the wandering jew, volume 5-第2部分

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note；　inserted　in　our　archives　a　century　and　a　half　ago；　this　family　has
been　watched　from　generation　to　generationour　Order　has　always　had　its
eyes　upon　them；　following　them　to　all　points　of　the　globe；　to　which　exile
had　distributed　themand　at　last；　to…morrow；　we　shall　obtain　possession
of　this　property；　at　first　inconsiderable；　but　which　a　hundred　and　fifty
years　have　raised　to　a　royal　fortune。　　Yes；　we　shall　succeed；　for　we　have
foreseen　every　eventuality。　　One　thing　only　troubles　me。〃

〃What　is　that？〃　asked　Rodin。

〃The　information　that　we　have　in　vain　tried　to　obtain　from　the　guardian
of　the　house　in　the　Rue　Saint…Francois。　　Has　the　attempt　been　once　more
made；　as　I　directed？〃

〃It　has　been　made。〃

〃Well？〃

〃This　time；　as　always　before；　the　old　Jew　has　remained　impenetrable。
Besides　he　is　almost　in　his　second　childhood；　and　his　wife　not　much
better。〃

〃When　I　think；〃　resumed　Father　d'Aigrigny；　〃that　for　a　century　and　a
half；　this　house　in　the　Rue　Saint…Francois　has　remained　walled　up；　and
that　the　care　of　it　has　been　transmitted　from　generation　to　generation　in
this　family　of　the　SamuelsI　cannot　suppose　that　they　have　all　been
ignorant　as　to　who　were　and　are　the　successive　holders　of　these　funds；
now　become　immense　by　accumulation。〃

〃You　have　seen；〃　said　Rodin；　〃by　the　notes　upon　this　affair；　that　the
Order　has　always　carefully　followed　it　up　ever　since　1682。　　At　different
periods　attempts　have　been　made　to　obtain　information　upon　subjects　not
fully　explained　in　the　note　of　Father　Bourdon。　　But　this　race　of　Jew
guardians　has　ever　remained　dumb；　and　we　must　therefore　conclude　that
they　know　nothing　about　it。〃

〃That　has　always　struck　me　as　impossible；　for　the　ancestor　of　these
Samuels　was　present　at　the　closing　of　the　house；　a　hundred　and　fifty
years　ago。　　He　was　according　to　the　file；　a　servant　or　confidential　clerk
of　De　Rennepont。　　It　is　impossible　that　he　should　not　have　known　many
things；　the　tradition　of　which　must　have　been　preserved　in　the　family。〃

〃If　I　were　allowed　to　hazard　a　brief　observation；〃　began　Rodin；　humbly。

〃Speak。〃

〃A　few　years　ago　we　obtained　certain　information　through　the
confessional；　that　the　funds　were　in　existence；　and　that　they　had　risen
to　an　enormous　amount。〃

〃Doubtless；　and　it　was　that　which　called　the　attention　of　the　Reverend
Father…General　so　strongly　to　this　affair。〃

〃We　know；　then；　what　probably　the　descendants　of　the　family　do　notthe
immense　value　of　this　inheritance？〃

〃Yes；〃　answered　Father　d'Aigrigny；　〃the　person　who　certified　this　fact　in
confession　is　worthy　of　all　belief。　　Only　lately；　the　same　declaration
was　renewed；　but　all　the　efforts　of　the　confessor　could　not　obtain　the
name　of　the　trustee；　or　anything　beyond　the　assertion；　that　the　money
could　not　be　in　more　honest　hands。〃

〃It　seems　to　me；　then；〃　resumed　Rodin；　〃that　we　are　certain　of　what　is
most　important。〃

〃And　who　knows　if　the　holder　of　this　enormous　sum　will　appear　to…morrow；
in　spite　of　the　honesty　ascribed　to　him？　　The　nearer　the　moment　the　more
my　anxiety　increases。　　Ah！〃　continued　Father　d'Aigrigny；　after　a　moment's
silence；　〃the　interests　concerned　are　so　immense　that　the　consequences　of
success　are　quite　incalculable。　　However；　all　that　it　was　possible　to　do；
has　been　at　least　tried。〃

