Mornay, who could level him to the dust
tomorrow financially, a master of the world's affairs, a prospector of
life's fields, who would march fearlessly beyond the farthest frontiers
into the unknown. Jean Jacques' admiration of the lion who could, and
would, slay him was the best tribute to his own character.
M. Fille's eyes moistened as he realized it; and he knew that nothing he
could say or do would make this man accommodate his actions to the hard
rules of the business of life; he must for ever be applying to them
conceptions of a half-developed mind.
"Quite so, quite so, Jean Jacques," M. Fille responded gently,
"but"--here came a firmer note to his voice, for he had taken to heart
the lesson M. Mornay had taught him, and he was determined to do his duty
now when the opportunity was in his hand--"but you have got to deal with
things as they are; not as they might have been. If you cannot have the
great men you have to deal with the little men like me. You have to prove
yourself bigger than the rest of us by doing things better. A man doesn't
fail only because of others, but also because of himself. You were warned
that the chances were all against you in the case that's just been
decided, yet you would go on; you were warned that your cousin, Auguste
Charron, was in debt, and that his wife was mad to get away from the farm
and go West, yet you would take no notice.
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