L E T T E R S

676Letter Nr. 169[To V. Wielogłowski]Mortagne, July 10, 1839 926The grace and peace of God be with you, my dear Valerian!What sad news 927 you must have received in Paris, if you went thereyesterday as you wrote in your letter. What sorrow and concern this brings to yourdearest heart! But do not despair! All evil is turned to good if we accept it aspunishment, for our sins which we very sincerely seek to correct as fully aspossible, and if we accept it as a test of our faithfulnes and perseverance... if welearn from these evils, and persevere in our good resolutions, without ceasing toplace our entire confidence in God.Although I have written practically every day, I have had no informationfrom Paris for the past week, and I cannot explain this, except possibly for tworeasons: either some catastrophe has struck, that is, the landlord or one of thecreditors may have foreclosed 928 , and that may have been forced to move out ofthe House; or, Victor 929 is so angry that he will not write to me, hoping in this wayto force me to return. Although I promised to return on July 15 th , that is nextMonday, he may still regard this as uncertain.Victor is a good boy, when he is good. But when a fly gets in his nose, heis capable of anything in order to satisfy his irritation. Once before, in triflingcircumstances, he showed me his real self, with a very stubborn show of temper,short-lived it is true, but very vicious and spiteful, practically that of a wild man.And now, for nothing at all, for a slight lapse on my part - he asked me forSemenenko’s address in Rome - he is angry with me. Moreover, he has long beenan advocate of the piratical method of extricating ourselves from our troubles, thatis, with stick in hand. He wrote recently that I should finally make the effort to rid926 The date of the postmark.927 About the danger to the last House in Paris.928 Seizure of goods.929 Victor Sidorowicz, who was B. Jański’ substitude in household matters.