To　these　words；　which　Father　d'Aigrigny　addressed　to　Rodin；　as　if　asking
for　his　assent；　the　socius　returned　no　answer。

The　abbe　looked　at　him　with　surprise；　and　said：　〃Are　you　not　of　my
opinioncould　more　have　been　attempted？　　Have　we　not　gone　to　the　extreme
limit　of　the　possible？〃

Rodin　bowed　respectfully；　but　remained　mute。

〃If　you　think　we　have　omitted　some　precaution；〃　cried　Father　d'Aigrigny；
with　a　sort　of　uneasy　impatience；　〃speak　out！　　We　have　still　time。　　Once
more；　do　you　think　it　is　possible　to　do　more　than　I　have　done？　　All　the
other　descendants　being　removed；　when　Gabriel　appears　to…morrow　in　the
Rue　Saint…Francois；　will　he　not　be　the　only　representative　of　this
family；　and　consequently　the　rightful　possessor　of　this　immense　fortune？
Now；　according　to　his　act　of　renunciation；　and　the　provisions　of　our
statutes；　it　is　not　to　him；　but　to　the　Order；　that　these　possessions　must
fall。　　Could　I　have　acted　better；　or　in　any　other　manner？　　Speak
frankly！〃

〃I　cannot　permit　myself　to　offer　an　opinion　on　this　subject；〃　replied
Rodin；　humbly；　and　again　bowing；　〃the　success　of　the　measures　taken　must
answer　your　reverence。〃

Father　d'Aigrigny　shrugged　his　shoulders；　and　reproached　himself　for
having　asked　advice　of　this　writing…machine；　that　served　him　for　a
secretary；　and　to　whom　he　only　ascribed　three　qualitiesmemory；
discretion；　and　exactness。

＇11＇　This　was　an　idle　fear；　for　we　read　in　the　Constitutionnel；　Feb。　1st
1832；　as　follows：　〃When　in　1822；　M。　de　Corbiere　abruptly　abolished　that
splendid　Normal　School；　which；　during　its　few　years'　existence；　had
called　forth　or　developed　such　a　variety　of　talent；　it　was　decided；　as
some　compensation；　that　a　house　in　the　Rue　des　Postes　should　be
purchased；　where　the　congregation　of　the　Holy　Ghost　should　be　located　and
endowed。　　The　Minister　of　Marine　supplied　the　funds　for　this　purpose；　and
its　management　was　placed　at　the　disposal　of　the　Society；　which　then
reigned　over　France。　　From　that　period　it　has　held　quiet　possession　of
the　place；　which　at　once　became　a　sort　of　house　of　entertainment；　where
Jesuitism　sheltered；　and　provided　for；　the　numerous　novitiates　that
flocked　from　all　parts　of　the　country；　to　receive　instructions　from
Father　Ronsin。　　Matters　were　in　this　state　when　the　Revolution　of　July
broke　out；　which　threatened　to　deprive　the　Society　of　this　establishment。
But　it　will　hardly　be　believed；　this　was　not　done。　　It　is　true　that　they
suppressed　their　practice；　but　they　left　them　in　possession　of　the　house
in　the　Rue　des　Postes；　and　to　this　very　day；　the　31st　of　January；　1832；
the　members　of　the　Sacred　Heart　are　housed　at　the　expense　of　government；
during　the　whole　of　which　time　the　Normal　School　has　been　without　a
shelterand　on　its　reorganization；　thrust　into　a　dirty　hole；　in　a　narrow
corner　of　the　College　of　Louis　the　Great。〃

The　above　appeared　in　the　Constitutionnel；　respecting　the　house　in　the
Rue　des　Posses。　　We　are　certainly　ignorant　as　to　the　nature　of　the
transactions；　since　that　period；　that　have　taken　place　between　the
reverend　fathers　and　the　government；　but　we　read　further；　in　a　recently
published　article　that　appeared　in　a　journal；　in　reference　to　the　Society
of　Jesus；　that　the　house　in　the　Rue　des　Postes；　still　forms　a　part　of
their　landed　property。　　We　will　here　give　some　portions　of　the　article　in
question。

