You must permit me to discriminate between Beethoven and la Catalani: to one belongs the immortal crown of genius and of martyrdom, to the other innumerable five-franc pieces; one we can pay in coin, but the world remains throughout all time a debtor to the other.

Each day increases our debt to Moliere, but Baron's comedies have been overpaid." "I think you make the prerogative of ideas too exclusive," said Ernest de La Briere, in a quiet and melodious voice, which formed a sudden contrast to the peremptory tones of the poet, whose flexible organ had abandoned its caressing notes for the strident and magisterial voice of the rostrum.

"Genius must be estimated according to its utility; and Parmentier, who brought potatoes into general use, Jacquart, the inventor of silk looms; Papin, who first discovered the elastic quality of steam, are men of genius, to whom statues will some day be erected.
They have changed, or they will change in a certain sense, the face of the State.

It is in that sense that Desplein will always be considered a man of genius by thinkers; they see him attended by a generation of sufferers whose pains are stifled by his hand." That Ernest should give utterance to this opinion was enough to make Modeste oppose it.
"If that be so, monsieur," she said, "then the man who could discover a way to mow wheat without injuring the straw, by a machine that could do the work of ten men, would be a man of genius." "Yes, my daughter," said Madame Mignon; "and the poor would bless him for cheaper bread,--he that is blessed by the poor is blessed of God." "That is putting utility above art," said Modeste, shaking her head.
"Without utility what would become of art ?" said Charles Mignon.

"What would it rest on?
what would it live on?
Where would you lodge, and how would you pay the poet ?" "Oh! my dear papa, such opinions are fearfully flat and antediluvian! I am not surprised that Gobenheim and Monsieur de La Briere, who are interested in the solution of social problems should think so; but you, whose life has been the most useless poetry of the century,--useless because the blood you shed all over Europe, and the horrible sufferings exacted by your colossus, did not prevent France from losing ten departments acquired under the Revolution,--how can _you_ give in to such excessively pig-tail notions, as the idealists say?
It is plain you've just come from China." The impertinence of Modeste's speech was heightened by a little air of contemptuous disdain which she purposely put on, and which fairly astounded Madame Mignon, Madame Latournelle, and Dumay.