Sealed Lips — page 30: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

22 SHALED LIPS. CHAPTER III. A FLORAL MEMENTO. It was eight o’clock in the morning, and the lamp was still burning in Antoine Godefroid’s room. The hero of the night before was reading the jour- nals with calm attention, but a trifle uneasy, asa lawyer gives an abstract of a case. Patrice, fresh and rested, enters his friend’s room, and is surprised to find him with this preoccupied and sober face. “Mon Dieu!” exclaimed he, “what a pile of jour- nals! And to think that each one represents a political party! Happy France! Well, are vou pleased? Does the incense burn upon all these blue, white, and red altars without exception? Ah! here is one where they compare you to Berlioz.” “You might say that the article was on Berlioz. He only speaks of me to deplore the unjust par- tiality of fate in respect to certain artists.” “He admits in the same breath the success of your work.” “He admits it, but in his heart he laments it. He is politely astonished. Do you see, my friend, on the whole—for I love you too well to let you read all these papers—the public is only a lofty critic which fights me with a vengeance.” Gomiclh 00)| <Sp(E)