〃The　following　is　a　list　of　the　property　belonging　to　this　branch　of
Jesuits
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Fr。
House　in　the　Rue　de　Postes；　worth　about　。　　。　　。　　。　　500；000
One　in　the　Rue　de　Sevres；　estimated　at　　。　　。　　。　　。　　300；000
Farm；　two　leagues　from　Paris　。　　。　　　。　　　。　　。　　。　　。　　150；000
House　and　church　at　Bourges　　。　　。　　　。　　　。　　。　　。　　。　　100；000
Notre　Dame　de　Liesse；　donation　in　1843　。　　。　　。　　。　　　　60；000
Saint　Acheul；　House　for　Novitiates　　。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　　400；000
Nantes；　a　house　。　。　　。　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　　100；000
Quimper；　ditto　。　　。　　。　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　　　40；000
Laval；　house　and　church　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　　150；000
Rennes；　a　house　　　。　　。　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　　　20；000
Vannes；　ditto　。　　　。　　。　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　　　20；000
Metz；　ditto　。　。　　　。　　。　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　　　40；000
Strasbourg　。　　。　　　。　　。　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　　　60；000
Rouen；　ditto　　。　　　。　　。　　。　　　。　　　。　　　。　　。　　。　　。　　。　　　　15；000

By　this　it　appears　that　these　various　items　amount　to　little　less　than
two　millions。　　Teaching；　moreover；　is　another　important　source　of　revenue
to　the　Jesuits。　　The　college　at　Broyclette　alone　brings　in　200；000
francs。　　The　two　provinces　in　France　（for　the　general　of　the　Jesuits　at
Rome　has　divided　France　into　two　provinces；　Lyons　and　Paris）　possess；
besides　a　large　sum　in　ready　money；　Austrian　bonds　of　more　than　260；000
francs。　　Their　Propagation　of　Faith　furnishes　annually　some　50；000
francs；　and　the　harvest　which　the　priests　collect　by　their　sermons
amounts　to　150；000　francs。　　The　alms　given　for　charity　may　be　estimated
at　the　same　figure；　producing　together　a　revenue　of　540；000　francs。　　Now；
to　this　revenue　may　be　added　the　produce　of　the　sale　of　the　Society's
works；　and　the　profit　obtained　by　hawking　pictures。　　Each　plate　costs；
design　and　engraving　included；　about　600　francs；　off　which　are　struck
about　10；000　copies；　at　40　francs　per　thousand；　and　there　is　a　further
expense　of　250　francs　to　their　publisher；　and　they　obtain　a　net　profit　of
210　francs　on　every　thousand。　　This；　indeed；　is　working　to　advantage。
And　it　can　easily　be　imagined　with　what　rapidity　all　these　are　sold。　　The
fathers　themselves　are　the　travellers　for　the　Society；　and　it　would　be
difficult　to　find　more　zealous　or　persevering　ones。　　They　are　always　well
received；　and　do　not　know　what　it　is　to　meet　with　a　refusal。　　They　always
take　care　that　the　publisher　should　he　one　of　their　own　body。　　The　first
person　whom　they　selected　for　this　occupation　was　one　of　their　members；
possessing　some　money；　but　they　were　obliged；　notwithstanding；　to　make
certain　advances　to　enable　him　to　defray　the　expenses　of　its　first
establishment。　　But；　when　they　became　fully　convinced　of　the　success　of
their　undertaking；　they　suddenly　called　in　these　advances；　which　the
publisher　was　not　in　a　condition　to　pay。　　They　were　perfectly　aware　of
this；　and　superseded　him　by　a　wealthy　successor；　with　whom　they　could
make　a　better　bargain；　and　thus；　without　remorse；　they　ruined　the　man；　by
thrusting　him　from　an　appointment　of　which　they　had　morally　guaranteed
the　continuance。〃

＇12＇　Louis　XIV。；　the　great　King；　punished　with　the　Baileys　those
Protestants　who；　once　converted；　often　by　force；　afterwards　returned　to
their　first　belief。　　As　for　those　Protestants　who　remained　in　France；
notwithstanding　the　rigor　of　the　edicts　against　them；　they　were　deprived
of　burial；　dragged　upon　a　hurdle；　and　given　to　the　dogs。E。　S。




CHAPTER　XV。

THE　THUG。

After　a　moment's　silence；　Father