hehadnotimetolistentohisfeelings。
michaeltoldmeallthiswithamixedfeelingofprideandvexation。isawhewasproudofthesonhewasabusing；andthathisverypridemadehimmoresensitivetothatsonsneglect。
sixoclockp。m鈥斺�攊havejustfinishedahappyday。howmanyeventshavehappenedwithinafewhours；andwhatachangeforgenevieveandmichael！
hehadjustfinishedfixingtheshelves；andtellingmeofhisson；whileilaidtheclothformybreakfast。
suddenlyweheardhurriedstepsinthepassage；thedooropened；andgenevieveenteredwithrobert。
thejoinergaveastartofjoyfulsurprise；butherepresseditimmediately；asifhewishedtokeepuptheappearanceofdispleasure。
theyoungmandidnotappeartonoticeit；butthrewhimselfintohisarmsinanopen…heartedmanner；whichsurprisedme。genevieve；whosefaceshonewithhappiness；seemedtowishtospeak；andtorestrainherselfwithdifficulty。
itoldrobertiwasgladtoseehim；andheansweredmewitheaseandcivility。
〃iexpectedyouyesterday；〃saidmichaelarout；ratherdryly。
〃forgiveme；father；〃repliedtheyoungworkman；〃butihadbusinessatst。germains。iwasnotabletoebacktillitwasverylate；andthenthemasterkeptme。〃
thejoinerlookedathissonsidewise；andthentookuphishammeragain。
〃allright；〃mutteredhe；inagrumblingtone；〃whenwearewithotherpeoplewemustdoastheywish；buttherearesomewhowouldlikebettertoeatbrownbreadwiththeirownknifethanpartridgeswiththesilverforkofamaster。〃
〃andiamoneofthose；father；〃repliedrobert；merrily；〃but；astheproverbsays；〃youmustshellthepeasbeforeyoucaneatthem。〃itwasnecessarythatishouldfirstworkinagreatworkshop鈥斺�敗�
〃togoonwithyourplanofthestaircase；〃interruptedmichael；ironically。
〃youmustnowsaymonsieurraymondsplan；father；〃repliedrobert；smiling。
〃why？〃
〃becauseihavesoldittohim。〃
thejoiner；whowasplaningaboard；turnedroundquickly。
〃soldit！〃criedhe；withsparklingeyes。
〃forthereasonthatiwasnotrichenoughtogiveithim。〃
michaelthrewdowntheboardandtool。
〃thereheisagain！〃resumedhe；angrily；〃hisgoodgeniusputsanideaintohisheadwhichwouldhavemadehimknown；andhegoesandsellsittoarichman；whowilltakethehonorofithimself。〃
〃well；whatharmistheredone？〃askedgenevieve。
〃whatharm！〃criedthejoiner；inapassion。〃youunderstandnothingaboutit鈥斺�攜ouareawoman；buthe鈥斺�攈eknowswellthatatrueworkmannevergivesuphisowninventionsformoney；nomorethanasoldierwouldgiveuphiscross。thatishisglory；heisboundtokeepitforthehonoritdoeshim！ah；thunder！ifihadevermadeadiscovery；ratherthanputitupatauctioniwouldhavesoldoneofmyeyes！dontyouseethatanewinventionislikeachildtoaworkman？hetakescareofit；hebringsitup；hemakesawayforitintheworld；anditisonlyapoorcreaturewhosellsit。〃
robertcoloredalittle。
〃youwillthinkdifferently；father；〃saidhe；〃whenyouknowwhyisoldmyplan。〃
〃yes；andyouwillthankhimforit；〃addedgenevieve；whocouldnolongerkeepsilence。
〃never！〃repliedmichael。
〃but；wretchedman！〃criedshe；〃hesolditonlyforoursakes！〃
thejoinerlookedathiswifeandsonwithastonishment。itwasnecessarytoetoanexplanation。thelatterrelatedhowhehadenteredintoanegotiationwithmasterbenoit；whohadpositivelyrefusedtosellhisbusinessunlessonehalfofthetwothousandfrancswerefirstpaiddown。itwasinthehopesofobtainingthissumthathehadgonetoworkwiththecontractoratversailles；hehadhadanopportunityoftryinghisinvention；andoffindingapurchaser。thankstothemoneyhereceivedforit；hehadjustconcludedthebargainwithbenoit；andhadbroughthisfatherthekeyofthenewwork…yard。
thisexplanationwasgivenbytheyoungworkmanwithsomuchmodestyandsimplicitythatiwasquiteaffectedbyit。genevievecried；michaelpressedhissontohisheart；andinalongembraceheseemedtoaskhispardonforhavingunjustlyaccusedhim。
