Otherwise social revolution lies at the end of the road.
But Beauchene, in his triumphant manner, tried to show that he possessed
great breadth of mind; he admitted the disquieting strides of a decrease
of population, and denounced the causes of it--alcoholism, militarism,
excessive mortality among infants, and other numerous matters. Then he
indicated remedies; first, reductions in taxation, fiscal means in which
he had little faith; then freedom to will one's estate as one pleased,
which seemed to him more efficacious; a change, too, in the marriage
laws, without forgetting the granting of affiliation rights.
However, Boutan ended by interrupting him. "All the legislative measures
in the world will do nothing," said the doctor. "Manners and customs, our
notions of what is moral and what is not, our very conceptions of the
beautiful in life--all must be changed. If France is becoming
depopulated, it is because she so chooses. It is simply necessary then
for her to choose so no longer. But what a task--a whole world to create
anew!"
At this Mathieu raised a superb cry: "Well! we'll create it. I've begun
well enough, surely!"
But Constance, after laughing in a constrained way, in her turn thought
it as well to change the subject.
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