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II

THE PROFITENDIEUS There feeling

He

is

no trace

in Poussin's letters of

of obligation towards

his

any

parents.

never in later days showed any regret

at having left them; transplanted to his

own

to

his

Rome

of

free will, he lost all desire to return

—

home and

recollection of

even,

it

would seem,

all

it.

Paul Desjardins (Poussin).

Monsieur Profitendieu was that his colleague Molinier,

in a

hurry to get home and wished keeping him company

who was

up the Boulevard St. Germain, would walk a little faster. Alberic Profitendieu had just had an unusually heavy day at the law-courts; an uncomfortable sensation in his right side was causing him some uneasiness; fatigue in his case usually went to his liver, which was his weak point. He was thinking of his bath; nothing rested him better after the cares of the day than a good bath with an eye to which he had taken no tea that afternoon, esteeming it imprudent to get into any sort of water even warm with a loaded stomach. Merely a prejudice, perhaps; but prejudices are the props of civilisation. Oscar Molinier walked as quickly as he could and made every effort to keep up with his companion; but he was much shorter than Profitendieu and his crural development was slighter; besides which there was a little fatty accumulation round his heart and he easily became short-winded. Profitendieu, who was still sound at the age of fifty-five, with a well-developed chest and a brisk gait, would have gladly given him the slip; but he was very particular as to the proprieties; his colleague was older than he and higher up in the career; respect was due to him. And besides, since the death of his wife's parents,

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