M.Zola has often been reproached for showing us the vileness of human nature; and no doubt such vileness may be found in "Paris," but there are contrasting pictures.

If some of M.
Zola's characters horrify the reader, there are others that the latter can but admire.

Life is compounded of good and evil, and unfortunately it is usually the evil that makes the most noise and attracts the most attention.

Moreover, in M.Zola's case, it has always been his purpose to expose the evils from which society suffers in the hope of directing attention to them and thereby hastening a remedy, and thus, in the course of his works, he could not do otherwise than drag the whole frightful mass of human villany and degradation into the full light of day.

But if there are, again, black pages in "Paris," others, bright and comforting, will be found near them.