One and all set upon him and make use of him and beat him down!" With that cry of revolt and compassion, the friends separated for the night.

Pierre, who sat near the open window, overlooking the sparkling immensity of Paris, had listened to the others without speaking a word.
He had once more been mastered by his doubts, the terrible struggle of his heart and mind; and no solution, no appeasement had come to him from all the contradictory views he had heard--the views of men who only united in predicting the disappearance of the old world, and could make no joint brotherly effort to rear the future world of truth and justice.
In that vast city of Paris stretching below him, spangled with stars, glittering like the sky of a summer's night, Pierre also found a great enigma.

It was like chaos, like a dim expanse of ashes dotted with sparks whence the coming aurora would arise.

What future was being forged there, he wondered, what decisive word of salvation and happiness would come with the dawn, and wing its flight to every point of the horizon?
When Pierre, in his turn, was about to retire, Guillaume laid his hands upon his shoulders, and with much emotion gave him a long look.

"Ah! my poor fellow," said he, "you've been suffering too for some days past, I have noticed it.