"Here is a letter for you, M. Louis." "Very well," replied the young man, abstractedly, too much engaged in wondering what the important matter to which his father had alluded could be to pay much attention to the letter, which Father Richard instantly recognised as the one which he had written to his son that morning, and which he had addressed to the Rue de Grenelle instead of to Dreux, as poor Mariette had requested. Knowing the contents of the missive, the old scrivener was on the point of advising his son to read the letter immediately, but, after a moment's reflection, he adopted the opposite course, and said: "My dear boy, you will have plenty of time to read your letter by and by. Listen to me now, for I repeat there is a matter of great importance both to you and to me, that I must consult you about." "I am at your service, my dear father," replied Louis, laying the letter which he had been about to open on the table. CHAPTER VI. A FATHER'S AMBITION. Father Richard remained silent for a moment, then, turning to his son, said: "I have warned you that I am about to appeal to your generosity as well as to your affection for me." "Then you have only to speak, father." "You told me just now that, if you sometimes dreamed of a less humble existence than ours, it was not on your own account, but mine." "And that is perfectly true." "Ah, well, my son, it only depends upon yourself to see this desire realised." "What do you mean?" "Listen to me. Reverses of fortune which closely followed your mother's death, while you were but an infant, left me barely property enough to defray the expenses of your education." "Yes, my dear father, and the courage and resignation with which you have endured this misfortune have only increased my love and respect for you." "Our pecuniary condition seems likely to speedily become worse instead of better, I regret to say. With old age fast coming on, and my failing vision, I realise that the day is near at hand when it will be impossible for me to earn even the pittance needed for my support." "But, father, you may be sure--" "Of your willing aid, I know that; but your own future is precarious in the extreme. The most you can hope for is to become chief clerk in a notary's office, for it takes money to study a profession, and I am poor." "Do not worry, father. I shall always be able to earn money enough for us two." "But what if sickness should come, or some accident should befall either of us, or you should be thrown out of employment for several months, what would become of us then?" "My dear father, if we poor people stopped to think of the misfortunes that might befall us, we should lose courage. Let us close our eyes to the future, and think only of the present. That, thank Heaven! is not alarming."