A formidable
man! And growing more formidable every day, as his wealth increased.
His income was already such that he could afford to be honest; nothing
but the force of old habits kept him from developing into a positive
saint.
It stands to reason that a person of this caliber would have sniffed at
a paltry remuneration of five thousand francs offered by an obscure
country priest. But Don Giustino was a good son of the Church. He had
never forgotten the recommendation of his old patron to succour the
humble and distressed; he specialized, as a lawyer, in defending
murderers and rescuing them from the secular arm. They were enthusiasts
suffering under a sense of wrong; they belonged to the class of the
honest poor; they were victims of governmental greed and social
injustice. Motives, not deeds! he would say. And the motives of the
poor must be judged by other standards than those of the rich. They
have other lives, other temptations. Trust the people. The people,
under proper guidance of the priests.
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