allwasnowexplainedwithhonortorobert。theconductwhichhisparentshadascribedtoindifferencereallysprangfromaffection；hehadneitherobeyedthevoiceofambitionnorofavarice；noreventhenoblerinspirationofinventivegenius：hiswholemotiveandsingleaimhadbeenthehappinessofgenevieveandmichael。thedayforprovinghisgratitudehade；andhehadreturnedthemsacrificeforsacrifice！
aftertheexplanationsandexclamationsofjoywereover；allthreewereabouttoleaveme；but；theclothbeinglaid；iaddedthreemoreplaces；andkeptthemtobreakfast。
themealwasprolonged：thefarewasonlytolerable；buttheover…flowingsofaffectionmadeitdelicious。neverhadibetterunderstoodtheunspeakablecharmoffamilylove。whatcalmenjoymentinthathappinesswhichisalwayssharedwithothers；inthatmunityofinterestswhichunitessuchvariousfeelings；inthatassociationofexistenceswhichformsonesinglebeingofsomany！whatismanwithoutthosehomeaffections；which；likesomanyroots；fixhimfirmlyintheearth；andpermithimtoimbibeallthejuicesoflife？energy；happiness鈥斺�攄onotalltheseefromthem？withoutfamilylifewherewouldmanlearntolove；toassociate；todenyhimself？amunityinlittle；isitnotthiswhichteachesushowtoliveinthegreatone？
suchistheholinessofhome；that；toexpressourrelationwithgod；wehavebeenobligedtoborrowthewordsinventedforourfamilylife。menhavenamedthemselvesthesonsofaheavenlyfather！
ah！letuscarefullypreservethesechainsofdomesticunion。donotletusunbindthehumansheaf；andscatteritsearstoallthecapricesofchanceandofthewinds；butletusratherenlargethisholylaw；letuscarrytheprinciplesandthehabitsofhomebeyondsetbounds；and；ifitmaybe；letusrealizetheprayeroftheapostleofthegentileswhenheexclaimedtothenewbornchildrenofchrist：〃beyelike…minded；havingthesamelove；beingofoneaccord；ofonemind。〃
CHAPTER X
ourcountry
october12th；sevenoclocka。m。
thenightsarealreadybeecoldandlong；thesun；shiningthroughmycurtains；nomorewakensmelongbeforethehourforwork；andevenwhenmyeyesareopen；thepleasantwarmthofthebedkeepsmefastundermycounterpane。everymorningtherebeginsalongargumentbetweenmyactivityandmyindolence；and；snuglywrappeduptotheeyes；iwaitlikethegascon；untiltheyhavesucceedediningtoanagreement。
thismorning；however；alight；whichshonefrommydooruponmypillow；awokemeearlierthanusual。invainiturnedonmyside；theperseveringlight；likeavictoriousenemy；pursuedmeintoeveryposition。atlast；quiteoutofpatience；isatupandhurledmynightcaptothefootofthebed！
（iwillobserve；bywayofparenthesis；thatthevariousevolutionsofthispacificheadgearseemtohavebeen；fromtheremotesttime；symbolsofthevehementemotionsofthemind；forourlanguagehasborroweditsmostmonimagesfromthem。）
butbethisasitmay；igotupinaverybadhumor；grumblingatmynewneighbor；whotookitintohisheadtobewakefulwheniwishedtosleep。
weareallmadethus；wedonotunderstandthatothersmayliveontheirownaccount。eachoneofusisliketheearth；accordingtotheoldsystemofptolemy；andthinkshecanhavethewholeuniverserevolvearoundhimself。onthispoint；tomakeuseofthemetaphoralludedto：
tousleshommesontlatetedanslememebonnet。
ihadforthetimebeing；asihavealreadysaid；thrownminetotheotherendofmybed；andislowlydisengagedmylegsfromthewarmbedclothes；whilemakingahostofevilreflectionsupontheinconvenienceofhavingneighbors。
formorethanamonthihadnothadtoplainofthosewhomchancehadgivenme；mostofthemonlycameintosleep；andwentawayagainonrising。iwasalmostalwaysaloneonthistopstory鈥斺�攁lonewiththecloudsandthesparrows！
butatparisnothinglasts；thecurrentoflifecarriesusalong；liketheseaweedtornfromtherock；thehousesarevesselswhichtakemerepassengers。howmanydifferentfaceshaveialreadyseenpassalongthelanding…placebelongingtoourattics！howmanypanionsofafewd