Whilst he was yet speaking, I said to myself, it would be cruel for me
to be the only exception to this rule. He returned to the subject so
frequently, and with such emphasis, that I thought, if in this he
followed nothing but the sentiments of his heart, he would be less
struck with the maxim, and that he made of it an art useful to his
views by procuring the means of accomplishing them. Until then I had
been in the same situation; I had preserved all my first friends,
those even from my tenderest infancy, without having lost one of
them except by death, and yet I had never before made the
reflection: it was not a maxim I had prescribed myself. Since,
therefore, the advantage was common to both, why did he boast of it in
preference, if he had not previously intended to deprive me of the
merit? He afterwards endeavored to humble me by proofs of the
preference our common friends gave to me. With this I was as well
acquainted as himself; the question was, by what means he had obtained
it? whether it was by merit or address? by exalting himself, or
endeavoring to abase me? At last, when he had placed between us all
the distance that he could add to the value of the favor he was
about to confer, he granted me the kiss of peace, in a slight
embrace which resembled the accolade which the king gives to
new-made knights. I was stupefied with surprise: I knew not what to
say; not a word could I utter. This whole scene had the appearance
of the reprimand a preceptor gives to his pupil while he graciously
spares inflicting the rod.
Pages:
667
668
669
670
671
672
673
674
675
676
677
678
679
680
681
682
683
684
685
686
687
688
689
690
691