithmetical increase of food-substances, the earth becoming so
populous as to be reduced to a state of famine within two centuries.
It was the poor's own fault, said he, if they led a life of starvation;
they had only to limit themselves to as many children as they could
provide for. The rich were falsely accused of social wrong-doing; they
were by no means responsible for poverty. Indeed, they were the only
reasonable people; they alone, by limiting their families, acted as good
citizens should act. And he became quite triumphant, repeating that he
knew of no cause for self-reproach, and that his ever-growing fortune
left him with an easy conscience. It was so much the worse for the poor,
if they were bent on remaining poor. In vain did the doctor urge that
the Malthusian theories were shattered, that the calculations had been
based on a possible, not a real, increase of population; in vain too did
he prove that the present-day economic crisis, the evil distribution
of wealth under the capitalist system, was the one hateful cause of
poverty, and that whenever labor should be justly apportioned among one
and all the fruitful earth would easily provide sustenance for happy men
ten times more numerous than they are now. The other refused to listen
to anything, took refuge in his egotism, declared that all those matters
were no concern of his, that he felt no remorse at being rich, and that
those who wished to become rich had, in the main, simply to do as he had
done.

"Then, logically, this is the end of France, eh?" Boutan remarked
maliciously. "The number of births ever increases in Germany,
Russia, and elsewhere, while it decreases in a terrible way among us.
Numerically the rank we occupy in Europe is already very inferior
to what it formerly was; and yet number means power more than ever
nowadays. It has been calculated that an average of four children
per family is necessary in order that population may increase and the
strength of a nation be maintained. You have but one child; you are a
bad patriot."

At this Beauchene flew into a tantrum, quite beside himself, and gasped:
"I a bad patriot! I, who kill myself with hard work! I, who even export
French machinery!... Yes, certainly I see families, acquaintances around
me who may well allow themselves four children; and I grant that they
deserve censure when they have n