“Have the house watched, by all means,” said Molinier. “Get the reports of the concierge and the sham maid-servant--very good! But mind, if you push the enquiry too far, the affair will be taken out of your hands.... I mean there’s a risk of your being led on much further than you bargained for.” “Justice should have no such considerations.” “Tut, tut, my dear sir; you and I know very well what justice ought to be and what it is. We’re all agreed that we act for the best, but, however we act, we never get nearer than an approximation. The case before us now is a particularly delicate one. Out of the fifteen accused persons--or persons who at a word from you will be accused to-morrow--nine are minors. And some of these boys, as you know, come of very honourable families. In such circumstances, I consider that to issue a warrant at all would be the greatest mistake. The newspapers will get hold of the affair and you open the door to every sort of blackmail and calumny. In spite of all your efforts you’ll not prevent names from coming out.... It’s no business of mine to give you advice--on the contrary--it’s much more my place to receive it. You’re well aware how highly I’ve always rated your lucidity and your fair-mindedness.... But if I were you, this is what I should do: I should try to put an end to this abominable scandal by laying hold of the four or five instigators.... Yes! I know they’re difficult to catch; but what the deuce, that’s part of our trade. I should have the flat--the scene of the orgies--closed, and I should take steps for the brazen young rascals’ parents to be informed of the affair--quietly and secretly; and merely in order to avoid any repetition of the scandal. Oh! as to the women, collar _them_ by all means. I’m entirely with you there. We seem to be up against a set of creatures of unspeakable perversity, and society should be cleansed of them at all costs. But, let me repeat, leave the boys alone; content yourself with giving them a fright, and then hush the matter up with some vague term like “youthful indiscretion.” Their astonishment at having got off so cheaply will last them for a long time to come. Remember that three of them are not fourteen years old and that their parents no doubt consider them angels of purity and innocence. But really, my dear fellow, between ourselves, come now, did _we_ think of women when we were that age?” He came to a stop, breathless rather with talking than with walking, and forced Profitendieu, whose sleeve he was holding, to stop too. “Or if we thought of them,” he went on, “it was ideally--mystically--religiously, if I may say so. The boys of to-day, don’t you think, have no ideals--no! no ideals.... A propos, how are yours? Of course, I’m not alluding to them when I speak so. I know that with your careful bringing-up--with the education you’ve given them, there’s no fear of any such reprehensible follies.”