When he entered the house, he said to Armand, "My dear son, I do not wish to take advantage of a moment of trouble; think well of what you are going to do: have you made up your mind to obey me, and are you now convinced that I have a right to exact obedience? I will not conceal from you, that if M. Bernard takes any proceedings, it will in all probability be against me, and that after having compelled me to pay the damages, I shall be ordered to prevent you from committing similar acts for the future. Will you believe, then, that you are bound to submit to my authority, or will you wait for the magistrate to order you to do so?"
"Oh! no, no, papa!" said Armand, confused, and kissing his father's hand, which he covered with tears. "Forgive me, I entreat you."
"My dear child," said his father, "I have nothing to forgive you: in granting you your liberty, I knew very well that you would abuse it. I knew that by allowing you to follow your own judgment, I exposed you to the danger of committing many faults; but it is for this reason that you ought to feel the necessity of sometimes submitting to my judgment."
Armand was unable to express his gratitude for so much indulgence and kindness. M. de Saint-Marsin returned to M. Bernard, and told him he would have an estimate made of the amount of damage done, which fortunately was not so great as M. Bernard had at first represented. Nevertheless it was considerable, and Armand, who happened to be in his father's study on the day when they came to demand payment, did not dare to raise his eyes, so much was he ashamed of what he had done.
"You now understand, my son," said M. de Saint-Marsin, "that parents have a right to prevent the follies of their children, since they have to pay for them; but it is not only for such faults as they have to pay for, that they are responsible, but for all the faults of their children, when they have the power of preventing them."
"To whom are they responsible, papa?"
"To God and to the world. To God, who requires that men should be good, reasonable, and as much as possible enlightened, but who does not require that children should become all this, by their own unaided efforts. He has, therefore, intrusted their education and instruction to their parents, and for this purpose has given them the authority necessary for compelling them to receive instruction, and to endeavour to become virtuous. On the other hand, as the world also demands that children should be so brought up, as to become worthy members of society, when they conduct themselves ill, when they manifest vicious propensities, it is the parents who are reproached: they ought therefore to possess the means and authority of correcting and controlling their actions, until they attain sufficient strength and reason to be rendered responsible for themselves."
Armand felt the truth of these arguments. He still occasionally found obedience troublesome, but he no longer obstinately clung to his own ideas, for he perceived that there are many things which cannot possibly be thoroughly understood by a boy of thirteen.