To have continually at one's side a woman，a daughter，a sister，a charming being，who is there because you need her and because she cannot do without you；to know that we are indispensable to a person who is necessary to us；to be able to incessantly measure one's affection by the amount of her presence which she bestows on us，and to say to ourselves，'Since she consecrates the whole of her time to me，it is because I possess the whole of her heart'；to behold her thought in lieu of her face；to be able to verify the fidelity of one being amid the eclipse of the world；to regard the rustle of a gown as the sound of wings；to hear her come and go，retire，speak，return，sing，and to think that one is the centre of these steps，of this speech；to manifest at each instant one's personal attraction；to feel one's self all the more powerful because of one's infirmity；to become in one's obscurity，and through one's obscurity，the star around which this angel gravitates，——few felicities equal this.The supreme happiness of life consists in the conviction that one is loved；loved for one's own sake——let us say rather，loved in spite of one's self；this conviction the blind man possesses.To be served in distress is to be caressed.
Does he lack anything？No.One does not lose the sight when one has love.
And what love！A love wholly constituted of virtue！
There is no blindness where there is certainty.
Soul seeks soul，gropingly，and finds it.And this soul，found and tested，is a woman.
A hand sustains you；it is hers：
a mouth lightly touches your brow；it is her mouth：you hear a breath very near you；it is hers.
To have everything of her，from her worship to her pity，never to be left，to have that sweet weakness aiding you，to lean upon that immovable reed，to touch Providence with one's hands，and to be able to take it in one's arms，——God made tangible，——what bliss！
The heart，that obscure，celestial flower，undergoes a mysterious blossoming.One would not exchange that shadow for all brightness！The angel soul is there，uninterruptedly there；if she departs，it is but to return again；she vanishes like a dream，and reappears like reality.
One feels warmth approaching，and behold！she is there.One overflows with serenity，with gayety，with ecstasy；one is a radiance amid the night.
And there are a thousand little cares.Nothings，which are enormous in that void.
The most ineffable accents of the feminine voice employed to lull you，and supplying the vanished universe to you.
One is caressed with the soul.One sees nothing，but one feels that one is adored.
It is a paradise of shadows.
It was from this paradise that Monseigneur Welcome had passed to the other.
The announcement of his death was reprinted by the local journal of M.sur M.On the following day，M.Madeleine appeared clad wholly in black，and with crape on his hat.
This mourning was noticed in the town，and commented on.
It seemed to throw a light on M.Madeleine's origin.
It was concluded that some relationship existed between him and the venerable Bishop.
'He has gone into mourning for the Bishop of D——'said the drawing-rooms；this raised M.Madeleine's credit greatly，and procured for him，instantly and at one blow，a certain consideration in the noble world of M.sur M.The microscopic Faubourg Saint-Germain of the place meditated raising the quarantine against M.Madeleine，the probable relative of a bishop.
M.Madeleine perceived the advancement which he had obtained，by the more numerous courtesies of the old women and the more plentiful smiles of the young ones.One evening，a ruler in that petty great world，who was curious by right of seniority，ventured to ask him，'M.le Maire is doubtless a cousin of the late Bishop of D——？'
He said，'No，Madame.'
'But，'resumed the dowager，'you are wearing mourning for him.'
He replied，'It is because I was a servant in his family in my youth.'
Another thing which was remarked，was，that every time that he encountered in the town a young Savoyard who was roaming about the country and seeking chimneys to sweep，the mayor had him summoned，inquired his name，and gave him money.
The little Savoyards told each other about it：
a great many of them passed that way.
BOOK FIFTH.——THE DESCENT
Ⅴ VAGUE FLASHES ON THE HORIZON
Little by little，and in the course of time，all this opposition subsided.
There had at first been exercised against M.Madeleine，in virtue of a sort of law which all those who rise must submit to，blackening and calumnies；then they grew to be nothing more than ill-nature，then merely malicious remarks，then even this entirely disappeared；respect became complete，unanimous，cordial，and towards 1821 the moment arrived when the word'Monsieur le Maire'was pronounced at M.sur M.with almost the same accent as'Monseigneur the Bishop'had been pronounced in D——in 1815.
People came from a distance of ten leagues around to consult M.Madeleine.
He put an end to differences，he prevented lawsuits，he reconciled enemies.Every one took him for the judge，and with good reason.It seemed as though he had for a soul the book of the natural law.It was like an epidemic of veneration，which in the course of six or seven years gradually took possession of the whole district.
One single man in the town，in the arrondissement，absolutely escaped this contagion，and，whatever Father Madeleine did，remained his opponent as though a sort of incorruptible and imperturbable instinct kept him on the alert and uneasy.
