"Explain, sir, explain what you mean!"

I explained, but was not understood. After many ingenious attempts,
I determined to clear it up in the form of example, and had the
courage to bring forward the extremely singular and moving effect
produced upon me by the voice of Maddalene; when the magisterial
head of the prison burst into a violent fit of laughter. "What is
all that, what is that?" cried his companions. He then repeated my
words with an air of burlesque; peals of laughter followed, and I
there stood, in their eyes, the picture of a convicted blockhead.

As it is in prison, so it is in the world. Those who make it their
wisdom to go into passions, to complain, to defy, to abuse, think
that to pity, to love, to console yourself with gentle and beautiful
thoughts and images, in accord with humanity and its great Author,
is all mere folly.



CHAPTER XIII.



I let them laugh and said not a word; they hit at me again two or
three times, but I was mute. "He will come no more near the
window," said one, "he will hear nothing but the sighs of Maddalene;
we have offended him with laughing." At length, the chief imposed
silence upon the whole party, all amusing themselves at my expense.
"Silence, beasts as you are; devil a bit you know what you are
talking about. Our neighbour is none so long eared an animal as you